by: PattyKay Lilley
Good day gentle readers, and welcome to RacersReunion, a site we know is read by folks that matter. Today I bring to the table a subject sure to elicit some very strong opinions… on both sides. The past weekend at Talladega Alabama brought with it some very good things, and conversely, some very bad things. The good things, at least from my point of view, were the rules changes announced for the 2013 racing season. We thoroughly discussed our feelings of the guaranteed top-35 here on these pages, and it is now gone with the end of the 2012 season. No credit for that claimed here, but it is a happy coincidence, nonetheless. Changes in the qualifying procedure and a return to the luck of the draw on qualifying order amount to nothing earth-shattering in either direction and I assume are meant to accompany and enhance the end of said guarantee.
The worst thing, sadly, was the race itself. Before the green flag fell on Sunday, I engaged in some conversation… if you can call 140 characters at a time conversation… with a younger fan on Twitter, and we exchanged our abbreviated versions of restrictor plate racing. I simply relied on Dale Earnhardt to do my talking and quoted him as saying, “That ain’t racin.” (And it ain’t) She said she was a Junior fan and told me all about how much he “loved” the plate races. Ahem!
No dear readers, after the post-race interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr., I did not seek her out to deliver a giant helping of “I told you so.” I’m quite sure that she, like a million or two others folks, all heard his words, and they in no way expressed the “love” of plate racing I’d heard about earlier that day. Dale is not a kid anymore; he is a seasoned veteran who turns 38 years old on Wednesday. With age and experience have come practicality and wisdom, as one would hope they would with each of us. Now well beyond his teens, and with his Father’s death a bit further in the rear view mirror, he sees things from the perspective of a man, and a businessman as well.
“If this is how we are going to race and that is how we are going to continue to race and nothing is going to change, I think NASCAR should build the cars. It would save us a lot of money.”
That is a thought I have had and written about for many years, ever since those infernal plates came on the scene in 1988… purportedly to make racing “safer.” Oh please! (Before continuing, yes, I know they used them briefly in the 1970s) They returned after a bad crash at Talladega in 1987, which sent Bobby Allison’s car into and almost through the catch fence and into a packed grandstand.
Scary? Oh, you bet! But NASCAR had a “fix.” They told us that cars would never “fly” again. Raise your hand if you can remember Richard Petty’s horrific crash in the Daytona 500 of that year, the very first race of the new era restrictor plates.
Some fix, wouldn’t you agree? All it’s done is cost teams an astonishing and astounding amount of money every year, while solving nothing. Starting with that race, in which King Richard proved undeniably that cars could indeed still fly, even without wings, we have endured 25 years of various versions of the restrictor plate combined with many different aero and spoiler packages, to bring us to what we saw on Sunday. Not only did the car of Tony Stewart take flight, but it took out some 24 other cars as well, in what they are now calling the biggest crash in NASCAR history.
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, gentle readers, and that is what we are still expected to call “entertainment.” Dale Junior, when told by a member of the media, “I know it sucks for you guys, but for the fans, it’s awesome to watch” replied caustically, “Really? It’s not safe! Wrecking like that is ridiculous! It’s blood-thirsty, if that is what people want. It’s ridiculous!”
Suddenly, I have this mad urge to go find Dale Jr. and give him a huge “Mama hug.” For all of those 25 years, I have compared plate racing to feeding Christians to the lions. On Sunday, Dale validated that quite well, I’d say. Blood-thirsty it is… if indeed, it is what the fans want. But is it?
That is the question I bring to you today my gentle readers. I have already come to a stark and somewhat bitter conclusion after Sunday’s melee turned to mayhem.
I will never watch another restrictor plate race!
Those were my feelings directly following the race. If you follow the link, you will see others from RacersReunion, of various ages and backgrounds, posted in total agreement. We, they, all of us, are part of the fan base NASCAR claims wants to watch the low-brow debacle they chose to present on Sunday. I refuse to be lumped into that category, and because I have this platform, I can make my feelings known to Mr. France and Company.
This same platform is offered to each and every one of you today. Make your comments and state your preferences, for or against what we saw on Sunday. This is the way we make ourselves heard, and as long as the comments are not offered in a mean or debasing way, they all see print. We are not here to call names or indulge in personal attacks; we are here to let them know what we think and feel, in a calm and rational manner. Believe me; it works. When we present a case or even a single thought in a reasonable way, it is listened to by those we hope would hear it. They do.
Yes, this column is a bit shorter than what you are used to seeing from me, but that is because I want it to be your thoughts that count. I said my piece last night on the Forum, and the link is there above, should you care to read it and others on the same topic. Our Forums are always open for that. Want to add your voice to the Forum? Sign up and have at it. All are welcome and it’s a great place to call home.
“…for the long run that is not going to help the sport the way that race ended and the way the racing is. It’s not going to be productive for years to come. I don’t even want to go to Daytona or Talladega next year, but I ain’t got much choice.”
Those were Dale Junior’s final words in the interview and they speak volumes. No, I guess if he hopes to score NASCAR points next year, he doesn’t have much choice but to show up and take his chances against the plate tracks… one of which killed his Dad… but clearly, he doesn’t want to be there. I find no indication in any of his words on Sunday of any sort of love for those tracks or for the method of racing forced upon the drivers there.
Forty-three cars are artificially bunched into a pack from which there is no separation because the horsepower of every engine is rendered identical by those restrictor plates. That is only enhanced by the effect of the draft, and so they run, nose to tail, 2-3-4-wide in a snarling pack of colored steel until someone makes a wrong move. Then we see what the videos show here… and we see it at almost every plate race. That has lasted for 25 years. Isn’t it time to say “enough?” There are other ways… ways that would not force the faster cars to be tied to the back markers. NASCAR knows that well, but feels that we, the fans, want what we saw on Sunday. Perhaps that is so, for some. It is not so for this fan, and I hope I have made that abundantly clear.
Let’s hear from you now!
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay
Email: nas3car@etcmail.com
Twitter: @MamaPKL
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I’ll still watch, but I’m not a fan of restrictor plate racing. For years, Dave Marcus said a better answer was to require smaller engines for Daytona and Talladega.
Don, there are several good ways of keeping them under the dreaded 200mph speed that insurance companies love to hate. NASCAR actually does believe that we, the fans, want to watch things such as we saw Sunday. I mean it sincerely… take off those plates or I am not watching. They seem to believe empty seats and low TV ratings, though it’s taken some time. That is our way of voting.
Sorry folks, I love to watch these guys run together in a pack. I don’t watch much NA#CAR anymore, but I do watch Talladega, and Daytona, ( I did the PA at the 1969 Daytona 500). I hate the wrecks, but love the close quarter racing! and now even, maybe, we’ll see some old NASCAR with the new cars. I hope so.
