2020 Nascar Big 3

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by rustyfan

Well, it's 2020 after all - nothing really surprises me anymore.

It'll be weird, but at the same time I don't mind the change. Question is... when they say they will convert it into a "high banked" half-mile track, what sort of banking are we talking about? 30-35+ degrees, to make it close to the old, unmolested Bristol? That would be glorious.

I guess the 2 mile track was losing money. The big NASCAR track expansion boom of the late 2000's is long over now.

...and stages and playoffs still need to go away.

[S griffin]

I just hope the change to the length of the circuit is worth it. I feel NASCAR is still a decent sport and has so much potential, but needs to make sure it is managed carefully

Sadly the series lost a great lot of credibility by first making the playoff ridiculous and getting rid of one long race, by putting in those silly stages

[rustyfan]

Having now watched last night's race at Bristol, I'm glad I let the DVR record it rather than staying up through the night to watch it live.

[broadrun96]

Fast forward come in handy did it? Used to be one of my don't miss events but haven't watched since they screwed up the track

[Alfisti]

Never watched it, gonna stick to the "happy hour" highlights programme.

Seats seem to be filling for next year now. Chastain at the #42, which I'm glad to see - I like his style. Watched him battle Kyle Busch very closely in xfinity recently. Good clean stuff.

Cry baby driving for Michael Jordan who's bought up some or all of the #13 with Hamlin. Guess this'll become a Toyota entry with support to one level or another from Gibbs. Guess we'll see how that goes, I just don't think Bubba is up to the standards to compete at the front in Cup. Maybe I'll be proved wrong, but his Truck and xfinity time wasn't too much to shout about. Moved up the series before having enough experience maybe?

Not sure where Ty Dillon will fit in unless RCR are about to run a third car?

[broadrun96]

Well Chicagoland, and Route 66 Raceway by extension, appears to be done as a track. No races this season and no race for them in 2021 with Cup, GN, Trucks or ARCA either. Route 66 has all drag racing operations shut down for this season and for 2021 as well, doesn’t sound good.

[broadrun96]

Kentucky will be joining the Nascar scrap heap.

COTA will be hosting the Cup boys IF they don't get sold or close for 2021.

What the hell is Nascar thinking? They took Kentucky's date to Atlanta, AMS in July should be GREAT right?

https://racer.com/2020/09/30/two-atl...races-in-2021/

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Kentucky will be joining the Nascar scrap heap.

COTA will be hosting the Cup boys IF they don't get sold or close for 2021.

What the hell is Nascar thinking? They took Kentucky's date to Atlanta, AMS in July should be GREAT right?

https://racer.com/2020/09/30/two-atl...races-in-2021/

Nice to see them bring two races back to the true origins of stockcar racing, but yeah, push it to September, early October. Also, a second race added for Darlington. Taking away from both should not have been done in the first place. Now for the race back at The Rock...

Also of note. They are taking an Olympic Break for the first time ever, there's a double header at Pocono, a race at the Nashville Superspeedway, which I thought was closed, Road America is on July 4th, the summer daytona race is in August and the All Star race is at Texas.

They're throwing the kitchen sink at this!

And took me a minute to find an article with the actual damn schedule!!
https://us.motorsport.com/nascar-cup...edule/4884312/

[TheMightyM]

Also two races at Atlanta but only one race at Michigan. Didn't see that coming.

[broadrun96]

And the Brickyard is now the road course not the oval. That will be a combined NASCAR/Indy full road course event, think they were thinking Indy with Nationwide in August but will be all 3 on the road course. Racer doesn’t have the schedule but confirmed that with IMS

And the kitchen sink is right? Bring back SMOKE for this.

“Other new races added include a spring race at Bristol which will be converted to a dirt track. The last Cup race held on dirt was on Sept. 30, 1970, at the half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, N.C.”


Yup, Nashville closed in 2011. It’s being reopened for 2021, it is owned by Dover Motorsports so a Dover date was been dropped for the Nashville race to come back. Bring back the Les Paul’s and watch Kyle destroy a hand painted 10k guitar like an idiot again

[WyldStallion]

If NASCAR really wants to diversity..how about pick a bunch of races where there are NO stages.

The road course races certainly don't need them. Heck it would be nice if they were done away with entirely. The Brickyard 400 was made worse because of the stages. I remember the 1994 and 1995 races had very very on green flag runs and I enjoyed that cause some strategy was being played out. R.I.P. The race was pretty cool in the 1990's. But it just went downhill after that. Just like the series as whole. It died after the end of the "Winston Cup" series in 2000.

One race on youtube I really watch with nostalga was the season ending Atlanta Winston Cup race in 2000. DW's last race and Earnhardt's last race before the 2001 500. Last race on the old ESPN contract with Bob, Ned, and Benny too I think.


Bottom line if I am ever to watch NASCAR again. We need to bring back the magic that Winston Cup was. Maybe the schedule does that some. But more needs to be done. No stages. Eliminate "playoffs", get the cars to have good liveries like the 1990s, and stop sucking up to Bubba Smolett.

[Alfisti]

Stages to me damage racing strategy and take an element of interest away. Previously tyres going away meant pit. Or maybe you strategically pitted to try and get the jump on other teams. A lot of that is gone, way fewer strategic green flag pitstops - they don't make sense, ease up on your worn tyres and wait for the stage end caution - pretty much a no brainer unless the wheels are literally coming off of your wagon. I'd ditch stages in a heartbeat if it were me running the show.

I don't like playoffs/ the chase either. True, we don't know who might be champion. But also true is the #4 Harvick totally in my eyes deserve it. It would be a tragedy if he didn't win. Similarly back in 2018 when Harvick, Busch and Truex were in a class of their own pretty much the whole season - only for Joey Logano to gain the title with a win at Homestead. Full season, total the points up, chap with the most wins is what it should be.

As for the unspeakable one - I've warmed to him a little lately, I just wish people would stop playing the race card. I reckon 90 % of NASCAR fans could not care less what colour of skin a person has, or their gender, or whether they vote Republican or Democrat etc etc. They just want to watch some good racing!

[WyldStallion]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

As for the unspeakable one - I've warmed to him a little lately, I just wish people would stop playing the race card. I reckon 90 % of NASCAR fans could not care less what colour of skin a person has, or their gender, or whether they vote Republican or Democrat etc etc. They just want to watch some good racing!

We did not play the race card. Bubba did. I would agree with you in fact I would say over 99% did not care....UNTIL...Bubba decided to go there with it.

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by WyldStallion

We did not play the race card. Bubba did. I would agree with you in fact I would say over 99% did not care....UNTIL...Bubba decided to go there with it.

Sorry, NASCAR went there. If you’d like to complain about who did what NASCAR management held the press conferences, called him, reported it to the local authorities and made the big deal. Neither he nor his team did that. Please get your facts straight before you start blaming people

[Alfisti]

I believe their was a conspiracy to drum up publicity with the whole noose thing. It certainly got NASCAR on the front pages in the States and into mainstream European media.

My gripe with Bubba is mainly the refusal to accept the FBIs findings. Others within the NASCAR community set the story up. Guess the truth will not come out.