Move the 600

[Lee Roy]

It's stupid to waste a beautiful Sunday afternoon and wait until Sunday night to run the CC 600 at Lowes. They need to start that race between noon and 1:00 PM.

[muggle not]

Nascar is afraid of a decrease in viewership as it would conflict with the Indy 500. :)

[Wade91]

it wouldn't make any sence to run the race in the afternoon! first of all most of want to see the indy 500, and also, night racing is awesome, i know the is gonna be run in the day anyway now, but you cant just move night races to the day for fear that its gonna rain at night

[Lee Roy]

Forget the Indy 500. Let that race fend for itself. That's what DVR's and TIVO are for.

I remember years ago, when the Indy 500 was still the Indy 500, and the races both ran on Sunday afternoon. I would watch the Indy 500 (because it used to start at 11:00 AM) and tape the 600 to watch later. With my DVR now, it would be a snap to do that.

For those of us who want to see the 600 and could care less about the Indy 500, waiting until 6 or 7 o'clock to get that race started is really stupid.

[Lee Roy]

it wouldn't make any sence to run the race in the afternoon! first of all most of want to see the indy 500,

You may find that most of the people that want to see the Coca Cola 600 could care less about Indy. Especially now.


. . . .but you cant just move night races to the day for fear that its gonna rain at night

No, but if you get started earlier in the day, and it rains in the afternoon, the lights do give you the ability to continue after dark. A much longer timeframe to get the race in.

[RaceFanStan]

The Coca-Cola 600 is rarely rained-out since going to racing at night.
I like night races so I would be against the Coca-Cola 600 switching to a day race.

Furthermore ...
I would like to to see the Indianapolis 500 start a bit earlier & the Coca-Cola 600 start a bit later.
That way more Cup drivers would try the double, 1 driver doing 1100 miles of racing in 1 day is awesome !
I think it would build interest in BOTH races. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/2ua.gif

[Wade91]

The Coca-Cola 600 is rarely rained-out since going to racing at night.
I like night races so I would be against the Coca-Cola 600 switching to a day race.

Furthermore ...
I would like to to see the Indianapolis 500 start a bit earlier & the Coca-Cola 600 start a bit later.
That way more Cup drivers would try the double, 1 driver doing 1100 miles of racing in 1 day is awesome !
I think it would build interest in BOTH races. http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/thum/2ua.gif
yeah, then John Andretti could have done the, of course as it turns out he could have done it anyway :mark:

[Mark in Oshawa]

Stan, I am with you. The only reason this decision looks bad now is because of the rain out, but they have all day on the Monday to get the race in if they cannot get it in on the Sunday night.

As for your assertion Lee Roy that people wanting to watch the 600 wouldn't watch the 500, a smart business man doesn't go around making people choose when there is no upside in it for them. If NASCAR ran off at noon, they would see lower ratings for sure, because some people watch both, Heck, I watch both and if I choose, I will watch Indy. Nothing against NASCAR, I watch or listen to it on the radio most of the season, but the 600 mile race I can tune in at the last hour and a half and still get my fix. The 500 is the only IRL race I make sure I watch for the most part. It is still the big daddy on Memorial Day weekend for a lot of people, even if they do watch NASCAR.

[Lee Roy]

For me, I could care less if a driver tries to do both races. It's a novelty, that's all.

And in this day and time, with the technology of TIVO and DVR, there is no reason that anyone has to make a choice between one race or the other. I rarely watch a race live anymore . . . . or anything else for that matter. If I had to sit through those interminable advertisements, I'd go batty.

MOVE THE 600 BACK TO A NOON STARTING TIME!!!!!! I'D BET YOU WOULD FIND THAT THE INDY 500 WOULD COME UP WITH A NEW DATE!!!!!

[Wade91]

well, chances are if you chose to watch the coke 600, and were recording the indy 500, the indy 500 would finish first and you would hear who won before you even got a chance to watch it, i would rather the coke 600 be run on monday than at the same time as the indy 500

[call_me_andrew]

NASCAR starting a race before 2 o'clock? Brian France isn't even out of bed at 2 o'clock!

[Mark in Oshawa]

For me, I could care less if a driver tries to do both races. It's a novelty, that's all.

And in this day and time, with the technology of TIVO and DVR, there is no reason that anyone has to make a choice between one race or the other. I rarely watch a race live anymore . . . . or anything else for that matter. If I had to sit through those interminable advertisements, I'd go batty.

MOVE THE 600 BACK TO A NOON STARTING TIME!!!!!! I'D BET YOU WOULD FIND THAT THE INDY 500 WOULD COME UP WITH A NEW DATE!!!!!

Lee Roy, NASCAR aint going to do that. They have always deferred to Indy since they started running the race on the same day and national TV came along. Indy has seniority in terms of history and the people at NASCAR have always respected that. AS for the TIVO/DVR idea, advertisers wont go for it because they don't want you watching either race on TIVO or DVR. They know if you watch it live, you watch the commercials. They know you watch it later on TIVO, you are zipping BY the commercials. TV wont allow it even if NASCAR wanted to do it, but It is a double whammy. NASCAR wont want the bad blood and bad PR they would get for running both shows at the same time. They will do it against any other IRL property, but the Indy 500 was the first national race in the USA and always will be. You don't spit on 100 years of history....

