Making the Perfect NASCAR Schedule | Out of the Groove 

I completely agree with this. Maybe replace New Hampshire with IRP. But overall, NASCAR should really take notes!

Anyone else wanna see a rotating schedule for the championship race It would be so good for nascar

Indy has had some wildly good finishes over the years. That final Kasey Kahne win, for example. That race would never end but it was insane how he pulled that one off.

"Is that COTA IN THE THUMBNAIL!?!?!" ~Me after seeing the thumbnail.

NASCAR should take notes from Eric's videos. Petition for Eric to run NASCAR

OMFG YES!!! I LITERALLY CAN'T AGREE MORE WITH THIS. And I live in Nashville so the fairgrounds is something I've been to and I'd love to see Nascar back there. This is flip flapping genius

1. Daytona 500 2. Advocare 500k (ISM/Night) 3. Pennzoil 400 (Las Vegas) 4. Auto Club 500 (Day to Night) 5. H&R Block 400 (Kansas/Night) 6. Wrangler 500 (Texas Day to Night) 7. Goody's 500 (Martinsville) 8. Quaker State 400 (Kentucky/Night) 9. Toyota 400 (Richmond/Night) 10. Aaron's 499 (Talladega) 11. Food City 500 (Bristol) 12. Zippo 250 (Watkins Glen) All Star Race (Martinsville/Night) 13. Coke 600 (Charlotte) 14. FedEx 400 (Dover) 15. CarFax 500 (Michigan) 16. Brandt 400 (Chicago) 17. Menards 200 (Road America) 18. Save Mart 350 (Sonoma) 19. Coke Zero 400 (Daytona/Night) 20. Napa 250 (Montreal) 21. Sylvania 300 (New Hampshire) 22. Pocono 500 23. Hollywood Casino 400 (Kansas) 24. Bass Pro Shops 500 (Bristol/Night) 25. Southern 500 (Darlington/Night [Labor Day Weekend]) 26. Brickyard 400 Round 16 27. Chevy 400 (Richmond/Night) 28. Cheerios 400 (Rockingham) 29. Bank of America Roval 400 (Charlotte Roval) Round 12 30. Hellmans 500 (Talladega) 31. Busch Beer 500k (Gateway/Night) 32. Subway 500 (Martinsville/ Day to Night) Round 8 33. South Point 400 (Las Vegas) 34. CanAm 500k (ISM) 35. Hooters 500 (Atlanta) Championship 4 36. Ford 400 (Homestead Miami)ISM

Rewatching after 3 years. Would be cool to see you do this again.

NASCAR should have a better schedule for real

Swap the dates of spring Martinsville and COTA. Keep the western swing at 3 races, doesn't make sense for the teams to come home to Martinsville after 2 weeks away, only to immediately head back out to Texas.

I'd love to see the Cup schedule pick up a few international dates. Not just Mexico and Canada. They ran a race at Motegi years ago and it went over well, I'd love to see that brought back every once in a while. I've also got this crazy idea for a cross promotion with the V8 Supercar series down in Australia. A split field double header. Two races, each race features 15 of their drivers and 15 of ours, running their own cars (they're similar enough there shouldn't be any safety issues). It would be an exhibition race, obviously. Then either next year or later in the same year, they can send a few drivers over. My ideal Cup schedule has a lot in common with the video, but I went a little harder. 1.) Daytona (obvs) 2.) Atlanta 3.) Darlington 4.) Bristol (paved, night race) 5.) Rockingham or North Wilkesboro (if they can get NWB in shape)* 6.) Charlotte (Roval) 7.) Martinsville 8.) Talladega Here they would get a bye week in mid April. They're going to need it because after, we got... 9.) COTA 10.) Vegas (day race on the dirt track) 11.) Mexico City + 12.) Australia I put another bye week in here for two reasons. First for travel fatigue, the second because it's Memorial Day weekend and it would feel a little inappropriate (to me) to have this next race on that weekend because the next race is... 13.) Japan (Motegi) *** 14.) Indianapolis (Road course. Nice little homecoming) 15.) Iowa *** 16.) Eldora (you think I'd let Vegas have all the fun?) 17.) Daytona (Road course, under the lights) 18.) Charlotte (oval) 19.) Richmond *** 20.) Canada ++ 21.) Silverstone *** Bye 22.) Dover 23.) Watkins 24.) Michigan 25.) Wisconsin **** 26.) Pikes Peak (a pipe dream, but I couldn't resist) 27.) California **** 28.) Vegas (night race) **** Bye 29.) Texas 30.) Kansas *** 31.) Bristol (Dirt. Assuming it works next year) 32.) Rockingham/NWB * 33.) Darlington 34.) Atlanta *** * If both tracks are available, alternate between the two. Run one in the spring, the other in the fall and swap every year. *** Hotseat track. Changes every year or so. Motegi could swap to Sazuka, another venue in Asia, or a second Australian date. Worst case they can pick up another date in California. Richmond could swap to New Hampshire or Pocono (but not every year). Kansas and Iowa can rotate with Kentucky and Mid-Ohio. Atlanta is open to any track. **** Mulitple track options. Alternate based on what's available and what has been run elsewhere in the season. California could be Fontana, Sonoma or Laguna. Wisconsin be the Speedway or the Mile. For the second Vegas race, I'd prefer the Bullring, but if it just doesn't work, drop it and swap in Phoenix. + Even if you need to build a track. ++ whatever is available. Every 3 years swap in a second European date.

