5 things you'd change about NASCAR

[John Galt]

I agee with most of what is said. The only unique thing I would have to add is that if we get rid of the top 35 rule, ALL teams that show up at the track should be there to compete the full race. This means full pit crews, a fully functioning and inspected car, all necessary tires and gas purchases in advance and a real reason to drop out of the race instead of the "vibration" or "electrical."

Now there is a concept I wish I had thought of! Pay in advance for a very minimum amount of fuel and rubber. I have to ponder a bit on the pluses and minuses of this but, off the top of my head, I think it's workable with a little tweaking.

 

[JimmieGordon2448]

not a fan of 8 cars on the lead lap, and 20 second leads.

 

[Joniki]

not a fan of 8 cars on the lead lap, and 20 second leads.

I hate the plate! Let them race rather than throttling them back...

 

[JimmieGordon2448]

I hate the plate! Let them race rather than throttling them back...

I don't like them throttled back either, they would still go fast at Michigan just slow down them down enough where the leader doesn't take off in clean air, I guess that happens though with the new car no matter where and when and speaking of throttling back New Hampshire is one week away

 

[Magnethead]

Now there is a concept I wish I had thought of! Pay in advance for a very minimum amount of fuel and rubber. I have to ponder a bit on the pluses and minuses of this but, off the top of my head, I think it's workable with a little tweaking.

agreed. Good idea! Include at least 6 sets of tires and 6 cans of fuel in the entry fee, but make a rule that only 2 sets and 3 cans may be used for practice and qualifying combined.

 

[Joniki]

agreed. Good idea! Include at least 6 sets of tires and 6 cans of fuel in the entry fee, but make a rule that only 2 sets and 3 cans may be used for practice and qualifying combined.

I Kind of like this idea. I have to wonder if it would make every race a fuel strategy race. And I would also think that it would favor the Fords...

 

[wilson89]

Things i would change

1. Car of Tommarow needs to go.
2. Get rid of the top 35 rule. Fastest 40 race and then the last 3 spots should be provisionals.
3. Differant points system that awards more points for winning.
4. Less mile and a half tracks. Short Tracks and Road Courses are more interest surounding them. Possible add a few tracks like Kentucky, and Mid Ohio.
5. Timed Races, some of the races have been exceeding 5 hours which makes for a long day. I say make it 500 miles OR 4 hours.

 

[foehammer111]

not a fan of 8 cars on the lead lap, and 20 second leads.

Are you sure you aren't thinking of F1?

I can't remember the last time there was a 20 second margin of victory in NASCAR except for fuel mileage races. In F1 it's rare to have less than 20 seconds between first and second.

I remember reading some stats from last year, and more than 50% of the races had a margin of victory of less then 2 seconds.

I also hate restrictor plate races. It makes those races a game of chance rather than skill or who has the best car. It's more about who survives the big one then things like pit strategy or fuel mileage. No thanks.

 

[carsntunes]

I Kind of like this idea. I have to wonder if it would make every race a fuel strategy race. And I would also think that it would favor the Fords...

The concept would be to eliminate the start and parks, to get the the fastest 43 cars in the race and let the slow ones go home. It would also reward a guy who puts everything into one race as well as the one that is there every week.

 

[Joniki]

The concept would be to eliminate the start and parks, to get the the fastest 43 cars in the race and let the slow ones go home. It would also reward a guy who puts everything into one race as well as the one that is there every week.

I understand the concept. Just for the sake of argument let's say JR goes home four weeks in a row. How many people would watch the television coverage or even go to the track on week four? I have to admit that if Tony went home I for one would be doing yard work or something else.

The question I had was with the limited fuel cans. Or even tires for that fact.

Great idea! It just needs some tweaking...

 

[carsntunes]

I understand the concept. Just for the sake of argument let's say JR goes home four weeks in a row. How many people would watch the television coverage or even go to the track on week four? I have to admit that if Tony went home I for one would be doing yard work or something else.

The question I had was with the limited fuel cans. Or even tires for that fact.

Great idea! It just needs some tweaking...

The idea would be to have a non refundable deposit that would buy them tires and fuel that would guarantee, so to speak, that the team would be there for the entire race instead of just, say 50 laps. If they needed more tires or gas they could purchase them. If they say crash out or blow up they would receive credits for what they don't use, just not a refund. If they say only get one set of tires, the next race they would only have to add to their deposit the cost of those tires, etc

Now you know of Junyar went home more than twice in a row Hendricks would buy his way into the race.

