NASCAR ACTS LIKE THEY ARE THE SPOILED KIDS BEING LECTURED TO BY ADULTS WHEN DRIVERS SPEAK UP. DRIVERS SHOUKD BE ALLOWED TO CRITICIZE, GIVE ADVICE WITHOUT FEAR OF BEING PENALIZED SOMEHOW. AND HOW IS IT THAT A DRIVER DELIBERATELY WRECKS ANOTHER DURING A CAUTION AND NOT BE PENALIZED. NOT SORRY, BUT THIS IS WHY I AND I KNOW A LOT OF OTHERS THAT DO NOT WATCH NASCAR BECAUSE SHENANIGANS LIKE THIS.

His points are valid. Glad to see him speaking up, and I hope all the other drivers do the same.

@Max16032 I’m personally convinced that there are other ways to solve this problem without affecting the core racing product, and every other auto racing championship in the world has implemented them.

NASCAR, like F1 did with Mother’s wax, could strike a deal with a sponsor to pay for the broadcasting costs and present the coverage as a sponsor, allowing races to be commercial free. They could wait longer during the races before they cut to a commercial break. They could add more ads to the pre-race show. They could perhaps go to an ad break anytime a legitimate caution for a wreck or spin happens.

Considering the above, I can’t help but wish that advertisers could prioritize making ads that actually feature NASCAR vehicles and drivers alongside appealing visuals and interesting scripts that people would actually want to watch, like those of the ’80s-early 2000s, NASCAR’s peak in popularity. I think this would considerably mitigate the problem of prominent ad breaks.

I understand your argument, but I still don’t think the stages are the right way to address the problem. I think the time has come for them to be retired.

I feel the same way. I thought the stages ruined the flow of the race and made the points format more nonsensical; I haven’t watched a race in any of the main three series since.

I do still enjoy the Whelen Modified, ARCA, Whelen Euro, and Pinty’s series though specifically because they don’t include gimmicks to make the racing more “exciting”.

While, we’re at it, I think they should gut the playoffs as well so that championships are simply won by having consistent, measured race performances. If we only had stages as you describe them, NASCAR would be like IMSA where points are awarded at certain intervals of the race. I believe the series would be much better this way.

@Naveed Quadeer If stages took this form and were simply a marketing term for points awarding intervals, I would have no problem with them.

In their current form, however, I think that they convolute the points and race format, encourage hasty and reckless driving as evidenced by all of the heavy wrecks we have seen throughout their existence at every track, and contribute to the destruction of what must now be millions of dollars of equipment.

The last point stands out to me because teams have been complaining about supply shortages and costs, yet continue to support a race format that almost always results in damaged, totaled equipment, and driver injuries. I wish that they would actually stand up to whoever makes these poor decisions.

@Dexter Hochstetler drivers who whine when things dont go there way are crybabies.drivers who complain about safety and such arent crybabies.

My man sees nascar making constant and unnecessary changes. And this time one that is hurting drivers. Also his son plans on racing one day also. So iam sure that’s on his mind. Fearda#4

All he does is complain , that’s my thought.

Harvick’s not wrong