Brad Keselowski Wants a Shorter Racing Season

What’s Happening?

NASCAR has one of the shortest offseason of any professional sports league. The NFL is off from February to August, the NBA from July to October, the MLB from October to February. NASCAR’s offseason is roughly 12 weeks long, from the middle of November to the end of January. This alone causes a lot of hardship on all parties involved, throw in the fact that there is a lone off week on the schedule, and talk about changing this has begun to pop up from the fans, and the drivers.

• NASCAR runs 36 points paying races a season, 26 regular season races, and a 10 race elimination style playoff system. Add on to this 2 exhibition events and you have a jampacked schedule.
• For many years, NASCAR’s schedule included multiple off weekends. It was tradition that NASCAR never raced on Easter or Mothers day. In todays schedule, both holidays have races on them. Sure this year’s Bristol race on Easter Sunday had a special Easter service and the race was at night, but it definitely isn’t the same for the families of the drivers, or the fans in the stands.
• I know, we as NASCAR fans can’t get enough of the action, but for a lot of us, we recognize the strain that this turbulent schedule puts on our beloved drivers and teams. Could more off weeks breed happier drivers and teams with the added rest and relaxation, resulting in a better on track product?

Around the Garage

Brad Keselowski sounded off on Twitter replying to Rodney Childers, crew chief for Kevin Harvick, proposing an interesting solution to the schedule dilemma.

My crazy take-

3 off weeks:
Spring- after the West coast when it’s cold everywhere else
Summer- week of NBA/NHL finals
Fall- week before the championship race to build hype

3 mid week races during the summer months at small short tracks

Thoughts? https://t.co/DUxgVA9yES

— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) April 13, 2023

In the Stands

Nathan seems to think the solution is reducing the number of races in a season.

Devin shares his sentiment for the drivers, and agrees with Brad K’s midweek racing take

NASCAR Shill seems to think the schedule is perfect just the way it is.

Tammy thinks a shorter offseason with more off weeks will do the trick

James remembers summer break, he thinks NASCAR teams deserve one too!

In Your Ear

Pete Pistone, Host of The Morning Drive on Sirius XM NASCAR radio started the debate with this tweet

Should there be more off weekends during the Cup Series season and then extend the schedule later in the year?

866-PIT-LANE#TMDNASCAR @SiriusXMNASCAR

— Pete Pistone (@PPistone) April 13, 2023