 

[kelloggs5TLfan]

Now you know of Junyar went home more than twice in a row Hendricks would buy his way into the race.

LOL

 

[John Galt]

I understand the concept. Just for the sake of argument let's say JR goes home four weeks in a row. How many people would watch the television coverage or even go to the track on week four? I have to admit that if Tony went home I for one would be doing yard work or something else.

What you describe above is the definition of the difference between a race fan and a driver fan.

It's one of the reasons NA__AR is in the shape it's in today. It has quit worrying about the race fan and has pandered to the fickle driver fan.

 

[Joniki]

What you describe above is the definition of the difference between a race fan and a driver fan.

It's one of the reasons NA__AR is in the shape it's in today. It has quit worrying about the race fan and has pandered to the fickle driver fan.

First of all I am not a Jr fan. I have been a avid racing fan since the early sixties. I do respect all of the drivers for what they do. The reason I made that statement was from past experience at the tracks. Multiple times I have seen Jr wreck and then watched thousands of people leave the track. If Jr missed several races it would hurt the sponsor which could have an adverse effect on the sport.

 

[John Galt]

First of all I am not a Jr fan. I have been a avid racing fan since the early sixties. I do respect all of the drivers for what they do. The reason I made that statement was from past experience at the tracks. Multiple times I have seen Jr wreck and then watched thousands of people leave the track. If Jr missed several races it would hurt the sponsor which could have an adverse effect on the sport.

That wasn't aimed at you. Sorry. When I said it described a driver fan that was a general statement. I figured from some of your posts that you've been around awhile and are a race fan with a favourite driver. Though your statement: "I have to admit that if Tony went home I for one would be doing yard work or something else," made me wonder a bit.

I agree with your theory 100%. The driver fans in the Formerly Red Empire would stay away in droves if their hero missed a few races. Look what they're doing now simply when he's not winning.

 

[tkj24]

First of all I am not a Jr fan. I have been a avid racing fan since the early sixties. I do respect all of the drivers for what they do. The reason I made that statement was from past experience at the tracks. Multiple times I have seen Jr wreck and then watched thousands of people leave the track. If Jr missed several races it would hurt the sponsor which could have an adverse effect on the sport.

I used to sit next to some Sr fans at Bristol and when he wrecked early you could rest assured you would have plenty of space to spread out.

 

[Joniki]

That wasn't aimed at you. Sorry. When I said it described a driver fan that was a general statement. I figured from some of your posts that you've been around awhile and are a race fan with a favourite driver. Though your statement: "I have to admit that if Tony went home I for one would be doing yard work or something else," made me wonder a bit.

I agree with your theory 100%. The driver fans in the Formerly Red Empire would stay away in droves if their hero missed a few races. Look what they're doing now simply when he's not winning.

I think we are on the same page on this one. My loyalty to Tony has nothing to do with NASCAR.

NASCAR is almost a living, breathing thing. When changes are made they sometimes have an adverse effect.

 

[John Galt]

I think we are on the same page on this one. My loyalty to Tony has nothing to do with NASCAR.

NASCAR is almost a living, breathing thing. When changes are made they sometimes have an adverse effect.

I see your point IRT Tony.

NA__AR has a fan base which is really diverse and each group wants different things. For example, the side I fall on wants nothing but good, hard unorchestrated and uncontrived stock car [appearing] racing (no phantom debris cautions, no arbitrary "competition yellows, no Lucky Dawgs, etc., etc.), with the majority of the field having a goal of winning and the remainder's goal is just to finish as high as they can.

Another group cares not about the racing. All they want to see are wrecks, the bigger the better.

Yet another only wants to see "Their Driver" compete and will NEVER lower themselves to attend their local track because "Their Driver" is never there so why should they go just to see b a bunch of local unknowns?

There are various other groups which fall somewhere in the continuum between all of the above. It's impossible for this living, breathing entity you describe to make every group happy so you're right. Any decision will make some happy and disturb the Hell out of some others. That's why the clowns down in Daytona Beach HQ get paid the big bucks, I guess.

 

[Joniki]

I see your point IRT Tony.

