Realignment of NASCAR schedule long overdue, necessary

The rain in California two weeks ago should have served as a wake up call to NASCAR that an overhaul of the schedule is long overdue. There are a number of reasons that the sanctioning body needs to take a look at the current docket. Weather issues can be avoided by working around certain places in certain seasons, but more importantly the schedule should be one that serves the fans’ interests. With that in mind, here’s what the Sprint Cup schedule should look like in 2009 and beyond, taking several factors into consideration, including ticket sales, race quality and a greater variety of tracks in the Chase. Only one track — California — loses a date under the format, and many retain their original dates. 

February
Daytona 500
Las Vegas
The only real change here was to eliminate California’s date and move Vegas back a week. While it has rained in Vegas in the spring, it’s not a common thing. Keeping the Daytona 500 on Presidents’ Day weekend makes sense — the season should open with that kind of fanfare we are accustomed to.

March
Texas
Atlanta
Bristol
Martinsville
Talladega
March doesn’t change much, save the elimination of the early off week which is replaced with a trip to Texas The free weekend is not necessary this early in the season and would better serve the teams, and by extension the fans, in September, allowing them to prepare for a more competitive Chase.

April
Phoenix
Off Weekend No. 1 (Easter)
California
Richmond
While this off week will always be a bit of a floater due to the Easter holiday, nine races into the season is a good time for a break. California gets its lone date here as well, in a slightly drier season while Richmond moves back a week to accommodate a larger change in May and in the Chase.

May
Kansas
Dover
Lowe’s (All-Star race)
Lowe’s (Coca-Cola 600)
Off Weekend No. 2
Kansas moves to a spring date, ahead of Midwestern summer weather, while allowing the sanctioning body to place Infineon’s road course date in the Chase for another challenge to drivers and teams. Dover also gets a move up on the schedule to accommodate a second date in Atlanta in June. The All-Star event and 600 keep their traditional dates. In some years, the off-weekend would migrate to the first weekend in June.

June
Atlanta
Pocono
Michigan
New Hampshire
Atlanta is the new face in June, taking Dover’s spot in order to accommodate a revamped Chase. Pocono and Michigan also stay earlier in the month as they have second dates in late summer.

July
Daytona
Off Weekend No. 3
Chicago
Pocono
The only change to Daytona’s summer date is to re-rename it the Firecracker 400, at least for 2009, when the race will run on July 4th. The off week moves up, and Pocono shifts back one week. The travel in June and July is intense as ever, but there is a wide variety of tracks that set teams up for August and the Chase run.

August
Indianapolis
Watkins Glen
Michigan
Bristol
Richmond
August looks essentially the same with one notable exception: Richmond moves back two weeks in order to make an open date the week before the Chase — and to return a NASCAR tradition to the venue it belongs.

September
Darlington (Final regular season race)
Off Weekend No. 4
New Hampshire
Texas
The only date static here is New Hampshire. It’s a tough little track worthy of its Chase date because it forces teams work so hard and because the New England weather in September is usually ideal for racing. Darlington returns to its rightful place on Labor Day, restoring the Southern 500 — a step that would go a long way for NASCAR in appeasing many (read: all) fans. The toughest track in NASCAR is also a fitting choice to decide once and for all who the players in the Chase will be. An off week before the Chase is sorely needed, and a redistribution makes this possible. Texas moves back to Chase date No. 2 in order to break up the back-to-back one-mile track dates.

October
Dover
Lowe’s
Martinsville
Infineon
Again, track variety is needed in the Chase, and eliminating a cookie-cutter for the road course at Infineon would work toward that end. October’s schedule is varied here, with a banked one-mile track, a 1.5-mile high-banked intermediate, a flat half-miler and a road course providing a nice compliment of challenges for would-be contenders. All that lacks is a plate date, and that’s up next.

November
Talladega
Phoenix
Homestead-Miami
Las Vegas
The plate track gets her day in the sun, along with tricky Phoenix and smooth Homestead, before the season winds up at glitzy Las Vegas — a track whose amenities and fan friendliness alone warrant a Chase date, and whose pageantry would make it a fitting place to crown a champion. Then it’s on to New York for the banquet and home for the long offseason.

NASCAR owes it to fans to create a schedule that serves them first and foremost. The preceding is a way to do so without drastically altering the number of races a track has.  Removing California arguably affects the smallest number of fans, as the stands there are perpetually far from filled. Moving Darlington back to Labor Day weekend corrects an egregious error in judgment, and shaking up the Chase tracks is also overdue. Fans drive the racing world and NASCAR needs to recognize that by giving them a schedule worthy of their loyalty.

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