Ahead of the championship four race at Phoenix Raceway this Sunday, there have been murmurs around the overall NASCAR community concerning a lack of excitement or energy between the four contenders. Unlike in previous seasons, where drivers would often talk up each other and build hype for the title decider race, that element is missing this year, according to few.
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So is this a problem? According to NASCAR, clearly not.
Discussing the same, Steve O’Donnell, the COO of NASCAR, was asked how to address concerns about the lack of dynamism in certain events despite positive on-site energy.
NASCAR COO happy with Championship four drivers
Subsequently, COO, Steve O’Donnell mentioned, “I’d say you’ve heard from Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell in terms of the U.S. what they’re doing on different surfaces. You have Ryan Blaney who has gone out there and won. I’d say pretty dynamic. I think you’ve spent some time with Ryan Blaney, he’s a pretty fun guy. William Byron, what he’s done, what he stands for.”
“Everyone is not going to be a certain personality that drives things. I think we’ve got to look at what they do to represent our sport. I’m proud of those four drivers and what they do to represent our sport.
According to O’Donnell, NASCAR needs to take steps to better highlight the talent of its drivers during races. He believes that doing so will improve the overall quality of the sport and make it more engaging for fans.
Speaking further he elaborated that NASCAR is mainly a sport focused on showcasing the talent of its drivers, but there is still room for personality and storytelling. Although, he mentioned that NASCAR is not trying to become a soap opera, but rather to better highlight the human side of the sport.
“I’m proud of the Final 4 we have in all of our series,” O’Donnell exclaimed.
Lastly, he stated that the responsibility fell on everyone involved in the sport, including race teams, tracks, and NASCAR itself. At the end of the day, only by working together, would they be able to create a more engaging and exciting experience for fans and the overall community alike.
