The big guy needs advice: NASCAR pres Mike Helton, here listening to Jeff Gordon (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
mikemulhern.net
CONCORD, N.C.
NASCAR executives have called a mandatory meeting Tuesday afternoon of car owners and drivers at the sport's R&D headquarters five miles from Lowe's Motor Speedway.
The topic: the state of the sport of NASCAR racing…and the sport's key people can do to improve things.
The background is a general slump in the sport's TV ratings, amid a sluggish U.S. economy that may be taking its toll on the pocketbooks of fans.
Crowds and ticket sales and TV ratings are key indicators. So Sunday's crowd here for the Coke 600 will be closely watched.
The worry is that the general malaise that has clouded the sport much of the spring may intensify over the coming weeks as the stock car tour heads out to Dover, Del., Pocono, Pa., Detroit, San Francisco and New Hampshire, before the July Fourth weekend stop at Daytona.
The job ahead – generate enthusiasm for the sport.
Ironically the racing on-track the past several weeks has been some of the most griping and exciting of the season.
However NASCAR still doesn't appear to be generating much momentum in the world-at-large, and this is just as the tour readies for its annual summer criss-cross the country run.
Another cloud over the sport is the tire issue at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where that track's very abrasive surface has Goodyear engineers tearing their hair out. Last summer Indy 400 was a disaster, with tires lasting only 10 laps. And despite numerous tires tests already, Goodyear's best effort appears to be only an 18-lap tire. The grooves need to fill in with rubber, in order for things to work right at the Brickyard, and without a Nationwide or Truck race to put rubber down, the Cup teams are sweating things out. And if rain strikes that Saturday night before the 400, Indy could again be a disaster.
One possible solution NASCAR is considering is to cut 25 pounds from these cars.
Or will this be another 'Shut up and drive' meeting between NASCAR and its teams? (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
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Hmm....what shall we do about
Hmm....what shall we do about that broken gate on the barn? Forget the horse running down the street--let's figure out something about the gate. Way to be on the ball NA$CAR. It will only get worse from here but it serves them right ignoring things for so long and forcing crap changes down the fans throats. Now the chickens are coming home to roost and they are just now thinking they need to look into it? LOL.
"One possible solution NASCAR
"One possible solution NASCAR is considering is to cut 25 pounds from these cars."
How about cut 500 lbs. and run them on the modified size tires. 25 lbs is like .17 cubic inch.
I have yet to see a good,
I have yet to see a good, thorough explanation of the problem at Indy in last year's race - just maybe's, guesses, and speculation. It's hard to believe there can be a solution to the tire problem at Indy if last year's problem cannot be explained.
I've asked in a couple of places before, without any answer, why the tracks don't drag the track with used tires anymore? I can't understand how it could hurt.
Richard in N.C.
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