Two weeks ago the 2025 NASCAR season ended with a whimper on the desert outskirts of Phoenix.
Since then, one word has been used more than others in our corner of the Internet: Exhausted.
Exhausted by the playoffs.
Exhausted by NASCAR’s gimmicks.
Exhausted by subpar TV coverage.
Exhausted by the constant negative energy online produced by everyone who’s exhausted.
Just plain simple exhaustion of anything NASCAR related.
Thank goodness the afterthought that has become NASCAR’s awards banquet was only held two days after championship weekend. If it had been held the traditional two weeks or more, yeesh.
For everyone’s sake, the 2025 season needed to be taken out to curb as quickly as possible before the smell got really bad.
When something’s been sitting in the fridge for 28 straight weeks, no one wants to touch it. If case you needed a reminder, the NASCAR Cup Series season ended with a record 28 straight weeks of races. After the gap between the Clash and the Daytona 500, the series’ one and only bye week was in April.
That’s insane. To put it simply, the NASCAR season is too damn long and the offseason is too damn short.
Since 2001 — the first year of the sport’s modern TV era — the Cup season has consisted of 36 points races and two exhibition events, a result of NASCAR’s boom period and its constant money chase.
The last time Cup had a season with fewer than 33 points races was 1997, the only season consisting of 32 events.
That magical number 36 isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, thanks to the current TV deal and charter agreement
But hey, who knows if the charter agreement will even be valid next year? That could be determined in a North Carolina courtroom come next month.
My main point is this: for the last quarter century NASCAR fans have hardly been allowed time to miss the sport.
While all the reasons I gave at the start of this column have some degree of validity, some blame needs to be placed at what’s become of the racing calendar. Simply following the sport on a regular basis has become a chore.
At the same time, while Cup TV ratings continue to wilt in the fall, the NFL’s keep reaching record heights.
Say what you want about NASCAR’s launching the playoff era in 2004 in order to spice things up. But no matter the format, it can’t distract from the fact that NASCAR still hopes you’ll sit through 38 weeks of racing.
That was never going to be tenable, especially when your two exhibition races essentially became normal Cup events but with heat races.
There are reasons why it has experimented with a Bristol Motor Speedway dirt track, the Chicago street course, the Clash at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and next year’s military commercial in San Diego.
NASCAR needs to take stock of this: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. If you have to have 38 races, find ways to shorten the season and let the NFL run rampant in the fall.
I urge the powers that be to revisit the idea of mid-week and doubleheader races it was forced into in 2020 out of necessity.
Kansas Speedway doesn’t need two race dates. Make it a doubleheader.
Other NASCAR-owned tracks with two dates: Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Phoenix Raceway. I don’t think many fans would be upset over Phoenix only having one race date.
How about two mid-week races? One for each half of the season, held at a track within a reasonable distance from the Charlotte hub, in order to make things easier on the teams.
NASCAR executives have said when it comes to TV ratings, they have a built in expectation that at least two races will be a wash due to weather. Transfer that mindset to mid-week races.
Burnout is real. If NASCAR doesn’t do it for the fans, they should do it for the industry people.
The argument can be made that 25 seasons of 38 races has led to shorter careers, not just for drivers but also for crew members.
How many star drivers who’ve retired in the last 10 years would have stayed a little longer had they been able to enjoy the equivalent of four more weekends off in a year?
Whatever you do, NASCAR, shorten the season.
Let us miss you. Help us be excited to see you again.
Amen!
Lots of good ideas from all… too bad NA$CAR is so stupid, most of the times…more fallout from Brainless… to actually implement any of them.
For me , yes, disappointed is the correct word.
Also, don’t shorten the season, but be smart enough NOT to go against the 800lb. Gorilla, the NFL , during the peak of your season, yet still get racing to us gear heads. I know.. not so easy as it sounds….
I had put together a proposal to Nascar for a way to get out of the NFL monster a couple of years ago (which Mr. Penske did with IndyCar). The 4 Mid-Week races during the covid year were at Darlington, Charlotte, and Kansas which were all on FS1 or NBCSN and drew 2.1, 1.5, 1.71 and 2.47 M viewers. The 3 doubles at Pocono, Michigan and Dover were all on FS1 or NBCSN except for the first Pocono race. Pocono had 2.57 and 2.66, Michigan had 1.65 and 2.37, and Dover had 1.77 and 1,95 M viewers.
