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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SHEHEEN: Throwback
I’ve been hearing from a lot of fans lately that NASCAR needs to shake things up...
Ralph Sheheen  |  Posted December 28, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Ralph Sheheen is a veteran motorsports broadcaster who covers Supercross, AMA Road Racing, Moto GP and hosts The SPEED Report on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
Throwback jerseys and uniforms are all the rage these days in stick-and-ball sports. The NFL, MLB and the NBA all are breaking out the old-style colors to spark some added interest in their games. They also are hoping to put some extra bucks in their pockets by selling more merchandise to their fans.

The NHL has taken it to a whole new level by playing one game a year outdoors in a famous baseball stadium like Wrigley Field. The Winter Classic, as it is called, is played on New Year’s Day and will be held in Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, this year. If you haven’t seen one of these games you should because they are absolutely fantastic and take the fan back to the roots of the game.

What in the world does this have to do with racing? Well, I’ve been hearing from a lot of fans lately that NASCAR needs to shake things up. This got me thinking that maybe NASCAR needs its own version of a throwback jersey and a Winter Classic.

What if NASCAR builds their own fleet of cars based on the current Sprint Cup chassis and engine configurations for a special race? The body, however, would be the key and each year would feature something different. How about mounting a modern version of a Superbird from the ‘70s or a Monte Carlo from the ‘80s? What if you could mount a Hudson Hornet body onto a Car of Tomorrow chassis?

Do you see where I’m going with this? This annual event would have nothing to do with points or The NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup. We could run it every year at Daytona on the opening weekend, possibly replacing the Bud Shootout.

I propose an IROC-style race in which NASCAR is responsible for identically preparing all the cars. The field would be derived from the previous season’s top 20 in driver points and competitors would be paired up with a body style to match their current manufacturer to avoid any kind of contractual issues. And while I know Toyota wasn’t racing back then, if Kyle Busch ran a Hudson Hornet body, I don’t think it would sabotage Toyota’s marketing plans.

I think a sprint race format would be best - possibly just 50 laps. This would enable teams to eliminate over-the-wall pit crews and the cost of enormous tire bills, fuel and so forth.

I know what you’re thinking: Who’s going to pay for this, Sheheen? Well, the NHL picks up the tab for the Winter Classic and it’s a hefty one. They even built a special one-of-a-kind truck used only once a year that allows them to produce ice at these baseball parks. So, I think NASCAR has to incur all expenses this time.

I know - I’m nuts, right? NASCAR would never go for it. But think about it for a second. The amount of attention the sport would garner would be unbelievable - an incredible way to build momentum in the media heading into the Daytona 500 every year. NASCAR could even use the cars as rolling test beds for actual race condition research and development of different concepts for potential additions to the real Sprint Cup cars.

As far as ticket sales are concerned, I think this would be a promoter’s dream. “Come to Daytona and watch Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson battle it out on the high banks in the famed Winged Wonder cars of the ‘70s!” I’m in!

I bet the drivers would think it might be pretty cool, too. I’m sure Jr., Smoke and Jimmie would love to get their hands on one of those Superbirds for a few laps at speed, especially if there is a nice payday at stake.

NASCAR would benefit from a good crowd in the grandstands, solid TV ratings, real world R&D, a new revenue stream from all the potential merchandising and a massive amount of coverage for the sport leading into the biggest race of the year.

I might be completely crazy but it’s the holidays and I’ve had a lot of time on my hands to think. Then again, I’m sure the guys around the NHL offices thought the original idea for the Winter Classic was a little farfetched the first time they heard that one, too.

Ralph Sheheen is a veteran motorsports broadcaster who currently covers Supercross, AMA Road Racing and Moto GP for SPEED. Sheheen also hosts The SPEED Report and served as the play-by-play announcer for TNT in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as well as a pit road reporter for select races. He also focuses on the Knoxville Nationals and Star Mazda. In his storied career, Sheheen has covered virtually every form of racing for numerous networks, including everything from Swamp Buggies to Formula One and NASCAR
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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