This may be a good time to hit up NASCAR Chairman Brian France for a loan. After a couple of years in purgatory, it seems that NASCAR in general and the Sprint Cup series in particular have come roaring back. After the first three races of the season, all signs are positive. In-person attendance is up, TV ratings are up, and best of all, NASCAR Sprint Cup racing has become interesting again. Already this year, there have been two heartwarming, fairy-tale-like stories.
The first came when an unknown 20-year-old racer named Trevor Bayne came out of nowhere to win the Daytona 500, NASCAR’s most prestigious race. For a series that is seeking to be more relevant to the youth market (the coveted 18 to 34 demographic), Bayne’s improbable victory couldn’t have come at a better time. And the fact that it came for the legendary Woods Brothers team was just icing on the cake.
But if that wasn’t a good enough story, how about former champion Jeff Gordon’s return to the winner’s circle after a 66-race drought? There was a time when Gordon was the guy the fans loved to hate, largely because he wasn’t considered one of the good ol’ boys from the Southeast who should rightly win NASCAR races. But over the course of his lengthy dry spell, his graciousness and stick-to-it nature have largely won over his former detractors. When he took the checkered flag at Phoenix, the fans were on their feet screaming his name -- screaming for him, not against him.
While these feel-good stories have undoubtedly helped NASCAR regain its relevance, one shouldn’t discount the behind-the-scenes actions the series has taken to make the show better -- and make no mistake that NASCAR is a show. Most important of all, though it had its detractors, the former Car of Tomorrow that is the Sprint Cup car of today is a success. The car is safer, and the racing is closer -- making each race more interesting for the fan to watch. Sponsors are following crowds back to the series, and we expect to see more growth in the sport as the economy heats up, even as this year unfolds.
Now the key issue that NASCAR needs to address is the maintenance of the momentum -- with a particular focus on the length of its season. At approximately 11 months, it just seems too long. Certainly NASCAR doesn’t want to give up lucrative dates, but putting some effort into rationalizing the schedule may be the next order of business for NASCAR.
