What we saw on Saturday (Nov. 9) night at Phoenix Raceway was one of the greatest recent examples of what makes NASCAR racing so addicting.
Justin Allgaier’s championship win was about as entertaining as you’ll see. It proved the modern playoff format can work to perfection. It put a cherry on top of a spectacular season. As we look back on the 2024 season and ahead to 2025 and beyond, we start to see something unexpected. The Xfinity Series’ racing today is as good as any NASCAR racing has ever been. It strikes a balance, in a lot of ways, and raises a question:
Does Xfinity need to move in the direction of Cup, or does Cup need to move in the direction of Xfinity?
It wasn’t that long ago that the two were a lot more similar than they are today. While the playoff format is highly controversial right now, it worked well this year in Xfinity, so we’ll leave that debate to other columns. Let’s focus on everything else that goes into making a NASCAR season successful, entertaining, memorable and yes, even addicting.
Addiction is a strong word. I don’t use it lightly. If you’re reading Frontstretch, it’s safe to say you have something resembling addiction when it comes to NASCAR. Usually when you’re addicted to something, you know quitting would be good for you. With the way NASCAR has evolved and progressed, I see an unexpected path forward for so many fans, a path where Xfinity is the main attraction of the weekend — the one true must-see TV item on the overall weekly schedule. The other two series? Take them or leave them.
We all have to balance our personal lives, our families, our careers and our responsibilities very carefully with our NASCAR addition. If you disagree, imagine being a married 35-year-old with a wife, a kid and a demanding career. Then picture yourself parking on the couch for practice, qualifying and the main events of all three series. It isn’t necessarily harmful to your health, but it comes at a price to everything else in your life. It’s a huge commitment to keep up with everything, and priorities need to be set in households all around these United States of America.
The simplest solution has always been to ixnay the Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series and focus on Cup only. Cup has always had the highest ratings. It has the highest purse, the most appeal in pop culture and the most star power.
But of course, it does! It’s the major league. Major League Baseball…
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