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

RPK wrote:
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.

Absolutely, Homestead is a stupid place to have the final race, Vegas is a great choice for the finally!
 
FenderBumper said:
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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The HANS device attatches to the BACK of the helmet. It should not require a full face cover
 
sky said:
The HANS device attatches to the BACK of the helmet. It should not require a full face cover
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When a car hits a wall, what keeps the drivers head inside the helmet? Straps can't do the job, and will cause serious injuries to the drivers jaw.
 
Aren't full face helmets mandatory? Seems like a moot point but then again it's not my argument. No doubt the HANS device has saved countless lives but I don't think any of the other safety devices implemented could be discounted. Everything together are doing things to save these guys/gals lives each day on the track.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Aren't full face helmets mandatory? Seems like a moot point but then again it's not my argument. No doubt the HANS device has saved countless lives but I don't think any of the other safety devices implemented could be discounted. Everything together are doing things to save these guys/gals lives each day on the track.
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I think the point of the thread is you get to decide what's mandatory, even if it means killing drivers in the name of better entertainment.
 
sky said:
The HANS device attatches to the BACK of the helmet. It should not require a full face cover
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There are some with a semi-open chin area that still hug the sides of the jaw, but I'm not sure what speeds they are useful at.
 
Make it mandatory that whenever a driver makes a pass for the lead on a green flag run, as they are making the pass they have to say "ALL RIGHT CHUMS LETS DO THIS" and then scream out their name a'la Leeroy Jenkins. And concurrently, the driver who loses the lead has to come on the radio and say "It wasn't my fault. At least I have chicken".
 
I will never, ever, ever understand anyone who would drop any kind of "Chase" or playoff system in favor of a season long point tally.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I think this year's format is the best that there's ever been (most drivers do too). Cannot wait until elimination Chase races. Miami is going to be epic. No idea how anyone could possibly be against the surviving 4 cars in a one race, winner take all showdown. Yet to hear an even remotely convincing argument against it.

Other than that, some interesting ideas in here.
 
Youngsters don't care about NASCAR. They're not even interested in cars. They small amount of kids that do like cars are interested in zipperhead imports. They ones that do like NASCAR can't afford the expense of a weekend at the racetrack, unless their parents bring them along and foot the bill. The older fanbase is slowly dying off and there isn't anything that NASCAR can do to backfill the empty seats with new, younger fans. Attendance is declining, ratings are declining, fanbase is thinning. Enough so, that tracks are removing once-thriving grandstands.
If NASCAR continues to lose fanbase at this rate, in 20 years NASCAR will not be 1/2 of what it is today.
 
BobbyFord said:
Youngsters don't care about NASCAR. They're not even interested in cars. They small amount of kids that do like cars are interested in zipperhead imports. They ones that do like NASCAR can't afford the expense of a weekend at the racetrack, unless their parents bring them along and foot the bill. The older fanbase is slowly dying off and there isn't anything that NASCAR can do to backfill the empty seats with new, younger fans. Attendance is declining, ratings are declining, fanbase is thinning. Enough so, that tracks are removing once-thriving grandstands.
If NASCAR continues to lose fanbase at this rate, in 20 years NASCAR will not be 1/2 of what it is today.
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Ya, Chip Ganassi was quoted about this on racer.com a few weeks ago talking about something IndyCar related. He said "Kids used to want a car for their 16th birthday. Now they want a new iPhone or Galaxy S."
 
BobbyFord said:
Youngsters don't care about NASCAR. They're not even interested in cars. They small amount of kids that do like cars are interested in zipperhead imports. They ones that do like NASCAR can't afford the expense of a weekend at the racetrack, unless their parents bring them along and foot the bill. The older fanbase is slowly dying off and there isn't anything that NASCAR can do to backfill the empty seats with new, younger fans. Attendance is declining, ratings are declining, fanbase is thinning. Enough so, that tracks are removing once-thriving grandstands.
If NASCAR continues to lose fanbase at this rate, in 20 years NASCAR will not be 1/2 of what it is today.
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I think in 20 years, NASCAR will kind of resemble what IndyCar is today. It won't totally go away and will still have a small but loyal fan base, and it will be a much smaller piece of the overall sports landscape than it is today. That is, if things keep up like they have the last decade or so.
 
FenderBumper said:
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.
Click to expand...
AGREE 100%. I wish I could like this twice. The HANS device and the way it anchors the head to the shoulders prevents basilar skull fractures, which killed Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, John Nemechek, Blaise Alexander, Greg Moore, Gonzalo Rodriguez and countless other race car drivers. Everybody gets hot and bothered over SAFER barriers. The HANS device has played a much bigger role in Motorsports safety than SAFER barriers.
 
