Nascar weekend format

[NaBUru38]

I've been thinking for a while (since I've started to watch Nascar races) that Cup races should be shortened. My proposal has been:

o- Three 40-50 mile qualifying races and a 300 mile final race in intermediate ovals and superspeedways.
o- Three 25-30 mile qualifying races and a 200 mile final race in short tracks.
o- The top 12 in each race qualifies to the final race.

A few races would remain like now – for example Daytona in February, Talladega in April, Charlotte in May, Sonoma in June, Watkins Glen Indianapolis in July, Bristol in August, and the final race in November.

I've been thinking that Nascar wouldn't like to have a shorter Sunday program. Here's my solution: Sunday features both Nationwide and Cup races, held one after the other. Same at Saturday: first the three Nationwide qualifying races, then the three Cup qualifying races.

The overall broadcast wouldn't be shorter. However, having two races means that they are more intense and a long one. It's like football: watching three 90 minute matches is more interesting than a 270 minute match.

Also, the point is that both championships get equal coverage on the same channel, like MotoGP and Moto2.

What do you think about the idea?

[JHamilton]

I'm all for shortening the races and I love heat racing but I see a few business and logistical problems that would prevent it:

1. You reduce the advertising time from 4hrs to 3hrs or spread the advertising across two days which I don't know would be a good thing.
2. You would have to sell more Saturday tickets causing many, many angry rednecks.
3. The additional races would cause an increase in spending and work on the teams. They would have to prepare and fix many more cars.

Overall, I agree... the races are too long especially considering reliability doesn't really come into play anymore.

[NaBUru38]

"You reduce the advertising time from 4hrs to 3hrs or spread the advertising across two days which I don't know would be a good thing."

No, because you would show two races rather than just one. A 200-mile Nationwide race plus a 300-mile Cup race (at a superspeedway) is a longer slot than a 500-mile Cup race.

"You would have to sell more Saturday tickets causing many, many angry rednecks."

I don't understand that.

"The additional races would cause an increase in spending and work on the teams. They would have to prepare and fix many more cars."

Instead of a 500-mile Cup race, it would be a 50-mile qualifying race and a 300 mile final race. It's less miles.

[fieldodreams79]

All decent ideas, NaBUru38, just don't see NASCAR ever changing the format.

The top series has always been about the long race on Sunday and the "sportman" races on Saturday. Some of the events are painfully long and I feel they should only have a few 500 mile/lap races. However, running these long races is what big time stockcar racing is all about. It's about building car that will last, having a driver that can be fast and clean for the duration and having the right strategy to be in lead after several hundred miles. Breaking this up would make this more like some of the local short track series. Not saying they aren't great in their own right, but there just should be a difference.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Your suggesting getting 6 short races run on a Saturday, followed by a 200 mile Nationwide and a 300 mile Cup race on the Sunday.

Come Sunday evening the Cup guys will love you for all that rubber being down, with groves already 2 or 3 cars wide from the Nationwide race.

That's assuming Mother Nature doesn't drop any rain on a weekend, in which case that's a lot of racing waiting on a track drying out.

Not to mention how are you going to sort out a grid when 2 Qualy races are run in sunshine on a Bone dry track with the 3rd on an overcast track, 15 degrees colder and had jet dryers running over it for an hour. Times will be massively different.

[broadrun96]

It definitely sounds like a better idea for a Fri night and Saturday run at a local track, but would be a scheduling nightmare for NASCAR.
As for the time slot, you are massively cutting the ad time; sorry but the Nationwide race doesn't count for anything but perks for good employees in the associated companies and winners of radio contests. At a few tracks to purchase a Cup ticket you had to buy the Nationwide for the same weekend just to move some of the tickets, and none of the guys I work with went to those Sat races but have still had to pay. It would be a tougher sell now when even Cup events have a hard time selling out anymore and every track would be charging more for a combined event on Sunday. And even if the fans are at the track, the number of TV viewers that would skip the early race and only watch the Cup event would be easily measurable and no one could argue that viewers chose one day over the other.
The workload for the teams would be higher by simply knowing race drivers. How much more damage will happen with cars racing together than in single car multi-lap qualifying? The chances of rebuilding more cars each weekend is at least double if not even higher when a rookie or driver that has to race into the feature tears up another car in his eagerness to gain that needed position.
Some of Cup racing strategy is a lot like endurance racing, just getting the car to end was half the race. And like LM now the endurance isn't so much in mechanically getting the car to the end as avoiding the wrecks along the way and being in the right position. Although I think the series could use some variety in length and a couple 300 mile races would be an interesting change of pace.

[Paradise City]

You could shave off the length of some of those races with the exception of the majors.

I don't mind seeing a few of the races split up into heats in principle but I'm just frightened that if they did that they'd do dumb things like 'reverse grids' and, my, I would just HATE that.

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by ScotsBrutesFan

Your suggesting getting 6 short races run on a Saturday, followed by a 200 mile Nationwide and a 300 mile Cup race on the Sunday.

Exactly!

I don't understand why ratings would drop. People would still watch Cup heat races and the final, right? But since these racer are shorter, they will have time to watch Nationwide.

how are you going to sort out a grid when 2 Qualy races are run in sunshine on a Bone dry track with the 3rd on an overcast track, 15 degrees colder

That's easy. Heat 1 finishers start 3rd, 6yh, 9th, 12th. Heat 2 finishers start 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th. Heat 3 finishers start 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th. So overtaking one car mean gaining three spots for the final race. Heat races would be very intense.

[broadrun96]

You're assuming time is the only factor, but I would argue there just isn't the natural interest in Nationwide cars. Even NASCAR has realized that when they changed the bodies to Camaro/Mustang hoping to drive some interest. Haven't seen the ratings since then, but a full-time switch to ESPN probably hasn't hurt.

[Matt]

[FIRE]

Shorten the Cup races is the only they need to do.

[MJ_N_09]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Shorten the Cup races is the only they need to do.

What about having 1 hour qualifying with multiple cars on track like Nationwide does for the Road Courses? Great recipe for fun If you ask me.

[FordCosworthPanoz]

Originally Posted by MJ_N_09

What about having 1 hour qualifying with multiple cars on track like Nationwide does for the Road Courses? Great recipe for fun If you ask me.

You're in luck for Sonoma and Watkins Glen this year then as they're using that very format at the road courses in Cup.

Format Changes? Shorten the longer Cup races (seriously who the hell wants to watch 500 miles of racing at Texas, 100 miles is bad enough at that aero festival), and take away some second dates for Short and Road circuits. 2nd Kansas to Iowa, Dallas/ft worth to Circuit of the Americas ect

Also, bulldoze Chicagoland Speedway for a Walmart and move the date to Road America.

And run more Nationwide/truck standalones at non-cup tracks, despite what Kool-Aid brigade says, they have a history of good attendance.