What if NASCAR tracks had one race per year? It is something that will never happen across 100% of the NASCAR Cup Series schedule but it has been getting closer and closer to reality as NASCAR adds far more diversity to the schedule over the last half decade or so. So today we are going to go full send on this idea and see what the NASCAR schedule hypothetically could be if every track only had one date.
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40 comments
Do you think each track should only have one date a year?
No because some tracks are meant to have two
Hi
Most should have one date, but I think a few can have 2
No
One thing that would be good about this is that it would make races like the Daytona 500 way more prestigious and even make races like Texas matter more than they do now.
TexARSE hasn’t done $#!+ except be a constant pain since 1995
@@S.K.R.E.Inc. it’s honestly slowly improved the last 3 years. Maybe, just maybe, it’ll be a mediocre track in a decade
Texas will not matter until the racing gets better there.
@@S.K.R.E.Inc.1997
I would love for that to happen!
More fans can attend those races and save money for the next year, we can add some more tracks on the schedule to fill up the schedule, and it feels more special.
I’m not a fan of 2 race dates a year for tracks, so I’m bias about this video
Honestly, very few markets can handle 2 races a year, and that’s without any nearby venues (LA-Fontana) or multiple configutations (Indianapolis, Charlotte). At this point, just save money for 2025, given how #&×^÷ up the TV deal will be
My suggestion:
The only way a track get 2 dates is if its a special race (such as The Daytona 500 and The Coca-Cola 600). The rest get one.
Only exception to the rule would be if the track would have a different track configuration (Such as the Roval or Daytona Roval, Indy Roval ect.) Doesnt mean i want all of these tracks on the calendar i listed, I’m just using them as an example of tracks that have different layouts
Final race should rotate to different tracks that require skill to drive, if we gonna have to get stuck with the playoffs, might as well get a track make drivers have to earn there win.
That would have been Auto Club or Homestead, as those 2 tracks had the best racing that isn’t a cookie cutter or a Charlotte clone, but alas, NASCAR screwed them up
Honestly I think it should be tracks no driver has ran
The problem with the first half of what you said is that takes away from the prestige like someone else commented above, I personally dont like going to Superspeedways at all twice a year, and would want to watch more if each only had one date, ATL makes them feel even less special now, also I was a fan of the two car tango days.
The problem with the second part of what you said is how many tracks are there in the south? Nobody wants a Texas Finale. Really honestly, the only other current viable option would be Homestead. Either way you look at Auto Club its being remodeled but theres hope that could turn into a good Finale track when its redone, what else is there? NASCAR would be burned at the stake for going to COTA, Road ATL or even Daytona RC for its Finale. You could also rule out ATL, Dega and Daytona itself because their SS’s. So what do we really have? Las Vegas? I’ll pass on that, i’d snooze as much as PHX, so Darlington? Not only would that be risky business because your flirting really close with snow at that time i wanna say but it would be heresy for NASCAR to risk shuffling around the Southern 500 again, Mexico then? Yeah, right I think they’d want to keep it on home turf as close to NC even as possible. Just give me Homestead, or let’s see what new Auto Club turns out to be.
Just to make a point – im not completely against tracks having two dates. Bristol is fine, Richmond is fine, Martinsville is fine, Darlington is fine, just about anything else though, yeah no thanks.
I think besides Daytona and Charlotte, NASCAR’s 2 home bases, every track should just have one date. It will definitely help fill the grandstands (look at Pocono). Also leaves plenty of room to go to new markets and return to some tracks. I always believe too the NASCAR schedule should have a flex weekend every year to go to new venues
Maybe give a second date to Talladega because there isn’t that many superspeedway races on the schedule and perhaps a second race at a short track like Bristol or Martinsville.
At this point, eliminate short tracks that aren’t Los Angeles and North Wilkesboro (for some reason, a stadium and a 3rd mile oval has better racing than a paperclip and a half-baked dirt wannabe track)
The only other track I’d add to that is Darlington. They’ve been racing there longer than Daytona and a win there is just as prestigious as Charlotte being my only reasons.
A few years ago I would have said it’s a crazy thought but given how attendance is at say Richmond, summer Daytona, spring Darlington and so on it wouldn’t be a terrible idea would definitely create more demand with only the 1 race weekend a year
Nah, give all the crown jewels to NBC, CRINGE is gonna torture us for another 8 years, and I’d rather not see them ruin it
I’m a firm believer of 1 date unless it adds a new aspect of the venue (Indy, Daytona and Charlotte having a road course and the Bristol dirt) it clutters the series and I have friends who don’t call races by their sponsors so it gets complicated
Going to one track every season puts more value on that race to win, especially crown jewels. You can get great crowds like Pocono for instance
Problem I have is the amount of road courses you listed. NASCAR fans already have road course fatigue as is. Also got to take into account TV ratings for those road courses alone
Personally, I prefer the Road Courses to many of the Ovals we currently have. He did mention the fact that there’s not a whole ton of ready to go ovals off the schedule. I know he put in Pike’s Peak, Chicagoland, Rockingham, North Wilkesboro, and Kentucky as ovals. You could probably get the Milwaukee Mile, Fontana, and Nashville Fairgrounds ready for the following season.
