The ideal NASCAR world

Now, as promised, Buddy Wayne gives his ideas to make NASCAR a better place.

NASCAR has been the love of my life. Ever since I watched my first race as a boy, before I could remember anything, it was a world I wanted so much to be a part of.

But now, something is different, something is missing. The races are boring, the drivers are bland, and no one is watching. And still, NASCAR insists that the one magic solution is just around the corner. Maybe it's the arrival of Danica Patrick, or a slick new marketing campaign. Or is it returning to its roots, as current leader Brian France has suggested.

Ah, I think that's it. Of course, we can't completely replicate the past, but we can take the best of it and make it the blueprint for the future.

Here's the plan that I have:

• Chase away the Chase for the Sprint Cup. This attempt at a playoff is the "cure worse than the disease." It has segregated the 43 drivers who start each race into haves and have-nots, thereby concentrating all media attention on the Chase qualifiers. Worse, the Chase has not resulted in increased attendance or television ratings. NASCAR ratings on television have gone down every year. As for the rest of the media, it is still far more likely to discuss pro and college football and baseball playoffs than racing.
  
• Make it 1996 all over again. In other words, reduce the schedule to 30 races, and try to duplicate it as much as possible. That year, there was a real balance of short tracks, longer tracks, and road courses. Although I understand that the track owners wanted to expand to more places to keep up with demand, the results were OK at best and dismal at worst. Only Las Vegas has continued to be a success over time, while Texas has been hurt by expansion, and Auto Club, Chicagoland, Homestead, and Kansas have added nothing to the mix. All these tracks are the same size and were also built for IndyCar races. Keep them open, but have them run open wheels only, except maybe for Vegas.
• "Run what you brung" should be back. Maybe the cars shouldn't look exactly like those on the road, but duplicate as many features as possible. That alone should save teams millions of dollars in expenses. Also, make the design flexible so that crew chiefs can innovate with the cars.
• Let the drivers be human. In other words, encourage drivers to be themselves, instead of sponsor-driven clones who are politically correct. Role models should include Tony Stewart, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Marcos Ambrose.
• Television coverage should change drastically. Reduce the length of pre-race shows and ensure at least a half-hour after the race for extensive coverage and interviews. Once the green flag drops, cover the race and not what you think will happen in a "script." Cut back on commercial breaks; those sponsor graphics should be enough.
  

I'm sure there are more things I could come up with, but these are the most important things.

As my character would say, "That's my ideal world. What's yours?"