Messin' around...

Here it is 8 races into the 2008 season and we already have a pretty good idea of which teams are looking good and which teams aren’t. Of course, in the middle of our second weekend off out of three this season (or 4 if you count the All Star race), there isn’t a whole lot of stuff to write about. The time off has got me thinking about how messed up the NASCAR schedule happens to be. Like many things in life, it just sort of evolved into one gigantic mess over the years. What may have made sense a decade or so ago suddenly seems to have no logic whatsoever. For example, why do we currently have 2 weekends off during the first 10 weeks of the season, and then only one more between now and November?

With that being said, your humble blogger will attempt to fix the schedule. Before we go on though, here are my rules:

1. I am the blogger therefore what I say goes. Remember that this is my opinion and if it were ever put into practice, it may make no practical sense whatsoever.
2. Since this is a blog, feel free to mock me as much as you want and offer up your suggestions.
3. I am a New Hampshire guy, so guess what… the two New Hampshire races are not only staying right where they are, but I was tempted to add a third.
4. I was also tempted to add a third Daytona race to end the season, but instead settled on giving Bruton Smith his second cup date. I was also tempted to add another Talladega date.
5. Giving Bruton Smith his second date was at the expense of Infineon. I hate road courses. Sorry if that offends anyone out there.
6. Based on my not liking road courses, Watkins Glen is now no more. See #5.

So here we go… my logic – if you wish to call it that – is below.

The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule according to Mark

Week #......2008 Race......................................2009 Schedule
1..................Feb 17 Daytona.............................Daytona
2..................Feb 24 California...........................California
3..................Mar 2 Las Vegas...........................Las Vegas
4..................Mar 9 Atlanta..................................Phoenix
5..................Mar 16 Bristol.................................Texas
6..................Off....................................................Off
7..................Mar 30 Martinsville.........................Homestead
8..................Apr 6 Texas....................................Atlanta
9..................Apr 12 Phoenix..............................Bristol
10................Off...................................................Martinsville
11................Apr 27 Talladega..........................Talladega
12................May 3 Richmond...........................Richmond
13................May 10 Darlington........ ................Darlington
14................May 17 All-Star Challenge...........All Star Race
15................May 25 Charlotte..........................Charlotte
16................Jun 1 Dover...................................Dover
17................Jun 8 Pocono................................Pocono
18................Jun 15 Michigan...........................Michigan
19................Jun 22 Infineon..............................Off
20................Jun 29 New Hampshire...............New Hampshire
21................Jul 5 Daytona................................Daytona
22................Jul 12 Chicagoland......................Chicagoland
23................Off..................................................Kansas
24................Jul 27 Indianapolis.......................Indianapolis
25................Aug 3 Pocono..............................Pocono
26................Aug 10 Watkins Glen..................Rockingham
27................Aug 17 Michigan.........................Michigan
28................Aug 23 Bristol..............................Bristol
29................Aug 31 California........................Darlington
30................Sep 6 Richmond.........................Off
Chase for the Cup Begins

31................Sep 14 New Hampshire.............New Hampshire
32................Sep 21 Dover..............................Richmond
33................Sep 28 Kansas...........................Dover
34................Oct 5 Talladega...........................Martinsville
35................Oct 11 Charlotte..........................Charlotte
36................Oct 19 Martinsville.......................Talladega
37................Oct 26 Atlanta..............................Texas
38................Nov 2 Texas.................................Atlanta
39................Nov 9 Phoenix..............................Phoenix
40................Nov 16 Homestead.....................Las Vegas

Ok, heres how I came up with this...

Week 1-3 remained the same. I like the idea of keeping the races in warmer climates this time of year. If I can find a substitute for California for 2010 though, I would certainly consider it.

Weeks 4 & 5 were my first major moves, moving both Phoenix and Texas up into the schedule. It’s warmer in these places in March than it is in Atlanta and Bristol.

Week 6 is the first week off which makes sense as the first five races teams use the previous season’s owner points. This is traditionally a time when teams start making driver and crew chief changes if they aren’t where they wanted to be in the standings and the week off allows some extra time to make those changes. After this week off, the next two weekends off are about every 10 to 11 races, including taking a week off before the start of the Chase.

Week 7/Race 6 may anger those in South Florida, but I moved the Homestead race from November to here. My logic is twofold. First is weather. Yeah, it’s beautiful in South Florida in November, but it’s also beautiful in late March/early April when that can’t necessarily be said for most other parts of the country, including Bristol and Atlanta. More importantly is that NASCAR needs to go out with a bang with its last race, and I just don’t get that warm fuzzy feeling with what could be the championship deciding race being in Homestead.

