Racing Revolution: Would it work?

[skool]

Personally I think it WOULD and is long overdue.

http://www.frontstretch.com/jmeyer/5872/

But, Craig (who posted his response following the article) has a VERY interesting idea! Why not just jump Series'!!!!!
The sponsors and fans would follow as would the tv contracts. It COULD be sooooooooo simple!

[Chris]

Jumping series is interesting... But ARCA is no Good (NASCAR owns that too)
Also even if all the teams switched over there,... it's not so much the points fund that is too low,.. the teams can NOT have the money they have ALREADY invested in buildings, crews, cars, etc etc,... and race for such very small purses.
ARCA would have to come up with purses and Point funds to match NASCAR...
Since Nascar owns ARCA,.. why they gonna give them someplace else to go...

And if not ARCA,... where else.??  There's NOTHING ELSE unless you start a whole new series.
The ONLY way anything is ever gonna happen is if they have a split like the Champ car series and IRL did.  They have YET to recover from that (race quality wise)
Some teams will go one way,.. some another,... just because it will dilute the competition and make it easier to win or run up front.

[flamehothead]

I know alot of Frontstretch postees are not open-wheel fan's, But for this story I am going to open up that can of worm's. I'm sure Tony George asked the same question. WOULD IT WORK? I remember a certain car owner by the name of R.Penske said NO. I'm sure if you asked him that same question today he might have a different answer. I personally enjoy watching The Champ Cars than The IRL cars. Champ cars are Alot quicker and they do alot more Road Courses and the IRL do way to much Oval racing. I have wandered if they run ovals to maybe attract some of the Nascar fans. An IRL car is Less expensive to build and maintain which is why there are more two and three car team's. Another noticable difference is the Sponsership in both series. The IRL have the BIG Dollar Sponsors where as the Champ cars have the Sponsors that most people haven't heard or at least I haven't anyway. I didn't think the split would last. It just didnt' seem right not having certain Drivers and owner's at Indy. I've heard people say that Nascar should have Divisions like football. My response was This Is Not Football!. Personally I do not think that it would work. Money,Sponsors,People,Tracks and alot more to make something like this work and just not ENOUGH of these items to do it. All of the changes that are made are not for us, But they are made for the almighty $$DOLLAR$$ and that my friend is VERY SAD.

[Chris]

I see where you are coming from in some instances FHH...
Just for fun let me offer some opposing views.  I grew up going to BOTH series. SO I know a little something about Indy car raing (not near as much as I know about Nascar)
I personally enjoy watching The Champ Cars than The IRL cars. Champ cars are Alot quicker and they do alot more Road Courses and the IRL do way to much Oval racing. I have wandered if they run ovals to maybe attract some of the Nascar fans.
I'm just the opposite,.. I enjoy watching the IRL over the Champ cars.  I think MUCH of the reason is exactly what you mentioned.  They just run Road courses.  If I wanted to see road courses I'd watch more F1.  Ovals give more passing, more close competition, and just in general more excitement.

An IRL car is Less expensive to build and maintain which is why there are more two and three car team's. Another noticable difference is the Sponsership in both series. The IRL have the BIG Dollar Sponsors where as the Champ cars have the Sponsors that most people haven't heard of

First off,.. to defnd the IRL... that was a BIG part of the reason they broke away from USAC to start with.  Cost was getting WAY to high, and the gap was getting larger and larger between the "have's" and the "have nots".  The series went to lower cost cars, lower cost motors, and the price came down,.. allowing more teams to compete, and 'risher' teams to have more cars.  This also let SPONSORS get their names on cars for FEWER DOLLARS.  Thats why I feel you see the 'big name" sponsors on the IRL cars and not Champ cars.  That and the fact that the IRL draws more TV ratings, and more exposure for the sponsors dollar.

  I've heard people say that Nascar should have Divisions like football. My response was This Is Not Football!. Personally I do not think that it would work. Money,Sponsors,People,Tracks and alot more to make something like this work and just not ENOUGH of these items to do it

I've kinda promoted this "two division" system... NOT because it is anything liek 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.

[AfterShock]

Great ideas Chris!

Just one question?

Could all that be under the control of just one
"businessman" in the "entertainment" promotion
line of work?

Your plan seems to have the potential for all involved
to get a piece of the pie.
That would be a good and logical thing.

Unless,.................. it's one of those yuckky
French -- Green Apple Crumb -- Up-side down, deep dish, pastries with cinnamon/escargot glaze.

They'll give ya gas.
Render unto Caesar all that is his.


Total control.
Out of control.
Both, at the same time.

Imagine that and go figure.

[Chris]

yeah,.. I kmnow what ya saying shocky...
on the other hand,... it's all under control of one guy now...

HEY nice to see you back on line... Get your computer fixed I suppose??