<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541</id><updated>2011-11-27T17:09:40.229-08:00</updated><category term='NASCAR'/><category term='RacingIn.com'/><category term='IRL'/><category term='NASCAR Banquet'/><category term='stock car commission'/><category term='NASCAR in Las Vegas'/><category term='racing'/><category term='double file restarts'/><category term='Carl Long'/><category term='changes'/><category term='local racing'/><category term='Great Racing'/><category term='Chicagoland'/><title type='text'>Random Thoughts from RacingIn.com</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>14</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-4591449895753211649</id><published>2011-05-22T06:41:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2011-05-22T07:55:17.202-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Grass Roots Racing's Conection to NASCAR:  How the All Star Race Shows The Links Loud and Clear!</title><content type='html'>As &lt;a title="RacingIn.com, For Fans of Fast" href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;RacingIn.com&lt;/a&gt; continues to connect &lt;a title="Racing Pages of Any Fan, Anywhere" href="http://www.racingin.com/fan/"&gt;every race fan&lt;/a&gt; with &lt;a title="Racer Directory of Any Racer, Anywhere" href="http://www.racingin.com/racer/"&gt;any racer, anywhere&lt;/a&gt; and any track across the United States, we seldom engage in discussion about major motorsports series like NASCAR, IZOD IndyCar, World of Outlaws, or the NHRA.  &lt;span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"&gt;RacingIn.com is simply the Switzerland of the motorsports world seeking to connect more fans with more fast.  &lt;/span&gt;However, today seems a good day to step into the debate and offer our thoughts on the state of the continuum from &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/racer/"&gt;local racers all across the United States&lt;/a&gt; to the pinnacles of their particularly format of individual racing.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thinking about last night's race, some say the format of the All Star Race creates 'manufactured' racing highlights.  Some love it because it's shorter and 'made for TV' in the excitement it creates with the broadcast.  Personally, it reminds me of the roots of racing at &lt;a title="United States Track Directory" href="http://www.racingin.com/track/"&gt;countless tracks all across the United States&lt;/a&gt;.  Now, before you call me crazy, let's look at how the different pieces of the All Star weekend actually mirror what happens at &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/track/"&gt;nearly 1,000 local short tracks&lt;/a&gt; every weekend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;First off, Qualifying... Timed laps to determine starting position (with the added kink of the pit change for the All Star Race) reminds me of qualifying heats at local tracks.  Yeah, some local tracks do actual heat races and others do qualifying laps, but qualifying is a part of the fabric of racing at all levels.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The B-Main... AKA, The Sprint Showdown... Seriously!  Doesn't this almost feel like it's the 'B-Main' of the All Star weekend?  After all, for those not already in the All Star Race (The A-Main), they had to qualify for their starting position in the Showdown, too and if they finished in the Top 2, they made the All Star Race... The A-Main&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The A-Main... The All Star Race, itself.  An extremely LARGE PORTION of the overall purse for the winner and very little money (comparatively) for the rest of the field, down through the finishing order.  Yes, the purse they are running for is HUGE and incomprehensible to most short-track racers, but the structure of ALOT for the winner and little or none for the rest of the field sure is familiar!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, where am I going with this?  It seems many core NASCAR fans feel like too-long races, drawn out green-flag runs and cookie-cutter tracks have taken the sizzle out of the overall feel of NASCAR.  Has the racing seen changes in the past few years?  Absolutely... especially as teams have worked to figure out the current car... But maybe, JUST MAYBE, NASCAR has something here that could enliven  the excitement not just one time a year, but 3 or 4, intermittently throughout the season.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Fans of Fast, let me present the NASCAR All Star Series!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Race #1... Bristol in the Spring!  A short-track shootout just like at small tracks across the United States!  What better way to bring back more edge of your seat excitement AND a shorter event, to a track at a time where the weather sometimes plays a big factor in whether people are going to go or not.  Think about it... The second race at Bristol is under the lights... it's got sizzle, it's in prime time!  And in the present economy, many people simply can't afford the double dip of Bristol x 2 each year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Race #2... Charlotte... The home of the All Star Race deserves to keep it there... but we might suggest spreading it out a bit.. Yeah, it's like a 2-week home vacation for the teams, but the same track 2 weeks in a row?  They can probably do more with having things spread out a bit more&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Race #3... California... WHAT!?  California?  I know, most loyalists think NASCAR doesn't belong in Los Angeles and the attendance may be the biggest reinforcer, but think about it!  LA is the home of new entertainment headlines every 15 seconds and in a place with a very short attention span, maybe a segmented All Star race will actually create more fans of the sport because they'll be able to absorb it in smaller pieces.  Yes, this would mean sending California back to the back half of the season, but maybe it's just the solution?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Race #4... Return To The Roots For the All Star Series Finale!  How about Rockingham or North Wilkesboro?  Race it the week before the final race of the chase!  Give the Chasers 1 extra week to be ready for the final race, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, make winning a race during the chase worth something more than an entry into NEXT YEAR's All Star Race.  Maybe, just maybe, this would replace the 'fear of messing up someone's chase' with the desire to run for one last 'Super Purse' THIS SEASON instead of having to wait for next year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now, we realize this is bold... we realize it's different... but if you go back to the beginning of this article, it's really not.  