Time for NASCAR to End its Season in September

FLRacingFan said:
You just described the past three decades of college football discourse.
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Just three? Christ, it's more like 10 except that for 7 of them, there was absolutely no method by which a national champion could be reliably determined on the field.

I would rather the season end in September if it meant a season long points format instead of a playoff intended to try and siphon off hypothetical "casual fans" (itself a hilarious misnomer that should immediately trigger how BS it is) from NFL games at the behest of only one of NASCAR's TV partners. Is that what's on offer?
 
Jorge De Guzman said:
I’m still a BCS Truther. The Four Team Playoff was fine but the current playoff is out of control. Bring me back to the BCS days lol
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And only set to get worse in the near future. I gave it an honest chance last season, but the way things played out confirmed all my fears and then some. Such is life.
 
AlTerego said:
I used to listen courtesy of a tube radio. You would get to know where exactly on the band you’d get have to tune to for your best reception.

If we had an extra guy we’d send him out to move the TV antenna around so we could get the best picture. It was a little more challenging with just one person. Of course right about then the horizontal or vertical hold would go crazy & you’d have to do your best to dial it in.

I hadn’t thought of that in many year. Things were obviously not as advanced as today back then & we didn’t have as many cares as we do today.

Before anyone jumps me I’m not saying things were better or worse in yesteryear. Just different
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The radio was great stuff. I would blast the race coverage throughout the house. We had an old Philco stereo console that was at least 5 feet wide, and nobody in the family got any Sunday rest due to the volume. WESC-FM has been doing the local live coverage since 1970, maybe before then, and they still do.

For my 10th birthday, my dad was wise enough to give me a little AM/FM radio that was about the size of a shoebox. It would work off AC or DC and was great; everybody won. My parents got a little peace and quiet time, and I could climb the poles (lol).

I went through two of those radios before the cable TV coverage became a routine thing.

I joke about the telephone poles, but Greenville Pickens Speedway, some other local tracks, Stock Car Racing Magazine, the Racing News Weekly that the track sold, and just a little hit-and-miss TV coverage was all I had to get my fix.

No complaining; it was great stuff. At the end of the day, it is all about the passion, and every little bit you could find was something special.
 
Greg said:
Speaking only for myself I prefer a race in cooler weather than toasting at that track during the summer heat.
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I know NBC played a hand in this as well, but I wish the season would go through the Sunday before Thanksgiving again. The final few events becoming day-to-night transition races after the time change were fantastic for weather and aesthetics. But it would disrupt the cadence of the calendar now with the Southern 500 kicking off the playoff Labor Day weekend every year.
 
FLRacingFan said:
I know NBC played a hand in this as well, but I wish the season would go through the Sunday before Thanksgiving again. The final few events becoming day-to-night transition races after the time change were fantastic for weather and aesthetics. But it would disrupt the cadence of the calendar now with the Southern 500 kicking off the playoff Labor Day weekend every year.
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I think the Southern 500 would be just fine without belng a playoff race.
The Implications and Gerbils would still be at maximum intensity and they would still squirt themselves.
 
We’ll find out if the Super Bowl date change pushes the schedule back a week. And we can all hope that by then, playoffs and cutoff races will be things of the past.
 
TheSmokeMan said:
2) Have several Wednesday night races in major metro markets (Charlotte, Nashville) where the majority of the crowd comes from within 100 miles of the track, if not closer.
3) Have several doubleheader weekends.
4) Eliminate the non-points race weekends. Move the Clash back to Daytona and have it on Wednesday night before the Daytona 500. Have the All-Star Race at Charlotte or North Wilkesboro the Wednesday night before the Coca-Cola 600.
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I'm happy with the schedule going into the fall, but these are great suggestions nonetheless. I would love to see a few midweek races over the summer, especially during baseball's allstar break when there's no other sports on TV. And the doubleheader deal at Pocono (I think in 2020?) was a pretty cool idea, IMO.

Charlie Spencer said:
Learn to use a DVR or similar recording utility. Problem solved.
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Yep. Or simply watch multiple things at once, which is extremely easy to accomplish nowadays
 
Okay, I will admit: I don't give a single rat's ass about football, nor do I care that the NASCAR season runs long...but the idea of double headers and mid-week races is pretty cool.
 
