Why I Like NASCAR Starts/Restarts: It's Part Personal, Part TV

One of my favorite parts of a NASCAR race, regardless of whether it's the Sprint Cup, Nationwide or Camping World series, is the start of any race.  And I have to add restarts in there too.

What I find exciting about the start of any NASCAR race is that all the hype, media and past performance statistics become moot.  No more predictions, hopes or focusing on team emotions.  No more surveys asking the emotionally invested fans.

It's go time and all predictions will be proven true or not by the end of the day.

Personally

In the starts (and restarts) of a race, everyone is side-by-side and packed into as small amount of track surface as they'll ever be.

It's this moment when we'll see who the more aggressive drivers are, the better setups, or the most desperate or ill-tamed drivers in the pack.

I like it because this is where most of the fender rubbing could happen.  Where exciting pack passes can take place.  And if someone screws up, where some sheet metal will be left with paint from their competitors or pieces of it on the track.

And the first few laps show us if the cars is seeded in the right spot or they had to settle for this starting spot.

The other aspect that I find good is...

TV

It's the start/restarts of a race that the majority of the field will be captured by the TV cameras covering the race.  They almost can't help but show most cars in the field, whether they like it or not.

It's true that in some of the 'down the stretch' shots, you have to look hard for your driver, but it can be done.

Plus if you have an eagle eye, an awful lot of action takes place back in the pack that sometimes the network misses or chooses not to cover because it's more important to show the single car leader all by themselves because they're a name driver.

-

Be it as it may, sometimes a race finish will have come at the end of a long day of many laps around some tracks where everyone sorts themselves out and settles in.  Some of the finishes can be pre-ordained by how the leader has dominated.  Sometimes you might get a good race-ender too, but on those days when a few dominate, that takes a bit away from the finish.

It's almost a one-trick pony.

But during the starts/restarts, especially later on in a race, there's all kinds of options that can happen then.  That's when NASCAR racing gets exciting.  When you don't know and you start worrying/hoping about your favorite driver or freaking out that this desperate driver near your driver might do something stupid.  Therein lies the excitement!

-Bruce

Learn From The Pocono Race Tragedy - Rather Than Point Fingers, Provide Suggestions (Air Raid Sirens?)

Why Are Fans Finger Pointing About The Pocono Race Tragedy?  Yesterday a NASCAR Sprint Cup race ensued out at Pocono.  The event was rain shortened by severe weather and Jeff Gordon won a race this year.  While fans were streaming out of the track, a tragic event took place where a lightning strike in the parking lot behind the grandstands, injured 9 and killed 1.

Our condolences to everyone involved.  But looking at the web today, I started wondering...

It's a horrible and tragic event that took place but could it have been avoided?  Is anyone really to blame for this? Can you blame someone for...

• The weather?
• Wanting the race to go as long as possible?
• For not hearing the warnings?

Or do we just take personal responsibility for one's own safety?

-

Yesterday the race was rain delayed and it got off approximately 90 minutes late.  Weather was coming just past the halfway mark.  This weather had been predicted all week.  (Though whether people believe weathermen or not is an entirely different perspective.)

Fans could see that weather was coming.  And yet folks seem to want to hold someone else responsible for what happened.

-

Today fans were calling in to the SiriusXM NASCAR radio station (ch 90) saying no one made a warning announcement.  But then several fans did call in saying that they heard the warning announcements from the track.  Allegedly people were urged by the track, to take cover.  But before or during the warnings, even though broadcasters around the track were busy with their own things and didn't hear the warnings, they all saw it coming and evacuated their stations around the track.

What is one to do?

Weather, is weather and it's one of the more unpredictable beasts around.  NASCAR could have halted the race early to be safe.  But had they done that, and the weather never materialized at the track location, fans would have been in an uproar.  And how early is early?  People would probably still been in the parking lot when the lightning hit?  Or would they have been?

NASCAR waited until the track found itself being hit by rain, then they called it.  The track itself, from the sounds of things, did all they could do, short of hiring Thor, the god of thunder, to come and redirect the power of the storm.  And we all go to sporting events and we take the responsibility in our hands each time we do go.

And yet, like today, we always want someone else to look out for us, as if we can't do it for ourselves.

-

The lightning hit out in the parking lot... the equivalent of an open field.  And if you recall, being out in the middle of an open field is the worse place to be in a lightning storm.  Maybe some folks know this and maybe some don't.  I won't put that on any person.

What happened to those 10 fans in the parking lot is a horrible act of nature.  I don't think anyone could have done anything differently.

That includes NASCAR, Pocono Raceway or anyone.

We all take our educated guesses what will work best for us.  Or sometimes, it's called chances.  I can't tell you how many times I've walked out into severe storms to do one thing, thinking (or not thinking) nothing will happen to me.

