Add Watkins Glen to the list of NASCAR tracks that will turn the Cup Series into a single-day affair in the second half of the 2017 season.
Is it better for NASCAR fans to be able to see the stars of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup series do their thing in just one day or worse for the tracks to not have a reason for them to come out Friday or Saturday? The sport is going to find out this year, with Watkins Glen yet another test case.
Jayski reports that Watkins Glen International has announced its “enhanced Sunday lineup” for its August 3-6 race weekend that features same-day qualifying and racing for the Cup Series. Drivers will qualify beginning at 12:35 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 6, with the 90-lap race beginning at 3 p.m.
That increases the number of tracks following a single-day schedule to three, as Pocono (for its July race only) and Martinsville (in October) made similar previous announcements. No races on the first half of the 2017 schedule have announced one-day Cup Series schedules, though not all of the qualifying dates have been revealed.
“We are very excited to announce the schedule for this year’s NASCAR tripleheader at Watkins Glen International,” WGI president Michael Printup said in a press release. “With races on back-to-back-to-back days, and the addition of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying on Sunday, our fans will be treated to non-stop excitement on the track from Friday morning through Sunday afternoon.”
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With NASCAR tracks experiencing declines in attendance almost across the board since the beginning of the decade, any added incentive to get fans to come out for live racing are worth trying. Can qualifying be a draw to sell more tickets, or at least to convince people to come out earlier and spend more money on race day?
More and more, it appears the back half of this season will be a big experiment in search of those answers.