NASCAR’s off-season will be briefly interrupted, Thursday, as teams are set to begin testing for the 56th annual Daytona 500, which is set for Feb. 23 at Daytona International Speedway.
The off-season was also interrupted in early December as teams ran sprint races, testing modifications made to the Gen-6 car. However, these modifications will not be used at the opening race, but the following weekend, at Phoenix.
This leaves some fans to wonder, what will be any different from the racing we saw last season at Daytona? That is a point that is leaving many fans with a sour taste in their mouths, including Zak Thompson, a prominent up-and-coming racer, who was not very pleased with the product last season.
“There was no passing,” he stated. “There should have been more testing conducted with the Gen-6 car. NASCAR didn’t put in the adequate amount of time to develop and test the car, as they should have.”
Many fans agree with Thompson’s statement. Most of the ideas that have been given the green light in recent years sound great on paper. But that is not good enough. As a sport and a business, NASCAR has to think about the fans. What do they think? I want everyone reading this article to do a simple assignment: watch some old races.
What do I mean by old races? I’m talking about pre-COT era races. Therefore, the 2002 Daytona 500 compared to the most recent 500 event. Compare and contrast what you see between those two races. I will let you know right now, you will notice a big difference and it is not even the racing. It is the attendance.
The stands were full of fans. There were multiple teams, not just Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, making headlines on the race track. Given, the economy was in a much better state. However, the steps NASCAR has taken to improve the attendance have not been beneficial. To benefit from the current state of the economy, NASCAR must abide by what the “market” is demanding. Therefore, NASCAR needs to lower ticket prices, as well as encouraging teams to innovate and pursue better ways to make their cars go fast!
Remember the 90s? We all remember the 90s. What about the sound that came out of the engine of the No. 4, driven by Sterling Marlin? That car had a very distinct sound to it. That was the sound of innovation. The No.4 team, owned by Larry McClure at the time, was such a dominant force at the restrictor plate races. Who was the last driver to score back-to-back Daytona 500 victories? Well, that was Sterling Marlin. It was all because that team had great chemistry and a package that was very difficult to beat. We can bring that back. It takes a whole group of people to spread the message. Without fans, there would be no NASCAR.
Therefore, the fans need to speak. As for the testing, I am not really sure where my emotions are. I am certainly excited to see the cars back on the race track. As for the racing, I do not know what to really say. I have not seen anything, particularly with the tests done at Charlotte, that would make me think otherwise. Besides, like I said, those changes will not matter at Daytona, anyway. On the other hand, testing is an opportunity to make some changes.
With that being said, please do not take everything I say the wrong way. I am actually quite optimistic about the 2014 racing season. It isn’t wrong, however, to ask questions. So, I encourage all of you to ask questions. If there is something that concerns you, contact a NASCAR executive and speak your mind. The more people that speak out could make a huge difference. Who knows? What you say tomorrow, could impact NASCAR at some point in the future. Do not think short term. How can my idea impact NASCAR in the future? Think in a very positive way. Those ideas could soon become a reality.