You’ve got it right. More short tracks and more road courses. Way more exciting!

Add more road courses and short tracks, take out like half of the 1 and a half mile tracks. Perfect.

Might be fun to do a 'looking back' review on this one and maybe a new perspective on this. You were picking up on the Rock in this.... :-) Thx for the content....look forward to it each time.

Indy road course ... I love what you got going on in your schedule

when COTA actually gets added to the cup schedule

The fairgrounds has not been inactive. They have hosted ARCA the fast few years and it is a half mile. The tracvk you are thinking of is Nashville Superspeedway in Gladeville. It is a 1.333 concrete oval.

There are already weather issues with Martinsville in the spring so moving it to a night race wouldn't help anything. That race needs to be moved into late April/early May.

Night race at Kansas is always enjoyable. I'm there every year and love it.

Do a Fantasy NASCAR schedule for example take tracks that nascar used to race on whether they're closed, defuncted, or they stopped going to.

I would want to see one or two more northern tracks like Pocono. It's not easy being a NASCAR fan up here, and Watkins Glen is pretty far away.

Tracks could come on in 2021. Here’s how I’d make the schedule 1.Daytona 500 2.ISM 3.Las Vegas 4.Auto Club 5.Sonoma 6.Texas 7.Atlanta 8.Martinsville 9.Richmond (Off week somewhere between March and April, varies from year to year) 10.Talladega 11.Bristol All Star Race (Charlotte) 12.Coke 600 (Off Week before or after the race) 13.Rockingham 14.Pocono Off Week 15.Dover 16.Daytona (CZ 400) 17.Chicagoland 18.Michigan 19.New Hampshire Off Week 20.Watkins Glen 21.Kentucky 22.IRP (To pay Indiana fans back for the loss of IMS) 23.Darlington 24.Bristol Night Race Round of 16 25.Iowa 26.Richmond 27.Charlotte Roval Round of 12 28.Fairgrounds 29.Kansas 30.Talladega Round of 8 31.Martinsville 32.Texas 33.ISM Championship 4 Finale 34.Homestead Miami

My schedule: Exhibition at Daytona (Clash) Race 1: Daytona 500 Race 2: Auto Club Race 3: Las Vegas Race 4: Phoenix Race 5: COTA Race 6: Texas at night Race 7: Atlanta at night Race 8: Talladega Race 9: Richmond at night Race 10: Bristol Race 11: M’ville at night Race 12: Dover All Star Race Race 13: Coca Cola 600 Race 14: Kansas at night Race 15: Pocono Race 16: Sonoma Race 17: Iowa Race 18: Daytona at night Race 19: IRP Exhibition at Eldora Race 20: Rockingham Race 21: Chicago Race 22: Watkins Glen Race 23: Michigan Race 24: Bristol at night Race 25: Darlington Race 26: Nashville Fairgrounds Race 27: Canadian Tire Race 28: Montreal Race 29: Charlotte Roval Race 30: Dover Race 31: Richmond Race 32: Talladega Race 33: M’ville Race 34: Auto Club at night Race 35: Phoenix Race 36: Homestead This is probably extremely flawed, but it’s what I thought of in ten minutes. EDIT: I don’t have the playoffs in my schedule, as I feel a traditional season would be better.

