Should NASCAR create regional leagues?

[smyler]

I was talking to a friend (who is not into racing) about NASCAR and he asked me why they don't have regional leagues for racing, since they have a playoff now.  He said that regional rivalries are a part of why football is so successful.

He put it to me this way:  Why don't they have maybe four divisions (West, Midwest, Southeast and Northeast) that race for the first 24 races of the year and then have the top nine in each division race for the final twelve races in what we could call a playoff series?  You could rotate around in the four divisions (three in each division), that way people from all over the country could still see all the best drivers.

Each division could have maybe 36 teams. A whole lot more people could get to be involved.  They could issue franchises and allow up to four teams for each owner in a division as they are doing now.  Team racing would become a lot more important, especially for the final ten races.  A lot more racing would go on. 

They could make the races all about 1/2 as long as they are so you could watch a second race if you wanted to in the same day, like people do with football.

One major benefit to this is that it would make the season less expensive for the teams that are not doing so well.  A second feature would be that Jack Rouch could have ten teams if he wanted to, but he would have to spread them around the divisions.  In addition, the tracks themselves would have more events at each one.  You could bring back Rockingham.  It would also bring the cost of travel way down. 

My favorite benefit would be in not having so many Cup guys driving in the Busch series, which I would leave in tact.

 Finally, you could have cities sponsoring teams.  Can you imagine the Nashville car driven by Sterling Marlin?

Crazy idea, but it could be fun.  I know it will never happen, but it is fun to think about, just for kicks.

[Cangal48]

I read recently, that a city in the state of West Virginia is attempting to put together a NASCAR Nextel Cup team.  They have the financial backing, but problem with the sponsors. 

[paulfan]

I was thinking along those lines just yesterday.  I have to think it is something Nascar will do in the future, possibably when the Nextel contract expires.  Here's how I see it.

1.  Form an east/west (american/national) league and discontinue the present Busch series.  Have a 26 race season to lead up to the Chase.

2.  Top 22 teams in each division makes the chase for the championship.

3.  With 52 races it would open it up to have races in Rockingham, Kentucky, Iowa, Pikes Peak, Road Atlanta, Mid-Ohio, and the proposed tracks in the east and west and Jr.'s new track. 

4.  The Chase on the final 10 races would give each track 3 races a season.

[Dustcloud]

It's an interesting idea.  A couple things I see that might be problems.

One, ticket prices. If your favorite driver ends up in the West and you live on the East coast, your options as a fan are limited. Even if your driver makes the playoffs, there will be maybe three playoff races in your region, and in all likelihood, only one near you. Those tickets are going to be precious, and they are going to cost even more than they do now, since fans at almost every playoff race have another race in the same general area earlier in the year where they can still see all their favorites.

Then, if you have a northeast division, their racing timetable will be  limited. You can't race in New Hampshire or NY or even PA in February and March and even April might be iffy, and in the end of the season you run into the same problem. their races would likely have to be stacked at the front of the playoffs instead of pretty much just being avoided, as now. to get the same number of race weekends as other series they would have to likely take no weeks off, and even double up a week or two.

[smyler]

Good point about racing too late in the season, but even in the NE you could run in Dover fairly late.  I think the format would cause the construction of at least a dozen tracks nationwide.

Better yet, why don't we simply shorten the season by about three races.  NASCAR would make more money with this format because there are simply more events, so they should not mind.  It would certainly make racing more attractive to the drivers and the teams.  The way it is now, they barely have a home life.

[Dustcloud]

I tell you, I wouldn't want to plan to sit through a Dover race anytime after Oct. 1, or before late April, and even if you build MORE tracks, unless the northeast is going to start extending south into Virginia, you're gonna hit the same problem. Realistically, I think you'd be looking at more than three races being cut off.

Unless they eliminate in-season off-weeks and pile them all at the start, which Iwould be one way to make it work - once the season starts, it just goes.

Not sure what weather situations might bug out other areas, being a northeasterner myself

Also, just because I'm not sure... what would they do with the premiere races? Would they move all the big-name races to the playoffs? The Daytona 500, theBrickyard, etc.?