NA__AR has a fan base which is really diverse and each group wants different things. For example, the side I fall on wants nothing but good, hard unorchestrated and uncontrived stock car [appearing] racing (no phantom debris cautions, no arbitrary "competition yellows, no Lucky Dawgs, etc., etc.), with the majority of the field having a goal of winning and the remainder's goal is just to finish as high as they can.

Another group cares not about the racing. All they want to see are wrecks, the bigger the better.

Yet another only wants to see "Their Driver" compete and will NEVER lower themselves to attend their local track because "Their Driver" is never there so why should they go just to see b a bunch of local unknowns?

There are various other groups which fall somewhere in the continuum between all of the above. It's impossible for this living, breathing entity you describe to make every group happy so you're right. Any decision will make some happy and disturb the Hell out of some others. That's why the clowns down in Daytona Beach HQ get paid the big bucks, I guess.

Great post!

Last year I went to eight cup races and probably twenty local tracks. This year it is going to be four cup races and closer to thirty local tracks. I absolutely love the racing at Eldora, Salem and Winchester. Super modifieds get my heart rate up and the USAC's are a close second.

My closest local track is Angola and I have only missed one race there this season.

 

[foehammer111]

I wish we had local tracks in the Chicago area. All we have now is the Route 66 Speedway, and they just do demos there. I'd have to drive all the way to Moline or Milwaukee to see any local racing.

If it doesn't have a stick or ball, Chicago doesn't get it.

 

[John Galt]

I wish we had local tracks in the Chicago area. All we have now is the Route 66 Speedway, and they just do demos there. I'd have to drive all the way to Moline or Milwaukee to see any local racing.

If it doesn't have a stick or ball, Chicago doesn't get it.

When I lived in Chicago there were three good tracks and a couple not so good. OHare Stadium (it also had one of the best bars on the far North Side), Soldier's Field, Raceway Park in Blue Island and Santa Fe, out west. There was also a great 5/8-miler at Illiana and a little dirt ¼-miler in Kankakee. We used to go over to Rockford to see Dick Trickle and Bob Shearer run.

Now they're all gone? You have to go all the way to Quad Cities? I thought that they opened a track near Gurney? But a town the size of Chicago with the racing history it has, and no tracks? That's just wrong, on so many levels!

 

[foehammer111]

But a town the size of Chicago with the racing history it has, and no tracks? That's just wrong, on so many levels!

Yes it is.

All the tracks you mentioned have been gone for a long time. Raceway Park closed in 2000. Santa Fe used to be my favorite when I was a kid, but that closed in 1995. NASCAR last had a race at Soldier Field in 1956, and the track was taken out in 1970.

Other than Chicagoland Speedway, the only other major asphalt tracks in the area are in Rockford and Peoria which are about 2-3 hours away. There are quite a few dirt tracks, but those are mostly in central and southern Illinois.

I guess I shouldn't complain too much. Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Trucks, ARCA, and IRL all race at Chicagoland now. I'd just like to go see races more than once a year. That's a gap local drivers could fill, but the tracks are too far away from Chicago.

 

[Digger]

Yes it is.

All the tracks you mentioned have been gone for a long time. Raceway Park closed in 2000. Santa Fe used to be my favorite when I was a kid, but that closed in 1995. NASCAR last had a race at Soldier Field in 1956, and the track was taken out in 1970.

Other than Chicagoland Speedway, the only other major asphalt tracks in the area are in Rockford and Peoria which are about 2-3 hours away. There are quite a few dirt tracks, but those are mostly in central and southern Illinois.

I guess I shouldn't complain too much. Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Trucks, ARCA, and IRL all race at Chicagoland now. I'd just like to go see races more than once a year. That's a gap local drivers could fill, but the tracks are too far away from Chicago.

Same thing here, we have one asphalt track and it's a run in the ground dump that's gonna get sold in two years anyways that nobody goes to or races at because of a crappy owner.

DC wont allow a race track because it'll create too much traffic and "The cars are loud." So the morons move next to racetracks and get them all shut down... human stupidity is infinite.

Only asphalt oval nearby is Shenandoah and Langley and both of them are three hours away. Langley does have modifieds though.

 

[Joniki]

Same thing here, we have one asphalt track and it's a run in the ground dump that's gonna get sold in two years anyways that nobody goes to or races at because of a crappy owner.

DC wont allow a race track because it'll create too much traffic and "The cars are loud." So the morons move next to racetracks and get them all shut down... human stupidity is infinite.

