Time for NASCAR to End its Season in September

T

TheSmokeMan

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It's beyond time for this to happen. As we saw this past weekend, IndyCar had its season finale. I know with IndyCar a lot of it has to do with FOX, but it's the smart move.

NASCAR always suffers this time of year. There is a huge overlap between NASCAR fans and football fans, and many will choose football. Summer is for racing, Fall is for football. In the very least, end the season the weekend after Labor Day, just as the NFL season is starting.

Many here will say that can't be done. It honestly wouldn't even be that difficult. You would essentially have to move the end of the season up 8 weeks. How would you do that? It honestly wouldn't be that hard.

1) You start the season out west like we used to. Run 2 races on the 2 Sundays before Super Bowl. Then take Super Bowl Sunday off and then have the Daytona 500 scheduled for the week after as normal.
2) Have several Wednesday night races in major metro markets (Charlotte, Nashville) where the majority of the crowd comes from within 100 miles of the track, if not closer.
3) Have several doubleheader weekends.
4) Eliminate the non-points race weekends. Move the Clash back to Daytona and have it on Wednesday night before the Daytona 500. Have the All-Star Race at Charlotte or North Wilkesboro the Wednesday night before the Coca-Cola 600.

For the 2026 season, here is what I would have done:

Sunday, January 26th - Las Vegas
Sunday, February 1st - Phoenix
Sunday, February 8th - Off Weekend (Super Bowl Sunday)
Wednesday, February 11th - Clash (Daytona)
Sunday, February 15th - Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Sunday, February 22nd - Homestead
Sunday, March 1st - Circuit of the Americas
Sunday, March 8th - Texas
Sunday, March 15th - Bristol
Sunday, March 22nd - Martinsville
Sunday, March 29th - Rockingham
Sunday, April 5th - Off Weekend (Easter Sunday)
Sunday, April 12th - Talladega
Sunday, April 19th - Nashville
Saturday, April 25th - Kansas
Sunday, April 26th - Kansas
Sunday, May 3rd - Dover
Sunday, May 10th - Watkins Glen
Sunday, May 17th - North Wilkesboro
Wednesday, May 20th - All Star Race (Charlotte)
Sunday, May 24th - Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
Saturday, May 30th - Atlanta
Sunday, May 31st - Atlanta
Sunday, June 7th - New Hampshire
Sunday, June 14th - Pocono
Sunday, June 21st - San Diego
Sunday, June 28th - Sonoma
Saturday, July 4th - Daytona
Wednesday, July 8th - Charlotte Roval
Sunday, July 12th - Chicagoland
Sunday, July 19th - Indianapolis
Sunday, July 26th - Gateway
Wednesday, July 29th - Iowa
Sunday, August 2nd - Michigan
Saturday, August 8th - Bristol
Saturday, August 15th - Richmond
Sunday, August 23rd - Martinsville
Sunday, August 30th - Talladega
Sunday, September 6th - Southern 500 (Darlington)
Sunday, September 13th - Championship (Track Rotates Each Year)

All 36 races, done before the heart of the NFL season. Only 4 Wednesday night races, 2 of those being the non-point races. 2 of those 4 Wednesday races would be at Charlotte, where the majority of the crowd will come from within 50 miles of the track. Atlanta and Kansas have doubleheader weekends.

See how easy it would be?
 
Alternatively, here is a 300 race NASCAR Hell Tour I put together a few years ago. 300 races between January 5th and November 27th...logical absolutely not but it was fun to make. May have to do it again as I've gotten to know race tracks better I know for a fact a few on here are closed and or have been torn down.

 
I'd like to see it over in September, but for different reasons. Hunting season opens here middle of September and I'll be honest I like racing, but if I'm home and its not raining I'm out in the woods on a Sunday afternoon.
 
TheSmokeMan said:
It's beyond time for this to happen. As we saw this past weekend, IndyCar had its season finale. I know with IndyCar a lot of it has to do with FOX, but it's the smart move.

NASCAR always suffers this time of year. There is a huge overlap between NASCAR fans and football fans, and many will choose football. Summer is for racing, Fall is for football. In the very least, end the season the weekend after Labor Day, just as the NFL season is starting.

Many here will say that can't be done. It honestly wouldn't even be that difficult. You would essentially have to move the end of the season up 8 weeks. How would you do that? It honestly wouldn't be that hard.

1) You start the season out west like we used to. Run 2 races on the 2 Sundays before Super Bowl. Then take Super Bowl Sunday off and then have the Daytona 500 scheduled for the week after as normal.
2) Have several Wednesday night races in major metro markets (Charlotte, Nashville) where the majority of the crowd comes from within 100 miles of the track, if not closer.
3) Have several doubleheader weekends.
4) Eliminate the non-points race weekends. Move the Clash back to Daytona and have it on Wednesday night before the Daytona 500. Have the All-Star Race at Charlotte or North Wilkesboro the Wednesday night before the Coca-Cola 600.

