The France File: Early Start Times, Good Racing and More...

As is usually the base, NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France steps out of the office and onto the airwaves during the offseason to connect with fans of the sport and talk about what's coming in the season ahead.

He did so Tuesday night on the Motor Racing Network. Here are some of his comments (hat-tip to Dustin Long of MRN).

On earlier start times for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events: The spring races at Kansas Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway move from Sunday afternoon to Saturday night this year. Two races, though, will have earlier start times. The start of the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway has been moved up 15 minutes to 6:30 p.m. and the spring race at Richmond International Raceway will start 30 minutes earlier at 7 p.m.

BF: If anything, we’re trying to go a little bit later. We’re, obviously, trying to get more prime-time events and be in the widest possible audience that’s available on television, although I certainly understand that creates some hardships as well with people trying to get back.

On point standings, including more points for winning races:

BF: We’re working on the (race) format of the future, maybe it’s a little bit different, maybe it’s more than a little. We also, I would tell you, we are not satisfied that we have the exact balance we want with winning, consistency, points, running for a championship.

We think we can make some tweaks to continue to incentivize risk-taking and racing hard. We’re looking at that. We’ll undoubtedly be coming with things that put the incentive on winning races and competing at the highest level.

On the No. 3 returning to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

BF: I like it. I wondered when it was going to happen, if it was going to happen. I think what Richard has said he wanted to make sure it was the right circumstance and not bring it back because he could but because it was right and it felt right. I think they way they’ve done it, keeping it in the family, it’s really a neat thing, and I’m really looking forward to watching the No. 3 out there in 2014.

On slowing cars down for enhanced competition:

BF: We are very committed to getting rule packages that create more side-by-side racing. That’s the hallmark of what we do. That’s what we wake up every morning trying to do. I’m confident that we’ll make the racing, which is already very good - and, by the way, statistically better than it ever was - but the standards are higher and we’re going to meet those standards and create the best racing in the world, that’s our job.

The departure of Dodge from the sport:

BF: We were disappointed that they decided to take a break. We would love for them to take another look. I think at some point they will. There’s some other manufacturers that are always looking. The one challenge, though, is it’s very difficult to come in unless you have a long view as Toyota did because the best teams right now are obviously spoken for and under contract. It’s not only expensive, but you have to, if you’re a manufacturer, be ready for the first number of years to be difficult and lean and tough. That’s not always what companies are looking for. They want to have a little bit more of short-term success. In our situation, that is hard.

On input NASCAR has with tracks when tracks make changes to the surface: 

BF: We have a lot of input. Here’s the good news: That every track on the circuit wants exactly what we want. They want the racing to be close, tight, competitive. They want to take care of their fans. From time to time, though, they’ll make a change, trying to get the racing better or whatever they may think is helpful, and it may not work out that way. I can tell you - I deal with all the operators on a daily basis - the last thing they want to do is change their track where the racing isn’t what it needs to be. When they do, and sometimes they do it accidentally or unintentionally, they want to make it right. So you need to know that. They’re all trying to get to the same place, great NASCAR ... racing.