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Friday 30 March 2012

#3WideBlog Opinion: NASCAR's All-Star Waste?

   Tuesday NASCAR officials announced a re-working of the All-Star races format, AGAIN. It seems every year NASCAR makes some tweak to the format to try and enhance the "racing experience". I am not going to try and explain this here, as I'm afraid you'll snooze.  But for those of us watching at home, this becomes rather confusing. We the fans watch the race, and fans who dont religiously follow the sport online, and through social media, have to be sure to tune in during pre-race (something I usually skip) to have any idea what the rules are for that year. Myself I am active on twitter and check NASCAR.com often, but your average fan is not so inclined. Your average fan has the TV muted untill "Start your engines". Luckily the race details usually come shortly after that so they will get a brief glimpse of the rules change.

    The All-Star race should be the same format every year. The NASCAR Executives have had decades to tweak, alter, enhance (what ever you want to call it) the format of the race. You would think after this long they would have found something that works. Nope. Changes almost every year. But not in the way fans have been asking for. They just keep adding laps, and taking them away, mandatory pit stops, 10 minute break, it goes on and on. I think fans want something universal. For instance a Hockey All-Star game. They don't change the length of the periods, make the nets bigger or take away the icing rule. The rules stay the same, they play hockey, but its all the All-Star athletes of that year.  Isn't that a novel concept? Also using hockey as an example, The All-Star game moves from city to city giving every market in the league a chance to capitalize on the All-Star game hype.

     This brings me to my next point. Who made the decision that Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) should be the venue (EVERY YEAR) for the All-Star race? Bad Call. Even fans have been asking for the All-Star race to move around to different tracks. Why should CMS be the track to benefit from the All-Star Race. I'm sure CMS executives think this is a horrible idea. But the other tracks could benefit huge from this concept. All the talk of filling seats and fans in the stands, an All-Star race would do that for any track. struggling or not. Imagine an All-Star race at Watkins Glen, Phoenix or Martinsville. A Martinsville All-Star race would be epic. 20 some odd drivers on that half mile paper clip vying for $1,000,000 ? Guaranteed awesome race. Or even a track not on the NASCAR circuit. I'm sure an All-Star race at a local US track just about anywhere would be a spectacle. There are so many markets NASCAR is afraid to try ESPECIALLY CANADA but thats for a different blog post.

    In closing I think NASCAR should take a page out of Bruton Smith's book (Speedway Motorsports Inc Owner). If the fans want something changed, they will let you know. But you just have to listen to us.

Untill next time Smitty OUT!

Monday 26 March 2012

#3WideBlog Opinion: Helio's tribute and Tony's "Slide Job"

     The IZOD IndyCar Series had their season opener this past weekend at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. I have traditionally been drawn to NASCAR, and it is by far my choice of racing to watch, but over the last few years I have been giving open wheel disciplines of racing more of a chance. I have been rewarded with some great races. Then came Vegas. What was supposed to be the grand finale of the 2011 IndyCar season turned into anything but grand. The race was stopped after 15 laps. Dan Wheldon was killed in a scary 13-16 car pile up. I have been watching racing for years, both on TV and as an official at a local short track, and I have seen some wild things. But when that wreck happened, there was no cheer for the pile-up, no hooting and hollering. Anyone who watched that crash knew something bad had happened.

     As the TV coverage began we knew everyone had heavy hearts. They were picking the scab off of a wound that wouldn't go away. Most other times when a driver is lost, it seems the best way for the other drivers to "move on" is to get back in the race car. Las Vegas was the season finale, and also 5 months ago. These drivers had a lot of time to think about what had happened, and you could see it on their faces. There were a few short and very touching tributes to Dan. I had the TSN coverage on, I had heard the ABC version was alot more emotional and longer. Also the final two turns of the St. Petersburg street course were named "Dan Wheldon Way" in his honour. Dan made St. Petersburg home when he wasn't in his homeland of England

    The race itself was alright. Mostly a parade through the tight street course, though a late pass for the lead did spice things up. It also led to one of the most touching tributes to Dan Wheldon of the day aswell. Helio Castroneves made that late race pass and won the race, his first in 20 starts after a winless 2011. On his victory lap he stopped at "Dan Wheldon Way", hopped out of his Shell Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet and climbed the fence for the crowd, Dan Wheldon style. On his way down he patted the "Dan Wheldon Way" sign and leaned against the barrier obviously, even through the helmet, overcome by emotion. That emotion continued into victory lane where he hugged Dan's sister Holly Wheldon who presented him the trophy for winning the race. Tears were flowing and Helio had many looks skyward in Dans honour. Even not have been following IndyCar that closely you could see a sense of healing for all those involved. Honestly, the best tribute is to win a race, and dedicate it in Dand honour. Way to go Helio.

