NASCAR president Brent Dewar speaks on stage racing

Brent Dewer says that stage racing came from a meeting with broadcast partners

In 2017, NASCAR changed it’s entire format. They brought in the use of stage racing to break into their traditional ‘long’ race format.

Stage racing received harsh criticism at first. However, as the year went along, I saw a lot less of that. The fans grew to enjoy stage racing.

It creates short bursts of excitement. The days where drivers could coast around for 200 miles, are gone. In it’s place are two additional shootout segments.

A few weeks ago, NASCAR President Brent Dewar explains the formation of stage racing.

Where did stage racing come from?

“We’ve got a very involved industry, Brent Dewar told reporters during a NASCAR address. “We try to put a process in place to get the best inputs, to try to make the best decisions. We started with the manufactures, then we went to the team owners, the drivers and the tracks. Then, we come together, collaboratively.”

“I think you see some of that hard work. The biggest challenge is to get away from day to day racing and try to get strategic mid and long term. That’s been a lot of the focus of the councils.”

NASCAR President Brent Dewer
HOMESTEAD, FL – NOVEMBER 18: (L-R) NASCAR President Brent Dewar, Goodyear President and CEO Rich Kramer, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott and 2014 NXS Champion Chase Elliott attend a press conference announcing the renewal of the partnership between NASCAR and Goodyear at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 18, 2017 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

“One of the projects this year, we stepped back and said, ‘Look, what are we trying to solve for?” Our fans love green flag racing. Motorsports is one of those few sports where you actually break for commercial, during the race.”

Hockey has 20 min of play followed by a 20 min break to scrape the ice. Football has planned breaks. Baseball has breaks in-between each inning. Racing doesn’t work like that. In racing, breaks were unpredictable. Until they fixed it…

“We obviously need the commercial aspect of that with our broadcast partners. So, they sat down and created what you know today as the stage racing. More green flag racing. More side by side, we call it ‘NASCAR non-stop.’ And our fans are eating it up.”

“There’s a good example of the parties coming with different opinions and points of view, to come to that. We look forward to more of that.”

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