Edited because apparently I thought the Cup guys drove the Indy 500 O.o

[Chris]

I tell you, I wouldn't want to plan to sit through a Dover race anytime after Oct. 1, or before late April, and even if you build MORE tracks, unless the northeast is going to start extending south into Virginia, you're gonna hit the same problem.

Y'all are missing the obvious..
If you all have two or three divisions,... there's NO reason they can't run TWO races on one weekend,... that being the case that opens up the schedule a HUGE amount.
One division could run at one track on a Saturday night,.. and a different division could run on Sunday at a different track. (or even the same track)
Set up the schedule to split practices just like BGN abd CUP do now... it would be SO easy to do...
We'd have MORE weekend to race,... MORE OFF weekends for the race teams... and still have 10 weekends for the chase.

You could have two divisions (40+ teams in each one)... run 20 races in each division...
and still have a 10 race 'chase'... take the top 20 teams out of each division to run in the chase.  YOu'd STILL have more weekends off for the race teams,.. run at MORE race tracks... be able to get Rockingham back on the schedule, give Darlington a 2nd date, Kentucky a race date, etc...
Be SO easy to do,.. and nascar got make more money than they do now...
Can't figure out why the so-called "brains" at nascar haven't figured that out yet.

[smyler]

Don't get me wrong.  I don't dislike the number of races that they run now.  I just think it would be better if they could have regional leagues that way you could see more races.  I don't care how you break it up, geographically.  You could make it 3 leagues, East, Central and West, if you wanted to.  Each league would have a Northern section that way.  You could load the first and last races in the South.

Sorry to repeat, but I think it would be great to see racing spread out.  I know there is Saturday racing in a lot of areas, but a very small minority of people are really aware of it.  I really believe that racing could be bigger than football if it was set up like this.

[Dustcloud]

Chris, I might be misunderstanding, but your post sounds a lot like the old idea of making the Busch Series a second Cup series instead, in that all series' would be country-wide, which makes a lot more sense to me than regional series. Is that it, or could you clarify a little more?

I'm not sure I'd expect to see a bigger fan base with a regional split - I might almost expect it to grow slower than current actually, though hopefully Chase races would ramp up. I'd also expect to see less races on basic TV.

Still, it would be interesting to have that Daytona 500 as the last race of the year instead of the first. ;-)

[paulfan]

Each race would need a companion event.  How about beefing up the Truck series or have a Mustang/Camaro series to use as a feeder for the Cup series.

[smyler]

Mustang/Camaro?  Yeah!  How about CTS-V's, Intrepids and even Euro or Japanese sportscars  I realize there is already a series similar to that in existence.  It would be fun to have modified stock cars racing in front of big crowds.  They could get some of the Cup guys to run a limited number of these races.  I wouldn't want them to be able to race enough to run for the championship though.  That would be counter to the whole idea.  It would draw crowds though.

[Chris]

Mustang/Camaro?  .....  They could get some of the Cup guys to run a limited number of these races.

IMO you wouldn't be able to get the CUP drivers to touch these cars with a ten foot pole.
WHY,.. they can't learn anything about their CUP cars and transfer it to use on Sunday.
THAT is the only reason they race in the BGN series now.
If it's of no benefit,.. they aren't gonna spend the money to do it.

Owners would (naturally) have a car or two that ran full time,.. but that would (and rightfully should) be for training up and coming drivers.
Maybe the BGN series can get back to what it was intended for...

[Chris]

Chris, I might be misunderstanding, but your post sounds a lot like the old idea of making the Busch Series a second Cup series instead, in that all series' would be country-wide, which makes a lot more sense to me than regional series. Is that it, or could you clarify a little more?

I'm not sure I'd expect to see a bigger fan base with a regional split - I might almost expect it to grow slower than current actually, though hopefully Chase races would ramp up. I'd also expect to see less races on basic TV.

Still, it would be interesting to have that Daytona 500 as the last race of the year instead of the first. ;-)

AT the risk of double posting,... I'll copy something I posted over on the "Nascar Revolution" thread and put it here since you asked.
Maybe some folks will see it here that miss it there...

