SHORT TRACKS!!!
These purpose built 1.5 mile tracks are horribly boring and just points racing tracks.

... and we're done!

Lots of good ideas from earlier commenters, but some that I would question. I agree with do away with the Chase; however, that is probably not going to happen. To mitigate the bad luck factor (for instance, get into someone else's accident or have an unfortunate flat tire), recommend extending the Chase to 12 races and dropping the 2 worst races of each driver in the Chase. Also, this would encourage racing for the win(s).

Thanks for the article. All good ideas, however, not very original. you've done a good job of capturing the sentiments of guys like me, long time fan, but we;ve been shouting each of these issues from the nosebleed seats for quite a while now.

the Top 35 rule makes sure the big name sponsors always get camera time, has nothing to do with "racing"

the chase is an artificial "playoffs" best left for other sports.

Taking the Labor Day Southern 500 away from Darlington was an act of sacrilege to try to again, artificially add interest to one of the most boring tracks on the circuit (BORE-Tana) in a further attempt to boost interest in the largest metropolitan area (who obviously cares less about stock car racing)

the use of the term "STOCK" cars either needs to be dropped, and replaced with "full bodied race car" or some kind of brand identifition and uniqueness beyond decals needs to return.

And, as I read Jeremy Mayfields Tax woes, I wondered to myself what kind of sport pays one of its worst, PART TIME participants enough that he owes over a Quarter Million, in TAXES, when most hard working 60 hour a week fans can barely pay their meager mortgage these days.

Thanks for listening.

A couple of other things:
As long as the person in charge of the series doesn’t even like racing, there’s little chance of improvement. The only thing Brian France appears to care about is $$.

Saying that street cars today all look alike is also disingenuous. It’s a shame when the pace car is the baddest looking car on the track. I’d love nothing more than to see the series put on a show pitting the Mustang against the Camaro against the Challenger! I have a hard time believing you wouldn’t like to see that either.

Pretty sure I'll never read a book “written” by Waltrip.

I am well aware of the evolution of vehicles used in stock car racing culminating in the abomination that we have circling the tracks today. NASCAR was built on Ford vs. Chevy etc. now that element is gone –save of course for engine development and decals.

Saying that going back to racing stock cars is the same thing as leather helmets in football is ridiculous. Racing stock (or at least stock looking) cars modified for performance and of course safety occurs in numerous series all over the world including here in the good old USA. Templates can be made for stock bodies just the same as for the COT, so that argument is a little thin.

If I read your post correctly, then everything’s great and nothing should be changed?

The cars havent looked like cars or been the same size as street cars since late 60's early 70's. If you read Darrell Waltrips book he bought an old Holman and Moody car that Mario Andretti drove and when he wrecked it and needed to repair it they told him dont try to put stock parts on it as they had scaled down the size of the cars but you just didnt see it. The top 35 rule which everyone hates is just in place of the old provisional rule which basically allowed for almost every driver to be in the race, the idea that Jeff Gordon would go home if he was to slow was so far fetched as he had provisionals to fall back on as they were awarded to you at various points in the year so it was usually BAM racing with Ken Schrader or the Pettys at that time that suffered until the night at Atlanta when a bunch of extra one off cars ran and sent home the Caterpillar dodge and Scott Riggs and the Valvoline car. Sponsors dont want to be sent home and if its for the sake of one off cars its not really for the overall health of the sport. You cant go back in time with NASCAR anymore than the NFL can reinstitute the use of leather helmets or ones without face guards. Cars on the street look a lot alike nowadays and if you got rid of templates all you would do is bring back whining over this car body having unfair aero advantage so core fans either move forward or continue suffering but just remember that the sport still attracts more fans and viewers than it did in the good old days its just that continual growth doesnt exist for any sport.

The reason is simple; they call themselves the National Association of STOCK CAR Automobile Racing, yet they no longer race STOCK CARS -or anything that resembles them.

The "top 35" and "chase" issues arose as a means to fix the downturn in attendance and TV ratings.

Amen! Put it back to the way it use to be. Make it the race that counts, not how much money you have! I think there are too many suits callin the shots.

Anonymous

I agree with a lot of what you are saying. But if you cut the dates at most of the tracks back to 1 date the series will be back racing at dumps in a few years the great tracks are one of the reasons Na$car kicked the open wheel series butts because of the great facilities. No politician or state will allow all the money spent for infastructure for a 1 day a year event and the tracks make all their money off the second event and all tracks that host 1 event are owned by SMI or I$C execpt the 100 year old Indianapolis Motor Speedway so they can help absorb the cost. It is also almost impossible to race in the rain at an oval track because the mist from the cars has no where to go except in front of a cars windshield and windshield wipers can't remove this its like driving in the fog. But almost everything else make perfect sense.

For years I have been saying all of this. The "chase format" sucks. Why lead everybody if at the end of 26 races you don't have anything to show for how good you were the first 26 races. Just plain idiotic and stupid. Helton and his crew plus the france family are just that..stupid and idiots! Gordon would have 2 more titles if not for the "format". Busch would have 1 and johnson would only possibly have 1 title instead of 4. It was all luck. Get into 1 wreck during the "format" and that was the end. Every season should be fresh. nascar is the ony racing event that has all of this stupid "carry-over" crap! Should be every week all qualify, no exceptions. If you don't make it you don't race that week! They need to cut the cars to 32 max. 43 cars are too many especially on the short tracks! Do away with tracks that are crappy, like the PA track. Do away with racing twice at most of these tracks! Cut ticket prices. The drivers make too much money. Cut their money and then prices for the fans can come down. Do away with restrictor plates. Let them run full out. Doing 210 vs 230 isn't going to make a difference if you get in a wreck, but not having the plates will allow separation of the cars and better racing. Do away with these stupid things; lucky dog, the idiotic "wave around", owners/driver pts, rain..if it rains put on rain tires and qualify. Make the cars like the cars the fans drive. Have bumpers, lights, etc. All these cars are are stamped out sheet metal molds. They are thinner and shorter than regular cars. Make the cars like they once were, cars! Also, get some management in there that know how to run a company. Get rid of helton and his jokers plus push out the france family. The kid is a disgrace to his father and grandfather. He is a major reason nascar has been going down hill quickly. I don't watch it anymore. I get all my info from the highlights on espn. If you want to watch good racing watch the Le Mans series or Gran Prix series those events race whether it is raining or blowing, night time or whatever and they are fast and enjoyable. Going in circles gets old quick.