NASCAR considering multiyear track contracts (Update)

UPDATE "I think it's fair to say we have had discussions with the tracks about multiyear agreements," NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O'Donnell told USA TODAY Sports. "We're not there yet. If we can put something together where it's helpful for fans to know, our goal is to get the schedule out as early as we can. That helps fans making plans for going to tracks. Some fans travel a long way. If we can make that better through a multiyear (deal), that is something we're considering."

01/21/15 After a longtime policy of one-year engagements, NASCAR is poised to enter long-term relationships with its racetracks.

There have been multiple meetings after the 2014 season to discuss the concept of multiyear sanctioning agreements that effectively would set much of the Sprint Cup schedule beyond the current season for the first time.

NASCAR traditionally has signed annual deals with every track, pushing the yearly release of the schedule to late summer or early fall.

A multiyear deal would offer tracks the ability to sell season ticket packages and sponsorships with more flexibility and security.

It also would allow a better savings opportunity for fans who travel long distances for races and sometimes face intractable situations in adapting to major changes. USA Today