As NASCAR prepares to gear up for the upcoming 2018 season president Brent Dewar weighed in on an array of topics varying from Monster Energy as the primary sponsor for the Cup Series to stage racing.
Monster Energy signed on to sponsor the 2017 Cup Series season in a two-year deal with an option for two more years. Last season marked Monster's first full-time season as the primary sponsor for the series. They've been a sponsor for Kurt Busch in the Cup Series for the past two seasons, but began their relationship with Busch in 2012 as a primary sponsor for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
In an interview on "NASCAR Live" Dewar said they've given Monster an extension on the renewal which was originally slated to be signed by Dec. 31, according to NBC Sports.
"They signed late in the season," Dewar said. "They were just looking to have a full season.
"We've given them an extension to go through the evaluation," Dewar added. "It was the right thing to do to give them a little more time to evaluate."
Another topic of discussion was the stage racing that was implemented for the 2017 season, which proved to be extremely valuable. Martin Truex Jr. had 19 stage wins, with each giving him one playoff point. Kyle Busch was the next closest with 14. Dewar thinks the collaboration among the industry paid off.
"We're really happy with stage racing," Dewar said. "I think it was a good example of the collaboration where the industry came together with the idea of stage racing, so we're very happy with that."
Another concern is the number of caution laps at the end of a stage which Dewar says is something they'll continue to tinker with.
"I think we'll continue to modify it," Dewar said. "We've done a lot research on this."
"We continue to fine tune and look at how to refine and make those adjustments," added Dewar. "That's one of the things that we have on our list to continue to discuss."
Overall Dewar is happy with direction in which the sport is heading. He looks forward to a second season with Monster Energy at the helm, as well as a season that will see adjustments made to stage racing.