It’s mid-January, and had it been a couple of decades ago, fans would have seen their favorite NASCAR Cup Series drivers on the race tracks for preseason tests by now. Back then, it was normal for teams to get to tracks in the offseason and test for as long as they wanted to. There was no lap, time, or frequency limit. That landscape has long changed.
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In 2008, NASCAR ruled that teams cannot test on tracks listed on the schedule for the upcoming season. This move had attracted criticism from drivers like Jimmie Johnson. The governing body went ahead though, mainly to relieve the financial load on teams.
A tradition of winter testing, named the ‘Preseason Thunder’, was also prevalent. Usually staged in the second or third week of January, it acted as a prelude to the Daytona Speedweeks. In 2015, NASCAR banned this form of testing too, alongside every other.
The question at hand now, a decade later, is whether off-season testing ought to be brought back. A thread on X shed light on the prevalent opinion among the fans.
“Um no. It’s pointless and it’s a waste of the teams money. If fans loved it so much fans didn’t show up,” wrote one fan.
Another added, “Don’t forget that crew members have just one-off week from Daytona to Phoenix. That’s a huge grind that is very difficult to navigate through. Let those folks be home with family when they have the opportunity.”
NASCAR’s current schedule is packed enough as it is. Adding off-season tests to it would be too much of a burden on the team members.
More testing also increases the risk of cars crashing, adding to the monetary burden. One fan commented keeping this in mind: “The teams don’t need it though. The risk greatly outweighs the reward for teams to run laps at Daytona. Would I like to see it come back? Sure. However, teams don’t need it.”
I don't think testing would be necessary. I don't think the teams would even bother with it. But more practice which they've done is correct.
— Eric (@Foxhound2931) January 15, 2025
Drivers use the off-season now to pursue other interests outside NASCAR. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell are out on dirt tracks, for instance. Watching them race in other marquee events makes for great entertainment as well.
“I really don’t care to be honest. I’d rather see Larson and Bell racing midgets than stuck at Daytona testing,” one fan stated.
Complaints that NASCAR racing is not profitable for teams continue to make the rounds every season. Under this atmosphere, bringing back preseason testing would do no good to anybody. And its banning was one of those rare occasions when the promotion struck the right chord with fans.
