Generally speaking I think the answer is no.  "Generally" is a pretty broad stripe.  I do think that there are some areas that need fixing and tweaking.

Ryan Newman has a column over at Yahoo! Sports.  You can find a link to it over at my Ryan Newman Fan site. Yeah that is pretty pathetic attempt to get you over to my site. 

Anyway, in Newman's latest edition he played the "what if" game and decided to write part of the column about "What If I Was NASCAR Commisioner".

The following is a brief descripition of what Ryan Newman would like to change followed up by what I think the answer is.


1. Realign Schedule So Cup Racing Is A 2 DAY Event
My Thoughts - I agree. I just don't know how feasible it is. The main argument that I have heard about this is that the Craftsman Truck Series and the Nationwide Series also have to get their practices/qualifying and racing in. I also know I would rather see Saturday and Saturday night races instead of Sunday races.

2. Swap the Atlanta and Phoenix dates in the spring
My Thoughts - Makes sense to me. Might as well stay on the West coast instead of traveling back and forth.

3. Take away the first and/or second California, move to either Darlington or a place like Nashville or Kentucky.
My Thoughts - I also agree. California doesn't come any near filling it's seats. Why should they have 2 races. Move it! At least one of the races if not both.

4. I would award points for qualifying.
My Thoughts - Of course the Rocketman is going to want this. Parts of me agree and parts of me disagree and I don't really know how to work it out. Poles are always a big deal, but mean little in the big picture. I can't really think of a good reason why not to award 5 bonus points (and only 5 - no more) for getting the pole. So I guess I am for it, but don't really care if happens or not.

5. I’d eliminate non-locked in cars qualifying last.
My Thoughts - This is another weird subject for me. I don't like the top 35 rule, so if it was more like a top 20 or top 25 rule, then this "change" would not even need to take place. In fact they could all just go back to qualifying together. But, I think letting the non-locked cars qualify at a different time as a group is ok. I just don't think it was the right step NASCAR should have taken. I hate seeing a good race car driver do really well in qualifying but because he is not "locked in" he does not get into the race.

6. I would give maybe a 20- or 25-point bonus to the regular season champion heading into the Chase.
My Thoughts - This is the last one that I answered because I could not come up with an answer. I don't think that this is necessary. It is possible for a driver to have a 4 wins and scrape their way into the chase with a medioce rest of the season. And that could leave them starting the chase in 1st. But generally speaking I think the person that starts the chase in first is more than likely going to be the person that deserves to be there.

7. Simplify technical inspection. It takes way too long
My Thoughts - I Couldn't agree more. Actually, I don't know about simplifying it, but there is no reason for these guys to sit around for 12 hours waiting in line for inspection. How about the same process but NASCAR gives you an appointment time. Then you go fish or run some errands and then show up at your time. If all the teams want to sit around and watch to make sure everything is on the up and up, so be it.

8. I would make sure there are SAFER barriers on all the inner and outer walls.
My Thoughts - Couldn't agree more. Can't really argue that one.

9. Have a traveling safety team.
My Thoughts - I like this idea as well. And if the series does not want to float the bill, then the tracks can chip some of what they paid for their safety crews anyway. Or chip in 100% of what they were paying. That would make NASCAR's bill as small as possible. And to me it really makes sense to have the same safety crews at every race. Over time that would be the "ultimate safety crew".

Newman's thoughts on a traveling safety crew.

"The series can financially support a traveling safety team, so why not have one so that when I get out of the car I know one of 10 people who are going to be helping me?"