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NASCAR races have historically been a test of endurance as much as they have been of speed. But of late, the count of voices demanding shorter races has been growing. Joining the list of drivers and fans is Kenny Wallace. The former Cup Series driver made a strong point that if there was one change that he would want to see in NASCAR right now, it is that of a shorter duration on the track.
Shortening races is not a new idea for NASCAR. Over these last few decades, the promotion has been quietly shortening races that ran for over 500 miles. These races once took up more than half the calendar but now, there are just 8 races that run 500 or more miles. The prime reason for this move could be that NASCAR is trying to mimic Formula One to garner higher popularity among younger fans.
In Formula One, it is rare for race races to take longer than two hours. A NASCAR race seeing the finish line within two hours is nearly impossible unless it is shortened by rain
Considering NASCAR’s need to switch things up in a way that it can get more viewership from a new generation, shorter races might end up serving the bigger cause.
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Kevin Harvick had made his opinion about race lengths clear back in 2022. He mentioned how 500-mile races were a “thing of the past” and said, “I think that there should be the Coke 600, the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the crown jewel events should have those distances, and I think everything else should be shorter.”
Former champion Kyle Busch’s opinion from last year lies on the same line. In his words, “Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600, Southern 500, you know what I mean. I would say keep those going the way they are, and maybe some of the other ones can be shortened.”
One of the recent debates that came up regarding race lengths was when NASCAR announced that the 2024 race at the Iowa Speedway would be a 350-lap event. Though some fans had pegged for a 400-lap event, the promotion continued on its trend of shortening races. The move made it clear that regardless of the dissent, NASCAR appears to be heading toward a new normal.
