2021 Crown Jewel Races

wi_racefan

wi_racefan

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Now that the oval at Indy is off the schedule does something replace it as a "crown jewel". Does anyone care anymore? Do we need to have 4?

Bristol on the dirt?
Road America on the 4th?

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With the Brickyard bastardized, the Daytona 500, Coca Cola 600, Southern 500 and Bristol night race get my vote. I don’t think fans care as much or at all frankly judging from the moaning and whining from some of them that the circuit even stops at Indy, but drivers would I’d imagine still think some of these are a tad more important than the others.
 
What's the point of a "crown jewel" race if they aren't doing a Winston Million or No Bull 5 type bonus????

I don't understand how Xfinity & Trucks can get sponsors to have these cash bonuses, but the Cup Series can't have a big race cash grab like those 2.

Its obvious the Daytona 500, Coke 600, Southern 500, and Bristol Night Race are the crown jewels.
 
I feel like the Bristol Night is the most logical choice of races that carry some extra prestige...

The way the sport is looked at these days, each race is marketed and promoted in a different manner than it was when the crown jewel races were prominent... A win at any of races/tracks today is presented to a TV viewer as having the same/equal importance making them playoff eligible or advancing them to the next round in the playoffs... while the fan who’s been around for awhile still remembers drivers trying to win all the crown jewel races in seasons past and how important that use to be.
 
AuzGrams said:
What's the point of a "crown jewel" race if they aren't doing a Winston Million or No Bull 5 type bonus????

I don't understand how Xfinity & Trucks can get sponsors to have these cash bonuses, but the Cup Series can't have a big race cash grab like those 2.

Its obvious the Daytona 500, Coke 600, Southern 500, and Bristol Night Race are the crown jewels.
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Agree 100%, if there is no monetary bonus for winning those races besides being in the sport or an old school fan like myself current viewers really have no extra reason to care honestly.
 
JGR_20 said:
I feel like the Bristol Night is the most logical choice of races that carry some extra prestige...

The way the sport is looked at these days, each race is marketed and promoted in a different manner than it was when the crown jewel races were prominent... A win at any of races/tracks today is presented to a TV viewer as having the same/equal importance making them playoff eligible or advancing them to the next round in the playoffs... while the fan who’s been around for awhile still remembers drivers trying to win all the crown jewel races in seasons past and how important that use to be.
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Each race in this current era has.......... PLAYOFF IMPLICATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!
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AuzGrams said:
I don't understand how Xfinity & Trucks can get sponsors to have these cash bonuses, but the Cup Series can't have a big race cash grab like those 2.
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I wonder how much that bonus would need to be at the Cup level. Sometimes it seems the million dollar payout for the All Star race isn't really that big of a deal anymore.
 
Daytona 500, Coke 600, Southern 500, Bristol night, Road America
 
DIDIT said:
I wonder how much that bonus would need to be at the Cup level. Sometimes it seems the million dollar payout for the All Star race isn't really that big of a deal anymore.
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With contracts falling to 1.5 to 2.5 million a year, that million dollars looks pretty big now.
 
wi_racefan said:
I'd be all in favor of doing away with the allstar race and doing some million dollar crown jewel challenge.

IMO between the Busch clash and the all star race we have 1 too many exhibition races

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Exhibition races shouldn't occur at regular season/playoff tracks. That's why I'm fine with the Clash being run on the road course and why I would prefer Bristol dirt to be the All Star race
 
Snappy D said:
With the Brickyard bastardized, the Daytona 500, Coca Cola 600, Southern 500 and Bristol night race get my vote. I don’t think fans care as much or at all frankly judging from the moaning and whining from some of them that the circuit even stops at Indy, but drivers would I’d imagine still think some of these are a tad more important than the others.
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This is tricky. I don't think it's something we just pick, it's a prestige thing that builds over time. If the Bristol night race wasn't a crown jewel, why should it be now? Just because Indy is gone?

We now have 3 crown jewel events. 500, 600, southern 500, imo.

