NASCAR promised improved energy and new ideas this season, pledges that gave fans hope but could easily fail to deliver any meaningful change.
kAmtG6CJE9:?8 4@DED >@?6J[ D@>6@?6 ?665D E@ 36 H:==:?8 E@ DA6?5 :E[ 2?5 ?@ 4@?46AE 42? 364@>6 2 C62=:EJ H:E9@FE D@>6 D@CE @7 7:?2?4:2= 4@>>:E>6?E]k^Am
kAm|2C4FD $>:E9[ D@>6H92E BF:6E=J[ 92D E2<6? 2 A:G@E2= C@=6 😕 D92<:?8 E9:?8D FA E9:D D62D@? 😕 }p$rp#VD 2EE6>AE E@ DA2C< ?6H :?E6C6DE E@ E96 DA@CE]k^Am
kAmxEVD 62DJ E@ D2J E92E }p$rp# H2?ED E@ 8:G6 72?D E96 <:?5 @7 C24:?8 E96J H2?E] xEVD 2?@E96C E@ 24EF2==J 56=:G6C[ D@>6E9:?8 $>:E9 😀 ECJ:?8 E@ 5@ 2D 2 C:D<E2<:?8 AC@>@E6C]k^Am
kAm$>:E9[ E96 9625 @7 $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED D:?46 a_`d[ 92D 8C25F2==J E2<6? 9:D D62E 2E E96 E23=6] w6 2=E6C65 r92C=@EE6 |@E@C $A665H2J E@ 4C62E6 2 9J3C:5 C@25 4@FCD6^@G2= 😕 a_`g E@ 255 2 HC:?<=6 E@ E96 A=2J@77D :?DE625 @7 E96 D2>6 @=5 :?E6C>65:2E6 @G2=]k^Am
kAmw:D =2E6DE AC@;64E H2D 2 Sa >:==:@? DA6?5 2E qC:DE@= |@E@C $A665H2J 7@C $>:E9 E@ 4@G6C E96 36=@G65 D9@CE EC24< 😕 C65 %6??6DD66 4=2J 7@C E96 7:CDE 5:CE rFA C246 @? 5:CE D:?46 `hf_] }6IE FA 😀 E9:D H66<6?5VD EC:A=696256C 2E r:C4F:E @7 E96 p>6C:42D[ H96C6 $>:E9 =625D }p$rp# :?E@ 2 ?6H >2C<6E 3J AF==:?8 2 A286 7C@> 9:D 72E96CVD A=2J3@@<]k^Am
kAmqCFE@? $>:E9 7@F?565 $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED[ @H?6C 2?5 @A6C2E@CD @7 6:89E EC24<D @? E96 4FCC6?E rFA D4965F=6] %96 4@>A2?J 😕 =2E6 a_`h H6?E AC:G2E6[ H9:49 92D 8:G6? |2C4FD $>:E9 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 3C62< 7C@> E96 ?@C> 2?5 E2<6 492?46D E96 H2J 9:D 525 FD65 E@ H96? 96 ;FDE 3682? 2D 2 AC@>@E6C]k^Am
kAm%92EVD 9@H 96 AFE r~%p @? E96 D4965F=6]k^Am
kAm%96 b]cae>:=6 4@FCD6 😕 pFDE:? @A6?65 😕 a_`a E@ u@C>F=2 ~?6[ 2?5 `__[___ EF?65 @FE 7@C E92E C246] qFE E96 EC24< H2D G:6H65 2D 2 5:C64E 4@>A6E:E@C E@ %6I2D |@E@C $A665H2J[ 2 ;6H6= 😕 E96 $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED AC@A6CEJ[ 6DA64:2==J H96? :E H6=4@>65 x?5Jr2C E@ E96 4:C4F:E]k^Am
kAmxE H2D :8?@C65 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE 3J }p$rp#[ 2E =62DE F?E:= }p$rp# >256 :E 4=62C :E H2?E65 2 492?86 E@ E96 a_a` D4965F=6] u2?D H2?E65 E@ D66 >@C6 C@25 4@FCD6D[ D@ |2C4FD $>:E9 5:5 2D 9:D 72E96C >:89E 92G6 5@?6 564256D 62C=:6C]k^Am
