Why NASCAR Restarts Need a Better System

As I was watching the Bristol race with a bag of chips in one hand and a soda in the other, enjoying the race as I do every weekend, I couldn't help but think the restarts are not done properly.

Currently, restarts put all lead lap cars on the outside and all cars one or more laps down on the inside.

This really prevents excitement.

I was watching as Kyle Busch would lead the restart, clear the lapped cars on the inside immediately, and go on with a nice lead.

Carl Edwards in second would usually go by pretty fast, but the cars of Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, etc. would be stuck in the lapped traffic. By the time they got clear, the leaders were already gone out of sight, with no chance for these guys to battle for the lead.

It's the same story at every other race track. Some are wider and bigger with slower cars being less of a factor, but they're still there causing faster cars to miss their chance at a win.

This can also be confusing for the fans considering all the lapped cars are mixed up with the lead lap cars.

The fans have no choice but to rely on the scoring towers at the track to figure out who's racing who. If I go watch a race, I'd rather watch the action than the scoring tower. 

Here's my solution: double wide restarts. NASCAR should place all lead lap cars in the front, two wide, and let them battle out for position. The lap down cars at the tail end, two wide, battling for the free pass.

For example, let's say out of 43 cars, 24 are on the lead lap. The other 19 are a lap down.

Before a restart, all lead lap cars line up two wide behind the pace car, from first to 24th. Positions 25th to 43rd are lined up behind them, two wide.

This system creates more battles out front for position, a great battle out back for the free pass position, less frustration for the drivers and less confusion for the fans.

The only thing that could be wrong is it eliminates the chances of a lap down driver to race his way back on the lead lap. But, how often do you see that happen anyway?

Not very. The free pass award is usually how lapped down cars get back on the lead lap.

I think NASCAR should have a system like this or at least some other improvement on what they have now. I always enjoy watching a NASCAR race, but this situation has always bothered me.