NBC has to break up Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Burton. The entire time, they're trying to out-redneck each other and Burton's voice becomes more annoying than fingernails on a chalkboard. NBC must tell them they've got to fill every available second with endless yammering. After 10 minutes, they're impossible to listen to. I was ready to pull and Elvis and shoot the TV at one point. BHW View attachment 2978205 Image Unavailable, Please Login
Another NASCAR debacle. This is what happens in motorsports when "show" supplants "sport" and officials are handcuffed by the manipulators of the events locked in a booth high above the track and they've still got 15 commercials to fit in. It's only a matter of time before another driver is sacrificed in order to entertain the masses. BHW
I really don't understand how they can detect lightning within 20 miles of the track but can't tell if it's raining in turn 1.
Since the first two days had been washouts and the race postponed to Sunday, they may have been hoping against hope that the rain in the distance was a mirage and they could carry on unabated and try to get the race in. Anyone who's spent any time at all at DIS knows that storms can roll in off the Atlantic and its like a monsoon very quickly. The rain which halted the race with 40 laps remaining was the thing that was curious. They've already made fans and teams alike suffer due to the weather and their boneheaded decision to run a race at DIS in the middle of August when its 130ºF in the shade and you may almost set your watch by the afternoon rains. But, they put in a 2+ hour hold to run those last 40 laps as one guy put it "Because there's important things going on" (SIC) and the result ends up virtually the same as it was during the delay. Think those in the deep dark fake wood paneled walled offices in Daytonner in charge of scheduling have learned anything? You'd like to think so but quite likely not. BHW
we left early, mainly because hot as heck and none of us were interested in the results, just experience it for several hours. The race took five and half hours. Despite the first 40 laps green flag, rest of race was 20 yellows, mainly because tires were failing between heat and high speeds. overall it was fun to watch a NASCAR race again, it has been 15+ years for me. they sound great and good passing. first noticeable thing is there are about 25% of the fans as there were 15+ years ago and back then they didn't need a concert to bring everyone in. I can see why NASCAR is taking a race away from TMS and they're going back to smaller venues. The place just looked dead as capacity for 200,000. racing wise it was different they could go 3-4 wide, but then get back in line quickly. 15+ years ago there were 2-3 groves where cars could stay side by side at TMS for many laps. There were many single car spins yesterday, but not the big multi-car crashes there use to be. I might actually start going to more races, enjoy the concert and they've installed some cool bar setups. With the less people you can spread out and easy to drive in and out. It use to be cramped shoulder to shoulder and 2-3 hour drives in and out. comparing qualifying and final results, it all just seems a little manufactured to me, no real correlation to the fast cars in qualifying and the race results. I'm not sure about the stages either, but I would rather have that than phantom yellows.
Man, wish I would have known you were there, coulda had you do some rain dances or something. McDowell needed that win, he lost 4th gear just before they stopped the race.
didn't see any of it, was there a reason it took 5 1/2 hours (rain/lightning, track repairs etc)? or just the sheer number of cautions?
ah OK. I seem to recall the first ever TMS race (1996?) had a lot of problems with tires/track surface. it was really hot for that race too.
Never in my life... Have I seen a full course caution deployed because a single car was stationary in the pits near the end of the Talladega event yesterday. With a handful of laps remaining, decided to see how NASCAR would cock it up and they surely did with one of the most bizarre caution calls ever. A car had parked in a pit stall near the end of pit lane and remained there. Since it seemed there wouldn't be the usual calamity "big one" incident, NASCAR flew the caution flag interrupting what was promising to be an interesting run to the checkered flag. Nope, they've got to goof that up, drawing it out as long as humanly possible for more of their "manufactured drama". As per usual, the confused announcers all say, "Oh, thats an old rule, you just can't leave a car parked in the pit lane like that" (SIC) while I'm yelling, "Why the F not?!". Along comes a tow truck to take the car out of harm's way. But, instead of towing it back behind the pit all, the truck pushes the car all the way around the 2.8 mile track. Cue extended commercial break while NASCAR gets their nonsense in order, shuffling the deck so their hot shoe of the day gets the best shot at winning. NASCAR pulls these stunts time and time again, taking away any sort of having a finish that doesn't feel contrived and manipulated. BHW
that was a very odd incident. I guess they couldn't find a big enough piece of debris to call for a caution
