In recent times, numerous NASCAR drivers have been expressing their desire for an increase in practice time. The governing body of the sport, during the 2020 season which took place amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, made the decision to significantly reduce the duration of practice sessions. This decision was extended to future seasons in order to alleviate the additional financial burden on the teams. However, this decision was met with a negative response from both the fans and the teams.
One of the main concerns raised by the teams regarding this decision is the fact that they are no longer able to gather enough data to effectively enhance the performance of their cars before race day. Jimmie Johnson, a seven-time Cup champion and the owner-driver of Legacy Motor Club, has now come forward to advocate for an increase in practice time. He believes that the current practice sessions are not long enough to make any meaningful changes to the cars.
Johnson emphasizes that the smaller teams are the ones most affected by the lack of practice time. He points out that the larger teams have the financial resources to compensate for the limited practice time, but the smaller and newer teams, as well as the new drivers, do not have the luxury of gaining valuable knowledge about their cars through increased racing.
Currently, the practice time for a Cup race on a regular race day is only 20 minutes. Johnson proposes that NASCAR should double this time to approximately 45 minutes. He believes that this would greatly improve the efficiency of racing for the teams. Johnson also mentions that the teams are currently taking risks in order to fix any issues during the race.
Last week, a former NASCAR Cup champion from 2012 also voiced the same demand. He urged the governing body to provide teams with more practice time, stating that it would enhance the quality of racing. Increasing practice time could be a beneficial decision for NASCAR, as it would bring more advantages than disadvantages.