All Change Aboard The NASCAR Express

For years NASCAR stayed the same.

Same tracks, same schedule, same points system, same safety standards, same basic chassis, same engines, same carbaretteurs, same leaded petrol, fundementally the same old school, old tech, relatively cheap but hopefully high action racing.

Since the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt a lot has changed.

The point system has changed along with the schedule. The cars have changed. New safer COT chassis, new squarer not twisted bodies, new fuel in the tanks, new tyre compounds for the new car, electronic fuel injection! Budgets have spiralled, but has the racing suffered?

The tracks have changed too. Some old school tracks have been dropped to make way for more modern speedways. SAFER barriers have been introduced to all ovals and have been a very successful safety measure. Some tracks have been redesigned in the hope of makng the racing better. Variable banking has been introduced at several tracks, again in the hope of enhancing the racing.

Recently the people behind two tracks have been discussing the merits of variable banking. At Bristol Bruton Smith has announced his decision to remove the variable banking and put the track back to the way it used to be, while over at Kansas the owners are busy installing variable banking ready for their second Sprint Cup race of the year. Currently Homestead, Phoenix and New Hampshire all have progressive banking in the turns. So has variable banking actually helped make the racing better, or is it just a gimmick?

As far as the fans are concerned variable banking has wrecked Bristol Motor Speedway, hence Smiths decision to put his once great track back the way is was. However Kansas think it is the way forward for their venue. My question is this... How come the racing at the so called "cookie cutter" tracks, the mile and a half ovals is so dull? At Texas there was a complete lack of side by side racing, and while Kansas might have better it was not better by much. How can such wide open tracks with so many workable grooves provide such dull races, and will variable banking help?

Some say the fault lies with the tyres, some say it's the aero package, while the tracks must think it's them as so many are changing their layouts to try and create better racing. I think it might be a combination of the three, aero, tyres and track. NASCAR have spent a lot of time and effort over the past few years getting the racing right at the two restrictor plate tracks, Talladega and most importantly Daytona. Now it is time for NASCAR to go through the same process for the intermediate tracks.

For the "sport" of NASCAR to help grow the "business" of NASCAR, the "show" at these tracks has to improve... and fast... whether variable banking is the answer remains to be seen.

Some might consider change good, some bad, but more change is needed if NASCAR can get back to the heights reached in the 90's!

Que 2013 car???

BTCC OTT

Touring car racing, by its very nature, is a physical form of racing. Cars make contact, lean on each other, they may even bang and loose mirrors, but at its heart it is still a "non contact" sport... Kinda...

However it appears nobody told Mr Plato... que Donington...

Race 1 - A very good race proving BTCC drivers are capable of racing cleanly, and that includes Mr Plato!

Race 2 - Two wide round the last corner at Donington will go if the drivers give each other room! Again nobody told Mr Plato as he moved over on his fellow driver exiting the corner inadvertently putting himself into the tyre barrier and out of the race. Oops...

Race 3 - After a fabulous drive from the back of the grid, making his way up to third, Mr Plato lowered the tone going into the last corner of the last lap in the last race of the day with a move so blatant Stevie Wonder would have seen it.

Pity.

In all seriousness there were other incidents, and in a Championship as closely contended as this years BTCC it is to be expected... but Mr Platos name seems to crop up more than most this year.

The pity of the two incidents at Donington was that for the rest of the races Mr Plato drove brilliantly. Coming from the back of the grid in race 3 to get to third with two laps to go was a great drive, and he drove cleanly up until the last corner.

Just as at Brands Hatch there was no way the BTCC Officials were going to let him get away with such an OTT move, and I am being polite, this is a family blog.

Pushing another car... pushing it all the way down the back straight and not letting go until after they had passed the braking point... putting Gordon Sheddens Honda off the track was, how did I put it... OTT!!

I would like to applaud the Championships Clerks of the Course for the penalty they handed Mr Plato. They could have thrown him out of the race for such a blatant move however the only drivers affected were Shedden and Mr Plato so giving the MG driver a 2 second penalty, dropping him back behind the Honda, seems totally appropriate.

It would have been totally understandable if Mr Plato had been disqualified from the race however this would have set a precedent where all drivers gaining a place by using contact would have to be disqualified with no room for debate. Swapping the two drivers round gives the Officials room to manoeuvre and the ability to treat each incident individually as some will be worse than others. It would also have had a dramatic effect on the overall Championship points table, something that they will not want to mess with unless it is absolutely necessary.

The two second penalty sends a clear message to the drivers, "there is a line and if you cross it we will not let you gain from crossing it". For this balanced, seeing the big picture, approach I applaud the people concerned. Keep pushing the line though, Mr Plato and I am sure you will not be looked upon so kindly next time.

It appears the Officials are watching and they have a rule book and know how to use it... if you go OTT.

Start Wrecking... First Contact

Lets face it, unlike most other forms of top level professional racing NASCAR racing can be a contact sport. On the right weekend, at the right track, contact is permitted. Whether it's at a restrictor plate track when it is called "bump / tandem drafting" or on some of the sports smaller venues or "short tracks" when it is called, well the "norm" really, there are occasions when contact is allowed. Actually it's more than that, on the short tracks it's expected.

After what was universally thought to be a fairly lacklustre Bristol Sprint Cup Series race, the drama of the last few laps at Martinsville came as a welcome change of pace. In fact it brings hope that once Bruton Smith is finished with his concrete half mile the same level of excitment and drama might return for the beloved "night race" later in the year.

So why are some of the sports journalists and commentators having to defend or explain the contact to the fans? Headlines like "Newman makes no appologies for race win?" or statements like "it's just racin'" show the authors explaining why it's allowed. Only a few short weeks ago the vast majority of fans told Mr Smith this was the kind of racing they wanted to see at Bristol, and now after Martinsville the sport is feeling the need to defend that very style of racing?

To this discussion I would like to add the following thought... this is the sport of NASCAR. In NASCAR, on a short track, contact is a way of life, get over it! If you don't like it then watch F1 or touring cars where over the top contact is frowned upon... Mr Plato...

Three wide into Paddock Hill bend, on the grass, was never going to be considered a good idea. Lean on each other, bang mirrors by all means but you can't attempt a move like that and get away with it. For not letting that happen, and for not letting the penalties issued affect the results I applaud the Championship officials.

For the BTCC the first meeting of the year at Brands Hatch has to be considered a success. Three different winners from three races, lots of new cars and all with the new turbo engines. I wish the new NGTC era well!

Now onto David Reutimann...