KevinWI said:
Ya, Chip Ganassi was quoted about this on racer.com a few weeks ago talking about something IndyCar related. He said "Kids used to want a car for their 16th birthday. Now they want a new iPhone or Galaxy S."
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I remember being fascinated with cars for as long as I could walk up to one. Maybe its because my family has always been into cars or into some form of racing. I've been going to car shows for as long as I can remember. They're aren't any kids at car shows anymore, just the older crowd. I took my kid to Vegas and Fontana and he fell asleep in the grandstands, completely uninterested in the racing. I go see my cousin in Vegas every year for the NASCAR race, his kids couldn't care less about going to the race, enough so that they've never been. They're not even interested in watching races on TV.
The future NASCAR fanbase will not be large enough to sustain the sport at the level with which it operates today.
 
Allow Kyle Busch to run for a championship in all three series ---- get rid of Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick.
 
Lets have Hooter girls powder puff races and for the kids? Bring back Digger.


Kyle18fan said:
Allow Kyle Busch to run for a championship in all three series ---- get rid of Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick.
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Kyle Busch league? heck yeah I like it. It has a nice ring to it.
 
ToyYoda said:
I think in 20 years, NASCAR will kind of resemble what IndyCar is today. It won't totally go away and will still have a small but loyal fan base, and it will be a much smaller piece of the overall sports landscape than it is today. That is, if things keep up like they have the last decade or so.
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works for me, it isn't a popularity contest, half the fans in the stands years ago were only there because it was the latest "in" thing to do. They bought the shirt and the hat and that is about all they knew about motorsport racing.
 
sdj said:
RPK wrote:
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.

Absolutely, Homestead is a stupid place to have the final race, Vegas is a great choice for the finally!
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I may be a little biased but I think Homestead puts on a better race than Las Vegas does. And ISC giving the finale back to SMI would be a massive concession.
 
BobbyFord said:
I remember being fascinated with cars for as long as I could walk up to one. Maybe its because my family has always been into cars or into some form of racing. I've been going to car shows for as long as I can remember. They're aren't any kids at car shows anymore, just the older crowd. I took my kid to Vegas and Fontana and he fell asleep in the grandstands, completely uninterested in the racing. I go see my cousin in Vegas every year for the NASCAR race, his kids couldn't care less about going to the race, enough so that they've never been. They're not even interested in watching races on TV.
The future NASCAR fanbase will not be large enough to sustain the sport at the level with which it operates today.
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Most of the small number of young people I know who are interested in racing gravitate more towards sports car racing and formula racing (engineering majors).
 
StandOnIt said:
works for me, it isn't a popularity contest, half the fans in the stands years ago were only there because it was the latest "in " thing to do . They bought the shirt and the hat and that is about all they knew about motorsport racing.
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rabid fans......in any sport....are a small % of those who attend or watch.
majority just wanna be part of latest "in thing".

which is nascar....fox...nbc ...challenge in future.
"new daytona " is hi $$ experiment in that challenge.
we'll see how it goes.
 
StandOnIt said:
Lets have Hooter girls powder puff races and for the kids? Bring back Digger.




Kyle Busch league? heck yeah I like it. It has a nice ring to it.
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Just let Kyle and Brad K race head to head every Thursday night. It's basically what the Nationwide Series is when they're there anyway.
 
The Nature Boy said:
Just let Kyle and Brad K race head to head every Thursday night. It's basically what the Nationwide Series is when they're there anyway.
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all cup drivers in Nationwide have to drive thru the "loop the loop" to even up the competition


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Brian France is just wonderful on the job he is doing. NOT! He is an IDIOT! Bigger spoilers, no plates period, no gear rules, Tire wars, and that is just getting started. The France mafia is all about control. They want to control everything including outcomes of races. They are all crimials imo including Brian France who now is the ring leader. This guy stinks to high heaven no matter what driver you pull for.

The drivers are afraid of him becasue they know where their check comes from. That is just reality. The France mafia in charge is the problem. I hate Brian France with a passion.
 
1. Drop the Chase and make every race equal

2. Keep the 1 point increment between positions and new qualifying procedures that have been put in place.

3. Allow hard Alcohol sponsorship to return. Obviously there needs to be restrictions and warnings for any childrens toys or games sold but alcohol and Nascar go hand in hand so why restrict the sponsorship to just beers? Jack Daniels, Jim Beam, Patron, Bacardi I have seen all sponsor racing vehicles in the past, you are seriously limiting an already small pool of sponsors in this economy.

4. Complete Overhaul of the schedule. No race track receives a 2nd date including Daytona. Firecracker 400 can be a 400 km road course event at Sebring run in the afternoon of July 4th. With the 11 other 2nd date races. Race at tracks such as Iowa, Road America, Rockingham and IRP. Return to Montreal and North Wilksbough. Have the mud summer class at Eldora a cup event. Even have a couple smaller venue tracks such as Irwindale and Bowman Gray Stadium. And top it off with a few more road courses. Mid Ohio, Road Atlanta, and how about racing at Portland? The Pacific Norhtwest's nearest cup venue is in Sonoma California.
 
