Kevin Harvick: Most 500-mile races should be shorter

Zerkfitting said:
Football games and Baseball games take about 3-1/2 hours - I wonder if those fans are arguing for shorter games.
Click to expand...

I am a huge football, baseball and basketball fan. We have quite a few football games approaching the 4 hour mark and yes I think they are too long. But, only because of the endless stoppage of play due to time outs, commercials and replay reviews. While we do have cautions at races there is still activity going on but and these "ball" games everyone is just standing around contemplating while the TV viewers have to endure commercial after commercial.

Long story short, the games are long, not because of the length of time in each period or the number of innings, but because of how the sport has changed. Back to my other statement, if I am attending any one of the sports in person...no problem.
 
Just my 2 cents but I think that Nascar could benefit from speeding up the caution periods and hire people that move like lightning to pick up spring rubbers, water bottles and other simple debris. Keep the pits closed, pick up the debris and get moving as there is no need for it to turn into a 6-8 minute race stoppage.
 
....and restart 'em single file in the order they were running on the track, not by position.

No wave around, no free pass.

There'd be fewer cautions that way.
 
Think Harvick's right, and I agree with him about as often as I do a broken clock. Right down to keeping the crown jewel events at the historic distances and making them stand out.
 
I'd still take something like this over stages.

48XVq6g.jpg
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
Yes, they are. And both the NFL and MLB are doing things to accelerate the pace of the games.

No matter what NASCAR does or doesn't do, the fans are gonna bitch and whine so what difference does it make?
Click to expand...
College football just had their longest average game time ever in 2016 (3:24) and it's completely unacceptable as well. A lot of ADs and conference commissioners are starting to wake up and have discussions on it finally.
 
Well if we can find a way to run 230 at Martinsville races be shorter...
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Just my 2 cents but I think that Nascar could benefit from speeding up the caution periods and hire people that move like lightning to pick up spring rubbers, water bottles and other simple debris. Keep the pits closed, pick up the debris and get moving as there is no need for it to turn into a 6-8 minute race stoppage.
Click to expand...
^^^This
 
FLRacingFan said:
College football just had their longest average game time ever in 2016 (3:24) and it's completely unacceptable as well. A lot of ADs and conference commissioners are starting to wake up and have discussions on it finally.
Click to expand...

I turned the NCAA National Championship game off because of the way the refs blew the whistle every six seconds. And some of those games, I've seen the final two minutes take close to an hour before. About the only thing I can't stand about basketball, how it's fast paced until the final two minutes or so and then it's all about getting fouls and calling timeouts.

Football is getting really bad too. Those games used to take three hours or less and now they're taking three-and-a-half to four hours to finish.
 
Skoalbandit33 said:
Just my 2 cents but I think that Nascar could benefit from speeding up the caution periods and hire people that move like lightning to pick up spring rubbers, water bottles and other simple debris. Keep the pits closed, pick up the debris and get moving as there is no need for it to turn into a 6-8 minute race stoppage.
Click to expand...

But if the caution isn't long enough to fit some commercials in, that means we miss even more racing.
 
I think the average NCAAF game is getting dangerously close to 3.5 hours and I am guessing NFL games are a little over 3 hours. NHL games take about 2.5 hours and I think basketball may be a little less than that. As I have said before the time it takes to have a race or a game doesn't bother me as long as I am interested in it. It is the same thing with speakers as I can listen to some of them for a couple of hours and others I am squirming after 5 minutes.
 
500 miles at Talladega, Atlanta and Texas is waaaayyyy too much.

But it really has more to do with the venue and whether the race is good. Not to mention, many fans want race distances cut, but leave the race they go to alone.
 
I'm for making all races 500 miles or laps, never shorter, would love to see a 500 mile race at Bristol!
 
I can see why someone who is attending a race might gripe, but personally cutting off 100 miles or KM at some of these races would be the racing BETTER for the fans, and on TV.

Texas x2 - 400 miles
Dover x2 - 300 laps (isn't 300 laps more than enough at Dover?)
Talladega Spring Race - 400 miles
Phoenix Spring Race - 250 Laps/400 KM
Charlotte Fall Race - 400 miles or shorter when they start at the road course

That's at least 7 races I think that should be shortened. Take note that all 7 of these tracks have two races a year, so knocking off 100 KM or 100 miles isn't effecting a ticket holder big time compared to a track that is a one race market.

With NASCAR talking about they might want to get rid of the caution laps between stages, I think shortening those races and maybe lengthening the Homestead-Miami race to 500 miles, we would have something better for TV and fans IMO.
 
Last edited:
Races can be shorter....but 500 mile races must always be 500 miles. :D
 
There might be some good discussion here but I lost interest and quit reading.
 
AuzGrams said:
I can see why someone who is attending a race might gripe, but personally cutting off 100 miles or KM at some of these races would be the racing BETTER for the fans, and on TV.

