How would you change NASCAR?

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by S griffin

Don’t forget NASCAR was helped last by the state of Indycar racing being so bad. But now we have had a unified series since 2008 and although it’s taken, it has become popular again and NASCAR’s been left behind as a result

NASCAR hasn't been left behind at all - not yet, at least. They still dwarf IndyCar in both attendance and ratings at the majority of their events, and while NASCAR's decline HAS been much more pronounced than IndyCar's rise, there is still a HUGE way to go before IndyCar is anywhere close to NASCAR.


But if present trends continue, IndyCar will eventually top NASCAR.

[R.Lee]

I've been reading the various comments on this thread/topic and have been mulling over how to reply, for several days since the topic first appeared. I honestly do not see the need for arguing. Discussion and debate are good, but arguing really serve no purpose.

Everyone wants to talk about how they would change NASCAR. I am going to offer a point that perhaps no one here or on any other forum where this topic has been brought up, has thought about. The reason why NASCAR is in the position/trouble that it is in presently, beside the poor economy, that affected every sport and every form of racing, is TOO MUCH CHANGE! I won't factor in the economy, because that is something that no one had any control of. I will only address what could have been controlled.

The old saying goes, "Don't try to fix what isn't broken" When that happens, it is a recipe for disaster. Do not change what is working, unless you have something that is guaranteed to work better. That, unfortunately, is what NASCAR did and it has put NASCAR into decline. A prime example of how trying to fix what was not broken and why it should be avoided, is what bruton smith did to Bristol Motor Speedway. He tried to fix was not broken and in the process he ruined the track. His plan blew up in his fat little face and subsequent changes to try to put it back to the way it was have not been met with success, thought I understand, from what I hear from the drivers that raced on the old Bristol surface said, after this last race, that it is about where it was, before smith started trying to fix what was not broken.

Here is what I think should be done. Instead of making radical changes to NASCAR, go back, find what made NASCAR so popular and remove the changes that have caused it's loss of popularity! Easier said than done, yes. But it could be done. I have several ideas about how I believe it could be done, but it will take several more entries/posts for me to express them. I do not feel like expounding on them today, so I will start on another day.

[TheMightyM]

Here's a pretty good CNBC video on the current state of NASCAR:

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/05/2...s-viewers.html

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by R.Lee

I honestly do not see the need for arguing. Discussion and debate are good, but arguing really serve no purpose.

It's the internet. Some people come to win arguments or prove the worth of their knowledge...

Agreed totally with the rest of your post; everything was going just fine and they fixed what wasn't broke...

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by TheMightyM

Here's a pretty good CNBC video on the current state of NASCAR:

https://www.cnbc.com/video/2018/05/2...s-viewers.html

That's pretty spot on...

Singling out Target wasn't quite as profound as they wanted to make it as they pulled out of IndyCar the year before. Would've also been nice to have pictured Kyle Larson or JPM and didn't show IndyCar Drivers Dario Franchitti and Ryan Briscoe. Do your research better, people!!

They also posed the prospect of hope...

[joeb]

This can't be the path forward:

Toyota's Supra to replace Camry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-xs...eries-1056388/

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by joeb

This can't be the path forward:

Toyota's Supra to replace Camry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-xs...eries-1056388/

Jeebus. They could call it anything but a Prius and it would work in nascar. Camry's and their street drivers are freaking horrendous but they are stockcar racing? There's part of the problem right there...Supra to save the day!!!!

Oh brother....

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by joeb

This can't be the path forward:

Toyota's Supra to replace Camry in the NASCAR Xfinity Series

https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-xs...eries-1056388/

Too bad that because of the rules they have to use that hideous body and not the true body of the Supra.

[Alfisti]

Cup will follow xfinity. Give it a year or two!

Seems we're all going to be calling all our NASCAR race cars after coupes and maybe have some visual references to the road cars.

Ford had to given the decision to exit the car business - except Mustang - and bet the future on trucks and SUVs. Given market trends this could turn out to be a brilliant idea. Up there with iphone...

Chevy switched to Camaro, for marketing reasons rather than because they're planning to stop making cars. But you can bet they're watching Ford and wondering.

Can't see Toyota ditching big passenger cars any time soon. Japanese business culture is conservative and rational. But obviously if the people are buying trucks and SUVs and ordinary car market shrinks they'll be thinking hard too!

Just enjoy routing for your favourite drivers and teams, doesn't really matter what the car is called does it?!

[broadrun96]

Well what's the difference between most of the "SUVs" and passenger cars they are replacing? The chassis are usually the same base with a different ride height and usually MUCH less usable space because we can't design a reasonably useful hatch any more. Almost the same thing as the switch from station wagons to mini-vans in the 80s and it didn't make things any better, just made cars uglier, more useless and in general photocopies of each other so we can all brag about our badge and the 'great' lease deal I got.

[R.Lee]

Originally Posted by hondafan37

Too bad that because of the rules they have to use that hideous body and not the true body of the Supra.

Saw the car that NASCAR has approved to be run as a Supra. It really looks nothing like the picture you have posted. has to fit the common templates to be legal.

[hondafan37]

Originally Posted by R.Lee

Saw the car that NASCAR has approved to be run as a Supra. It really looks nothing like the picture you have posted. has to fit the common templates to be legal.

That is precisely what I am trying to say, the cars are really horrible with those common templates to be legal. It would be much better if they could use the original form of the Supra like the photo.

