According to a survey taken this month by the Harris Poll, which has been asking adult fans, ages 18 and over about their favorite sport since 1985, pro football is the most popular sport in America for at least the 30th straight year.
In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).
Read more here.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Hockey + NASCAR drivers = Human Bowling ???
The drivers will take part in an autograph session before the game and the human bowling intermission activity after the first period. Additionally, Newman will participate in a post-game jersey auction.
The Checkers will wear specialty race-themed jerseys which will be up for auction live after the game. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Rescue Ranch, Hospitality House of Charlotte and the Isabella Santos Foundation.
The first 2,500 fans through the door will receive a Checker cowbell and the first 5,000 fans will receive a Bojangles' mystery card worth $1 to $100.
The following drivers and celebrities will be available for autographs:
Ryan Newman
Joey Logano
Clint Bowyer
David Latour
Tyler Lester
Michael McDowell
Corey Joyce
Bob Dillner
Justin Boston
Chris Buescher
Brennan Poole
Ray Dunlap
Steve Arpin
Joey Coulter
Brandon McReynolds
Clint King
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
NASCAR qualifying changes almost like adding more racing
NASCAR on Wednesday officially unveiled its qualifying format changes for 2014, switching to a group "knockout" qualifying process in all three of its national series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks.
Each driver entered in each race will take to the track during the opening qualifying round, going out in a randomly selected order. Either two rounds of qualifying or three will be used depending on the size of the track until a final group composed of the 12 fastest drivers remain.
Those 12 will determine who wins the pole. The 12 drivers in the final group will start 1-12 in the race.
The practical effect will be to see almost mini-races.
“This style of group qualifying has all the makings of being highly competitive and more engaging to our fans in the stands and those watching on television and online," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition.
Nationwide and Truck teams will use the new format next month at Daytona but the Cup series will retain its traditional qualifying format for the Daytona 500. The Truck series will retain its heat-race format for its annual stop at Eldora Speedway.
Although NASCAR considered the idea, it will not award points to series pole winners.
Each driver entered in each race will take to the track during the opening qualifying round, going out in a randomly selected order. Either two rounds of qualifying or three will be used depending on the size of the track until a final group composed of the 12 fastest drivers remain.
Those 12 will determine who wins the pole. The 12 drivers in the final group will start 1-12 in the race.
The practical effect will be to see almost mini-races.
“This style of group qualifying has all the makings of being highly competitive and more engaging to our fans in the stands and those watching on television and online," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition.
Nationwide and Truck teams will use the new format next month at Daytona but the Cup series will retain its traditional qualifying format for the Daytona 500. The Truck series will retain its heat-race format for its annual stop at Eldora Speedway.
Although NASCAR considered the idea, it will not award points to series pole winners.
Cheerios honors the 'Legacy of the 3'
Dillon, who will be competing in his first full season in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, revealed an over-sized version of the Cheerios box at Kroger in West Chester, Ohio earlier this afternoon while meeting fans.
The one-of-a-kind packaging showcases the iconic No. 3 on the front of the Cheerios box with historic photos and facts about the No. 3 covering the entire back side of the cereal package. Fans will be able to purchase their collectible Cheerios box exclusively at Kroger beginning Feb. 16.
“Not only is it an honor for me to drive the No. 3 Cheerios Chevrolet SS, it’s very humbling to have the heritage of the No. 3 featured on a Cheerios box,” said Dillon. “When I began racing, I wanted to race the No. 3 because that was the number my grandfather, Richard Childress, raced before Dale Earnhardt made it famous. It’s a special number for our family and to see the history of the No. 3 being showcased on a box of Cheerios is really cool. It’s a great example of the support General Mills and Kroger has for our sport and its fans.”
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
2014 Daytona Speedweeks schedule
(subject to change)
Thursday, Feb. 13
1-5 p.m. ARCA practice
Friday, Feb. 14
2 p.m. ARCA qualifying
5-5:45 p.m. Sprint Unlimited practice
6:30-7:30 p.m. Final Sprint Unlimited practice
Saturday, Feb. 15
9:30-10:15 a.m. Final ARCA practice
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
4 p.m. ARCA race
8:15 p.m. Sprint Unlimited race
Sunday, Feb. 16
1:05 p.m. Sprint Cup qualifying
Monday, Feb. 17
No track activity
Tuesday, Feb. 18
7 p.m. Whelen Modified Tour race
8:45 p.m. K&N Pro Series East race
Wednesday, Feb. 19
2:30-3:50 p.m. Trucks practice
4-5:30 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
6:30-8 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
Thursday, Feb. 20
Noon-1:20 p.m. Nationwide practice
1:30-2:50 p.m. Trucks practice
3-4:20 p.m. Final Nationwide practice
4:40-6 p.m. Final Trucks practice
7 p.m. Duel 150-mile qualifying races
Friday, Feb. 21
11:30 a.m.-12:55 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
1:05 p.m. Nationwide qualifying
2:30-3:55 p.m. Sprint Cup practice
4:05 p.m. Trucks qualifying
7:30 p.m. Trucks race
Saturday, Feb. 22
10:30 a.m.-noon Final Sprint Cup practice
1:15 p.m. Nationwide series race
Sunday, Feb. 23
1 p.m. 56th Daytona 500 race
Monday, January 20, 2014
Humpy Wheeler: NASCAR's changes are an NFL-like move
Former Charlotte Motor Speedway and Speedway Motorsports Inc. president Humpy Wheeler offered the following response to NASCAR's proposed changes to its championship format:
"NASCAR'S plan to dramatically change the point structure would eventually rank right up there with what the NFL did years ago that has produced so many gasping playoff games.