If you were a PA in 1969 for Talladga in 1969, you would remember there were not big pack racing where the top 20 were less than 2 seconds behind the leader.
It is funny when the drivers discovered the tadem draft, I first thought of the 1979 Daytona 500, and the 1976 Daytona 500. In both cases the top two were off by themselves. Most of my friends that are NASCAR Fans started watching around 2001, and stated they wanted racing the way it was. I had to educate them regarding what racing was. I feel most of the complaints come from “new fans” or “fans who do not know the history” or want the Big One.
I fell asleep during the first 160 laps of this race, as it was boring. Yes we had lead changes, but it was like watching a traffic camera of the LA freeway sped up.
I’m confused Marc; you think the complaints come from young fans? By complaints do you mean those that don’t like the pack racing? I don’t know all of the folks that have posted here today, but I know many of them and I promise you, they are not young fans. I myself lead the parade against restrictor plates and pack racing, and I am 74 years young and counting.
It has very little to do with speed. it’s all about the Big One and the fact that drivers are human and cars are mechanical. Either can fail and at the first hint of a mistake, the crashing commences and doesn’t end until the mayhem is complete. Enough! No more for this old gal. Over and done. Never again. They can plow both of those tracks under and plant tobacco on them for all of me. Be a nice tribute to R.J. Reynolds.
I wish for racing to be racing,if I wanted to see stuff like wrestling,hockey etc to get my kicks I may start watching plate racing(or what ever it is).God help us,wake up NASCAR I think it’s already to late.
I hope it’s not too late Buddy. I think 25 years of this stuff is about enough. Now I want to see if the fans agree or if NASCAR is correct in thinking that some folks actually like seeing mass destruction. One of us, either NASCAR or I, will be surprised by the final count.
Been a race fan for over 50 years. I don’t like wrecks, I don’t like to see drivers injured, and I don’t like to see race cars damaged. I don’t have this…..”flirting with death syndrome….” the head-shrinkers ascribe to race fans, either. Nope, I just like the subject, but not plate racing. As many have said, “It a’int racin’ it’s a crap shoot…….” and a dangerous one, too.
There’s ways to fix it, too, NASCAR knows them, but prefers to mess around the fringes of the subject without really changing anything. Laying the ultimate blame on the fans…….who “love it…….” NOT!
Thanks Bobby! Do they really, honestly believe that a majority of the fans actually like that kind of “show?” Can’t call it racing, because it’s not. More likely, you are right; we’re just handy to be blamed for what they want, not us. Kinda sad when you think about it.
DITTO
NASCAR doesn’t have a clue as to what the fans want and seemingly they truly do not care. We try to tell them by not watching or attending races. Are they getting it? No! NASCAR needs to understand that they are not F-1, they can’t compete with the NFL or MLB, they only need to be NASCAR and feed NASCAR fans a good RACING product. What tickles me is these folks who say that NASCAR is as bad as the WWE. The WWE is highly successful for the one thing that NASCAR isn’t, they know what their fans want and they provide exactly that! Period, end of story. NASCAR is a bumbling farce today simply because they don’t count their fans as their main asset. Hey Brian, all we want as fans is pure racing! We don’t need engineering contests, we sure don’t care about plate racing, we don’t need 20 car pile ups, we certainly don’t need more injuries or deaths, we don’t think glass dashboards are the next great thing, we only want pure racing. Kind of simple isn’t it? Take your plate racing and well, just take it.
Don’t hold back Walt. Tell us what you really think… which seems to be the same thing we all think. I told a friend this morning that I would never watch another plate race. He was incredulous. Would I really skip the Daytona 500? Yep, I would and I will. That’s the race that killed Dale. I’ve never been big on it for that reason alone. I am gone until the plates are gone. Pack racing is for wolves or maybe Cub Scouts, not cars.
Well here I am again having a few minutes to myself and while reading this thread it brought back a conversation I was involved in at the North Turn in South Daytona.
The show hadnt started yet at Daytona,it was at nite,so memories were flying. This one older gentleman from up north described restrictor racing pretty good. I will try to convey his thoughts onto here in a manner that can be read by young and old.His words were colorful to say the least.
Them dang restriction plates dont do nothing but suffocate an engine to the point it becomes a vacuum pump doing its best to survive.
You ever go out back at the farm on a cold winters day and watch the ducks an geese land and take off? Most all of you southerners havent a clue to this so I will tell you. A duck will be standing out there on the ice,yeah the *%@$@ pond is frozen, and a dozen or so will be taking off and this duck is in their flight path,well he puts in gear and nothing happens cause he is spinning his ducky feet and gets run over,why cause he has restrictor feet. He aint going no where fast unless he was in that bunch to start with.
Now did you red neck boys understand that??? Hey bartender can I have another cold one…. You know that almost sounds like a tale the great Neil Bonnett would say,but sadly he was not around then……………………………memories
Johnny, I have no idea who your northern friend might have been, but he sure did know his ducks and his engines too. That is exactly what happens. The pack becomes the rule. Lose the draft? The pack will soon be around to eat you up from behind. Get in the middle of the pack and all that’s required is to keep the wheels straight. The pack will suck you along amazingly.
That is what I try to convey in saying that the fast cars cannot escape the slower ones. Vacuum is the perfect word. It also goes far to describe just why we say, “That ain’t racin’.”
I miss Neil too! Another casualty of Daytona and plate racing. Just sayin’…
Sumpin ’bout the Aflac Boy spinning his wheels?
The cars can run as big a motor they want and no restrictions on them, All they gotta go is put an air dam on the cars —–one size fits all. They will try every car made to get it through the air but that DAM on the roof will hold them back. you may slingshot by but you wont go very far.. freightrains wont work because the air is all out of shape. it will work on Bristol to Talledega.. Only thing you got to do now is convince those beach bums something is gotta give..
My take on this subject..
I was waiting for this one! Thanks for not letting me down, Patty Kay. Well stated.
I got so disgusted yesterday from the very beginning. As soon as Hamlin and Johnson dropped to the back along with others I almost turned it off. I immediately felt that none of those drivers should win the “show”. But I had to keep watching. More and more dropped back and I thought, just wait til the last 20 laps and they start forward. Wreck fest coming and cars will be destroyed. With about 10 to go I left tv because I didn’t want to see the melee I knew was gonna come. That was in no way a race. How can they call it such and justify that it is racing? Fans don’t want that. They lose respect for the big profile drivers who drop to the back and then curse them when they move to the front and screw up the results for the ones who tried to race all day. Doesn’t matter who wins or starts the “big one”, they all have the attitude and blessings from NASCAR that ‘anything goes’ on the last lap and yesterday proved it once again. Just different players causing it. Boyer said they should make it shorter. Uh, Clint, if they did the end would be played out the same way from the ones who dropped back at the beginning.
