NASCAR yesterday overhauled its competitive model in the hopes fans will see "performance throughout individual races and the regular season will be relevant to the championship run," according to Brant James of USA TODAY. Races will be "divided into three stages, with the top 10 drivers in the running order at the first two breaks awarded points, from 10 for the leader to one for 10th place." Races will be "halted at a pre-determined lap decided by the length and size of the track," and at the end of the race, the winner will be "awarded 40 points, the second-place driver 35, with descending values to 35th place." One major change will see drivers "earn bonus points, or championship points, during the 26-race regular season: 15 for the regular-season championship; 15 for finishing in the top 10 at the regular-season finale at Richmond International Raceway; five for each victory; and one for each stage win." Those bonus points will "establish playoff seeding for the final 10 races and carry over into the 10-race playoff." Drivers still would qualify for the playoffs under the current system "by virtue of a win or by finishing in the top 16 in points without a win." The 16 drivers in the playoffs will keep the bonus points "through each of the three elimination rounds before the points are reset for the four-driver finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November." The new format applies to "all three national touring series" and is "clearly an attempt to make the sport more digestible for a new generation unwilling to log four hours watching motorsports." For fans who "found it difficult to sit for an entire race uninterrupted, this offers them built-in breaks" and TV built-in commercial time (USATODAY.com, 1/23). Driver Denny Hamlin: "The old-school fan actually should love this. You're crowning your champion based off 36 races now again. It's not just that 10 races. Every single race matters" (ESPN.com, 1/23).
ALL PARTIES INVOVLED IN DECISION: In Daytona Beach, Godwin Kelly reports all parties within NASCAR, "including television partners, title sponsors, drivers, track operators, team owners, was involved with this major overhaul." The NASCAR driver council appears to have had a "huge role in drafting the new rules" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 1/24). Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark said there were "representatives from every NASCAR stakeholder in that room." Newmark: "It was really phenomenal to watch the interaction. ... You're getting feedback from the tracks and broadcasters about what we need to be doing to build a better product for the fans. One of the statistics that we were told is that in a lot of the fan surveys, 81% of avid fans actually were in favor of looking at format changes" ("The Morning Drive," SiriusXM Radio, 1/24). Fox Sports' Jeff Gordon said what came out of the meeting was "this balance between what the fans are asking for and what we can do to make the races even more exciting and make more moments." Gordon also stressed "balancing out competition and what the competitors are going to go through, and I think we came out with something really incredible" ("NASCAR Special," FS1, 1/23).
ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE: A NASCAR spokesperson said that the changes "are 'a fan-driven thing' and should enhance the viewing experience both on TV and in the stands." In K.C., Tod Palmer notes the changes also will create "natural breaks in the action like the end of a quarter or intermission in other major sports" (K.C. STAR, 1/24). In Orlando, George Diaz notes the cautions will "make for more natural commercial breaks for NASCAR’s broadcast partners Fox Sports and NBC Sports." The changes were "met with mixed emotions in social media, some fans calling it 'fluff' and others dismissing it as a 'joke.'” However, everyone on stage during the announcement "was in lockstep: Change is good, with the word 'moments' a repeated mantra" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 1/24). NBC Sports' Jeff Burton: "When a race fan buys a ticket, they deserve to see a race that's going to to impact the championship. The 'win-and-you're in' format was awesome, but also took the drivers and teams off the hook a little bit. Now they still have a reason to go race" ("NASCAR Special," FS1, 1/23).
CHANGE WAS COMING: In Charlotte, Scott Fowler writes this feels "very gimmicky" and "very complicated." While adding the change "feels a little desperate." Fowler writes, "It's not nearly as dumb as it sounds. In fact, it's pretty smart." NASCAR "had to change something." More Fowler: "Everyone knew that. Look at the stands at any race track and you could see the evidence -- tens of thousands of empty seats everywhere. Look at the declining TV ratings and you could see more evidence." The new system has some "natural, made-for-TV dramatic peaks in the first third and middle third of the race" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/24). In Daytona Beach, Ken Willis writes it "might not be the ultimate attempt to get a better grip on the attention of casual race fans, but it's a good effort." Willis: "Of course this is done for television. ... But at minimum, it looks like it'll increase the level of competition on a lap-by-lap and week-by-week basis. And that's a positive, even if you're initially reluctant to change" (Daytona Beach NEWS-JOURNAL, 1/24). FOXSPORTS.com's Tom Jensen wrote NASCAR "could ill afford to not make changes," as every major sport in the U.S. is "having to adjust its business model to align with changing consumer habits." Jensen: "While many fans don’t like change -- any change, in some cases -- in this day and age, you can’t simply stand pat and hope business picks up" (FOXSPORTS.com, 1/23).
FIXER UPPER: USA TODAY's James notes this was a risk "worth taking for a sport in which three stars -- Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and, surprisingly, Carl Edwards -- have retired in the last two seasons and television ratings and turnstile counts underscore ongoing doldrums." This was NASCAR's "hierarchy at work, not new title sponsor Monster Energy." It "wasn’t change for the sake of an entrance, but change for the sake of fixing something" (USA TODAY, 1/24). MOTORSPORT.com's Lee Spencer wrote NASCAR "needed to spice up a recipe that was simply too bland for younger appetites" (MOTORSPORT.com, 1/23). ESPN.com's Ryan McGee noted the "intent is great: To make every lap of the season ... matter as much as possible." The plan NASCAR unveiled "meets every goal they looked to achieve during months of industrywide committee meetings." McGee: "It really, probably, likely will work. But damn, it is complicated" (ESPN.com, 1/23). YAHOO SPORTS' Nick Bromberg wrote while the move to segments is "clearly an easy way to make the sport more appealing to those used to stick-and-ball sports, a more complicated scoring system is a harder sell." In the new format, a driver with a 55 points could "easily finish behind one with 47 points at the end of the race." Bromberg: "That could be a tough sell" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/23).
CHASED OFF: In Charlotte, David Scott writes the "Chase' is gone and the 'playoffs' have arrived." NASCAR Exec VP & Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O'Donnell said that there has "long been confusion about what the Chase is among those not familiar with the sport." Now the 10-race postseason will "simply be called the playoffs" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 1/24). NBCSPORTS.com's Nate Ryan wrote for an “image-conscious sport desperate for corporate sponsorship, the switch to ‘playoffs’ still matters even without an iota of on-track impact.” Ryan: “It’s about appropriating an existing sports term that carries major-league cachet” (NBCSPORTS.com, 1/23).