Only asphalt oval nearby is Shenandoah and Langley and both of them are three hours away. Langley does have modifieds though.

Winchester and Eldora are about three hours away from me and Salem is closer to a five hour drive. All three of those tracks are worth the drive. Angola and Baerfield are less than an hour but the racing isn't quite as good.

Me, I just love racing....

 

[John Galt]

Winchester and Eldora are about three hours away from me and Salem is closer to a five hour drive. All three of those tracks are worth the drive. Angola and Baerfield are less than an hour but the racing isn't quite as good.

Me, I just love racing....

Don't they still run the little track in Lima? Interesting track, or it was back when we ran there, anyway. If you left the track off T3 you ended up in a pond.

Eldora's a good dirt track but I really like Winchester. Back when they ran the Dri-Power 400 there, that was one of the best stock car races in the Midwest.

BTW, did you know that Winchester is the reason Darlington exists today? There's a great little story about Brasington and Winchester in 1949.

 

[Joniki]

Don't they still run the little track in Lima? Interesting track, or it was back when we ran there, anyway. If you left the track off T3 you ended up in a pond.

Eldora's a good dirt track but I really like Winchester. Back when they ran the Dri-Power 400 there, that was one of the best stock car races in the Midwest.

BTW, did you know that Winchester is the reason Darlington exists today? There's a great little story about Brasington and Winchester in 1949.

Never been to Lima.

The lore around Winchester is that Bristol was built as a twin sister to it. And yes, the racing at Winchester is top notch. I will have to do a bit of reading on the Darlington link to Winchester.

I used to have a short track about ten minutes from me. Avilla. That closed many years ago. When I was a young pup we used to go to South Anthony raceway in Fort Wayne. There is a nursing home there now.

What does that say?

 

[Joniki]

John Galt

WOW! While researching the link to Winchester I found this:

October 30, 1950

1949 NASCAR champion Red Byron, who ranked sixth in the 1950 NASCAR Grand National standings, has all 1315.5 points stripped for participating in a non-NASCAR-sanctioned race at Atlanta's Lakewood Speedway. Byron drove at Atlanta rather than the NASCAR Grand National finale at Hillsboro. The Lakewood race was sanctioned by the National Stock Car Racing Association (NSCRA).

 

[Digger]

Winchester and Eldora are about three hours away from me and Salem is closer to a five hour drive. All three of those tracks are worth the drive. Angola and Baerfield are less than an hour but the racing isn't quite as good.

Me, I just love racing....

The Modified races at Langley pay themselves off. Then again, I don't have to pay to get in to Langley.

Virginia Motor Speedway, which is basically a NASCAR track with a real racing surface (asphalt's for getting to the track, dirt's for racing) is about 2 hours away, but I've got Potomac for my dirt shows which is smaller (3/8 mile) and has a lot more banking... banking at Potomac makes you go .

 

[John Galt]

John Galt

WOW! While researching the link to Winchester I found this:

Re:October 30, 1950

1949 NASCAR champion Red Byron, who ranked sixth in the 1950 NASCAR Grand National standings, has all 1315.5 points stripped for participating in a non-NASCAR-sanctioned race at Atlanta's Lakewood Speedway. Byron drove at Atlanta rather than the NASCAR Grand National finale at Hillsboro. The Lakewood race was sanctioned by the National Stock Car Racing Association (NSCRA).

As a sidebar, NSCRA was the competing sanctioning body run and directed by none other than one Olin Bruton Smith

 

[Digger]

Winchester and Eldora are about three hours away from me and Salem is closer to a five hour drive. All three of those tracks are worth the drive. Angola and Baerfield are less than an hour but the racing isn't quite as good.

Me, I just love racing....

You ever go to Angola Motor Speedway or Anderson Speedway?

 

[Joniki]

You ever go to Angola Motor Speedway or Anderson Speedway?

I go to Angola for most every race. I have camped there several times already this year. I consider it my home track. Anderson for the good races. New Berlin is another good one.

 

[John Galt]

I go to Angola for most every race. I have camped there several times already this year. I consider it my home track. Anderson for the good races. New Berlin is another good one.

Anderson (nee Sun Valley) Speedway is a great little ¼-mile track. I was raised in Anderson and used to virtually live at that track. The Little 500 is probably the most intense sprint car race you can ever witness.