NASCAR cuts weekend schedule to save money, ease travel
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Kyle Busch usually wakes up around 8 a.m. or so on race day and just waits until he's needed for a meet-and-greet before he slips into the No. 18 Toyota.
But if he's up, he may as well as qualify before lunch. And if he wins the pole, well, he may as well go win the race.
Busch was the biggest benefactor in NASCAR's decision to try a reduced weekend Cup schedule at Pocono Raceway. NASCAR ditched the traditional practice and qualifying sessions on Friday and drivers made their run at the pole just a few hours before the start of Sunday's race. Busch won the pole and won a race for the first time this season.
"I wouldn't mind more days like that," Busch said. "With my Xfinity and Truck efforts getting cut back more and more each year, that's going to be more Fridays at home with my son. That's going to be more fun for us drivers."
NASCAR will try the two-day show again this week at Watkins Glen and Oct. 29 at Martinsville.
Pocono threw an infield fan festival on Friday night and a solid crowd turned out to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr ., Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Kurt Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Daniel Suarez and Michael McDowell have fun participating in lip sync battles, cooking showdowns and the like.
Watkins Glen is holding its own fan fest and a country music concert Friday night.
The real benefit to the skinny schedule is that teams can save money and spend more time at home. The cash and days off add up over the course of one of the more grueling schedules in sports. Plus, it's hardly worth it for tracks to open the gates anymore on Fridays to draw a crowd not much larger than a minor league baseball game.
My emphasis.
Here is the real reason.
SPONSOR WOES
Kyle Larson, the top young driver in the sport, lost Target last week as his sponsor in 2018. Kenseth, Danica Patrick, Kurt Busch and Kasey Kahne are among the drivers with uncertain futures because of various sponsor issues. With TV ratings and attendance flatlining, teams are struggling to put together multiyear deals with a committed corporate backer that will fund the program
"I think the traditional model is going to go extinct soon, and it could be argued that it's here right now," 2012 champion Brad Keselowski said. "The traditional model (of just) being a consumer brand sponsor that just wants to see a car out there with their name out it will go extinct in the next couple years. That's not always a bad thing. There's other models that work and have proven to be successful."
Let me clue you corporate whores at NASCAR in to a little secret.
People want to see real racing.
I know, who'da thunk it, right?
We don't like having the rules twisted so that all we ever see are 200 mph parades.
Go back to run what ya brung, let the talent speak for itself and back the fuck away from the feminization of a traditionally male dominated sport targeting a predominantly male audience.
It's that fucking simple you morons.
11 comments:
Stage races? Where are the horses? Plus, I am not usually home to watch. they used to re broadcast late, but not any more.
NASCAR will be giving away participation trophies next season!
Nascar is supposed to be stock car racing. How about racing production cars? And getting rid of the drivers with tramp stamps.
First was "silhouette racing".
The came the "Car of Tomorrow".
Then "Competition Cautions".
Now "Stages".
You are right. I say go back to the days when the cigarettes flew out of the windows when the lights went out over the pace car....
OMG you just made my day. I read that and laughed my ass off because I can remember those days too. You said exactly what I was trying to a hundred times better.
B for president of NASCAR!
All the reasons listed above is why I don't go to NASCAR or other "sanctioned" races, too much commercial BS and cars that don't look anything like a stock car. I too remember the cigs flying and hoped our favorite driver/car flicked his into the least favorite driver/car window and caused him to find the butt before it burned him...
Just as the NFL would love to have each of the 32 teams win the Supoerbowl once - preferably in alphabetical order - to show how "fair" the NFL is, NASCAR would be tickled pink if each of the top 30 drivers each won one race each season.
To hell with it - require restrictor plates for every race and kill it off in one season.
Chuck
If nascar can't figure out whats wrong all they need to do is search blogs like this. these same posts are everywhere even on there own site.
Exactlty. Not to mention I can no longer tell one track from the next. Bring back the short tracks and let them beat and bang their way to the win.
I became a NASCAR fan as a kid with the first televised Daytona 500 in 1979. I used to attend races and even buy used parts from top teams for use in my own racing efforts. I got out of racing myself in 1989. After several years of on track BS behavior by a number of drivers and NASCAR'S refusal to do anything about it, I finally stopped watching after the dust up between Harvick and Ricky Rudd on pit road after the 2003 Richmond race. I never watched another NASCAR race after that and never will.
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