All Jacked Up
Atlanta aftermath
Posted by: Jason Randall
Monday, March 9, 2009 2:20 PM
I made a bad pick in the paper this past weekend when I selected Kyle Busch as the driver I thought would win the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Right family, wrong brother. Kurt Busch's dominating win was a ray of sunshine for a Penske racing outfit that has been bogged down by one bad performance after another dating back to last season.
Isn't it funny how when Kurt Busch wins a race, he leaves no doubt. Remember that dominating win at Pocono a couple of years ago? It just seems like when the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge is good, it's really good.
To be honest though, the race at the end was pretty much the only entertaining part Sunday. I think if there were two more laps left, Jeff Gordon would have passed the 2. But, you have to hand it to Kurt on that final restart. He started second behind Carl Edwards and made short work of the 99.
It's no secret that I'm a Rusty Wallace fan, and while I'm not necessarily a fan of Kurt Busch's, I still like seeing the 2 car in Victory Lane.
But here's the problem. We are seeing way too many cautions in the early going of this season. My hypothesis: NASCAR's limits on testing. I've said it on Eric Loy's radio show (DWS Sports Night) just about every time I'm asked to be a guest and I'll continue to say it. No testing equals more problems on the track and more problems on the track equals a choppy, and sometimes just plain bad race.
With the way these cars drive, along with the always-shaky Goodyear tires they fit them with, guys need time to figure out how the heck they're going to get around these tracks. No testing is leading to more cautions. At the beginning of the broadcast Sunday, our esteemed Fox announcers explained that Atlanta averages seven to nine cautions each time out. We saw well over that this weekend.
We're also seeing many more engine problems. Maybe those are things that can be discovered during testing sessions. Maybe not, but I can't see where that would hurt.
Get used to me carrying the flag for reconsideration of NASCAR's new testing rule. It doesn't save that much money and it's making for less-entertaining races. But that's just my perspective. Maybe I'm way off on this. Thoughts?
Anyway, we get a week off before heading to Bristol. That doesn't mean I'm taking a week off. Check back next Monday where I'm sure I'll have something else to gripe about.
Until next time, keep hittin' your marks!
Comments
The reason the race sucked was the Ambrose crew member putting all but 6 cars a lap down early in the race. They suspended the guy. What an idiot! I bet Nascar was more than a little peeved at that stunt. Juan Pablo is King!
Posted by weedner on March 9, 2009 at 2:42 PM
I agree on the cautions. When this happens I either start taking a nap, go outside or head for the refrig' for another beer. It bores the crap out of me.
Your take on the non testing is a good thought.
Gordon was working through a clutch issue and I was surprised he did as well as he did. He still continues to lead in points for now. It is kind of like the year Kenseth won the championship. That year he didn't win any races, or very few, but hung around in the top 5 or 10 and kept collecting points. Gordon so far is doing the same thing. He is making the races interesting, and I'm not really a Gordon fan. I sure do like that 99 car though.
Posted by Flex on March 9, 2009 at 3:24 PM