Only 7 mile and a halfs... I approve. Atlanta, Kansas, Chicagoland, and Homestead are all good ones as well

Only thing I would knock on is Martinsville that early in the year. They’ve been pushing it with weather the past few years and the temps are in the mid-50s at best during the day. Night would be at or under freezing, and while it is Martinsville, many fans would likely prefer to stay at home if they didn’t live within a few hours of the track.

we need Montreal back

My schedule only includes 2 changes. -Richmond(ISC owned) loses its spring race to Darlington(also ISC owned) -Indianapolis loses its race to Gateway. As for Iowa, Fairgrounds, Rockingham, Lucas Oil Raceway, Canadian Tire, Memphis, Road America and Mid Ohio, they’ll have to wait until ISC/SMI is willing to give up a race. Indy doesn’t need a NASCAR race and won’t be missed if it’s cut.

Eric when I come home want to do is watch out of the grouve videos and that's what makes me super happy all day thank you for posting out of the grove almost all week

Hey I went to the Brickyard 400 this year... With the right package it's good for stock cars. 2014 was a great race. I like everything else about your schedule lol

I agree with indianapolis not on schedule but I think that Kentucky should be on the list if they fix it

Happy New Year to Eric and all the Out of the Groove fans 2019 is going to be a great year for NASCAR!!!

Apparently they’ve added COTA for 2021!!! And Bristol is gonna be a dirt race too!!!

Indy is a very good racetrack sometimes. It has good finishes and the Kasey Kahne win was awesome.

If I were to fit your perfect schedule with the 2019 calendar, it'd be like this. I had to swap some races around to keep their traditional dates.: 1: Daytona 2/17 2: Atlanta 2/24 Off Week 3: ISM 3/10 4: Auto Club 3/17 Off Week 5: Martinsville 3/31 6: COTA 4/7 7: Talladega 4/14 Easter 8: Bristol 4/28 9: Richmond 5/4 10: Dover 5/12 All-Star 11: Charlotte 5/26 (Memorial Day) 12: Pocono 6/2 Off Week 13: Sonoma 6/16 Off Week 14: Chicagoland 6/30 15: Daytona 7/6 (4th of July) 16: Rockingham 7/14 17: Michigan 7/21 Off Week 18: Bristol 8/3 19: Eldora 8/10 20: Watkins Glen 8/18 Off Week 21: Darlington 9/1 (Labor Day) 22: Nashville Fairgrounds 9/8 23: Las Vegas 9/15 24: New Hampshire 9/22 25: Charlotte Roval 9/29 26: Richmond 10/5 27: Talladega 10/13 28: Kansas 10/20 29: Martinsville 10/27 30: Texas 11/3 31: ISM 11/10 32: Homestead 11/17

I’ve been to Kentucky speedway every year since it’s held to Cup series and I will continue to go to it as long as they keep it in but I understand why it did not make the cut. Great vid once agin

It would be amazing if we could get rockingham back on the schedule

If you want to add 4 to 36 I would add Road America, Milwaukee, Michigan 2, and a second Darlington race

I agree with this wholly, except for the placement of Sonoma and COTA. I'd move Sonoma to where Martinsville is, move Martinsville to COTA's weekend, and put COTA between Bristol and Talladega. Sonoma in that part of the year is gorgeous. I also want to keep Indy because it's my home track, but it's just not a very good race, so it's gotta get the ax.

Road America and Mid Ohio will never get the recognition they deserve no matter how well they do

Now the second year that COTA is on the schedule

Us canadian nascar fans need a cup series CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK RACE!!!!!!

I wouldnt be mad at ALL 1.5 mile tracks moving to once a year instead of having 2 at most 1.5 mile tracks and replacing them with road/short tracks!

A night race at Martinsville in March? That doesn't sound pleasant at all!

I wouldn’t change a thing other than adding another Darlington race. Right before homestead after or before phoenix. Would give that classic late season playoff Darlington feel like they used to have.

I actually WANT the schedule shorter. 36 races is way too long, way too oversaturated. 28-32 races with one race at most tracks means people only get one chance to see racing at those tracks. Slightly forceful and manipulative? Maybe but hey, lots of tracks already have one date. Plus, it cuts costs for teams like you mentioned. I'd add a few more road courses though. Laguna Seca, maybe Road America.

