NASCAR Exploring Idea Of More Two-Day Weekends To Save Money

NASCAR Exec Says Cutting Weekends From Three To Two Days Could Save Millions

NASCAR is “exploring the possibility of more two-day weekends for 2010 in an effort to help organizations save money,” according to David Newton of ESPN.com. NASCAR VP/Competition Robin Pemberton said that such scenarios “typically are considered every year, but with tough economic times there is more support from organizations than in the past.” Pemberton “didn’t know what the savings would be, but it has been estimated that it costs $300,000 to $600,000 per car for an average three-day weekend.” Cutting a “small portion of that would result in millions for some organizations over the course of a 36-race season.” Pemberton said that changing the length of the weekend “depends on the number of events scheduled at the track.” Some race weekends can contain several smaller series in addition to the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Trucks series. Meanwhile, NASCAR also is “finalizing plans to move to more consistent start times” -- 1:00pm for most East Coast races and 3:00 or 4:00pm for West Coast events. Pemberton said that consistent start times “will make it easier for fans,” and that they will help “save money if teams get home earlier on Sunday night and shorten the work week” (ESPN.com, 9/25).

RACE FOR RATINGS: NASCAR Chair & CEO Brian France yesterday said that he “believed the quality of racing in the Sprint Cup Series has been very good, but expressed surprise at the low TV ratings” for last weekend’s Sylvania 300 Chase for the Sprint Cup opener at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The race drew a 3.2 rating on ABC, down about 16% from last season. France: “We’re obviously disappointed somewhat with the (TV) rating from last week and what we thought it was going to be, but it was just one race” (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/28). He added, “We were up in August for almost every event and up in Richmond as well, so we were a little surprised. It’s one race and I think if we keep having the kind of racing and the Chase unfolds the way I think it’s going to, that will take care of itself. We don’t have a concern about that. … The Chase has got the right storylines, the right things going on (and) the racing is very good” (SCENEDAILY.com, 9/27).

DRIVE FOR DIVERSITY: In DC, Liz Clarke wrote there is “no evidence” that driver Juan Pablo Montoya’s three seasons in NASCAR have “diversified the sport’s fan base appreciably.” Columbian journalist Diego Mejia, who has followed Montoya’s career for more than a decade, said that Colombian fans “struggled to understand why Montoya would leave Formula One for NASCAR.” But Mejia noted that there has been a “spike in interest” since Montoya became the first non-U.S.-born driver to qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup (WASHINGTON POST, 9/27).