Texas x2 - 400 miles
Dover x2 - 300 laps (isn't 300 laps more than enough at Dover?)
Talladega Spring Race - 400 miles
Phoenix Spring Race - 250 Laps/400 KM
Charlotte Fall Race - 400 miles or shorter when they start at the road course

That's at least 7 races I think that should be shortened. Take note that all 7 of these tracks have two races a year, so knocking off 100 KM or 100 miles isn't effecting a ticket holder big time compared to a track that is a one race market.

With NASCAR talking about they might want to get rid of the caution laps between stages, I think shortening those races and maybe lengthening the Homestead-Miami race to 500 miles, we would have something better for TV and fans IMO.
Click to expand...
No 300 laps is not enough at Dover, if I wanted a 300 mile I'd go to an Xfinity one
 
Except Xfinity races are only 200 laps there. 300 miles are perfect IMO at Dover.
 
Can't really tell till the race runs it's course. For me, races are only too long if it's an uneventful race. That's when I start doing something else around the house or sleeping. If its a good, eventful race, I get bummed watching it end. I usually don't have anything planned for the rest of my day unless it's an early race, so I don't care if I'm sitting on the couch for the afternoon. It's probably a different situation for people sitting at the track though. Maybe we could have some timed races. No finish line and the race ends when the timer hits 00:00:00. Y'all have 3 hours.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
If you want shorter races, tune in later. Problem solved. Everyone can have what they want without changing a thing.
Click to expand...

Already do that. Personally as a fan I don't care. NASCAR would benefit the casual fan I think from shortening these if they are getting rid of the segment yellow laps next year.

Texas I think definitely is the one track on the schedule that shouldn't be 500 miles.
 
I don't think the casual viewer cares much about the race length. Most people I know that aren't hardcore watchers usually flip in and out between watching something else and will stay tuned for the last X amount of laps to see "the good part" as long as they're in front of the TV. If they miss it, no big deal to them.
 
Sounds like an easy way to convince fans to stay home (who wants to drive more than a few miles to a track to see a 2 hour race?) and to give KH an easier work week
 
AuzGrams said:
Except Xfinity races are only 200 laps there. 300 miles are perfect IMO at Dover.
Click to expand...
Not my point, I'm saying with Dover as my only race I don't want to lose distance. And as always I'm firmly against shortening races in general
 
AuzGrams said:
Already do that. Personally as a fan I don't care. NASCAR would benefit the casual fan I think from shortening these if they are getting rid of the segment yellow laps next year.

Texas I think definitely is the one track on the schedule that shouldn't be 500 miles.
Click to expand...
NASCAR needs to not focus on the "casual" fans and focus on the more loyal fans , just my two cents.
 
AuzGrams said:
I can see why someone who is attending a race might gripe, but personally cutting off 100 miles or KM at some of these races would be the racing BETTER for the fans, and on TV.

Texas x2 - 400 miles
Dover x2 - 300 laps (isn't 300 laps more than enough at Dover?)
Talladega Spring Race - 400 miles
Phoenix Spring Race - 250 Laps/400 KM
Charlotte Fall Race - 400 miles or shorter when they start at the road course

That's at least 7 races I think that should be shortened. Take note that all 7 of these tracks have two races a year, so knocking off 100 KM or 100 miles isn't effecting a ticket holder big time compared to a track that is a one race market.

With NASCAR talking about they might want to get rid of the caution laps between stages, I think shortening those races and maybe lengthening the Homestead-Miami race to 500 miles, we would have something better for TV and fans IMO.
Click to expand...

If they were to cut the Dover race to 300 miles, I would stop attending the race due to the fact that it's not worth it for me to drive more miles combined to and fro than the racing distance for the race. It's an all day affair for me and I wouldn't feel I'm getting enough value for trekking down there for a 300 mile race. People complained that it was cut from 500 to 400 laps years ago. Another 100 would be too steep. 350 miles? Maybe.

Don't piss him off:

26079d1232319475-monster-mile-dover-de-5monster-mile.jpg
 
NJJammer said:
If they were to cut the Dover race to 300 miles, I would stop attending the race due to the fact that it's not worth it for me to drive more miles combined to and fro than the racing distance for the race. It's an all day affair for me and I wouldn't feel I'm getting enough value for trekking down there for a 300 mile race. People complained that it was cut from 500 to 400 laps years ago. Another 100 would be too steep. 350 miles? Maybe.

Don't piss him off:

26079d1232319475-monster-mile-dover-de-5monster-mile.jpg
Click to expand...
That's the whole problem. You're paying to see a 3 - 3 1/2 hour event. If they shorten them they cannot reasonably expect people to pay the same prices. They haven't even seen bad attendance yet if they try to pull that stunt.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom