Big changes to 2021 Speedweeks

MRM said:
In a sense. It's the second Sunday of the month, one week after the Super Bowl instead of two. BTW, the Super Bowl will be in Tampa.

This schedule has the dirt racing community scrambling as events in Florida are scheduled based off the Daytona 500 schedule. With there being only one week between the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500, races like the Winternationals for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at East Bay (outside of Tampa) will either have to be run the week of the Super Bowl where there are no rooms available already or go with a non-traditional date.
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Thanks, I always wished they would run it the week after the superbowl and shorten the season on the back end. I have my own selfish reasons for that and I'm sure plenty of others will disagree.
Now if we could just get them off the big wreck, I mean track, for the 500 too. lol
 
Speedbowl14 said:
Yes they purposefully keep the lights on at 40% to make a challenge for the drivers. I'm sure at 100% brightness you could spot an ant in the International Horseshoe from the suites.
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I did not know this. wow thanks for sharing.
 
Well, at least the ARCA folks will have a bigger crowd now that it's being paired with the Xfin race. Sad to see SpeeweekS go away, I always went over for the day that first Saturday for practice day/ARCA/The Clash.

I wonder if they'll open the entire infield to the fans like they do for the Rolex.
 
Someone sell me on the appeal if a Tuesday night race. Especially if I’m attending from out of town.
 
ChexOrWrex said:
Someone sell me on the appeal if a Tuesday night race. Especially if I’m attending from out of town.
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If you're one of those who used to attend ALL of Speedweeks, you'll get the same amount of racing for a week's less hotel and food. I doubt there are many of those people left.

Venues can track a lot of info about who buys the tickets. Maybe most of the Clash tix are bought by people who live in the area.

Or maybe Fox likes the numbers for the Duels and would like another weeknight race. This may have nothing to do with ticket sales.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
If you're one of those who used to attend ALL of Speedweeks, you'll get the same amount of racing for a week's less hotel and food. I doubt there are many of those people left.

Venues can track a lot of info about who buys the tickets. Maybe most of the Clash tix are bought by people who live in the area.

Or maybe Fox likes the numbers for the Duels and would like another weeknight race. This may have nothing to do with ticket sales.
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I wasn’t curious about speed weeks attendees, they have their week scheduled out.

It’s pointed towards people who attend that single race because they want to watch a short race at Daytona. Putting the clash on a Tuesday seems counterintuitive to attract those fans who don’t live near the track. Personally I would rather attend a Saturday night race than a Tuesday night race.
 
It is a series funded by.television money, first and foremost. That will be the largest consideration for the foreseeable future. The decision was between scrapping the Clash entirely (previously reported as under consideration by the same guy who first reported today's news) and this compromise. It has been strongly intimated that there is an industry goal to decrease the length of the season somewhat.

With that in mind, I applaud their decision in terms of scheduling and the move to the road course. It will breathe new life into the event, possibly serve as a test run for a future points Roval race, and the drivers will be using the brake pedal regularly at Daytona. Couldn't be happier.
 
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ChexOrWrex said:
I wasn’t curious about speed weeks attendees, they have their week scheduled out.

It’s pointed towards people who attend that single race because they want to watch a short race at Daytona. Putting the clash on a Tuesday seems counterintuitive to attract those fans who don’t live near the track. Personally I would rather attend a Saturday night race than a Tuesday night race.
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NASCAR, like most other sports now are TOTALLY driven by the TV audience and the networks. There is no longer much if ANY consideration given to those that actually attend in person, and the attendance numbers bear that out. If they thought they could get higher ratings by having the race at 3AM on a Thursday in January, they would do it. If that TV money gravy train ever actually DOES come to an end, NASCAR is going to have to TOTALLY rethink the their business model.
 
Many RVers are in Florida February. I would think shortening the time they would camp in or around the facility would be a bonus for them. Same for all of the support people of the teams and the facility including the TV people.
 
You'd have to think that the venue itself cares about their attendance even if NASCAR doesn't give a crap. Daytona is the one benefitting from tickets sold, not the sport. They were obviously on board with this decision though, I'm assuming.
 
This leadership continues to impress me. Even when they make a questionable decision, they realize it and try whatever it takes to make it better.

