Let me start by saying, I've been a life long racing fan. This isn't a critique of NASCAR from someone who thinks it's dumb, or doesn't get why it was once so popular.
I want NASCAR to be popular. I want it to be relevant in the worst way.
Here's the reality - NASCAR is dying a slow, miserable death, and Tuesday's announcement by Dale Earnhardt Jr. that 2017 will be his final season behind the wheel in sport's top series is yet another caution flag being waved in front of the sport.
First, Dale Jr. is allowed to hang it up whenever he wants. He has good reasons for wanting to step aside. I can't blame him for making the decision he feels is in his best interest.
But for NASCAR, seeing your 14-time most popular driver step aside when he seemingly had several good years left in front of him is a problem. And this isn't exactly the first blow the sport has had to absorb in the last 12 months.
Jeff Gordon, one of the living legends of the sport, stepped aside prior to last season, taking a spot in the broadcast booth. Carl Edwards, one of the sport's younger more popular drivers, unexpectedly retired this past offseason. Greg Biffle, a staple of the sport for years, isn't racing in 2017.
Aside from losing several of its most popular drivers, NASCAR continues to fight a losing TV ratings battle. It seems like every Monday you can open Sports Media Watch, and read about another record low rating for a race.
The cash register doesn't seem to be ringing quite as loudly for NASCAR either. Their premier series was without a title sponsor until relatively late in the game this past offseason, and per Sports Business Journal, new title sponsor Monster Energy is reportedly paying a fraction what previous sponsor Sprint was shelling out.
Luckily, according to a 2016USA Today article, NASCAR is on solid footing financially due to its TV contracts, which run through 2024. The deals are reportedly worth $8.2 billion, but you have to wonder where NASCAR might fit once those deals run out.
The cherry on top? Fans aren't showing up at the tracks like they used to. That problem is pretty self explanatory.
It's basically a quadruple whammy of issues.
Sounds gloomy, doesn't it?
Well, here at Quinn's Corner, we're not about to point out a bunch of problems without proposing a solution. So, if I was in charge of NASCAR, instead of much maligned CEO Brian France, here's where I'd start.
1. Get rid of "The Chase."
It's gimmicky. It's stupid. It undermines the credibility of the sport to true race fans. The constant competition adjustments and rule changes make NASCAR too hard to keep up with. NASCAR would be far better off reverting back to a system where the guy that runs the best, the entire season, wins the championship.
If you want more drama at the end, adopt a points system that allows for better comeback potential. Don't simply eliminate 75% of the field from championship contention at the end, and then let EVERYBODY ELSE STILL COMPETE.
If you haven't noticed, you've got a lot of drivers with no stake in the game still out running during the "playoffs." It's not like the NFL allows teams that aren't in the playoffs to keep playing games anyway.
While eliminating "The Chase" may cost NASCAR some drama down the stretch, it would also create more excitement throughout the entire season as the points battle played out over several months.
NASCAR would be far better ditching "The Chase" and reverting back to their previous season long points system.
2. Stay away from football, at all costs.
Plenty of NASCAR fans are also college and NFL football fans. Especially in terms of TV eyeballs, NASCAR isn't in a position to challenge the supremacy of college football on Saturdays, or NFL football on Sundays.
There's a couple of possible solutions here. NASCAR could elect to shorten their season, and simply be finished by the time football starts in the fall. If nothing else, the season could bleed over the the non-conference portion of the college football season and first few NFL weekends, but pushing it into November isn't a good model.
If that's not palatable, simply stay away from Saturday and Sunday prime times. Have a race or two on Friday nights. Start races at 10 A.M. or 7 P.M. on Sundays to avoid peak NFL windows.
Heck, why not try a race on a Wednesday night in the fall? The gate will likely suffer, but TV ratings could be much improved.
There's no easy solution, but going head to head with the NFL isn't a battle racing is going to win at the moment.
3. Take some of the tech out of the cars
This one would really appeal to old school NASCAR fans.
Do you know what NASCAR stands for? National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. That means, these dudes used to race stock cars - as in ones that any of us could walk into a dealership and purchase.
I'm going to guess you and I aren't walking into a local Chevy dealer and buying the same ride as Dale Jr. drives on Sundays anytime soon.
I'm not suggesting NASCAR take ANY of the safety features out of the cars, that's not the point here. But it's time to take some of the technical aspects out of racing and put more control back in the driver's hands.
Any more, it feels like you need a PhD to work for a race team, and to really grasp the tech that goes into racing.
Terms like "aero package," tire wear, grip, handing, and down force have all moved to the center of the conversation when it comes to who has the best car and wins races. Goodyear brings a different "tire compound" to every track. Quite honestly, it gets exhausting.
You know what it really should be all about? The driver. That's what sells racing, not how technically advanced the cars are.
I desperately want NASCAR to relevant. I want racing to be exciting.
I'm just not sure the pedal is close to metal as this point.
Contact the writer:
Joe@AM590ESPNRadio.com
Twitter: @JoeESPN590