Under the potential change drivers would no longer run steady races to finish fourth and proclaim: "had a great day with this fourth place finish," a statement to old timers like Smokey Yunick, Glen Wood, Ralph Moody and Ray Fox would have been met with a pipe wrench over the driver's head. This kind of thinking is one thing that got racing in trouble. The way the points were skewed a driver could finish well and never win and actually win the championship.
No longer! This idea which came out of the secret strategy chambers of Brian France, Mike Helton and Robin Pemberton with a few other good thinkers has been aimed at greatly increasing the quality of NASCAR racing and
result in what has been missing so long … passing for the lead! A season or two of this format which places the emphasis on winning could bring those fans back to the empty seats they left when races became boring.
Now if we can eliminate the dreaded aero push -- that great mysterious force that keeps the lead car in clean air and almost disallows the second place driver from passing him -- NASCAR races could get back to being one of the most entertaining in sport. NASCAR won't admit this but they are attacking that great dilemma full force in the R&D section.
One more item that NASCAR can do nothing about including talking about it and that is …sponsors, let these drivers be themselves. Quit trying to remold them into plastic mannequins who only drive flying billboards. Let Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Tony Stuart, etc., be themselves for gosh sakes! Now, certainly all sponsors don't try to keep the corporate thumb on their heroes. Lowe's is one but Jimmie Johnson is so perfect and has been since long before he had a sponsor there is nothing to do there. However, most of the sponsors want no negative stuff out of their wheelmen. Let 'em go boys!
So, when you want to bash NASCAR think about what they are doing to make racing more competitive and return it to the strongly accelerating sport it was back in the 1995-2005 period one must give them a strong pat on the back."
"NASCAR'S plan to dramatically change the point structure would eventually rank right up there with what the NFL did years ago that has produced so many gasping playoff games.
Under the potential change drivers would no longer run steady races to finish fourth and proclaim: "had a great day with this fourth place finish," a statement to old timers like Smokey Yunick, Glen Wood, Ralph Moody and Ray Fox would have been met with a pipe wrench over the driver's head. This kind of thinking is one thing that got racing in trouble. The way the points were skewed a driver could finish well and never win and actually win the championship.
No longer! This idea which came out of the secret strategy chambers of Brian France, Mike Helton and Robin Pemberton with a few other good thinkers has been aimed at greatly increasing the quality of NASCAR racing and
result in what has been missing so long … passing for the lead! A season or two of this format which places the emphasis on winning could bring those fans back to the empty seats they left when races became boring.
Now if we can eliminate the dreaded aero push -- that great mysterious force that keeps the lead car in clean air and almost disallows the second place driver from passing him -- NASCAR races could get back to being one of the most entertaining in sport. NASCAR won't admit this but they are attacking that great dilemma full force in the R&D section.
One more item that NASCAR can do nothing about including talking about it and that is …sponsors, let these drivers be themselves. Quit trying to remold them into plastic mannequins who only drive flying billboards. Let Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Tony Stuart, etc., be themselves for gosh sakes! Now, certainly all sponsors don't try to keep the corporate thumb on their heroes. Lowe's is one but Jimmie Johnson is so perfect and has been since long before he had a sponsor there is nothing to do there. However, most of the sponsors want no negative stuff out of their wheelmen. Let 'em go boys!
So, when you want to bash NASCAR think about what they are doing to make racing more competitive and return it to the strongly accelerating sport it was back in the 1995-2005 period one must give them a strong pat on the back."
Friday, January 17, 2014
Is NASCAR just 'wrestling on wheels?'
Jolley's column is sparked by NASCAR's likely move to alter its points system again this season.
"I guess with sagging television ratings and acres of empty seats at race tracks, NASCAR has decided to sacrifice reality in an effort to attract new fans and boost viewership," he writes.
"Why doesn’t NASCAR come out and admit they’re in the sports entertainment business?
It’s become wrestling on wheels."
You can read the whole column here.
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