Greetings from the garage at Infineon Raceway!  As many of you know, Miller Lite has secured hot passes for me to attend some races this year and this is one of them! 

My day started off with the traditional long dusty walk through the cow pastures to get to the track.  I made it inside the garage just as the Miller Lite team was pushing their car through inspection.   Thankfully, the Brew Crew were all happy to see me and I met the new spotter for the team, Chris Osborne.   I told them we were hoping to get some good video and interviews with them for the new and improved Miller Lite Racing website and warned them I would be bugging them all weekend for the inside scoop. 

Security was pretty aggressive in the garage and they were keeping everyone, even photographers (!) behind a line about 10 feet back from the garage stalls.  Eric, one of the mechanics, saw that they weren’t letting me up to the garage, so he went over and told the guard to let me go by the car and like magic I was in!   It was pretty cool I must say…I feel like I have 10 big brothers now!

As the crew was prepping the car for practice I asked them details about several incidents that plagued the Miller Lite team in recent weeks.  If you recall at Pocono two weeks ago, the Miller Lite crew expertly fixed the splitter after Kurt spun and took a wild ride through the grass.  I asked Bill, one of the mechanics, to show me how they re-attached the splitter arms to the front bumper so quickly.  At Dover, both the #2 and #12 teams had problems with their fueling system.  Steve, the “Underneath Mechanic” opened up the deck lid and showed me exactly what went wrong.  He also gave me his first hand account of what was going through his mind when the pit caught on fire at Lowes after a lugnut got run over as Kurt was leaving the pit and ignited some spilt fuel.  Steve is the catch can man on Sundays (his son, Chris is the gas man) so he was extra concerned as he was stuck holding a can full of fuel.  He also said he got hit in the leg by the red hot lug nut so he was 2 for 2 that day…I will post a blog with pictures and more details about these mishaps.

I watched the team setup the Miller Lite Dodge for practice.  I was a little concerned that there was something wrong with the car because they were shaking it violently on the jack stands but Darin, the engine tuner said “not to worry” that whenever they lowered the track bar they had to “shake” the car until it “settles in to place”.  Did you know that there are 3 antennae on the roof of the cars?  One of them is for the team radio and the other two are for NASCAR timing and scoring.   Every car also has a round hockey puck looking camera in the front on the roof.  Only a few of them are actually cameras, the others are “false cameras” so every car has the same aerodynamic "disadvantage."  Back to practice…Kurt ran most of it in race trim and made only two qualifying runs.  After practice the crew set the car up for qualifying and grabbed some grub.

In the long inspection line before qualifying, I had a chance to ask the crew some questions for the new website.  They are going to be featured so I got some info on their favorite food to wash down with a Miller Lite, their favorite track and their best memory with the Miller Lite team and more. The new website should be up soon so you can read all their answers…like who eats “sweaty and sweet” chicken wings?!

I sauntered back to the hauler and who is there talking to Kurt’s PR guy…the one and only Mike Helton.  We were introduced and you KNOW I had to ask Mr. Helton why there were no psychologists on NASCAR’s staff.   He didn’t respond right away and then said they have plenty of amateur shrinks on staff, they are called crew chiefs.  I pressed on and said I have to be believe having an in-house Anger Management course would be cost and time effective and that I would be happy to consult but he wasn’t biting…ah well…I tried!

For qualifying, I just acted like I belonged with the crew and joined them right out by the car on pit road.  I have some great shots of Kurt getting in as well as many of the other drivers, esp. the road course ringers, as they came out of the garages and got into their race cars and even one of Brian Vickers coming out of a portapotty.   Look for a pictures blog soon! (Tez- I have some amazing shots of Marcos for you!)  Kurt missed his mark in Turn 2 but laid down a great lap and qualified 3rd for the race on Sunday.  The crew was stoked and I am hopeful for a trip to Victory Lane!  

I sauntered around the garages snapping pictures of the drivers who were now in street clothes and heading out.  I must say, if you ever get garage passes, hot or cold, be sure to be able to recognize the drivers in street clothes!  It was really funny to watch them just walk through the garages with no one recognizing them.  I also stopped and snapped a picture of the fuel prices at the Sunoco pump.  For the 116 octane leaded fuel that the Cup teams use, the going rate was $9.99 per gallon!  Yikes!  When you figure a team uses about 115 gallons of fuel for the race here and another 50 or so gallons for practice and qualifying it adds up to a pretty penny.   Sunoco does not charge the Cup teams but the SW touring series and the other teams racing this weekend do get billed.  Ouch! 

