April 1, 2010
By Doug Demmons
This summer NASCAR will be faced with a dilemma when it comes time to draw up the 2011 Sprint Cup schedule.
Should Kentucky be added to the schedule and -- if so -- which SMI track should lose a race to accommodate it?
Should Kansas get a second race and -- if so -- which ISC track loses a race to make that happen?
If NASCAR sticks to the current 36-race format, one likely loser will be Atlanta in order to accommodate Kentucky. Fontana ought to be the track that loses a race to make a second Kansas race possible, but it might be either Martinsville or Michigan.
Actually, none of that has to happen. This can be worked out with a little thinking outside the box.
It can be worked out by going to a 38-race schedule. Now, before you scream that the schedule is already too long, this can be accomplished by adding an exciting new race to a current off week and by bringing the All-Star race into the equation.
For instance, instead of taking a week off at Easter -- which this year was right after another off date in the spring schedule -- schedule a race that week at Kansas. But not on Easter Sunday.
Make that Kansas race a prime time, under-the-lights race the Thursday night before Easter. Kansas has previously expressed interest in a night race. A prime time race would not only avoid racing on Easter Sunday, it would be a potential TV ratings bonanza.
And if it creates a hardship for teams to race the Sunday before and then get ready in just four days for Kansas, make the race before Kansas a Saturday night race.
Accommodating Kentucky involves shuffling another SMI date. Atlanta’s weak attendance makes it a juicy target, but the quality of racing there justifies two races per year.
So instead of dumping Atlanta, give Kentucky a Cup race the week before the Coke 600. That date is currently reserved for the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, so it’s not adding a new weekend to the schedule.
With Kentucky now taking that weekend, the All-Star race would move to the same weekend as the Coke 600. To clear time on the Memorial Day weekend schedule for the All-Star race, the Nationwide Series race would also move to Kentucky the week before.
That leaves the truck race that is currently scheduled for Charlotte Motor Speedway the same weekend as the All-Star race. That could be moved to the fall Charlotte race.
Or, even better, NASCAR could make a grand gesture to its hard-core fan base and schedule that truck race the Friday of Memorial Day weekend at Rockingham.
Rockingham is never going to have a Cup date again, but there’s no reason it can’t have a truck race.
A change like this would also make it a lot easier for fans who travel to Charlotte to see both the All-Star race and the Coke 600. The way it is now, you either have to stay more than a week to see both or make two trips.
Doug Demmons is a writer and editor for the Birmingham News ~ he writes daily and weekly auto racing columns ranging from NASCAR to open wheel to Formula One, local tracks and more... you can read Doug's columns online at Blog of Tommorow
Follow Doug on Twitter: @dougdemmons
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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