Many NASCAR Decisions Loom For 2018

BY ESPN

The silly season in NASCAR won't revolve only on questions about which drivers will drive for which teams in 2018.

Many decisions loom on key components off the track -- from the television booth to the race weekend format to the tires on the cars and the name of the series. Here's a look at some "silly season" items of what could happen when not talking about teams or on-track competition in NASCAR:
NBC or Fox for Dale Jr?

And just like the on-track silly season, it starts with Dale Earnhardt Jr., except this time the question is where he will start another career.

Earnhardt, a 15-time Most Popular Driver, has not announced whether he will spend at least part of next year in the television booth. Obviously, there's interest from the networks, and Earnhardt has said he has enjoyed his time in the booth.

"He's a talented guy, and I think he'd be a great addition to any broadcast because he is curious and asks good questions and cares deeply about the sport," said NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood. "And that's the hallmark of our group. These people care deeply about the sport of NASCAR and the growth of NASCAR and continuing to evolve the sport and make it a must-see TV."

With more than 2.1 million Twitter followers as well as the owner of his own internet-based radio network that includes his popular podcast, Earnhardt is known as one of the drivers who engages most with his race fans.

He hired talent agency WME, which represents some of the biggest names in music (Adele) and movies (Ben Affleck, Matt Damon), to represent him in seeking opportunities following his announcement in April that he would retire after the 2017 season. He is doing a Key West home renovation show for the DIY Network.
More Saturday-Sunday shows?

NASCAR will have some two-day shows for Sunday races coming up where NASCAR Cup cars are on the track for only Saturday and Sunday. At Indianapolis, that means qualifying in the early evening Saturday after the Xfinity Series race. At Pocono, Watkins Glen and Martinsville, that means qualifying the same day as the race.

It will be interesting to see if fans will like the new format. Watkins Glen is on pace to sell as many tickets as it did in its successful weekend last year, so that might not be the best measure. Pocono and Martinsville could be more of the barometers if it works.

Teams could like it, although a NASCAR Cup garage that is open from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday at Indianapolis -- that race won't be an impound race while the others will be -- probably isn't going to get much love.

The other races will be impound events with such little time between qualifying and the race. It seems to work fine for the Camping World Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, even when there is an occasional wreck in qualifying that forces a team to scramble to bring out a backup car.

Maybe the biggest question is if it does work for the tracks that do it: Will other tracks decide it will work for them or be afraid to pull the trigger based on tradition and the belief they need qualifying on another day to potentially attract fans who can't afford nor attend Sunday?
Will Goodyear Sign Its Deal?

This might be the strangest of the bunch, because if for some reason Goodyear and NASCAR can't come to an agreement, there would almost have to be a one-year deal to cover the 2018 season. That's because no other tire manufacturer has done any testing for NASCAR tire development.

As it stands now, there is no agreement between Goodyear and NASCAR for 2018 for Goodyear to remain as the official tire sponsor and provider.

It certainly would be surprising if this deal doesn't get done, but past extensions have traditionally been completed well before the summer.
Will Monster Extend?

Monster Energy has to decide whether to pick up its two-year option for the 2019 and 2020 seasons to sponsor the NASCAR Cup Series, and typically those options would need to be determined a year before the option kicks in.

Considering the last-minute nature in which the deal was conceived in the first place, this outcome might not resolve until December. Monster enjoys its role as a non-traditional marketer, and while it would seem short-sighted to sponsor the Cup Series for just two years, the company already has had a change in its chief marketing officer since the NASCAR deal was done last December.

Monster has brought some of its extreme athletes to perform motorcycle and snowmobile stunts at tracks, as well as fights from the MMA league it sponsors and other Monster-brand athletes to the track.

It has not yet integrated NASCAR drivers into its non-NASCAR events. It has done less traditional signage activation at tracks, something that ISC indicated has cost the company about $2 million this year compared to when Sprint had the deal.