A sizable number of fans are OK with mayhem, as long as their driver is not on the losing end. They don't like fatalities.
That's one tough SOB. I know that the cars are engineered the hell out of, and built the hell out of, for any man, even a fire plug like Newman, to survive having another car smash into your driver's side window at 200 MPH, probably at least at 50 MPH differential, while you are flying upside down and sideways. I can't say I'd expect him to be in a car at Vegas, but I betcha he's thought about it and probably asked the doctors about it.
Somehow you need to disincentivize bump drafting. Perhaps make the aero on the front very soft where contact will hurt the aero and slow the car dramatically? Sensors that trigger a HP reduction in the ECU? Make it such that hitting someone from behind hurts your chance of winning and it will stop. On another note, kudos to NASCAR for the engineering that went into the safety of that car.
My point of contention with NASCAR is their point system. You can win a race and still not be the points leader. This and the goofy overtime and playoff definitions they use. A marketing fail, imo. They seemingly are trying to make racing into something that it’s not or at least not what I consider racing. I like the road course races and the one where they put two chicanes in the infield for them to go through, that was cool last year. Can’t remember the track though.
Awake and speaking is amazing. That crash didn't leave a good feeling in my stomach for a positive outcome. Here's hoping his injuries are fully recoverable.
If I remember it right, overtime came from a safety improvement - freeze field on yellow and no racing back to the line, but it also just creates more chances for more wrecking esp at plate races. One of the duel races last week (split field) only had 5 cars left on the lead lap and about 9 on track by the time they got done with overtimes. All of it though, the stages, playoffs, competition cautions just turns off people who like racing for what it is.
I've never been much more than a casual fan, although I liked that Bill Elliot and some of the other drivers ran races at Road Atlanta in other series. It made them seem more like racers than entertainers. I lost interest altogether when they started the chase crap. I like seeing the winning/consistent racers amass a point total that represents a championship.
Get rid of double file restarts, this cause too much contact to get into the fast line and not get freight trained. Penalize intentional contact period. No bump drafting. Make the drivers drive and make clean passes. Do like indy car and allow one move to block, and no more. But NASCAR won’t do this because they love “the big one”. It is exiting for the fans in the same way WWE is exciting for them.
You can’t compare F1, motogp, or superbike to NASCAR. The fact that road courses inherently have passing areas, and the fact that F1 cars, and the riders bodies on bikes are so fragile makes any comparison dumb. Riders and F1 drivers leave room between each other (for the most part) out of a need to survive the race. A small touch can end their run. NASCAR encourages drivers to touch. It makes exciting racing for the WWE fan at the track.
Ehh getting rid of double file restarts just strings the field out and hurts the racing. Rubbing and blocking is a part of all racing. The open wheel stuff is a different deal, there is no room for contact with them. Just like anything though, taking it to extremes is bad. JMO
After I watched that, i think maybe I should quit calling them "no talent" and "boring", 200 MPH in a crowd going for it is probably pretty intense.
F1 and Indy have a push to pass system designed to make the racing better, but I think it also makes it safer for the drivers because they can make a commitment to a pass and make it stick. Correct me if I am wrong are they still using a form of push to pass, I know last year they had it...