As i recall, mid-week races tank in the TV ratings, worse than going up against Pigskin Ovoidball. I suspect the teams don't like the limited turnaround, especially the hauler drivers.

Tracks and their local economies don't like double header weekends because they make less money than two separated weekends.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
As i recall, mid-week races tank in the TV ratings, worse than going up against Pigskin Ovoidball. I suspect the teams don't like the limited turnaround, especially the hauler drivers.

Tracks and their local economies don't like double header weekends because they make less money than two separated weekends.
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When has NASCAR raced in the middle of the week? Once, maybe? Too small of a sample size, and if the ratings weren't good, it's their own fault. Their marketing/advertising strategy leaves a lot to be desired IMO.

As far as doubleheader weekends, I'm sure tracks like Pocono that are only getting one date will be receptive to the idea.
 
Charlie Spencer said:
As i recall, mid-week races tank in the TV ratings, worse than going up against Pigskin Ovoidball. I suspect the teams don't like the limited turnaround, especially the hauler drivers.

Tracks and their local economies don't like double header weekends because they make less money than two separated weekends.
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It’s also just harder to get to many race tracks as a fan on a weeknight than it is a hockey or basketball game at a downtown arena. And most race fans simply tend to enjoy more of a weekend or all-day Sunday affair.
 
I would love something like a Monday through Friday night
one off summer series to replace the lame tournament they tried

Richmond/ Martinsille/ N.Wilksboro/ Hickory/ Martinsville

250 laps each race without stages, inverted starting grids x points after the first race night. Same car and drive train requird all week, with a 25 point penalty if a backup is needed plus starting last for the next race.
 
Formerjackman said:
Weeknights are a loser from an attendance AND a TV viewing standpoint. I think that makes it a non-starter.
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Track attendance yes, but TV can pull a good crowd on a Wednesday night, not as much as a Sunday, but they are against much smaller numbers on a Wednesday.
 
Greg said:
I would love something like a Monday through Friday night
one off summer series to replace the lame tournament they tried

Richmond/ Martinsille/ N.Wilksboro/ Hickory/ Martinsville

250 laps each race without stages, inverted starting grids x points after the first race night. Same car and drive train requird all week, with a 25 point penalty if a backup is needed plus starting last for the next race.
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Weekend festival

Sat - Richmond, Martinsville, NW
Sun - NW, Hickory, M'ville

Live stream the hauler convoys.
 
Daytripper said:
Track attendance yes, but TV can pull a good crowd on a Wednesday night, not as much as a Sunday, but they are against much smaller numbers on a Wednesday.
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I can’t tell anymore about viewership as the just concluded Southern 500 had less than 2 million viewers. I know Notre Dame was playing so that might have accounted for it. I don’t mean this as a criticism more than I think things are changing in broadcasting & viewership world.
 
AlTerego said:
I can’t tell anymore about viewership as the just concluded Southern 500 had less than 2 million viewers. I know Notre Dame was playing so that might have accounted for it. I don’t mean this as a criticism more than I think things are changing in broadcasting & viewership world.
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The southern 500 was labor day weekend, people are out at BBQs not home watching tv.
 
Daytripper said:
I doubled checked & my new best friend AI said both this year’s & last year’s Southern 500 were on Labor Day weekend. Of course it could have been at a different time last year too. As long as the race is on I’m watching! The people that didn’t watch this year missed a good race.
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2 Sweet said:
When has NASCAR raced in the middle of the week? Once, maybe? Too small of a sample size, and if the ratings weren't good, it's their own fault. Their marketing/advertising strategy leaves a lot to be desired IMO.

As far as doubleheader weekends, I'm sure tracks like Pocono that are only getting one date will be receptive to the idea.
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With these gigantic tv deals NASCAR now gets and spreads around, it seems race and track promotion
is not a priority as it once was. I am all for weekday events. Hell, I still miss Thursday Nite Thunder where I learned about a driver named Jeff Gordon. He became pretty good.
 
Hotrod said:
With these gigantic tv deals NASCAR now gets and spreads around, it seems race and track promotion
is not a priority as it once was. I am all for weekday events. Hell, I still miss Thursday Nite Thunder where I learned about a driver named Jeff Gordon. He became pretty good.
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I'm 2 hours from Bristol. They do little to no advertising either of their races here. It used to be saturated with ads. You're right, they make what they need from TV money.
 
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