You should of got Iowa in that scheldule. It's a great 8/9 mile track and could easily sellout a cup series race.

Pocono is in a beautiful part of the world. Drove 3 hours, by my self, just to check out the track. Hard to see the whole track unless you have a seat up high, but honestly, I dont mind not seeing the whole track... I personally love to smell the race gas and feel my skeleton be shaken.... Beautiful track just adds to the experience.

Favorite tracks on this schedule. Short=Martinsville or New Hampshire Superspeedway=Daytona Road Course=Either CharlotteROVAL or Circuit of the Americas Intermediate=Chicagoland

I was at the 2018 spring Pocono race. It was fucking awesome

I think the new aero package will help with Indianapolis and adding that after Eldora would be insane, just the swing of what drivers are doing. Also, if Kentucky adds more banking (and Texas) I think the racing would be WAY better.

I don't think you're thinking out of the box enough with how NASCAR should schedule. First off, Kentucky is my home track. I would walk personally to Sparta to give them the "eviction notice" that they were removed from the schedule if it meant getting Nashville Fairgrounds on the roster. Rockingham was the first Cup race I ever went to, but I think I would trade it out for North Wilkesboro on your roster. Eldora's not happening. It's fun to dream, but it ain't happening. OK, with all of that out of the way let's dream big here... Second weekend in Daytona: Let's do a Double Header. During the day, run on the road course. At night, the traditional oval. Both count as full points events. Or maybe do one the night before. I don't really care. The Daytona Double Feature needs to become a staple of the summer. If you can safely run sports cars on that road course, you can safely run Cup Cars. Bristol Night Race is fun, but let's take it up a notch: Short track rules. Heat Races. Transfer Spots, A-Main Feature. Part of what makes Eldora work is the format that's used. That's 50% of the magic of that race right there. Let's run the Cup Cars under that format at Bristol to make the night race an EVENT again!

i live about 45 minutes from michigan and i go every year i like nascar coming twice but once in august is just as good fastest track in nascar and a good way to end the summer is pretty nice.

This schedule is the best I've ever seen

I mean yeah, Kentucky hasn’t been great as of late, but after the repave effect wears off, it’s going to be a fun track. I don’t really remember 2011 and 2012, but 13, 14, and 15 were fun races there because of how slick and bumpy the surface was. Also, I highly doubt they would take it off the schedule because of how hard it took them to get a cup race there, and honestly, it’s not the tracks that make the racing boring, it’s the super aero-dependent racecars. See Gen 4 racing.

This is a perfect schedule honestly. Being a fan since 93 I think this would bring the roots back to nascar. Love the vids keep it up! Happy New Year EE

That moment when eric predicted cota and dirt over a year ago.

i love your schedule

It should be Sonoma full, also and road America, road Atlanta, and maybe lime rock but it’s a bit of a stretch

I think a night chase race at Auto Club would be cool or maybe just have the early race at night. Night race at Dover would also be cool.

2019 In a nutshell Daytona 500 Every other track execpt Road courses will become a tiny talladega

Wow Erik, just completely leave out all of us hillbilly Kentucky NASCAR fans, how far are we gonna have to drive to go to a race now?????????

What about Gateway, Iowa, Road America and the road course in Canadian Tire Motorsports park where the Trucks race at? I am with you on most of the schedule yet I would cut one of the ISM races! Even Mexico City, Milwaukee, and Pikes Peak would be cool! With Colorado, Mexico, and Canada among other races you would get different faces in the crowds at the races!

Great schedule. I don't think I'd have the 4 road courses. I think 3 is good. Homestead is a damn good track. I kinda wish we raced there twice though.

I would love to see Rockingham come back, and it would be so much better if Matt Kenseth decided to be in a car for that comeback because of the fact that he won the last Cup Race at the Rock...

I'd miss Kentucky and Chicagoland if this were the schedule.

ROAD AMERICA!!!! WISCONSIN NEEDS SOME LOVE

I agree with you Eric but the only thing that I don’t really agree for the last race in Miami and I find that it would be cool to finish in Daytona (Finish with the best racetrack of the season and end with the season with best racetrack of the season)

Nice schedule, except for my home track Kentucky not being on the schedule. I would like to see tracks bid on races so one year KY doesn't host a cup race and one does. They should move the Brickyard 400 to IRP honestly. More short tracks would be great, I think we should have one big west coast swing. Eldora could be fun, Iowa and Gateway could be fun too. I wish Kentucky would be more interesting someway somehow.

