By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
As the NASCAR XFINITY Series tackles the restrictor plate package for the second consecutive race this weekend at Michigan International Speedway, the sport’s new shift has made the rounds across social platforms. And for good reason, as it’s expected to drastically affect competition and race conditions at use.
Brad Keselowski may be outspoken on most issues in the sport but this one is especially tender for the 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, who feels it could send NASCAR down a bad path years down the line with less talent becoming interested in the sport.
“There are a lot of fans who come to our races expecting to see the best drivers,” Keselowski said Friday at Michigan. “If you put a package like this out there on a consistent basis, the best drivers in the world will no longer go to NASCAR. They’ll pick a different sport.”
Keselowski felt the package himself at Charlotte last month for the All-Star Race, a non-points event that saw his No. 2 Ford caught up in an accident on a late restart. Despite the accident, Keselowski feels the plate package is a good fit for that event, one that should grab more fan interest.
“I saw the fan videos of people in Charlotte on their feet,” he said. “A lot of credit to Marcus Smith and SMI, they found a great package for the All-Star Race. I think that package needs to remain solely at the All-Star Race. I know that’s a tough question for NASCAR to wrap their heads around. ”
One issue not tough to grasp for the drivers is driveability and the ability to showcase talent on the racetrack. Growing up, Keselowski looked at “fast cars, the best drivers and a great finish” to find a good race. With the All-Star package, however, “two of those are lost” as the sport eyes close racing over tough racing.
Keselowski hopes NASCAR takes that into account as they contemplate expanding the package to more 1.5-mile tracks and beyond.
“A lot of drivers in this sport are in a position where they chose Cup racing because the demands it takes for the cars to drive,” he said. “It will, in time, deteriorate driver’s ability to make a difference and they’ll look at other racing venues to achieve that. That will be a tragedy to this sport because the best racecar drivers want to go where they can make the biggest difference. There’s no doubt you make less of a difference with that configuration.
“With respect to that, I’m thankful it improved the watchability, the show of the All-Star Race. But we should also be mindful of our responsibility as a sport to make sure that best drivers are able to showcase their talent.”
In Keselowski’s mind, this trade-off of close competition and skill-savvy racing is nothing new, as the Verizon IndyCar Series faced similar issues at the start of the 21st century.
“It was pretty obvious to me about a decade ago, if you wanted to see the best racing in the world, it was IndyCar,” he said. “Unfortunately, long-term, that didn’t translate to the fans, didn’t translate to better ratings. There’s a lot of reasons for that but one is that the best racecar drivers were here in NASCAR.”
Keselowski’s concern for the sport stems from multiple perspectives: driver, fan, ex-team owner and others. But above all, the sport is based on drivers for Keselowski. They’re who attract the sponsors, they’re who draw the crowds and who put on the show. If the talent isn’t there, the package could eliminate perhaps NASCAR’s first bullet across worldwide motorsports.
“A very interesting equation to see play out. We all have a little role,” he said. “We have to tread very lightly with the next few steps in this sport. If we overdose on that format of racing, it will have severe long-term negative effects.”