A change to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule has been on the wish list of many fans for years. However, season after season, no major changes have presented themselves, frustrating much of the fan base. The 2014 schedule is pretty much a carbon copy of 2013.
There is some hope, however. As 2015 nears, so does the next TV contract for the sport. A record $8.2 billion deal with Fox Sports and NBC Sports Group have many excited for the future years of NASCAR.
For those wanting a schedule with a different look, there is excitement as well – at least optimism. As a new page is about to be turned with the TV landscape, opportunities for change in the schedule are coming. While no one knows for sure how big the changes may be; there might not even be any major changes at all despite talk from NASCAR executives that change is likely, and there is certainly some buzz around the idea.
There is no denying that NASCAR has some issues with its schedule. The abundance of intermediate racetracks, the lack of short tracks, and a similar schedule each year is concerning.
For years now, the biggest focus with this topic has been the season finale race weekend, which currently takes place at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Las Vegas, Texas, Phoenix, and even Daytona have been desired possibilities and ideas thrown out by media and fans over the years to take the final race weekend away from Miami. NASCAR, on the other hand, has been fairly quiet about this talk.
For many, Homestead is just another mile and a half track, a cookie-cutter circuit that is not the right home for a championship crowning. However, in the recent years, and as 2015 approaches, there are perhaps more reasons than ever to consider keeping Homestead’s place on the schedule.
First of all, while the track is 1.5 miles in length, it is far different than any other intermediate track. Just looking at it, there are noticeable differences. For one, it is not a tri-oval, but the biggest and likely the most important difference deals with the surface itself.
The corners are banked progressively, with the lower lanes of the track flatter than the higher lanes near the outside wall. Combine that with the aged surface from the heat and sand of Miami, there is a great recipe for racing entertainment.
In the recent years, Homestead has produced some of the best racing. Dirty air appears to not be as much of a factor as drivers can work their way in and out of traffic, making passes in multiple grooves. The tires wear out on the long run while drivers take their vehicles to the high line, inches off the wall, for maximum speed and momentum down the straightaway.
Compared to other tracks of similar distance, Homestead takes the cake of being the best. In an era where fans are asking for more side-by-side racing and passing, Homestead delivers. While other tracks have played host to good races over the years, Homestead is a track that has been standing out recently.
Last weekend is a prime example. As a champion was named in all three of NASCAR’s top series, each race was entertaining, even if the championship battle was not that close.
So, as 2015 rolls around and talk of schedule changes heat up, consider the recent years of Homestead-Miami Speedway. The speedway has really come around. It has been the track to take the most criticism, but it is also the one to deliver.
