You've Just Been Appointed to Fix NASCAR. What do you do?

W

WVFreebyrd

Guest
Here's the rules: The "powers that be" have decided to let you implement all of the changes you want to make in order to "fix" NASCAR. You can change on track rules, off track rules, venues, etc. Basically anything. The only requirement is that this be a "realistic" change that could actually be implemented. (Therefore, changes such as "Bring back Buddy Baker and David Pearson" aren't allowed since that's not going to realistically happen). What I'm looking for is what changes do you think would bring back NASCAR as we grew to love it back in the 70's 80's early 90's heyday.

My list:

1. The car models should be the actual "muscle cars" currently manufactured by the major manufacturers (i.e. Charger, Mustang, Camaro, etc.) The Camry just doesn't get the ol' motorhead's blood boiling.

2. The templates should match the actual production model of the car. The current cars are essentially IROC cars in that they are all the same regardless of the nameplate. And if one manufacturer finds its model at an extreme disadvantage then let them make changes the following year.

3. Set the rules on the front-end of the season, define the rules and penalties at the beginning of the season and stick to them. NASCAR has really given itself a "pro wrestling" type image the last decade by inconsistent enforcement of the rules or making up the rules as they go....even so much as doing one thing during one race and doing something else in the exact same situation a few weeks later in another race.

4. Ditch some of the 1 1/2 mile tracks and go to some of the smaller or traditional venues.

5. Get rid of "The Chase" and go back to a more traditional season long points system. The old points system was perfectly fine. The only change they should have made is award significantly more points for a "win". It was crazy that a second place car could earn just as much points as the winning car.

6. Eliminate multi-car teams. The same (or related persons) cannot own more than one team. (I might stretch that to two teams).

7. Implement cost saving measures such as no off-season or in-season testing, prohibition of use of wind tunnels or other diagnostic testing other than engine dynos, prohibit use of defined software or technological equipment.

8. No penalties or discipline for "on air" comments or other "comments" to the media.

What would you do?
 
1. Scrap the Chase.

2. Impose a cap of 50 races per season across the three major series. When you hit a total of 50 combined Truck, NW, and Cup starts, you're done until the next season.

3. Swap out some cookie cutters for some more road courses and short tracks.
 
NASCAR actually isn't fixable, but just for fun here is what I would do.

1) Get Rid of all the Sponsors. They do nothing but make the drivers into corporate robots.
2) Create a franchise system for the teams. One owner per franchise with strong rules to prevent owners from getting around the rules.
3) I would allow alternative energy sources into the sport. Everyone gets a set amount of BTU's worth of fuel. The engine or whatever you bring to power your racecar is up to you.

Won't ever happen though.
 
Johali said:
Another beat the dead horse thread.
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I agree . Nascar's job (as a business) is to find a way to appeal to potential new fans . Changing stupid stuff to satisfy existing fans is a pointless exercise. (they are already fans ). We can expect more of the same gimmicky crap , not less.
 
I would make the first race of the year determine the Champion. All the other races would be used as test sessions for next year.
 
None of the following will happen. But being a powerless windbag has not stopped me before so here goes:

-Eliminate the chase, and the current POS elimination crap scheduled for this year.
- Keep the one point allotment per position structure, but a win gets 10 bonus points, 2nd gets 5, and 3rd gets 3 bonus points.
-No more competition cautions or BS debri cautions. If someone is leading a lap, let em keep running.
(Edit to add: Owners can only own two teams, and no satilites, and any race day teamwork between two team cars would result in duo disqualifications).
-Road courses will use local cautions.
- Every track 1.5 miles or bigger looses one of their two dates, some like Kentucky should just go away.
-Indianapolis is removed from the schedule.
-IRP and Iowa get two CUP dates.
-Darlington gets the labor day Southern 500 back, and the spring Rebel 400 is restored.
-Rockingham is restored.
-Wilkesboro is restored and added back to the schedule, and gets to host the season finale.
-Nashville Fairgrounds is put back on the schedule.
-Three more Road Courses are added to the schedule.
-Bristol and Dover are asphalted.
-Aside from the already noted exceptions and Road Courses no new track/venue over one mile would ever get a new date.
-Trophy queenS in heels, including form glove like fitting two piece swimsuits will be in victory lane, and getting plenty of photo ops in the pre and post race festivities.

-The Nationwide series and CWS trucks would be restored to running primarily short tracks. Companion events with the Cup series will be limited to five events per year.

A true farm system would be developed at the short tracks. The national champion would be awarded a one year deal in a fully sponsored Nationwide series ride.
The runner up would be awarded with a one year deal in the truck series.
The next three highest finshers under 21 would be awarded with fully sponsored K&N rides.