While the night time Bristol race was prime time cup racing, it never was a crown jewel. So my vote is no replacement. We have 3 now.

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wi_racefan said:
I'd be all in favor of doing away with the allstar race and doing some million dollar crown jewel challenge.

IMO between the Busch clash and the all star race we have 1 too many exhibition races

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i agree with that. The all star race draws no interest for me today.

I remember back in the 90s being so excited because teams were gonna show up with special paint jobs and all, today the way the sport is there’s not really any special paint jobs anymore... so that one little cool thing about all star racing is gone.

idk... There’s just no need for the event anymore. NASCAR wants to save teams money and keep everyone safe from the virus... just dump the whole event
 
jaqua19 said:
This is tricky. I don't think it's something we just pick, it's a prestige thing that builds over time. If the Bristol night race wasn't a crown jewel, why should it be now? Just because Indy is gone?

We now have 3 crown jewel events. 500, 600, southern 500, imo.

While the night time Bristol race was prime time cup racing, it never was a crown jewel. So my vote is no replacement. We have 3 now.

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How is it NOT a crown jewel? Even casual fans and people who hardly care about NASCAR that I know of have heard of Bristol and the 90s there.
 
jaqua19 said:
This is tricky. I don't think it's something we just pick, it's a prestige thing that builds over time. If the Bristol night race wasn't a crown jewel, why should it be now? Just because Indy is gone?

We now have 3 crown jewel events. 500, 600, southern 500, imo.

While the night time Bristol race was prime time cup racing, it never was a crown jewel. So my vote is no replacement. We have 3 now.

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I don’t hate this I just picked the 4th one for a round number. I chose Bristol night race because for the longest time it was the most popular race on the schedule so my thinking was the most popular race should be a driven jewel if in fact the system was still around. It’s not so in fact it doesn’t really matter I guess in the long run
 
Snappy D said:
I chose Bristol night race because for the longest time it was the most popular race on the schedule
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Times change and so do the fans. Bristol is no longer the ticket to get, you can walk up and get a ticket so "WHY" should it become a big deal now??
 
Team Penske said:
Times change and so do the fans. Bristol is no longer the ticket to get, you can walk up and get a ticket so "WHY" should it become a big deal now??
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It's still the most popular race to go to amongst fans and if I am correct one of the most watched races of the year. What race would you suggest then instead of Bristol?
 
Snappy D said:
It's still the most popular race to go to amongst fans and if I am correct one of the most watched races of the year. What race would you suggest then instead of Bristol?
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Why do you need another "Special Race" I think if they had a fair points system, every race is special and most points should crown the Champion for that season.
This current method of determining the champion has turned me right off Nascar.
 
As an aside here not sure why anyone laments the loss of the typical Brickyard race. The track has automobile history but it's not really Nascar history so why care? Truthfully it's a lousy track that produces terrible racing. I saw one ok race there when Ryan Newman was up on the wheel and won in the SHR #39 car. I actually rank it above Las Vegas as the worst most boring race on the schedule. Best thing that ever happened was making it a road course race. Too bad they can't do that with Vegas.
 
Team Penske said:
Why do you need another "Special Race" I think if they had a fair points system, every race is special and most points should crown the Champion for that season.
This current method of determining the champion has turned me right off Nascar.
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Well that’s two different topics, point system vs crown jewel races. I’m not gonna dive into a points system discussion that could potentially derail this thread, as my thoughts and preferences have been outlined in the past about how a champion is crowned.
 
Bristol and Daytona are the only events on the schedule that still draw over 100k fans. I am 100% for Bristol being a crown jewel. Now more than ever with the renewed interest in short tracks.

Last year's Bristol Night Race was estimated to have attendance grow over past year's so there's that.
 
AuzGrams said:
How is it NOT a crown jewel? Even casual fans and people who hardly care about NASCAR that I know of have heard of Bristol and the 90s there.
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How is it not? Because it's just not. The crown Jewel races, since the 90s, have been the 500, 600, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400. It is what it is.