I don’t know if I will watch Daytona or not. I just know it ain’t racing. Wonder if Jr will get fined for ‘remarks detrimental to NASCAR’. I agree with all he said and I am proud of him for stating his case the way he did.
Thank you again.
Vivian, I too was proud of Dale for standing up and speaking his mind. NOW he is starting to sound and act like his Dad. Of everyone out there on that track, he has reason to know what a wreck on a plate track can do because it’s been done to him, up close and personal.
Should NASCAR see fit to fine him for his thoughts, they could well find themselves with a full-scale fan revolt on their hands. I doubt that is something they are looking to touch off in the middle of their precious “Chase.”
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. There is a lot more conversation on the Forum regarding this subject. Follow the link to mine and there are several more postings in addition to that.
Dave Marcis and I think alike. I said that year ago too. They build different cars for each different track. Why not have a smaller engine for the “plate” tracks. Slower but tight better racing. Humm, them college educated boys with no “common sense”!
Oh well, they finally did away with the “35″ deal.
Hopefully next the sucking “Chase”!
That is my thoughts and I am sticking to it! lol
NASCAR are you listening? SMALLER ENGINES!
Welcome JAck! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I’ll say that Dave would know, since he’s been there and done that a whole bunch. NASCAR knows there are ways to slow them down, and they know what they are. We need to convince them that we, the fans, are tired of being blamed for “wanting” the plate-induced pack racing. So far today I’ve yet to hear anyone even hint at liking anything about that sort of racing and the vast amount of damage it produces, costing owners and tracks $millions in repairs and cleanup. If we continue to make enough noise, one day they will have to listen.
…..and this here is a “prime” example of why I don’t want to regurgitate my previous columns unless they are uplifting, or oddly entertaining.
As I was perusing the massive amounts of comments and columns today, it once again struck me that we have literally read it all before. There isn’t anything “new” about this type of racing to comment on. Just pull out any column written after any Daytona or Talladega race and repost it. Same ‘ol, same ‘ol.
And while much was being made of Dale, Jr.’s comments, I could only picture his Dad who, when interviewed after each of these races, merely uttered the comment, “Hell, this ain’t racin’”
My brother was of the Dave Marcus school of thought as well, but I’ll add an opinion of my own. While I enjoy and approve of the double file restarts, I honestly believe they should line up single file for a restart within the last 10 laps of a race. There is simply too much carnage, and it doesn’t even have to be a super speedway for it to happen.
Carol, you know I love you, but where you and I used to work, we had no facility for interaction with the fans other than email, which kept us both busy as one-armed paper hangers. This is the column I tried to describe back then, and got a blank stare for my efforts.
Here, Jeff handed me the keys to the kingdom and said “go for it.” I absolutely love giving the fans an actual chance to be heard, and I promise you, we ARE heard here and read on the beach… every column, every day… and don’t forget the Forum. Nothing is private.
Yes, we may be saying the same things, but I feel we are offering them in a new and well moderated format. As such, I do believe we can have an impact. Call me crazy. I don’t mind; but I know one thing for certain. This weekend, NASCAR announced the end of the top-35 rule.
That too was a topic of this column not too long ago.
That event yesterday, I can’t call it a race, was a perfect example of what is wrong with Nascar these days. It is a managed product and delivered exactly what they wanted. A lot of us old fans understand that and it is why attendance is down.
I used to hate the commercials because you might miss something. Now I fall asleep after the first round of pit stops. I want my stock car racing back!
I don’t know as we’ll ever get back what used to be Dennis, but for goodness sake, they need to look at what they’ve got and know it’s not working. Just give us back a race… no show, no fireworks, no rock concert… just racing. How simple is that? I know cats that can understand what I’m saying. NASCAR can’t? Kinda gives one a pain in the heart, doesn’t it?
Spectacular, yes……………….racing, NO. As you have said before, PK, it’s like beating a dead horse. Those of us who have watched & appreciated the sport for years have offered numerous suggestions & recommendations to NASCAR to do away with many of the crap ideas & changes which, interestingly, have come about in the last 10-15 years (restrictor plates have been around longer). As you and I have shared opinions in the past, it seems logical to me to change the aero package they are running today……straighten up the windshields, make the rear spoilers less significant, make the front air dams less significant, keep the roof flaps, eliminate the restrictor plates,etc. The less aerodynamic the race cars are, the slower they will go & the more the drivers will have to depend on their driving talents. As you know, I, too, was a huge Dale Earnhardt fan………and, even as well as he did on the plate tracks, he hated restrictor plate racing – and who am I to argue with Dale Earnhardt???
Ernest! Long time, no see my friend! I am honestly hoping that since they read this column anyway, perhaps someone will see some sense in what is said here. No promises, but it surely is worth a try. All those folks can’t be reading just for the pure joy of it. There is some real junk out there that serves to make us look quite good. Whoever draws our pages has cause to celebrate. We don’t cuss, swear or call names. In short, we have more class than many and are better than most. No brag; just fact.
A change in the aero package has always seemed the most reasonable to me. Sure, smaller engines would work… for a while… until the Chad Knauses of the world got in there and worked their magic. A combination of both would be fine as well. ANYTHING but those dang plates.
Artificially bunching up all that sheet metal only to wreck it all in one fell swoop might light someone’s fire, but for me, it lights only my ire. I am mad! I said it and I mean it; I will never watch another race with restrictor plates on the cars. Anyone is free to join me in that. Maybe we can all go on a picnic that day or something.
Well… calling this “the biggest crash in NASCAR history” is another example of NASCAR media “fluffing up” a story. I remember several years ago (before the COT) a crash at Talladega collecting 27 cars. Not to mention, there have been races where less cars were running at the finish.
As for the restrictor plate issue, the plates aren’t going anywhere. NASCAR couldn’t get insurance to run these cars any faster, especially with a 43 car field on the track. And as we know, NASCAR cares about the “bottom line” more than they care about the drivers “expert opinions” or what the fans want.
Hey there Chuck! Always a good night when another writer comes calling. I was a little bit surprised by the “biggest crash” designation myself, as I also think I remember at least one bigger one. Still that’s neither here nor there. It was all over the place when I left my pillow this morning, so might as well roll with the flow. Maybe it was total damage estimate. Those things don’t get any cheaper ya know.
Now then my friend, you sound all gloom and doom. I have come to a new way of thinking. I believe they WILL listen, if we are civil and reasonable. The top-35 guarantee is gone. A year ago, you would have said the same thing about that. The aim here is not to just criticize. The aim is to correct some sort of misconception NASCAR harbors that we, the fans, actually want to see the mass destruction of yesterday. I think they are wrong.