Like it or not the All Star Race truly seems to be the closest thing NASCAR has to mirroring short track racing all across the United States... and if somewhere around 1,000,000 Fans of Fast go to their local tracks every weekend to see this form of racing, maybe it should have a presence more than once a year at NASCAR's highest levels.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your thoughts?  We'd love to hear them!  You can &lt;a href="http://racingin.blogspot.com/2011/05/grass-roots-racings-conection-to-nascar.html#comments"&gt;CLICK HERE&lt;/a&gt; to comment!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-4591449895753211649?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/4591449895753211649/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2011/05/grass-roots-racings-conection-to-nascar.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/4591449895753211649'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/4591449895753211649'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2011/05/grass-roots-racings-conection-to-nascar.html' title='Grass Roots Racing&apos;s Conection to NASCAR:  How the All Star Race Shows The Links Loud and Clear!'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-7141972583447403717</id><published>2010-12-17T14:49:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2010-12-17T14:49:49.633-08:00</updated><title type='text'>http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Big-news-for-local-race-fans-and-racers.html?soid=1102359044649&amp;aid=fJnAiFXfSa4</title><content type='html'>&lt;a 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href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2010/12/httpmyemailconstantcontactcombig-news.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/7141972583447403717'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/7141972583447403717'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2010/12/httpmyemailconstantcontactcombig-news.html' title='http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Big-news-for-local-race-fans-and-racers.html?soid=1102359044649&amp;aid=fJnAiFXfSa4'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-8545923914428010218</id><published>2010-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2010-06-18T08:18:16.236-07:00</updated><title type='text'>RacingIn®.com Continues Growing While Connecting Every Race Fan With Racers And Race Tracks Across The United States</title><content type='html'>&lt;a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/06/prweb4134284.htm"&gt;RacingIn®.com Continues Growing While Connecting Every Race Fan With Racers And Race Tracks Across The United States&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-8545923914428010218?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='related' href='http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/06/prweb4134284.htm' title='RacingIn®.com Continues Growing While Connecting Every Race Fan With Racers And Race Tracks Across The United States'/><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/8545923914428010218/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2010/06/racingincom-continues-growing-while.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/8545923914428010218'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/8545923914428010218'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2010/06/racingincom-continues-growing-while.html' title='RacingIn®.com Continues Growing While Connecting Every Race Fan With Racers And Race Tracks Across The United States'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-2839637452564455063</id><published>2009-09-06T07:10:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-09-06T07:31:09.080-07:00</updated><title type='text'>NASCAR and Video Gamers... A Sign of a Losing Battle?</title><content type='html'>Just when NASCAR sees a couple of weeks where TV Ratings went up a smidge over last year comes a sign that it's struggle to attract a younger audience may not have been as successful as hoped.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Reading a report at Gamespot.com, it appears that EASports is moving away from the NASCAR series of video games and transitioning it's resources to support a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) game.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;What does this mean to NASCAR?  While it's not necessarily BAD news, because it probably frees them up to try and license the product to a different manufacturer, it seems a sign that, at least with the video gaming population that NASCAR just isn't appealing enough over time to create a lot of sales.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Reading &lt;a href="http://www.gamespot.com/news/6216624.html?om_act=convert&amp;amp;om_clk=newstop&amp;amp;tag=newstop;story;10"&gt;the comments at the Gamespot article&lt;/a&gt;, die-hard NASCAR fans may actually wonder whether those criticisms are of just the video game or the sport itself.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So, we're faced with yet another 'reality check' for NASCAR.  While &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;local racing&lt;/a&gt; continues to be incredibly exciting with shorter heat races and feature races, NASCAR is left wondering how to generate more excitement in the sport to not just bring back many core fans who got frustrated, but to also appeal to a new audience.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Although one might think that NASCAR and MMA are totally different sports and totally different audiences, It would seem that NASCAR might be able to learn something from MMA.  I mean, really, how many bars in your town host 'fight night' viewing parties where people pay a higher than normal cover charge to come and watch the fights with other fans?  Have you ever gone to one of those nights?  While the crowds are primarily male, there are also women mixed in and they're almost predominantly 21-35 years old.  Doesn't that sound a lot like the audience that NASCAR is trying to grow itself with?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;And after all... when was the last time you saw a bar selling tickets to a NASCAR viewing party?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;While you're thinking about that question, don't forget to look for great local racing at &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;RacingIn.com... For Fans of Fast&lt;/a&gt;!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-2839637452564455063?