All Change Aboard The NASCAR Express

For years NASCAR stayed the same.

Same tracks, same schedule, same points system, same safety standards, same basic chassis, same engines, same carbaretteurs, same leaded petrol, fundementally the same old school, old tech, relatively cheap but hopefully high action racing.

Since the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt a lot has changed.

The point system has changed along with the schedule. The cars have changed. New safer COT chassis, new squarer not twisted bodies, new fuel in the tanks, new tyre compounds for the new car, electronic fuel injection! Budgets have spiralled, but has the racing suffered?

The tracks have changed too. Some old school tracks have been dropped to make way for more modern speedways. SAFER barriers have been introduced to all ovals and have been a very successful safety measure. Some tracks have been redesigned in the hope of makng the racing better. Variable banking has been introduced at several tracks, again in the hope of enhancing the racing.

Recently the people behind two tracks have been discussing the merits of variable banking. At Bristol Bruton Smith has announced his decision to remove the variable banking and put the track back to the way it used to be, while over at Kansas the owners are busy installing variable banking ready for their second Sprint Cup race of the year. Currently Homestead, Phoenix and New Hampshire all have progressive banking in the turns. So has variable banking actually helped make the racing better, or is it just a gimmick?

As far as the fans are concerned variable banking has wrecked Bristol Motor Speedway, hence Smiths decision to put his once great track back the way is was. However Kansas think it is the way forward for their venue. My question is this... How come the racing at the so called "cookie cutter" tracks, the mile and a half ovals is so dull? At Texas there was a complete lack of side by side racing, and while Kansas might have better it was not better by much. How can such wide open tracks with so many workable grooves provide such dull races, and will variable banking help?

Some say the fault lies with the tyres, some say it's the aero package, while the tracks must think it's them as so many are changing their layouts to try and create better racing. I think it might be a combination of the three, aero, tyres and track. NASCAR have spent a lot of time and effort over the past few years getting the racing right at the two restrictor plate tracks, Talladega and most importantly Daytona. Now it is time for NASCAR to go through the same process for the intermediate tracks.

For the "sport" of NASCAR to help grow the "business" of NASCAR, the "show" at these tracks has to improve... and fast... whether variable banking is the answer remains to be seen.

Some might consider change good, some bad, but more change is needed if NASCAR can get back to the heights reached in the 90's!

Que 2013 car???