Browse > Home / Archive by category 'How to fix NASCAR'

Like a broken record…

User Avatar

by Clance' McClannahan, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Clance' McClannahan, famous author behind The Church of The Great Oval and also one of the much appreciated Contributing Authors at Thunder Lounge.

February 26, 2010 8:40 pm UTC 1 Comment

Dear Bruton Smith,

You have more money than God. Please fix the traffic coming in and out of the track. In fact, could you just fix it in all of Las Vegas? The wait at the airport sucks too. Wayne Newton would do it for his fans, I bet.

Love,

All of us that make you have more money than God.

P.S. Good job with the track. It’s really fast! The traffic may be worth it, if the race is as good as qualifying was. Too bad we missed 10 driver’s attempts, including Kurt Busch beating Jeff Gordon who beat out Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the pole.

But that wasn’t your fault.

Filed under: Bruton Smith, Dale Earnhardt Jr., How to fix NASCAR, Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Standardized Start Times A Win For Fans

User Avatar

by Matt Mercer, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I'm the former blogger of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog and a contributor to On Pit Row. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

October 9, 2009 12:55 pm UTC 4 Comments

The news this week that NASCAR would institute standardized start times beginning in 2010 is welcome and long overdue. For too long, NASCAR’s obsession with ratings, specifically on the west coast, has been misguided. I think NASCAR may finally be realizing that it takes more than a supposed west coast-friendly start time to produce ratings. The actual racing needs to be good. Fans have to know when the darn thing actually starts.

The NFL and MLB have consistent start times that you can bank on with just a few notable differences. NFL games start at 1:05 and 4:05 on Sunday afternoons. Most baseball games begin at 7:05 and day games begin at 1:05. In the 1990s as the sport was in its largest growth period, the networks negotiated the deals with individual tracks, but the start times were almost always consistent. The last 8 years with the addition of Fox, NBC, TNT, and re-entry of ESPN threw that old model in the trash can and it was for the worse. Fans for years were accustomed to races beginning at 1 and that was no longer the case. Oh sure, NASCAR would say coverage begins at 1 but the races themselves may not start until 2:30 in some cases. The Daytona 500, the Great American Race, has seen a start time in the last several years of 3 or 3:30. Simply put, fans will have other things to do if you start a race that late. It puzzles me that the NFL draws huge ratings for 1 PM games, but NASCAR can’t see that’s a great time to start an event? Hello, no one wants to sit around all afternoon watching pre-race coverage for 90 minutes. Fans at the track especially suffered in the last several years. It’s high time that was put to an end.

The heavy hand of NASCAR can be used for good. Double-file restarts have saved the TV ratings and fan attention from being even worse this year. Maybe this is an indication that NASCAR will start listening more and putting their collective heads in the sand less.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: How to fix NASCAR, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Bidness, Sprint Cup Series 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Logano has Dover Crowd on its Feet as Johnson Wins

User Avatar

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

September 28, 2009 5:40 pm UTC 1 Comment

Jimmie Johnson took his place at the front of the field at Dover International Raceway.

While Johnson made a mockery of the field at Dover, rookie Joey Logano was capturing the press.  Sure Johnson’s victory closed him to within ten points of The Chase leader, Mark Martn, but it was the spectacular wreck that Logano was involved in , that left the crowd concerned.

Logano slowed for traffic in front of him, but Tony Stewart was unable to avoid the  car he formerly drove and tagged the back of the #20 sending Logano into the outside retaining wall;followed by a spectacular seven revolution barrel roll down the front stretch at the Monster Mile.  “Sliced Bread” left the batterd ride after it had stopped momentarily on it’s driver side door before ending on it’s wheels.

Logano emerged from the damaged car without serious injury and waved to the fans as he made his way to the ambulance for the precautionary ride to the infield care center.  This new car once again proved how well it withstands damage and protects the driver.

It also shows that the cars still have a want to get upside down.  Roof flaps solved that problem on the old car but the front splitter and rear wing combination have proven to be more of a challenge for the aerodynamicist.  By definition the rear wing on the new car is designed to keep the rear of the car on the ground, but when it is turned up-side-down it does as any wing does and creates lift.  Once the new car gets upset it doesn’t lend itself to minor mishaps.

NASCAR will figure this out and make the car perform better.  It may come with some help from the Nationwide COT as it develops.

This week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW is this:

Should NASCAR and its drivers be concerned with the airborne tendencies of this car?