For the 2026 season, here is what I would have done:

Sunday, January 26th - Las Vegas
Sunday, February 1st - Phoenix
Sunday, February 8th - Off Weekend (Super Bowl Sunday)
Wednesday, February 11th - Clash (Daytona)
Sunday, February 15th - Daytona 500 (Daytona)
Sunday, February 22nd - Homestead
Sunday, March 1st - Circuit of the Americas
Sunday, March 8th - Texas
Sunday, March 15th - Bristol
Sunday, March 22nd - Martinsville
Sunday, March 29th - Rockingham
Sunday, April 5th - Off Weekend (Easter Sunday)
Sunday, April 12th - Talladega
Sunday, April 19th - Nashville
Saturday, April 25th - Kansas
Sunday, April 26th - Kansas
Sunday, May 3rd - Dover
Sunday, May 10th - Watkins Glen
Sunday, May 17th - North Wilkesboro
Wednesday, May 20th - All Star Race (Charlotte)
Sunday, May 24th - Coca-Cola 600 (Charlotte)
Saturday, May 30th - Atlanta
Sunday, May 31st - Atlanta
Sunday, June 7th - New Hampshire
Sunday, June 14th - Pocono
Sunday, June 21st - San Diego
Sunday, June 28th - Sonoma
Saturday, July 4th - Daytona
Wednesday, July 8th - Charlotte Roval
Sunday, July 12th - Chicagoland
Sunday, July 19th - Indianapolis
Sunday, July 26th - Gateway
Wednesday, July 29th - Iowa
Sunday, August 2nd - Michigan
Saturday, August 8th - Bristol
Saturday, August 15th - Richmond
Sunday, August 23rd - Martinsville
Sunday, August 30th - Talladega
Sunday, September 6th - Southern 500 (Darlington)
Sunday, September 13th - Championship (Track Rotates Each Year)

All 36 races, done before the heart of the NFL season. Only 4 Wednesday night races, 2 of those being the non-point races. 2 of those 4 Wednesday races would be at Charlotte, where the majority of the crowd will come from within 50 miles of the track. Atlanta and Kansas have doubleheader weekends.

See how easy it would be?
Click to expand...
The point of the Daytona 500 opening up the season is because it's a throwback to NASCAR getting its start at Daytona Beach. It's not leaving that position anytime soon.

I say just knock out a few tracks with second dates with double headers (two 400 mile Kansas races on Saturday and Sunday, for example) and maybe do a few Wednesday races for tracks close to other tracks. But really, I'm fine with it as is. I don't care about football.
 
Maybe the poster with his first post in this racing forum would have better luck posting this in the stick n ball thread.
 
And yet NASCAR will continue to somehow be "stunned" when their ratings, like clockwork, collapse when the NFL season starts.

NASCAR is so down the totem pole for NBC that NBC actually requires NASCAR to be done by a certain time for NFL Sunday night football. So think, if there was ever a weather delay in the Championship Race, it would literally end on USA or Peacock. Needless to say that would never happen to the Super Bowl and it shows the difference in popularity.

Some of you all don't want to admit it, but there is an overlap. I enjoy racing, but I'm also a big NFL fan. In fact I am one of the event organizers for game watch parties for my team. So yes, starting this weekend, I am tied up most Sundays. And if you make me choose between NASCAR and the NFL, I'll be choosing the NFL. Why make fans of both choose? Just end the NASCAR season at the start of the NFL season.

Even on Saturdays now, I won't watch an Xfinity race the rest of the year. I'll be watching college football, and in 2 weeks, will be tailgating and at a college football game. I won't watch another Xfinity race until the season opener at Daytona next year.

Do you all think it's coincidental that the IndyCar season ended last year, just before the NFL season? Do you all think it's coincidental that golf and tennis wrap up the major part of their seasons before the NFL season? Personally, if I was NASCAR, I would rather have the higher ratings instead of having to go up against the NFL.
 
I even showed you all in the post above how the NASCAR schedule could easily go around the NFL schedule and be successful, with just a few Wednesday night races and two doubleheader weekends. Regardless of the NFL, is it not a significant better schedule that what NASCAR put together?
 
It is perfectly acceptable to stop watching the racing if you have bigger priorities, whatever they maybe . It also easier than ever to manage your priorties with DVR, etc.

Speaking only for myself I prefer a race in cooler weather than toasting at that track during the summer heat.

I want us to have a big fan base simply based on having an excellent product. Just put on the best race possible without losing your soul to a fickle crowd.
 
