Beyond the Flag
Fansided

2016 Could Set Standard for NASCAR Racing

By Joseph Shelton

Mar 13, 2016; Avondale, AZ, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) beats Carl Edwards (19) to the finish line to win the Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 13, 2016; Avondale, AZ, USA; NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick (4) beats Carl Edwards (19) to the finish line to win the Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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With two photo finishes and two very excellent races, NASCAR is looking forward to what could be a stellar season regarding their overall product. But will the crowds and the ratings reflect that in time?

After the finish of the 2016 Good Sam 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, many in the NASCAR community are in agreement regarding the new low downforce package:

More racing: NASCAR: Kevin Harvick Leaving SHR Is A Real Possibility

Don’t touch it.

Don’t touch it, don’t breath on it, don’t think about it, don’t even look at at. Just leave it be, for the love of all that is holy in the name of NASCAR.

Despite not being a low downforce race, the Daytona 500 finish was good for a headline buzz, no doubt. An extremely close finish in the biggest race of the year? Of course that’s going to look good in the bank and for the sport as well. However, it’s funny to think that this race would set the standard for the rest of 2016 – three more races have happened since: Atlanta, which had excellent racing and strategy all day and ended the day at 28 lead changes, Las Vegas, which had 20 lead changes and a pass for the win with six laps to go, and Phoenix, which had a finish which almost echoed the events that transpired at Darlington in March 2003.

NASCAR is looking to have a banner year, as long as they leave this low downforce package alone. With the product that has been on the track in 2016, it won’t be long before the ratings and the crowds start building up (which could be useful for such spectacular tracks like Atlanta, which could use that boost). It’s no secret that NASCAR has been stalling as of late. Crowds have been down, product has been meh, and there has been way too many half-cocked (and half-cooked) ideas tossed at the problem that end up not working.

It’s like we’re still feeling the buzz of that Daytona 500 finish on a weekly basis. We’re still standing at the edge of our seats, we’re still breathless, and best of all, we’re not griping. So why screw it up? Why change that? Honestly, it won’t change. We’ve had a solid month of great racing, and that could be enough to keep this trend going. Expect Fontana to be another great race.

The Daytona 500 wasn’t a low downforce package race, but it helped NASCAR. Atlanta came along, and the buzz just grew louder. Las Vegas then came, and the buzz grew even louder. Then the delightfully old-school finish at Phoenix happens, and the buzz is now a clamor.

NASCAR has momentum on their side, and it’s just going to keep rolling in. They’ve got something great here, something that could save them and pull them out of the dog house as long as it’s done right. The only way to do it right is to just leave it alone. This isn’t just some other business decision they can flex and move and muscle any time they want. This is going to be NASCAR’s saving grace in the eyes of the mainstream.

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