A 2013 NASCAR Wish List

With Christmas quickly approaching, the 2012 season firmly in the rear view mirror, and January's testing season on the horizon, many possibilities surround NASCAR's Sprint Cup teams.  Drivers are wondering how the new cars will race, Crew Chiefs are trying to adjust their track notes to the chassis changes, and fans are hoping bowl season will keep their minds off the lack of racing to watch.

Below are my top 5 NASCAR wishes this Christmas; wishes for fans, for drivers, and with crew members in mind.  Please include some NASCAR wishes of your own in the comment section below!

Wish #5: Repaired Restrictor-Plate Racing

During the past few years, racing at Talladega and Daytona has been odd, sometimes boring, and always leaves at least half of the fans dissappointed.  With "tandem racing" becoming the norm, even with small adjustments by NASCAR, the racing has been an evolving mess that has determined itself.  Sometimes the racing is good, but races with only 10 or so cars being competitive for the first 90% of the race will not keep fans, or even drivers satisfied.

The new car template that has given teams a more product-identifiable image has a more rounded, less flat front bumper, so one would hope that staying linked up will be more difficult, but only time will tell.  As long as drivers feel they can link up with another driver, for however long, and pull away, tandem racing will remain.  However, if NASCAR could continue to allow more speed, be it with smaller plates or not, drivers will feel less comfortable having someone shoving them around the track.

Wish #4: A New Rivalry

Ok, so most of us have paid attention to the on and off track "dissagreeent" between Jeff Gordon and Clint Boyer.  Perhaps that will continue into 2013, perhaps not, but what NASCAR needs is another great ON TRACK rivalry.  I don't mind hearing a driver  "jaw-jacking" before or after a race about another driving, but prove it on the track!  Yes, Gordon and Bowyer did somewhat the last race, but neither were racing for a championship at that point.

The problem with this generation of drivers is that they don't quite have the "showmanship" that yesteryear's drivers did.  Yes, they are polished and great for sponsors, but that is not what I mean.  Instead of playing up on-track tensions or throwing out a taunting challenge, leading to added tension and raised efforts, they show their aggravation on track by tearing up cars or try to "fight" in the garage.  Usually that is all followed up by a stone faced "pretty boy" trying to sound good for their sponsor.

Lets see a Petty-Pearson rivalry, or a Earnhardt-Waltrip rivalry.  Run your mouth all you want, but prove who is best at racing, not who is best at wrecking.

Wish #3: More Cars On The Track

For the past few years, more and more owners of small teams have seen it more profitable for them to "start and park" their cars. They make a race only to run a few laps and call it a day. In turn, they spend less on tires, take less risk of wrecking, and can use an engine more, lowering their overall operating costs leaving more for pay.

In turn, less lower tier drivers and teams can make a name for themselves and/or move up through "the ranks" of the sport. Whether or not they have bettered or worsened the overall sponsorship market around the sport is for someone else to decide. The simple fact that drivers are starting and parking, simply being satisfied with being an "also ran" is just a sad comment on the sport in general.

Wish #2: More Fans In The Stands

The state of the economy and everyone's tightening wallet was very apparent during the 2012 season.  Empty seats at Bristol, Martinsville, and Daytona were amazing, not to mention the attendance at less important races.  People are having some difficulty buying 2-4 $60 and up tickets, yes, but spending that $240 plus the two night stay at a motel, concessions and a tshirt and not too many families can handle a family race weekend these days.

Is there anything NASCAR can do about it?  Not much, in my opinion.  It is possible that tracks could charge even less, especially for Nationwide and Truck Series races, which survive mostly on sponsor money, not track attendance money.  Either way, the likelihood that the entry-level price to attend a race will drop to bring in fans is miniscule.  A better overall economy and more door banging are the only things that can fill all the seats.

Wish #1: A Return To What Works!

One of the best moves NASCAR is making for the 2013 season is a return of auto brand identification to the cars.  This brings back some, however small an amount, of the old school character of the sport.  No, there will not be any huge spoilers or bench seats, but seeing a car that I could imagine driving down the highway beating and banging with a driver I can't stand makes me want to watch more racing.

What NASCAR needs to do is to continue a return of some of the 'old school' aspects of the sport that truly worked.  Bringing back a Labor Day race at Darlington, for example, would be a move that would not only make older fan's happy, but it could also be a way to accquaint new fans with some NASCAR roots.  Along those same line, NASCAR could dedicate one or two races each season that they would move around between a set of 4 or 5 tracks.  Iowa, Milwaukee, Rockingham, Road America, or even a street race similar to Indycar's Grand Prix of Baltimore would be great races to have every other or ever third year to bring something different to NASCAR and bring NASCAR to some new markets.  Could you imagine a NASCAR race through the streets of a metropolitan city?

There, those are my top 5 NASCAR wishes for next year, what are yours?
 

Posted in: Dale Earnhardt,Daytona,Nascar Nationwide Series,nascar news,NASCAR Race Results,Richard Petty,Roger Penske,Sprint Cup,Talladega