No one is threatening the bottom line. Everyone you see posting here is a fan of good racing, and we want them to know that we do NOT like mayhem as a replacement for racing. I’d love for you to join us. Please, post your honest feelings about plate racing, with no name calling. You can do it. I know you can.
If you youtube largest wreck in history, you will see a wreck from the early 1960′s at Daytona where 37 cars wreck, and 8 flip. All drivers walked away (maybe because they were going a lot slower back then). Glad to see NA$CAR start to go back to their old ways. (If they got rid of the Cha$e, the points race would be MUCH closer without it.
Kevin, as I said with the reader just prior to your post, I’m not sure by what measure this is called the biggest ever. My only suggestion is perhaps the value lost. There have been single wrecks that involved more than 25 cars, I am quite sure. In this one, however, none of the 25 was able to continue. To folks with logical minds, that would be because it happened on the last lap, but to statisticians years down the road, it might count as a factor.
That’s their problem. They weren’t my words. I merely said it was being called that. I don’t care what they call it. I call it mayhem and I call it unnecessary. Junior said that if that is what fans want, they are bloodthirsty. Another good word. I’m taking your comments to mean you don’t care for that sort of “racing.” Please correct me if I’m wrong.
I would be happy to see most races at short tracks, with a few dirt tracks thrown in as well. Get rid of 1 race at Charlotte, Chicago, Fontana, both at Kansas, Talledega, Daytona, Michigan, Texas. Add a race at Darlington, The Rock, Hickory, Hartland Park in Topeka, Road America, Hickory, North Wilksboro, Eldora, Knoxville, Nashville (Music City Complex), and the Daytona beach course. Re-Build Nazereth, Riverside and race there as well.
Kevin, I wouldn’t disagree with a single track you mentioned, though you did get Hickory in there twice. That’s OK. Haven’t seen a race on that little sweetheart in many years. I could do two. Most folks of my generation started out on the short tracks, and many of them dirt at that. If I had my “druthers” they’d all be on short tracks or road courses. (Not street) That of course, is radical and will never happen, but it’s what I like, all the same.
Love your list!
This comment came from someone named Tim Smith. It contained nothing on the topic of restrictor plate racing, and as outlined earlier, comments merely intended to denigrate any person will not appear here. There are other boards that thrive on that. RacersReunion is not one of them.
Sorry Mr. Smith. When you have something to contribute to the subject at hand, you will always be welcome.
~PattyKay Lilley
The bottom line….? is that Dega and Daytona are not adequate for the the cars of today. Those tracks are obsolete. Anything that can be done “to the car” is a work-around. The track and the evolution of the car have created a disconnect.
The late David Poole went to his grave pounding this dead horse. He an I had some good debates, but he was right. The only real fix to this problem involves a bulldozer. Do I think that is a possibility?…hell no…considering the ownership! But, I believe at least two of todays race tracks are not suited for this style of racing. I’m not sure if they are suited for any style of racing.
I wonder if there would even be racing there if they belonged to anyone else. Yes, an un-plated smaller engine might just work for a while, but that would be a work-around.
Ah, I’ve been waiting for you, or someone like you, to get around to the banking on the two tracks. Jeff, you and I and about every fan that has ever paid for a ticket to watch a race understand that banking makes speed… especially in the case of 3400 lb. cars. With a 1400 lb. IndyCar, not so much. That’s why they can race at Indy and we cannot.
For the day and time in which Bill built Daytona, the track was a masterpiece of construction and fast enough to put a good scare into many a driver, but the cars, for the most part could handle the track. Talladega was off to a bad start from the very beginning, but that had more to do with paving than banking… mostly.
As you point out, the cars are not going 170mph at top speed today. Left unrestricted in some way, it would be closer to 240mph. I’ve spent over a dozen years on the Internet explaining to folks why the 200mph mark is important to insurance companies. If they don’t get it, they never will.
Yes, reducing the banking would cut the speeds dramatically, but may no longer be enough. Take a look at Michigan this year, wearing her new black dress and flirting dangerously close to being proclaimed a restrictor plate track herself. That track, 2-miles in length, has only 12º banking on the backstretch and 5º on the front stretch. Turns are a bit more forgiving at 18º.
Anything less would turn Daytona and Talladega into Indy clones, and no one would be happy. I know you love a good sparring session with me, but I’d win this one. It’s no longer the track; it’s the cars. I do appreciate your contention that a smaller engine would be a temporary fix, and if you look back there somewhere, I already said that my own self. Aero is the best way, since NASCAR is already very proficient in the creation and use of templates.
The idea… and what I truly believe most fans want to see, is to allow the cars to separate. There always have been and will always be cars that are slower than others, and slower than the pack by a great deal. That’s fine. It’s OK. I don’t want to take them out and shoot them. I don’t want them eliminated from the field. I just don’t want the guys that are racing for third and fourth place to have to vie with them for a spot on the field because the engines have all been strangled down to the same speed.
As we keep saying and hearing… that ain’t racin’.
Have at it boys
no top 35 rule
They are listening. while there is alot to do, have to give credit where credit is do. I wish I knew why
nascar won’t budge on the plate. So many other options.
Family time will always be forgiven in my book patty.
Bob, it is my sincere hope that if we can keep this up and keep it calm and reasonable, maybe they will listen. Wander about the Internet and check some of the Forum boards out there, including NASCAR’S own. All are poorly moderated, never on topic and quite frankly, for the most part disgusting. Same can be said for comments made on FaceBook and Twitter. If I were running a $multi-billion business, I wouldn’t care one whit what those people thought. Would you?
I want to address them and converse with them as sane and rational individuals; not as a pack of snarling feral animals. So far, I am thrilled that so many fans seem to want that same thing. Today was the first time I had to refuse a comment since these columns began. Someone just didn’t get it and wanted to get his slap in on a driver. Sorry about that.
Things are changing, though slowly. That top-35 was a huge move in the right direction. Let’s just keep trying… all of us together. And thanks for your last comment. Had a wonderful day with Angel Baby #2, who is no baby anymore. Almost 13 now. Yikes! Where does time go?
I here that my #2 is a freshman in college.
That is why i keep returning to this sight
and in particular your column. when people get
to name calling and worse i lose interest. I don’t know what those people are trying to accomplish.
Bob, thanks so much for your kind words about our site. We want to be seen as a place where good people can assemble and even bring their kids and grandkids along. When I first found the Internet, in the late 90s, I was amazed and dismayed at what folks will say and do when they “think” they are anonymous.
No one is anonymous. When my program sees a comment from someone new, it gives me a choice of approving the comment, editing it or trashing it. It also gives me the sending email address… which is not necessarily the one typed in… and the ISP identification number of the sending computer. With little or no problem, I can have a home address and all pertinent info within minutes. How’s that for anonymous?