-Any Cup race that is broadcasted by service that cannot provide national coverage will be legally streamed on the internet. Additionally free streaming throughout the world would be encouraged.
Tracks would be encouraged to allow anyone under 16 to attend for free.

-Getting back to a stock appearing car will be a long journey. But a slow graduated plan would be implemented to have the cars running sheet metal or skin from the brands that meet a factory template. Some exceptions for spoilers, decal headlights would be allowed.

-No BS horsepower restrictions would be needed.

-Issue a press release to apologize for the hegemonic hog that has been running the series. Good markets that previously would not bend over for a monolithic Tic, might would work with resonable people.

-Subject the ISC farce to an independent audit, full disclosure would be required. The monopoly would be broken, and Nascar would not be locked out to new markets.
 
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can't understand all you guys wantin changes. :D

i'd just wait and see how new chase format works out ! or is that an option ? ha! :banned:
 
go back to convertibles, none of this aero stuff, Chase drivers would have to wear yellow scarves around their necks to signify chase driver

201090039516_1.jpg
 
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To the people restricting ownership to 1-2 car teams: You are aware that this would actually RESTRICT competition, right? The pool of people who can afford a NASCAR team isn't particularly large and this rule would result in a greater divide in the field. You want only 2 Hendrick, 2 Gibbs and 2 Penske cars? Fine, you'll have 6 dominant cars with the rest of the field playing catch up. Welcome back to the days when <10 cars finished on the lead lap.

Here's what I would fix:

1. Get rid of The Chase and go back to the point system that worked until this 1 point per position crap.
2. Diversify the schedule a bit. Give a race to Iowa, remove a race from Texas. Road America should also get a race.
3. Invest in land in the PNW and build a Rockingham clone up there.



I'm fine with the Gen 6 car and standardized templates. The racing with the Gen 6 has mostly been solid so far. I don't miss the days of, "Ford has a half inch on the nose advantage so NASCAR is allowing Chevy to change their cars, but wait Pontiac is complaining now." Logistically speaking, a common template makes sense. My main complaints about NASCAR are mostly related to track diversity and The Chase, the car itself is fine.
 
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hawg dawg said:
can't understand all you guys wantin changes. :D

i'd just wait and see how new chase format works out ! or is that an option ? ha! :banned:
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If someone tells me they're gonna jump out of a 20th story window in a couple of months, I don't have to wait until I see them do it to know that it's a bad idea. ;)
 
ToyYoda said:
If someone tells me they're gonna jump out of a 20th story window in a couple of months, I don't have to wait until I see them do it to know that it's a bad idea. ;)
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couple of months ?
afore chase starts ?

must be toyo fans ! :D
 
It's weird that Brian France hasn't moved away from having an invocation. For a guy obsessed with moving away from the sport's Southern image, he maintains something that a lot of people associate with the South.
 
The schedule needs a complete overhaul with more short/intermediate tracks and a couple more road courses. Unique tracks, not 1.5mi cookie cutters. Raise the cars up off the ground an inch or two, fix the splitter and spoiler so the racing goes back into the hands of the drivers. Anything that will provide better racing.

I don't like the Chase, and I really hate the new eliminations format and one-race Champion. I think the old school points system was so much better. But all I really ask for is a larger variety of tracks, and cars that aren't so aero-dependent. That would fix 99% of the problems with the Cup series.
 
Additionally, if a driver enters any NW or Trucks race, that driver is ineligible to compete in a Sprint Cup race within the same race week. Simple as that. The Truck Series should go back to a schedule similar to what they had their first few years, along with two dates at Eldora (one late spring, another late summer). Give the series it's identity back and learn how to market the product better, and watch it take off.

The NW series should basically act as a farm system for the big boys to develop young talent, and for small-time teams to build and new owners to get their feet wet. Costs should be significantly less than the Cup Series so that the gap is narrowed between "Cup Lite" entries and underfunded NW owners like Rick Ware, Jeremy Clements, Bobby Gerhart, etc. The best teams with more resources would still have the obvious advantage, but the gap would be narrowed. Non-Cup teams like Turner Scott, TriStar, RAB, and some of those guys could really compete with the "Cup Lite" teams every week.
 
1. Open face helmets, if we could see the
the drivers talking with their mouths again I think the interviews & incar shots would be very entertaining.

2. Schedule historic and unique races, add tracks such as COTA, Bowman Gray, Road America, Eldora, Irwindale, Charlotte dirt track. Include weeknight "Heat Style" races.

3. As previously stated raise the plow up a bit, get rid of the splitter but keep the spoiler. No rules on spoiler or wing height.

4. All owners must use the same NASCAR owned wind tunnel & shake rig.

4A. Open season for tire competitiveness including bias ply options, Hoosier, Firestone, Continental, Dunlop are welcome.
 
