By Peter M. DeLorenzo
Detroit. No, this isn't going to be yet another column about fixing NASCAR's schedule, cutting the number of races, introducing new technologies, etc., etc., because frankly, that just doesn't matter and isn't going to work anyway. The demise of Furniture Row Racing - NASCAR's 2017 Champions - was only the latest indication that the NASCAR model was broken more than a decade ago. And the NASCAR brain trust has done nothing of substance to deal with the fundamental issues, either. They insist otherwise, but the facts are there for all to see, and the only thing offered are the same old excuses and platitudes such as, "the contracts with tracks are locked in until 2022 so we can't really do anything about the schedule until then." Or, "we're working diligently with our stakeholders - the manufacturers and the teams - to improve the competitive landscape for everyone." This is pure unmitigated bullshit, of course. They just keep inching the ball forward with no real progress on any front.
I will say that the idea that the France family is considering selling the "stock car" racing entity is the only flicker of good news on the horizon, because it will take a fundamental rethink of every aspect of the fading series to save it and rebuild it. Because nothing short of starting over will save the series. If NASCAR is sold, then the locked-in contracts with tracks would become negotiable. But that's just the beginning. The basic flow of the schedule (including the number of races and the tracks involved, obviously) and most important, the cars themselves will come under scrutiny, which is absolutely crucial.
The bottom line is this: If NASCAR continues on its current path it will be forced to transform itself back to a regional racing series within five years. That's how dire the situation is. What passes for standing operating procedure for NASCAR today will ensure that the former juggernaut of a racing entity will fade from the scene in terms of importance and its ability to provide incomes for thousands of people, from drivers and engineers to suppliers and associated businesses, and everyone and everything in between.
A major upheaval? Absolutely. But it will be just the start.
And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.
(petelyons,com)
Riverside, November 1, 1970. Chris Amon (No. 77 March Engineering STP Oil Treatment March 707 Chevrolet) finished fourth in the L.A. Times Grand Prix Can-Am behind Denny Hulme (No. 5 Gulf/Reynolds Aluminum McLaren M8D Chevrolet); Jackie Oliver (No. 22 Norris Industries Titanium Ti 22 Mk II Chevrolet) and Pedro Rodriguez (No. 1 British Racing Motors BRM P154 Chevrolet).