I think it would be funny if the rock did the commanded at "the rock" lol

I really love the circuit of the americas being in the nascar schedule but where is kentucky

I would replace Eldora with Iowa

Love the randomland hat!

You’re such a great RU-vidr Eric I hope your channel goes far!

I have been a NASCAR fan since 1995 so i have seen races at Rockingham it was a good track i wish they still raced there

it’s a nice schedule but like there’s very little chance that all this will happen. tracks give a lot of money to have two races and have certain races at certain dates. like Las Vegas paid a lot of money to get a second race there and I’m certain them and other tracks won’t give up their second race. this would also make it hard to add more track especially when TMS isn’t all on board with having another texas race at COTA. also it kinda sucks to take away the uniqueness of the eldora race from the trucks but still it’s a good dream and honestly i would love to see all this happen

I agree with shortening the schedule slightly, personally I would be fine with a 30 race calendar

The second Bristol race needs to be a playoff race. Seriously. Can you imagine a playoff race at Bristol? It's usually not super cold in East Tennessee until mid-November.

Only two things I would change with this is Eldora I think that should stay exclusive to trucks and instead of the fairgrounds I’d have cup go to Iowa

There are actually a lot of fans at Indianapolis, it looks bad in attendance because it is so big

I think Iowa Speedway should get a race they normally have some good racing for the xfinity and trucks

Martinsville speedway at night thumbs way up

WOOOO CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS !!! I would definitely go there instead of Texas MotorSpeedway. The track is literally a few minutes from where I live and its a nice roadcourse

Why go back and repair or reinvest in abandoned tracks and leave out tracks like Iowa?

Now this is a scheduled I would die to see

Keep up the good videos my dude! Love them all

I really like the way you have the schedule laid out. Love seeing rockingham back on there. I only got to see a couple of years of racing there before they took it off the schedule. Only thing I think I would change is add a race and bring the cup series to Canada for a road course.

They should make a 3 mile Ultra Speedway, and bring back Daytona Beach

I think you're forgetting that with the new package Indianapolis could be a very exciting racing, and Kentucky. But I like your schedule because realistically I don't think the package will last for 5-6 years

I like the idea of goin to indy road course

I’d say scratch Richmond’s second race off your list and keep Indy. Make the spring Richmond race a night race. Everything else is 👌🏻

3:34 That'd be good to put my home track after Bristol!!

Indianapolis’ problems -No lights -Mid day Race in the middle of the summer -Attendance falling (135,000-25,000 in the course of 22 years) -Not meant for stock cars -Too big for fans to watch an entire race. -Tickets not selling -$40 parking ticket plus the admission price for the race with no refunds/rain checks -Track isn’t owned by NASCAR (like the ISC and SMI tracks) -TV Ratings lower than average -Race plagued by NFL season opener -Race plagued by rain or hot/humid weather. -the only track I see being dropped in 2021, in favor of Gateway(which is 3 hours east of Indy) -IndyCar doesn’t race on NASCAR’s crown jewel tracks(Daytona, Darlington, Talladega, Charlotte, Martinsville, Phoenix(ISM) and Bristol) -according to fans disappoints and doesn’t provide exciting finishes. -not directly in Indianapolis, but rather on the outskirts, where people don’t see it(same with IRP) -Has to work extra hard to prepare for only a 2 month break between races.

Well the 3 tracks I live closest to are indy, eldora, and Kentucky and they probably won’t do eldora so I would be stuck driving very far away

This schedule would be amazing, love the addition of Rockingham and Nashville. Nashville has one of the biggest super late model races in the nation, The All American 400

Something else to consider would be going to different tracks with xfinity and trucks, keep the buschwhacking to a minimum ( if we don't just throw in a rulw to eliminate it completely). Help diverse the sport and get new markets.

I totally agree with your schedule

I would love to see an exhibition at North Wilkesboro Speedway. I agree with the short tracks, but some of the mile and a halfs on the current schedule should be replaced with some of the older short tracks to bring back some of the old school racers. Plus short tracks are fun to watch.

Iowa.... many cup drivers have driven in the nationwide cars there and wanted a cup race

Add 2 more regular season races. Kentucky and Road America

I have some gripes but you bring up a lot of good points. Definitely interesting ideas to bring up. I like it Eric