Plate racing is also a huge expense
for teams. There is year round wind tunnel and dyno work to get ready for Daytona and Talledega, and at least an even chance
that the car is coming home ready for the dumpster. You know that car owners also have to love this “deal”.
In Daytona they run in packs, sometimes
the entire field bunched in a pack. Although for 90% of the laps the passing is pretty much incidental and a lot of the veterans
stay back, trying to avoid “the big one”, there is plenty of passing. The “incidental” passing, instead
of being dependent on horsepower or chassis setup, is aero dependent.
Actually, more than even aero dependent
it is how the cards fall regarding who follows who. This all adds up for who happens to be out front at the end, and usually
at least semi-dependent on a teammate (or three).
You can bet when Larry Mac says “Cinch
up those belts, boys” it is unnecessary at Daytona. There is plenty of belt cinching before the cars roll off the line.
Mark Martin has been one of the most vocal about Daytona, and it has been suggested by many that the banking be reduced for
safety and to increase the quality of racing. This too, looks like another “one of them deals” until someone gets
hurt--again.
To sum up the series… in the
era of road course tracks, restrictor plate tracks, and mile and a half “cookie cutter” tracks, racers are left
with Darlington, Bristol, Martinsville, Richmond, and Homestead. Quality racing pays the price for “progress”,
clearly.
Brian France, how about a new configuration
to go with “the chase” for your legacy? Well, not that new really, but it would be revolutionary in Cup racing.
Imagine a figure eight track with an over and under bridge (and appropriate SAFR barrier clad walls to keep the cars where
they belong) and a couple of straights on one side for the pits and start finish line! Grandstands everywhere, road course
cars on the track, Tony on the inside on one end and on the outside on the other! Now imagine Kyle Busch next to him and both
of them respectfully saluting the other as being “number one”!
This would be big, big, fun, and has
about the same chance as Bruton Smith getting an invitation to the France’s for Christmas dinner… and probably
less than the CART (or whatever their cheerleader, Robin Miller, is calling the series these days) and IRL Indy Car boys getting
together again.
So, meanwhile,
we will all dutifully tune in to the 400 at Daytona this weekend, and hope for the best. It is breathtaking, redundant, and
dangerous all at the same time. As the pack approaches the green, and just before Darrell Waltrip screams the most infamous
words in racing, try to remember to say a few words of your own for the driver’s safety. They certainly need them.
Questions, Comments;
Email Jay
The views and opinions in this article are
that of the writer and not necessarily that of SCR
2006 StockCar Review.
