Thoughts on XFinity and Trucks. Opinions?

C

Corey Mason

Guest
So.. with Cup introducing the Mustang and all three series basically doing triple headers or running the same tracks for over 80% of their schedules, AND the xfinity cars looking less and less like their factory counterpart (cup cars i really like how oem similar they are) I just don't watch the xfinity series at all except for mid ohio, iowa and road america and the trucks gateway and iowa. Am I alone in thinking that unless the lower tier series move to different and smaller tracks they will continue their obvious fan interest loss? Hell the truck series has more BLANK trucks than sponsored ones.. teams are running race to race because the lack of finances even for PLAYOFF qualified drivers. That shouldn't happen at all.. it would help if track attendance was up because in return drivers receive more purse money.. by having all three series at the same track in one weekend it kills the possibility of drawing a larger paying grandstand audience. IDK, this is my opinion.. maybe someone can change it lol.
 
The truck numbers have been steadily increasing, single underfunded truck teams are competitive this year after the spec motor is in place, Xfinity going to the composite body has also made a difference in numbers. I do watch all of the races in both series and keep up with what is going on. I also keep track of quarterly public profit and loss statements from ISC the majority track owners and they are making money.
 
Corey Mason said:
So.. with Cup introducing the Mustang and all three series basically doing triple headers or running the same tracks for over 80% of their schedules, AND the xfinity cars looking less and less like their factory counterpart (cup cars i really like how oem similar they are) I just don't watch the xfinity series at all except for mid ohio, iowa and road america and the trucks gateway and iowa. Am I alone in thinking that unless the lower tier series move to different and smaller tracks they will continue their obvious fan interest loss? Hell the truck series has more BLANK trucks than sponsored ones.. teams are running race to race because the lack of finances even for PLAYOFF qualified drivers. That shouldn't happen at all.. it would help if track attendance was up because in return drivers receive more purse money.. by having all three series at the same track in one weekend it kills the possibility of drawing a larger paying grandstand audience. IDK, this is my opinion.. maybe someone can change it lol.
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We've been kicking this around for a while. You'll find a full range of opinions regarding more X / Truck races at non-Cup tracks, fewer Cup drivers in X / Truck races, etc.
 
Oh, I thought there were reporting losses? I mean I know some tracks do A LOT BETTER than other tracks do. Empty Grandstands suck, but they are making it so much more beneficial to watch from home or on the go, especially with NASCAR Raceview! I hate seeing low TV ratings but at the same time I KNOW that the TV ratings are not a proper way to gauge and audience simply because Nielsen ratings are not an accurate measurement of homes watching tv. Hell, with the inclusion of digital media apps that number is even MORE accurate. I have no cable box anymore, I use my NBCSN, FOX SPORTS GO or DirecTV Now app to watch the races.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
We've been kicking this around for a while. You'll find a full range of opinions regarding more X / Truck races at non-Cup tracks, fewer Cup drivers in X / Truck races, etc.
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Sorry, I just had some stuff on my mind to start with, should have searched first for these topics. Don't want to flood with duplicate posts. :(
 
Corey Mason said:
Oh, I thought there were reporting losses? I mean I know some tracks do A LOT BETTER than other tracks do. Empty Grandstands suck, but they are making it so much more beneficial to watch from home or on the go, especially with NASCAR Raceview! I hate seeing low TV ratings but at the same time I KNOW that the TV ratings are not a proper way to gauge and audience simply because Nielsen ratings are not an accurate measurement of homes watching tv. Hell, with the inclusion of digital media apps that number is even MORE accurate. I have no cable box anymore, I use my NBCSN, FOX SPORTS GO or DirecTV Now app to watch the races.
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as a matter of fact, tracks that have removed seating and replaced with high priced motor home spots and adding verandas in the stands selling drinks and food are reporting increases in income
 
Corey Mason said:
Sorry, I just had some stuff on my mind to start with, should have searched first for these topics. Don't want to flood with duplicate posts. :(
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Don't sweat it. You'll find X / Truck schedules and Cup driver participation are two of the many dead horses we continue to beat on a regular basis. :p Also pros and cons of restrictor plate racing, what's wrong with the points system / Chase / stage racing, and why (insert any driver's name here) is an ass.

