Six fast fixes for the 2008 Nationwide Series - part two

I believe that to fix the problem of the Busch/Nationwide Series dilemma will require the changing of more than one or two aspects of the current series format.  I haven't seen anybody else propose changes as sweeping as I do here.  I humor myself by thinking that I am operating outside the box.  You might think me nuts.  Here goes.

    Change the Game

In an earlier post I proposed changing at least some of the Busch Series races from 200-300 mile mini-Cup races to a sprint race format.  Every Nationwide Series race, that shares a venue with a Sprint Cup event, would become a twin 125 mile sprint race format. Similar to the way that the European Touring Car Series run their events, I would run both sprint races the same day -  with a suitable break between - and award equal points for each race.   

This format would help to differentiate the Nationwide Series further from the Cup series and provide new promotional opportunities for NASCAR - with separate naming rights for the twin sprint race feature.

   Change the Schedule

Wherever possible NASCAR should make the Nationwide Series race the star of it's own weekend.  Reschedule, as much as possible, so that Nationwide Series races are not support races for Sprint Cup events at the same venue.

The farther apart that Cup and Nationwide races are geographically, the tougher it will be for full-time Cup drivers to compete with the Nationwide-only teams.  This becomes critical with the next proposed change.

    Appearance is Everything

I call this the Busch-Wacker Rule.  I would have NASCAR set a schedule of appearance requirements for each Nationwide Series race entrant.  The rule would not add any extra requirements beyond what drivers already have - but the timing of the he schedule would be set so that any team with a full weekend presence at the Nationwide Series event would easily be able to fulfill the commitments.   Drivers with  other  obligations, such as qualifying or other Sprint Cup duties - especially when those duties are hundreds of miles away - would find the appearance requirements impossible to meet.

The penalty for non fulfillment of the Nationwide Series appearance duties would be forfeiture of all Championship points for that race.

Here endeth the Busch-Wacker phenomenon.

    Raise the Dough

Darrell Waltrip says that the amount of prize money in the Busch-Nationwide Series is too low.  I believe him.  Raising the money for the competitors would help teams with modest budgets  stay in the game.

Bigger purses will help keep the stars of NASCAR's biggest show interested even if the rules prevent them from a  run for the championship.  These guys race for two reasons.  They love to race and they love the cash.

    Change the Car

Rumors have been floating of a Car of Tomorrow type replacement for the current car fielded in the Busch Series.  That would be safer.  It would also be very expensive.

Waltrip, in the post  linked to above,  makes the case for using all of the Current Cars that will be mothballed by Cup teams in a couple weeks.  In the short run, those extinct Cup-mobiles would presumably be cheap.  But the supply is limited and that car is a notorious money pit - with all the massaging that can be done by any shop with a big budget and access to a wind tunnel.

The other popular proposal is to make the Busch-Nationwide bash a Pony Car Series -  you know Mustangs, Camaros and Challengers.   As a card-carrying fan of the  Trans Am Series of the 60's and 70's, I like the thought of that.  The problem I see is that the automakers really can't decide for sure that they want to be in that Pony Car business.  As of today, only the Mustang is actually being produced and sold.  Camaro and Challenger are on the way but nobody is certain how well they will sell after the initial rush.  Toyota doesn't have a Pony Car.  They won't have a sport coupe at all next year.

NASCAR should make the Nationwide car a composite bodied, silhouette car.  If the manufacturers are supportive of a Pony Car series, fine.  Maybe the big four would prefer racing cars that actually look like their street machines.  Either way, composite bodies can be cheap, easy to change - if the series wants to change, and could be bolted to a chassis based upon the principles of the Car of Tomorrow.

Changing the body profile would be a very popular move by NASCAR and wouldn't hurt the popularity of the Nationwide Series one bit.

   

Chase It

The Nextel Cup Series became an all summer long "must watch" sports event when NASCAR instituted the Race to the Chase and the Chase to the Nextel Cup.  It is a no-brainer to do the same thing for the Nationwide Series.  Re-setting the points before the final ten races may seem unfair to runaway early season points leaders - like Jeff Gordon in Cup this year - but it ensures some late season uncertainty.  there was none of that in the Busch Series last year with Harvick's stomping of the field or this year with Cousin Carl.

A Chase format with the top ten being re-set would be another way of heading off a mega-funded Cup team from running away with the Nationwide Series Championship.

Whew.  That's all I got.  Let me know what you think.  I'm going to bed.

Picture credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Comments

[Steve]

What? Are you kidding me? Didn't you just spend half a radio show on Tuesday night telling me that without the Cup regulars at Busch races there would be nobody watching?

Now you say that you want to make it all but impossible for Cup guys to make all the hoops that you want them to jump through and add countless thousands of dollars to their budgets flying all across the country.

Wasn't the Joe Gibbs racing debacle at Milwaukee enough of a sneak peak at your proposal to realize how flawed it is?

Before you went to bed were you and the grandkids playing "mouse Trap"? You are making this deal way too complicated. Limit the number of appearances for each driver. Do like Evernham does and share one Busch ride between all your team drivers and run for the owners championship. Only non-Cup regulars, or cup regulars with fewer than 70 Cup starts, can win a drivers championship.

Wake up Charlie--your in the midst of a bad dream.

[Charlie]

As regular listeners to ON PIT ROW already know Steve - you are an idiot.

Try reading both posts, or better yet, have someone read them too you - slowly, very slowly.

It won't matter. You'll still be an idiot - but you might start to fathom my point(s).

[RevJim]

Nationwide does need to distinguish itself from the Cup series as a separate but equal entity--like the AL and the NL in baseball, rather than the minor leagues vs the major leagues. I like most of your proposals, and I will not argue with you on these points.

[marc]

Quick question Charlie - Don't one have to own a box before you can "operate outside" of it?

And take it from me, I'm an expert at it.

Anyway, every suggestion has merit, I'll vote affirmative on each one.

Then again, I've lost my "box?"

[michael]

All good points Charlie, even though Steve is an idiot..lol. Perhaps "The Box" has collaspsed Marc

[marc]

Nah... my box didn't collapse, my box got all soft a mushy in a Texas rain storm.

Not sure about Charlies, I think I saw it on EBay.

Steves "box?" It's better left unsaid.

[Charlie]

You guys are starting to worry me. I think that I will choose my metaphors more carefully in future posts. I would like to hear more about that Texas rain storm though, Marc.

[Steve]

I had my daughter read me your posts.

You are right Charlie--they're all GREAT ideas.

[Charlie]

See Steve? I knew that with a bit of professional help, a spark of insight could be found in the darkness of your mind :)