[RonRipple]

I've been thinking a lot about how NASCAR can gain it's excitement again and one of the things I came up with was shortening the course. These new COT cars have leveled the playing feild and has made it less exciting to watch, because there isn't as much passing, and not one car dominates the WHOLE race (besides Kyle Busch).

Shortening the course would make the race shorter and make the middle of the race more exciting knowing the last 50 miles are coming soon. I LOVE NASCAR and everything about it, but I'm not going to lie, sometimes I watch these races and halfway through think to myslef, "boy I wish there were some more battles going on." If the races were shorter it would force these drivers to make their moves earlier in the race so they can make sure they're in position for a victory.

Do you guys agree with me? I don't mind spending my whole day watching the sport I love... but I'm trying to think of ways to create harder racing.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by RonRipple

I've been thinking a lot about how NASCAR can gain it's excitement again and one of the things I came up with was shortening the course. These new COT cars have leveled the playing feild and has made it less exciting to watch, because there isn't as much passing, and not one car dominates the WHOLE race (besides Kyle Busch).

Shortening the course would make the race shorter and make the middle of the race more exciting knowing the last 50 miles are coming soon. I LOVE NASCAR and everything about it, but I'm not going to lie, sometimes I watch these races and halfway through think to myslef, "boy I wish there were some more battles going on." If the races were shorter it would force these drivers to make their moves earlier in the race so they can make sure they're in position for a victory.

Do you guys agree with me? I don't mind spending my whole day watching the sport I love... but I'm trying to think of ways to create harder racing.

I'll just assume that by shortening the course you mean the length of the race as far as laps or miles and not the size of the track. One thought that I had mentioned a while ago was to actually make the length of the race a surprise so that pre planning could be taken out of the picture. As soon as the race starts reach into a hat and pull out a number of laps and go from there. Obviously there would have to be a minimum number of laps but don't you think it would be different, at least, to go to the track and have the teams totally in the dark about gas pit stops and all the other strategy involved with a known amount of laps/miles ?????

[RonRipple]

I like that idea... the only problem I see is they'd have to come up with a new way of naming some of these races. Instead of Daytona 500 or Coca-Cola 600, it would have to be named

"Coca-Cola we'll see" or "Daytona who knows"

I actually just posted a blog about some of my NASCAR ideas... check out my website. I'm pretty damn creative.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by RonRipple

I like that idea... the only problem I see is they'd have to come up with a new way of naming some of these races. Instead of Daytona 500 or Coca-Cola 600, it would have to be named

"Coca-Cola we'll see" or "Daytona who knows"

I actually just posted a blog about some of my NASCAR ideas... check out my website. I'm pretty damn creative.

Your point is well taken but ... I'm sure there are ways around that. It could be called The Coke Classic at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The other problem might be fan approval. Would you go to what used to be a 600 mile race with the thought that it might only be 301 miles instead ??? I think i would just for the unknown excitement of actual racing for the win.

[Measure]

1- Throw in a couple of time-based races. Some races should be time limited. Stop the clock for red flags, even yellow flags, if you want. Throw the white flag when time runs out, one more lap to win. Like soccer, you could keep the official clock secret for added drama.

2-Some races should keep their length. The 600 should always be the 600, for instance. What other races do we see multiple cars blowing tires and running out of fuel in the closing 5 laps? Don't mess with the Daytona 500, either. Some races are already short, like Bristol.

3- Toss in an elimination race. Drop the bottom 5 cars out of the race every 100 miles. Or be more aggressive. Who will survive?

[RonRipple]

I think the All Star Race was a great set up and kept things exciting, I think we need some races to be structured like those except for points. I will say that the race was boring as hell though with every leader in each segment pulling away but I wouldn't expect that to be typical

[Robertdjr]

How can we make NASCAR more exciting?

Tear up all the asphalt and concrete and make 'em race on dirt!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by 3fanforever

Tear up all the asphalt and concrete and make 'em race on dirt!

As exciting as that would be .... I really just don't see that one happening any time soon !!!

[Mudbug]

I think more pit stops & more races for the championship. Put the whole team more involved & not the tires & gas. Make room for team mistakes & gains. I luv to watch them pit on green @ the monster mile & bristol. It takes talent from alot of guys to get it right. They already adjusted the tank size, Adjust it again. My .02

[saltysenior]

they gained a large and growing fan base before they put the bit in the horse's mouth.......''bit'' =pit road speed,c.o.t.,carb.plates,no fight'n no cussin,no smokin,no fat wifes,less mention of car makes and car sponsors,and a endless conversation about a chosen few......no, it will never be exciting as it once was...

[j-man24fan]

Get Rid of that darned Chase System (It's Robbing people of most deserved championship, or should i say it robbed a certain person *cough* Jeff Gordon *cough* twice)!!!! shorten the points reward for races!! Shorten the # of laps in races so the longest races are 400 miles at longest. Put in a more difficult Road Course and put a foreign race in the mix! put in some saturday day races! do something about the COT so that it's not causing so many people so many problems! anything!

[NASCAR Gnome]

Originally Posted by 3fanforever

Tear up all the asphalt and concrete and make 'em race on dirt!

You know, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for:

FIGURE-8 RACING!!!

I think I played a computer racing game once and a FIG-8 was an option and boy it was WICKED FUN!!!

No, seriously though... ever thought how it would be if they ran Talladega going the OTHER WAY?!? Eh? Think about that for a second... Daytona, Talladega, Indy... all turning RIGHT instead of LEFT?

[wingkey1]

Participate, contribute, compete. drive, volunteer, work, turn wrenchs, judge, join, etc., etc. in the sport. Grow greatly beyond merely a simple broadcast, forum, conversationalist, internet, and/or grandstand spectator.

Or, remain in understanding and appreciation at a level outside of the above and wonder - "How can we make motorsports more exciting?"

Incredible.

[j-man24fan]

Originally Posted by NASCAR Gnome

You know, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for:

FIGURE-8 RACING!!!

I think I played a computer racing game once and a FIG-8 was an option and boy it was WICKED FUN!!!

No, seriously though... ever thought how it would be if they ran Talladega going the OTHER WAY?!? Eh? Think about that for a second... Daytona, Talladega, Indy... all turning RIGHT instead of LEFT?

if it's Figure 8, at least make an over + underpass on the crossovers. we'd have about 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 cautions during those races if it was just a flat criss cross.

[Bob Tanner]

I guess it all depends on how you define "exciting?"

To some, simply turning all the NA__AR tracks into figure eight tracks and have them race through a cross over. Yep, that'd make it exciting, possibly even terrifying.

My first idea on your question is, for my tastes, is to do away with the "Twisted Sister" and COT. Make the cars run cars which look like the cars we see on the street and make them run to a factory stock template. If they want to run wings, splitters, spoilers, etc., then have the companies makes these things an option to the public and shows sales for 500 prior to the season.

My second choice would be to allow the Cup cars to run the same 7" bump stop travel the trucks currently have, and then shorten all but a very few "cornerstone" races by 40%. This would curtail the boring middle of the race, just running laps, boredom we see today. The drivers would be "up on the wheel" from the green flag to the checkers.

Another possibility would be to GREATLY reduce the importance and value of the Cup Championship itself. Make the Championship worth around a single million dollars and divide the rest of the prize money among the races, all increases going to the race winner. Make the races important, not the overall championship.

On this same vein, change the point system. Make winning worth 75 points more than second. Make second worth 40 points more than third and make third 20 better than fourth. Make winning and/or running up front worth racing for. Put an end to the infernal "big picture" racing!

But then, I could be very, very wrong.