First (non) issue; the racing.
Jeff Gordon has said that these cars suck up to each other... sounds good.
With the restrictor plate from earlier in the year one car could overtake another without being pushed as the last laps of the races showed... sounds good.
A lot has been said about the dull single file facing at last weeks race, the end result of the drivers not knowing what they can do in the pack after NASCARs message in the drivers meeting. Where was this dull racing? Not at Talladega if you ask me. Sure the drivers took it easy for the first 100 laps, but remember this was a 500 mile, 190 mph, game of chess. The first 150 laps are all about getting yourself in a position to race for the win at the end, no more. Learn what your car can do, get some friends to work with you, avoid any wrecks, and then go racing for the win. This is what I saw at 'Dega. At the end the drivers raced as best they could without beating each other up in the turns... sounds good.
Second issue; safety.
NASCAR has to know that they need to go into the wind tunnel and understand why these cars are getting so airborne when they are turned around. I don't know if the answer is to put some holes in the bottom of the car to let the air flow through the rear, and roof flaps in the trunk lid to let the air out of the back of the car, or if more is needed, but we have to believe that NASCAR is burning the midnight oil getting their heads around this issue.
Otherwise in terms of safety, the current Cup car has lived up to its expectations and nobody can argue with that.
So again, I don't think this package is as broken as most are making out.
If my last name was Helton, or France I would put the bigger plate from earlier in the year back on the cars as it gave the drivers the ability to pass one on one. I would stick to my guns with the yellow line and no bump drafting in the turns, and I would spend the next few weeks in the wind tunnel trying to keep these cars on the ground.
This might give us good old fashioned plate racing, minus the airborne stunts, with less beatin' and bangin' in the turns but with the ability to draft one on one, and slingshot for the win... sounds good?
Hiya James,
ReplyDeleteAgree, racing isn't dull @ Dega IF you understand the scale of the task and the tactics the drivers & crew chiefs use.
For me this year Dega had everything to a point. Last fall as you know I was lucky to be out there and 'the big one' took a considerable number of cars out far too early. Maybe this was te fault of one or two drivers (def the 99 - drove like a tw@t all weekend!) who don't/can't play by the assumed rules. This year that didn't happen and with 40 to go we still had a huge field! What is dissapointing for me is watching some of the latter 'unjust' moves by some drivers which goes seemingly unpunished. Vickers & Johnson caused that last huge wreck and Johnson benefits from it more than most. I'm not saying he intentionally wrecked the 2, but I did at the time! JG is right, these cars do 'suck up' and that in truth was what caused the wreck. Whilst NASCAR continue to worry about the odd bump draft in a corner they fail to see the more blatant actions going on under their noses! I'm all for a good clean fight for the cup, and as the 18 isn't there I've no real axe to grind but there is a lot more to plate racing than the plate! Take the plate off, let them go for it :)
JK