Fans Get To Vote On First NASCAR Race

The last couple of years, attendance at NASCAR races have been down and so have the ratings.  They've been trying to come up with different ways to get the fans attention.

One is the new car.  NASCARS says they've put the stock back into stock car.  It's a bunch of technical stuff, so that'll be a different story for a different day.  The other thing they've done is let the fans decide the format of the first race of the year.

Before you panic,  It's not the Daytona 500.  It's the exhibition Sprint Unlimited race, formally the Budweiser Shootout.  It's Feb. 16th at Daytona Speedway  with 22 drivers (pole winners from last year and previous Shootout winners.) It's also the official kickoff for Speedweeks.

Fans can vote on the length of the race segments, pit stops and how many cars will be eliminated after the 2nd segment of the race.  Fans can go to NASCAR.com to vote.  NASCAR also has a new app and if you vote on the NASCAR Mobile '13 app, your vote will count twice.

I will give NASCAR credit, they try and come up with ways to get and keep fans interested in the races.  They do something that no other sport really does.  They will change the rules during the season if they think it'll help.  I've been asked, what I think happened to NASCAR.  I don't really have a good answer.  I used to go to several races a year.  I haven't really gone since Bobby Labonte left the 18 Interstate Battery car.  To me, 18 will always be Interstate Battery and Bobby Labonte (I know, Dale Jarrett was in it first but I don't care.)

Finally the question we really care about:  What firesuit will Miss Sprint Cup wear in Victory Lane?  Great news, fans can also vote on the style that she will wear.  So if you don't care about the format for the Sprint Unlimited exhibition race,  I know you'll care about her firesuit.  So let's get ready to go racing and BOOGITY, BOOGITY, BOOGITY.