The idea of having the Southern 500 at Darlington serve as the finale to the NASCAR season is a great idea, but one that simply has to many hurdles to clear to actually become reality.
So many people have called the Daytona 500 the “Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing” that it’s practically cliche at this point. What makes it a bit unusual among all pro sports is that it’s the event that starts a season instead of finishing it, but NASCAR is fortunate to have another event that’s almost as prestigious: what’s now called the Bojangles Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
While the race, which has been held since 1950, lost a little of its luster when it was moved to the spring, it’s been back in its traditional Labor Day weekend spot on the schedule since 2015. On top of that, the event has embraced perhaps the coolest theme possible, a throwback weekend that pays homage to the history of the sport. That alone helps give it a special feel, one that’s only increased by the unique nature of the egg-shaped “Track Too Tough to Tame.”
Taking those facts and running with them, veteran journalist Dave Caldwell has an interesting premise that sounds so good in his latest column: Why doesn’t the Southern 500 end the NASCAR season? In the abstract, it makes perfect sense, as with all due respect to Homestead, Darlington simply feels like the kind of test that should produce a champion. If you emerge with the trophy and first place in the standings after tangling with the Lady in Black, you deserve it.
Alas, it’s just a pipe dream for a number of reasons. First and foremost, Caldwell’s dream scenario of making the second-biggest NASCAR race the season finale is married to his other big idea, which is reducing the NASCAR Cup Series schedule to 24 races. He does so by eliminating the second race from every track that currently has two race weekends — even places like Daytona, Talladega and Bristol — moving Homestead to the early spring (the best part of the plan) and ending things on Labor Day weekend with the Southern 500.
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There’s no question the NASCAR schedule could use some continued experimentation, and even those of us who cover it as part of our livelihoods would be alright with a slightly shorter season, to say nothing of the drivers and crew members who are on the road all that time. Still, a reduction from 36 races to 24 is a drastic one, and it’s safe to say NASCAR wouldn’t even consider something like that unless it had no choice. That is, only if things were really, really bad financially, and we should all be rooting against that.
Furthermore, it leaves little room for adding new venues to the schedule, which is an idea that has picked up even more steam in recent years. Even NASCAR itself, though it can’t say so in public, seems to be considering it, even if existing contracts prevent it from happening for a few years. Cutting back to 24 races doesn’t leave any room for brand new races unless some tracks lose the Cup Series altogether, and no matter what you think of your current least favorite track, that’s not a fate you should be wishing on anyone either.
What about simply moving the Southern 500 to the end of the season? It’s not impossible, but not only does it take the race back away from the holiday with which it has been associated for the vast majority of its existence, it runs the risk of the race being, well, really cold. The 2018 season ends on Nov. 18, and AccuWeather tells us that the historical low for that date in Homestead of 63 degrees (with a high of 81!) is pretty close to the average high in Darlington of 65 degrees. The average low is 40, so you can forget making it a night race unless you want everyone to be wearing their NASCAR throwback parkas.
(Actually, that would be a good merchandising opportunity … never mind, just kidding.)
In other words, there’s really no way to have Darlington decide the champion without also shortening the season dramatically or moving the Southern 500 away from Labor Day, and both of those options have significant downsides. For now, we’re just going to have to enjoy throwback weekend at Darlington Raceway for what it is, and luckily, the race and the vibe around it are both usually great on their own merits.