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/2839637452564455063/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/09/nascar-and-video-gamers-sign-of-losing.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/2839637452564455063'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/2839637452564455063'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/09/nascar-and-video-gamers-sign-of-losing.html' title='NASCAR and Video Gamers... A Sign of a Losing Battle?'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-6906403814824345940</id><published>2009-08-30T05:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-31T08:37:33.823-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Great Racing'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='IRL'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='NASCAR'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Chicagoland'/><title type='text'>Now THAT is Racing!</title><content type='html'>At &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;&lt;b&gt;RacingIn.com&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;, we love &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; as much as we love every form of racing.  Watching the IRL race from Chicagoland on Saturday night, I wondered if NASCAR was watching and seeing what I (and many others) were seeing.  It was a little late in finishing (close to 11pm central time), but &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;there was something worth seeing there.&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;COMPETITION... TO THE VERY LAST FOOT OF THE RACE!  Even better, it wasn't just competition for the win, it was competition among EVERYONE on the lead lap!&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;When a race is won by 8/1,000&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;ths&lt;/span&gt; of a second, that's something to see.... unless you blink of course.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/track/details.aspx?s=IL&amp;amp;Address_ID=0506"&gt;Chicagoland&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/track/details.aspx?s=IL&amp;amp;Address_ID=0506"&gt; Speedway&lt;/a&gt; has hosted several finishes that have been measured in thousandths of seconds and I hope &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; is taking a look.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Don't get me wrong.. I KNOW there are MAJOR DIFFERENCES between the cars.. and the audiences for that fact, but here are the other facts.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;On the final 8 laps, there were several cars fighting it out out for the first few spots... AND there were twice as many cars fighting it out for twice as may spots just behind the lead pack.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;They drove 3-wide around the track for MANY laps at a time...&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;They have a button they can push in the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;IRL&lt;/span&gt; called an 'overtake' button that gives them an extra boost of power... Everybody gets the same number of pushes per race and it's as integral to strategy as winning pit strategy!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Again.... Technically, VERY DIFFERENT cars.... but for all the knocks that the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;IRL&lt;/span&gt; has taken over the years for 'the split', it seems that the reunion (at least at this race) is giving a lot of competitive racing for the fans of MANY racers to be excited about.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Can you imagine a 10 lap, end of race green flag run in &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; (at any track other than &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"&gt;Daytona&lt;/span&gt; and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"&gt;Talladega&lt;/span&gt;) and ending up with 16 cars within a second of each other, fighting up to 3 wide ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TRACK?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Now THAT would be a sight to see!  It'd be a heck of a lot more exciting for a lot more people whose drivers would have a greater chance at something more than a few more parade laps in a car that sometimes seems to stick to the track as good as a used post-it note.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-6906403814824345940?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/6906403814824345940/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/08/now-that-is-racing.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/6906403814824345940'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/6906403814824345940'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/08/now-that-is-racing.html' title='Now THAT is Racing!'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-6751287469456464439</id><published>2009-06-07T09:28:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-07T09:33:04.683-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Cheers to NASCAR For Acting... Now, let's see some Racin'!</title><content type='html'>Kudos to NASCAR for instituting the double file restarts this weekend at Pocono!  &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The end of the Dover race proved that the current car CAN show off some great racing, but it obviously also depends on not just a drivers' ability, but their teams ability to maximize the little bit of flexibility they get in the set up of the car.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;There's a part of me that thinks the double file restarts actually showcases the CREW CHIEF'S abilities as much as it does the drivers.  Without 'lap cars' to pass, EVERY RESTART will be a true showcase not juse of how a driver restarts but how their crew chief was able to tweak their car to get better over the last run.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Yeah, there's always a few laps of racing at the start of a race, but Pocono being such a long track will also show that they get stretched out pretty quick too... &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;NASCAR has always had top talent both in-car and on-box and now we'll really get a chance to see how well 'in-race changes' are able to be made to make cars better or worse.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;And now that Digger's gone from the TV coverage, we won't be distracted by those darn cartoons either!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Cheers folks!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-6751287469456464439?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/6751287469456464439/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/06/cheers-to-nascar-for-acting-now-lets.