Be glad you arrived after the Danica era. :rolleyes:
 
Oh, I've been a fan forever... just got tired of so many people I know, not being Racing fans and having like only 2 people to discuss NASCAR with. If your referring to joining the board AFTER Danica era, actually I wish I was here during it so I could vent on my frustrations with her being overrated lol! I respect EVERYTHING she has done, but stats show, she wasn't good. Being a good Indycar racer doesn't always translate to good stock car driver... That's all on the Danica stuff haha.
 
sickening, and repulsive are both series now. I lived and attended them in the 1990s. I know
 
There are plenty of trucks in the field.

As previously mentioned tracks are making tonnes of money catering to more upscale crowds now filling up the backstretches and suites of many venues.
 
I hate the spec engine in the Trucks. Hate the composite bodies in Xfinity. Hate the Cup driver ban. Both series have a serious identity crisis. I follow, but not the way I used to.
 
Corey Mason said:
Oh, I thought there were reporting losses? I mean I know some tracks do A LOT BETTER than other tracks do. Empty Grandstands suck, but they are making it so much more beneficial to watch from home or on the go, especially with NASCAR Raceview! I hate seeing low TV ratings but at the same time I KNOW that the TV ratings are not a proper way to gauge and audience simply because Nielsen ratings are not an accurate measurement of homes watching tv. Hell, with the inclusion of digital media apps that number is even MORE accurate. I have no cable box anymore, I use my NBCSN, FOX SPORTS GO or DirecTV Now app to watch the races.
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Revman said:
I hate the spec engine in the Trucks. Hate the composite bodies in Xfinity. Hate the Cup driver ban. Both series have a serious identity crisis. I follow, but not the way I used to.
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The Xfinity and Trucks series have more strongly differentiated identities than they have had for more than a decade.
 
Truck series is in a good place competition wise, not sure how long it will last though
 
gnomesayin said:
The Xfinity and Trucks series have more strongly differentiated identities than they have had for more than a decade.
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I would love to know just what that identity is.....Major or Minor Leagues?
 
My interest in Xfinity is instantly restored with the Supra. Just. Like. That.
 
Revman said:
I would love to know just what that identity is.....Major or Minor Leagues?
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The Truck series has a more distinct identity as a minor league / developmental series, partly because there aren't that many Cup drivers participating these days. Some weekends it's tough to tell if the X races are developmental or are just extra rounds of Cup practice.

Mind you, it was really distinct in the early years of the series, when it was more like the 'Senior Journeymen's Barnstorming Tour'.
 
Support / secondary / developmental series. Not an unusual concept in racing, a fixture in fact. What is unusual is top series stars dominating a feeder series and the top series simultaneously.

They are professional auto racing series. Major and minor leagues is not a distinction that exists in racing. Those are terms borrowed from different kinds of sports.
 
Revman said:
My interest in Xfinity is instantly restored with the Supra. Just. Like. That.
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I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic.

If serious, why? I'm not a gear head, but from here it looks like just another body with far more in common with its competitors than what comes off the Toyota assembly lines.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
The Truck series has a more distinct identity as a minor league / developmental series, partly because there aren't that many Cup drivers participating these days. Some weekends it's tough to tell if the X races are developmental or are just extra rounds of Cup practice.

Mind you, it was really distinct in the early years of the series, when it was more like the 'Senior Journeymen's Barnstorming Tour'.
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that's a really good comparison IMO. Times change though, and as Nascar is the place to be if you are racing stock cars and not everybody can race a cup car, the other series continues to draw in new faces and talent and I thing most fans like that a lot better than watching cup drivers at the the wheel
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I can't tell if you're being serious or sarcastic.

If serious, why? I'm not a gear head, but from here it looks like just another body with far more in common with its competitors than what comes off the Toyota assembly lines.
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Serious. My passion for the is sport is manufacturer based. Racing the Supra promotes this manufacturer. I love it.
 
Revman said:
Racing the Supra promotes this manufacturer.
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More so than whatever Toyota is running in the X series now? More than other models they could have chosen?

I'm just wondering. From here it looks like just another name change and nose tweak, but I'm not manufacturer-oriented or a car guy.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
More so than whatever Toyota is running in the X series now? More than other models they could have chosen?

