William Byron asks NASCAR to adopt NFL Flex-Scheduling to avoid weather drama similar to the LA Clash

The NASCAR drivers were impressed with the sanctioning body’s decision to prepone the Clash.

William Byron asks NASCAR to adopt NFL Flex-Scheduling to avoid weather drama similar to the LA Clash

William Byron at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Via IMAGO)

The 2024 NASCAR Cup season started early after the sanctioning body was forced to postpone the unofficial season opener. The Los Angeles Clash at the Colosseum was held with hours’ notice on Saturday instead of Sunday, depriving fans of the opportunity to see the race as the last-minute schedule change wasn’t possible for many. NSASCAR did offer free entry to fans who wanted to watch the race.

Now, Hendrick Motorsports’ star young driver William Byron has proposed a solution for it. He has asked NASCAR to come up with a system inspired by the NFL’s Flex Scheduling, by which fans can have more flexible schedules to watch the events. Byron believes this could be a game-changer move for the sport that can make fans happy.

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So obviously I hope we can get in a system of maybe having a chance to flex during the week, kind of like the NFL does, because I feel like if we’re able to flex the race forward, sooner, we could get some people, tuned in, but I think it’ll be better than waiting out a rain delay for sure.
Byron said, as reported by Heavy.com.

The Flex Scheduling is a tool the NFL has used for many years to give fans the most anticipated games during the weekend prime-time hours. NFL initially schedules games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights and might change them based on market conditions. The fans are notified about it  28 to six days prior.

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If it’s implemented in NASCAR, the 28-day notification isn’t possible, but the six to four-day window is suitable. Instead of postponing the games, NASCAR should also pre-pone them to Saturday, as it is more suitable to get fans in and a good slot for attaining good viewership on TV, as waiting it out the weather till Monday has always dropped the ratings.

Drivers were happy with NASCAR’s decision to change Clash timings

The entire NASCAR garage was happy with the sanctioning body’s decision to change the race date as they were convinced that waiting out the rain wasn’t a feasible choice. They were also happy with NASCAR taking the bold choice, knowing that it would result in huge financial loss.

Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney
Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney (Via IMAGO)

2020 Cup champion and Byron’s HMS teammate Chase Elliott was happy with NASCAR’s decision and praised them for making the call. He also pointed out that having an event like the clash on Saturday is better for the sport anyway.

It is one of the most logical decisions we have made as the industry, potentially ever. I appreciate it, I know all the rest of industry personnel appreciates this. Just the willingness to be able to make a change like that, and, doing an event like this on Saturday is a better fit for it anyway. I think it's a win-win for everybody.

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