There's been a lot of speculation the last few weeks about the NASCAR Sprint Cup 2011 schedule. Now, as several track managers have begun announcing their 2011 racing dates, here's an educated guess at an unofficial schedule...
--------Unofficial 2011 NASCAR Schedule---------
-------Race---------------------------- Date------
1 Daytona 500 Great American Race Feb. 20, 2011
2 Phoenix SUBWAY Fresh Fit 500 ---Feb. 27, 2011
3 Las Vegas Motor Speedway ---------Mar. 6, 2011
4 OFF???
5 Bristol Food City 500 --------------Mar. 20, 2011
6 Fontana Auto Club 500 ------------Mar. 27, 2011
7 Martinsville -------------------------April 3, 2011
8 Texas Motor Speedway -------------April 9, 2011
9 Talladega ---------------------------April 17, 2011
10 OFF for Easter
11 Richmond ------------------------April 30, 2011
12 Darlington -------------------------May 7, 2011
13 Dover ----------------------------May 15, 2011
14 CMS All-Stars --------------------May 21, 2011
15 Charlotte 600 --------------------May 29, 2011
16 Kansas Motor Speedway ----------June 5, 2011
17 Pocono -------------------------- June 12, 2011
18 Michigan ------------------------ June 19, 2011
19 Infineon Toyota/Save Mart 350 -June 26, 2011
20 Daytona Coke Zero 400 -----------July 2, 2011
21 Kentucky 400 ---------------------July 9, 2011
22 New Hampshire Lenox 301 -------July 17, 2011
23 OFF???
24 Indianapolis Brickyard 400 ------July 31, 2011
25 Pocono ----------------------------Aug. 7, 2011
26 Watkins Glen --------------------Aug. 14, 2011
27 Michigan -------------------------Aug. 21, 2011
28 Bristol Motor Speedway ----------Aug. 27, 2011
29 Atlanta Motor Speedway ---------Sept. 4, 2011
30 Richmond ----------------------Sept. 10, 2011
31 Chicagoland --------------------Sept. 18, 2011
32 New Hampshire Sylvania 300 ---Sept. 25, 2011
33 Dover -----------------------------Oct. 2, 2011
34 Kansas Motor Speedway ----------Oct. 9, 2011
35 Charlotte ------------------------Oct. 15, 2011
36 Talladega -----------------------Oct. 23, 2011
37 Martinsville ---------------------Oct. 30, 2011
38 Texas Motor Speedway -----------Nov. 6, 2011
39 Phoenix Kobalt Tools 500 -------Nov. 13, 2011
40 Homestead ---------------------Nov. 20, 2011
So, if this is what's coming, here are the types of Chase tracks as they will appear start to finish:
Chicagoland - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Tri-Oval
New Hampshire - 1.05 Mi. Asphalt Oval
Dover - 1 Mi. Concrete Oval
Kansas - 1.55 Mi. Asphalt Tri-Oval
Charlotte - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Quad-Oval
Talladega - 2.66 Mi. Asphalt Tri-Oval
Martinsville - .526 Mi. Asphalt/Concrete Oval
Texas - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Quad-Oval
Phoenix - 1 Mi. Asphalt Oval
Homestead - 1.5 Mi. Asphalt Oval
That's four short tracks, five tracks around 1.5 miles in length and one long track...
Another way of looking at it concerns the travel... Mid-West to Northeast to Mid-Atlantic to Mid-West to Southeast to South to Southeast to Southwest to West to South-Southeast... In other words, they're going to be criss-crossin'!
Finally, why Chicago in the Chase? Yeah, it's the third largest population center in the country... But do these marketing people really believe NASCAR's strong enough up there to out-compete the Bears, the Cubs, the White Sox, the Fighting Illini, Northwestern's Wildcats, the Fighting Irish, and on and on for the fan's sports dollar in September? I'm going to say no but I guess we'll see. (I'm not sure, but knowing how long the NBA and NHL seasons run, the Bulls and Blackhawks could be in the mix too.)
It doesn't make much sense to me...
Hey Dwindy! I think a second grader could have made a better 2011 schedule than NASCAR blindfolded, throwing darts at pictures of the tracks. What a convoluted schedule!
ReplyDeletejon,
ReplyDeleteI've been racking my brain trying to come up with what drives the schedule makers.
The first and last thing they've got to account for has got to be the weather early and late in the season... Okay, that accounts for early and late Florida and Phoenix races, Las Vegas and Fontana are both early races too while Texas is a late race. Bristol doesn't fit that critieria and yet there they are hosting a race in mid-March. Makes me wonder...