You could go to some of the Mexican ovals, like El Dorado, which hosts the Mexico series of Nascar. Delaware Speedway is a half mile oval in the Pinty’s Series, also owned by NASCAR that could be used. Most of the Pinty tracks are too short to be used by the Cup Series, though.
Some of the road courses would be necessary evils though. I like the idea of going to Portland and Road America as well as Mexico City and Montreal. You’d probably have to rework the schedule to get everything to fit anyway.
Pike’s Peak, Chicagoland, Rockingham, North Wilkesboro, Kentucky, the Milwaukee Mile, Fontana, Nashville Fairgrounds, El Dorado, and Delaware would be 11 ovals out of 13 remaining. Add Portland and Road America to get to the full 13 for every track only being used once is a solution. I think you want to use Circuit Gilles Villueve and Autodromo Hermanos Rodergrez though. So maybe you cut Milwaukee and Kentucky for those 2 races, giving you 2 races in Mexico and Canada one at an oval and the other at a road course. The rest of the series is ready to go in the US from there.
The further international the series expands, the fewer ovals that become available. That’s just the reality of the situation.
In my opinion I don’t think any track that sells less than 90% capacity should ever have more than 1 race date a year. I don’t care if its Daytona, Talladega or anyone. If you don’t sell at least 90% to TRUE capacity you you don’t get 2 race dates the following year. I know here in Vegas we used to absolutely pack the Spring race and then they added the Fall race. Attendance down 35% for Spring and we probably don’t HONESTLY even get to 50% in the Fall race. Reward tracks that people turn out for that’s all I’m saying.
I think 1 race per track would be great and I think the schedule should only be 30 races with 2 breaks during the season
Yes, it is viable. Not every market can handle 2 races a season, Daytona included (apparently, they don’t want it on July 4 anymore for some reason). Just remove TexARSE completely, renew the COTA lease, build a 2-miler in California while getting a street race in Long Beach, Irwindale can be the short track option, the only tracks that will get 2 are Talladega, Indianapolis, and Charlotte (different configurations, 2 equally good races for Dega)
Doubt NASCAR will ever abandon Texas. They want to stay in that Dallas/Fort Worth market. Need to go back to the original configuration,SMI seems to screw up their racetracks every time they reconfigure them.
Edit: also to have a race there well after football season starts is just plain dumb in my opinion
The tracks that deserve two dates in my opinion are Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville, Bristol, Darlington, and Charlotte
I’ve thought this for a long time
Yeah, if they cut the second Bristol, Martinsville, and (MAYBE) Richmond (depending on how you view Richmond) races, it will basically kill all short track racing in the cup series. I want MORE short tracks, not less (once they fix this abomination of a car, I mean)
Regarding Nascar schedule having one race a year at most tracks would make sense going forward I mean as tracks like Pocono and Michigan have shown it can work even if the racing is not perfect, same with Dover if it doesn’t keep getting rained out.
The only exceptions being Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte and Darlington they can stay as 2 races a year for now
Eventhough Nascar I think would need to scale down from 38 to 36 races a year includes The Clash and All Star Race
If I was Nascar wanting to do the non points races I would try Knoxville and Eldora but limit the eligibility to just Pole Winners from the previous 2 seasons
Adding tracks like Chicagoland, Rockingham, Nashville Fairgrounds, Road America, North Wilkesboro being a Points Race, to newer options like Portland, Mexico City, Montreal or Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, Pikes Peak would make sense.
Regarding Playoff system if Nascar are going to keep it I would change the format of the 3,3,3,1 for a 4, 3, 3 format and drop it from 16 to 12 Drivers and also would scrap both the win and your in approach as well as the win and you advance.
Season finale both regular or championship you should rotate every few years which makes it more difficult to win the championship.
I would love to see the Daytona road course come back
NASCAR should absolutely do this. The attendance and TV ratings would be a lot better, & this would allow more new tracks on the schedule.
Yes. Each track one race per year and let’s go to 25 or 30 unique tracks. Only exceptions should be Daytona, Bristol, maybe a couple others. That’s it. One race everywhere else.
Bruh, how could you NOT pick Milwaukee Mile??? It’s such a historic race track. That track is older than Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s one track I’d love to see the NASCAR Cup Series race at.
I like the idea, however, there are tracks in the Mexico Series and Pinties that could be used over just adding additional road courses. El Dorado and Delaware are short tracks in Mexico and Canada, respectively. They both hold races in NASCAR santioned series already, so they could be in play for dates without adding too many road courses to the schedule. You could also get Milaukee back into the series using the mile there. That may be a year 2 thing, though.
I think we’re missing an opportunity to shorten the schedule with this one race per track theory. Especially if you’re wanting two international races, going to need to have an off week on one side of each of those races or the other. And while I like the idea of Rockingham to throw the old fans a bone, you’ve also added 7 or 8 road courses and there will be plenty of complaints there.
Love it. Don’t have a lot to add. Great ideas and more parity. Kudos.