NASCAR Could Attract New Fans By Having Half The Cars Drive The Other Direction

At one time, NASCAR was one of the fastest growing sports in the country, and even the word.  The marketing machine that was stock car racing was pulling in billions upon billions of dollars in revenue every year.  It seemed as though NASCAR was coming out of the trailer parks and into the mainstream of American culture.

The problem with any fad is that sooner or later, people realize it’s a fad — as they did with NASCAR.

One can only watch so many races before they realize it’s the same thing over and over.  The cars get on the track, they go round and round, sometimes they crash, and at the end of it someone wins.  That’s it.  Unless someone is really, super into the splits and stats of each race and the nuts and bolts of the strategy involved — stock car racing can be boring.

Take for example the Auto Club 400.  When NASCAR first changed the schedule to race in Fontana, CA, it was huge news.  NASCAR comes to Southern California! Soon after, fans realized they weren’t that into NASCAR and the novelty wore off.  Here you are now, and management actually had to remove seats from the speedway.  Even residents of Fontana barely notice when the race is in town.

How does NASCAR win fans back?  With a simple rule change.  Have half of the cars drive clockwise.

It’s so genius, it’s almost stupid.  When you have the top qualifying cars driving counter-clockwise, and the bottom half driving the other way — that’s exciting.  Far more exciting than watching the same cars go round and round for three hours.  This way there’s excitement and much more intriguing strategy.  Going straight while dodging oncoming traffic could make for exciting racing.

It’s not just for the experience.  NASCAR has to remember that most fans are not going to sit and watch cars racing for four hours at a time.  It’s like watching the dryer spin, if the dryer was constantly advertising sponsors.  Having a half-and-half setup will disqualify more cars, thus greatly shortening the time of the race — allowing for fans with shorter attention spans to be engaged.

NASCAR has kept the same format since the 1940s.  When even baseball can install a clock and hockey can change the overtime format, NASCAR needs to learn how to change it up to keep itself alive.

Ray Gillette is a columnist for www.RantSports.com, and a former commentator for WDUF radio in Shermer, IL.