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/6751287469456464439'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/6751287469456464439'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/06/cheers-to-nascar-for-acting-now-lets.html' title='Cheers to NASCAR For Acting... Now, let&apos;s see some Racin&apos;!'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-6147262019907612529</id><published>2009-06-03T04:46:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-03T10:38:01.704-07:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='local racing'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Carl Long'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='double file restarts'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='stock car commission'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='NASCAR'/><title type='text'>With NASCAR, No Action is as Powerful as The Wrong Action</title><content type='html'>First, let me say that I agree with Matt Kenseth who, at the end of the race in Dover commented that this car does allow for &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;some&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; great racing... keyword 'some'.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;But, let's get to 2 issues where NASCAR's 'INACTION' is really giving fans a chance to assess what NASCAR's actual INTENT is in &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;walking the walk &lt;/span&gt;instead of just &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;talking the talk.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Issue #1:  Enacting Double File Restarts with lap cars IN THE BACK.. this has been avoided even though...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;...  EVERYONE KNOWS from the experiences in the AllStar Race that 2x2 restarts are exciting.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;...  The Lucky Dog eliminates the need for lap cars to fight with leaders over track position&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;...  The great racing between Tony and Jimmie on Sunday COULD HAVE BEEN EVEN BETTER if a few in the latter half of the top 10 werent stuck behind drivers like Kevin Harvick who were a lap down and fighting over their 'lap down position' in front of drivers still trying to move up in the top 10!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Imagine if all of the top 10 had started double file with 30 laps left?  Would Jimmie have gotten up to the front so quickly?  The RACING would have been absolutely incredible instead of just great.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;ISSUE #2:  Carl Long and his suspension/fine being upheld as originally announced.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Looking through comment boards at Yahoo and ESPN to articles on this, I don't think anything needs to be said about how 'wrong' it seems and how angry people are with NASCAR about seeming to not care about the little guy.. so I'm going to offer a different analysis.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;NASCAR prides itself on enforcing rules with Black and White... &lt;/span&gt;this gives them the 'consistency' and 'by the book' excuse for ruling by the LETTER OF THE LAW.  Of course, their penalties lack the same consistency, but that's written about by too many already.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;What I'm hoping is that NASCAR starts to appreciate the GREY area a little more...&lt;/span&gt; no, not by 'altering' or 'bending' the rules, but the grey area I'm talking about is the 'Grey Bleachers' showing through at more and more venues because they are unoccupied by fans.  That's the Grey Area they should really be concerned with and this latest Long fiasco seems to be the 'last straw' for many fans who are fed up with what appears to be a dictatorial approach.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;So, there you have it... 2 instances where NASCAR could have chosen to NOT ACT.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The Competition folks could have instituted double file restarts long ago based on what they have been seeing for a while.... they have chosen NOT TO ACT for too long&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The Appeals Commission could have chosen TO ACT in a way that not only abided by the LETTER OF THE LAW but also reinforced the SPIRIT OF THE LAW... They chose to NOT ACT to even reduce a penalty that seems ridiculous to most.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;So, the single thing we hope NASCAR recognizes is this... NOT ACTING is as much of a choice as ACTING in a way that is proven to be 'detrimental to stock car racing'.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;If you see another example of NASCAR's INACTION as the chosen action, &lt;a href="http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/06/with-nascar-no-action-is-as-powerful-as.html#comments"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;CLICK HERE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt; to add it to the list... let's see how long the list can get!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;And, if you choose to spend your previously 'nascar-spent money' at your local track, then &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/default.aspx"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;CLICK HERE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt; to join your fellow Fans of Fast at their local tracks all over the United States!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-6147262019907612529?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/6147262019907612529/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/06/with-nascar-no-action-is-as-powerful-as.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/6147262019907612529'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/6147262019907612529'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/06/with-nascar-no-action-is-as-powerful-as.html' title='With NASCAR, No Action is as Powerful as The Wrong Action'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-4126237254523043934</id><published>2009-05-24T05:59:00.001-07:00</published><updated>2009-05-25T09:45:14.744-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Hey NASCAR, Please Make Sure You Meet With The Fans Too!</title><content type='html'>As I sit sipping my coffee and surfing through &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Jayski&lt;/span&gt; this Sunday morning, eagerly anticipating a GREAT day of all kinds of racing, I read about the expanded focus of the Team/Driver meetings with &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; this coming Tuesday in Charlotte.