I wish everyone realized that. Then we’d see how “cool” it is to cuss and swear while calling yourself “Godzilla of the Speedway” or something equally revolting. I merely continue to type exactly as if I were speaking to someone in my living room. The only difference is, my tongue does not make as many typos as my fingers.
Going to a smaller engine would only be a temporary solution. The teams would quickly figure out how to up the horsepower for cars to run over 200. Gotta be something else.
Good morning Jerry. Nice to see your smiling face among us this morning. You are correct Carnac; smaller engines can be played with and soon become bigger engines, almost like magic. Therefore, as some old lady stated last night, they would be just that, a temporary fix.
Of course, that might depend on how drastic a change were employed. I have a 4-cyl. Cobalt sitting in my garage that couldn’t make 200mph if you pushed it off a steep cliff. NASCAR used to have a 4-cyl division called the Goodys Dash, and they put on some great racing. Four bangers probably wouldn’t push our big cars up a hill, but somewhere between engine size, limits on CID and SEVERE changes to aero factors, several combinations exist that would give the desired lower speeds without creating the vacuum within the pack that destroys all semblance of racing.
I hang out here with a whole lot of mechanics that have worked on a whole lot of racecars for a whole lot of folks whose names everyone would recognize. They all agree it can be done… or apparently, as I see in an upcoming comment… all but Robin Pemberton… and HE knows better.
it too bad that the style of racing on plate tracks leads to wrecks ,but i sure as hell would rather watch guys running 3 wide for the lead insead of one rolling along with a 7 second lead at a mile and a half track. my statement on this subject is: the only 2 races i renew my tickets for every year is the talladega fall race and the firecracker 400 (yea,i know)at daytona
And a good morning to you John. First, allow me to answer your first sentence. So would I! Three wide for the lead is as good as it gets, though it generally only occurs on the last lap, coming to the checkers. No one cares much if he leads lap 217, ya know?
But… you are comparing apples and oranges, as they say. In my estimation, 1.5-mile tracks should not exist. But they do and we race on them. Aero changes could fix a lot of those problems as well, but for today, it’s plate tracks on the table, as it were.
Yes, I think every race fan loves to see three-wide racing, but John… not 12 to 15 deep! It’s the proximity of so very many cars, all forced to stay together, that makes the big wrecks all but a certainty in every plate race.
Yes, we have what is supposed to be the best field of drivers in the world (Don’t tell those guys in F1) but they are human. Occasonally, one makes a mistake… or a mechanical part fails… or someone runs out of gas. Whatever the cause, once it happens, it is ON! There is no escape. There is only screeching brakes, the grating sound of steel ripping steel, the resounding sound of steel meeting concrete and finally, the eerie silence immediately following, as breath is held around the track until the drivers emerge, one by one from the piles of tangled steel.
I suspect John, that you are of a much younger generation than I. Maybe you haven’t seen enough death and destruction to make you wish for better control. I respect your opinion and your right to hold it. There was a time when I shared it; when I watched every lap of every race at the Superspeedways in complete awe of the tracks, the speeds and certainly, the drivers. That time was before 1988. It was all there, and it was thrilling beyond belief… but there was no restriction on the engines and those big V-8s could roar past you at full throttle, shaking every bone in your body.
No one wants to lose those feelings John. They are what makes racing. But those giant crashes and the $multi-million losses in each and every one of them have to go. And… so does the chance of losing another life to pack racing.
im 49 yrs old and spent time in Beirut,so i got my death and destruction card punched.theres only been one death that occured in a race since the plates were put on at daytona and talladega, bonnett and orr died in practice.i would argue that there have been more deaths at non plate tracks since 1989. i also think there is some knee jerking going on because its the most recent race and its fresh on everyone’s mind . lets think back to dover, that was a horrible race,almost unwatchable.
PattyKay i love you column and the fact that you write back.its also refreshing to be able to debate a topic,in america today to few people respect the opinion of others. have a great day
John, first of all, thank you for your service. I have a great love and respect for the United States Military.
But… I can’t in good conscience let you get away with discounting the deaths of Rodney Orr and Neil Bonnett, both of whom I had the good fortune to have met at least briefly. Where death is concerned, every one counts as a human life lost. Rather like our military that meet death at the hands of “friendly fire.”
The third death of course,was the one felt ’round the world. No need to go there.
I would ask you though, to consider the “near misses” over the years that came SO close to putting a car into those grandstands. Carl Edwards is a great example, and that was only some three years ago. It will only take once… one car in one grandstand… and racing as we know it could be gone in an instant. Cars should not fly.
We had much discussion about this on the radio show last evening as well as here on this board and on the Forum. I am not seeing a knee-jerk reaction. I am seeing and hearing an awful lot of folks just fed up with 25 years of not only being ignored but of being blamed for wanting this.
Thank you John, for your very kind words. I am loving the chance to do this column and interact with racing folks of any opinion. I certainly am not shy of opinions or of sharing them with others, but I do hope that I listen and respond fairly in each case. I want us ALL to be heard. That way, NASCAR gets a fair cross-sample of what the fans are thinking on both sides of an issue. I am convinced, despite the snorts and laughter of some of my friends, that they do indeed listen. I KNOW they read!
But the way to get someone to listen is not to call names and cast aspersions on his parentage as we see on so many Forums. That sort of thing will not happen here, and my heart sings that folks are recognizing that and coming out to speak. Everyone will be respected here as long as his/her opinions are stated civilly. You have a great day as well my friend. Thanks for posting.
forgive me if it seemed like i was discounting any ones death, i was just trying to make a distinction between one caused by pack racing and the others during practice when there are usually less cars on the track and a lot less intensity. my bad.
I am in complete agreement with this article, of course, PattyKay. I am proud of Dale, Jr. for speaking out as he did and it is now obvious that there will be no fine for him as there was for Ryan Newman and Brad K. for speaking out. If there is to be a fine for “actions detrimental to the sport”, NASCAR’s famous rule for “don’t mess with us”, then the fine should be against NASCAR and the plate racing. Having read Mr. Pemberton’s statements in this morning’s paper concerning the big wreck and about comments made by Jeff and Dale, it has never been more clear that NASCAR doesn’t give a damn about its drivers or its fans (as if we didn’t know that already). Pemberton’s statement included the words “everyone is entitled to his own opinion”. Ok, Mr. Pemberton, my opinion is that you guys never learn. Listen to my Legendtorial tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time on “Racin’ Thru History” and you’ll hear MY opinion. And, Mr. Pemberton, your explanation of how you guys determined the finishing order Sunday is one of the most ridiculous explanations of anything I’ve ever heard. Mr. Pemberton, long before YOU were born, or Brian Z. was born, I was spending my money on racing. It was I, along with thousands of others like me, who built this sport as fans. We paid for the seats, the souveniers, programs and anything and everything else NASCAR could find to put a price on. Seems you guys are putting a price on the human life now, as you have in the past. Which driver must we sacrifice to end this ridiculous plate racing? How many did you sacrifice before you adopted the HANS and SAFER barriers? Would we even have those now were it not for the loss of Dale, Sr.? The sport I loved for more than 61 years is now on the verge of leaving me with Sunday afternoons totally free for other interests. Believe me, NASCAR, lose me and you’ve lost your most loyal supporter! Oh, I know there are those who will jump to the defense of all this carnage, and that’s fine, for as Mr. Pemberton states, “everyone is entitled to their opinion”.
