Fan's eye view: moving a chase race to a better place
11/5/2013
Jim Fitzgerald
In a bit of good news, the television ratings for NASCAR events are up slightly over last year. In other good news, NASCAR seems to be listening to outside sources, including the fans, and appears to be open to the possibility of changes to make the sport and the components of it more enjoyable for the fan to watch. Combine the two, and NASCAR has a recipe for success. NASCAR should use the ability granted to ride this small increase in viewership, and make changes that will increase it going forward. One thing needing tweaking we always hear about is The Chase, and the races within.
It is no secret that the most often used track type in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the 1.5-ish mile track, those which are often affectionately, or not so, the “cookie cutters.” To the untrained eye, perhaps some appear to be the same, but different layouts and different banking angles make them rather unique, even though they appear similar. (Everyone who has ever played a NASCAR video game knows you cannot use your Atlanta setup at Texas and hope to be successful.) Regardless, half of the tracks in the Chase, Chicagoland, Kansas, Charlotte, Texas, and Homestead, are made up of 1.5 mile tracks.
Weather plays a major role in NASCAR scheduling, so let us assume that due to climate constraints, no current tracks will be removed from the Chase, and no other tracks will be added. We are stuck with the ten that we have…for now. It’s time to shake it up.
Dover: Start the Chase for the Championship at Dover. The track is noted for being “self-cleaning,” but it is also Chase Cleaning. Someone always takes a hit, there. In fact, even as the third race, the talk this season prior to it was “are we in a three man race at this point?” One of the most unique tracks on the Sprint Cup Series schedule should be used to open the run for the Championship. It is fast, fierce, and running it early will set the tone for the title run, and possibly allow time for recovery should an unfortunate finish occur.
Chicagoland: The first of the 1.5 mile tracks. Instead of opening the Chase there, move it back one week, and for heaven’s sake, put it on Saturday night. There needs to be more night races in the Chase, and there are plenty of facilities which can be used for that.
New Hampshire: Not even close to a favorite track for this guy, but if it has to be there, it might as well be a buffer between two of the mile-and-a-half tracks. The Chase certainly should not open there, but it needs to be early in the schedule because of the cold weather. This move would put it one week back from its current berth.
Kansas: One of the surprise races of this year. Things got a bit hairy for a few drivers, and may have been the beginning of the end for the Championship hopes for some. This track is rather fast and “edgy,” as it was said earlier this season, and would do well to follow a flat one-miler like New Hamphire.
Talladega: The “Wild Card”… Whatever. It does not belong in the Chase, but if it has to be there, throw it between two of those pesky “cookie cutters.”
Homestead: Not really a member of the “cookie cutter” family other than the size. Homestead is more like a big Dover in layout, and for a few years now has been the crowning event for the Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Championship. Moving it here to the sixth week is a byproduct of moving the final race of the season to a different location, and not having raced it during the regular season gives it a bit of an unknown factor as to who will run well.
Martinsville: Why can’t there be three Martinsville-type races in the Chase? Oh, that’s right, because short tracks are a dying breed and the history will eventually be buried with them. Nevertheless, it is the perfect race track, and it should have its date in the Chase. It keeps its week seven position, and acts, again, as a buffer between two 1.5 mile tracks.
Texas: No change here. Texas remains in the same spot it currently occupies. This could be changed to a night race, however.
Phoenix: Phoenix would keep its current slot in the schedule. It is a nice one-mile flat oval, a bit on the odd shaped side of the spectrum, but unique is good. It is a warmer weekend in November, and splits the two look alike tracks of Texas and…
Charlotte: The final race of the year should not be at Daytona, where some others have suggested, but instead in the home and heart of NASCAR itself. Most of the teams are headquartered nearby, and a short trip down the road leaves extra prep time instead of traveling down to Florida. The temperatures are still in the mid-60 range, which is comfortable enough. The track is fast and is an excellent candidate to host the final race of the season. The teams have raced on it twice before under different conditions in May, so while it is familiar, there is still that factor of “what has changed?” Crown the Champion in Charlotte. Attendance would most likely increase and it may get some more bodies there to go to the Hall Of Fame while they are there.
While the schedule proposal may not be ideal, it is different, and what NASCAR needs more and more right now is to be open to new ideas. The great truth in this is that no matter where you move the tracks in the schedule, if the same tracks are still in the Chase, it won’t change a thing. It is still the same ten races, no matter when they are run. There is a large outcry of #ERASETHECHASE happening right now, because some of the fans are not tolerant of the format. Even if the Chase never does go away, it still needs some tweaking. There needs to be a road course, and there needs to be another short track in the Chase as well. Daunting tasks, to be sure, but as the song says, “He’s got the whole world in his hands.” Will the sanctioning body ever adopt the above format as the schedule for the Chase? That is highly doubtful, but it is still fun to play Brain France once in a while.
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