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Well then after reading everyone else's changes I guess mine would go something like this:
1. Drop the chase & go back to old points format but separate 1st and 2nd by 20 pts if the dominant car doesn't win & 30pts if it does. This Means If Dominant Lap Leader Car Is 2nd, he gets 180, winner gets 200. If dominant car wins he gets 210, 2nd gets 175.
2. Drop Cup schedule down to 30 events, Busch Series & Trucks both to 25 each.
3. Cup drivers are limited to 5 starts per lower series, 5 Busch runs, 5 truck runs.
4. Despite a previous posters gripe about number of teams I too would limit Cup teams to 2 cars max. It use to be that only Hendrick & Junior Johnson had more than 1 car. RCR won 6 titles with Dale Sr, they were a one car team at the time so if 2 cars were the limit, new car owners would show up probably with enough funding to compete with the big boys. Also with that, lure Dodge back into the series.
5. Bring Wilkesboro & Rockingham back & add Road America then restore the Southern 500 on Labor Day. Obviously some other tracks would either lose a date or disappear altogether. Busch & Trucks would return to IRP & South Carolina's Summerville Speedway & Myrtle Beach would be added to Busch & Truck schedule as well.
6. Qualifying go's back to 2 lap solo run format.
7. Bring back bonus payouts. Crown jewel events are Daytona 500, Aarons 499, Coca Cola 600 & Southern 500. If driver wins 3 of 4 he & selected fan get $2mill each. If driver top 5s one event & wins next, he and selected fan get $1mill each. In Busch & trucks, if driver wins Daytona & Charlotte he & selected fan get $500k each.
8. Four Miss Sprint Cups, 1 Asian, 1 Black, 1 Latina, & 1 White. Depending on weather, tank tops & leggings in Victorylane, sun visor is optional. Fire suits only worn if it's cold out. Pole sponsorship gos back to Budweiser, restore Bud Shootout & pole girl is Miss Budweiser. Also Aarons 499 changes name to Miller High Life 500, Atlanta race changes to Budweiser 500.
9. All Nascar race cars must be rear wheel drive production cars, this means Toyota must build rear wheel drive sedan or coupe to compete, Ford can use Cup spec Mustang or build another Thunderbird. No changes to current cars, they're fine as is right now.
10. Vegas race moves to final event of season for all 3 series. Awards banquet is next weekend following race. It's dumb that Cup season ends at Homestead & everyone has to go all the way to Vegas for awards. Busch & Truck awards on Friday, Cup on Saturday.
11. Get rid of Sprint & lure PPG in as title sponsor. They did an awesome job when they sponsored CART back in the day. Series title sponsor IMO should be either alcohol or some kind of automotive product or service.
12. Only 2 HOF entrées a year, unlike baseball, basketball etc, there aren't enough candidates Imo to continue putting 5 people in every year. With that, close HOF in Charlotte & move to Daytona right across from Speedway, this location to me makes much more sense. Turn Charlotte location into regional corporate office.
13. Only allow video game companies to produce thorough representation of nascar racing. This means top 3 series are represented & online racing has dedicated server, all teams and nonalcoholic sponsors in game, career mode is true career mode just like dynasty on Madden. If game company cannot comply with these, they don't get nascar licensing.
14. No start and parks, you run till your engine expires or whatever. You should be so lucky that you qualified for a Cup event that it's an insult to drivers that didn't make the show that you parked it after 1 or 2 laps.
15. Have 50 lap test session at both daytona & talladega without restrictor plates. Pending results, either open plates up or get rid of them altogether.

that's all I can think of...
 
I'd start by overhauling the farming system.

I'd dissolve the Nationwide Series at it currently exists and then merge the K&N East and West tours and use that to replace the Nationwide Series (one race out east one week, another out west the next)... either use a combined points system or run 12 races for East, 12 races for West followed by a six race combined championship playoff.

Replace the K&N Series with regional SLM/LMSC tours (NASCAR Southwest Tour, NASCAR Pacific Northwest Tour, NASCAR Midwest Tour, NASCAR Southeast Tour).

Keep the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series but run it more with the regional tours and less with the Cup Series.

This would be a HUGE step in the direction of removing the influence of big money. With the costs now significantly lowered for both the new K&N tours and the new Nationwide Series, it becomes possible for young guys who don't have rich daddies to advance in the sport.

Many of the problems sort themselves out after that.
 
sky said:
1. Open face helmets, if we could see the
the drivers talking with their mouths again I think the interviews & incar shots would be very entertaining.

.
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No good. HANS requires the closed helmet. Despite all the talk about the new cars and safer walls, hans devices are what is saving lives.
 
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