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Supposedly, as reported at &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;mikemulhern&lt;/span&gt;.net, there will be 'mini-meetings' for each of the individual cup teams to sit down and talk how Cup racing can be made more compelling... and then it HIT ME!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Wasn't the COT, something that many say is a bore to watch 'race', supposedly designed with the input of all the teams too?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;  And I thought... Uh-oh... Here they go again.  Now don't get me wrong, I am NOT bashing NASCAR and recognize that there is a ton of great stuff that has happened in &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; as it has grown, but i started to think about MY history as a race fan and thought I'd share it because I have a feeling it may be similar to many of you...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I've been watching &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; since Bill Elliott drove the #9 Coors &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;Melling&lt;/span&gt; Ford all over the place and I was his biggest fan &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;(Really, I was... REALLY!!).  &lt;/span&gt;Typically, whenever our family would gather for a birthday or anniversary, the TV would be on 1 of 2 things, a Red &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;Sox&lt;/span&gt; game (we lived in South Eastern New England) or a &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; race.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I even spent time at Stafford Motor Speedway where my father worked the pit gates for a couple of years and watching those SK &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;Modifieds&lt;/span&gt; was incredibly exciting, but I never forgot the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"&gt;indelible&lt;/span&gt; images of the #9 Coors &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"&gt;Melling&lt;/span&gt; Ford zooming around the track... it was recognizable, it looked different than the other cars and I could 'see one' on the road too!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Wow, how times have changed... Little did I know that 25 years later I'd have worked in the world of &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; and ended up creating &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;a website that was all about LOCAL racing...&lt;/a&gt; mostly because I could see a change happening, almost in slow motion... I felt like I wasn't watching racing anymore, I felt like at least half the time on those D-shaped tracks, I was watching parade laps where there would occasionally be a fight for a position, but seldom a real race for the lead that lasted more &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"&gt;than a&lt;/span&gt; few laps at the most.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;THEN, I went to Sycamore Speedway in Illinois and I got reacquainted with local racing... I brought my kids... they raced in the bubble gum race on the track... they looked at the cars lined up in the parking lot at the end of the night as we walked to the car... They were TRULY amazed and I felt like I was transported back to those I'd spent at Stafford Motor Speedway with my Dad... I realized I had gotten to a point where I wasn't enjoying the actual racing anymore, I was enjoying the 'Business of &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt;' and getting sponsors involved far more than I was enjoying the actual competition of Racing... and I was glad to be back at a small local track.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Having been in the media, I can talk about why more commercials cause tune out.  I can talk about WHY people tune-in and why they stay or leave.  I can even talk about how ANYONE in the media should have seen the decreased ratings coming at least a year or two ago when that giant media contract was signed and the car was changed.  But this column isn't about bashing &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; and telling them what they did wrong, it's about asking them to do something that many think they haven't done in a long time... &lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Listen to the Fans... Solicit their opinions... AND PLEASE... DON'T MAKE ANY MORE CHANGES UNTIL YOU GET REAL FEEDBACK FROM THOSE YOU RELY ON FOR YOUR &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"&gt;EXISTENCE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So, in the case they don't do that directly, let's use this forum as a way to give our feedback about the changes we think would help... Although I can't promise it'll make any impact or truly get considered, I promise I'll make sure they all get to the people I know that are higher up in the chain at &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt;.  And whatever response I get, I'll post that here too if/when I get it.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;After all, whatever you feel about &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; today, it doesn't change how you've felt about it the rest of your life and the enjoyment that you've felt from it too... So, think for a second about what you would say if you were sitting across a table from &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; officials, hit the 'comment button' below and don't forget, feedback is always listened to more intently when it's conveyed in a respectful way without name-calling, anger and ridicule. &lt;a href="http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/hey-nascar-fan-feedback-should-be.html#comments"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt;CLICK HERE&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"&gt; to read the comments so far or to leave your comments now!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Cheers folks and enjoy a great day of racing from all over the world!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-4126237254523043934?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/4126237254523043934/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/hey-nascar-fan-feedback-should-be.html#comment-form' title='14 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/4126237254523043934'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/4126237254523043934'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/hey-nascar-fan-feedback-should-be.html' title='Hey NASCAR, Please Make Sure You Meet With The Fans Too!'