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For better or worse, NASCAR is changing again
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Location: Blogs Running Wide Open |
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| Posted by: Joe VanHoose |
2/3/2007 3:31 PM |
It’s that time of year again when NASCAR shuffles its own deck just to see if anyone notices. Whether it’s abandoning old racetracks, adding new mainstream sponsors, or tweaking the ever-changing points system, NASCAR seems to run a little further away from its tradition and the status quo.
Will the changes stop this year? Hardly.
Years from now, racing historians will look at 2007 as one of the most change-ridden years in NASCAR history. The question is whether all of the changes will prove to be beneficial for the sanctioning body.
The Car of Tomorrow becomes the car of today
This year, the biggest change starts and ends with the racecars themselves. NASCAR will unveil its “Car of Tomorrow” at Bristol in March and will use the car at almost half the races this year.
Geared towards improving safety and the quality of racing, the Car of Tomorrow represents a new way of thinking and engineering, sort of. Except for the unconventional rear wing and front air dam splitter, the car looks a lot like a 1991 Pontiac Grand Prix. NASCAR officials believe that the boxier and taller design of the car will lead to more competitive racing on the track while saving race teams millions of dollars over time.
Evidence of either is yet to be seen.
The Chase for the Cup gets more inclusive
NASCAR ruffled the feathers of traditional race fans everywhere when they abandoned their ancient point system in favor of its ten-driver, ten-race playoff system in 2004. The “Chase for the Cup,” as it was dubbed, has since been received by old and new fans alike, producing television ratings second only to the National Football League.
Now in its fourth year, the Chase gets a makeover. After 26 races in the 36-race schedule, the top 12 drivers in the points standings will have a chance to race for the championship. The points will be reset with the driver who has the most wins leading the rest of the pack.
This change might not make any sense to fans, but it makes a lot of sense for NASCAR. Adding two more drivers to the Chase means that two more big sponsors will get more attention than in years past.
But some will argue that the playoff system is cheapened a little bit. Adding more drivers just dilutes the field a little more than it already was. But by the same token, it creates better odds that all of NASCAR’s superstars will be battling for the Nextel Cup in November.
There’s nothing like lab-created drama.
Toyota tries for American domination
After finding success in open-wheel racing over the past several years, the big automaker from the East sets its sights on stock car racing at its highest level. This marks the first time that a foreign car company will field cars for a full season.
While they don’t have the sport’s most successful teams in their fold, the Toyota boys may have big enough pockets to make their upstart franchises a success. If Toyota wins early and often, don’t be surprised.
But don’t be too surprised if Toyota struggles and fails to win a race this year. Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford must be on high alert now, and there’s no reason to believe that their established race teams will struggle against the newfound competition.
But does Toyota know how to fail? We’ll find out soon.
Mix in the car of tomorrow, the new points system and new television partners in ABC and ESPN and one thing is for certain. This year’s NASCAR races will be interesting to watch.
But will the sport be better? Only time will tell.
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Re: For better or worse, NASCAR is changing again |
By Fan on
1/31/2007 10:29 PM |
| Toyota will be a real strong competitor. They know how to build a qualty car. And the Japanese hate to lose. |
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Re: For better or worse, NASCAR is changing again |
By Joe on
2/1/2007 9:58 AM |
| Indeed, but everyone hates to lose. And a lack of marquee drivers will make their battle an uphill climb. |
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