Let us know what you think and we could use your answer on this weeks radio show.  Tune in to ON PIT ROW every Tuesday from 5-7pm ET.  You could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead if you are the Shell-Fuel My Passion Call of the Day.

photo credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Filed under: Brian France, Car of Tomorrow, Chase for the Cup, Clint Boyer, How to fix NASCAR, Jeff Gordon, NASCAR, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio 

Tagged with: , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Save The Trucks? Here’s An Idea

User Avatar

by Matt Mercer, Special To NASCAR commentary and driver pictures, 2012 NASCAR schedule, video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I'm the former blogger of The Catfish Show NASCAR Blog and a contributor to On Pit Row. Follow me on Twitter: @mattmercer

August 11, 2009 6:31 pm UTC 2 Comments

The Camping World Truck Series has produced some of the best racing nearly every year since it’s inaugural season in 1995.

(This post also appears at The Catfish Show)

Many enjoy the series because of the feel – it feels like a throwback to short track racing and to the way racing was in the 1980s. Veterans, young drivers, and drivers just making a living doing what they love. Yet despite stronger TV ratings this year than in previous years, the Truck Series has a dearth of quality sponsors, a greater percentage of start and park efforts, and have rarely gotten a full field since the beginning of the year. Manufacturers have pulled their support from the series and left the advances to the teams. The saving grace, and what makes this series worth saving, is exactly what I said earlier… the Truck Series has great racing! Yet the series is in real trouble due to the previous factors. I’ve come up with an idea that I think will help the series maintain healthy interest – and in the process elevate the focus on both Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series championship battles at the same time.

Here is my idea for the Trucks: End the season at Richmond in September.

The Truck Series currently runs a 25-race schedule and it appears it will do the same next year. My idea to shorten the season comes from the idea that “minor leagues” in other sports end before the top series. The Truck Series is, after all, a minor-league series. In baseball, minors end in time for teams to call up its best players in September. Even in football, the college bowl season ends around the same time the NFL regular season does. This helps the NFL have the sole focus on their playoffs by giving football fans their undivided attention. Hey NASCAR, wouldn’t having one of your three national series finish before the Chase begins be an asset?

For a series that consists of 25 races, 10 less than Nationwide and 11 less than Sprint Cup (13 if you count the two non-points races) it doesn’t make sense at this point to start the year in mid-February and end the year in mid-November. Keeping the schedule more compact will be less of a strain for all parties involved. By contracting the amount of time spent on each season, no longer will we have ridiculously long breaks between Truck races. Consider the beginning of the year: Daytona, California, week off, Atlanta, 3 weeks off, Martinsville, a month off, Kansas, and then another 3 weeks until Charlotte. In 4 months, the series runs a total of 6 races. Is there a certain reason why this is the way it is? I think it’s a case of poor planning.

So by accepting this premise, let’s look at the races after Richmond that will be cut out: Gateway (currently the same week as Richmond), Loudon, Las Vegas, Martinsville, Talladega, Texas, Phoenix, Homestead.

These races can be moved fairly easily and still fit into the schedule. Flip flop the combo races at Loudon so that the Trucks go there on the Sprint Cup Series’ first visit, and the Nationwide Series takes the current spot. Same could even go for Talladega, Texas, and Phoenix. That leaves Las Vegas, Martinsville, and Homestead. From a fan perspective, these races can be moved to any point of the schedule and I’ll still watch. I suspect most other fans of the series will as well. Why not put a race at Martinsville on July 4th weekend? This would be shortly after the Memphis races, two short tracks in a row. Since the rumor is the series won’t return to California (Auto Club Speedway) the Las Vegas date is open. That leaves a date at Homestead. I think if this idea were to gain traction, we could find an agreeable date.

That’s my pitch to make the series more compact and just as interesting and fun to watch. Crown a champion in Richmond, see ya in February next year. Continuity is important and I think this move would deliver it big-time. At the same time, it helps NASCAR’s top 2 national series, which is a win all around. The stretch run of 10 races are treated like true events. Let’s make this work.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Auto Club Speedway, How to fix NASCAR, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Sprint Cup Series 

Tagged with: , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

NASCAR’s Crumpled Fenders and Bruised Egos

User Avatar

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

July 14, 2009 5:54 am UTC No Comments

There seems to be some dissension in the ranks as drivers aren’t liking the double file restarts as much as initially claimed.

Veteran  Jeff Burton was not thrilled at all with the consequences of the new restart program.  He went so far as to allude to not wanting to participate any more if the new program continues,

“I know it’s exciting for fans. But I’m tired of it. I’m about done with it.”

