Does the Daytona 500 need all of the Extra Pre-Race… Races? Yes it does!
By Kent Whitaker:
I was talking to my neighbor about the upcoming 2017 Daytona 500. After a few minutes I realized that I had to explain the entire process of qualifying for the Great American Race as well as why there were added “specialty” races prior to the 500. It started a though process. I found myself asking this; does NASCAR actually need the pre-Daytona 500 races?
Think about it for a few minutes. Is there any other race in NASCAR, or professional sports, that includes two weeks or pre-competition and events? Nope! The Daytona 500 and NASCAR have a monopoly on building something up with actual competition for two weeks before actually starting the main event.
Baseball, Football, and More!
Here’s what I mean when it comes to “actual competition” prior to the big game. At the end of the regular season, and playoffs in the NFL, the two teams set for the Super Bowl have two weeks to train before the big game. The same idea is in place for baseball.
Teams work their way through the season, and the post-season, before taking the field for the World Series after a short delay. The NBA and NHL also have a slight pause between regular and post season play before starting the biggest event for the year. Granted – the time between post season play and the “Big Game,” varies from league to league.
It could be a couple of days to a couple of weeks like the NFL. But no other professional sport compares to what the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and ARCA Racing Series do when it comes to the biggest race of the year. Does NASCAR, and ARCA to a lesser extent, really need a two week pre-500 spectacle? Yes the do and here’s why!
The “Real” Big Difference between NASCAR and other Sports
Let’s set aside all of the obvious differences between racing and any other sport. But, it’s good to point this out. NASCAR has teams, coaches, backups, game plans, and more. Just about every team sport you can name does as well. Drivers are what separate NASCAR from the others. Drivers are the big difference between NASCAR and other sports. And so is the schedule. And there’s one more “big difference” that needs to be mentioned.
The other big difference between NASCAR and other sports is promotion. Yep – the hidden secret of NASCAR, ARCA, and every racing series in the world is the promoter!
A track owner, back in the day, used every gimmick available in order to put people into the seats. Thankfully it’s a lesson that has not been lost on modern promoters.
In the world of NASCAR, ARCA, INDY CAR, NHRA, and more the idea of brining fans to the seats is still important. Fans love excitement and build up. The Daytona 500 is not any different when you think about it from the promoter point of view. It’s a race, it comes at the beginning of the season, it’s legendary. So why not start things off with a few races to get things going.
After all – it’s been a few months since the drivers have had a chance to knock out a few laps. Why not let them have some practice, race for a few dollars, and have some fun prior to the biggest race of the year? NASCAR needs the pre-race events before the Daytona 500. And… I do… as a race fan!
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“Kent Whitaker, often called ‘the Deck Chef’ is a sportswriter, culinary writer, and cookbook author with fourteen titles. He covers NASCAR, racing in general, Football, barbecue, grilling, and tailgating. You can visit him on www.thedeckchef.com .”