4LT GS RoadsterNASCAR's just gotten around to releasing its 2011 national series schedules -- but forget about that for a minute. I'm here to propose a design that will save the Sprint Cup Series, which appears to be lodged in a malaise that's affected both attendance and TV viewership.
Let's start with a 72-race schedule.
Now that got your attention, didn't it? But it's really pretty simple, wouldn't involve changing much with the schedule that's in place for 2011; and it could be implemented, either fully or in part, for 2012.
And the best part is, it would be an extremely attractive proposition for everyone: The fans, primarily, because they're floating this boat; the competitors, because without them there is no sport; the track operators, because a healthy sport keeps them at the same fiscal level; the media, because covering it drives their business models; and NASCAR -- because the success of all of the above puts money in its pockets, which ostensibly would keep everyone happy.
The crux of it would be this -- and this came after sitting through the 50-lap Camping World Truck Series event at Pocono Raceway. Not coincidentally, the first appearance of the Truck Series at Pocono, with a wham-bam action-packed format, brought with it the best Saturday crowd a number of veteran Pocono observers had seen in years.
Moving forward, each Cup weekend on the schedule would consist of two complete races that each would award full points -- thus, a 72-race schedule if you used the whole current 36-race schedule as a model.
But wait a minute. There are a few events that would be considered sacred and untouchable -- but not many of them, no matter what anyone thinks of "500 miles" being the stuff of which legends are made. Honestly, so many legends have been thrown aside or trampled you hardly know what constitutes one anymore.
NASCAR.com
Let's start with a 72-race schedule.
Now that got your attention, didn't it? But it's really pretty simple, wouldn't involve changing much with the schedule that's in place for 2011; and it could be implemented, either fully or in part, for 2012.
And the best part is, it would be an extremely attractive proposition for everyone: The fans, primarily, because they're floating this boat; the competitors, because without them there is no sport; the track operators, because a healthy sport keeps them at the same fiscal level; the media, because covering it drives their business models; and NASCAR -- because the success of all of the above puts money in its pockets, which ostensibly would keep everyone happy.
The crux of it would be this -- and this came after sitting through the 50-lap Camping World Truck Series event at Pocono Raceway. Not coincidentally, the first appearance of the Truck Series at Pocono, with a wham-bam action-packed format, brought with it the best Saturday crowd a number of veteran Pocono observers had seen in years.
Moving forward, each Cup weekend on the schedule would consist of two complete races that each would award full points -- thus, a 72-race schedule if you used the whole current 36-race schedule as a model.
But wait a minute. There are a few events that would be considered sacred and untouchable -- but not many of them, no matter what anyone thinks of "500 miles" being the stuff of which legends are made. Honestly, so many legends have been thrown aside or trampled you hardly know what constitutes one anymore.
NASCAR.com
