Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
NASCAR has promised its fans a new era, but will they actually deliver more than a new coat of paint and a new title sponsor in 2017? While it’s hard to know what 2017 is going to being, it’s not hard to know some of the changes needed to make it a success.
In NASCAR change has been the norm for the past few seasons and that has been both good and bad for the sport. On the one hand NASCAR has done their best to makes changes to better everyone and keep the sport as updated as possible in the minds of the governing body. On the other hand, the changes have made NASCAR somewhat of a punchline for fans.
Despite all of that, fans are coming back for the 2017 season and that means NASCAR has the chance to fix some things. Here are a handful of changes that NASCAR should make heading into the 2017 season to better the overall product.
Courtesy of NASCAR.com
Caution clock
Despite fans negative opinions about the caution clock that was introduced in the Camping World Truck Series at the beginning of the 2016 season, its implementation in the Cup Series is crucial moving forward. I’m not saying the Cup Series needs to the clock but if NASCAR is going to have it, why not have it where it actually matters. Not only would the clock add a bit more strategy to NASCAR’s top level of racing, it also bunches up the boys and girls for the restarts as well, which might reduce some of those phantom cautions.
Like many rules implemented in NASCAR, it’s not perfect, but it could really do wonders to inject intensity and interest back into the sport if NASCAR officials handle the situation correctly. For example, if NASCAR took away the idea of the caution clock and substituted it with the idea of rounds during a typical race, it would give NASCAR a dirt track feel and create a splash of fan interest. But I might be getting ahead of myself with the talk of rounds, so I digress.
If NASCAR really wants this clock to gain traction it needs to be used in the top series, otherwise get rid of it.
Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
First-Round Bye
NASCAR officials talked about this rule change near the end of the 2016 season and it would be a lie to say that it wouldn’t add yet another interesting layer to the already intense ten-race NASCAR Chase at the end of the season. With that being said, this is one of those rule changes that can either go very good or very bad and it all depends on how exactly NASCAR implements it.
One way to go about it would be to just reward an automatic spot in the second round to the point’s leader at the end of the regular season. However, there are still worries from some fans about sandbagging if that happens. Another thing NASCAR can do is offer a monetary incentive for the regular season winner or even first pick of pit selection and automatic pole in the first round as well.
Sure, it might be tricky at first, but if NASCAR can pull something like this off, it will pay dividends to the entire sport and make the regular season much more interesting to watch. In fact, if the right incentive gets offered for the regular season point’s winner, fans could finally see a point’s race that comes down to the final few races of the regular season.
This would improve the on-track product as the Chase got closer.
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Rain-Shortened Races
It goes without saying that rain-shortened races are one of the most disappointing things about NASCAR. Fans and drivers alike get all amped up for a weekend of intense racing with championship implications and have it all taken away when Mother Nature decides to rear its ugly head. Not only does this shorten races and send fans home unhappy, it also impacts the championship standings.
That’s why NASCAR needs to at the very least stop allowing Chase races to end under rain delay. The move is a disservice to the sport and the coveted championship itself and also has left a bad taste in fans mouths since day one. While it is understandable that something like this would take time to implement and perfect, it is still a needed change in the sport of NASCAR.
How does NASCAR out-race Mother Nature though?
The more difficult solution would be to stay the course and for the next day to race again. This might limit what fans can see the festivities and that’s a very unfortunate aspect of this, but it’s better than scrapping the race completely and giving the win away to a driver that just happened to be out front at the time.
The second solution is a little more complicated, but could be a much better solution when looked at thoroughly. While NASCAR is sometimes unable to fit a full or even 3/4 of a race in after a rain delay and officials don’t want to call the race and disappoint the fans, they can still measure what window they have and create a shootout style finish in order to send the fans home somewhat happy. This idea isn’t perfect but at least I’m trying here, what are you doing NASCAR?
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Overtime Rules
NASCAR, we love all love you, but we need to do something about this overtime rule. Sure, you hype it up as a chance at unlimited attempts to end the race under green flag conditions, but that is hardly ever the case. With that being said and the overboard nature of your rule changes, wouldn’t it just be easier to go back to three attempts?
Better yet! Why not keep the unlimited attempts and just get rid of that pesky overtime line that never made sense to begin with. Not only would that allow for fans to have a better chance of seeing a race end under the green flag, it also brings a more sensible solution to the problem of accidents happening right at the restart.
We get it NASCAR, you made a mistake a year ago at Talladega by calling the race after a huge wreck mashed up the field and handed Joey Logano the win, but that doesn’t mean you need to overcompensate and ruin what was an already a good thing. If nothing else, keep the unlimited attempts and please to god just get rid of the pesky overtime line!
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Seeding For Championship Weekend
Is it exciting? Yes!
Is it fair? Not exactly.
While having all four championship contenders enter the final race on equal footing at Homestead Miami might seem like a stroke of brilliance, it really leaves the race up to luck more than anything else. For example, a bad restart, a wreck, or an unfortunate mishap on pit road can cost a driver a race even if they have been dominating all day long.
The solution to this is for NASCAR to start seeding their drivers in the final round of the Chase for the Cup. Not only does this give the leader a rightful cushion to use to their advantage during the race, it also at least partially protects a driver from losing a race due to one or two positions on the track. Finally, it will make the race less of a crap shoot and more of an intense battle for the win.
How NASCAR does it is up to them, but I would at least recommend giving each driver a two-point advantage over the driver behind them to create a more balanced system for the final race of the season.
More from Beyond the Flag
This article originally appeared on 
