In today's NASCAR, best change may be none at all

CONCORD, N.C. -- The big white building off Westwinds Boulevard has been the home to announcements that have altered the fabric of NASCAR. It was here, at the sport's cavernous Research and Development Center, that the Chase was unveiled. It was here that the Chase was expanded, here under-performing racetracks were put on notice, here the Car of Tomorrow was revealed. A facility built early this decade to improve safety and competition has become a capital of sweeping change.

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But not Monday. That was when NASCAR chairman Brian France announced that it was time for the changes to end.

"We're fans, too. It's hard to keep up with all the moving parts and different things that are going on," France said Monday, the first day of the Sprint Cup preseason media tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway. "... We're going to minimize change, and we're going to zero in on the best racing in the world. That's what we're going to do."

What a departure that is from past years, when NASCAR announced one change after another in an attempt to expand its fan base, or in response to market forces involving its title sponsors. Just since 2004, the name of the sport's Cup series has changed twice. The schedule has been juggled, with races moved from some traditional Southern tracks to newer facilities in larger markets. Starting times have been moved back to accommodate television viewers on the West Coast. A new car, featuring some stark visual differences from its predecessor, has been phased in. A playoff format was introduced, then altered, as NASCAR tried to shore up television ratings later in the season.

The results of those moves have been decidedly mixed. Traditional fans felt a sense of alienation as NASCAR went after the potential big numbers that new markets could produce. Now, with television ratings and at-track attendance figures both in a modest decline, the sanctioning body is making an attempt to win back those old-school supporters who grew so jaded by NASCAR's explosive growth. Are they willing to listen?

France hopes so. The chairman has become a popular target of critics who see the moves undertaken on his watch as too much, too soon for a sport whose most ardent fans love watching older drivers on older tracks. But people who know Brian France have long said that he's not afraid of altering course if something isn't working. While that's not necessarily what's happening here -- nobody is scrapping the COT or the Chase -- NASCAR's chief executive sounded Monday as if he were speaking directly to the disillusioned faction within his sport's fan base.

"This change issue, with all the different things, from the name of series to the format to all the different rules to the Car of Tomorrow ... all those things to our core fans, that's a lot to digest in a short period of time," he said. "We know that. A lot of those things were on a track from many years ago. Some of those things were beyond our control. It's doesn't matter. They all happened. That's not helpful. Change is good to a certain point. We've had all the change that we think the sport can stand and needs, and now we want to build on that." (Continued)