TheSmokeMan said:
I even showed you all in the post above how the NASCAR schedule could easily go around the NFL schedule and be successful, with just a few Wednesday night races and two doubleheader weekends. Regardless of the NFL, is it not a significant better schedule that what NASCAR put together?
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Why do we care that a self described NFL fan wants NASCAR to end the season early so it doesn't interfere with him watching the NFL? Why does that even matter anymore with DVRs, utube and streaming services that allow you to watch a race whenever it is convenient for you? I really don't care about ratings. They don't affect my watching a race in any way.
 
TheSmokeMan said:
And yet NASCAR will continue to somehow be "stunned" when their ratings, like clockwork, collapse when the NFL season starts.

NASCAR is so down the totem pole for NBC that NBC actually requires NASCAR to be done by a certain time for NFL Sunday night football. So think, if there was ever a weather delay in the Championship Race, it would literally end on USA or Peacock. Needless to say that would never happen to the Super Bowl and it shows the difference in popularity.

Some of you all don't want to admit it, but there is an overlap. I enjoy racing, but I'm also a big NFL fan. In fact I am one of the event organizers for game watch parties for my team. So yes, starting this weekend, I am tied up most Sundays. And if you make me choose between NASCAR and the NFL, I'll be choosing the NFL. Why make fans of both choose? Just end the NASCAR season at the start of the NFL season.

Even on Saturdays now, I won't watch an Xfinity race the rest of the year. I'll be watching college football, and in 2 weeks, will be tailgating and at a college football game. I won't watch another Xfinity race until the season opener at Daytona next year.

Do you all think it's coincidental that the IndyCar season ended last year, just before the NFL season? Do you all think it's coincidental that golf and tennis wrap up the major part of their seasons before the NFL season? Personally, if I was NASCAR, I would rather have the higher ratings instead of having to go up against the NFL.
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If you feel the need to stop watching when the NFL starts…then go ahead no one is stopping you. I’ll tell ya some racing fans are the only ones who want less of it. I’ll stop watching when the checkers drop at Phoenix in November
 
Daytripper said:
Why do we care that a self described NFL fan wants NASCAR to end the season early so it doesn't interfere with him watching the NFL? Why does that even matter anymore with DVRs, utube and streaming services that allow you to watch a race whenever it is convenient for you? I really don't care about ratings. They don't affect my watching a race in any way.
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Right the new guy is acting like DVR or YouTube replays don’t exist. Like ending before the nfl may have been a concern like 20 years ago. And the TV folks are so concerned about ratings that they gave the sport a new 7.7 BILLION dollar deal to broadcast races during….you guessed it during football season. The sky is falling.
 
It is my understanding that the rules about comparisons to stick and ball are okay in certain non-competitive situations here in RF. Okay, I will play then. Do you want to know how football fans are different from NASCAR fans? They don't ****talk the system for crowning a champion at the moment that the system starts. IMO this drags the sport down. Round 16, Race 2 coming up, and I can't wait.
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
If you feel the need to stop watching when the NFL starts…then go ahead no one is stopping you. I’ll tell ya some racing fans are the only ones who want less of it. I’ll stop watching when the checkers drop at Phoenix in November
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This. All day. Great post.....and I will wave to you on the TV from Phoenix brother.
 
TheSmokeMan said:
Why make fans of both choose?
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Apparently I wasn't blunt enough. Learn to use a DVR or similar recording utility. Problem solved.

Baseball doesn’t end until October. Basketball and hockey start before December. Fans of those sports don't seem to have problems managing the overlap. Those league offfices don't seem worried.
 
DaleJrFan2003 said:
The point of the Daytona 500 opening up the season is because it's a throwback to NASCAR getting its start at Daytona Beach. It's not leaving that position anytime soon.

I say just knock out a few tracks with second dates with double headers (two 400 mile Kansas races on Saturday and Sunday, for example) and maybe do a few Wednesday races for tracks close to other tracks. But really, I'm fine with it as is. I don't care about football.
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NASCAR used to start its season in mid-January at Riverside. But yeah, they're not changing that.
 
Revman said:
It is my understanding that the rules about comparisons to stick and ball are okay in certain non-competitive situations here in RF. Okay, I will play then. Do you want to know how football fans are different from NASCAR fans? They don't ****talk the system for crowning a champion at the moment that the system starts. IMO this drags the sport down. Round 16, Race 2 coming up, and I can't wait.
Click to expand...

Look brother, baseball hasn’t been the same since they instituted a playoff to determine who goes to the World Series.

Every champion since 1969 is illegitimate because of that damn lottery playoff.
 
Naitch said:
Look brother, baseball hasn’t been the same since they instituted a playoff to determine who goes to the World Series.

Every champion since 1969 is illegitimate because of that damn lottery playoff.
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to be fair, I hate the new wildcards. One for each league was fine. but having like 8 teams make it from each league now waters it down and cheapens the 162 game schedule.... the schedule balance as well is awful. When the AL/NL cease to exist after the next round of expansion it'll be watered down even more. JMO of course, *Heavy sigh of relief, now back to why racing should somehow end before September and our regularly scheduled racing discussions.
 