Would Burton really be done with double file restarts?  What are his options?  He could go to a series that doesn’t use the rule–the Camping World Truck Series hasn’t adopted the rule –yet.  He could move to the ARCA Re/Max Series where they still do single file restarts with less than ten laps remaining.  Neither option is likely to happen.  The fact is that the fans love the new restarts and NASCAR would be committing public relations suicide to change back.

The fact is that NASCAR fans have something to look forward to at the end of a long race–some excitement.  While I can enjoy a fuel mileage finish as much as the next guy; a couple of side by side restarts with less than thirty laps to go is what will bring fans back to the sport.  Good tight racing for a win is what fans want to see and if there happens to be some bumping and grinding along the way, then so much the better.

Without double file restarts the on track incident between Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson would never have occurred.  Regardless of who was at fault, it led to not only exciting racing but great post race fodder.  Busch’s comments questioning a three time champion’s abilities on the race track are priceless.  NASCAR can’t afford not to let that type of controversy and calling out of fellow drivers continue.

That leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Who was to blame for the Busch/Johnson incident and will the feud continue?

Let us know what you think and we could use your answer on this week’s ON PIT ROW radio show.  Listen live, every Tuesday from 5-7pm ET at www.onpitrow.com.  Call us during the show at 1-800-645-2946 and you could win a Kevin Harvick bobblehead courtesy of Shell Gasolines if you are The Shell Nitrogen Enriched Call of the Day.

photo credit:  Icon Sports Media, Inc

Filed under: Chicagoland Speedway, How to fix NASCAR, Jeff Burton, jimmie johnson, Jimmy Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR officials, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio 

Tagged with: , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Winning the Brad Keselowski Sweepstakes Could Save a NASCAR Franchise

User Avatar

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

July 11, 2009 11:27 am UTC 1 Comment

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season is barely half over and the speculation of what 2010 brings is in high gear.

Silly Season has started in earnest.  Fox Sports’ Lee Spencer is reporting that Robert Yates Racing may be looking to blow up their lineup in 2010 because of lack of performance from Bobby Labonte and cash cow Paul Menard.

Roger Penske may be looking to shop the seat in the #12 for the second year.  David Stremme has not taken to the new car as quickly as hoped after sitting out the 2008 Cup season.  The hottest property in the 2010 free agent market is Brad Keselowski and he is being looked at to fill that seat.

The Kez has been included in talk of pretty much every open seat for next year; the anticipated fourth cars at Joe Gibbs Racing or third at Stewart-Haas, a move to cup by Junior Motorsports or Keven Harvick, Inc or even replacing Junior at Hendrick.

While no one knows for sure where he will end up yet, I may as well throw my personal hope into the mix.  After years of struggling to make assorted drivers work on a limited budget with 1970′s thought processes one team has taken a step back to try and re-capture it’s former glory days.  While some teams have resorted to start and park strategies to get their teams trough these tough times, The Wood Brothers took to a limited schedule to try and make things work.

Bill Elliott has held down the seat on again and off again until the right deal can happen.  2010 is the year that the once proud team that saw David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and others win races in droves, needs to grab the next hot, can’t miss driver since Sliced Bread.  Keselowski is young, hungry and has proven himself a winner.  Eddie Wood has made hard decisions over the past year.  Adding Keselowski for the entire season could be the piece to the puzzle that brings the Wood Brothers back to the front.

Sponsorship is the key; getting it and getting enough of it to be competitive.  The other hard decision to be made may not be so easy and that would be to give up the teams autonomy.  An alliance with Roush-Fenway/Yates as a satellite team could help solve technical and financial challenges.

One car from Roush-Fenway will be spun off to Yates because of NASCAR’s four team rule.   Common speculation has had either Jamie McMurrey or David Ragan moving to Yates as a third team.  But, instead of sending a lower performing team, send Greg Biffle to become the cornerstone of that operation.  Proven winner Travis Kvapil is available to take over the #96 ride if Ask.com can be convinced to stay on board or other sponsorship can be found.

The Wood Brothers with help from R-F/Y and Keselowski at the wheel could be a combination that returns the once proud team back to respectability and beyond.

photo credit: BethAnne Heisler/ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Ask.com Racing, Bill Elliott, Bobby Labonte, Brad Kesolowski, David Ragan, How to fix NASCAR, Jamie McMurray, NASCAR, Nascar Legends, NASCAR Rumors, Paul Menard, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, The Wood Brothers, Yates Racing 

Tagged with: , , , ,

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

« Previous Page — « Previous Articles
More Recent Articles » — Next Page »

March Madness

Play the Rattles from the Catch Can contest

ON PIT ROW at RaceTalkRadio
Backstretch Boys: 30% Off New CD!
Jayski's: See what the buzz is about.

We've got your game.

Advertisement