Why NASCAR Xfinity Series and Truck Series need All-Star events
It’s All-Star week, find out what an Xfinity & Camping World Truck Series All-Star event could look like! Check out the details below!
Welcome in race fans! It’s officially All-Star week! With restrictor plates, air ducts, and a completely new aero package, there is no shortage of anticipation for this Saturday night! With NASCAR stepping outside the box this week, I decided to do so myself with today’s topic. It’s time the Xfinity & Camping World Truck Series receive an All-Star event.
Think I’m crazy? Don’t worry, I’m not alone. In fact, Xfinity Series driver Spencer Boyd pondered this idea on Twitter earlier this week: (For those curious, I last checked at 585 votes, 67% voted that they would in fact like an Xfinity Series All-Star.)
Here is what he had to say.
https://twitter.com/SpencerBoyd/status/996073324466855937
In addition to Boyd’s curiosity, I’ve contemplated the idea myself for a few months. Originally, I had the idea to reward both lower division champions with a spot in the big show for a $1,000,000, but instead of making another gimmicky decision, I thought separate events would be intriguing. This hypothetical event gives fans the opportunity to give the respect to all three nationally touring divisions. As for the teams, who doesn’t like some extra cash?
Let’s take a logistical look at how the events would work. Considering regulars in the series don’t win as often (or at least it seems that way), drivers that make the playoffs would receive an automatic berth. In addition to playoff drivers, each division would run an “Open” race just like the Cup drivers do. Each “Open” would have three segments, where the segment winner gets a slot in the main event. Lastly, a fan vote would also be selected.
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Field sizes would look a little smaller than that of the Cup Series, but not thin enough to cause fans to lose interest. The Xfinity Series field would consist of 16 drivers (12 playoff drivers, three Open winners and one Fan Vote winner), while the Truck Series field would feature 12 drivers (eight playoff drivers, three Open Winners and one Fan Vote winner). Other changes would include race length and prize money.
Speaking of race length, these events would be shorter than the Cup Series 50-lap “Open” and 80-lap All-Star main event. Both series would run a 40-lap “Open” event separated into three segments (15 laps, 15 laps and 10 laps). The main event will be split into four segments (20 laps, 20 laps, 20 laps and 10 laps), for a total of 70 laps. This gives fans enough time to settle in to the event, but it doesn’t drag out late into the day or night.
The last change would, of course, be the prize money. NASCAR isn’t going to make these events as big as the Cup All-Star event, so I’d say give the winners of both events a smooth $500,000 for their teams. That kind of cash could go a long way for some of these programs. Imagine if a smaller organization like Kaulig Racing or Hattori Racing snagged a half-million in one night.
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Overall, I’m not sure this idea will ever be picked up by the ‘”big wigs” of NASCAR, but we can dream! The lower-tier guys contribute just as much to this sport as the drivers at the Cup level, and as such, they deserve a night or event for themselves.