It's really a stupid thought, thinking nothing will happen to me.  Just because it hasn't doesn't mean it won't.  I can get too comfortable and make a stupid decision which will change everything.  Right now, I'm in a sling because a woman did something that none of the other thousands of other cars I pass or pass me in traffic did, and that's hit me on my bicycle, despite the fact that by all odds, she should have seen me at her front right fender at the stop light.  Yet the blind old bat still ran me over. 

I've put thousands of miles on my bicycle and I've been hit twice (where personal body damage was done) and have had about half a dozen close calls.  S*! happens and to not take some form of responsibility for any of it is silly.  To me.  Sure, maybe the close call head-on wasn't my fault, where I was up against the RIGHT curb...  there are some extenuating circumstances, but in most situations, it does take two to tango.

All we can do is just go from here and everyone needs to learn from it.

Maybe tracks install those old air-raid sirens to warn fans about inclement weather?  Maybe people pay closer attention to the silly things that might not happen to them?  Who knows, but do know... NASCAR and all the tracks in the circuit took note.

And I think the air-raid sirens isn't a bad idea.  There would be no mistaking that warning.  Then no one would have an excuse.  And the finger pointing can take a rest until the next green flag restart penalty.

--
Follow
NASCAR-Bits-and-Pieces.com
on Twitter and/or Facebook .
- -

Another Journalist Who Doesn't Think NASCAR is a Sport And Crosses A Line Doing It

There's a site called The Sentinel, and I do believe that they are not of the mind to believe that NASCAR is a sport.  Tsk, Tsk.  They being Eric Rivera, an aspiring journalist for a North Idaho College.

Eric goes on to support his perspective by saying that NASCAR does not compare to hockey and football.  Fair enough.  And Eric does give credit to being able to turn left repeatedly with precision accuracy for hours on end.  OK, that's nice of him to give some credit.

But then he goes on to compare NASCAR to being on par with a Wii athlete and says that he, himself must then compare to a professional driver becuase he plays Gran Turismo.  If I read that right.

Then he further augments his perspectives by grouping NASCAR in with WWE and he finishes the statement by saying,

"So it makes me want to say thank you to all the people who are hardcore fans. Those that push the notion that NASCAR is a true sport. You confirm my suspicion that being dumb and dangerous go hand in hand."

That's when I quit being so understanding of the ingorance involved in proclaiming something to not be a sport when, I presume, one has not even tried it.  And calling the demographic supporting the support to be dumb.

-

Indeed.  I get the premise that people WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN IN a racecar (You can spell that forwards and backward Eric) thinks it's not a sport, as compared to stick and ball events.

I get that one doesn't understand how much muscle it takes or that how damn brave you have to be to be hurtling along at 100+ mph.  When you turn left, I was surprised by the amount of G-force applied to my brain and how dang heavy my arms got in the corners.

But I'm good with that because they don't get it.

But I don't think they get the on-going and constant physical demands put upon a driver in a car without power-steering or power brakes and endure performing in an environment that gets up to 130 degrees.  Or losing several pounds of sweat per race.

Nah, I'm good with that too, because obviously he didn't do his research.  I'm OK with not getting it and that grey area of what a sport is, whereby a sport could be defined as

"An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others."

Or that it is a

"Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively."

But it's OK...

But when a reporter starts to call people dumb for what they like, then there's the backhand to a large demographic.  That same backhand comes from a writer who doesn't get it because they've never tried it.

So I'm thinking we should all pile on over and leave some friendly and constructive comments that would help Eric understand that he's a bit off the mark with his perception and calling fans names.  I will as soon as I can calm down because right now, nothing good is going to come out of my fingertips if I were to head over there.  And I want to be friendly, constructive and gentle when I tell him to go to hell.

Oh, sorry, did that come out?  See... I have to wait a bit before I get over there.

nicsentinel: nascar reputation

-Bruce

Jimmie Johnson is Not In A Bad Points Hole Yet & Why I Think That

Right now, after Phoenix, and barring the penalty not being appealed, Jimmie Johnson is 71 points out of first in 37th place in the driver's points standings of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  But this early in the season, there's enough volatility in the standings that just maybe, there's nothing for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports team to worry about.

-

I know that numerically, Jimmie's spot in the standings looks a bit dire, but the new points system can actually help him in the early weeks of the 2012 season.

In the old points system we had various point gaps between positions that made climbing up through the ranks a bit tough.  But with the new points system in place, where only 1 point separates various finishing positions, the early weeks of the season could favor a strong showing for Jimmie Johnson.

Here's the thing... 

The point spreads right now aren't huge or insurmountable.  In this early part of the season while teams are feeling out their position in the season, there will be wins and 15th place finishes.  All leading to a variability in the points for the teams.

For instance, though Johnson is 71 points behind points leader Denny Hamlin, a win by the former and a 10th place finish by the latter would pull Johnson to within 57 points of Hamlin.  (This scenario assumes certain things to happen, and is the best case scenario for Johnson.)

