Pathetic Roadcourse Racing - Your Thoughts?

Today was a great day for RGM, and Robby.  He proved he still has the talent and car control to compete for wins at road courses. 

 

That being said, today left a very sour taste in my mouth for what has become Nascar racing on road courses.  I will be the first to admit I originally started as an open wheel fan, but have been watching Nascar since the early 1990's and even worked in the garage for a period of time.  I have participated in a few non-sanctioned track days and time attack events, but that is the extent of my racing background.  To me though, the way that the majority of drivers raced today was pathetic.  Moving people out of the way, dive-bombing corners and taking people out, purposely turning a driver, etc.  Like I said, I have been watching Nascar for almost two decades now and that was the most ridiculous event I have seen.  The Nationwide race the day before was a good warm up though to the stupidity, as much of the same occured...

 

I remember when Carl Edwards hooked Brad Keselowski into the fence at Atlanta I was irate Nascar didn’t come down harder on Carl.  Now I understand why Carl did what he did.  Brad not only acted like a moronic pinball today, but pulled the same crap while up front at Road America.

 

Jeff Gordon should be ashamed of how he drove.  He is a 4 time champion and has won many races, but you would be hard pressed to tell that today.  This is the same whiney runt that complained when Robby moved him up the track at New Hampshire in 2001 for his first win.  Pick any of the bump and runs Jeff did today, they all outrank Robby's move on the chicken-sh*t scale.

 

I could go on and on, but I will only bring up one last incident.  Mattias Ekstrom ran an excellent race, and got taken out.  The broadcasters tried to talk around it by claiming the Nascar regulars do not respect new guys, but after today can it be said they respect anyone?  Mattias was running under what I would call proper road course etiquette, and got taken out.  Watch Indy car races, FIA events, touring car races, etc.  The Nascar race today resembled a video game more than a road course event.

 

That’s my view on it.  I am sure some of you loved the beating and banging, but all I saw was poor driving and cheap moves.  Just think back to 2001, when people made a big deal about Harvick riding Robby's ass trying to get his lap back.  Jim Smith pled with Childress to get Harvick to back down, the announcers played it up; it was a big deal.  Today, any given minute on the track was filled with actions that far outweighed that sequence of events.

 

Maybe its the fact these drivers no longer fear injury, maybe Nascar is coaching them to bump more, maybe the poorly designed COT prevents passing so much drivers need to move each other out of the way.  Whatever the reason, it was sad to watch.  I fear Robby will more than likely get caught up in a wreck at the Glen if this continues, its almost turning into a restrictor-plate-like crap shoot to finish well.  Just ask Dale Junior, even he will laugh about his decent finish today and how it wasn’t really earned.

 

What are everyone else's opinions?  Just curious, and I had to vent...

 

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Brett Crawford on June 21, 2010 at 8:21am
NASCAR had a perfect opportunity to try local yellows in the Nationwide race. They also could have altered the way lead lap and lap-down cars pitted, to minimize the amount of caution laps.

