ShareThisBy MIKE MULHERN
Monday, November 20, 2006
The third Chase for the Nextel Cup championship is now history, but don't expect NASCAR execs to hit the off switch on their amazing marketing machine and take any break.
Not with the recent wave of negative publicity lately about slumping TV ratings and empty seats at Nextel Cup tracks. After all, it's only 88 days until it starts all over again with the Daytona 500, and testing for the stock-car racing Super Bowl is six weeks away.
In fact, NASCAR's Brian France is already cranking up the volume, not even waiting for the Dec. 1 awards banquet in New York. France vigorously insisted that reports about the bloom being off the rose has been overblown, and he criticized the timing of the reports, particularly Wednesday's cover story in USA Today.
"Listen, it's harder to grow when you reach the level we're at," France said.
Nielsen's average TV ratings for each season's last 10 races from 2003 through this season show a spike down this year: In 2003, Matt Kenseth's runaway played to a 4.1 average rating. In 2004, the first year of the Chase, the average jumped up to 4.6, and in 2005, up to 4.7. But this year, not counting Sunday's finale, the TV average is back down to 4.1.
So France repeated his pledge of "making the win more important," though he offered no specifics: "We'll sort that out in the offseason."
The decision may not be made until late January. But France said he wasn't seriously considering shortening the length of any races, even though Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he senses that fans consider some races, such as Pocono's two 500-milers, too long. "We have shortened a couple in the past," France said. "Dover is one that has come to mind. (Though, even cut to 400 miles, Dover races still run longer than 3 1/2 hours.)
"So we're not opposed to that. But I think, by and large, there are complications with that with our TV partners.
"Race fans like a longer race, believe it or not. Some of them will argue that maybe they're a little bit too long, but on balance, it's pretty good."
With all that said about 2007, here's a quick review of the top NASCAR stories of 2006:
_ Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, 2005's top three, missing this year's title Chase.
_ Juan Pablo Montoya jumping from Formula One to NASCAR.
_ Jimmie Johnson finally winning his first Cup championship.
_ Mark Martin shocking everyone by splitting with Ford's Jack Roush after 19 years and moving to Chevrolet. "I guess I'm glad that one's over," Martin said after running a disappointing 18th in his final race with Roush. "We thought we had something better than that. But we struggled." Roush said: "It was great Mark won the Truck race the other night, and I'm just disappointed the Chase went the way it did for him."
_ Car owner Richard Childress' rebound to prominence, with Jeff Burton and Kevin Harvick.
_ NASCAR stepping up its Hispanic/Latino diversity initiatives, running its second race in Mexico City, and then announcing a 2007 race in Montreal, its newest international stop, next August.
_ NASCAR's overall declining TV ratings, despite NBC setting a Daytona 500 record for viewers of the sport's biggest race.
_ Denny Hamlin's spectacular rookie season. "This has definitely been a year that exceeded every expectation," Hamlin said. "Our goal at the beginning of the year was to win rookie of the year and finish top-15 in points. We far exceeded that. But these seasons don't come by very often. I told the guys don't get all excited now and expect me to finish top-three from now on."
_ Kasey Kahne's hot year for Ray Evernham, in what was an otherwise mediocre season for Dodge.
_ The continuing fears by rivals of Nextel Cup newcomer Toyota using its vast economic reserves to alter the balance of power among this sport's manufacturers.
_ Car owner Jack Roush's stumbles, with Jamie McMurray, Biffle and Edwards all underproducing.
_ The long-running furor over NASCAR's controversial car of tomorrow, with a constant barrage of complaints from both drivers and crew chiefs.
_ The precipitous decline of Ryan Newman's fortunes, and Kurt Busch's fitful first season as a teammate at Roger Penske's.
_ Jeremy Mayfield's stunning midseason split with car owner Ray Evernham.
_ Car owner Robert Yates' collapse, losing Dale Jarrett and sponsor UPS to Toyota, and losing Elliott Sadler to Evernham.
_ NASCAR's heavy crackdowns on errant crew chiefs, even suspending stars like Chad Knaus and Todd Berrier.
