Seven time champion, what he says carries some cache (even if he was a moving chicane in Indy Car and IMSA this year). Agree that the NASCAR season schedule is too long. There are simply too many races as Johnson says,“too much racing”. They could do 10 fewer races and who would notice? Eliminate the second visit to the round-round bullrings like Martinsville, Bristol, et.al. Can’t imagine how boring that must get after a few years. To NASCAR’s credit, they are tinkering with their schedule and adding road course events and trying different things which seems to have had an effect. Interesting he talks about the money. But, given NASCAR stopped publishing the teams' financial take a few years ago, it was a good indication that things were no longer heading upward. The old marketing adage, “Over exposure cheapens the product” certainly applies here. Dial back the Super Bowl-like hype before each race. Two and sometimes three hour pre-race noise for events which simply never live up to the hype. Fifteen minutes pre-race, set the grid, go over the headlines and green flag. The TV broadcasts are insufferable. Former drivers all trying to out-redneck each other, five minutes of Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. twanging on and on and I’m ready to pull an Elvis and shoot the TV. It’s become so unwatchable now, its amazing they draw any sort of ratings at all. The interview must certainly have them scrambling around the halls in the fake wood paneled offices back in Daytonner though. Will NASCAR return fire? https://www.autoweek.com/racing/nascar/a38213093/jimmie-johnson-nascar-season-too-long-money/ BHW
To me, "The Chase" does absolutely nothing to build interest for the fans. But as I've never been a hardcore Nascar fan, others may disagree. About the only Nascar race I find entertaining is Watkins Glen.
100% agree. if I was in charge of NASCAR: - eliminate the truck series - Xfinity and Cup go to 30 race series with no clash, all star, or other BS races - Schedule would have 3-4 dirt races (on actual dirt tracks, not Bristol) and 3-4 road course races (on actual road courses, not rovals), and more short tracks - no track gets a second date unless they have 100% attendance (NOT sellout) at first date - 30 minute pre and post race show - old Winston Cup points system, with boost in points to winner - Cup uses Xfinity aero package with an extra 100 bhp watch ratings miraculously return.
Good points. How about making the cars relevant to what manufacturers are putting on the street? It's interesting that at each NASCAR race, the most technically sophisticated car on the track is the Pace Car (and it usually leads the most laps). Put cars on the track that have some tech to them, kids today are hip to this stuff. The insipid "Stage" racing gives nothing to the events other than for the broadcasting networks to show more advertising. The "Playoffs" are stupid and have now become so predictable that they hardly bear watching. One of my friends suggested JJ will probably be excommunicated for such blasphemy. BHW
oh yeah, stage racing is gone too. forgot that one I wouldn't be opposed to some form of hybrid/alternative fuel stock car, as long as the sound remains. that seems to be one of the biggest complaints about modern F1, the cars sound like crap. otherwise, if you want your race car to relate to your road car, go TCR or GT3 racing.
Return to its roots. They haven't been stock cars for years. NASCAR has been dead and won't recognize its failures. As they say....it never makes it past the third generation!
To NASCAR's credit, they have been trying things such as shaking up the schedule a bit, adding more road courses, "rovals" and even the dirt track. And, coming in 2022, single center locking hubs so they're finally catching up to the 1950s. The drivers and teams must be relieved at least a bit as running that same schedule year-in, year-out must become mind-mummingly boring after a couple of seasons. So, the message is seeping into those thick skulls in Daytonner but as Panzer says, the cars aren't really stock. If they'd follow the Australian Supercars formula, they'd have a hit on their hands to rival their 90s success again. Think we may agree that NASCAR's biggest days are behind them as an article I ran across the other day pointed out, new NASCAR champion Kyle Larson went to Disneyland and was barely recognized, such is the lack of attention people are paying to the series now. BHW
I enjoy GT3 racing, but to me it's nothing more than rich amateur hobbyists and not something a premier racing class should field. I would be in favor of doing what DTM does in that production cars are the basis for the look and layout, but they have carbon tubs, steel cages, and prototype engines. Like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M4_Turbo_DTM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class_1_Touring_Cars#2nd_Generation
When NASCAR required the cars to be based on real street cars and have a big content of the street cars they resembled it made a huge incentive for Detroit to make not only some interesting cars it also gave the viewers/fans a close connection to the racing. They could go out and buy one not too different. When during the time auto legislation created a situation where nothing they could build was raceable it changed the sport. The car companies for a variety of reasons can again build street cars that can be good race cars it could easily go back and I think it would be far more interesting and I think it would also lead to some good street cars. . I might even watch again.