   NASCAR's Nationwide and SprintCup series went to boring speedway this weekend. Hence the large IndyCar piece of this pie. Ya there was 3 and 4 and for brief moments 5 wide racing as to be expected but only for a few laps until the cars got strung out. I'm a real racing fan, don't get me wrong, but after the Bristol boring 500 and the Fontana Boring 200something I am SO ready to see the Camping World Trucks and Sprint Cup Series go to the "ole paper clip" and get back to the "boys-have-at-er" "rubbin-is-racing" style for a week. One thing to note about Sundays SprintCup series race is Tony Stewarts new nickname. "Slide Jobbing Smoke" Well, ok its my new nickname for him. Did anyone else see NASCAR on FOX's side by side view of Smoke slide jobbing Kevin Harvick, and Denny Hamlin IDENTICALLY through turn 3 and exiting turn 4? For those who may not know, Slide Job; The act of driving ones car SO hard into a corner, that through corner exit you SLIDE up in front of the person in the high lane (usually going faster) causing them to either a)lift the throttle b)brake or Kevin Harvicks option c) shove you so hard into the corner you almost hit the wall. Anyway, it seemed the only time I saw Tony pass a car on Sunday was via this "Slide Job". But it worked for him. The rain shortened race ended with Tony in front.

   I learned through my first blog that people want to hear more of my opinion. Ok there it is. Untill next week Smitty OUT!

P.S. The comment portion has been giving me problems, you can @ me on Twitter @Smitty_1333. Or E-Mail me at smitty_1333@hotmail.com. Thanks

Wednesday 21 March 2012

#3WideBlog Opinion: Its Bristol Baby? Middlebrook Overturns?

      In this, my first post on my blog, I am going to discuss the racing at Bristol Motor Speedway this past weekend as well as the Chief Appellate Officer (CAO) of NASCAR, John Middlebrook, overturning most of Jimmie Johnson and the 48 teams penalties from Daytona.

     Please bare with me untill i get used to this, I am new to all of this : )

      NASCAR's Nationwide and Sprint Cup series' rolled into Bristol, but to me is just didn't seem to be the same Bristol. Elliot Sadler won the Nationwide race Saturday, his second win of the season, followed by Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Dale Earnhardt Jr.. It was a rather uneventful race only 4 cautions for 26 laps not your typical Bristol. Sadler maintained the Nationwide points lead with the win.

The Sprint Cup series Food city 500 left a little on the plate too. The 500 lap event only contained one multi car pile up early on when Kasey Kahne earns my bonehead move of the race. Kasey changes lanes in front of Regan Smith making contact causing him to spin out. Took out some good cars in Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Marcos Ambrose and damaged Kevin Harvicks. Please don't get me wrong and say I am not a "real" racing fan. At a 1.5 mile track I like to see 2 and 3 wide racing, but at a half mile track I want to see some beating and banging, a little action if you will

      Brad Keselowski was the eventual winner beating Matt Kenseth by 7/10ths of a second. Michael Waltrip Racing scored a 3-4-5 finish with Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers respectively.

      Lots of side by side green flag action but not your typical beating and banging short track racing Bristol is known for. So much so that track Owner Bruton Smith said in an article that he was considering a $1 Million Reconfiguration to change the track back to the way it was before its 2007 reconfiguration. Could we get the old Bristol back? Only time will tell. Greg Biffle continues to lead the series points followed by Kevin Harvick, Kenseth, Truex and Denny Hamlin rounds out the top five.

     Also on Tuesday of this week NASCAR's Chief Appellate Officer (CAO) heard the final appeal of Rick Hendrick, Chad Knaus and the rest of the #48 team. After the first step of the appeal process had Hendrick and company leaving unsatisfied with the result, they vowed to take the final step. That was held at NASCAR R&D center in North Carolina with CAO John Middlebrook. By overturning the six week suspensions of Knaus and Car chief Ron Malec, also overturning the 25 point penalty the team faced he made history. But the confusing part to me is that the $100,000 fine stayed intact, by definition meaning that there was indeed a rules infraction in Daytona. Why overturn 2 parts of a 3 part penalty and leave one part. Questions I myself cannot answer, but hopefully we can have answered at some point. Just confuses this racing fan and leaves me wondering about the creditability of the system, especially with no insight into the situation and no explanation of the decision.

     Untill next week ... Smitty OUT.