NASCAR League Notes: Would Lighter Schedule Benefit Sport Moving Forward?

In Greensboro, Ed Hardin writes NASCAR has some "tough choices to make in the coming years" and the "first will be the downsizing of the sport." Sponsorships are "disappearing" and attendance is a "joke." There are "too many races to sustain the investment of the team owners, and so you’re seeing the ill-conceived 'charter system' showing strains." There is "no reason why NASCAR can’t go to a 20-race schedule" like F1, reduce seating by about 30% at the empty tracks, cut costs, "end the embarrassing dependence on sponsors and actually create demand for tickets" (Greensboro NEWS & RECORD, 7/27).

BRICK BY BRICK: In Indianapolis, Jim Ayello wrote this past weekend's Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was "unquestionably entertaining -- an absolute spectacle that will be remembered for years." After "years of single-file, monotonous racing in front of ever-shrinking crowds, the Brickyard 400 was rarely, if ever, water-cooler fodder the following day." Ayello: "But was it a good, quality race? I don’t think so. ... I hope next year, NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup Series cars return to Indy with a package similar to what we saw in the Xfinity Series race, and we get to watch clean, competitive racing" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 7/25).

DRIVERS' ED: In Charlotte, Matt Kaminer noted NASCAR’s rising stars on Tuesday "took part in an interactive 'Professional Development 101' business skills workshop." The nine members of the NASCAR Next Class "participated in lectures." The drivers -- many of whom are still in high school -- "learned a variety of business skills, from public speaking to writing a formal email to establishing connections with sponsors." The course also "covered maintaining relationships with NASCAR fans" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/26).