Tag Archives: nascar

Let’s Brainstorm: How Can We Make F1’s Monaco Grand Prix More Interesting?

Illustration for article titled Let's Brainstorm: How Can We Make F1's Monaco Grand Prix More Interesting?
Photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP (Getty Images)

It isn’t often that I’ll admit that maybe Bernie Ecclestone was right about something, but after last weekend’s processional Monaco Grand Prix, I’ve been thinking that Formula One’s most iconic—and most boring—race could use a makeover. And with NASCAR’s rainy outing at Circuit of the Americas taking place at the same time, I started thinking, maybe installing sprinklers at race tracks to make artificially wet races wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

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As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one brainstorming what could make the race even slightly more interesting. Chain Bear on YouTube was sharing that wavelength.

The whole premise here is pretty simple: what would make the Monaco Grand Prix more interesting? What would it take? And I have to say that Stuart over at Chain Bear is, once again, the master of some very good ideas, such as:

  • Revamp the entire weekend, turning Saturday’s qualifying session into a one-lap attempt to set the fastest time. Then, on Saturday, run another staggered qualifying session, the assumption being the track will get better as the day goes on, so drivers will have the pressure of choosing the best time to go out.
  • If you’re still interested in the traditional Sunday race, introduce a mandatory Joker Lap, which will bring in a bunch of strategy opportunities that could shake up the running order.
  • Or, you could run an even longer and harder Joker Lap that basically reroutes the entire circuit.

I have to admit that these options are a lot more fun than me running with Ecclestone’s unimaginative artificial rain idea, which has the opportunity to fall apart at any possible moment.

But I’ll throw another idea into the ring. Make all the F1 drivers run Formula E cars on the Formula E Monaco circuit, which made for a fascinatingly exciting race earlier this year. It would still be part of the F1 Championship, but you’d just have a one-off event that would throw a money wrench into everything the series knows about itself, thus guaranteeing chaos and fun.

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I am amenable to hearing your ideas, so get pitching.

TikTok Is Sponsoring The Coolest Looking Car In The NASCAR Xfinity Field

Illustration for article titled TikTok Is Sponsoring The Coolest Looking Car In The NASCAR Xfinity Field

Image: TikTok

Beginning at the Talladega race on Oct. 3, 2020, TikTok will be officially sponsoring a NASCAR Xfinity Series team. Driver Ryan Vargas will pilot the No. 6 machine for the final six races of the year, and even if he doesn’t finish at the front of the field, he does have one big advantage: His car looks damn good.

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TikTok has been at the forefront of international news lately, as the US Justice Department looks to ban the program from app stores. Basically, TikTok is a platform for amateur video sharing popular among teens and younger audiences. It’s become a hot topic lately because TikTok is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, which has sparked the fear that the app is farming data on its users.

Whatever your feelings on the TikTok debate, the app filled the short video market left by the demise of Vine, and it’s become a popular social media site with an estimated 800 million users (that’s about 500 million more than Twitter). Securing it as a sponsor is a pretty big deal for NASCAR, which has struggled to attract younger audiences.

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And it’s a big deal for 20-year-old driver Ryan Vargas. He’s a graduate of both the Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next programs, but he’s he hasn’t had much luck trying to cobble together a stock car racing program despite a successful 2018 season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (now known as the ARCA Menards Series East). But he was only able to secure three of 2019’s 33 Xfinity Series races.

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With three races already under his belt in 2020, Vargas will have a great opportunity to showcase his skills in a well-sponsored car. He has a best finish of 13th despite only racing sporadically, so he has what it takes to race. He’s just needed a consistent platform on which to show what he can do.

The sponsorship is part of TikTok’s Latinx Heritage Month celebrations, which looks to highlight its content creators that are able to trace their roots back to Latin America. Vargas, who has a 40,000 user following on the site, qualifies as one of those creators. TikTok is also seeking to use its platform to highlight Vargas’ story.

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Vargas was born with craniosynostosis, a condition in which a baby’s skull fuses together too quickly, before the brain has had an opportunity to fully develop. According to Vargas, TikTok has allowed him to open up on social media and tell his story.

“If you can take a moment to joke about yourself or joke about what you do, it brings you down to earth a little more and helps you relate with those who are watching,” he said.

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Vargas will contest races at Talladega, the Charlotte ROVAL, Kansas, Texas, Martinsville, and Phoenix.

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