kAm“%9:D 😀 C62==J 2 E9C@H324< E@ 9@H }p$rp#’D 7:CDE AC@>@E6CD =:<6 >J 525 2?5 q:== uC2?46 yC] 2?5 q:== uC2?46 $C] H@F=5 >2<6 E9:?8D 92AA6? 😕 E96 62C=J 52JD[” $>:E9 D2:5] “p AC@>@E6C H@F=5 8@ E@ 2 EC24< @H?6C[ 2?5 >2?J @H?65 7@C>6C 9@CD6 EC24<D 324< E96?[ 2?5 =62D6 E96 EC24< E@ AC@>@E6 2?5 AC@5F46 2 C246] %96J’5 CF? E96 C246 2?5 E96? >@G6 @? E@ 2?@E96C A=246[ >F49 =:<6 E96 4:C4FD]”k^Am
kAmr~%p 😀 =62D65 E@ $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED E9:D H66<6?5 H:E9 $>:E9 2?5 9:D 8C@FA C6DA@?D:3=6 7@C 6G6CJ 2DA64E @7 E96 %CF4<[ )7:?:EJ 2?5 rFA C246 EC:A=696256C] %96 H66<6?5 <:4<D @77 E96 7:CDE @7 7@FC 4@?D64FE:G6 rFA C246D @? E96 }p$rp# D4965F=6 9@DE65 3J $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED[ E96 =@?86DE DEC62< J6E 7@C E96 4@>A2?J E92E 92D 2=H2JD 492==6?865 }p$rp#VD :C@?4=25 9@=5 @? E96 DE@4< 42C D6C:6D]k^Am
kAm%@ >2<6 E9:D DEC6E49 92AA6?[ $>:E9 >@G65 E96 2??F2= p==$E2C C246 7C@> r92C=@EE6 |@E@C $A665H2J[ H96C6 :E 925 366? 96=5 bb 4@?D64FE:G6 J62CD 367@C6 E96 A2?56>:4 7@C465 :E E@ qC:DE@= =2DE J62C] ~?46 E96 p==$E2C C246 925 366? F?E:65 7C@> :ED =@?8E:>6 9@>6[ $>:E9 564:565 E@ D9:7E :E E@ %6I2D |@E@C $A665H2J E9:D J62C 2?5 E2<6 E96 A@:?EDA2J:?8 rFA C246 7C@> %6I2D 6=D6H96C6]k^Am
kAm%@ pFDE:?[ 2?5 2 ?6H C@25 4@FCD6[ E@ 36 6I24E]k^Am
kAmr~%p 96=A65 }p$rp# DH6== :ED D4965F=6 E@ 2 C64@C5 D6G6? C@25 4@FCD6D 😕 a_a`[ FA 7C@> E9C66 D:?46 E96 $>:E94C62E65 #@G2= 2E r92C=@EE6 H2D 25565 E@ E96 rFA D4965F=6]k^Am
kAm%96 $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED DH:?8 8@6D 7C@> r~%p E@ r92C=@EE6 7@C E96 r@42r@=2 e__[ E96 =@?86DE C246 @? E96 }p$rp# 42=6?52C] %96? }p$rp# >@G6D E@ $@?@>2 #246H2J[ 2? @C:8:?2= C@25 4@FCD6 @? E96 42=6?52C[ 2?5 $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED 4=@D6D :ED 7@FCH66< 3=@4 H:E9 E96 p==$E2C C246 2E %6I2D]k^Am
kAmpD E96 ?2E:@? 6>6C86D 7C@> E96 A2?56>:4 2?5 C6DEC:4E:@?D 92G6 366? =:7E65 😕 >2?J DE2E6D[ $>:E9 😀 9@A:?8 E96 $A665H2J |@E@CDA@CED DEC6E49 @7 C246D 9:ED 2E 2 E:>6 E96 AF3=:4 😀 D66<:?8 6?E6CE2:?>6?E @AE:@?D] w6 36=:6G6D 9:D EC24<D 42? 56=:G6C]k^Am
kAm“(6VC6 3:8 36=:6G6CD 😕 E96 DA@CE[ 2?5 }p$rp# 2?5 >@E@CDA@CED 😕 86?6C2= 😀 C62==J A@AF=2C 2?5 6I4:E:?8 2?5 A6@A=6 H2?E E@ 36 2 A2CE @7 3:8 6G6?ED[” $>:E9 D2:5] “uC@> 2 9F>2? A6CDA64E:G6[ H6 2== 42? 2AAC64:2E6 =:G6 6G6?ED >@C6 D@ E92? H6 5:5 `g >@?E9D 28@ 2?5 <:?5 @7 G2=F6 H92E :E 3C:?8D E@ @FC BF2=:EJ @7 =:76] x G:6H :E 2D @?6 @7 E96 :>A@CE2?E AFCA@D6D @7 >J ;@3[ E@ AC@G:56 6G6?ED 2?5 AFCA@D6D 2?5 G6?F6D H96C6 A6@A=6 H2?E E@ 82E96C E@ 92G6 7F? 2?5 >2<6 >6>@C:6D]”k^Am