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From a new point system to a re-designed car, NASCAR tweaked and fine-tuned a sport that has seen a steady drop-off in both TV ratings and attendance. Just as the new playoff format ran into early criticism following the 2004 season, so did the Car of Tomorrow a year ago. NASCAR only ran its experimental box-car in a handful of points races, allowing crews and teams a chance to gauge what changes — and there was sure to be some — needed to be made for 2008.
Now, why a sport would feel it needed so many drastic changes never really sat well with me, I did credit NASCAR with trying to make its product more appealing to the masses. The playoff has turned out to be a good thing for the sport, and I feel it does bring a little more drama to the final 10 races. I did not agree, however, with NASCAR’s decision to increase the field to 12 drivers over the original 10. The move was made the year after Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both failed to make the playoffs, and I think NASCAR had a knee-jerk reaction to not having its two biggest stars in the “Chase for the Cup.” More is not always better, and after 26 races the top-10 is a pretty good indication as to who is a title-contender. Two more spots almost seems like charity.
As for the new car, I tried not to base my opinion too much on last year. The CoT is very different from the old car, sporting a higher rear spoiler and a more boxier body style. Rick Hendrick cars owned the CoT races, but I thought that might even out following a full off-season where all the teams can diagnose its notes and make the necessary changes to stay competitive with the likes of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
NASCAR nailed it with the new car. I watched Saturday night’s Bud Shootout and came away impressed with the quality of racing. Mainly because the drivers actually raced each other. Contrary to last year’s CoT races, the Shootout was exciting. Cars got three-wide at times, drivers passed each other riding single file and the lead changed hands multiple times. It was a total contradiction to everything I read during the winter that said this year would be the most boring season in NASCAR history.
Whenever this many changes are made, it’s going to take time to sort it all out. NASCAR never said it was perfect. What it has done is listen to different opinions. Instead of taking a know-it-all approach, NASCAR listened to its employees and fans. The sport felt it needed to change for its future. Given time, I believe these changes will make NASCAR a more enjoyable sport to watch and attend. The CoT is a really good race car, and the people behind the scenes have done a masterful job getting it competitive. Improvement didn’t happen overnight, but NASCAR stayed committed to having a safer race car that the drivers and fans would enjoy. The CoT has a nice look to it and Saturday night proved there can be nail-biting finishes and action-packed racing along the way.
Any form of change is going to be met with resistance in some form or the other. I have not always agreed with some of NASCAR’s decisions, but I feel the sport is on the right track — no pun intended. With the influx of open-wheel drivers like Juan Pablo Montoya and Dario Franchitti, the sport is only to gain more notoriety and a larger fan base. Throw these guys in with superstars such as Tony Stewart, Earnhardt, Johnson and Gordon, and the sport is set for the next decade.
Racing really is an exciting sport to watch and NASCAR is where the best of the best strut their stuff. The drivers are personable, for the most part, the variety of tracks is like no other sport and fans get to see the best face each other every week. It was easy to sit back and bash NASCAR for trying to make changes. It was easy to rip the CoT for producing mediocre finishes last year between only a handful of contenders.
When all is said and done, if the Bud Shootout is any indication as to how the 2008 season will unfold, fans of stock car racing will be singing the praises of its governing body. Making and implementing change isn’t always easy and it’s impossible to please everyone. With the new car and the playoff system, NASCAR proved it was out to please just one group of people — the fans.
Staff Writer Eliot Duke can be reached at 472-9500, ext. 233, or at eliotduke@hotmail.com.