My Thoughts On The NASCAR Cup Series Schedule

The biggest issue I have with the NASCAR Cup series schedule is that there is no enough variety. Of the current 36 cup races that make up the schedule, 13 of them are your standard 1.5 mile track. Not just that, but Las Vegas, Chicago, Kansas and Kentucky, which make up 6 of those races, are very similar in shape and layout. I personally don't have anything against these standard 1.5 mile tracks, except for the fact that in the last decade or so, the cars have be come increasing difficult to pass with, especially with regards to the leader, and therefore, while you can find plenty of side-by-side racing and passing throughout the field, it's difficult to pass the leader once he get out front in clean air.

 

 

I think adding more variety in terms of road courses is the way to go. NASCAR took a step in the right direction by running the roval at Charlotte in the fall. It adds a 3rd road race to the schedule and they finally shook up the schedule a tiny tad. I think both moves will prove beneficial. But I say we need to take it a step farther. My schedule proposes adding the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park to the schedule. Both road courses have proven to add excitement to the Xfinity and Truck series the last several years. Don't believe me? Take a look at what happened at Canadian Tire in the truck series race in 2016.

That's not the only example, there are several others of exciting finishes and moments in both the Xfinity series and Truck series races at both tracks. I think adding both to the Cup schedule would be terrific.

I also think NASCAR needs to get back to grouping the short tracks together at the beginning of the season. Back decades ago NASCAR would schedule Bristol, North Wilkesboro and Martinsville in 3 straight races prior to going to Talladega. It added great excitement because tempers would flare and pay back would be dished out the following weekend. Drivers didn't have to wait weeks to get their revenge.

Another change my proposed schedule puts into place taking the All-Star Race and putting it on rotation among the different tracks similar to how the MLB All-Star Game gets moved around to different cities and ballparks each year. It allows for new experiences for the city, players and fans. NASCAR could take a huge lesson in that. Could you imagine the All-Star Race being at Martinsville or Talladega? Would be pretty cool.

I also think the beginning of the schedule is screwed up just a bit. I think the west coast swing needs to happen right after Daytona and Texas needs to be included and they need to schedule the races so that they gradually work their way back east each weekend. That would also give us a few more weeks for it to warm up in Atlanta and potentially have better weather.

Speaking of Martinsville, how epic would it be if the championship race was held at Martinsville? It would be out of this world. All the beating and banging, the strategy involved and everything else with the championship on the line? Unforgetable.

Now, based on the 2018 dates, I present to you my NASCAR Cup series schedule which features 5 road course races, 7 Saturday night races and 2 Sunday night races.

IMPORTANT DATES

• Sat. Feb. 10. - The Clash - Daytona
• Sun. Feb. 11 - Daytona 500 Qualifying - Daytona
• Thu. Feb. 15 - Duels at Daytona - Daytona
• Sun. Apr. 1 - OFF WEEKEND (Easter)
• Sat. May. 19 - All-Star Race (Rotating Schedule)
• Sun. Jun. 17 - OFF WEEKEND (Father's Day)
• Sun. Sep. 9 - OFF WEEKEND

REGULAR SEASON

1. Sun. Feb. 18 - Daytona International Speedway
2. Sun. Feb. 25 - Auto Club Speedway (Fontana)
3. Sun. Mar. 4 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway
4. Sun. Mar. 11 - ISM Raceway (Phoenix)
5. Sun. Mar. 18 - Texas Motor Speedway
6. Sun. Mar. 25 - Atlanta Motor Speedway
7. Sun. Apr. 8 - Bristol Motor Speedway
8. Sun. Apr. 15 - Martinsville Speedway
9. Sat. Apr. 21 - Richmond Raceway
10. Sun. Apr. 29 - Talladega Superspeedway
11. Sun. May 6 - Dover International Speedway
12. Sat. May 12 - Kansas Speedway
13. Sun. May 27 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
14. Sun. Jun. 3 - Pocono Raceway
15. Sun. Jun. 10 - Michigan International Speedway
16.  Sun. Jun. 24 - Sonoma Raceway
17. Sun. Jul. 1 - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
18. Sat. Jul. 7 - Daytona International Speedway
19. Sat. Jul. 14 - Kentucky Speedway
20. Sun. Jul. 22 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway
21. Sun. Jul. 29 - Chicagoland Speedway
22. Sun. Aug. 5 - Watkins Glen International
23. Sun. Aug. 12 - Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
24. Sun. Aug. 19 - Michigan International Speedway
25. Sat. Aug. 25 - Bristol Motor Speedway
26. Sun. Sep. 2 - Darlington Raceway