[Lee Roy]

Lee Roy, NASCAR aint going to do that. They have always deferred to Indy since they started running the race on the same day and national TV came along. Indy has seniority in terms of history and the people at NASCAR have always respected that. AS for the TIVO/DVR idea, advertisers wont go for it because they don't want you watching either race on TIVO or DVR. They know if you watch it live, you watch the commercials. They know you watch it later on TIVO, you are zipping BY the commercials. TV wont allow it even if NASCAR wanted to do it, but It is a double whammy. NASCAR wont want the bad blood and bad PR they would get for running both shows at the same time. They will do it against any other IRL property, but the Indy 500 was the first national race in the USA and always will be. You don't spit on 100 years of history....

A little history here is relevant.

First, the Indy 500 used to be run on May 30th, no matter what day it fell on (I believe I'm right, but if anyone knows better, please say). It was the Indy 500 that moved to the Sunday before the Federal Holiday, the same day that NASCAR had been running the 600 since it's inception. That's why the Allison's and Cale Yarborough and Lee Roy Yarbrough used to be able to run the Indy 500.

After that the 600 and the Indy 500 both ran at the same time on the same day until Lowes MS put in lights, then NASCAR moved to an evening race.

I hate wasting a perfectly good afternoon waiting for the 600 to start. If they started it a 1:00 (or 2:00), they would have about 10 hours or so to get the race in due to having lights at Lowes MS. A rain shower won't move the race to Monday.

Eff the Indy 500. If they don't like the competition, too bad. They can barely attract a full field of their little kit cars anymore. Let them move back to their traditional 30 May race date, that is, if tradition means anything to them.

You are right about the Tivo & DVR. I LOVE being able to fast forward through commercials.

[call_me_andrew]

Waisting an afternoon? You don't have to sit and watch NASCAR Race Day. You could go outside, read, or do whatever it is you would normally do after a day race ends.

[e2mtt]

Waisting an afternoon? You don't have to sit and watch NASCAR Race Day. You could go outside, read, or do whatever it is you would normally do after a day race ends.

Never thought of that... !

Or you could do what most of us race fans do... watch the Indy 500, take a break, watch the 600, 10 hours of racing in one day! (including the Monaco GP of course)

[Mark in Oshawa]

A little history here is relevant.

First, the Indy 500 used to be run on May 30th, no matter what day it fell on (I believe I'm right, but if anyone knows better, please say). It was the Indy 500 that moved to the Sunday before the Federal Holiday, the same day that NASCAR had been running the 600 since it's inception. That's why the Allison's and Cale Yarborough and Lee Roy Yarbrough used to be able to run the Indy 500.

After that the 600 and the Indy 500 both ran at the same time on the same day until Lowes MS put in lights, then NASCAR moved to an evening race.

I hate wasting a perfectly good afternoon waiting for the 600 to start. If they started it a 1:00 (or 2:00), they would have about 10 hours or so to get the race in due to having lights at Lowes MS. A rain shower won't move the race to Monday.

Eff the Indy 500. If they don't like the competition, too bad. They can barely attract a full field of their little kit cars anymore. Let them move back to their traditional 30 May race date, that is, if tradition means anything to them.

You are right about the Tivo & DVR. I LOVE being able to fast forward through commercials.

You just find it impossible to like one thing without ripping into another do you?

Fortunately, NASCAR doesn't look at it that way. One of the reasons the lights worked so well for NASCAR and Lowe's is that they get their own time to get the ratings. If I am supposed to pick and choose, as much as I love NASCAR, I will watch the Indy 500. Sorry, I can watch a NASCAR race that is too long on a cookie cutter mile and a half about 16 times a season. There is NOTHING like the Indy 500 and while I rarely watch most of the Indy car races, I don't miss many NASCAR events. That said, you make me choose, and you may not like my call.

The whole point of having the two races not on at the same time is to give themselves a shot at a bigger TV audience. If you are NASCAR, you can only lose viewers by having the two races on at the same time.

As for them always having the race on May 30, I somehow think maybe in ancient times, but I have watched the Indy 500 on a Sunday every time I watched it, and I started watching it on the old ABC tape delay when I was about 6....(that would be 1971)

[tstran17_88]

Personally...the rain aside, I thought the Indy 500 was a much more exciting race than that crap fest at Lowe's Monday morning, afternoon & evening.

[Lee Roy]

Personally...the rain aside, I thought the Indy 500 was a much more exciting race than that crap fest at Lowe's Monday morning, afternoon & evening.

Apparently, you're one of the few. This year's Indy 500 actually got the lowest TV rating ever.

[call_me_andrew]

Yeah, it wasn't a very good Indy 500, but it was better than hours of red flags separating minutes of racing.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Yeah, it wasn't a very good Indy 500, but it was better than hours of red flags separating minutes of racing.

Or better than 10 lap stints of green followed by 3 or 4 laps of Yellow while everyone changes their tires.

[BobbyC]

The push for a night race came after Sprint All-Star Race VIII ran at night. Fans complained to track management after immense heat at the 600 to run it at night for cooler conditions. It can be very humid in the Charlotte area during that time of the year.

[mharrison]

Apparently, you're one of the few. This year's Indy 500 actually got the lowest TV rating ever.

That's because it was like watching paint dry.

[Mark in Oshawa]

The push for a night race came after Sprint All-Star Race VIII ran at night. Fans complained to track management after immense heat at the 600 to run it at night for cooler conditions. It can be very humid in the Charlotte area during that time of the year.

Putting the race at night was a great idea, and it has paid off for NASCAR and the Speedway. Just this year, the year of the rain delay, it didn't work.