Only thing that could possibly make 2021 Speedweeks better is if the 500 was run Monday night at 6 PM, and if they did a Rolex-style race for the Clash. Cup, Xfinity, Trucks all racing together and having staggered starts for the 3 classes.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
You'd have to think that the venue itself cares about their attendance even if NASCAR doesn't give a crap. Daytona is the one benefitting from tickets sold, not the sport. They were obviously on board with this decision though, I'm assuming.
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Nascar and Daytona are one, the France family. Everybody else says boss.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
You'd have to think that the venue itself cares about their attendance even if NASCAR doesn't give a crap. Daytona is the one benefitting from tickets sold, not the sport. They were obviously on board with this decision though, I'm assuming.
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In the 21st century, Daytona (and every other track) and NASCAR (and every other televised sport) make more money from their shares of TV revenue than attendance. A LOT more money. It's the economic reality.

Every question about scheduling can be answered correctly with 'TV money'.
 
Both Clashes start on the 9th of Feb. It probably won't be a crash fest on the road course for those that don't like the wrecks. :idunno: Probably just an occasional dust up. The closest thing I have found to a Daytona night race on the road course is an IROC race with Firebirds that was ran there. From last to first, Stewart took them all to school.
 
Pat said:
Because it isn't a Superspeedway. It isn't even a real road course. I expect the Daytona speed weeks to start on the Daytona track. The sound of the cars gets me excited for the season.
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For the short while I think Riverside was the season opener for the Cup series, a bit before my time but I think this change to the road course will be a huge hit for everyone
 
ChexOrWrex said:
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I think this is one of the best decisions that has come out of NASCAR recently. Monday - Wednesday were wasted days for fans attending Daytona. Unless of course you were also a short track fan and attended races nearby. While a Tuesday night race cuts into the short track schedules, it appears more than an offset giving the short tracks Saturday and Sunday night without any activities competing with them at Daytona.
As for shortening the schedule... Most anyone on this board would appreciate a 2 month break.
 
Snappy D said:
For the short while I think Riverside was the season opener for the Cup series, a bit before my time but I think this change to the road course will be a huge hit for everyone
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Obviously for some, but not me.
 
Pat said:
Obviously for some, but not me.
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It's not just you. Daytona has always been special to me just like the Indy 500. When Indy shortened its month long event something was lost and it has just never been the same for me. I'm also not that interested in the clash being run on a road course either because like you I enjoy listening to the whining of the engines and the raw power and speed that a super speedway produces. That being said I will still be watching just like I still watch the Indy 500 every year.
 
The Clash and Duels are the Pre-season -- would rather they be on the SuperSpeedway, especially with NextGen.

After a short (Cup Teams), long (fan) off-season -- I'll watch about anything NASCAR puts on a track by February.
 
Nitro Dude said:
It's not just you. Daytona has always been special to me just like the Indy 500. When Indy shortened its month long event something was lost and it has just never been the same for me. I'm also not that interested in the clash being run on a road course either because like you I enjoy listening to the whining of the engines and the raw power and speed that a super speedway produces. That being said I will still be watching just like I still watch the Indy 500 every year.
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yep I am kinda that way also, except i want to see what happens. I pretty much know what is going to happen if they stay the same, they are going to wreck a bunch of cars. :idunno: If it is a bust they can always go back to what it was. I hope it is the pushing and shoving match I think it will be.
 
Speedweeks has become a bit of a joke the last number of years. I remember when they used to host a second round of qualifying on a Tuesday for those looking to improve their time in case they had to get in on speed. Of course, this was before the charter system where everybody had to qualify for the race either by being one of the top 2 qualifiers, finished in the top 15 in a twin race, or on speed. Most of those have been out of options for a number of years, so they did away with those. There's nothing that takes place on the track on Mondays and Tuesdays. Might as well condense it and have something going on every day.
 
StandOnIt said:
yep I am kinda that way also, except i want to see what happens. I pretty much know what is going to happen if they stay the same, they are going to wreck a bunch of cars. :idunno: If it is a bust they can always go back to what it was. I hope it is the pushing and shoving match I think it will be.
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I will keep an opened mind and give it a chance but time will tell if it was the right decision...plus as you said if it is a bust they can always go back.
 
Nitro Dude said:
Daytona has always been special to me just like the Indy 500.
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That's why using the infield doesn't bother me. I started following this sport in '95 and to me, Daytona has always been just another track. I never saw it without some form of engine restriction and pack racing, so it's never been one I particularly enjoyed.

Ventisca said:
After a short (Cup Teams), long (fan) off-season -- I'll watch about anything NASCAR puts on a track by February.
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This. I'm of the opinion that NASCAR could start the season anywhere and we'd be drooling over it. I think much of why Daytona is considered special is simply because it's first.
 
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