Probably The Most Exciting Race Weekend Coming Up

The following is written as a rough perception of how restrictor plate racing is. It's not meant to be the end-all of info on the issue. This is an emotionally based article. Have fun and I hope this is helpful to some.

4 Words:

Talladega. (That's pronounced Tal-A-Day-Ga) LOL.

But for some, this is one of the 4 of the most exciting races to watch all year long. It's a restrictor plate race, which means NASCAR has sanctioned the addition of a component to limit how much "go juice" (gas) one can pump into the carburetor. This limits the speeds of the cars.

The Down Side:

That means that they can't get going so fast that they don't become airplanes. I've watched these cars hit 200+ mph and then do a nose lift and go tumbling. No fun for the driver, the cars around them, or the fans. Hence, this safety measure.

The Up Side:


With limited fuel flow, the drivers need to stay as close as possible to the car in front of them to stay within a competitive distance to the other car. It's called drafting and there are advantages to drafting.

A car by itself can run about 160 - 170. Cars that are drafting together can run around 190 mph. Because they need to draft to keep competitive, you'll usually see the majority of the pack side by side throughout the day. Drafting also is a nasty little trick for passing other cars because you're not using as much HP to keep up with the guy in front, so you have a few extra horses to zip out and around the guy in front of you... if others follow you. Otherwise, you stick your nose out there, and the line of drafting cars just pass your a** up as you sit helplessly and watch!

Of late, during races the drivers have been more patient and string out, but as you hit the last 60 laps or so, everyone starts to play chess, trying to jockey for that one position that you can draft from and slingshot around the car in front of you for that win in that magic final lap.

Drivers Hate It:


Drivers don't think it's racing. They sit around all day driving 200 mph in close knit packs less than a few feet apart as the car jostles from the wind, trying to avoid the big wreck. The big wreck happens when someone blows a tire usually, or if someone does something stupid to cause issues because they get impatient.

Either of those tend to happen when you pack a bunch of win-hungry drivers together.

I think it is racing. Why? Because we inevitably see the more skilled drivers at the front of the pack at the end of the day. If front runners were more random, I'd agree with the "It's not racing" statement. So to me, it is racing.

Fan Intensity:

I have to say, it's one of the more edge-of-your-seat events on TV. In car camera shots or bumper cam shots are very telling in what the drivers have to deal with while they look like they're putting around the track, lap after lap. Hard core fans don't like the cam shots. At times, I love them. It says it all.

In the end, of the cars left running, usually the best car out there is competing for the win if they don't get outwitted in the draft game. If you're driver moves too soon, he gets left behind. If he waits too late, there isn't enough time to make up for it.

What other race will you see the top 30-35 cars go across the start-finish line in under 1, maybe 2 seconds?

That's why it's so fun to watch.