Tim
Ah, good morning Legend. I saw this one come in earlier, but I’ve been answering in order received and I’m still typing…
Since we have already discussed the carnage of Sunday at length, I know which camp you are in. I had not yet read Robin’s explanation du jur of how NASCAR sorts out the cars in a wreck at the finish, but it can be summed up in one short sentence found within all the excuses. “It’s all interpretation. ” I’m amazed that you missed that Tim. It is SO NASCAR.
And that, of course, would be the same “interpretation” they use to deduce that we, the fans, actually LIKE what we saw on Sunday. Read through the responses so far on this column alone. We’ve had about 1.5 votes for pack racing. Everyone else has given a solid 2 thumbs down.
I intend to keep trying though, and yes, I will be missing the Daytona 500 and all plate races that follow. It’s the only way I know of to vote where they will hear me. Keep checking those grandstands as more and more of us learn to vote with our wallets. It works! They are listening.
Ok here goes…this past February I took my 4 year old grandson to The Duels at Daytona for his birthday…it was his first race…I thought it would be a good introduction to live racing…Boy was I wrong! He’s an avid NASCAR fan..and dearly loves Danica Patrick (his first crush)! If you remember Danica was doing a great job…and was wrecked in the last laps. My grandson was totally beside himself…all he wanted was to see Danica, hug her and make sure she was alright. It was a total disaster! He has never forgotten it…and even though he still is a big fan…he no longer watches the plate races. And that brings me to last Sunday. It was my birthday..I was trepidly looking forward to the race…and was fairly happy until the last caution…which gave us the GWC…and I knew there was NO way those 30+ cars were going to make it to the checkers without “the big one”. And there was this snarling, undulating pack roaring towards the last turn…cars going everywhere, through holes a snake couldn’t slide through..it wasn’t a matter of when..it was a matter of who made that little mistake, ultimate misjudgment…and it was Stewart…My “Danica”! and yes..my breath stopped..I watched him fly..cars going everywhere..Tony upside down…and tears came to my eyes…was Tony alright…what about Bowyer and Kayne. And all I wanted to do was see them climb out..hug them..hear them talk. I became 4 again…I saw a race end through my grandsons eyes..and I didn’t understand why..where was the sense in this type racing…and I will never watch a plate race again. I will take my grandson to the park and we’ll swing and slide and in the back of my mind I will hope “the big one” doesn’t happen.
Erin… thank you. I could not have said it better, though I have tried a few hundred times. My offer still stands, anytime you’d like to try your hand at writing some for us.
~PattyKay
PattyKay…and anyone who reads my post…it is entirely as it happened…both races on our birthdays…both of our racing idols being thrown and mashed and strewn all over the high banks. I’ll never forget the agony, fear, and sadness on my grandson’s face…and yes he’s 4…and doesn’t understand what can happen during a race…how “safe” the cars have become. (Will they ever be safe enough??). But Sunday as I watched all unfold in a terrible mangled crescendo …I finally realized that I at “blank blank” years of age also don’t understand this senseless form of racing…and I’m tired of putting my nerves through the agony of watching 43 cars in a high speed race that normally ends in destruction.
Erin, I understand perfectly everything you thought and felt because it was exactly what I was thinking and feeling. I don’t ever again want to go through that seemingly never-ending moment waiting for numerous drivers to climb out from among all that tangled steel and signal to the crowd, “Hey, I’m OK. I lived through this one!” I still mourn one that did not climb out and did not live through “this one.” On Sunday, his son spoke out against the senseless carnage and attempts to cheat death. God bless him! Wish he’d done that years ago.
You got room for one more on that trip to the park? Sounds like a plan to me. Barring that, I have hundreds of race tapes from the 80s and 90s. Maybe I’ll watch Dale or Rusty or Ricky win at a short track somewhere. It’s sure to beat racing at Daytona.
I reckon that if the folks in Daytona are following this site then they should be able to get a pretty clear picture of how the experienced fan feels about plate racing and that it was done in a concise, respectful, manner. Will it matter, no because Daytona hears but they do not see, they do not feel the fans. It’s amazed me how so many pundits are stuck on the line that the fans WANT to see wrecks. Just for the record NASCAR, we really don’t want to see wrecks especially those caused by artificial manipulation. We the fans have seen all the carnage and death that we want to. I think what we want is a fan proactive sport. I don’t really care that you are making untold millions of dollars from this sport we seem to love more than you, just give us a show that is honest racing.
PS; Should you decide to dump a fine on Jr for his Sunday comments, then you will have proven to me that you just aren’t going to listen to anyone for any reason. Jr gave his father to this idiotic form of racing and if you should hear anyone it is him. We’ve been fortunate since losing Dale Sr but how long will we continue to be fortunate? You have two tracks with four races that must be changed somehow.
Walt, all I can say to that is AMEN! But still, I keep hoping. Somewhere on that Beach, there is someone with the capacity to understand English. We are speaking it here, calmly and slowly. I refuse to give up hope. We had racing once. We can have it again, even if it is not sanctioned by NASCAR. Please, don’t preach despair. Aim higher.
Been asked to identify the paper read by The Legend, Tim Leeming that he referred to in his comment earlier. No idea what his local paper is, and he’s not around to ask right now, but my bet is, the quotes came from this one originally anyway.
The following is an excerpt from a longer article by David Scott that appeared in the Charlotte Observer.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/10/09/2400083/brad-keselowskis-title-push-gains.html
“We score it by all means,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s vice president of competition. “There’s a lot of video and we take into account maintaining reasonable pace and other things. It’s all interpretation. You see which cars are trying to merge in. When you have a wreck with those numbers (25 cars), there are guys trying to avoid it, sliding to avoid it. There are highly and moderately damaged cars. Once we walked through the scenarios, everybody was pleased with we came up with.”
Pemberton also addressed post-race criticism by drivers such as Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr., who are unhappy with the nature of the risky racing at restrictor-plate tracks at Talladega and Daytona Beach, Fla. That resulted in Sunday’s wild, final-turn crash.