I agree that making changes to make the old timers or current fans happy is a stupid way to run a company. The fans of Nascar are intrenched in the sport and we are not going anywhere.

What I would like to see is the following...

1. Balance the schedule- just trying to prevent the teams from having to go east to west to east and back to west. I would break it up so that there were 2 seperate stints on the west coast. Combine Phoenix/California, Phoenix/Sonoma so that these guys dont run back and forth as much

2. Leave the chase alone for a period of 3 years. Changes every year makes it convoluted to the point where we cant even keep track.

3. The chase races should have every type of track, cookie cutter, short track, superspeedway, road course.

4. Get all the series to run a dirt race. THe truck race is so fun to watch because it is so different from what we see and it brings the sport back to the grass roots origin. When I watched that race I did not feel like I was watching the truck series. I felt like I was at a local short track watching guys work their ass off.

5. Experiment with global expansion. Test the waters some.

6. Shorten the season. Its absurd that thhese guys go from February to November. Do we really need multiple races at some of these tracks like Pocono?

7. I would like to see some of the teams move out west, but I know that it makes zero sense for them geographically. Everything they need is out there, but the west coast has such a thirst for the sport.

8.Eliminate qualifying. Drivers should run heats. Bring it back to short track rules. This may only be possible on the mile and smaller tracks, but run 5, 8 car heats or 4 10 car heats to determine the field. Obviously this would bring the field down to 40 cars and that good because there are always 5 cars that just dont matter anyways. They could use a trophy dash type of race to determine 1-4 in the field or they can use fastest lap times during their respective races.

Just spit balling a little. I think the sport would benefit from more racing, more risk, more competition. Heat races on Friday or Saturdays for the cup race would attract the fans I feel.
 
BobbyFord said:
Youngsters don't care about NASCAR. They're not even interested in cars. They small amount of kids that do like cars are interested in zipperhead imports. They ones that do like NASCAR can't afford the expense of a weekend at the racetrack, unless their parents bring them along and foot the bill. The older fanbase is slowly dying off and there isn't anything that NASCAR can do to backfill the empty seats with new, younger fans. Attendance is declining, ratings are declining, fanbase is thinning. Enough so, that tracks are removing once-thriving grandstands.
If NASCAR continues to lose fanbase at this rate, in 20 years NASCAR will not be 1/2 of what it is today.
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I have a soon to be 3 year old. The past 3 Saturdays we have been to the local short tracks. He likes it, but its because I introduced him to it. THe problem lies in the fcat that a lot of these short tracks a horribly managed. 2 weeks ago I took my son to Stockton 99 Speedway in Stockton, Ca. Its a relatively historic track in Norther California. I grew up there. It was his first race there, We show up at 4 with the thought that the gates opened at 4 because thats what the website and schedule stated. THey open the gates at 5. THey did the same in the pits opening a half an hour later then they told the drivers. We pay to get in, eat some terrible food and sit down to watch qualifying at 6. No cars on the track. They advertised Late Models, 4 Bangers, street stocks and mini cups. THey had 6 count them 6 LAte Models, 4bangers, 8 modifieds and mini cups. No street stocks as advertised.

I went to the ticket gate and asked for a refund. They argued with me until they had the promoter and owner come talk to me. Agfter some select words from me to the owner and quite a few insults and slurs hurled their way by me.....out of earshot of my son of course they refunded my money and I proceeded to drive a hour south to Merced. A small fairground dirt track and we watched 18 dirt modifieds in the main. It was cheaper, had better car counts and we werfe home sooner then we would have been.

It starts at the local tracks with the promoters making it A) affodable for drivers because without the cars you have no races and B) affordable and WORTH THE MONEY AND TIME for the fans.
 
Funny how we're all talking about the changes we'd make to the sport, when it was a series of radical changes that got the sport in the shape it's in now. I've heard Brian France talk a lot about evolving the sport, but all he's done is evolve it right into the ground. I know that the new Chase has some fans here, but at least in the regular season portion, it doesn't look like it's the savior NASCAR thought it was going to be. Look no further than TV ratings and attendance to validate that. Maybe things will improve when the Chase actually starts, but I don't see it happening.

The NAS-kissers will defend Brian France to the bitter end, but I think he's been a cancer to the sport.
 
I'd administer all regulations from 1990 including the schedule. If a track no longer exists, add in a dirt track or road course.

Cars would be more stock than current Gen 6 cars and have better safety. But seriously, we got WAYYYYYYYY away from what made NASCAR great from 1947-1994.

The funny thing is you can probably blame the popularity of Jeff Gordon nationally for that. Sometimes sports outgrow themselves. This one did.
Our tracks really suck. Like... really... suck.

Stop. Look at our August schedule. And shoot yourself in the face. It's awful. Thank god the Nationwide series at least goes to Iowa this weekend.
 
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