NASCAR 2016 running thread

At one point today with about 40 laps left there were six cars going back and forth for the lead, all within a couple of car lengths of each other but with enough room to actually make some moves. It was fun as hell to watch for the few laps it lasted before they settled back in.

 

Whatever.

Smoke complains about NASCAR lug nut rule... NASCAR responds with a STFU in the form of a $35K fine.
A few days later, NASCAR decides Smoke - as others speak out as well - may be right and changes the rule. Smoke's fine remains in place.


NASCAR changes lug nut rule less than week after Stewart's criticism

 

Best part of that is the other drivers ponying up to pay Smoke's fine.

 

This is a prime example of why NASCAR will never be taken seriously. Allowing 3,500 pound cars to run with only three lugnuts per wheel is incredibly stupid. Good on drivers for calling them out on it. Then a feel-good story lands in NASCAR's lap with Stewart returning to start his last season. What does NASCAR do with this golden PR opportunity? Wait a few hours and then fine him, while at the same time once again trying to make it sound like they've long been the leader in motorsports safety. NASCAR faces howls of protests, both about the rule and about the stupidity of fining Stewart. It was a no-win situation at that point, but only going halfway (changing the rule but keeping the fine) is about right for Brain France.
Of course, penalizing drivers for speaking publicly against NASCAR isn't something that started with Brain. I recall just about every time NASCAR went to a plate track, Dale Earnhardt would be penalized or his legal car would be deemed illegal because he had vented about plate "racing" last time out. Earnhardt suggested for years taking out the first few rows of stands and using smaller motors (305 cubic inches instead of 358 cubic inches) at those tracks and getting rid of the plates. I believe Robert Yates also lobbied for using the 305 engines. As I recall, NASCAR protested in large part because of the expenses teams would have in preparing special engines just for two tracks. Nevermind that teams were already spending the money anyway looking to gain fractions of horsepower with the plates. Really, NASCAR wanted all 43 cars on top of each other because the powers-that-be were convinced that's the type of racing fans wanted to see.

 

Surprised no one has brought up Sunday's run at Talladega. It might have been the craziest race I have ever seen. I lost track of the number of wrecks. Keselowski won with carnage still going on behind him.

 

I read someone with an interesting idea about how to "fix" Talladega - make part of the track a road race. Slows the speed a bit and would give the race a uniqueness other than "the big one."

 

As I understand it, weather threatened most of the afternoon, thus leading to everyone racing like hell from the halfway mark onward.

 

You think?

 

AP story said 35 of the 40 cars were involved in a wreck at some point in the race. That's Talladega Nights levels of insanity. Almost makes you wish the race had gone to overtime just for the spectacle of having about 12 cars still running for the finish.

 

Seriously,
How is this different from ANY other racer at 'Dega the last few years? Honesty it's not. Same shit each year.

NASCAR They will never "fix" 'Dega. Not until someone gets killed or a car goes into the stands.

 

Other than not running there, how DO you fix it? Is it the cars' configuration that leads to pack racing, or the track itself?

 

You don't fix Talladega. It's the most entertaining race on the entire card, and it's not even close.

Now, if someone dies or a car goes in the stands and kills someone or someones, you have a different story. But, to date, neither of those have ever happened. Correct me if I'm mistaken here.

Maybe you take the catch fence higher and higher to protect the spectators.

Otherwise, leave it be. It's 4 hours of high tension excitement, twice a year.

Maybe I get ripped for the above, and maybe rightfully so, but that's one hell of an entertaining afternoon.