The discussion about the number off-weeks in the NASCAR season continues alongside the 2023 Cup Series schedule. The latest update is a proposal from Brad Keselowski that includes some mid-week events.
The 2012 Cup Series champion provided his thoughts on the matter on Twitter on April 13 while SiriusXM NASCAR Radio received input from racing fans. He expressed a desire to go back to the teams having three off-weeks each season without necessarily extending the length of the season.
Keselowski’s proposal is to have the first off-week right after the West Coast swing ends in the spring. This way, the teams can enjoy some warm weather before continuing the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway or wherever the next event takes place.
The second off-week in his proposal would be in the summer. For Keselowski, this break in the schedule would line up with the NBA and NHL Finals.
Finally, he would like to see the third off-week happen the week before the championship race so that NASCAR could build hype. This could potentially have the same effect that the off-week in the NFL has before the Super Bowl in that it just creates excitement and leads to extended conversations about the ultimate champion.
Keselowski Also Addressed Making Up the Missed Weeks
GettyBrad Keselowski watches qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Adding two extra off-weeks to the schedule could potentially extend a season that already starts in mid-February and goes through early November. Keselowski also had a plan for overcoming that potential hurdle.
Keselowski said that NASCAR could hold three mid-week races during the summer months at small, short tracks. This would keep the Cup Series schedule the same length while also providing viewing opportunities for the younger fans that are in the middle of their summer breaks.
NASCAR has been forced to use mid-week races in the past to make up races. Though this was in 2020 after the industry returned from a 10-week hiatus due to COVID.
The series took part in a schedule that featured races located near Charlotte, and it incorporated mid-week events at Darlington Raceway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Martinsville Speedway.
A Championship-Winning Crew Chief Had a Similar Proposal
Keselowski is far from the only person that weighed in with opinions about the NASCAR Cup Series schedule. For example, Joel Edmonds, the spotter for Aric Almirola, said that the industry should be headed for a 30-race schedule.
Rodney Childers, Kevin Harvick’s crew chief, also voiced support for three off-weeks during the Cup Series season. His proposal had one off-week for Easter, one in the middle of the summer when the kids are out of school, and one in the fall.
One point made by Childers and other people in the industry is that the schedule is nonstop for the drivers, crew members, media members, and NASCAR HQ. The workload required to make races happen is significant, and there aren’t many days off during the week.
If there are any changes made, they will have to be made before NASCAR releases the 2024 schedule later in the year. This will be when Keselowski, Childers, and other members of the industry learn if there are more opportunities to reset before key points of the season.
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Brad Keselowski Proposes Altered NASCAR Schedule