Then they've got to think about not diluting any particular region with a flurry of race weekends back to back, seems to me that would put a local NASCAR fan in a bind financially, forcing them to choose one race. If the regional races are separated, the fan might be able to make both of them.
On the other hand, I would think the team owners would like to see their long road trips logically combine track visits along the way. Something like a mid-season runs from Charlotte to Kansas to Phoenix to Sonoma to Chicago to New Hampshire to Martinsville back to Daytona. Looking at what I believe they're going to unleash on their fans, that same run I just detailed comes across like this: Charlotte to Kansas to Pocono to Michigan to Sonoma to Daytona to Kentucky to New Hampshire... It jumps all over the place. Are they really that driven by track owners stuck on certain dates? Is that the biggest consideration on the schedule makers minds? Is it an effort to appease the fans and yet it ends up blowing up in their face?
Lot's of questions here.
Thanks jon!
Chicagoland is leading off the Chase because NASCAR actually thinks they'll get some publicity from the second largest market in the US. I suppose publicity about the track being less than half full of customers is good?
ReplyDeleteExcept for the largest track, Talladega, and the shortest, Martinsville, all the Chase races are in major media markets... NASCAR is more worried about that than having compelling on-track action in the Chase.
You're right Gene.
ReplyDelete99.9% of the time all ya gotta do is follow the money and that's just what they're trying to do.
I'm going to have to go back in time and check out where the late season races were held in the mid-80's when NASCAR's popularity really took off. Maybe these geniuses ought to do the same. Good racing draws the fans and it looks like they've lost track of that. They're simply chasing the almighty dollar.
Is it me or is Brian France just a poor little rich boy that's in way over his head? In normal business, when the company falters the CEO usually takes it hard...
Thanks Gene!
While I applaud NASCAR's willingness to change the schedule I should have known they would only change it for the worst.
ReplyDeleteWhile weather is definitely a consideration - the dollar is what is driving decisions. The whole criss-crossing problem is a problem no matter what for the teams since the haulers can only hold so many cars. They have to drive a hauler out and swap them after the race anyway. Plus I know that the Brew Crew got in a lot more trouble staying out west from CA to Vegas than they would have if they had just gone back to NC....and those guys all work in the shops too so they were short handed that week. So at least from the team's perspective it doesn't matter.
I really wish there was a road course in the Chase...
And yes, Brian is spoiled, drugged up rich kid WAY out of his league in business - daddy protected him with all kinds of easy projects before this. Wish Lisa would take over but she doesnt want it.
Well, they can still get cold and wet in Vegas, Soaking wet with the track weeping in Fontana, snow at Bristol, and with "global warming" swealtering heat at a lot of other venues. Of course, the haulers are always going to be busy running back & forth. I agree, Chicago will have a lot of other sports venues to compete with. Would have loved to see a road race in the Chase also. Oh well, what can you expect from Barnum And Bailey? Maybe another trained bear could bring in some extra revenue?
ReplyDeleteKristin, Thanks for the insight! I know so little of the behind the scenes activities racing teams must go through. So it doesn't really matter when in three weeks time the racers must run from Michigan to Sonoma to Daytona? I would have thought it would be a real problem. Hmmmm...
ReplyDeleteI know! Move the final Chase race from Homestead to Sebring! 3.7 miles with 17 turns and basically four long straightaways! The same fans could go!
I know... Follow the money.
Thanks alot!
After farming for 30 years I know exactly how fickle Mother Nature can be CR... I guess they should of built a road race course outside of Chicago instead of the smooth cookie cutter edition they've got...
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's part of NASCAR's problem, all the sameness anymore. That's what I was trying to point out when I added the types of tracks they'll be running around on in the chase. I think it's called "Boring".
Thanks CR!
I demand a fanvote be used to sort out the schedules! :P
ReplyDeleteHow much money you have tez? Maybe they'd listen if you were in league with someone like Donald Trump!lol Otherwise us peons don't get any say... And that's a damn shame...
ReplyDeleteDwindy,
ReplyDeleteI think what drives the schedule is whether the track is ISC or not. The France family wants the money to go in their pockets, not Bruton Smiths. That is why i would be very surprised to see Las Vegas get the finale, even though having it at Homestead, an ISC track, is waiting for a hurricane to cause problems sometime.
I think they need to look at shortening the schedule, but they aren't ready to do that yet. But a shorter, more compact schedule could actually generate money if you did it right.