NASCAR weekend at ISM Raceway

What: NASCAR Monster Energy Cup, Xfinity, Camping World Truck series races When: Friday-Sunday Where: ISM Raceway, Avondale (oval, 1 mile)

Tickets, information: ismraceway.com Schedule:

Friday (gates and new INfield open 8 a.m.) 8:30 a.m.: Truck series first practice 10:05 a.m.: Truck series final practice 11:35 a.m.: Cup series first practice 12:35 p.m.: Xfinity series first practice 2:35 p.m.: Xfinity final practice 3:35 p.m.: Truck series qualifying 5 p.m: Cup series qualifying

6:30 p.m.: Truck series Lucas Oil 150 (FS1) Saturday (gates and INfield open 9 a.m.) 9:30 a.m.: Cup series practice 10:35 a.m.: Xfinity qualifying Noon: Cup series final practice

1:30 p.m.: Xfinity series Whelen Trusted to Perform 200 (Channel 12) Sunday (gates and INfield open 8 a.m.) 12:20 p.m.: Cup series Can-Am 500 (Channel 12) did the best motorhome spaces along what used to be the front straightaway. Infield access is $89 Sunday or $129 Friday-Sunday, in addition to a grandstand ticket, which ranges from $67-$195 for the weekend (Camping World Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series races) package.

Star shortage?

But it’s the race -- and who is racing -- that remains what people come to see.

With the retirements in recent years of spotlight-bright stars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Carl Edand wards and Danica Patrick, plus racewinning veterans Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne at or near the end of their careers, there’s been concern that NASCAR’s 20-somethings aren’t the same box-office attractions.

At least, not yet. NASCAR’s latest wave of millennials includes Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, Erik Jones, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Austin Dillon, Daniel Suarez and Tucson’s Alex Bowman. They have opportunities with some of NASCAR’s most successful teams, which heightens expectations.

ISC President John Saunders went so far as to tell investor analysts during a July conference call -- in which he admitted second-quarter paid attendance was “a little softer” than expected -- that the sport faces “an issue with star power.”

Since Saunders’ comment, one has, finally, broken through. And just might be that new “face” many think NASCAR needs.

Chase Elliott, whose father, Bill, is a NASCAR Hall of Famer, is a championship contender and has won three of the last 12 races after going 0-for-98. He’s expected to succeed Earnhardt as this year’s most popular driver in fan voting, an honor his father won a record 16 times.

Also, Dillon won the Daytona 500, and Jones and Blaney also have a victory.

“This whole ‘young guys need to win now’ thing is getting old,” Blaney said. “It’s not like I’m happy for fifth (place) every week.”

While a key industry goal is to draw in a younger demographic, not everyone approves of NASCAR’s marketing focus.

“It is bothersome,” said Kyle Busch, the 2015 Cup champion whose Toyota is sponsored by M&M’s. “We’ve paid our dues, and our sponsors have . . . and all you’re doing is advertising all these younger guys for fans to . . . choose as their favorite driver.

“I think it’s stupid. But I don’t know, I’m not the marketing genius that’s behind this deal.”

Spreading the news

Hamlin, noting that tracks get 65 percent of NASCAR’s $8.2 billion TV rights money over 10 years, also thinks more resources should be allocated to event promotion.

“The tracks receive such a large sum of money no matter how many tickets they sell,” he said. “I’m not sure if the motivation has been too major for them to go out and promote and buy TV ads and things like that. I think I’ve seen a little bit more over the last couple of years. You’ve still got to go out and knock on doors and let people know the races are in town.

“Who cares who the stars are if people don’t even know if we are in town? It’s not up to them (young drivers) to (say they are) superstars. People are going to like who they like no matter what age they are. There are a lot of Kevin Harvick fans and he’s in his early 40s.”

‘Not too hokey’

The consensus appears to be that most races have been entertaining -- or at least had an entertaining finish -- despite the “Big 3” of Harvick, Busch and Truex accounting for the most wins. Even so, NASCAR has yet another package of car specifications for 2019, to be used primarily on speedways 1.5-miles or longer.

Some tracks have gotten creative trying to jump-start excitement, which concerns Hamlin. ISM Raceway has renumbered its turns, with the start/finish line now positioned just before the traditional dogleg. It’s not a coincidence this zone of potential mayhem is in full view of the new (and priciest) grandstands.

Said Hamlin: “I’m not in favor of the tracks just kind of taking it on themselves to change the racetrack.

“I think it’s up to NASCAR to reel that in and make sure we’re not getting too hokey with what they’re doing to try to put on a show. I don’t think the tracks should be in the business of competition. They should be in the business of putting people in the stands.

“Making the racing better is up to the teams and the sanctioning body.”

So, the race, and selling NASCAR’s latest legend-in-the-making face, are works-in-progress.

Not so for ISM Raceway, now -- finally -- ready to show itself off to everyone as the place.