Some folks were surprised Wednesday when word got out that the Daytona 500 wiil start no earlier than 3:15 p.m. Eastern this year. Get used to it. Starting times haven’t been made official for Cup races yet, but 2 p.m. Eastern is the earliest tentative time for anything other than two races at Dover and the fall Martinsville race.


this will be interesting to see how many times we hear drivers complain about the sun and the late start time.

no not the sun! i hate when the sun is involved. Not only is it unsafe but its all the announcers talk about every 2 seconds.

I like a later start time.

Me too.

You west-coasters would. :rasp

Although it means I can sleep in longer on Sundays. :hehe

It's going to make it harder for the fans that go to the races and must be back home b/c they have to work on Monday; however, I adhere to the rule that you must have Monday off so you don't have to leave till everyone is gone and you never know when you'll get that rain delay, Monday race.

I can sleep in at least. But this will suck for drivers

I don't really care. I'll be watching anyways.

:nod My dad always takes the Monday after the August MIS race off.

I don't mind the later start times because the races often conflict with eating Sunday dinner with my parents.

:nod

I don't mind the later start times, but I am a West Coaster! *shrugs*LOL

I like the later start time but, I am also a west coaster so...yeah

That will make the day seem sooooo long if I don't sleep in.

Interesting. I won't be surprised when we get drivers complaining about the sun, which will probably happen a lot during the beginning and end of the season.

I already planned to stay through Monday at Pocono in June. I usually went home right after the race. I will enjoy the more time when i'm at the track before the race but when i'm home i'm not going too.

I just miss the good old Sunday afternoon races.

Me too........we really don't have that at all anymore


I will be waiting for the first mention of the "sun is in our eyes, I can't see in turn 1"

and with later start times......that gives them a better chance at afternoon storms causing problems or if it is a rainy day less time to try and get the race in without having to call it until Monday

and I am sure we will have to suffer through longer prerace stuff.

I still like it. I'm excited for races to not always start in the morning.

I guess in my thought process and this is just my opinion of course that I don't think the start times should be based on the tv audience. I think they should be based on what is best for the fans at the track. Of course that would make some west coast races much later for us east coast folks and that would make some east coast races earlier for the west coast folks........it would balance out.

But the tv people are going to do what they want, they don't care about the people at the track, the sun, the weather, etc, etc. Just whatever makes their time slot better is what they will do.

It doesn't necessarily "balance out" like you're thinking though, seeing as there's about 8 races west of the Mississippi, and it's hard to count the stuff in the Central time zone towards that figure anyways. It's all about the ratings, anyhoo. I'm sure that a lot of studying went into when they could draw the biggest tv crowds for these races and that they're not just doing it on a whim or anything.

Oh well, I still don't mind it.

Now I don't have to get up extremely early..but then this means more night races too. WOO. I love night races. But what about at the tracks without lights? Those will probably start earlier huh?

Same here I don't mind it either... then again I don't really care I watch either way... there were times I was up at 7AM to watch race day and the race... I just took an afternoon nap after it was over and done with.

I do see Christy's point however about the fans at the track and what not... but I think NASCAR also sees this as a way that if you have a later start time people will be at the track longer THUS they will spend more $$. But I'll be interested to hear what the drivers think... as many of you have said.

Not everyone is always going to be happy. With NASCAR trying to pull in Hollywood/California....most of the races are going to start later. I guess the east coasters just have to get used to it....including myself.

Ditto.

And I'm sure there's gong to be times where I'm thankful for the later start times..

I don't exactly like it, but bitching about it isn't going to chage the fact that it's going to happen whether we like it or not.

I really didn't see anyone "bitching" just stating opinions on the matter.

besides does it hurt to have a little debating the pros and cons and whatnot. It's what NASCAR fans do, we are very passionate.