Should a Series Listen?
There is a danger in listening to fans. Mostly because they are fluid. Their tastes are always changing. One year they want one thing and then they want the complete opposite the next. It is one reason why series do not bend over backward to the meet their demands but the masses are getting louder and it is getting harder to ignore.
For the last year, the sound out of NASCAR's fan base is one that is discontent with the current schedule and the current makeup of the series. After two decades of moving races to new racetracks, most of which were a 1.5 miles or larger, the fan base is yelling for more short tracks. People have grown tired of the racing seen at the larger ovals and want the series back at short tracks. The only problem is it is not as simple as just going to more short tracks. We all know about the contracts NASCAR has with the tracks and that leaves the series hands tied until 2021 when the five-year deals signed prior to the 2016 come to an end.
It is hard to fault NASCAR for giving racetracks long-term deals after years of little stability but NASCAR could not have seen this wave of dissatisfaction coming nor could it anticipate the expectation of change from the fan base.
It is a common belief around NASCAR that the schedule has become stale and it needs to be freshened up but I question how long the schedule will feel fresh once change occurs? The staleness only came after lack of changes. Those changes, which are not celebrated today when you consider those changes, were the death of North Wilkesboro and Rockingham and the subtraction of one Darlington race for trips to Kansas, Chicagoland and Texas.
Even if NASCAR decides to shake up the schedule it would only be a matter of time before people become bored again and want change again. There will come a point where short tracks will become boring or if additional road courses will be added those or maybe Sonoma and Watkins Glen lose fanfare.
Schedule staleness is viewed as a negative thing but it can show the stability of a series with established fan bases the series can count on attending a race and it shows a series it isn't constantly searching for new venues because others died off. A notable percentage of the NASCAR fan base believes shaking up the schedule needs to be done but after years watching IndyCar constantly lose a venue year after year and find another but with no guarantee this one would last more than three years I think flipping the schedule upside down could cause an endless rotation of events for the Cup series that will grow tiresome. I think racetracks could be see significant blows if a Cup race is taken away and put those tracks in jeopardy of insolvency while at the same time newer venues could come onto the schedule thinking it hit the jackpot with a Cup race only to find out the revenue is not great enough to justify the cost.
It is a common belief around NASCAR that the schedule has become stale and it needs to be freshened up but I question how long the schedule will feel fresh once change occurs? The staleness only came after lack of changes. Those changes, which are not celebrated today when you consider those changes, were the death of North Wilkesboro and Rockingham and the subtraction of one Darlington race for trips to Kansas, Chicagoland and Texas.
Even if NASCAR decides to shake up the schedule it would only be a matter of time before people become bored again and want change again. There will come a point where short tracks will become boring or if additional road courses will be added those or maybe Sonoma and Watkins Glen lose fanfare.
Schedule staleness is viewed as a negative thing but it can show the stability of a series with established fan bases the series can count on attending a race and it shows a series it isn't constantly searching for new venues because others died off. A notable percentage of the NASCAR fan base believes shaking up the schedule needs to be done but after years watching IndyCar constantly lose a venue year after year and find another but with no guarantee this one would last more than three years I think flipping the schedule upside down could cause an endless rotation of events for the Cup series that will grow tiresome. I think racetracks could be see significant blows if a Cup race is taken away and put those tracks in jeopardy of insolvency while at the same time newer venues could come onto the schedule thinking it hit the jackpot with a Cup race only to find out the revenue is not great enough to justify the cost.
The unpredictability of what shaking up the NASCAR schedule will do to the national racetrack picture is one reason why I do not think 2021 will be some Renaissance for NASCAR. There are not that many venues on the outside ready to step up to the plate. Rockingham and North Wilkesboro may still be standing but that doesn't mean either can carry the weight. The Nashville Fairgrounds is in that same boat. Gateway did well for IndyCar but a Cup race is a higher hurdle. Memphis and Pikes Peak are two shorter ovals that had hopes of greatness in the 1990s only to become forgotten shells in the early 21st century. The Milwaukee Mile is a headache. Nazareth was killed in broad daylight.
The only oval ready for the task is Iowa, which has been a decade waiting to happen. Road America and Circuit of the Americas might be the only road courses ready to go. I do not think three races is the type of change people have in mind. People are expecting an overhaul. They want a seven-race shake up with five more short tracks and two road courses entering the fold in turn for Kansas, Texas, Kentucky, Michigan, Las Vegas and Dover all losing a race with one Pocono race becoming a roval event.
This clamoring from fans about wanting more short tracks has me thinking: Do they really want more short track races or do they want more NASCAR Cup races at short tracks? There are plenty of series out there that run plenty of short tracks. ARCA runs twenty races, ten are paved short tracks and the series has two dirt events. Why aren't people watching that? It has what these people are demanding. No one is forcing them to watch NASCAR. It is acceptable to watch ARCA. There are countless other paved short track series out there. Why aren't they drawing a million people to the television each week?
If it was as simple as listening to the fans then IndyCar is in a great position heading into 2019 because the one thing IndyCar doesn't have is long-term contracts with 17 racetracks. IndyCar is in prime position for meeting the demands of a dissatisfied fan base and it can roll the dice by adding short tracks. It might require fewer off weeks especially since the Laguna Seca season finale is set for September 22 and the schedule might have to expand later into autumn in the future but it could pay off if people actually show up.
IndyCar has a chance to provide a slighted fan base what they are demanding. The series could add Loudon, Richmond, Memphis and Indianapolis Raceway Park next year, four short oval races to Iowa and Gateway and provide six short track events along with two 500-mile races at Indianapolis and Pocono and a race at Texas with another half-dozen races at road courses and four street course events. IndyCar has had that balance for years and yet where does the series stand? Part of me believes IndyCar should do it and just add a handful of short tracks and see if it works in bringing in new fans and the series should be vocal about it when it does it and pose it as the series willing to listen but time and time again we have seen IndyCar try something that seemed promising when first announced only to end up a dud when time comes for the execution.
We need to be weary when fans make demands because even when met it will soon not be good enough.
Champion From the Weekend
Kyle Kirkwood clinched the U.S. F2000 championship with his victory in race one from Mid-Ohio. He would sweep the triple-header weekend.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Alexander Rossi and Kyle Kirkwood but did you know...
Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The #21 Yamaha Factory Racing Team Yamaha of Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark and Katsuyuki Nakasuga won the Suzuka 8 Hours. It is the team's fourth consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours victory, Nakasuga's fourth consecutive victory, Lowes' third consecutive victory and van der Mark's second consecutive victory.
The #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport BMW of Philipp Eng, Tom Blomqvist and Christian Krognes won the 24 Hours of Spa.
Kyle Busch won the NASCAR Cup race from Pocono and he won the Truck race from Pocono, his 51st victory in the series, tying him with Ron Hornaday, Jr. for most in series history. Christopher Bell won the Grand National Series race from Iowa, his third consecutive victory. Kyle Busch
Patricio O'Ward swept the Indy Lights races from Mid-Ohio. Rinus VeeKay swept the Pro Mazda races.
Nyck de Vries and Alexander Albon split the Formula Two races from Hungary. Nikita Mazepin and Dorian Boccolacci split the GP3 Series races.
Ott Tänak won Rally Finland.
Ott Tänak won Rally Finland.
Coming Up This Weekend
MotoGP returns from its summer break at Brno.
NASCAR will run its second road course of the season at Watkins Glen.
IMSA will be at Road America.
Supercars have a night race at Sydney Motorsports Park.
Super GT has a 500-mile race at Fuji.
