Entitled Drivers and Safer Barriers

I actually missed all the fun at California's Auto Club Speedway in Fontana this last weekend.  It's a huge, D-Shaped oval and I've seen the racing there before.  So I had scheduled a bunch of honey-do things to tackle on Sunday.  I didn't even turn the TV on.  I've seen the races from the D-ovals before.  Apparently I missed some live carnage and good racing.

Was it Really Exciting?

First thing I heard about was how it was a fantastic race.  I have yet to catch the replay of the event, but I'm curious if these references involve the actual race or just the usual emotional anchor attached to an exciting finish that usually labels an entire race as exciting?  If the entire race was fun for all, then dang, I guess I did miss something.

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Entitled Drivers

Second thing I've heard come out of the weekend, and seen numerous sound bytes and video recaps, was that of Joey Logano blocking Tony Stewart on a restart, and then after the race, Tony Stewart and team going after Joey and his team for his seeming terrible actions on the track.

My perception of any sporting event, is that they usually involve tactics.  Those being both offensive and defensive.

I also know of way too many times when Tony Stewart has actually gotten defensive and blocked people.  I believe there might have been a rather highly publicized block that took place back at Talladega last year.  I think that block involved twenty-five cars?  Just wondering.  So I am not sure I can add much to what anyone else is saying about the one-sided perception of Tony Stewart, but since I like grinding out a weekly piece on the race that was, well, hey...

Tony has got to stop getting mad at people that use his own tactics.  Since the incident, I've seen nothing but trash-talk about the driver and how only he can be allowed to block cars trying to pass him.  I'm thinking if he really hates blocking, I hear IndyCar has rules against real tactics blocking.  Maybe he'd like to go to that racing league instead?

I just find it short-sighted on how angry he got.  And crass that he had to take a shot at Joey's lineage and upbringing.

And just when I was starting to think Tony has his s*$! together and maturing from owning multiple teams.

But this isn't the first time I've heard this from a NASCAR driver.  How often do we hear the grumblings of drivers who have been blocked, or the radio chatter where someone starts bitching about being blocked.  Sure, when Juan Pablo Montoya is 10 laps down, his blocking may seem irritating.  But at his core, he's a racer, racing.  (I'm not saying I approve, but I see where he's coming from.)

These millionaires have become such because they have the talent to get to the front. And they've proven it in fields of competitors who they have bested.  And I'm betting they've done enough blocking on their parts somewhere in the past.  But when I hear drivers complain about a fellow competitor being in their way, I take a step back and start to question exactly what is this?  Isn't this racing, where the end goal is to race around everyone and win the race?  Or is it a gentleman's sport?

Driver 1 to Driver 2:  "Excuse me good sir!  I was able to catch you and would like to pass on your left please!  I shall turn my lane-change signal on now!"

Driver 2:  "By Jove, I am terribly sorry for being in the way while trying to race to the number one spot in the pack.  Here good man, let me move aside like the spineless jellyfish I am and let you dust my arse, my sponsor's arse and incur the wrath of my fans while I'm at it!  Have a dashing good day sir!"

Driver 1: "By god, it's about time you got out of my way.  For a moment there, I thought I would have to scrub some extra tire wear off, and use some sort of competitive tactics and driving talent in trying to circumvent you.  For a moment, I thought I might have had to work for it and earn it!!!"

No, you only see that in the classic race leagues where teams are running 100-year-old cars and they don't want to ding up their one-and-only version of their car.  I expect my drivers in NASCAR to get the front by racing.  If it were a gentleman's sport, what's the point of different shaped and sized race tracks?  Where would be the fun of short-track events?  But that's just me.  I'm weird that way.

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Safer Barriers Have No Place To Not Be

Many people today and wondering why all walls at a race track aren't covered in safer barriers?  And I'm right there with them.  Sure, it might have been a cost-savings measure in a tight, economic times.  But this is racing and if you don't think it's happened in the past, and hence, won't happen in the future, I don't think that's a good premise.

Right now Denny Hamlin is suffering from smacking the inside wall at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.  As far as I'm concerned, any track should have the safer barriers on every wall that a car at speed, has some form of potential access to.

And that's that.

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Now I have to go find myself an encore performance of the race.  Word on the street is that the TV ratings for this event were overall, 30% higher than they were last year.  Of course, that's not all good.  Next year, if the numbers flub a little, the media will be all over the fact that ratings are down 10%.  It seems most ratings reports focus on the numbers that way.  But that's just an observation.  It's the train wrecks that get the attention.

Until my next Race Rant!!!