NASCAR announced that it will add a test at Lowe’s Motor Speedway May 5-6 for Cup teams. The decision comes after Texas officials pleaded for a test session after the problems with tires at Atlanta. NASCAR balked and the Texas race was called boring by many. So, now Charlotte gets a test before it hosts the next two races on an intermediate track.
Coincidence or not but the Texas TV ratings were lower than last year’s race. That’s something NASCAR hadn’t seen up to that point. It can be read as a sign that fans didn’t like what they saw at Texas. If fans see more of it at Charlotte, NASCAR’s TV ratings could dip there. TV is important.
Remember the 600 is on the same day as the Indianapolis 500, which likely will get extra attention this year because of the reunification of the IRL and Champ Car series. So, to prevent a ratings dip against Indy, NASCAR needs good races at Charlotte.
Of course for those who haven’t done as well on the intermediate tracks, they love NASCAR’s decision. It will be interesting to see what kind of races those are. The expectations will be higher for better races. Should those races not be as entertaining to the fans, the pressure will grow for NASCAR to make some changes to the car.
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