I've kinda promoted this "two division" system... NOT because it is anything like football,.. but because I think it is the best for everyone all around.
First if the BGN series  and THOSE teams are all incorporated into the CUP series, then there are PLENTY of teams to race on a regular basis.  We got 50+ weekly cup teams starting next season.  There are 25+ BGN teams (thats probably low),.. so add them in,.. and no telling how many WANT to run and have a team but DO NOT because the bushwhackers run the BGN series so much it keeps them from making the fields.  Also could have some ARCA teams come over and race,...

SO you could EASILY have 80-90 teams listed as weekly cup competitors.  Whats that do... First ALL the sponsors get to race... so they ALL get air time.  Not 10 or 15 getting sent home every weekend.  SO THEY are happy.
Next we got tracks HOWLING for CUP race dates.  KY, Nashville, theres Rockingham wants it's dates back, Darlington wants it date back, Vegas wants a 2nd date, the list goes on and on.  You could also incorporate some of the tracks NOW used for BGN races and run CUP races at them.  St Louis, Pikes Peak, Milwaukee.
And you got tracks yet like Iowa that just opened... so it would give the TRACKS what they want.
Next we could satify the DRIVERS... they say they run too many weeks in a row, and never have any time off...
My theory is EACH division could have 20 races,.... (so thats is 40 races total)... then the to 20 from each division would make 'the chase', and have a 10 race shoot out like now,.. but all would be in the hunt.
SO all in all Nascar woudl be Happy,... they could sell tickets for 50 races, (instead of 36),.. and sell that much more air time also.
The drivers would be happy because each one would ONLY RUN 30 races (20 in their division, and 10 in the chase).. so they'd get 6 more weeks off.
The drivers get to race LESS<.. and NASCAR gets MORE races.  Whats not to love.

Scheduling would ALSO be easy,... The weekend needs "support" races,... some weekends you could run the CTS with the CUP races,... some the ARCA cars,.. on other weekend you could run BOTH CUP series together....
Have them practice 'separate' like BGN and CUP does now.  Run one CUP race Saturday night (on TV), and run the other CUP race Sunday (like now) also on TV of course.
To get 20 events on each series,.. you could run some separate weeknds,.. and could run some 'double' weekend.  Run the CUP cars at separate tracks,.. but run one race Saturday night, and the other on Sunday.
It's a win-win-win all the way around.
Everyone is happy,.. CUP teams run LESS races in the long run,.. owners spend less money,.. drivers and teams have weekends off,.. Nascar gets what it wants,.. tracks get what they wants,.. fans get what they want,...
Who's the loser,... no one.

[Dustcloud]

Nods* Glad I was not totally misunderstanding you. Thanks for the clarification.

Still like to know where the Daytona 500 goes though :-)

[Chris]

IMHO,... I think the Daytona probably ALWAYS stay the first race of the season...
Couple reasons for this...

1. - the track (and Frances) stand to loos WAY too much money by moving this race to ANY other week of the season.
Look at the schedule,... you are down there for a WHOLE week.  Bud shoot-out, then qualifying, ARCA race, then 3 days practice, then twin 150's, the CTS race, BGN race, and all culminates with Daytona 500.  ALL a week long build up to that race... sells a TON of race tickets.

2. Also there's 'winter testing' that Nascar profits from.  They have three weeks or so of testing in January where the CUP cars split up and test, BGN cars, and CTS trucks.  ARCA cars also go down and test.  For that whole time the racing eyes are all on Daytona.  The teams have to pay a fee to go in and practice all those days... that all adds up... Not to mention all the publicity.

3. Moving the Daytona 500 would mean some OTHER race would kick off the season,... and they would lose the 'publicity' of starting the season.  They could run the Daytona 500 at some point in the season,.. but they would have to do away with speed weeks, winter testing, etc.  It would be a week just like any OTHER week (much like when they run the Pepsi race).  Nothing Special.  If even they had 'off weeks,.. i doubt if they woud have a "test week" and do testing right in the middle of the season like they do in the form of winter testing. ALso I can't see a "Speed weeks" either in the middle of the season.  That would take up 2 race weekends in reality to run one race.