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jaqua19 said:
How is it not? Because it's just not. The crown Jewel races, since the 90s, have been the 500, 600, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400. It is what it is.
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Wasn't the Bristol night race one of the four events in the Winston Million, before Indy was on the schedule? I don't recall hearing the phrase 'Crown Jewels' until after Winston left.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Wasn't the Bristol night race one of the four events in the Winston Million, before Indy was on the schedule?
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No it was always Daytona 500 (most famous race), Coca Cola 600(longest race) Winston 500 (fastest race and sponsored by Winston) at Talladega and the Southern 500 (oldest race)
 
Snappy D said:
No it was always Daytona 500 (most famous race), Coca Cola 600(longest race) Winston 500 (fastest race and sponsored by Winston) at Talladega and the Southern 500 (oldest race)
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I always thought the Winston 500 as a jewel was BS. I mean how the heck is it ANY different than the other 500 mile Tallagaga race held there each season?
 
jaqua19 said:
How is it not? Because it's just not. The crown Jewel races, since the 90s, have been the 500, 600, Southern 500 and Brickyard 400. It is what it is.

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Yeah you're right. This whole talk is pointless because NASCAR doesn't incentivize these races.

I wouldn't necessarily call an April or May 5-10 years ago "Southern" 500 a crown jewel either.
 
AuzGrams said:
I wouldn't necessarily call an April or May 5-10 years ago "Southern" 500 a crown jewel either.
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Plenty of great races have been held at The Lady in the spring. The two post-COVID races this spring were pretty darn good. Texas Terry's last win and Regan Smith's old tires were pretty good too. Kurt and Ricky were in the spring, too, although that wasn't the 500-miler at the time.
 
FLRacingFan said:
Daytona 500
Coke 600
Southern 500
Bristol Night Race

Honorable mention to the fall Martinsville race. Not that any of it really matters anymore though.
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I agree with this list (but my honorable mention would go to Watkins Glen). I also think there is merit to @jaqua19's argument that just three crown jewels remain after Indy goes roval. But on balance, I'd add Bristol Night Race to the list.

NASCAR's failure to promote the crown jewel races as extra special is a huge missed opportunity, IMO. There should be a Crown Jewel Trophy and a check to the winner... wouldn't even have to be huge amounts of money.

But despite NASCAR missing this opportunity, it's clear that the crown jewels *do matter* to the drivers and teams, as well as fans who are heavily invested in the sport. All the drivers check off the boxes when they win one of these races. When Brad K won the World 600 last May, it was the first thing out of his mouth in victory lane. When Hamlin failed to win Indy, not getting that crown jewel was the first thing he said. So it still matters, I believe.
 
LewTheShoe said:
NASCAR's failure to promote the crown jewel races as extra special is a huge missed opportunity, IMO. ... But despite NASCAR missing this opportunity, it's clear that the crown jewels *do matter* to the drivers and teams, as well as fans who are heavily invested in the sport.
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Okay, how do you promote that to TV viewers and others who aren't dedicated fans? What makes these races 'Crown Jewels'?

I can see Darlington as a challenge, with the odd shape, unusual high line, and the 'race the track' mantra. (I admit a personal prejudice regarding my 'home track'.) The 600 is obviously an endurance race, but mechanical unreliability and poor driver conditioning aren't factors any more. But the other two? Indy has track history but the membership here (hardly casual fans) regularly pans the racing. I've never seen anything special about the D500 vs. the second Daytona race, and there are plenty of other 500-milers. Indeed, Bristol's beating and banging is probably the easiest one to sell to casual viewers, and many apparently question its possible 'Crown Jewel' status.

So with all races paying equal points, how would you tell Joe LivingRoom any one race is more significant than the other 35?
 
Charlie Spencer said:
So with all races paying equal points, how would you tell Joe LivingRoom any one race is more significant than the other 35?
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Well actually the 600 pays more points than any other race, which everyone seems to gloss over. So I guess nascar feels that's the most important race of the season

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