[Racer Duck]

We've all talked about it and each of us has an idea what makes a boring race, but I don't know we've ever put all these things into a single place. So here's your chance. Pile it on!!!

[Racer Duck]

I'll go first.

follow the leader races - those with no passing .. probably caused by single groove tracks and "equal" cars.

[LSC9901]

After a year of great discussions I've decided that there are a few things that together make it boring. I'll agree that having the TV follow the two or three leading vehicles along with one or two other drivers makes it boring. The people in the booth are trying to be celebrities versus race announcers and then there is the constant barrage of commercials only to find out that interesting things happened while we were gone. The chase has added greatly to my perception of making it boring.

Enough ???

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

We've all talked about it and each of us has an idea what makes a boring race, but I don't know we've ever put all these things into a single place. So here's your chance. Pile it on!!!

This is so gauche that I probably should be exiled from the Forum. However, I'm going to copy what I stated in another thread and basically leave it at that:

(1) Race Length: CTS races are usually one-half or less the length of a Cup race. Martinsville Cup - 500 laps; CTS - 200 laps. Atlanta Cup - 500 miles; CTS 200 miles. Virtually all the viewing public today was raised on TV where sit coms instill the belief that all problems can be solved in a half hour, and no sporting event should last over three hours (the length of an NFL game). Asking any sports fan to give their undivided attention to a single program lasting four or five hours is not going to fly.

Solution: Cut the race length to kilometers, vice miles. The Daytona 500 would become the Daytona 500 but would be 300 miles in length. Not much room for "playing it safe and running at the rear of the field here.

(3) MegaTeams: In CTS they are absent. In a field of 34 trucks there are usually no more than 28 team owners.

Solution: Bill France Sr had a great idea after Karl Kiekhaeffer tried to turn NASCAR into his own little playground (ala Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush, et.al.) Two, count 'em 1-2, TWO teams per owner! period! End of report!. Trust me, it'd work. Competition between a bunch of owners equal innovation, action and excitement. Competition between Roush, hendreick, Childress and Gibbs equal... "Yawn."

(4) Focus: For the most part the focus of each CTS driver is to win the race, not collect points. After the race fans gets their heads around this concept, they realize that it's a pretty neat way to race.

Solution: Take most of the money out of the point fund. Give some big-assed trophies and some decent dollars at a simple banquet in Daytona beach or Charlotte, not NYC. Put the emphasis on winning the damn race, not winning the damn Cup! Trust me, it'd work.

IMNSVHO instituting the above solutions and NA$CAR would turn overnight into NASCAR and you'd see some excitement. Any race fan taking a "NASCAR Nap" during the racing then, would have to suffer from narcolepsy.

[Lefturn]

Boring for me = the telecast.

I've never been to a live NASCAR race. All I know is what I get to see on TV. Having the camera zoom in on a Chaser in 21st place is to me boring, show me the 'racing'. I could give a rip if the cars are 18th, 19th and 20th but when they are three wide, show it to us. I don't need to see Kyle Busch hitting his marks while running 3 seconds ahead of those who are RACING.

Race length for me is not an issue. I usually don't want to see them end even after 5 hours.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Lefturn

Boring for me = the telecast.

I've never been to a live NASCAR race. All I know is what I get to see on TV. Having the camera zoom in on a Chaser in 21st place is to me boring, show me the 'racing'. I could give a rip if the cars are 18th, 19th and 20th but when they are three wide, show it to us. I don't need to see Kyle Busch hitting his marks while running 3 seconds ahead of those who are RACING.

Race length for me is not an issue. I usually don't want to see them end even after 5 hours.

NA$CAR doesn't control the telecast. That is about the only thing connected with this new, flawed NA__AR (using SC - Stock Car - in this new NA$CAR is obviously a bad joke, no?) has little control over. I can't bring myself to blame NA__AR for that one.

That being said, I'm like you. I find the TV coverage of NA__AR somewhere between awful to just being totally inept.

[NASCAR Gnome]

I'm speaking only from watching on TV and not at the track...

