LDN - Sports

Will fans respond to the new NASCAR?

[April 19, 2017] By Jonathan Ingram, The Sports Xchange

Like him or not, race winner Jimmie Johnson's two charges through the field at the Texas Motor Speedway exemplified how NASCAR has adapted its racing to boost fan attendance and TV ratings.

Moving from last place at the start and from mid-pack at the start of the final stage, Johnson's progress underscored how the steep reduction in aerodynamic downforce over the past two seasons has made more passing for position possible.

The low downforce package also confirms there is now a better bridge between NASCAR, its teams and drivers. The drivers love the new low downforce -- and more teams are competing at the front of the field as a result.

But are the fans paying attention?

The Texas race was only the second since the Brickyard 400 in July of last year to see a boost in TV ratings. But the Texas Motor Speedway grandstands were not exactly jammed. Last year's rain delay likely mitigated the 2016 ratings and might have created a false bump up in ratings this year.

It would be a shame if fans, including those the sanctioning body privately refers to as "lapsed," continue to dismiss NASCAR. The racing this year has been excellent by almost any standard. That's the result of the new era of NASCAR under chairman Brian France that is more responsive to the concerns of fans and participants than either his grandfather, NASCAR founder "Big Bill" France, or his father Bill France, Jr.

The changes have been evident structurally with the Charters issued to regular participants and a driver's council. The constant tweaking of rules working in conjunction with teams and drivers has also played a major role.

NASCAR fans are by nature demanding -- because the sport of racing is so fluid and fans expect changes. Fans are constantly generating suggestions aired in social media about what the sanctioning body needs to do to improve things. While not necessarily following those informal directives, NASCAR has worked hard to improve the racing and to be responsive.

This year, there was no repeat winner until Brad Keselowski won at Martinsville. Every manufacturer has been to victory lane and has won stage points. The outcome of races has been in doubt up until the finish -- even when one driver dominates the first two stages. The stages themselves have sparked more intense competition. And the new points system puts a premium on gaining positions or the lead on every lap.

While speculation and opinions continue to abound about why NASCAR is fighting declining attendance and ratings long after the Great Recession has ended, the answer can no longer be lousy racing.

This would be good news/bad news. If the racing is excellent and fans continue to not respond, there's not much left to try.

Given that NASCAR is committed to finally putting a road course into the postseason in 2018 at Charlotte (and this year has revised the often-disliked Chase format itself), there's more change under consideration for next season when it comes to the competition. Teams may be given a choice of tire compounds during the course of an event -- an approach that will be experimented with at the Monster Energy All-Star Race in Charlotte in May. If that effort bears fruit, NASCAR will consider following IndyCar and Formula 1 by providing more than one tire compound in regular points races.

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The alternate compound will be a softer Goodyear tire capable of dropping lap times up to four-tenths of a second per lap. The trade-off would be a shorter lifespan for the tire. Stage racing is what makes the concept of compound choice a far more interesting prospect. The All-Star race, run this year in special 20-lap segments, should be a worthwhile test.

It may take time for NASCAR's new initiatives to begin to sink in with fans or show up in attendance figures and TV ratings. There are complaints from many quarters, including the media, that the racing culture in NASCAR's premier Cup series isn't like it used to be. But one complaint has been addressed thanks to the new playoff points system and races with stages. Drivers cannot pick up millions in salaries and purses by tooling around and not racing hard.

The one-swing fight between Kyle Busch and Joey Logano exemplified how important individual positions on the track and the one point that goes with them have become.

Victories are still highly sought after, but even more so this year due to the five playoff bonus points that come with them. So those who have qualified for the postseason with a victory still have plenty of incentive to bring in more instead of experimenting during races while waiting for the playoffs. (Maybe for once there will be direct correlation between who wins the championship and who wins the most races.)

This combination of incentives to gain position, the lower aerodynamic downforce on the cars, and the big incentive to win races -- plus the regular season points championship that carries 15 bonus points -- is very likely to continue to generate passion among the drivers and possibly the fans. That passion can be seen on the pit road after races, heard over the radio when one driver thinks another is slowing him up, and elsewhere. Whether the passion generates the rivalries in a series where drivers now tend to be more buddy-buddy remains to be seen.

NASCAR can foster more passion by going easier on penalties for errant behavior now that points are so precious. The sanctioning body maintains that each incident in every season is different, which, officials say, can result in a range of penalties -- or not.

One week after Busch vs. Logano, Austin Dillon used his Chevy to deliberately wreck another Xfinity Series driver. Nobody received a points penalty or fine.

Letting drivers settle things among themselves is old NASCAR. But it sure feels welcome in the new version.

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