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>14</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-5214237513361259247</id><published>2009-05-17T08:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-05-17T08:18:51.095-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Lessons Learned From the NASCAR All Star Race in Charlotte</title><content type='html'>So, as we sit and think about the great stories that unfolded last night and the great racing that was seen in short segments, there are many, many things that come to mind as lessons learned in Charlotte last night... &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... Tony Stewart and Chevrolet are meant to be together and Ryan Newman is way better than he ever showed at Penske&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... Yes, Kyle Busch CAN put a race car pretty much he darn well wants to and where few would think about doing it first&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... Pre-Determined segment lengths where 'position counts' in each one really do make for some great racing&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... Integrating the pit crews into the competition adds another level of excitement&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... The Speed Channel does racing REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY well&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... Seeing 20 cars MISS Jeff Gordon within about 1.3 seconds at well over 150 mph prooves that these guys are absolutely incredible drivers&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;YEAH, those were some of the positive things that I saw... but there were some negative ones as well.. or actually 1 REALLY negative one that scares me about next week's 600...&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;In Segment #3, with just 20 laps of racing, by the end of the segment the field was separated by almost a half a track....  And this SCARES THE HECK OUT OF ME that the follow-up to an incredible weekend of racing that probably made lots of highlight reels and could actually attract NEW EYES to the sport will probably end up being a race that is more like a lot of long drawn out parade laps.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE NASCAR... do something to figure out how to make the racing as exciting at D-Shaped Ovals as it was at Richmond and Darlington (on shorter tracks) and at the All Star Race last night...  This may be my opinion only, but the answer to increasing excitement at those cookie cutters may indeed be more segmented racing.... but I'm just a 'Fan of Fast'... what do I know!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Feel free to leave your comments below on what you liked and didn't like about the AllStar Race and what you think the 600 will end up being.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-5214237513361259247?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/5214237513361259247/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/lessons-learned-from-nascar-all-star.html#comment-form' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/5214237513361259247'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/5214237513361259247'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/lessons-learned-from-nascar-all-star.html' title='Lessons Learned From the NASCAR All Star Race in Charlotte'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-2022884162284489270</id><published>2009-05-03T05:09:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-05-03T05:54:00.483-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Racing At Richmond... Actual RACING!?</title><content type='html'>Let me be the first to acknowledge that I am probably the first to complain about strung out 'follow the leader, lap half the field, 3 contender' races at those D-shaped 'ovals'.... BORING!!!&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I've also said that maybe with all the 'pack' racing at Plate Tracks that if competitive 'racing' is what drives viewership then maybe every track should get a plate... Kind of like IROC Part 2!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;However, I will honestly say that apart from the last several laps last night when Kyle Busch shined and pulled away, I think I saw more real 'racing' last night than I've seen in a LONG time.  Until the TV #s come out, we won't know whether it mattered or not because who knows if more people than not have gone away and aren't coming back... BUT... I'm sure as heck glad that Richmond has 2 races!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;What do you think?  Maybe the 'solution' is to find a way to 'shortin' the tracks at the D-shaped ovals... After all, most of them only have stands along the front stretch anyway!  Or, if we're stuck with them, maybe NASCAR can find a way to 'sprinkle' the good racing tracks through the schedule a little better so we never end up with more than 2 weeks in a row of 'follow the leader, lap half the field, 3 contender' races.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;How would you schedule the races if YOU were NASCAR!?  The world awaits your 'Master Plan'!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-2022884162284489270?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/2022884162284489270/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/racing-at-richmond-actual-racing.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/2022884162284489270'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/2022884162284489270'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/05/racing-at-richmond-actual-racing.html' title='The Racing At Richmond... Actual RACING!?'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-1657290533630652875</id><published>2009-04-26T19:15:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-26T19:30:05.273-07:00</updated><title type='text'>How Do You Define Great Racing in NASCAR!?</title><content type='html'>So, we had quite a finish at Talladega this year... Carl goes high (in the air) after Brad goes low and we saw glimpses of potential tragedy with drivers and fans... Even on Saturday, when Matt Kenseth got bumped too hard and went end over end for a while, we held our collective breaths that he would walk away safely.  Of course, we pray for good health for all those impacted by debris.  &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;However, the racing that was seen at Talladega also calls to mind exactly what NASCAR fans expect and/or deserve when they think about the term 'Great Racing'.  After all, we've had plenty of it this year.  