By David G. Firestone
So for this week, I’m going to discuss the upcoming 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule. There are a few changes, which are, according to Wikipedia:
“-The Busch Clash will move to Bowman Gray Stadium in 2025, replacing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It will be the first NASCAR Cup Series race held at the track since 1971.
-Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will host a points paying race, becoming the first points paying Cup race outside the US since 1958. Richmond Raceway will lose a date to accommodate this change.
-The races at Gateway Motorsports Park, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, will be added to the playoff schedule. As part of this schedule change, Watkins Glen International, Homestead–Miami Speedway, and the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, will move to the regular season.
-The Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway will be the opening race for the new NASCAR in-season tournament.”
I’ve discussed how much I love the idea of Bowman Gray hosting the Busch Clash and how I think it should lead to historical tracks hosting the Clash. I’d also like to see something like this in both the Xfinity Series and Truck Series. I hope this goes forward.
I like the dea of Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez hosting a points paying race, however I think that Richmond should have been kept on, and a different track, preferably a 1.5 mile track been removed. I hope this may also extend into Canada.
I will discuss my feelings on the Chicago Street Race on a latter date.
With the good out of the way, now let’s about this bullshit “tournament.” Here is how this tournament will “work” as explained by Wikipedia:
-“The NASCAR In-Season Tournament is an upcoming multi-phase tournament that will be conducted among drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series. It is scheduled to debut in the 2025 season.
-Format
-The tournament will consist of eight races.
-For the first three races, all full-time drivers in the series are eligible to compete. Race winners will automatically qualify for the bracket, and be joined by the drivers with the best finish in any of the three races, with ties to be broken by total race points. The 32 drivers with the best performances move on to the next phase of the tournament. The seeding races will be streamed on the new package to be shown on Amazon Prime Video.
The last five races will be conducted in a single elimination bracket. In each round, the driver in each match-up with the better finish advances, while the other is eliminated. This process will continue until only two drivers remain; the driver with the better finish in that race will be the tournament champion and win a $1 million bonus. All of these races will be shown on TNT.
-In 2025, the first race of the bracketed portion will be held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 28.
-The In-Season Tournament will be the second $1 million bonus event in the Cup Series, joining the NASCAR All-Star Race.”
First off, moving to Amazon Prime is going to cost NASCAR a lot. A lot in terms of viewers lost, money lost, sponsorship lost, and fans lost. If you are going to try something this audacious, why not have it on actual TV. This is another example of NASCAR focusing on what they want, as opposed to what they have. This will not go over well with the NASCAR fan base. I have no confidence in Amazon Prime Video for NASCAR.
Second, while I get the bracket format, it works for the playoffs. This random tournament, with nothing on the line except money isn’t really good. Especially the 1v1 format of the last five races. 10 drivers, 1v1 elimination, until two drivers are left. Why not have the same bracket as the playoffs?
Here’s my idea: I like the general idea of how to qualify: For the first three races, all full-time drivers in the series are eligible to compete. However, I would only have the top 20 drivers in points, all arranged by points, both regular and playoffs.
From there, I would do this: 5 races, top 20 drivers in points, all arranged by points, both regular and playoffs. Each race, the bottom 4 drivers get eliminated. 4 races, 16 drivers eliminated. Last race, highest finishing driver wins. There is no reason you need 32 drivers in a single-elimination bracket. If we have to actually do this horseshit, why not make it simple. Make it easy to follow.
Also, shouldn’t there be something more than money as a prize? I’d add some points to the mix. Other than that, there really isn’t much on the line. Realistically, there isn’t any reason this has to happen to begin with, but at least make it worth the effort. Money and points, at least that gives incentive. I just don’t get this at all.
I’ve at least praised IndyCar for moving from NBC to FOX in 2025! That was a smart move! The Peacock-only races are not doing well, and fans are not happy, so this is an improvement. NASCAR is taking a major step back, and IndyCar is taking a major step forward.
To top all of that off, since I have Directv, I can’t watch F1, since it’s on ESPN, and Directv and ABC are in a pissing match. It’s just not a good time to be a racing fan!
With that, I’ll be back next week.
Sources Cited:
https://www.jayski.com/nascar-cup-series/2025-nascar-cup-series-schedule/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_NASCAR_Cup_Series
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASCAR_in-season_tournament
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