NASCAR: 5 significant changes that need to be made
By Randy Smith
Changes NASCAR should make: No. 4 – Stage racing
Stage racing has become a divisive topic in NASCAR: some love it, others hate it. On one hand, fans get three races in one, and on another, the initial race is doomed from the start, as the lead a driver has at the end of a stage doesn’t really matter considering multiple restarts are guaranteed.
Thankfully, there is a happy medium for this scenario. Stage racing has become important for playoff points, and if NASCAR is going to keep the playoffs, it’s time they implement a scenario that helps the sport throughout the season and creates a purpose for viewership when a race is broadcasted.
Instead of breaking up the races into three stages and holding restarts after the stage breaks, stage racing can be executed with no breaks, no pit stops, and no restarts. The stages can still be held and ended after a certain lap count, and the top 10 drivers still score points, but everyone can continue on with the race.
This solution puts it more on the teams to make adjustments at the right time and creates better opportunities for tire and fuel management strategies. It makes the moment of coming to the green and white checkered just as important on the track, but it highlights the importance of the whole race and allows teams to adjust accordingly.
The fans will no longer have to obsess over a certain lap and can watch the entire race, just as they did before stage racing was even thought of.
Playoff points, dramatic moments, and an old-school approach to the race itself create a “win-win” scenario for fans, drivers, and viewers. While some may feel that stage racing has had a great run, there’s a reason why NASCAR didn’t need it since its inception in 1948 and only used the idea of stages/segments in the All-Star Race prior to 2017.