Should NASCAR races be shortened?
This is a recent topic of debate among NASCAR Fans. Some are for shorter races while others are fine at length as is and some fall in the middle where they support shorter distances in some races but not others. Specifically, Crown Jewel events. This weekend’s Martinsville Cup race, which typically lasted 500 laps, was shortened by 100 laps and the race finished in less than three hours.
Hailie Deegan, who is currently competing in the Camping World Truck Series, spoke out on the topic of shorter races. Posting on Twitter, Deegan supported holding shorter races in order to keep up with people’s attention spans and create a sense of urgency so drivers don’t ride as much during Cup races.
Deegan makes an excellent argument. There is no doubt that running three or four hours, every week, for nine months a year is a difficult task for many people, let alone young people. I mean, my dad is approaching 70 and he takes a nap in the middle of most Cup races.
There is also something to be said for the strategy that in many longer races most of the race involves riding and staying out of trouble until the last part of the race. This is why stage races were implemented, to encourage drivers to fight for the lead in the early parts of a race.
That being said, the two main reasons races aren’t shortened are fan attendance and TV content. When you factor in travel and accommodation, as well as the cost of the race ticket, attending a race is very expensive. If the distance of a race is cut in half of what it was before, fans will feel like they didn’t get their money’s worth if they attended a race in person.
Additionally, even though ratings have been higher in recent years, a Cup race still attracts at least a few million viewers and is a very lucrative part of a network’s programming schedule. If the races are cut in half, that means Fox and NBC won’t have as many hours of programming where they attract millions of viewers. This has a lasting effect that could mean less prize money for drivers like Deegan, as Fox and NBC won’t want to pay as much if the races end up being shorter.
It’s certainly a delicate balance that NASCAR must weigh. The quality of races would probably be better if races were shortened, but at the same time, shortening races has consequences and it could have lasting effects that ultimately make things worse.