Yeah, there have been plenty of drawn out parade laps with long runs, but in a few races, we've seen great finishes because of late cautions that (thankfully) bunched the field up.  Then, at Talladega (as earlier at Daytona), we get 'treated' to 3 and 4 wide racing because the cars are articificially controlled to not be able to 'outpower' anyone else... so ultimately, knowing how to 'work the draft' at the right time is a more important skill than manufacturing horse power.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So, the question is, just what is 'Great Racing'?  Is it the 20 lap shootouts we've seen a couple times?  Is 'Great Racing' the controlled chaos of 35 cars running 3 wide within 2 seconds of each other for tens of laps on end like we see at Daytona and Talladega?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Maybe the better question is what's NOT 'Great Racing'?  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... 100 'parade laps' where one by one, there are less than half on the lead lap by the end of the race&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... short track races where a tank-like car all but makes passing impossible and guarantees where 'track position' is more important than a drivers' ability to move someone out of the way&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;... Long green flag runs where you're praying for debris to bunch the field up before the 21st car gets lapped TWICE in the same run&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Yeah, those are all definitely NOT great racing.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So, it seems that NASCAR has a task at hand... create a product that offers Great Racing and incredible excitment not just for a few brief periods, but not necessarily for the entire 4.5 hours either.... We wish them luck because in the meantime, we'll be watching Great Racing in heats and qualifiers all over the United States and hoping that NASCAR figures it out before the local dirt tracks around Marion Center and North Cambria, PA are outdrawing the snooze fests across the state at Pocono.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;What's your definition of Great Racing?  We think it'd be a GREAT debate!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-1657290533630652875?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/1657290533630652875/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-do-you-define-great-racing-in.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/1657290533630652875'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/1657290533630652875'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/04/how-do-you-define-great-racing-in.html' title='How Do You Define Great Racing in NASCAR!?'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-8366368645970677523</id><published>2009-04-19T08:28:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-04-19T10:09:22.121-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Is it Gimmick Time for NASCAR?  Great Chats Lead to Great Ideas!</title><content type='html'>So, let's think for a minute about how much excitement plays out at tracks all over the nation every weekend night while &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;modifieds&lt;/span&gt;, sprints, and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;superstocks&lt;/span&gt; battle for a little bit of area on a small track...  Much of it with dirt flying into into the beards and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;sodapops&lt;/span&gt; of the families watching on the edge of their bleacher.&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;While chatting with some great race fans during the phoenix race, we started debating how &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; could re-ignite some excitement that could generate some real buzz among current fans and potentially NEW fans.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;What did we debate more than anything else?  A multi-night dirt track race featuring all the current &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; drivers battling it out for 'King of the Dirt' at a premiere dirt track somewhere in the US.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;I know... Tony Stewart has built an incredible event at &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;Eldora&lt;/span&gt;... but it doesn't include everybody and if memory serves me correctly, the only way it can be seen by people not in the stands is on Pay Per View.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;What if &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; decided to put on a gimmick race with no other goal than to try and create some buzz... 43 Drivers... or heck, invite all active drivers including Cup, Truck, and Nationwide... Make it a 2 or 3 day event with blind draws, heats, and even 1 on 1 races between a randomly drawn &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; driver and a local champ from somewhere in the US?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Televise it on a Tuesday/Wednesday night (LIVE) and let the program run like only local tracks know how to do it... CONTINUOUS action... as one heat leaves the track, the other comes on.  Have live cameras in the pits out behind the track where the activity is constantly a craze while cars crews race to get their cars ready for the next heat.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Yeah, I know it's probably a pipe dream that &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;NASCAR&lt;/span&gt; embrace something like this, but with TV Ratings down in virtually every race this year, maybe it's time for something like this to generate some buzz... maybe it is 'Gimmick Time'!  What do you think?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;If you're a Fan of Fast and need to find a track near you,&lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt; click here&lt;/a&gt; to check out &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;RacingIn.com&lt;/a&gt; and create your own Race Fan Profile!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-8366368645970677523?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/8366368645970677523/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/04/great-chats-lead-to-great-ideas-even-if.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/8366368645970677523'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/8366368645970677523'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/04/great-chats-lead-to-great-ideas-even-if.html' title='Is it Gimmick Time for NASCAR?  Great Chats Lead to Great Ideas!'