“I’ve been down here for over 60 races,” said Pemberton “Everybody has comments about different race tracks. Some of them don’t like road courses. Some don’t like restrictor-plate tracks. That’s why we have different venues. They don’t always have their best races at those places. Everybody has their opinion. That’s fine.”
My Mr Pemberton. “Everybody has comments about different race tracks. Some of them don’t like road courses. Some don’t like restrictor-plate tracks. That’s why we have different venues. They don’t always have their best races at those places. Everybody has their opinion. That’s fine.”
It is a shame that is all NASCAR thinks that drivers just complain about certain tracks they do not run well on. He missed Dale Junior’s points entirely. I guess if he is not forced to race under these rules and his life is not on the line it is just drivers’ opinions.
I am so proud of Dale Junior as well. He has become a very wise profound young man. If Mr Pemberton and the powers that be cannot take this young man;s words to heart they truly do care more about the show than the value of their drivers lives.
Good evening Diane. It would seem that our Mr. Pemberton was being more than a bit cavalier in his attitude there, don’t you think? He managed to toss the fans and drivers to the wolves all in one short paragraph. What I took away from that is that he sees everyone as a fool but him. I take exception to that, and obviously, you do as well.
I too was very proud of Dale for taking a stand and telling it exactly as it was and is. Mr. Pemberton might not like it, but that lad is about all that NASCAR has left on the table. He is their biggest fan draw. They might wish it were Danica, but I don’t see that happening. Dale Junior is real and he is the one fans flock to. My guess is, someone has already reminded Pemberton of that fact… and it is fact. Watch for it in the next couple of days. Look for those curt brusque statements to be softened. No, they cannot afford to lose Dale Earnhardt… again. They have never recovered from the first time.
I do have to thank you for one totally enjoyable though ridiculous visual… that of Robin Pemberton attempting to cram all of that lard he’s packed on through the window opening of a stock car. Oh… that is so NOT gonna work!
It’s a sad state of Nascar racing that the only exciting races are at the three short tracks (and sometimes at Darlington), the road courses, and the restrictor plate races.
Sunday’s race was a heck of a race to watch, up until that last set of turns. The racing was extremely close, you had a few near-disasters / great saves (Kenseth & Biffle), a few spins that somehow only affected a few cars, and then that atrocity of an end.
Something needs to be done, but I would leave that up to the experts (the crew chiefs, NOT Nascar) to figure that out. Unfortuantely, Nascar’s bottom line is much too dependent on Daytona and Talladega for them to do anything about this. Tis a shame.
As always, thank you PK!
You are most welcome Michael. We keep trying. I however, mean what I say. I won’t watch again. Funny thing is, I usually don’t, but got into that conversation with a young fan and figured, OK, I’ll give it a chance. Never should have done that. I wouldn’t be so upset if I hadn’t watched. Replays never have quite the same effect.
Be sure not to miss the conversation on the Forum stemming out of this one. It’s just getting going, but it will have a long life I believe. I am amazed at the number of folks that like me, are tired of being blamed by NASCAR for being the reason this continues. For the most part, WE do not like pack racing. WE don’t ask for it. WE have it shoved at us and WE are told to like it. That doesn’t sit well with this part of WE… as you can see.
The late George Carlin once said, “Where else are you going to see a 26 car pile up and not be in the middle of it” when he was describing stock car racing not being a sport.
As my good friend Rex White once said about the France family, “It’s never been about the racing. It’s always been about the money”. And he’s right. Even if the grandstands are completely empty, NASCAR & the Frances will still be lining their pockets because there will always be some sucker (read sponsor) willing to put up the money for it.
Unless or until there is somebody actually in charge who knows something about racing and what the REAL fans want, we will continue to get served up the same bunkum week after week under the assumption that we are all bloodthirsty idiots just waiting for somebody to die in a wreck.
From what I saw on Sunday, the race only needed to be 4 laps long. Two laps to get up to speed and two laps to race/wreck. I wasted not taking a nap because I delusionally thought a race might break out. I should’ve known better. Forever the optimist LOL
Play on McDuff and keep up the good work PattyKay.
Wow! Chuck and Mike on the same post. Quite an honor for an old lady when the “other” writers come calling. Still glad you invited me here Mike?
I may be the eternal optimist, but until I get a letter or phone call from Mike Helton or above, I plan to maintain some modicum of optimism here. The top-35 is GONE! Mike, you know that is HUGE! That alone gives me hope. Yes, the dang plates have been here longer, but that’s just more reason for them to go as well. Carburetors are gone, and we never thought we’d see that day either.
Stay with me my friend. The fans are coming out in numbers on this one, and I am only one tiny little corner of the Internet and the fan base. They say that only 1% or a bit more ever post, compared to those that read. In that case… WOW! We CAN make them believe, or at the very least, we can get them to stop lying and blaming it all on us for being “bloodthirsty.” Guess what! Dale is still dead and I am just beginning to get mad.
I was thinking the same thing – Prime Time Chuck & Mad Mikie. The blogs I read are coming alive!
Just for the record, Mike and I have been friends for many years and he is the one that originally invited me to join RacersReunion. Wish he’d thought to do that a couple years earlier. Best place in the racing world to call home.
Hey Mad! Good to see you keep up with us folks out here on the dark side! As I mentioned in an earlier post..I’ll be saving future plate races for a playdate with my grandson.
I know that I am new to posting on here, but I have to say I really have grown to appreciate this site over the last few months. My first race I ever watched on TV was the ’92 Hooters 500, and I was hooked. I have seen cars fly, hit everything imaginable, but between the big wreck Sunday, and the HORRIBLE announcers, I find it almost impossible to watch the races anymore. I just jayski the results, and nascar.com the 2 exciting parts of the race, along with the Thinking out loud column on frontstretch.com. (Really miss Matt writing the column). I end up watching YouTube races of the Glory days 1990-1996, and coming to sites like this one to re-live those days.
Kevin, fact is, everyone is new to posting here. RacersReunion has been here since 2008, but never featured writers until this spring when the Home Page was redone and I saw it as a great place for articles of interest. In that case, we are all new together, and I’m happy you’re here.
You could not have found a better race to watch for your first, but then, everything else has to be downhill from there. I wish I could do something about race content today, with special emphasis on announcing, but I cannot. I can offer you Matt’s History Anthology, which is excellent, and he does come here a time or two each week to comment. Wish I could give you “Thinking Out Loud”, but even if he were writing it, it would belong to Frontstretch. Please be content with what we can offer… and thank you so very much for taking the time to compliment the site. I love it when someone notices that we are different!
