They're not doing it twice. They moved the Throwback race to May and the Southern 500 is now just a race.watering down the Throwback weekend with them having it twice this year or do you think its twice as nice and you get to see more of your old favorites?
I wonder if they will rotate it between races and networks each year. Like next year the Southern 500, and NBC get it.
Well bust my buttons. I never saw that. Why in the hell would they seperate that from the 500? it was geniusThey're not doing it twice. They moved the Throwback race to May and the Southern 500 is now just a race.
I thought with the added race they could use the 500 to focus exclusively on the playoffs now.Well bust my buttons. I never saw that. Why in the hell would they seperate that from the 500? it was genius
Dang. That would suck.Doubtful. Fox got everything exciting last year too.
Thought so too. It went well with the oldest race. Wasn’t that the reason the Southern 500 was one of the Winston Million races? Richest, Longest, Fastest, and Oldest? Throwback weekend went great with them bringing back the Southern.Well bust my buttons. I never saw that. Why in the hell would they seperate that from the 500? it was genius
My thoughts exactlyThought so too. It went well with the oldest race. Wasn’t that the reason the Southern 500 was one of the Winston Million races? Richest, Longest, Fastest, and Oldest? Throwback weekend went great with them bringing back the Southern.
I did hear some teams were doing it in Fall (Wood Bros)?
I thought with the added race they could use the 500 to focus exclusively on the playoffs now.
No way jose. If we're going to have a playoff, Darlington & Bristol should be in there.Continuing to obscure and cheapen their historical / major / crown jewel events with the delusional all-encompassing playoffs fixation.
No way jose. If we're going to have a playoff, Darlington & Bristol should be in there.
Absolutely agree.Where the Southern 500 should be is its traditional Labor Day weekend. Since that puts it in the playoffs, fine, whatever. That has nothing to do with the importance of the event though.
Because the 500 already has several marketing advantages. It's on a holiday weekend, it's the first race of the playoffs, it has that 'Tradition!' thing so many find appealing, going back well before Throwback came along.Well bust my buttons. I never saw that. Why in the hell would they seperate that from the 500? it was genius
I thought the Southern 500 wasnt a throwback race anymore, I think you're right.Are they doing it twice? I thought this was the only one this year. Everything I've read says 'moved' to this weekend, implying they wouldn't be doing it on Labor Day.
But Covid will limit them anywayBecause the 500 already has several marketing advantages. It's on a holiday weekend, it's the first race of the playoffs, it has that 'Tradition!' thing so many find appealing, going back well before Throwback came along.
Spring races at Darlington usually don't drawn as many people, so moving the Throwback probably looked like an easy, free way to up the attendance.
There’s the TV audience to consider too.But Covid will limit them anyway
jesus christ dude, I was making an observation. chill the f outThere’s the TV audience to consider too.
You asked why they’d make this change. I’m just tossing out theories. Feel free to post your own.
And that’s all I’m doing. If I’m coming across as unchilled, that’s not my intention.jesus christ dude, I was making an observation. chill the f out
This was the exact reason stated, its to allow 100% focus on the first of the final 10 races.I thought with the added race they could use the 500 to focus exclusively on the playoffs now.
This was the exact reason stated, its to allow 100% focus on the first of the final 10 races.
"With Friday’s announcement, the playoffs will become the main focus for that event, which is scheduled to run next season on Sept. 5."
I honestly think the playoffs are why viewership for the Daytona 500 is way down. How can the Daytona 500 be the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" when NASCAR now has a literal Super Bowl?
The "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" is an invention of the CBS marketing department.The playoffs, cheapening another event.
I honestly think the playoffs are why viewership for the Daytona 500 is way down. How can the Daytona 500 be the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing" when NASCAR now has a literal Super Bowl?
I think this is a fair take, because it’s not wrong. There are a lot of repeat schemes, but that happens when schemes are iconic and drivers want to pay homage to their heroes.*Puts on asbestos suit* I'll say it: the whole throwback weekend concept itself has jumped the shark. We're just recycling the same 7 or 8 paint schemes every year, with some super obscure ones (my neighbor's dad ran this on his street stock twice at South Boston in 1982!) sprinkled in. I would say let the current crop of stars make their own schemes legendary, but when they have to run 7 different liveries a year that becomes difficult.
I agree with this. What was once organic is now contrived and forced. Additionally, I absolutely cringe when the broadcast team goes retro. You put Bowyer in throw back attire, and he will go off with Goofy Gordon chuckling all race long.*Puts on asbestos suit* I'll say it: the whole throwback weekend concept itself has jumped the shark. We're just recycling the same 7 or 8 paint schemes every year, with some super obscure ones (my neighbor's dad ran this on his street stock twice at South Boston in 1982!) sprinkled in. I would say let the current crop of stars make their own schemes legendary, but when they have to run 7 different liveries a year that becomes difficult.
I think that 40% decline for the final race has a lot to do with the hands off approach to the top 4.The playoffs have no effect on the Daytona 500, good or bad. It has always been the case that a considerably larger number of people are interested in the Daytona 500 than in who wins the season championship. It always will be the case. This is due to the historical legacy of the Daytona 500 and the spectacle of DIS. The NASCAR playoffs have no legacy or perceived importance in the broader sports culture.
For decades, NASCAR viewership patterns have remained mostly the same. The Daytona 500 is by far the most watched event. The races that follow from March through May are more viewed on average, and races after Labor Day are the least watched on average. Nearly two decades in, the invention of a "post-season" has not changed this at all. For a time, it appeared that the finale race itself was the lone TV viewership success of the entire charade, but in the past two seasons it has declined by about 40% while overall viewership has been roughly flat.
In terms of the wider casual audience, nobody cares one way or the other. It is a resounding failure that nevertheless they keep leaning into. The only bright side is that the talk of more racing sanctions copying it has mostly dried up, because it doesn't work.
I don't agree with that, I was on the edge of my seat last year when Chase won.I think that 40% decline for the final race has a lot to do with the hands off approach to the top 4.
I watched championship race with much anticipation the first year and that has declined drastically every year since.
I understand the "respect the contenders" mentality but this has been taken to the extreme and the finale has become a 4 car snoozefest IMO
We all see different things when we watch a a race. I saw Chase lead a large portion of a race where once again the top 4 were the championship 4.I don't agree with that, I was on the edge of my seat last year when Chase won.
With that being said, we see this in all forms of racing anymore. IndyCar with their double points in the last race, WoO when Sweet & Schatz came down to the wire.