2012 New Year’s Resolutions For NASCAR

Like every new year, the arrival of 2012 marks a fresh start and a clean slate – at least in theory. Since many of us take the opportunity to make make New Year’s resolutions on this occasion, here’s a few suggested changes for NASCAR in 2012.

When 2011 began, ESPN and Fox told us why running commercials in a small box during the live race action wouldn’t work. Then both networks experimented with a “side-by-side” format, with ESPN using it in the second half of each Chase race.

In the meantime, Chase ratings went up. While the side-by-side coverage likely wasn’t the sole reason, it certainly didn’t hurt and was a viewer-friendly move.

NASCAR should push its TV partners to use this format for every race of the season – including the Daytona 500 – and do it for the entire event – not just the last half. Advertisers have shown they’re willing to run commercials with the race action still on the screen, so there’s no excuse not to do it.

This is a tricky topic, especially since 2011 ended on the highest of highs for the sport. But while the Homestead race was the best of the year – maybe one of the best ever, thanks to Tony Stewart’s sheer determination to win the championship – most 1.5-mile tracks put on lackluster shows. If not for a late caution or fuel mileage to spice things up, many of the intermediate track races would be total stinkers.

NASCAR is developing a new Sprint Cup Series car for 2013, and it’s important officials concentrate on doing whatever they can to make the cars racier. Even if NASCAR reduces the difficulty of driving the car, fans would benefit from more side-by-side action and passing – a scarcity in many races today.

Hopefully, one great championship race won’t distract NASCAR from the long-term goal of making the events more entertaining.

One of the most maddening aspects of NASCAR is the lack of consistent calls both on and off the racetrack.

Officials will call cautions for what seem like the smallest of reasons at times (an unseen piece of debris; a car brushing the wall) but then won’t throw a yellow flag in situations where drivers actually need to slow down and use caution (a car sitting in the middle of the track late in a race).

Off the track, NASCAR will fine Kurt Busch for acting like a jerk to a TV reporter, but won’t fine Richard Childress for flat-out assaulting Kyle Busch in the garage.

Whether privately or publicly, NASCAR needs to draft a set of guidelines that encourage the same calls every time. In the NFL, a holding call doesn’t change (or shouldn’t change) depending on the game situation – either the guy was holding or not.

NASCAR has a credibility problem with fans, and increasing its consistency is the best cure.

This is perhaps the most obvious one of all. Like any other sport, NASCAR has the right to fine its competitors when they speak negatively in public. But when officials do so in secret, it makes NASCAR look like it’s hiding something and fuels conspiracy theories.

Public fines happen all the time in the NBA and NFL. If someone bashes the league or the sport or the officiating, it’s a fine. Boom.

But secret penalties hardly ever stay secret, and when the fines are revealed, it makes NASCAR look hypocritical: While publicly encouraging drivers to be themselves, the sanctioning body is secretly fining them behind the scenes.

Though there will be fewer well-funded teams in 2012 after the departure of Red Bull Racing’s Nos. 4 and 83, Richard Childress Racing’s No. 33 and Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 6, there probably won’t be any short fields in 2012.

Why? Because owners can make a nice little profit while start-and-parking, all without any intention to actually race. While some S&P teams are trying to build their organizations for the future, others are just field-fillers who don’t add a single thing to the event.

Here’s an idea: NASCAR should reduce the purse for those who finish 35th-43rd each week and put the extra money into the top five to reward those who put on a good show.

If the start-and-park teams don’t have the financial incentive to show up, will that really be a big loss? I’d rather see 37 cars start the race and try to complete the whole event than watch a half-dozen competitors pull of the track with a phony reason for stopping early.

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Well, that’s all for me in 2011. If you have any resolutions to add, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Here’s looking toward a great 2012!