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Humpy Wheeler: How to get fans back in the NASCAR grandstands

NickHolt

By NickHolt
in Texas Auto Racing

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Next year everyone will need to buy their frame from NASCAR. The following year they will need to buy their engines from NASCAR. After that all drivers will be first come first serve and distributed to teams as required by NASCAR. Sounds far fetch? Let's wait and see.

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rebelracewriter Experienced

rebelracewriter

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Next year everyone will need to buy their frame from NASCAR. The following year they will need to buy their engines from NASCAR. After that all drivers will be first come first serve and distributed to teams as required by NASCAR. Sounds far fetch? Let's wait and see.

Not far fetched at all.....Interchangeable parts/interchangeable drivers

 

I see, at some point, whomever spent 8 million on TV rights seeing that they're not getting their moneys worth.....Then everyone will have to pay $19.95/race to watch....

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PAPosse Newbie

PAPosse

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Article below:

 

As many know, I have columns that appear in a number of publications around the country, and a few readers have been kind enough to share their thoughts on what is needed to make NASCAR better.

 

There has certainly been a lot written about the attendance problems that NASCAR has been facing. Most have limited their thoughts to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

 

Each track should be limited to one stand-alone Cup race each season. I don't totally agree with that but I do think there are some tracks that are having a very tough time trying to run two Cup events, so I think it would be good to remove one of them from their schedule.

 

However, I think that NASCAR should make an effort to fill some of the empty slots with Cup events at some tracks that have adequate facilities to support such a major event. It would, in my thinking, open Cup racing to a new live audience.

 

And cutting out some dates, adding a few, would still allow for the schedule, the longest schedule in professional sports, to be cut back by giving the racers more weekends off during the season.

 

Another reader feels that all races should be limited to 300 miles. They would be run without segments. However, I think there should be a couple of exceptions.

 

The Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway would remain at 400 miles. With that being said, there is talk that the 2018 edition of the Brickyard race would be run on the road course. I don't know that I can handle 400 miles on a road course.

 

I think, along with the reader, that Daytona and Talladega should remain as 500-mile races, with each track having two.

 

More and more, I am hearing from drivers and others involved in Cup racing to cut back on practice. Do professional racers really need more and more practice?

 

Several readers feel that practice, qualifying and the Cup race should be held on the same day. Of course, there could be support events run on the days leading up to the Cup race.

 

As I have written often over the years, I think the "playoffs" should be eliminated. The Cup championship should be based on all 36 races. If that is not feasible, at least the point leader at the end of the real season, 26 races, should receive something for his or her outstanding efforts. A million dollars sounds like something that should be considered.

 

I do not support the thinking of some that there should be midweek Cup races added to the schedule. That may work for one-day events like the Trucks at Eldora but I don't think it would work for Cup. The logistics of such a promotion would not work. Just my opinion, as I wrote in a recent column.

 

Xfinity and Truck races could be offered as 200-mile events. They would be one-day events, with all activities condensed into one day. As said earlier in this column, these races could be part of a Cup weekend.

 

NASCAR may want to pay attention to what is going on in weekly short-track racing. There are events being run at short tracks just about every weeknight.

 

Fans are losing interest. The weekly short-track events were great ideas when there was a limited schedule, and that left tracks with openings in the schedule to bring in those truly special shows such as USAC, Outlaws, Lucas Late Models and more.

 

Many readers indicated that NASCAR has to stop playing with the rules. Convoluted rules and procedures over recent years have chased many fans including many long-time fans away from the sport.

 

At Dover, there will be a professional drone racing event. Richmond is planning a Ladies Professional Bowling tournament, and Charlotte has boxing matches scheduled to take place during their NASCAR racing activities. It is an effort to bring more interest to their events.

 

And something I think, and several readers share this thought, is that NASCAR has to give up on its thinking that it will someday be able to compete with or outdo the National Football League in live attendance or TV numbers.

 

If you have any of your own thoughts you would like to add, please feel free to reach out at Esaxton144@aol.com

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rebelracewriter Experienced

rebelracewriter

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At Dover, there will be a professional drone racing event. Richmond is planning a Ladies Professional Bowling tournament, and Charlotte has boxing matches scheduled to take place during their NASCAR racing activities. It is an effort to bring more interest to their events.

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Thanks Rob....I like the idea of no two-race events at tracks, especially the 1.5 mile snoozers....

Not big on shortening races, hell even dirt track shows can last 6-8 hours......

To me, segment racing is like a mysterious water bottle caution, with points awarded.....

LOVE the drop the chase idea.....Been preaching that for years.....

As for the last gimmicks.....PLEASE leave that crappola to the McMahon family....

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RodneyRodriguez Community Regular

RodneyRodriguez

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sorry y'all this segment racing makes for good TV. Short track racing has left it roots other than we still race on tracks smaller than what the grand national series races on. Sorry friends local racing is a 360 degree from what it was before.

Let's let the Cup racing keep doing what it does and grass roots do what it does, sad thing is they both continue to suffer I as a race fan support both and hope we all do that.

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rebelracewriter Experienced

rebelracewriter

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sorry y'all this segment racing makes for good TV

Guess that explains why the viewer numbers are down every week....

 

I will say this though....It has given the announcers something to "pump" up instead of filling time with a 2 minute segment on why "insert driver here" eats Cheerios instead of Capt. Crunch....

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PAPosse Newbie

PAPosse

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sorry y'all this segment racing makes for good TV

Guess that explains why the viewer numbers are down every week....

 

I will say this though....It has given the announcers something to "pump" up instead of filling time with a 2 minute segment on why "insert driver here" eats Cheerios instead of Capt. Crunch....

Like any sane person would really rather eat Cheerios than Cap'n Crunch.

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direct-flo Newbie

direct-flo

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Mr. Wheeler was great (in his time)....If I remember correctly he did some really unique things at CMS during race weekend.

 

The NASCAR suits in the front office have screwed the pooch. They have tried and tried to reinvent the wheel with changes that more often than not raise eyebrows the first year and flat out fail the second. Brian France has said that they rely on the input of sponsors, teams and track owners for ways to improve the sport.

 

What about the fan, not the “future romper wearing, starbucks coffee drinking, can’t understand the race unless you pretend it’s a football game with segments and playoffs kind of FUTURE FAN”

 

The brand has diminished and the quality has disappeared. The car of tomorrow, the Hollywood Hotel, the track groundhog named Digger etc….. all ideas that might excite circus-goers.

 

Take a couple of steps back, make it about the racing and do it on Sunday..!

 

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HiTech Community Regular

HiTech

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reb if you could decipher my post then you are not sane ..if you try too hard then well I don't know what to say bout that ...has it ever crossed your mind I do it on purpose ...I would not call it reversed psychology .more like forward or future if you will INSANITY .

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HiTech Community Regular

HiTech

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direct- flo .good post .nascar the sponsors drivers and car owners have gotten so high up in the clouds they cant hear us ..like they have an inner circle the fans cant get into .......no company is ever to big to fail ..

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Josh42 Contributor

Josh42

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Us buying a racetrack or opening one wont help the problem here. This is a NASCAR problem not a track problem. The racetrack can do all they want to run promotions and have prerace concerts and festivities if the main show is boring you wont get the fans.

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rebelracewriter Experienced

rebelracewriter

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Oh I see, then why not start your own series and show nascar how it is done?

So between all the pathetic numbers in TV viewership, the empty grandstands and all the pundits advice you still think......In my best Kryle Busch voice(as much as it pains me), "Everything is great."......WOW....Must be nice to be on the France-Helton Travelling Circus payroll.....

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