PLAYOFFS

1. Sat. Sep. 15 - Las Vegas Motor Speedway
2. Sat. Sep. 21 - Richmond International Speedway
3. Sun. Sep. 30 - Talladega Superspeedway
4. Sun. Oct. 7 - Charlotte Motor Speedway (Roval)
5. Sun. Oct. 14 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway
6. Sun. Oct. 21 - ISM Raceway (Phoenix)
7. Sun. Oct. 28 - Kansas Speedway
8. Sun. Nov. 4 - Texas Motor Speedway
9. Sun. Nov. 11 - Homestead-Miami Speedway
10. Sun. Nov. 18 - Martinsville Speedway

Revisiting NASCAR History

ESPN's Matthew Willis did some great work for ESPN.com.

Way back in 1975, NASCAR decided to change its points system, using an idea jotted down on a cocktail napkin at the Boot Hill Saloon in Daytona Beach, Fla. Pretty humble beginnings, no?

But what if these innovators had used a slightly bigger napkin -- maybe if they were eating ribs or something -- and had come up with the idea of the Chase three decades ago? How would the history of NASCAR have changed?

Now, a little disclaimer here. I know drivers would've probably driven differently, leading to changed results and altered points championships. But let's just have a little fun here and play the "what if" game.

So let's list the actual champions with who would have won the championship had the Chase format been in place.

YEAR      ACTUAL CHAMPION      HYPOTHETICAL CHAMPION
1975      Richard Petty          Richard Petty
1976      Cale Yarborough        Cale Yarborough
1977      Cale Yarborough        Cale Yarborough
1978      Cale Yarborough        Cale Yarborough
1979      Richard Petty          Richard Petty
1980      Dale Earnhardt         Cale Yarborough
1981      Darrell Waltrip        Darrell Waltrip
1982      Darrell Waltrip        Darrell Waltrip
1983      Bobby Allison          Darrell Waltrip
1984      Terry Labonte          Harry Gant
1985      Darrell Waltrip        Darrell Waltrip
1986      Dale Earnhardt         Dale Earnhardt
1987      Dale Earnhardt         Dale Earnhardt
1988      Bill Elliott           Bill Elliott
1989      Rusty Wallace          Rusty Wallace
1990      Dale Earnhardt         Dale Earnhardt
1991      Dale Earnhardt         Harry Gant
1992      Alan Kulwicki          Kyle Petty
1993      Dale Earnhardt         Rusty Wallace
1994      Dale Earnhardt         Dale Earnhardt
1995      Jeff Gordon            Dale Earnhardt
1996      Terry Labonte          Jeff Gordon
1997      Jeff Gordon            Dale Jarrett
1998      Jeff Gordon            Jeff Gordon
1999      Dale Jarrett           Bobby Labonte
2000      Bobby Labonte          Bobby Labonte
2001      Jeff Gordon            Sterling Marlin
2002      Tony Stewart           Kurt Busch
2003      Matt Kenseth           Jimmie Johnson

As you can see most years the actual champion and the hypothetical champions end up the same. But there are a couple of interesting changes. Both Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip would have ended up as 4-time champions instead of 3-time champions.

Dale Earnhardt still would have won his 7 championships but not in the same years. Rusty Wallace would have won his 2nd championship in 1993 further solidifying his status as one of NASCAR's greatest drivers ever.

Harry Gant who never won a Winston Cup Series championship would have won two championships under the Chase format. Terry Labonte who won two championships would have won no championships under the Chase format. Jeff Gordon who won four championships under the old format would have won just two championships using the Chase format.

And most interestingly Jimmie Johnson would have won his first championship in 2003 and would be on the verge of winning his 7th championship solidifying his status as arguably NASCAR's greatest driver ever.

1975-1979
1980-1984
1985-1989
1990-1994
1995-1999
2000-2003

Carrying On A Tradition

In late 2010 it was announced that Brad Keselowski had been nabbed to take over the famous No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge from Kurt Busch. To understand the history of the No. 2 NASCAR Sprint Cup car you have to go back to the 1990s and Rusty Wallace.

Rusty Wallace in 1990 was the reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion (previously known as the Winston Cup Series) and uncertain of his future past 1990. Wallace was driving for the Blue Max Racing team owned by Raymond Beadle. Wallace and Beadle constantly collided off the track so the fact that Wallace and Beadle were able to put their differences aside and win the Winston Cup Series Championship in 1989 was truly remarkable. Wallace wanted to leave the team after the 1989 season because sponsor Kodiak was leaving to go to the Hendrick Motorsports' No. 25 car.

