April 30, 2009
By Brian Watkins
Brian Watkins
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Two NASCAR's finest spent part of the weekend pulling double duty as both race car drivers and Talladega test pilots.
It started on Saturday with the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. Matt Kenseth played ping-pong with Kyle Busch and ended up airborne near the end of the Aaron's 312. After catching some air, Matt and his car slid upside down for what seemed like forever before finally coming to rest on his smoking wheels. It was as dramatic a crash I'd seen in a while, but it was only an appetizer for what was to come.
Sunday started off with the "Big One" living up to all it's hype. "When's the big one gonna happen?" "Who's going to stay clear of the big one?" "How big will the big one be?" Well folks, pretty darn big. I've mentioned more than a few times how much I enjoy "driving" a NASCAR racer on the Xbox. I'm not proud of the fact that I enjoy video games at my age, but it's the only one I really ever play and it's as close as I'll ever get to actually driving in a race, so cut me some slack. Anyway...
One of the things I enjoy doing on the Xbox NASCAR game is to try and cause the "big one" at the virtual 'Dega. While I've had some success causing some pretty big pile ups, I don't know that I could ever match the picture perfect "big one" we saw on Sunday. Of course even the "big one" wasn't the main course. Concrete Carl, with the help of race winner Brad Keselowski and Ryan Newman displayed the most dramatic late race acrobatics of the season, if not the decade. He caught more air than Kenseth did, and had a more dramatic landing- and topped it off with a life-imitating-art moment as he runs across the finish line. It was a great sign of competitiveness and good spirits to see Carl run across the line- but he looked more than a little like a bobble-head doll. I'm not picking on Carl here- All of the drivers tend to look a bit disproportionate when they're standing (or running) in their fire suits with the huge helmets on.
When Kenseth climbed out of his wrecked Nationwide machine, he quickly dislodged himself from his helmet and Haans then reached into his burning car and grabbed his ball cap. Smart move. He not only walked away from a pretty dramatic wreck, he did so while looking good. Carl on the other hand looked a bit more like a goofball running to the finish with his huge melon head. I know, I know.. safety first, but please... the race was over, the caution was out- He could have taken off the safety gear and looked much cooler. It would have been really nifty (that word doesn't get used much anymore) if he'd have done a back flip off his wrecked Ford, or a back flip over the finish line. I doubt he was worried about too much more than the fact that he could still walk talk and breath.
The same can be said for the fans who got a little closer to a NASCAR wreck than they'd ever wanted to. While there were some injuries, it was a lot better than it could have been. The safety mechanisms NASCAR has implemented over the years have no doubt saved lives both on the track, in the pits and in the stands. But following this Sunday's race at Talladega, something needs to change, but what?
In a knee jerk response to the incident, NASCAR talked of in-race penalties for aggressive driving. In a Tuesday NASCAR teleconference with the press, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. said he didn't think there was much that NASCAR needed to do insofar as adjusting restrictor plates or policing drivers. Junior felt the drivers were pretty good at policing themselves, and for the most part I agree. There's not many more restrictions and rules that NASCAR could impose before the racing is so watered down that no one pays attention.
During the conference call, Junior mentioned something I didn't quite catch at first, and I hope NASCAR was paying attention. Junior, speaking about why the speeds at Talladega are so high (Earnhardt credits Keselowski with clocking in with a 199mph lap average), said that part of the problem is that the COT handles too well. COT... too well... Really? I've never heard that comment from a driver before... But he was talking, I believe, about the combination of the car's aero and the track's banks and turns.
One of the things suggested over the years, and something that Junior disliked, was the idea of changing the track. "People have talked about changing the track. That's impossible to do. There's no way you can justify it under the current economic state of the sport, of the track itself, of the company that owns the track." Junior said. He may be right- on the financial side. But Bristol used to be a wreckfest every year. But since they changed the banking and the surface, it's more of an actual race. Fans and the media bemoaned the fact that racing was going to interrupt the wrecking at Bristol, but it's much better racing now.
The Passing of a Great NASCAR Writer
One of those calling for a change to Talladega was NASCAR columnist and radio host David Poole. In what was to become his final blog entry, the late writer commented in his usual no nonsense style on why changing the track would be a good idea and that if Bruton Smith and Speedway Motorsports owned it instead of ISC, then NASCAR would have demanded it be dug up and reconfigured when Bobby Allison wrecked in nearly the same manner. His take on it is an interesting one, as his opinions often were.
For those who followed Poole's writing and/or listened to him on Sirius' Morning Drive, he will be missed. As a NASCAR writer of sorts myself, I could only dream of aquiring the knowledge of the sport he had, or the relationships he developed with the NASCAR community. I never met the man, and aside from the occasional call to his Sirius NASCAR Radio program, I never spoke to him. He did however offer me some advice a few years back when I emailed him regarding covering a race from the pits and garage area. I was looking for advice on how to and how not to conduct myself and things that can only be learned with experience. I was hoping to get sage advice from a seasoned pro, and I did. What did he tell me was the most important thing about covering the race from the infield? To watch out for the cars coasting off the track with their engines off, because they won't be looking out for me. I was expecting pointers on how to be a reporter, he thought it more prudent to keep me alive.
If you somehow are unfamiliar with Mr. Poole's work, Google his "Life in the Turn Lane" blog. After reading a few posts, Google "Wessa's Lucky Penny" and you will read one of the more emotional NASCAR pieces ever written. After experienceing both sides of Poole's pen, I think you'll understand why he'll be missed.
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
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