I walked around and finally found the Miller Lite crew near the inspection area all laid out (literally on the ground lying in the shade under the tent) waiting for qualifying to be over. 

As most of you know, the first three qualifiers and all of the Go or Go Homers must go through inspection again after qualifying.   They were exhausted after the long hot day (it was 99 degrees this afternoon) but still had to clear inspection and then tear the car down like normal afterwards.  They were hoping to leave the track by 7pm and will have to be back at 7 am tomorrow.    I left the crew to finish their work and headed back to the Miller Lite hauler.  I had just walked up when out of the mirrored doors walks Jamie McMurray and Kurt both in street clothes snacking on Twizzlers…for some reason that just cracked me up.

I headed out and made the long (30 min) walk back through the cow pastures to the car and made it to my hotel by about 7:30p.   I was checking in right along side AJ Allmendinger…ah, I just love it when NASCAR is in town.   Off to bed for me, its an early day tomorrow with practice and Happy Hour all before noon.  Look for another report from the garage on Saturday night! 

Here are two more pictures from the garage area at Phoenix for you to guess what the heck is going on...I have edited the first blog to tell you what was really going on with Kurt and Tony.   Give these a try!

(In case you cannot tell...this is Kasey Kahne)

(here you find Dale Jr in the back, and Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin talking)

Give it your best shot!  Have fun! 

WHAT WAS REALLY GOING ON...

So the first shot was of Kasey talking on his cell phone outside his hauler about 2 hours before the race.  He sat out there for easily an hour on his phone flanked by two young girls who did not leave his side.  I didn't see him touch either of them in a GF kinda way (things still looking up for you YeeMum!).  More amazing, no one in the garages bothered him at all, it was a cold garage at the time so plenty of fans in there...

The second shot of Dale Jr, Kyle and Denny was taken in between practices on Friday.  Jr was engrossed in conversation with that crew member of Kyle's for a long time and he never acknowledged Kyle or Denny's presence.  Kyle and Denny definitely appeared to be comparing notes on setups and how their cars drove in practice.  Very unusual to get 3 drivers in one picture...there were cameramen and fans 5 people deep watching them like they were in a zoo.  I of course ducked down and crawled between 2 Fox camera guys to get the shot!

In an effort to keep us all entertained in the off weekend, I figured I would post a few pictures from my time in the garage at Phoenix and have you all use your creative minds to guess what is going on and caption it.   A big thanks to Miller Lite Racing for getting me those hot passes!!   So without further delay, I will start off with some easy ones!  Here are the first two:

I'll tell you what was really going on after you all have had a chance to chime in...I have enough pictures for lots of posts so hopefully I will get your favorite driver up here soon.  Have fun!

WHAT THE PICTURES REALLY ARE...

So the first one is of Kurt Busch with Sammy Hagar in between practice on Friday.  Kurt drove Sammy around the track in a pace car as he is apparently on a quest to scare all the members of Van Halen.  (He drove drove Eddie Van Halen around last year at PIR).   The shot is in Victory Lane, the bleachers are usually full of photographers.

The second picture is of Tony Stewart after the race with a couple of fans in front of the #20 team hauler in the garage area.  Tony was in the process of  signing the guy's orange shirt at the time.   Tony proceeded to walk right past me and I wanted to ask him to see his waxed back but since I was decked out in all Miller Lite garb I thought better of it!

Finally, as promised, here are some of my thoughts about the time I spent with Kurt Busch during the last three races of 2007. Just so we are clear, I didn’t start out a big fan of Kurt’s. Not that I didn’t like him, I just never paid much attention one way or another, but Kurt and his crew won me over quickly. Not only were they awesome hosts, but I finally really watched him race and he can wheel a racecar with the best of them.

