Full Throttle

It would be a tall order, but what if NASCAR in one swift move could win back the hearts and minds of some members of NASCAR Nation that lament the passing of the so-called “Good Old Days” of the sport?

I’ve gone down this road before, in fact devoted an entire category on the subject (NOTE: Some entries have been truncated due to a host/data xfer), but as a certified member of the not-yet-ready-for-the-old-folks-home (but getting closer) demographic I understand the feelings of some, but that doesn’t mean I subscribe to, or share their ability to ignore reality.

What prompted me to revisit the subject is the recent NHL game played at venerable old Wrigley Field. Pictured below are the Chicago Blackhawks during pre-game practice.

The game was the third NHL game held outdoors in the modern era. Given the freezing temps at game time (32 minus wind chill), an astounding crowd of over 40 thousand filed through the turnstiles - more than double the average NHL attendance.

The game got me to thinking, what if?

What if NASCAR were to devote one race weekend to a “throw-back” weekend?

Several teams/drivers have sported throwback paint schemes, the first to my knowledge was Harry Gant’s final race - the 1994 Hooters 500. The car was based on a 1981 paint scheme with Burt Reynolds and Hal Needham.

More recently Dale Earnhardt Jr’s. #88 went Old School with a Mountain Dew paint scheme at Darlington that resembled Darrell Waltrip’s Monte Carlo from the 1980s. last May.

But I want to take it a giant step further.

First, the entire starting field should be “wrapped” in paint schemes from the past, say pre-1985. Without checking I feel relatively certain thinking every car number in current Sprint Cup use has been used pre-1985 and would be a candidate.

If one or two numbers turn out to be from teams/drivers that were relatively “unknown” so be it.

But it doesn’t stop there. The throwback event should be at an old NASCAR track.

The obvious, and easiest choice, would be The Rock. I have little doubt current owner Andy Hillenburg wouldn’t object in the slightest welcoming a NASCAR sanctioned event. I would also guess it would draw a larger crowd than the first ARCA RE/Max event there that only numbered about one-third of capacity.

There are other candidates.

Wall Stadium is one. Currently the New Jersey track hosts Modifieds and Street Stocks. However it’s history includes a single Grand National event in 1958 won by Jim Reed and one Convertible event (1956) won by Curtis Turner.

Yes I hear ya [Redneck Nation?], a throwback should be in the south.

Ok, no better venue for that would be Bowman-Gray Stadium that held Cup races continuously from 1958 through the 1971 season.

Hickory Motor Speedway is another excellent candidate. The track counts among its past champions Ralph Earnhardt (5-times), Ned Jarrett, Harry Gant, Jack Ingram, Junior Johnson and Dennis Setzer along with many other familiar names in its 59 year history.

Hickory has the added benefit of being less than 40 miles from Charlotte. The event could be part of the All-Star weekend and not add any burdensome travel.

I know what you’re thinkin’, how do you start 43 cars on a quarter mile or one third mile bullring?

Easy, split the field in half, run two 150 lap “heat races” with the top 18 finishers from each heat moving into a 250 lap feature event. Call it the Bill France Sr. Memorial 250.

I see you still have questions, like how the hell do you get teams to risk race cars worth nearly a quarter mil apiece in what obviously will be a slam-bang affair of epic proportions?

Problem solved. First comes the money. Then, and wait for it… double points awarded for the 250 lap event.

The money part is easy, as Kyle Petty has famously remarked; “That’s the way race people are. If they think anybody’s got money, we’re all hookers.”

A big payout, and it would have to be much bigger than Bristol, would come as close as you could expect to guaranteeing a large field.

But the real kicker is the proposed awarding of double points.

With 36 starters for the 250 lap event normal points would range from 190 for the winner to 30 for 36th place.

Double that and the winner collects 380 points and 36th gets 60 for the event. But I haven’t told you the entire story as yet.

The entire 36 car field is inverted, with the two 150 lap winners starting on the last row and the two 18th place finishers at the front.

To prevent sandbagging you could either increase points for the 150 lap events, say by 10-25 percent, or institute a “sandbag rule” for this event only.

Many short tracks compare feature event lap times with qualifying times.

If there is a wide disparity between the two, and no mechanical or in-race accident damage has occured, the offending team is penalized by a set time or set number of finishing positions.

Again, problem solved. (Maybe)

So, there you have it, the Half-Vast Staff’s Ole School Solution. What do ya think?

Workable, or on the south side of sanity?

Go ahead, talk amongst yourselves, while I catch-up on my Prozac medication. I’m about a month behind.