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I was beginning to think that the coverage of figure skating in the Winter Olympics had started early. The final laps of the NAPA Auto Parts 200 from Montreal had more camel spins than a rink full of gold medal winners.
As the rain fell with 16 laps to go, NASCAR mandated rain tires and from that point on it was mayhem on the course as the cars spun repeatedly to produce three cautions in the final 11 laps.
The race had a record 11cautions. There were only four cautions in the 2008 race and five in 2007. The average speed of Sunday’s race was 53.869 mph.
The Nationwide Series is the guinea pig for developing a strategy for racing in the rain. Well, so far I’m not convinced that racing in the rain is working. I would rather see a race stopped and the track dried in order to see a finish where cars have several laps of competition on dry pavement. I hope Mike Helton was serious when he said during a caution that there are no plans to use the rain tires anytime soon in Cup racing. What we saw on the final laps of Sunday's race was Zamboni racing.
OK, I admit that the last lap was thrilling, but I’m not convinced that all the spins, wrecks and subsequent cautions were worth suffering through to see one good lap of racing at the end.
“Maybe when it got to looking like a circus or a demolition derby it was time to call it,” said Kyle Busch’s crew chief Jason Ratcliff. “It’s a great idea to come out here and run in the rain. Everybody puts forth a lot of effort, but it wasn’t working. It wasn’t racing. You couldn’t even make a lap without a caution coming out. Basically, you’re getting to a point where you’re degrading the series. It got to where it was bumper cars.”
A friend of mine took a different view of the rained-soaked finish. He believed that racing on rain tires was better than suffering though a rain delay or having to wait for the race to be finished on Monday.
Those are great points.
In the meantime, I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the quality of the racing will improve as the Nationwide Series drivers become more accustomed to racing in the rain
I could not disagree more. it was an incredible race, from start to finish. more passing than you'll see at sonoma or the glen..... lots of bumping.
as for the rain tires..... most every other racing series in the world manages.... why can't these boys. they did not adjust driving styles enough - look at all those messes in turn 1; going 3 wide into that set of turns in the the rain is stupid, had nothing to do with the tires.
last year I enjoyed the "rain" race, even though it was slow.....
yesterday's race was one of the best I have watched in years..........
Right on, gaycar. These "professionals" can figure out how to race in the rain 2-3 times a year... right?
The only thing that would have made yesterday better would be: 1) to put restrictor plates on 'em and, 2) having Cry Baby finish dead last, shiny side down before he stormed into his trailer to assume the fetal position.
Except for lightning, tornadoes, etc. conditions, fans should get to see a beginning AND an end in one day. Not much more boring than round-y-round on a dry track.
Don't you think the Cup racers would have a little more control over their cars than the nitwits that populate the bottom half (two-thirds?) of a Nationwide Series race?
I'm all for rain tires in Cup.
Those fan's paid good money to see a race. They got what they paid for. There was more action during the rain portion's than I've seen all year in Cup! The people who watched it on TV got a kick out of it to. Those primadonna's who complained earned million's of dollar's and should think of the fan's for once. The fan's pay the freight not the whiny driver's and sport's writer's!
SPORT'S!
What race were you guys watching?!!!!!!
If fans spend good money to see a race then they should see racing. Not a bunch of cautions.