Kurt made an effort to spend one on one time with me every race weekend and included me in as many other appearances as he could. As many of you know, I did get to "officially" interview Kurt for the video FOXSports shot at the Phoenix race as well as ask him “on the record” questions in the media center. I also had the opportunity to interview him after hours at the Penske Racing Museum event announcing Sam Hornish, Jr. I was able to be out on the track when he arrived at the Miller Lite Dodge after driver introductions each weekend and lined up with his crew during the National Anthem. I got a bird’s eye view from atop his pit box during the Texas race and watched the other races from his pit area. I toured his hauler, talked with his mother, and shadowed his crew. I truly had all-access!

The first time I met Kurt was before Qualifying at Texas. I was led into the hauler all the way to the front room where Kurt was hanging out watching the Atlanta race. I was told I had about 5 minutes with him and wasn’t sure to what to expect given he had just drawn the first qualifying position and I knew he wasn’t thrilled with that.

I was pretty nervous meeting a NASCAR Champion and felt uncomfortable starting off a 3 week “relationship” by sticking my new digital recorder in between us and taking notes. I fell back on my skills as a psychologist and went into “interview” mode to calm myself down. I knew Kurt had attended the University of Arizona, my alma mater as well, so I started there. Kurt was there a few years after I was but we knew several of the same haunts. From there, we talked about playing Corn hole (http://www.playcornhole.org/ ), which I read about in his blog (being from Ohio, I come from a long line of Corn hole players). Kurt laughed when I challenged him to a game and we tried to figure out how to get a Corn hole set to the Miami track where there was plenty of room to play. We never did get in a game…but by then our conversation was rolling.

I never did turn on my digital recorder nor did I ever take notes when met with Kurt alone. One of the first things that struck me was how guarded all of the drivers were around the media, and Kurt was no different. Once he learned about the contest AND he saw he wasn’t “on record” with me, those 5 minutes turned quickly into 20 minutes. He spoke freely and was open about racing and his personal life. Every single time I figured I would only have a few minutes with him and every time I got a lot more time than I had ever hoped. As a result, I don’t have a perfect record of our time together, but I had a meaningful exchange with him.

Here are a few things that I observed and found interesting as well as a “hot tip” right off the presses…

• Kurt is just as disappointed with the race (TV) coverage just as we are. Primarily because they don’t show any of the racing further back in the field and he knew what he was doing at the time (passing a lot of cars on the way to the front). He said he didn’t notice much about the pre-race or actual coverage because they always watch with the sound off. Hmmm, sound familiar?
• Kurt was very careful with his choice of words when asked about the COT, the rules or NASCAR’s decisions, suggesting to me that NASCAR keeps their drivers on a tight rein. It will be interesting to see if NASCAR’s newfound idea to let them show “personality” will also apply to their opinions about NASCAR itself. For the record, I don’t think Kurt was a big fan of the COT at the time…but that’s just my gut talking.
• Image really does count for a lot. It seems Kurt has to work twice as hard and be twice as careful as some of the other drivers because of things that have happened in the past. He has definitely had some negative press in the past, but when you think about it, who hasn’t. Consider this...after Texas there was a big “to-do” about how he spoke to his spotter during the race, which resulted in him and his spotter doing interviews on camera the following week explaining how they are great friends from childhood, which allows them to speak that way to each other and forget it. Now, doesn’t Dale Jr “get into it” with his crew chief all the time? Yet, when he does it, it is seen as funny, “family”, and part of his charm. Kurt was frowned upon for doing the same thing I know there are a few other drivers who get the negative spin in a neutral situation. I can’t imagine how frustrating that is.
• Kurt is funny! Check him out on MadTV…he has some great one-liners. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MC_EobBJik He is really making an effort to meet and be available to his fans. He is looking to do more fan friendly media, even maybe “Cribs” to show off his new home in North Carolina and give us a peek into his personal side. Many of you know he is one of the only Cup drivers to sign autographs nearly every Sunday before the race at his merchandise hauler. It really is very impressive given his crazy media/PR schedule each weekend. Give him a chance and you might be surprised at who he really is.
• Kurt’s team is on the rise. With Pat Tryson’s solid leadership, Kurt’s considerable driving talents, a young, capable crew, and Mr. Penske’s unwavering confidence in Kurt and his ample resources, they will be the class of the Dodges and fighting for the Championship. Being able to watch them so closely AND compare them to others in the garages, it was obvious this team has chemistry. You heard it here first…
• And hot off the presses! If you’d like to make a little money off Kurt…The Palms in Las Vegas just announced today it will have a special “Battle of the Beers” betting line between Miller Lite and Budweiser. You can bet the results of the entire season, (the current line is that Kurt will finish 8.5 positions ahead of Kasey), or you can bet whether Miller or Bud will finish best each race. For all the details, go here: http://www.millerliteracing.com/

