Into the Mail Bag: Five Questions for Pocono

(Credit: NASCAR via Getty Images)

Last week, I wrote about Twitter and its pros and cons. It was a fun piece to write, but I missed a crucial pro: fan interaction!

This week’s Five Questions for Pocono are inquiries from NASCAR fans; their Twitter handles are included at the end of each questions, and I encourage you to follow all of them. You can also follow me while you’re at it, @KristenGoRawr.

Enough of the selfish promotion, let’s answer these questions!

What makes a NASCAR track good? - @Mjohnson82392 This is definitely appropriate for this weekend, since Pocono Raceway is one of the fan-friendliest venues around. Catering to fans is a huge part of the NASCAR experience. Other aspects of a good track are condition of the facilities, surrounding hotel prices, views from multiple seating areas, and, most importantly, the quality of racing. If a track can hit all those points, then it’s a hit.

Like a road course, should Pocono be added to The Chase? - @_DaleJrBeard_ Though Pocono is great when it comes to fan experience, it lacks in excitement on-track. The weather situation doesn’t help, either. Look, I’m all for adding different tracks to The Chase, but what would the playoffs really gain from adding the Tricky Triangle to the lineup?

Your idea of a good Cup schedule, length of season, race tracks to add or remove? -@Briancullather Speaking of adding different tracks, I’m excited that someone actually cares about what I think about the schedule. First things first, the season needs to be shortened. It’s too long, and it includes multiple stops at tracks that don’t need two dates. Tracks like Texas Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway are great, but they aren’t "double date" worthy. We need more pizzazz, and throwing Rockingham Speedway and Iowa Speedway into the mix would bring it. NASCAR needs to flip the schedule ASAP.

My question is, why didn’t Roush give Stenhouse (crew chief) Jimmy Fennig to help him grow as a driver? - @AXE_Larson42 I haven’t thought about this before, so this is an interesting question. With all the chatter about Edwards leaving Roush Fenway Racing, I have to think it was a ploy to keep him in the No. 99. The other reason is the success between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Mike Kelley. Breaking that up wouldn’t be logical; yes, the streak might not transition well to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but it’s keeping him consistent. Fennig and Edwards are a nice fit, but it may be the end of that pairing.

What’s the next step in making female racers more accepted in this male dominant sport? -@hnewhouseracing First, I suggest you follow Hannah because she’s a rising star who knows how to race. Her question is important to her future, and it’s well-suited for us here at Skirts and Scuffs. That being said, the key to getting females accepted in the sport is to stop focusing on the fact they’re females. We live in a world full of "sex sells" and bikini photo shoots, and that works for a while. However, the world of racing is a different animal. If you can’t race, then it doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman. It’s time to embrace the title of "racer" instead of gender. If you prove you can run with the best of them (and consequently kick their butts), the opportunities to move up in the sport will roll in.