Week 8, 9, 10: Atlanta, Bristol and Martinsville – these were moved a few weeks later into the season, as the weather situation in mid March for these current dates is sketchy at best (I can say that – I sat through the NCTS and Sprint Cup Races this year in 40 degree drizzle).

Weeks 11-18 stayed the same. I won’t comment on whether the All Star race should be moved around to different tracks each year, because to be honest, I don’t really care. I use it as a week off; but if anyone were to ask me, there is a lot of room for improvement in this event. In a word – it’s BORING.

Week 19 – Infineon. Sorry, Bruton, here’s your second Las Vegas date. But don’t worry, I have been to Las Vegas in late June and I wouldn’t do that to the drivers, crews and fans. 120 degree heat is too much for anyone to take. Besides, I gave you the last race of the year. Week 19 is now a week off.

Week 20 – 22. No changes, New Hampshire has perfect racing weather in late June, while Daytona on or around July 4th is just plain tradition. Chicago at night should offer cooler temperatures and perhaps better racing.

Week 23, formerly a week off, is now Kansas. Yes, Kansas folks are probably not too happy about losing a Chase date, and I struggled with this one, but my deciding factor was that Chase tracks should have a non-Chase race so that those involved in the championship hunt have an opportunity to learn from the earlier date.

Week 24 & 25 Indianapolis and Pocono, remain unchanged.

Week 26 - Sorry Watkins Glen, I know it’s beautiful in upstate New York, but you are a road course. Plus I want to be first in line for tickets to THE ROCK WHEN RACING RETURNS!!!

Week 27 & 28 – Michigan & Bristol. No changes, although I was very tempted to move Bristol into the Chase, but then again realized that may not be such a good idea for those drivers competing for a championship. But then again, maybe it would be… hmmmmmm.

Week 29 – Ok, if I’m not already going to win Blogger of the Year from NASCAR purists, repeat after me – SOUTHERN 500! Sorry California, but a history of boring races, lackluster attendance and bad weather brings another date back to Darlington.

Week 30 – time for the final week off as teams get ready for the Chase for the Cup.

Week 31 has the Chase beginning in New Hampshire as it always has. Besides, New Hampshire in September is even more beautiful than New Hampshire in June. Someone from Virginia might argue that I should have kept Richmond here which would make it the first Chase race, but I am a bit biased as you can tell. (I wouldn’t be overly upset if it were pushed back a week or two because late September in New Hampshire is probably the most beautiful time of the year and I don’t mind showing it off.)

Week 32 Chase race 2. Richmond is now a Chase race, but for teams on the ‘bubble’, isn’t it practically a Chase race now?

Week 33 – Dover is now Chase race 3, replacing Kansas. Again, Kansas, you didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t feel bad. Hey, I still love your BBQ!

Week 34 – Chase race 4 is now Martinsville. Sorry Talladega, late March is a bit on the edge weather wise for Martinsville, so I had to move it up a few weeks.

Week 35 – Charlotte, Chase race 5. No change, just me wishing that Charlotte had better racing.

Week 36 – Chase race 6, Talladega. The weather in Alabama in late October is much more likely to cooperate. Plus I like the idea of this race being closer to the end of the Chase, the probability of the ‘big one’ keeps everyone within striking distance.

Week 37 & 38 – Chase races 7 & 8 - Ok, I flip flopped the Texas – Atlanta dates for no other reason that I am sick of hearing about how attendance during a Chase race in Texas is down because of the start of deer hunting season. Not that the deer will all be gone the following weekend mind you, but if that’s the only excuse they can come up with, I’ll work with it. But boy was it tempting to put a second Rockingham date here.

Week 39 – Phoenix, Chase race 9 – no change here.

Week 40 – Las Vegas. Bruton Smith gets his wish big time, but only because it makes sense. Las Vegas, as one of the top vacation destinations in the country, deserves a second race date and what better date than what NASCAR could market their Championship Weekend. Smith is also correct with his idea that the banquet shouldn’t be held in New York City and that Las Vegas is a better choice. This would allow teams as well as fans to take a long weekend in a great city and enjoy some great racing with all three series then hold the banquet shortly after.

So there it is folks, the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule.

No need to thank me, Brian France… just send me four tickets to the Rock when racing resumes.