If this happened a few times, things would be good.  Obviously things don't work that easy, but right now, during these first few weeks of the season, Johnson can work the system while there's still some variability to be had in the points.  It won't be too easy after the 4th or 5th week, but by then, Johnson has either regained his penalty points or not, and is in a position to work at his game.

The important part about the early weeks of the season is that positions will jump around at first.  Look at this week after Phoenix.  Kyle Busch climbed 8 spots into 9th and Brad Keselowski jumped 17 spots into 12th.  Martin Truex Jr. clawed up 6 spots into 6th and the points leaders all swapped spots of 3 or 4 positions.

Right now there's volatility in the points standings that Jimmie Johnson has to take advantage of.  At least if he wants to competitive early on and continuing into the latter-half of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

But that's just my take.  Do you have any thoughts on the issue?


--
NASCAR-Bits-and-Pieces.com , on Twitter & Facebook .
- -

No More Secret NASCAR Fines, No More Inside Thoughts

In case you had not heard the news, NASCAR has abolished the "secret fine" practice.

In reality, it was never working anyway.  When ever someone was fined, we always seem to hear about it.  Or as far as we know.  But this secret fine business was in contrast to the family friendly and openness they professed was part of the sport.

But that's OK.

And it seems the drivers like it too.  Kevin Harvick says that this new policy will help make things clearer.

In the past, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Newman and Denny Hamlin have found themselves on the receiving end of some of these unspoken fines from things they've said about different aspects of the racing.

In one way, it's a bit disappointing that the drivers can't speak their minds.  It gives the fans a fascinating insight to the real, dirty inside of the sport.

Gordon doesn't Call it Cheating

During an event in Florida, Jeff Gordon made the statement that when a pass rusher is caught for holding, they're penalized 10, 15 yards, but are not called cheaters.

The quote is:

"If a lineman holds a guy from getting to the quarterback, they give him a 15-yard, a 10-yard holding penalty. They don't call him a cheater," Gordon said. "That's the thing that upsets me. In racing, it's always been about trying to push the limits and, yes, sometimes you push it too far and NASCAR pulls you back.

"But, in this case, they're putting such harsh penalties out there and suspensions that it's making it look like we're the cheaters out there, and it's not the case at all. Everybody out there just pushes the envelope, and it shouldn't be considered cheating."

PittsburghLive

Ovals are Where NASCAR needs to be

Whoa, before you get mad at me, this is just a re-link to an article David Poole wrote over on thatsracin.com.

The section of his article addressing his point starts out:

"People misunderstand my take on road course racing.

I don’t hate road courses. I think road racing is interesting in its own way, and it unquestionably requires driving skills and talents. The American Le Mans, Grand American and even the ChampCar series provide excellent venues for road racers to display their talents.

I just question what any of that has to do with stock car racing."

Read the whole article at this LINK.

Bruce's Take: I believe road courses bring the cream to the top. The most versatile drivers that are successful on ovals, can bring it to the crowd at road courses too.

Will there ever be another "King"

Richard Petty is known as 'The King'. He's got records that will never be broken. He holds SEVEN championships, matched only by Dale Earnhardt. He's won 200 races in his career, winning the Daytona 500 seven times. He's won 27 races in one season; a record # of poles (127) & 700 top ten finishes. All in 1,185 starts.

But these records were set in a different era of NASCAR when the good 'ol boys backed each other up, or threw each other around to resolve differences. And that was how it was.

I don't see the breaking of Petty's records for the mere reason that NASCAR is always on the ball, answering to sponsors and making sure that parity is part of the process, making competition fair to all, and taking action to make sure that the integrity of the sport is maintained.

When drivers try to resolve issues amongst themselves (At least on TV), they get fined and put on probation. When the lug nut bolts are found to be hollow to give a slight weight advantage, the teams (driver, crew chief, car owner), are docked points or fined or if severe enough, (and usualy the severe incidents are warranted), suspended from competition.

But the biggest change made was the bringing about of the "Chase for the Cup". This was already in the pipeline when, to point to one incident, Matt Kenseth won his championship in 2003. He won that season on consistency, not wins. He only won one race that year. NASCAR has tried to eliminate consistency as a chance contender and instigated the "Chase". Additionally, they've modified the allotted points for winning this year too, to emphasize winning.

The Chase for the Cup is designed to give the top 'x' contenders, (Originally it was 10, but this year, it's 12, or 27.9% of the field) the opportunity to compete against themselves as their points are reset to such a degree that only the top 12 contenders have a chance to win the Championship. It answers the need for more exciting television to some degree.

Old school fans are being left behind as some old tracks aren't cutting it in attendance and new formats and coverage are coming on strong to capitalize on new demographics.

NASCAR is a victim of it's own growth, propagating the need for all the penalties to appease the big time sponsors they are attracting. It's the price of growth and we can either adapt to it, or find ourselves disappointed in skewed expectations.

In the end, I don't think we will ever see another Richard Petty dominate the scene like he did.