I am happy to expand on any of my experiences with Kurt or answer any questions you have about him or his team. For folks who haven’t been around in the off season, continue reading my blog for more on my experiences in the garages. Thanks for reading!

With HotFootLori’s blogger challenge in mind, I dusted off the ‘ole Magic 88-Ball I used  so successfully during the last blogging contest.   I peered again into its murky window asking aloud “Who of my non-favorite drivers will win the 50th running of the Daytona 500?” 

Of course, predicting with the Magic 88-Ball isn’t easy, and it takes a LOT of shaking to get that silly floating triangle in there to tell you anything.   As HotFootLori suggested, I “embraced my passion” for all my non-favorite drivers and did my level best… 

(shake, shake, shake)         High Line-Go Lowe

(shake, shake, shake)         Hav-o-in-the-middle-line

(shake, shake, shake)         Smoke is triple wide   

What the heck?   This thing is clearly all scrambled thanks to the mixed message I must be giving it…a non-favorite of mine win the biggest race of the season?  Impossible!  We all know NASCAR has already written the script and hand picked its favorite AMP’ed son to win the 500 and the Championship.   I already have my ‘88 in 08’ Championship hat!  

Confused and dismayed, I figured I can’t let HotFootLori down, so I try one more time…  

(shake, shake, shake)        DEAD HEAT 

My Magic 88-Ball falls in super slo-mo out of my hands, spinning towards the floor as I finally realize the prediction.  Mildly nauseous, I stare off in horror as I imagine Larry Mac screaming “they are coming to the line! they touch! they touch!” as I picture a blur of blue, black, and orange racing towards the checkers.  Apparently it is true you can’t make a pass in the COT…  

In the spirit of good sportsmanship, I truly wish these three gentlemen and the rest of the drivers the best of luck but remember, my Magic 88-Ball also picked Gordon to win the Championship in 2007 so...

I write this with Southern Cindi close to heart as she was often the voice of respect for all drivers and their fans. 

I wanted to share some of my personal experiences meeting some of the NASCAR drivers from the 3 weeks I spent in the garages as the Miller Lite Next Great Sportswriter.  I also have some thoughts on how we relate to them as we head into the 2008 season.   These are only a fraction of the drivers, and notably Kurt Busch is missing.  Since I had so much access to him, he will get his own blog in the near future.  If you want to know about your favorite, just ask!

Jeff Gordon  -  I was very impressed with Gordon in person. He has a presence in the garage, and is very approachable.   He was also the only driver to do his media interview outside his hauler without his sunglasses on!  His PR guy was very clear Jeff was only available for 15 minutes, but when time was up, after the main media outlets had most of the time, Jeff said he would stay for as long as it took to answer everyone’s questions.  I would have never gotten a chance to talk to him if he hadn’t stuck around for longer.   

When I finally did get to ask my question, he made eye contact and spoke directly to me, just like we were having a private conversation.  He allowed me to follow up naturally and we had an actual conversation.  He was one of the only drivers I met who spoke to each individual asking the question, not just the camera. 

The perception I hear a lot is that he is “whiney.”  Quite the contrary, Gordon spoke well of himself and others, took responsibility for his mistakes and gave praise where it was due. 

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – (AKA the ghost)  I rarely saw Junior in the garage area and when I did he was surrounded by fans, media and his “handlers.”  In the three weeks I spent in the garage, I probably saw him once a weekend.  He would appear at his car for qualifying and disappear from it just as mysteriously.   I saw him once outside his hauler doing PR with the NAVY and his PR team had a boundary set up so you couldn’t get anywhere near him due to the crush of fans trying to get a glimpse.  

