2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule Released
NASCAR has released the 2014 Sprint Cup schedule and I have to say that I’m a bit disappointed. They need to change up the season a lot and once again, we have another year where the biggest change is somebody going to a night race or two tracks swapping dates. There is hope though. With the new TV deal in 2015, that leaves some wiggle room to play with the calendar and adjust the things that desperately need adjusting.
Schedule
2-15: Sprint Unlimited (Fox Sports 1
)
2-20: Budweiser Duels (Fox Sports 1)
2-23: Daytona (Fox)
3-2: Phoenix (Fox)
3-9: Las Vegas (Fox)
3-16: Bristol (Fox)
3-23: California (Fox)
3-30: Martinsville (Fox)
4-6: Texas (Fox)
4-12: Darlington (Fox)
4-26: Richmond (Fox)
5-4: Talladega (Fox)
5-10: Kansas (Fox)
5-17: All-Star Race (Fox Sports 1)
5-25: Charlotte (Fox)
6-1: Dover (Fox)
6-8: Pocono (TNT)
6-15: Michigann (TNT)
6-22: Sonoma (TNT)
6-28: Kentucky (TNT)
7-5: Daytona (TNT)
7-13: New Hampshire (TNT)
7-27: Indianapolis (ESPN)
8-3: Pocono (ESPN)
8-10: Watkins Glen (ESPN)
8-17: Michigan (ESPN)
8-23: Bristol (ABC)
8-31: Atlanta (ESPN)
9-6: Richmond (ABC)
9-14: Chicagoland (ESPN)
9-21: New Hampshire (ESPN)
9-28: Dover (ESPN)
10-5: Kansas (ESPN)
10-11: Charlotte (ABC)
10-19: Talladega (ESPN)
10-26: Martinsville (ESPN)
11-2: Texas (ESPN)
11-9: Phoenix (ESPN)
11-16: Homestead (ESPN)
The season continues to be 36 races in length and the chase lineup remains the same. Kansas and Darlington are switching dates and Kansas is becoming a night race run on Mother’s Day weekend. The spring Texas event will run on Sunday afternoon instead of Saturday night and that’s the only other altercation. Some very good news that came along with this announcement is that NASCAR is mandating that the Air Titan which saved the day at Talladega earlier this year will be at every event in 2014!
In 2015, NASCAR isn’t ruling out the possibility of an overhaul with this brand new TV deal on the horizon. My dream is that NASCAR scales back the number of mile and a half’s and adds some more road courses and short tracks. At the very least, we need a road course in the chase to give that much more credence to the eventual champion. Feel free to comment below with your thoughts on the newly released schedule and your hopes for future changes to it.
NASCAR VP Steve O’Donnell Statement
“Yes. We’re excited this morning to officially announce our 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, starting with the 56th running of the Daytona 500, which will be live on FOX Sunday, February 23rd. Once again, we’ll showcase 36 points races, two weekends of non‑points action, which will include the All Star weekend in Charlotte on May 17th, and wind up at Homestead‑Miami Speedway on November 16th, which is the final Race for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, which will be live on ESPN.
Although there are no real surprises on the schedule, we will have four spring date changes. Texas will hold its event one week earlier. They’re moving to a Sunday afternoon event on April 6th. Darlington will run on April 12th. Kansas will hold its first‑ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series night race, and that will be shifted to May 10th. Finally Martinsville in the spring will host the series on March 30th, one week earlier than this year.
One of the things we’re excited to announce today, in addition to another great season of racing, we’re also working as hard as we can for fans in the stands and those watching on TV for them to have the best chance at each of our events to see a completed race.
We’re happy to announce that the NASCAR Air Titan drying technology will be at every Cup weekend in 2014. We all know that the time it takes to dry the track, the impact it’s had on either those watching in the stands or on TV, was the main reason Brian France tasked the R&D center to come up with a solution to reduce that timeframe.
We put the decision in the hands of the tracks for 2014. We met with a number of media members in Daytona at the beginning of the year and talked about this being Phase I of a technology. We’re happy to announce that we’ve learned a lot of things through Phase I. We’ve seen the Air Titan at a number of our tracks this year and we’ll be moving on to Phase II in 2014 as well.
You’ll see that again at all of our Sprint Cup Series weekends for 2014. We think it’s the right thing to do for the fans. We feel we’re really in a good position in terms of the technology that’s been advanced through the R&D center. We look forward to showcasing that, hopefully minimally, because we’d like to see the sun shine for each of our events.
With that, we’re headed to Talladega for the Chase. Excited about what we’ll see for this upcoming weekend. Certainly want to just remind everyone from the Air Titan standpoint, it played an important role last time being able to get those races in on time. Hopefully we won’t have to use that technology, but we’re excited to head to Talladega this weekend.”
Empty Seats In The Grandstands, What Is The Answer NASCAR?
It is sad, especially to the fans of the Winston Cup Era, which is not that many years ago, that remember when the grandstands use to be full for most of the NASCAR races.
I remember when you could not get a ticket for a Bristol race, whether it was the spring or night race. Only if you paid a arm and a leg through a ticket broker, paying triple the value. But I am also happy a lot of these crooked businesses have been put out of business. Why pay the big mega bucks when you can pack up and drive or fly into any race and walk up to the ticket window and buy at the track price?
Many tracks have lowered ticket prices or weekend deals, especially if they are hosting Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series, with the icing on the cake if they were hosting the Camping World Trucks Series also, yet we still see the stands getting more and more empty each season. You have to admit that the tracks are trying to bring the fans back and fill the stands.
That’s just my opinion and I am sure many people might not agree with me. I have always been very blessed that my tickets have been free, but for anyone that has to pay for a hotel/motel room, they know they have never lowered the room rates, doubling and some places even triple the normal room rates. Then add your meals to this for a weekend and it costs a fortune.
As I wrote in a commentary many years ago, when families or friends buy tickets and pay for airfare and/or gas for their cars or car rentals, if they fly into a race, and a weekend of food, they can’t afford paying these high dollar room rates. But it looks like that is never going to change. It is not the local people who own these hotels/motels, no more Mom and Pops places.
What is the answer Mr. France? What has went wrong since back in the day, which is not that long ago? Not everyone is as fortunate as me, but would they fill these empty seats if they were? No and right now neither would I. Free tickets are great but the other expenses are horrible for a family or even a group of friends.
The Chase is going on and if you are a Matt Kenseth or Jimmie Johnson fan, you might be excited. But I am sure you are excited on race weekends sitting back in your recliner with your remote in your hand. It saves lots of money, but that has taken the enjoyment out of going to the races.
What is the answer NASCAR? What happened when we had people willing to pay any amount of money to buy a ticket and fill those stands like the good ole days of the Winston Cup Era? Something has went wrong. It’s no wonder that the drivers are having such a tough time getting sponsors with empty seats. Its cheaper to just stick an advertisement on TV then on the hood of a car.
Talladega is coming up this weekend, one of my favorite tracks to visit. I have been there many times over the years and yes, seen it where there was not a empty seat. I was there when Dale Earnhardt Sr. won his last race, the miracle win and there was not a empty seat. We know all know what we see this weekend and that is more empty seats. I love Martinsville and the town and its stores and the people. I am sure empty seats hurt these businesses as when NASCAR comes to town, so does the fans and the money.
Again, this is just my opinion but I have been a fan since back when Rusty Wallace, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Labonte, Sterling Marlin, and Ernie Ervin were running in what was the Busch Series.
Things were so much different. There has to be an answer as to why we have these empty seats and its not the situation our country is in right now. I remember when people took their last cent to buy a ticket just to get to see a NASCAR race. Not anymore!