They instead chose not to and ended up with LONG caution periods (like intermission at your local short-track) just to pull a car out of a single corner. I understand erring on safety, but that track could have been a good experiment that maybe could have made it over to Cup at a later date.
Permalink Reply by Nena Patrick on June 21, 2010 at 8:56am
There is some disrespect going on but it depends on the driver. Everyone jumps on Brad K but the kid is still young and is learning. He will come around once he gets wrecked a few times. Juan took out Joey yesterday. We saw Kevin do it a few weeks ago. Kevin and Juan are both guys who have won in many different types of cars and series. These guys just dont go around wrecking people for fun. From what I've heard in the racing community a lot of the drivers dont like Joey. Joey has never had to struggle to get where he is. His daddy always had the money to get Joey the best stuff and get him to see the best people. Not taking anything away from Joey. He is a very talented driver and will win more. But he has to learn he isnt going to get respect from the vetrens becuase he is sitting in a top ride at the age of 20. Kevin could have taken Robby out yesterday but be didnt. Why? Well for one Kevin respects Robby as a driver and an owner. Robby raced him clean and Kevin did the same. Plus Kevin knows if he wrecks Robby there is going to be more than words on pit lane and Robby isnt going to make fun of Delana. Robby will pay him back on the track and Kevin is going for a championship. Now I have no clue what Jeff Gordons deal was yesterday. Perhaps his winless drought is getting the best of him. I dont think there is a problem in the sport. All the driver are close and they tend to settle things one way or another. So if someone is getting wrecked often and it seems on purpose then there is probably a reson for it going on behind the scene we aren't seeing. If someone wrecks a driver and it isnt warrented then the other driver will be sure to take notice and handle it. Im glad there is finally some of this going on. Dale Sr always made sure to welcome the rookies and they learned real quick because of it. So if guys like Tony, Kevin, Juan and Jeff need to rattle a few cages to get a message through to some young punk then I'm ok with it.
Permalink Reply by Matt on June 21, 2010 at 9:40am
Wow, guess I am in the minority here. Yea maybe there is a reason why they race and I dont, but why does this same bumper car mentality not exist in any other form of road racing? Pull cheap crap like diving into corners too hot, hooking people, etc in other series and you will end up with penalties. If NASCAR allows drivers to do that on the hard to pass areas of a road course, people will continue to do it. Maybe it doesnt matter to you now, but it will only be a matter of time before Robby gets taken out by a chicken-sh*t move. Oh wait, that happened at Montreal in 2007, and people on this site still are bitter towards Ambrose. Hilarious...
Permalink Reply by Keith on June 21, 2010 at 10:06am
I seldom agree with your assessments but this time I do.

Years ago NASCAR felt the need to be in certain markets and also wanted more "credibility" in the racing community so they added these RCs. RC's are great for cars designed to race on them just not COT.
Permalink Reply by d7lee on June 21, 2010 at 10:36am
They have been racing on road courses in NASCAR since the 50's. They did not just add them years ago to get credibility and be in certain markets. They went in certain markets with the bullshit, boring tracks in Fontana, Chicago, and Kansas.

& there should be more road courses (& short tracks, & places like darlington, & superspeedways), if they want to be considered the best drivers in the world like they always say they are. To do this, they should have an equal (or close to it) amount of races on many different types of tracks.
Permalink Reply by IndyTim on June 21, 2010 at 10:39am
The COT has killed racing in NASCAR....


although I did enjoy the race yesterday...but I'm with WJM and many others.......a Road Course shouldn't be a fuel mileage race....
Permalink Reply by d7lee on June 21, 2010 at 10:41am
I agree. It should be go as fast as possible. Not 85% to save fuel.
Permalink Reply by wilks7 on June 21, 2010 at 11:46am
hopefully NASCAR will start loosening up on the COT.....as long as the 88 struggles they will look into it....LOL
Permalink Reply by racerx5091 on June 21, 2010 at 12:26pm
I wish there was a way to guarantee that no races come down to fuel mileage. Sure, it's strategy, but it's a rip-off to the fans.
Permalink Reply by Matt Gruber on June 21, 2010 at 11:29am
I was scared to death that Harvick would turn RG. When those yellows kept flying and they kept bunching the field back up, I thought it was only a matter of time.

Oh, and I thought Jeff Gordon should have been ashamed as well. Other drivers would have been parked. I hope Truex knocks his candy ass over the fence at Loudon.
Permalink Reply by TOG on June 21, 2010 at 11:52am
Truex will get over it this week.
Permalink Reply by Curt on June 21, 2010 at 11:33am
I love the road courses. I put them right there with plate races. Both give a level of uncertainty that to me adds to the race. Cookie cutter tracks that pretty much show the outcome during qualifiying bore me. If it wasn't a fuel milage race it would be a tire race so I don't think fuel would "fix" the RC race. Look at Marcos Ambrose, blew it at the end and gave it to JJ. I was blown away! He wasn't very smiley after that for sure. That's what makes the road course so fun. I must admit a few tears were dropping yesterday and man that was good!

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