Wallace was stuck where he was because of his contract which didn't end till after the 1990 season. For the 1990 season Miller Brewing Company's Miller Genuine Draft beer signed on to sponsor Wallace in the No. 27 car. The contract was a personal service contract with Wallace, meaning that it was tied to Wallace and not the Blue Max Racing team.

By June of 1990 it was announced that Wallace would be leaving the Blue Max Racing team. Wallace eventually hooked up with legendary car owner Roger Penske. Penske had become a champion car owner in Indy cars with multiple drivers and had won the Indianapolis 500 multiple times. His most famous driver was Rick Mears.

Wallace and Penske previous had a history in the Winston Cup series as Penske fielded a car for Wallace for 2 races in 1980, the first 2 races of Wallace's Winston Cup career. Wallace finished 2nd and 14th in those 2 races for Penske. Penske had previous fielded a Winston Cup car during the 1970s, most noticeable with driver Bobby Allison. Allison won 4 races driving for Penske. Penske would not field another Winston Cup car till he hooked back up with Wallace in 1991.

Wallace signed to drive with Penske in 1991 and brought his Miller Genuine Draft sponsorship with him and they choose to use the No. 2. The car make was Pontiac which Wallace had driven with the Blue Max Racing team, which ceased operations after the 1990 season. Wallace struggled through much of the 1991 and 1992 seasons winning just 3 races including finishing a disappointing 13th in the final drivers standings of 1992.

In 1993 everything came together for Wallace and Penske as Wallace won a career high 10 races in route to finishing 2nd to Dale Earnhardt in the final drivers points standings by just 80 points. But all wasn't well for Wallace during the season. Wallace suffered 2 violent crashes, one at the season opening Daytona 500 and the other at Talladega. In both crashes Wallace's car got airborne and flipped violently several times. He was officially credited as flying in the final running order at Talladega after his crash left him with an 8th place finish.

After Penske Racing made the switch to field Fords, Wallace was nearly as good in 1994 winning 8 races and finishing 3rd in the final drivers standings. Wallace won twice more in 95 and 5 more times in 1996. In the 4 years from 1993-1996 Wallace won 25 races, had 59 top 5's and 78 top 10's in 123 races. It was in that 4 year stretch that Wallace became known for being the short track king. As of Wallace's retirement after the 2005 season he holds the Sprint Cup record with 34 short track victories.

Wallace drove the No. 2 for Penske Racing from 1991 till his retirement after the 2005 season. In 494 races in the No. 2 car Wallace had 37 wins, 143 top 5's, 244 top 10's and 28 poles.

After Rusty Wallace announced his retirement Kurt Busch, after a long contract battle between Roger Penske and Busch's then current team owner Jack Roush, was tabbed to take over the No. 2 car.

Busch won in just his 5th start of 2006 at Bristol. It was fitting that his first win in the No. 2 car came at Bristol as Wallace made Bristol his most famous track by winning there 9 times including 7 times in the No. 2 car. Wallace won his 1st career race at Bristol in 1986 and his 50th career race at Bristol in 2000.

Busch would drive the No. 2 from 2006 till 2010. Busch won 8 races in the No. 2 car while racking up 37 top 5's, 74 top 10's and 9 poles. Busch's run the No. 2 car was marred by inconsistencies that saw him finish with a best drivers points finish of 4th in 2009 and disappointments of 16th in 2006 and 18th in 2008.

This brings us back to Brad Keselowski. Keselowski got off to a slow start in 2011 but then in the summer time heat Keselowski turned up the heat and rallied off 3 wins and made The Chase finishing the season 5th in the final drivers points standings. One of Keselowski's wins was at the famous Bristol night race in August. For the No. 2 car it was the first time it had visited Victory Lane since Busch won there at 2006.

On Sunday Brad Keselowski visited Victory Lane again at Bristol after leading a race high and career high 232 laps in a dominating win. It was the first time the No. 2 car won back-to-back races at Bristol since Wallace swept the Bristol races in 2000.

Brad Keselowski has picked up the tradition of winning in the No. 2 car and more importantly winning at Bristol. But Keselowski has a his sights on doing something that not even the legendary Rusty Wallace was able to do, and that's take the No. 2 car to a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship victory.