January 21, 2004

With pen in hand (or is that fingers on keyboard) I set out again to look at the Wide World of NEXCAR. I just thought that was a good name for NASCAR now that Nextel is the main sponsor. In the recent past, while looking at the various news speak put to by NASCAR, several things caught my eye.

1. The "Playoff System" comes to mind. What a Ferrari pit stop or Chinese fire drill, as the case may be. Let's see NASCAR's reasoning.

Since the final champion of the now defunct Winston Cup Series was not the favorite or even the winningest, let's just make it a free-for-all among the 10 "Best" after the 26th race. But since there might be a big name left out, let's just make it for those with a "reasonable" chance to win.

All I ask is what about the rest of the guys from +400 back? What about the guy with 401 points less? What about the sponsors of those cars that aren't running for the "Golden Cell Phone" or whatever the trophy will be called? Also why would the fans of a driver not in the top group give a rip?

It seems that the new "Playoff System" begs answers to more questions than it answers now. Maybe it will be "tweaked" before it is put into use. Maybe not. It is NASCAR after all.

2. Television in the "Brave New World" of NASCAR is a never ending thing to behold. I see ads on Fox advertising the season with drivers, so far all I have seen is the "Young Popguns," spinning and getting hit right and left while they talk about how rough football and baseball players have it. I thought NASCAR was all about safety and racing. It looks like they are all about wrecking now. Maybe it is just the network who pays the big bucks to only show about 1/3 of the race and about 3 cars all the time.

Oh, I remember the bad old days of the Wide World of Sports and no network live coverage and I am grateful to have coverage of the races. I also remember ESPN and CBS who brought NASCAR to the rest of the world. While they didn't have all the technology of FOX, NBC, TNT, et. al. They did have commentators and color men that understood racing. They also knew when to shut up and let the racing speak for itself.

Today it is just like the players in professional sports. It's all about personality. The talking heads in the booth and the low rent roach "Hotel" are now the show. They stomp all over each other for face or voice time. The racing is now secondary to giant egos. The less said and the more intelligent it is said appears to this "Old Timer" to be the best course. But I guess I am only wishing for the impossible.

3. "Aero matched," what a cute name for silhouette racing. With the extending of the rear fenders of the "Ford Taurus" and the new frontends for all cars, it has finally come full circle. "Silhouette Racing", for those who don't know, is what the Europeans call "Stock Car" racing. The manufacturer submits an areodynamically pure body that is supposed to look like one of their street cars. You've seen them, those Daytona winged -- Hondatoyotamazdanissankiasuburutincanmufflerbuzzing pieces that annoy you at red lights. Only the Germans etc. cram the largest engine, this side of a Formula 1, under the hood. Sounds like a "Template" car to me.

The best thing NASCAR could do is have a single body style made out of carbon fiber or fiberglass made up. They could issue it to every team and not allow any modification. The body could then be painted, decalled up to the team's sponsors specs., and measured by NASCAR. Anyone that modified the body would not be allowed to race. Clean, simple, and effective. Cheap too, no wind tunnel, no expensive body men and equipment, no squabbles. I tell you, it is the way to go.

If this is the way NASCAR wants to go, so be it. I can hardly wait for the day that a Toyota with a driver that has to have a translator (no not Ward being interviewewd by Larry Mac) is the NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion. Then we can go watch World of Outlaw cars and not feel like we are not being faithful to our old series

4. Short fields were up on the boards today. I guess the majority of writers didn't notice the field fillers at the end of the season last year. I believe it is in the TV's contracts that NASCAR has to provide "Full Fields" for the races (if not, I am sorry for my mistake). If NASCAR can declare less than 43 cars a "Full Field" they are safe.

It appeals to me to have fewer than 43 cars for the following reasons:

• 1. Make the pits larger
• 2. Fewer "Rear End Problems" cars in the field.
• 3. Fewer cars at Bristol clogging up the track.
• 4. That many fewer chances for a marginal driver to cause a wreck.
• 5. Since sponsors are getting so hard to find, makes searching for one easier.
• 6. NASCAR wouldn't need Provisionals.

You can send feedback to Rob at: Insider Racing News

You Can Read Other Articles By Rob

A Modest Proposal For NASCAR
The Die-Cast Market: Dead On Arrival?
Rules Are Made To Be Broken
The 2003 NASCAR Songbook
One-Sixteenth Of An Inch, Part Deux
One-Sixteenth Of An Inch