I did get a front row spot during his press conference at Homestead to announce the new paint scheme on the NAVY car and Brad Keselowski’s extended contract for his Busch team.  Junior seemed shy, quiet, and a little uncomfortable in the formal press meeting.   He did an excellent job of keeping the questions away from himself as a driver and squarely on the Busch team.  He cracked a big smile when Brad said, “Gee, you know its an important event when you see Junior wearing a button down shirt!”   He also seemed much more at ease unveiling the new paint scheme and doing the pictures.  The media absolutely bombarded him afterward, so instead of trying to get in there, I spent some quality time interviewing Brad instead.  Brad and I had a great 10 minute private conversation about his upcoming year, his goals, and what it was like to drive for Junior.   That young man will definitely be one to watch! 

I also got to talk to Kerry Earnhardt for quite a while as he sat on the steps of Truex’s hauler next to us.   We started the conversation trying to figure out i####uy in the garage was Tom Cruise.  Kerry said he couldn’t tell from the back…he didn’t look at Cruise’s butt that much!  Too funny.   He said his brother was pretty emotional going into his final race with DEI and that he was a little worried about him. 

The biggest eye opener I had about Jr is that he is truly “hunted” and has so little privacy, so few he can trust, and it made me kind of sad to see the high price he pays for being so popular. 

 Matt Kenseth- Matt was very business-like in person, but very patient and thorough in his answers.   He was never in a rush with fans and had a good sense of humor.    When I asked him who his biggest competition was at Phoenix he laughed and said “I have no idea.”  Stupidly, I also asked if he thought he had a shot at the pole and he replied, “Well, we are terrible at qualifying but you never know…”  I was happy he responded good naturedly to something I should have known about him.   I am sure the drivers get very sick of answering not only stupid questions, but it also seems as if they answer the same questions over and over too.  

I also had a chance to chat with Robbie Reiser, Matt’s crew chief at the time, while they were waiting to go through inspection.   I just happened to catch Robbie’s eye and asked if he was excited about his new job.   Robbie proceeded to respond as if he knew me from long ago, dropping names like I should know who he was talking about, and really honestly engaging in the conversation.   He was openly excited about his new gig and clearly wanted to share it.  In fact, all the crew chiefs were much more laid back than I had anticipated and all of them were willing to talk to fans as long as they were not busy.

What I learned from Matt and others is the amount of patience they all must have in dealing with the press, some of whom never follow NASCAR, but who have the power to change our impressions of them with a strike on the keyboard.

 Sterling Marlin- At one practice, many of the drivers got into their cars and lined them up early so they were just sitting there with the window nets down waiting.  I moved along down the line and towards the end came upon Sterling Marlin.  I am a big fan of Sterling and I slowly approached him as he was talking to a crew member.  He told his crewman to get out of the way, took his helmet off, grinning, so I could get a good picture and then took the time to talk to me.  I told him how much I enjoyed watching him race and fans loved him.  He said he would hang in there as long as he could and it was still fun.  He was definitely happy to hear people were still rooting for him. 

I also had the pleasure of watching qualifying sitting on the pit road wall next to his crew.  They were, unfortunately, sweating bullets trying to get Sterling into the race because they were out of the top 35.  They said that rule was killing the single car teams and that their boss wouldn’t field the car for the full season if Sterling couldn’t get in the top 35 next year.   Sterling laid down a great lap and made the race, but only time will tell if he can keep racing and keep his team employed. 

Sterling and his crew showed me first hand, how much pressure the sport creates, how much the rules affect the small teams, and how many people are directly affected if they don’t make a race.

 Tony Stewart- Unfortunately, Tony’s dislike of the media is not a myth.  All drivers in the Chase were mandated to meet with the media each weekend yet Tony seemed to figure out ways to make that as difficult as possible.  He was the only one who scheduled his interview time “immediately after his qualifying run” and I never once caught him.  

He was present in the garage and tended to linger by his car until a mass of people surrounded and trapped him in there.  Then he would appear to toy with the fans as he would turn around, talk to various crew or sponsors, turn to leave, and then go back and read the computer scoring again.  He would then put on his game face and power through the crowd, rarely stopping despite lots of requests for autographs.   In fact, once I saw him tell a guy to “get outta my face if you don’t have a Sharpie.”  The guy was clearly a guest of one of Tony’s sponsors, because another guy grabbed the hat and went right up to Tony who was strapped in the car by that point and made him sign it!   Tony was clearly not very happy with the reprimand. 

