Let NASCAR Be NASCAR

Over the past few months or years we've all felt it, but no one seems to want to address the elephant in the room: NASCAR has flatlined.  Quite frankly, the perfect storm has arisen and now we, as NASCAR fans, are left to fell the effects of a shake-up in making.

Within the next year, The Big Three will be whittled down to the Big Two (at least), field sizes will shrink along with attendance, and sponsors will be a privilege, not a guarantee.  So what is NASCAR to do?  In the words of future President Obama: "change".

Let me preface this by saying most, if not all, of these proposed changes will never come to fruition, but they are worth throwing out there.

As our country continues its slow descent from recession to depression, something needs to be done to ensure the health of the sport.  No, NASCAR will not die off, but it can be crippled, maimed, paralyzed, whatever you want to call it.  The first thing NASCAR needs to do is retain the long-term fanbase.  How can they accomplish that?

Cut back the schedule.

The current Sprint Cup schedule has 36 races, ten of which are in the chase.  Although NASCAR, along with the respective track owners would argue, it is apparent the schedule is bloated and the racing has become watered-down and stale.

With the All-Star race and Speedweeks teams are at the track 38 weeks a year, not including testing.  This is simply too much.  The Chase cut-off point comes after the first 26 races.  What kind of number is that?  NFL teams play 16 regular-season games, followed by four weeks of playoffs (including the Super Bowl).  This is perfect: the playoffs are one-fourth the normal schedule.

NASCAR should follow that lead. Quickly changing lanes, it is at this point NASCAR should decide whether or not road racing has a legitimate case for being on the schedule.  Currently, there are two road races a year.  If NASCAR is intent of keeping right-hand turns, they must add one more.  If not, get rid of them entirely.

Now, back to the model set by the NFL. While adding races is not the best of ideas, NASCAR must decide to either reduce the schedule by six races or add four races.  This way, the Chase (assuming the length is still ten races) is either one-fourth the season (in a 40-race schedule) or one-third the season (in a 30-race schedule).

Cutting six races off the schedule seems to be the way to go here.  Again, it is at this point NASCAR must look itself in the face and make some hard decisions, realizing some markets (at this point in time) either can't support or are not yet ready for NASCAR racing.

For the sake of argument here, let's say NASCAR has decided road racing is worthy of the schedule, requiring an add-on of one road race.  Hence, seven races must be cut (one extra to accommodate for the additional road race).

These markets are either struggling or do not have the quality of racing to maintain two Cup dates, and thus will be cut from our schedule:

New Hampshire twice, Pocono twice, Auto Club Speedway (California), Michigan, and Atlanta.  Although New Hampshire will never lose both races, in this scenario there is simply no other track to cut a race from, and the North-East has plenty of other races.  Perhaps Pocono and New Hampshire take on-again, off-again turns with two other tracks for dates every-other year.

Writers note: Whittling down the schedule for me, sitting here writing this, took nearly twenty minutes.  (Seriously, look at the schedule-this is why NASCAR will never shorten the schedule.  That, and the money.) Atlanta (great racing) and Michigan (home track, great racing) also were hard for this writer to cut. It should also be noted that, no matter how empty the grandstands seem to get, NASCAR is dedicated to running two races at California.

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