Most "fans" are more interested in the drivers than anything else. It's not too different from kind of celeb worship you see in pop music and other forms of entertainment. I am an avid fan of certain forms of motor racing. But I don't give a proverbial rats ass for who a driver is dating, how many kids he has, what kind of shampoo he uses or any of that crap. I assume most of you are the same, to one degree or another. But we are in the minority. Most "fans" don't care what the compression ratio is or where the redline is set, let alone "estoterica" like head design, etc.
Racing has changed, a lot, as corporate sponsorship has taken over. To justify the huge sponsorship $$$, a mass market audience is a must and what appeals to them is National Enquirer type stuff at worst, or People Magzine at best. I loved F1 in the sixties. Technical innovation occurred at a blistering pace and the innovations were major and obvious. The rear-engine revolution was the most obvious. But there were races where you could see 4, 6, 12, and 16-cylinder motors all competing one against the other. Then there was the turbo era of 1,000hp 90ci qualifying motors. F1 is still full of innovation, but now it is largely limited to aero and electronics and largely invisible due to the subtlety and secrecy involved. Another great era was the heyday of Can-Am. Jim Hall's Chapparals were one "wow" after another. The wings, the sucker car, the automatic transmissions, etc.
Spec cars bore the crap out of me.
Rich