This is a great example of how “owned” these guys really are and why it is no wonder they express frustration on camera at times.  Could you imagine people doing that to you at work all day every day?

 Kasey Kahne- I was lucky enough to be able to interview Kasey for his Busch race at Phoenix driving the Doublemint Car.  When my camera crew asked me to test the sound, all I could come up with was “Oh my God, he is cute!”   The other funny thing was that the local newscaster deferred to me (remember I am NOT a real sportscaster!) so I got to interview him first.  I launched into my first question, “So Kasey, can you drive and chew gum at the same time?”  Kasey looked at me with complete shock and then laughed saying, “yeah, I think so!”   I then asked him, “How many pieces of Doublemint do you need to blow a bubble?”   He thought, “at least 3 or 4” as he laughed along with me.  I then started asking him about his Busch ride and more racing topics.  Kasey was great about it and seemed to enjoy not having to be so serious all the time. 

Again, it was very interesting to see how unusual it is for these guys to let their guard down with the media.  They all seem to tread so carefully because they have so little power to change their image.  It also made me sad to see how careful they had to be at all times. 

 Ryan Newman- I had the pleasure of a private interview with Ryan during the Penske announcement event for Sam Hornish, Jr.  Ryan was very laid back and was the only driver who noticed, “I haven’t ever seen you before, who do you work for?”   I told him briefly about winning the contest and the grand prize and he said, “don’t be nervous, just ask ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions!”   I also saw Ryan being interviewed by a young boy in the garage area.  Ryan took the time to let the young man ask questions and answered them seriously.   Meeting Ryan definitely won me over as a fan since I had never seen that side of him on TV before.

Again, my impression of Ryan had always been that he was the “engineer” who was always serious.  Actually, he was one of the most laid back drivers and had a great sense of humor!  

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that they are all just people too.  I left with a whole new respect for all of the NASCAR drivers after spending so much time in the garages last year.   They are under a tremendous amount of pressure to perform on and off the track.   I witnessed them trying to just do their jobs and having to run the fan gauntlet between their cars and haulers like hunted animals.  It was clear not many people could put up with that kind of attention all the time.  

Many will argue that they get paid MILLIONS to deal with the fame and pressure, but really, they are being paid for their talents to drive a race car.   They are only human, trying to do their best and making mistakes all under tremendous scrutiny from fans, media, their sponsors, and owners.  Would you do it?

The only other time I was truly horrified while at the track was when I witnessed fans screaming insults and personal attacks at the drivers during driver introductions.   The insults and personal attacks we hurl at drivers from the stands, in the garages, even in our comments on these blogs and articles, are simply unacceptable no matter how bad you “hate them.”    

Remember, the media is our main access to the drivers and I now know many of my perceptions were skewed, yours could be too.  Be careful “hating” someone you don’t actually know and remember they are only human and those comments hurt.  They are also someone’s son, father, or husband and its painful for their loved ones to hear the comments too.

I know NASCAR thrives on good rivalries and rooting for and against drivers and teams, but next time your taking glee in “hating” on a driver or watching him wreck, ask yourself if you would say the same if you really knew him.  Have fun with it but let’s respect ALL the drivers for their talents AND each other no matter who your favorite is…  

For a sport born out of moonshine, racing at night makes perfect sense! Running under the lights creates a vivid spectacle of flashing colors, flying sparks, and glowing metal in an electrifying atmosphere (literally!). In 1978, NASCAR started night racing with a single race at Bristol. The 2007 Cup schedule includes nine point races run at night (Bristol, California, Darlington, Daytona, Lowe’s (2), Phoenix, and Richmond (2)) plus the Budweiser Shootout and the All-Star Challenge.

