Thinking "outside the box" on auto racing, (you have to think outside the box when there's not much going on inside of it
).
- I don't much like drag racing- two guys just flooring it down a straightaway. It's not like driving a race car.
- I don't much like "packs": 10-12 cars parading around the track at 200MPH because the front ones bore a hole in the air and the ones behind them reduce the turbulence. it's boring. the cares are not racing with each other and if one guy makes a mistake, a dozen cars get smashed up.
- I don't much like the fact that races are mostly about attrition and fuel and tire strategy with occasional moment of actual racing- trying to get by and go faster than people.
- I don't like caution flags, particularly when they end races.
So...
I'd like to see an event that is a tournament. Qualifying produces 32 competitors, seeded by their qualifying time. #1 will race #32, #2 will race #31, etc. the races will be five laps long - with actual driving, no one else on the course. there will be drafting but no 'packs and no slower cars to get by. Just two guys racing. The 16 first round winners are them matched, again based on qualifying times in 8 five lap races. The 8 winners are then matched in four 5 lap races. Then comes the final four and the championship race, also five laps. That would be a total of 155 laps but the final two racers will only have been in five of them. The cars are revved up and ready to go a minute after the last race is over. The mechanics get to work on the cars only between races. No caution flags- if a wreck has to be cleared the next race is delayed.
I think it would be more exciting than what we have now. I also think it would be safer and more environmentally friendly. I wish they'd try it just to see what the reaction would be.