NASCAR released the start times for its three top touring series Tuesday. Unlike years past however, races this year will start at times that seem inconsistent in comparison; especially in the second half of the season when NBC Sports returns after an eight year hiatus. NBC though said Tuesday during the annual NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte that the starts times during their half of the schedule was a collective effort between the network, the tracks and NASCAR.
In 2010 NASCAR changed the start times for its races to a more consistent patterns. That year every Sprint Cup race in the eastern and central regions began at 1:00 p.m. ET, west coast events at 3:00 p.m. ET, and night races at 7:30 p.m. ET. The one exception is NASCAR’s Memorial Day classic, the Coca-Cola 600, which had 5:45 p.m. ET start time.
“It’s become clear to us that traditional, early Sunday afternoon start times are favored by NASCAR fans who both attend races and watch on television,” said FOX Sports Chairman David Hill at the time. “NASCAR, perhaps more than any other sport, belongs to the generations of fans who have passed on their passion, father to son, mother to daughter, so whatever we can do to make them feel better connected to the sport they love should be done.” MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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