Problem is...they won't. Unfortunately those days are in the past. The legal system not interferes with everything. Cars are now legislated, not designed or built by car people.
I got a survey from VIR a few days ago, and one of the questions was what series would you like to see race at VIR. I wish I could have voted for NASCAR more than once. Can you imagine them going down the backstraight and trying to get it slowed down to go through the roller coaster? It would be amazing.
I linked specifically the Class 1 cars they ran and it should mirror that. Not saying they should switch to current regulations DTM runs. It won't happen either way. They'll do whatever costs less and makes more money like F1 while losing fans and reverting to WWE-style antics.
So I guess the Viper, 600+ Hp Corvettes, 700+ HP Challengers or 800 HP Mustangs etc never happened? OK, you are right. legislation has stopped all technological advance.
To some degree. It may be in some high end vehicles, but you are not seeing it in some of the lower end products. Ex...Cosworth Sierra, Lotus Cortina type vehicles. You are paying far more than what you can do yourself. Add the cost of certification and it becomes a very limited market. When w as the last time you saw something like a 289 hi-po in a compact or sub mid grade?
Give me a break. In every classification of car we have available from the showroom floor faster cars than we ever dreamed of. Who needs a boat anchor iron 289 with a little over 200 hp. I grew up in the muscle car era and in 1974 we were convinced we had seen the last of fast cars. We couldn't have been more wrong. Open your eyes. We were blown away by 400 HP and 400Lbs with skinny crappy tires and drum brakes. My other half has a pretty ordinary Mercedes that will blow away any of those. Quit living in the past.
I guess my point was DTM couldn't make that formula work anymore. All the manufactures dropped out so they went for GT3 regs. Shame because that loses DTMs identity. Honestly not sure where they even go from here.
Yes it's unfortunate what happened with them. Another Blancpain/Pirelli/Fanatec/etc GT3 series for rich guys/gals rather than real need for manufacturers and talent. If NASCAR had the DTM prototype style rules for the manufacturers I would start watching again.
There are a lot of things that may be pointed out about NASCAR which need addressing. They seem to be making strides in some directions such as shaking up the schedule. But, in other ways, the whole thing starts coming off like little more than gimmickry like this all-star thing they're doing in the L.A. Coliseum which has train wreck written all over it. NASCAR is rolling the dice on this deal as their plan is to obviously put their product in major urban centers in hopes of drawing crowds. A colleague recently queried how many L.A. Coliseums could fit inside the confines of Daytonner or Talledegger (for example) then the scale of it all starts to sink in. NASCAR commentators love to point out that at Daytonner and Talledegger the cars are covering a football field per second. How this all comes off looking on an actual football field is anyone's guess but they certainly won't be turning that kind of speed in L.A. BHW
dodge is killing the hellcat. ford is swinging for the electric future fence. gm believes they'll crush tesla. curious to see how this plays out with regards to nascar and manufacture participation. track selection and points all may very well be the least of concerns, no matter how you or I may feel in regards to electrification, particularly in auto sport.
Well, let's see, radial ties didn't come into play in NASCAR until (what?) the late 90s. Fuel injection (such as it is) came in (what?) the mid-naughties. Center locking hubs coming in 2022. We'll be flying around like The Jetsons before we see electrification in NASCAR. BHW