Sadly, the voice of NASCAR is more and more getting to be from Robin Pemberton. I apologize Patty Kay in advance for this, the only person in the NASCAR hierarchy that speaks with less sense, more arrogance, more ego, than Pemberton is Brian France. If you listen to either enough it will become apparent that their main objective is for them to not be questioned, not because they are right but, because they alone are all important and the thoughts and opinions of any one else means as much as a flea on an elephants hind end. JR was absolutely correct in his thinking and words and all Pemberton could manage was to brush it off as if it meant nothing. Wonder why he was fearful of taking JR on with his smart mouth as he has done others. Yup, JR is beginning to mirror his Dad in speaking out and making sense. A major point, Sr could go to big Bill or Bill Jr and air his gripes, not always gently, and actually be listened to and be appreciated. At times the Bill’s would go to SR for his input. What I don’t think I’ll ever see in my lifetime is Brian showing any driver that respect, not even the one that he openly states that; as JR goes so does NASCAR. Oh by the way, you can have your opinion but if you speak it Pemberton and France may take $50,000 from you for speaking it! Sorry, Pemberton’s words just hit me all wrong, all wrong!
Which, my dear Walt, was why I did not post them earlier. When someone finally asked for them, I obliged. I’m like that you know… here for my readers. I think you must have a tap on my phone or be reading over my shoulder. I had much conversation in private about Junior last night and yes, it involved the words “proud” and “like his Dad” in all the right context. This was the first time I’ve seen him come out from under that shell and actually sound like Dale… and I liked it. So, I gather, did a whole lot of other folks.
It was Junior that lit the spark for this article and I’d wager a large percentage of the others on the same subject today. As for Mr. Pemberton, he was a very good crew chief at one time, and now stands as a perfect example of the Peter Principle. There is no need to apologize for the truth Walt. Truth is welcome everywhere you go… except maybe to a NASCAR race.
PattyKay, I’d really would like to see more about the car and less over the engine and I feel with the technology going the way it is, I think restrictor plates would go out in bad taste and style with the leisure suit and Daytona, Talladega, Indy and Darlington would keep their distance for their big race.
Tony, if you mean you are in favor of an aero fix over a smaller engine, so am I. Restrictor plates have always been in bad taste, but honestly, I loved leisure suits and wish they’d come back. I thought they looked really sharp on the guys!
It seems that I am in the minority here, but I liked the Talladega race on Sunday. Close racing all the way through, and a relatively clean race for 187 3/4 laps. Unfortunately, there was a big pile-up at the end, obviously. But, if you look at the accident, if everyone had just raced to the line instead of changing lanes and blocking, we would’ve been fine. Of course, that is easier said from my position than Tony’s, Matt’s, Michael’s, etc. I do not think that NASCAR has any bad effects from keeping these races. Aside from the Dave Marcis comment earlier, there is no better way to “restrict” the engines/ race safely at Talladega without getting rid of the tracks, and NASCAR cannot afford to do that. Well-written article, PattyKay, and thanks for the articles that you write.
Jason, you are indeed in the minority on this one, but as I said at the beginning, this platform is open to everyone and we honor and respect everyone’s opinion. If it weren’t for opinions, Las Vegas would not exist. Thank you for your kind words about my articles. That is always much appreciated, as I do try hard.
Spot on article. I am not sure that smaller engines is the solution, but if I ran NASCAR for a day, I believe I would at least conduct a test at these mammoth plate tracks using the 2013 car, no restrictor plate, and factory, production front and rear bumper covers. Get rid of the splitter that seals the nose of the car to the track, and the perfect pushing surface at the rear of the car, and I imagine that the racing at ALL the tracks would be a very different animal. Lots of horsepower, less downforce would equal cars that the drivers are required to actually DRIVE. You would also get the added benefit of truly making the cars look like their production counterparts. If speeds were still an issue, a lexan wickerbill attached to the roof of the cars would create an “air brake” to slow them down to a reasonable speed. I suggest lexan because it would be a horribly ugly contraption, and lexan would keep the thing pretty much invisible. We race fans love to see cars going incredible speeds, but what we saw on Sunday was no race in my opinion. The local dirt track I race at (when I can afford it) puts on a better show than most current Cup races, and we’re going 60mph at the end of the straights if we’re lucky.
I’m not too sure about a smaller engine either Vince, but I listen to everyone and for sure, we’ve had some interesting ideas today. Moreover, we have shown an undeniable majority at least of this random sampling of fans is solidly against restrictor plate racing, thereby belying the statement that “The fans want to see it.”
I like your idea for getting rid of the splitter. What factory issue model runs one of those? And I don’t mind the wickerbill at all, no matter if it’s Lexan or cast iron. It serves a purpose.
I don’t think a lot of folks understand that speed is a relaive thing. Sure, it sounds great to say they’re going 200 mph, but could the average person tell the difference if all at once all the cars slowed to 150 mph or even 120 mph? The answer is no. If you have one car going 200 mph and another going 150 mph, then you can see the difference relative to one another. If they are all going roughly the same speed, the difference is no longer visible.
I’ve heard many drivers say that they can’t tell the difference between those same speeds when inside the car unless they have reference points, such as a row of telephone poles. That gives it relativity. Therefore, if neither fans nor drivers would miss the speed, why on earth won’t NASCAR fix the problem? I’ll let everyone ponder that for a bit.
Tuesday, Earnhardt told SBNation.com he regretted what he said.
“I regret making a bit of a scene and not considering the fact we’re going to be in a totally different racecar for 2013. It’s probably going to present a totally different style of racing at those tracks, so I probably have a bit more of a positive outlook on the potential for that style of racing to be really good with the next car.
“It was a bit heat of the moment, and I kind of regret getting that emotional about it. But I was just really upset about how that all went down. We’d run so good. I was really, really happy with my car in that race and I thought we should have been able to finish really good.”
So Andy, does that place you as being for or against the pack racing induced by the restrictor plates? This discussion really is not concerned with he said/she said things or the fact that someone in a high place took Dale aside and suggested that he back off a bit. Happens every race.
Besides, he didn’t say he regretted what he said; only that he regretted getting emotional about it.
I’ve avoided the question because I’ve been on a posting frenzy of late and thought I’d back off the throttle a bit.
The simple answer is no. I don’t like restrictor plate racing. It’s a lottery that provokes crashes so large that the following drivers have no control over what will happen.
I’ve said before that I believe racing needs to maintain an element of danger to remain popular. It doesn’t need deaths or life-altering injuries. I’ll admit that some crashes appeal to my primitive nature. I know enough about the laws of motion that I’ve recognized several potentially lethal crashes since 2001. I’m not an advocate of coating every square inch of the track with SAFER barriers, but if we know there’s a large potential for a chaotic, uncontrolled accident then we should prevent it. As I said the other day, I feel the spectators are in greater danger today than the drivers.