This offseason, while IndyCar hibernates, F1 and NASCAR are doing what’s needed to stay in the news
Even now, as both stand on the precipice of controversial potential new changes, they have already succeeded in one area: getting people talking about them.
F1 is set for a radically different 2014. The raft of sweeping new regulations, with V6 power units, adjusted car designs and permanent driver numbers are set to transition the sport from its last era that ended in the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix. Even now, the upcoming Bernie Ecclestone bribery trial may have ramifications from a leadership standpoint for the sport down the road.
But one idea that has already been outlined and elicited a visceral, negative reaction from fans, observers and media members is that of double points for the 2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In brief, it seems an answer to a question no-one asked and doesn’t solve some of the major issues facing the sport, namely high, unsustainable costs that are affecting most of the grid. It also creates the slippery slope of making a single Grand Prix more valuable, points-wise, than any other.
NASCAR seems to be heading down a similar, treacherous road with possible eliminations in the Chase, which itself was already a creation for the prior system that existed until 2003. No formal announcement has been made, but a change could be announced later this month after the Charlotte Observer broke the news last night.
These points changes could be overreactions to dominant forces, test balloons to gauge fan interest/disinterest, or simply the steps of sanctioning bodies working to keep themselves in the news during a slow period in the racing calendar.
There isn’t much to talk about with neither series having raced yet – NASCAR has only had a few days of testing at Daytona and F1’s first test isn’t until January 28 at Jerez, Spain – so these are ways for the series to stay in the news without referring to the competition aspect of their sports.
Meanwhile, IndyCar could potentially take a page from this. It’s had great competition on track each of the first two years since the Dallara DW12 package was introduced with engine competition back from Honda and Chevrolet. This past year had 10 race winners, 20 different podium finishers and the championship was decided at the last race on its pure, season-long points system between two or more drivers for the eighth consecutive season (dating to 2006).
But, I’ll use a quote from a piece I read earlier this week from ESPN.com’s John Oreovicz, regarding IndyCar’s biggest news story at the moment:
“The fact that the biggest story the series has to trumpet is Tony Kanaan receiving his trophy for a race he won seven months ago speaks volumes about the predicament Indy car racing finds itself in," Oreovicz wrote of TK receiving his Baby Borg, with one also awarded as a surprise to son Leo.
Getting people talking – for positive or negative reasons – is key to success in a crowded sports and entertainment landscape. Particularly so during your series’ respective offseason. It’s why we’ve had so much from the merged TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and new FIA Formula E to recap this offseason as well.
Stagnation and complacency, on the other hand, fails to keep the news cycle moving.
F1 and NASCAR may not be right with their potential points alterations, but they are getting necessary ink and web space utilized regarding the ideas. The intrigue of what comes next with the decisions only serves to move the story along further. NBC Sports