Toyota Racing Development’s David Wilson talked to Sirius XM NASCAR’s Morning drive on Thursday morning.
He said that the COVID pandemic forced NASCAR to learn a new way of structuring the race weekend that would never have been tried before. Wilson says that NASCAR teams have learned they are able to just show up and race, thanks to race simulators and other resources available.
“I would really be disappointed if we revert back to the old habits of three 50 minute practices and qualifying. It’s unnecessary. It’s expensive.”
He hopes NASCAR can take the lessons they have learned and structure a “better race weekend format going format”.
Asked about how the tracks can do things to keep fans entertained without so much time on track by Cup teams, Wilson says track owners are stakeholders in the sport as much as the manufacturers and owners and the sport is talking about the best way to fill that void, be it entertainment, music, or exhibition races. A goal is to find events that put even more people in the stands than practice alone.
ICYMI: @ToyotaRacing Development President @DavidWilsonTRD shared his thoughts about the future of practice and qualifying earlier today on #TMDNASCAR@TheMikeBagley | @PPistone pic.twitter.com/b4dz6eQkpD
— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) March 18, 2021
