This is the Statt Mann, Baby. It’s time to Scatt a Little Bit…
Recently the SpeedFreaks have talked in depth about race lengths and how the current race fan is leaning toward something that doesn’t take up the entire afternoon to learn the winner of the competition.
Well we saw a perfect example Saturday when the Tudor United Sports Car Championship and NASCAR Sprint Cup came on different television networks at the same time.
The sports car race from Long Beach had a two-and-a-half hour window for the show starting at three o’clock Pacific time. The Cup race also started at three but it had a FOUR-and-a-half hour window set aside. That’s fifty percent longer than your average NFL game!
As you can imagine the sports car race ran off without a caution period and was over in less than two hours. The crew had to pad with post race features ’til the end of the show. But we knew the winner and could get on with our day.
The Cup Race? It droned on for another two hours with cautions and delays and generally line-dance racing.
I don’t know about you but that’s just too much time. If we won’t give it to a pro football game with all its action, why do you think we’ll give it to a car race? You can understand why sports car programming is on the ascendency and NASCAR racing. quite frankly, isn’t.
Peace.