Watching NASCAR & the NFL does not pose a problem for me. I DVR everything and once I’ve caught up to real time for my one program I start watching the other one. I know it is very important for many fans to watch sports in real time so my way wouldn’t definitely not work for them.
 
When I was a kid all I had was the MRN radio. I could have only dreamed about simply walking up a hill both ways for an electrical outlet.

Try carrying it all up a telephone pole in order to get a signal with a backpack for the radio, the extension cords and snacks.

It was all about the passion for the racing because the neighborhood bikini lady wouldn't lay out in the sun on Sundays.

The post race fights in those days was rough and personal, usually somebody waiting the ground and angry at me for taking a leak during the race. A few times with a family member that unplugged my radio.

The snowflakes had the NFL on TV back then, but it wasn't a contest if the racing was in your blood.
 
Naitch said:
Look brother, baseball hasn’t been the same since they instituted a playoff to determine who goes to the World Series.

Every champion since 1969 is illegitimate because of that damn lottery playoff.
Click to expand...
You mean the playoffs where its not just win once on luck and you're in it? Cauae I tell you as an Atlanta Braves fan i wish all it took was a win to get in.
 
Blaze said:
You mean the playoffs where its not just win once on luck and you're in it? Cauae I tell you as an Atlanta Braves fan i wish all it took was a win to get in.
Click to expand...

Eh…you can luck your way into a third wild card spot.
 
Naitch said:
Eh…you can luck your way into a third wild card spot.
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You still have to win at least a good amount of games to get that spot. Winning one race shouldn't be a magical ticket to get to race for a championship. If they want to do playoffs, then just take the top 16(even though thats to many tbh) in points. At least then it's the best of the best all season going at it. Personally if we gotta have a dumb post season, go back to the original format.
 
IndyCar’s scheduling is mostly forced upon them with their new broadcasting and equity partner, FOX, having NFL commitments every Sunday from this weekend onward. I actually think it does work out well - and the season finale viewership this past weekend reflected that - since we’ve seen how IndyCar races rate when they go up against both the NFL and NASCAR playoff races, and it ain’t good.

I don’t think that means NASCAR needs to take the same stance. NBC pays big money for NASCAR as counterprogramming against the NFL. Once you get into April and May, the same people are pretty reliably going to be watching NASCAR throughout the rest of the year.
 
Revman said:
Do you want to know how football fans are different from NASCAR fans? They don't ****talk the system for crowning a champion at the moment that the system starts.
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That's because the NFL's championship system is a better fit for a sport where only two teams compete at a time, and each doesn't face every other team over the course of the season.
 
RaceCritter said:
With college football imploding into NFL-lite I want more NASCAR not less.
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College football is a joke.The illusion of a man on campus letterman's jacket eating at the local McDonald's.....the reality of Arch Manning and his 6.8 million dollar NIL deal....just like the Olympics really.
 
Greg said:
When I was a kid all I had was the MRN radio. I could have only dreamed about simply walking up a hill both ways for an electrical outlet.

Try carrying it all up a telephone pole in order to get a signal with a backpack for the radio, the extension cords and snacks.

It was all about the passion for the racing because the neighborhood bikini lady wouldn't lay out in the sun on Sundays.

The post race fights in those days was rough and personal, usually somebody waiting the ground and angry at me for taking a leak during the race. A few times with a family member that unplugged my radio.

The snowflakes had the NFL on TV back then, but it wasn't a contest if the racing was in your blood.
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It would be an honor to watch a race with you. I buy the beer. Inject this post into my veins. This makes me smile. Thank you.
 
Are we still wanting to end the season in September?
 
Greg said:
When I was a kid all I had was the MRN radio. I could have only dreamed about simply walking up a hill both ways for an electrical outlet.

Try carrying it all up a telephone pole in order to get a signal with a backpack for the radio, the extension cords and snacks.

It was all about the passion for the racing because the neighborhood bikini lady wouldn't lay out in the sun on Sundays.

The post race fights in those days was rough and personal, usually somebody waiting the ground and angry at me for taking a leak during the race. A few times with a family member that unplugged my radio.

The snowflakes had the NFL on TV back then, but it wasn't a contest if the racing was in your blood.
Click to expand...
I used to listen courtesy of a tube radio. You would get to know where exactly on the band you’d get have to tune to for your best reception.

If we had an extra guy we’d send him out to move the TV antenna around so we could get the best picture. It was a little more challenging with just one person. Of course right about then the horizontal or vertical hold would go crazy & you’d have to do your best to dial it in.

I hadn’t thought of that in many year. Things were obviously not as advanced as today back then & we didn’t have as many cares as we do today.

Before anyone jumps me I’m not saying things were better or worse in yesteryear. Just different
 
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