These numbers have a bias of limited other live sports being available to view plus other activities were minimized.
It seems like there are opportunities to create a ‘Virginia State Championship’ with Martinsville sandwiched in on a Wednesday night between Bristol and Richmond Sundays. Have a trophy and some money for the winner. The same could be done between Charlotte, North Wilkesboro and Darlington. And there are more possibilities.
Marketing VIP experiences for those who buy the package…get other attractions in the area to contribute. Get a discounts from hotel chains to encourage people to make a week of it (instead of the 4 day minimum at double the normal prices which keep people away). Camp in Charlotte and offer shuttle buses to North Wilkesboro. A marketing guy with half a brain could make this be a must see experience. And if well done, you can turn young fans into life long ones. Doubles are an easier sell except you can only do it with tracks that get 2 races and that number is shrinking toward 0.
And the two “pointless races” can’t be shelved, but they can be moved to a mid-week slot before Daytona and before Charlotte.
There needs to be a ‘how you can’ mentality and go on offence instead of saying annually that we expected to lose 15% of our viewers.
I agree with the premise of the article, we need more ideas and fewer complaints. Hopefully somebody actually reads this stuff.
I like some of your thinking!
You could add Rockingham to the South Carolina regional.
I never thought about a three race, one week regional “champion” within the overall championship. I like the idea, especially if the Wednesday night race can be completed in 3 hours to make it possible to watch after dinner and before bedtime.
Why not make them shorter races. 250-300 miles for each one with one or no stages. The races can be one day shows and like you said start the mid week race after dinner and end before bed for the fans at home that have to work. Put a 2 hour time limit on it if you must.
Make it a spectacle and give an incentive for fans that want to see all 3 shows. What would be better for a Nascar fan than 3 Cup races during a weeks vacation?
I like the shuttle idea as well. Have the finale at Charlotte where people can park their campers (since there is more room there than at the other tracks) and shuttle those people to the other tracks during the week or they can drive themselves.
There is a lot of things that can be done if you are creative enough. Several good ones have been mentioned in this comments section.
How many tracks from the 32 race season are gone? They have been replaced by cookie cutters that make NA$CAR a LOT of money.
Heck no, I don’t want shorter races nor a shorter season. NASCAR used to last until Thanksgiving, now they took out the off-weeks and ended the season earlier. I would guess they did that so there’s 3 weeks less interference with football. NASCAR also needs to work with the NFL so there are not football home games in the same area as races.
A NASCAR race is a destination. Fans want to go on weekends. I have no idea, but what is the attendance for a baseball, football, basketball, and hockey game on a weekday vs a weekend?
Double-header Saturdays and Sundays are fine. Run the lower series on a Friday evening or Saturday morning, then do the Cup cars in the afternoon if you must.
The NFL is NEVER going to work with NASCAR. The NFL would laugh the Steve’s right out the door if they came waltzing in demanding they don’t schedule games in the same area as the race.
I don’t think exhausted is the right word. I’m more disappointed that it was the same thing again and I don’t have much faith that the future will be any different based on the past history of the brain trust.
It would be appropriate to see more WWE actors and actresses at NA$CAR events as a homage to Brian.
Other than Heim Clocking In with 12 Wins and a Title, this year would have been worse than some Old Disney Movies in the Emotional Area.
Not exhausted but disappointed. Racing used to be FUN. Then Brainless messed it up with the COT and playoffs.
we drove from PA to NC 3 weekends in row and went to 18 races 1 yr. THAT was exhausting but we had fun. I’d never bother doing that now. The racing isn’t good enough for me to invest that time and $
Honestly, we live in an age where nobody’s satisfied with anything. Sad.
WRONG!!!!! IM 44 WATCH THE SPORT NO PROBLEM. BUT THE BROKEN BROADCAST SCHEDULE DOES SUCK!
DIEHARD SINCE 04 DONT SHORTEN A DAMN THING SON THATS SHOWING SIGNS OF BEING WEAK ARE YOU WEAK?????? WHAT CANT HANDLE IT ALL. Go watch the golf then