I'm just wondering. From here it looks like just another name change and nose tweak, but I'm not manufacturer-oriented or a car guy.
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Supra is iconic. The muscle car equivalent if you will to the Camaro and Mustang. I never thought that the street version would come back, and I certainly never thought that they would race the Supra. This involvement gets even more people talking about the model/manufacturer, and builds excitement for the street version. Camry has been huge in sales and much of that promotion was NASCAR centered, and I would expect the same with the Supra. Last time I checked, this is why a manufacturer goes racing.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
More so than whatever Toyota is running in the X series now? More than other models they could have chosen?

I'm just wondering. From here it looks like just another name change and nose tweak, but I'm not manufacturer-oriented or a car guy.
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This is pretty obvious about the another nose change bit IMO. The car is looking like the dodo bird Chevy SS only more so. I believe it is a two seater going head to head with the BMW they are in partnership with, being built in Europe by BMW mostly. The

Supra was a dud, couldn't compete so it was discontinued. It will in no way compete with the C-6 Vette unless they can make it cheap.
 
Revman said:
Supra is iconic.
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I'll take your word. Personally, I don't recall having heard the name before the discussions here recently. (The first two results when Googling 'Supra' are a shoe dealer and a real estate application.) Again, I'm not a car guy, but I've at least heard of Camaro and Mustang and stand a 50/50 chance of identifying one correctly if I see one on the street. Of course, that may be simply because they've been around to be seen. I don't know the history of the Supra or when it was discontinued. I also don't know how many other people are unfamiliar with the name in 2018 and won't feel the same excitement that knowledgeable Toyota fans will.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
I'll take your word. Personally, I don't recall having heard the name before the discussions here recently. (The first two results when Googling 'Supra' are a shoe dealer and a real estate application.) Again, I'm not a car guy, but I've at least heard of Camaro and Mustang and stand a 50/50 chance of identifying one correctly if I see one on the street. Of course, that may be simply because they've been around to be seen. I don't know the history of the Supra or when it was discontinued. I also don't know how many other people are unfamiliar with the name in 2018 and won't feel the same excitement that knowledgeable Toyota fans will.
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....and I think this is the point. The talk is different around the Supra. You now understand there is a history which may or may not be impressive to you. You are not a car person, but we are talking about this. You might even consider stopping by a dealer to see a Supra when they hit the showroom. Why? NASCAR.
 
much of the talk from car guys about the Supra IS why Nascar? Most think IMSA makes for a better fit. Why Nascar to me?..lets take yet another shot at designing a wind tunnel car, we will call it Supra.
 
Revman said:
You might even consider stopping by a dealer to see a Supra when they hit the showroom.
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Sorry, not a snowball's chance. I'm not in the market for a two-seater or what I assume is a sports car, and likely never will be. I'll look seriously at a Camry next spring, along with Accords, Hyundais, and Kias, but that's due to Consumer Reports reviews, not racing involvement or the lack there of.

Thanks for the background information.
 
StandOnIt said:
much of the talk from car guys about the Supra IS why Nascar? Most think IMSA makes for a better fit. Why Nascar to me?..lets take yet another shot at designing a wind tunnel car, we will call it Supra.
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I'm not sure what's controversial about using a the wind tunnel to improve the aerodynamic lines of a race car.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
Sorry, not a snowball's chance. I'm not in the market for a two-seater or what I assume is a sports car, and likely never will be. I'll look seriously at a Camry next spring, along with Accords, Hyundais, and Kias, but that's due to Consumer Reports reviews, not racing involvement or the lack there of.

Thanks for the background information.
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Never, ever said that you would buy one, but maybe you might like to see it in person? I will never own a Supra (maybe) , but I will certainly check it out as I have the Camaro and Mustang. Consumer Reports sucks BTW....my two cents.
 
StandOnIt said:
much of the talk from car guys about the Supra IS why Nascar? Most think IMSA makes for a better fit. Why Nascar to me?..lets take yet another shot at designing a wind tunnel car, we will call it Supra.
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"Car guys" said the same thing about the Camry...except they felt that the Camry fit nowhere. Why NASCAR? Obvious. What is the IMSA reach?
 
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