Long runs.

Long runs make the race boring at times.

Because there is no change in the "scenery" on a oval, the nature of oval tracks is create these "lulls" between the start of the race, re-starts from cautions, and finishes. Long runs, like what happened at Talladega, can make the viewing very boring.

[jks812]

The most boring part for me is, after the first 100 laps of a 400 lap race when they just all seem to settle into a position and ride until about 100 laps to go.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by jks812

The most boring part for me is, after the first 100 laps of a 400 lap race when they just all seem to settle into a position and ride until about 100 laps to go.

Looks like yet another good argument for shortened races?

The situation you describe is something I seldom, if ever, have heard about a CTS race.

[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

(1) Race Length: CTS races are usually one-half or less the length of a Cup race. Martinsville Cup - 500 laps; CTS - 200 laps. Atlanta Cup - 500 miles; CTS 200 miles. Virtually all the viewing public today was raised on TV where sit coms instill the belief that all problems can be solved in a half hour, and no sporting event should last over three hours (the length of an NFL game). Asking any sports fan to give their undivided attention to a single program lasting four or five hours is not going to fly.

Solution: Cut the race length to kilometers, vice miles. The Daytona 500 would become the Daytona 500 but would be 300 miles in length. Not much room for "playing it safe and running at the rear of the field here.

Can help but this doesn't necessarily guarantee success.

(3) MegaTeams: In CTS they are absent. In a field of 34 trucks there are usually no more than 28 team owners.

Solution: Bill France Sr had a great idea after Karl Kiekhaeffer tried to turn NASCAR into his own little playground (ala Rick Hendrick, Jack Roush, et.al.) Two, count 'em 1-2, TWO teams per owner! period! End of report!. Trust me, it'd work. Competition between a bunch of owners equal innovation, action and excitement. Competition between Roush, hendreick, Childress and Gibbs equal... "Yawn."

How about 1 team per owner + selling 1 or 2 cars to a privateer/independent and/or maybe some engines ?!

That way the little guys can get some better material.

(4) Focus: For the most part the focus of each CTS driver is to win the race, not collect points. After the race fans gets their heads around this concept, they realize that it's a pretty neat way to race.

Solution: Take most of the money out of the point fund. Give some big-assed trophies and some decent dollars at a simple banquet in Daytona beach or Charlotte, not NYC. Put the emphasis on winning the damn race, not winning the damn Cup! Trust me, it'd work.

A better point and financial reward system would insure that drivers would be more likely to go for victory. But the only way someone would really go out to win would be if it wouldn't be a championship race.
I suppose that some non-Cup championship races might be a solution besides the point and financial reward system.

IMNSVHO instituting the above solutions and NA$CAR would turn overnight into NASCAR and you'd see some excitement. Any race fan taking a "NASCAR Nap" during the racing then, would have to suffer from narcolepsy.

Well a car that wouldn't suffer in traffic and a better telecast would definitely help.

[Quality88]

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[PettyBlue]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

]what makes a boring race

T.V.,when you could not be there to see it radio let you makeup what you though it would be like in your own mind.It was great.

[Racer Duck]

they say a picture is worth a thousand words

but not when the words you're hearing don't relate to the picture you're looking at!!

[PenelopePitStop]

Forgive me if I repeat what has already been stated. I will intentionally leave out the network coverage, the announcers, etc. I will focus solely on the race itself.

Any race where a car/driver jumps ahead of the field and stays there the entire race. "Class of the field" leads to boredom.

Lack of passing and/or the ability to pass. Let's face it--some of these tracks put on a "race" that is just about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Simply put, any race that has little or no competition ... and there have been plenty of those lately.

I guess that's why I enjoy restrictor-plate racing (except the last one). I hate single-file racing.

Someone should create a sister Thread entitled "What makes a race exciting?"

[Nevadastars]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

I'll go first.

follow the leader races - those with no passing .. probably caused by single groove tracks and "equal" cars.

I agree 100%, but also have to add, that having the same 2 or 3 usual suspects at the front of each and every race gets old really quick.