Should NASCAR Do More Same-Day Doubleheaders?

After a surprise doubleheader from the Xfinity and Cup Series at Daytona ahead of the 4th of July, could more of these weekends be in store for NASCAR?

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NASCAR has been looking for ways to bring more fans to the track during race weekends for many years now. Trying to stem the tide of lower attendance and drops in television ratings, series officials have instituted a number of new opportunities for fans. Chief among these is free tickets for kids to attend Xfinity and Truck Series events, and discounted tickets for Cup events. But what if the issue isn’t the cost of the race, but the length of the weekend?

The sanctioning body is already aware that a three to sometimes four-day race weekend is far too long for teams that are operating with tight purse strings. It also doesn’t bode well for fans, who often cannot afford the time to attend three days worth of races. NASCAR has already worked to pare down the length of the race weekend, moving some qualifying sessions to the same day of races for the Cup Series. But a surprise from Mother Nature at Daytona may have opened a new door.

With the Xfinity Series getting rained out on Friday night, the race was moved to Saturday afternoon. Further rain made the race end just shortly before the Cup Series event that night, effectively making it a true doubleheader. The change was one that some took to social media to praise. Perhaps NASCAR was listening.

Doubleheaders would solve the issue of the long race weekends, knocking out two races in the course of one day. It could also help limit the amount of practice time that each series requires on the day prior. Fans would also appreciate the move, with tracks more likely to offer a combined ticket deal for both races. Finally, those who desire to see less Cup driver crossover with lower divisions may get their wish here, as running two races in one day may prove too challenging for some.

However, the move to run two races on the same day regularly may not be entirely met with optimism. Teams would find a mix of results from this, with benefits from one less day of time at the track, but also tougher conditions for their crews who often service cars in multiple series. Performance and speed on pit road from the pit crews would likely suffer and make things a bit more dicey for the drivers.

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What do you think, should NASCAR run more doubleheader races at shared tracks? Would you attend a Xfinity Series or Truck Series race shortly followed by a Cup Series event? Leave your comments below and stay tuned to this and the other stories we’re following here at Beyond the Flag.

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