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-1451540662930133595</id><published>2009-03-02T11:24:00.001-08:00</published><updated>2009-03-02T11:36:22.687-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='NASCAR Banquet'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='NASCAR in Las Vegas'/><title type='text'>Hey NASCAR... What Happens in Vegas... Should Happen MORE In Vegas!</title><content type='html'>Just a week after another low fan turnout in California, Las Vegas proved it has a NASCAR crowd by a reported SELL OUT of 140,000.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that actually more filled seats than Daytona?  Or at least within 10% of the Daytona crowd?&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;So, this fan-slash-marketing guy has to ask the question...&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;HEY NASCAR... Why continue to put on your annual coronation banquet in New York City where it is OUT OF TOUCH with fans?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The Country Music Awards left their home in Nashville for ONE YEAR to give NYC a try and realized NYC didn't care... they went back to Nashville.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;My sister works on 5th Avenue and every year I ask her if there's any buzz about the awards and her response is always, "Oh.. is that this week?".  And oh, by the way, she's actually a bit of a fan... the kind who would probably be a bigger one if she was invited regularly.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Yeah... New York City is great... All the ad agencies are there and a lot of your clients... but how about making it time to make the awards ceremony accessible to FANS and not just those sponsors, team members, owners, and all their wives who live off money that only exists because fans support the sport?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Take the awards show out of a banquet hall... put it in an entertainment venue... invite fans to listen to announcers, drivers, bands, see some cool performance shows...  And let someone from OUTSIDE of NASCAR produce it.  How about Dick Clark Productions?  You might actually end up with a program that's fit for TV that more than just NASCAR fans might tune in for!  And who knows... maybe someone tuning in for the entertainment portion might actually turn into a NASCAR fan while you're at it!  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Wouldn't that be a change!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-1451540662930133595?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/1451540662930133595/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/03/hey-nascar-what-happens-in-vegas-should.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/1451540662930133595'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/1451540662930133595'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/03/hey-nascar-what-happens-in-vegas-should.html' title='Hey NASCAR... What Happens in Vegas... Should Happen MORE In Vegas!'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1496108638128724541.post-1615950200733705194</id><published>2009-02-23T07:28:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-23T11:42:17.418-08:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='RacingIn.com'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='local racing'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='changes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='racing'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='NASCAR'/><title type='text'>Is Shorter Better for Great Racing?</title><content type='html'>Watching the racing at California was absolutely incredible... for at least the first few laps after each caution.   &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div&gt;Obviously Matt, Jeff, and Kyle had GREAT cars, but if it weren't for that last rain caution that kept Jr. on the lead lap, we'd have been destined for less than 10 cars on the lead lap and although there was some great 'end of the race' racing between 3 cars, wouldn't it be better if that finish was with 12 or 15 cars battling for the top 10 positions side by side and bumper to bumper within 10 or 15 seconds of each other?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Some say shorter racing... some say 'heats'... some say flip the field on restarts... What about a combination of ALL OF THE ABOVE?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Yeah, Daytona is a different monster because of the size of the track and the banking and so much more... but The Bud Shootout and the All Star race has shown us that GREAT racing can happen AFTER a longer break because SIGNIFICANT changes can be made that make someone who was horrible, at least competitive for later in the race.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Maybe if NASCAR really wants to compete like a stick and ball sport, they need to start realizing that their current model is like televising a marathon rather than a game with quarters, periods, halves or innings?&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Think about it... Scheduled Breaks with SPECIFIC ADJUSTMENTS that could happen during each one... More racers would be relevant for more of the race... more fans would be engaged longer... and TV would be able to schedul all those commercials better and not really risk missing some great racing!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Of course, for short race excitement, there's aways local racing on small tracks all over the US! The season is almost here and you can find your local track at www.RacingIn.com.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;PLUS, you can create your personal 'Racing Space' too!  &lt;a href="http://www.racingin.com/"&gt;CLICK HERE&lt;/a&gt; to join the crowd at RacingIn.com... For Fans of Fast! &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/1496108638128724541-1615950200733705194?l=racingin.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/feeds/1615950200733705194/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-shorter-better-for-great-racing.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/1615950200733705194'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/1496108638128724541/posts/default/1615950200733705194'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://racingin.blogspot.com/2009/02/is-shorter-better-for-great-racing.html' title='Is Shorter Better for Great Racing?'/><author><name>RacingIn, For Fans of Fast!</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/17834698072436681979</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='11' src='http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_3BbT4uvdNJI/SX8Ggx6O_wI/AAAAAAAAAAU/VWMCHtiDzV8/S220/RacingIn,400wjpg.jpg'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