[FormulaFox]

The good news is that we should be getting an initial look at Gen 7 before too much longer, and they apparently want to find ways to equalize aero withOUT common templates(I'm sure that will go swimmingly), so the cars can be even closer to looking like the road cars.

The common templates were fine for cars like the Fusion, SS, and Camry - all three in Cup looked like coupe versions of the road car. But the XFinity Mustang -by far the least Mustang looking Mustang that ever Mustanged- and Camaro -don't even know HOW to describe THAT monstrosity!- has already shown us the problem with common templates before Chevy brought the Camaro to Cup. (the Xfinity Challenger at least LOOKS like a Challenger - albeit one with a bad bodykit)

I hope the Mustang won't look as bad on the Cup templates as the Xfinity version - The only sporty car I think might look good on the Cup templates is the Toyota 86.

[TheMightyM]

ISC President John Saunders, during the company's conference call on its second-quarter earnings:

All in all, the attendance was a little softer than expected. We still have an issue with star power. Hopefully this stable of young drivers coming along will start to win and build their brands.

The Charlotte Observer's Brendan Marks finds this ridiculous. His key point:

The biggest issue with what Saunders said is simple: It's another excuse.

And that's a sign of a much larger problem with NASCAR.

Every time a NASCAR executive comes out and offers up some half-baked excuse, like Saunders did, it fails to address the deeper, more intrinsic issues with the sport. It's just kicking the can, shoving those issues further down the line — or in this case, down the racing lineage — for someone else to deal with.

Yup.

[TheMightyM]

Kelly Crandall has a good new column for Racer titled “Is NASCAR in a schedule rut?” Sample quote:

As the end of the five-year agreement approaches, NASCAR and its tracks need to take a hard look at the schedule and what can be done to make it better. Where else can the sport, realistically, be going that will produce exiting racing and satisfying attendance? Should we be looking at tracks with two dates and asking whether just one is a better option?

[broadrun96]

Contract the schedule, it's just too many races and honestly could use breaks. The NFL has multiple times considered 18 games and the players union and every consultant group they've hired have said no, no more games. You've hit the sweet spot where people want more but don't feel cheated, expansion will only saturate the market and producing declining returns; same things were listed for additional teams.

Nascar just have too many events and in some cases too long an event. Yes it is an attentions span thing but honestly some of the attention span is due to the options available. When you had 6 options there wasn't much to distract you, now everything is brought directly to you whenever you want it. I love baseball but similar to the long cautions, pitching changes constantly and the wasted time just takes too long and I'll find something else to do. Make some of the races 2/3 or even less of the current length, most cars aren't failing mechanically so longer isn't making it a tougher race so make it tougher by making it shorter and you have to earn your place at the front and push. And then the World (Coke or whoever next) 600 becomes more of the event it was before with cars failing and having to be driven to the end. And don't chase the cash of selling the event, it should be as it was for certain events and if NASCAR hasn't seen the response to Darlington on Labor Day weekend they are idiots. Well that's certain but makes them seem to be even crazier to ignore it

[NaBUru38]

Nascar needs more diverse racetracks. More road courses (Montreal, Mexico?), more short ovals (Iowa?), and dirt tracks (Eldora?)

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Nascar needs more diverse racetracks. More road courses (Montreal, Mexico?), more short ovals (Iowa?), and dirt tracks (Eldora?)

No to the Cup cars on dirt, would be a sh1tshow. Busch series (Grand National if you prefer) is looking in to it if you believe Racer but there's more power than would be entertaining on dirt in Cup.

Road courses would be great but they're a tough sell and don't bring even the collapsing ratings, once again if you believe Racer's reporting.

Short ovals could work and fewer seats to be covered there

[FormulaFox]

An absolutely ridiculous rumor has arrived in my inbox, and as I can find no better thread for it(and it's not worth starting it's own), I figured I'd drop it here for others to have a laugh.

I'm not kidding, this rumor is so ridiculous it was only shared with me because the person who passed it on knew I would get a laugh out of it. And I'm only posting it here to spread that joy of laughter to others.

You all ready? Okay, here we go....

The rumor claims that NASCAR has hired BMW to develop the aerodynamics of the next-generation cars.

[fieldodreams79]

Zee Germans are coming to save NASCAR!

[E.B]

Originally Posted by FormulaFox

The rumor claims that NASCAR has hired BMW to develop the aerodynamics of the next-generation cars.

Is that after the series goes electric?

[NaBUru38]

Hopefully the new bodywork will resemble the actual cars.

[NaBUru38]

One of the many negative aspects of the new multi-stage playoffs format is that any bad result can easily eliminate a driver.


What if at each three-race round, only the two best results counted for points?

[FormulaFox]

Originally Posted by fieldodreams79

Zee Germans are coming to save NASCAR!

The funny thing is, the idea itself makes more sense than it does on initial consideration. BMW races a lot of coupes and sedans of very similar shape to what races in NASCAR, so they have relevant aerodynamic experience. They COULD design a car for NASCAR that would be effective, equal across all models, and actually look like the road cars.


It gets ridiculous to the point of hilarity once you remember that NASCAR will never consult with an outside entity on such things unless it was directly aligned with either a team or a manufacturer active in their three top championships, so how could anyone believe this enough for the rumor to spread? The guy who passed it on to me heard it from someone who wholeheartedly believes it!

[Alfisti]

It could be possible... unlikely I would say, but the hopeful part of me says with Brian France gone then just maybe the folks running the show will try to do better.

An independent firm offering consulting advice don't seem a bad idea. Could give NASCAR and the current manufacturers some food for thought?