Ask any NASCAR fan and they will tell you they love night races and here’s why…

• Racing under the lights is more exciting, it just is!
• Travel arrangements are easier. Travel on Sunday and no missed work on Monday.
• Rain on Saturday, race on Sunday. No lying to your boss on Monday morning!
• Cheaper. Two days are cheaper than three. Period.
• Cooler on those hot summer days. No temporary “8” tattoos sunburned onto your skin or heat stroke from drinking too much Miller Lite in the sun. (Nod to my sponsor!)
• Setting up the cars for a changing track adds drama.
• No more choosing between NASCAR and football.
• Less “Bushwhacking”. Cup drivers are less likely to pull double duty with the shortened weekend, giving those Busch drivers a chance.

So why not add more o####ood thing? It’s complicated…

• Tracks and local economy lose money with a shorter weekend. We all know NASCAR isn’t in the business of losing money.
• West coast vs. East coast time problems. What is prime time? Darlington 2005 finished at 11:30PM EST. Too late.
• Conflicts with local Saturday night short track racing forces hometown fans to choose. Small tracks do lose money when NASCAR is in town.

What to do? NASCAR can afford to add a few more night races but will have to make some adjustments first…

• Have no more than 15 point races at night on the Cup schedule. This will preserve the “special” status night races seem to have.
• Have 3 distinct race times. Day: Green flag drops no later than 12 pm EST. ‘Tweeners: Late afternoon start and finish under the lights. Night: Race starts and finishes under the lights.
• Add Night or ‘Tweener races at tracks with two races already on the schedule. Atlanta and Texas have lights they are not using. I would highly recommend that Pocono, Dover, Martinsville, and Michigan install them! These tracks already have double the profits, so one shorter weekend won’t hurt.
• Night races should be shortened. No more than 400 miles so everyone can be awake for the finish.
• Local short tracks move their races to Friday night or Sunday during NASCAR weekends. Add appearances by NASCAR personalities and even more fans will come.

NASCAR will never go back to moonshine runs every weekend, but there is no denying the draw of Saturday nights. Come on NASCAR, pay attention to your fans! With minor compromises, we can ALL shine on.

 
The NASCAR championship has historically rewarded consistency.   Who knew Kenseth’s dominating championship in 2003 would result in NASCAR changing a point system that had been in place and highly regarded for almost 30 years.

The Chase was created by Brian France to inject excitement into the final races and allow NASCAR to better compete with the start of the NFL season.  It was also supposed to make NASCAR more appealing to sports fans who are used to playoffs ending the season and determining the champion.  As a result, NASCAR now has a complicated point system which ultimately does not always result in an exciting Chase.   

The 2007 points system is fine…
The 2007 points system, although confusing and cumbersome to the causal fan, does reward winning.  It creates a potential 25 point difference between first and second place finishers.  In a best case scenario, winners receive 195 points (185 for winning, 5 bonus points for a lap lead and 5 bonus points for leading the most laps) to second place’s 170.  Now, the top 12 drivers make the Chase and are seeded by their number of wins in the regular season.   This is a good balance between rewarding consistency and winning. 

 But the Chase is WEAK…
The Chase was “watered down” by expanding it to 12 drivers to protect the crowd favorites (ahem, Jr, Jeff, and Tony).  Add to that, early in the Chase, drivers often play it safe and ride around trying to avoid the mulligan rather than win.  BORING.  The Chase shouldn’t ever be boring, it should be intense.  Think of March Madness, you come to win or you go home.  If NASCAR is going to have a playoff do it right.   Someone has to go…each and every race of the Chase.

 Now start the Madness…
In the Chase, the driver with the lowest points total at the end of the race is eliminated from the Chase.  The first driver eliminated finishes the season in 12th place and so on.   The driver with the lowest points in each subsequent race is eliminated until you reach Homestead with only 3 drivers in contention for the championship.   Can you say pressure?  Oh yes!  No more riding around trying to avoid trouble during the Chase.  Our champion will have to get up on that wheel every lap of every race.  The Chasers will have to out-race, out-perform, and out-wit all rivals and have luck on their side all 10 races.  Consistency and winning, sound familiar?

 Everyone understands sudden death…
No more crunching points or cautious racing, just pure excitement.  It will be hard to deal with the disappointment that your driver is out of the Chase whether by bad performance or bad luck.  Those drivers can still hang it all out there using their “trick” setups, gambling on gas, and race for the checkers.    Don’t protect them, it’s the playoffs baby!  Anything could (and should) happen.  If you survive, then you really have a CHAMPION to be proud of.