NASCAR is considering a change to the stage racing format at superspeedways and one of the ideas being tossed around is adding a fourth stage to the Daytona and Talladega races. Mike Forde, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, mentioned it on the Sept. 10 episode of the Hauler Talk podcast.
But he stressed it’s not “seriously being discussed”. The conversation comes at a time when superspeedway racing is getting panned for being all about fuel mileage rather than all-out racing.
Fuel strategy has become huge at Daytona and Talladega, with drivers saving fuel for significant periods of the race before ultimately going to the front in the last laps of the race.
This approach has frustrated many fans and drivers alike. NASCAR has signaled it could think about changing the format of these races, either with adjustments to stage lengths or with a new stage. Currently, the only 600-mile race is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which has had four stages.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Backs Fourth Stage at Daytona and Talladega to Revive Superspeedway Racing
Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks adding a fourth stage could bring back the kind of racing fans want to see. On his Dale Jr. Download podcast he said it would remove the long runs and keep the action more consistent.
“Fans did not like this idea,” Earnhardt admitted. “We were talking about how at the last restrictor plate race, we had this first stage where everybody raced like hell. Well, if we want to try to get that style of racing the entire time, maybe we take fuel out of it entirely or as much as you can and add a fourth stage.”
“That doesn’t sound too crazy to me. Because we have a fourth stage in the [Coca-Cola] 600, and no one cares, right?”
For the four-time Daytona 500 winner, this change could also help to restore some prestige to the Crown Jewel race. Earnhardt feels the race has lost a bit of that luster in the past few years. “One of the things I like about it is, it adds importance to those two races because there would be more points on the line,” he said.
“Is the Daytona 500 still the most important race of the year? Yes, everyone wants to win the Daytona 500, but is it the most important race? It’s fallen from that perch, and that is a problem for me.”
Nothing is set in stone but Dale Earnhardt’s comments show how a fourth stage could change superspeedway racing and bring the Daytona 500 back to the top of the NASCAR calendar.
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