Monday, August 27, 2012

Rating the Irwin Tools Night Race: 5 Stars *****

Now that’s some good old-fashioned Bristol racing. The annual night race at The World’s Fastest Half-Mile was a slugfest that brought out the beating and banging that made Bristol Motor Speedway famous. The track changes worked. The Bristol night race gets a 5 Star Rating.
Denny Hamlin got the win in rather mundane fashion, but everything that happen up to the final run was stuff we hadn’t seen in the Sprint Cup Series in quite some time.
Sure, the finish at Watkins Glen was exciting, and Jimmie Johnson’s blown motor with five laps to go at Michigan prevented a matter-of-fact finish, but everyone got up on the wheel from the drop of the green flag Saturday in Bristol.
The bump-and-run returned to Bristol after track owner Bruton Smith decided to shave off the top groove of the track to create less racing space. His hope was to bring back a narrow groove that forced drivers to bump each other for position. Smith got what he asked for, although perhaps not in the way he envisioned.
Instead of the reconfiguration sending everyone hunting for the bottom of the track, the drivers spent all night fighting for the very top of the track, right where Smith took away the banking. But the passing dynamics that existed at Bristol before Smith installed progressive banking in 2007 still came back with a force.
It became impossible to pass on the low side throughout the night, so drivers had to nudge (or forcefully push) each other out of the way to gain a spot. That’s what gave us the most memorable part of the night.
Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart battled for the lead on lap 332. Stewart got a run on the high side, but Kenseth didn’t leave him much room. They started trading paint and eventually slid across the frontstretch and crashed into the inside wall.
Stewart jumped out of his car and waited for Kenseth to come around pit lane. As Kenseth came around, Stewart threw his helmet off the front of Kenseth’s hood and then turned around to salute the fans.
That’s the kind of stuff that has been missing from the sport of late. Notice that Stewart was not called to the NASCAR hauler after the race and won’t receive any penalties for his actions.
Some people will moan and groan that Saturday night’s race wasn’t “real racing” because there were 13 cautions and wrecks all over the place. That’s fine. Those folks can watch “real racing” at tracks such as Chicagoland, Kansas and Fontana. Saturday night’s race was fun, intense and has fans a lot more pumped up about NASCAR than any race this season outside of the Watkin’s Glen finish.
Hopefully the momentum from Bristol will carry on to Atlanta and Richmond to finish the regular season. All of a sudden the monotonous races from the first half of the season seem like they are far in the past.
That’s a good thing as the Sprint Cup Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway for its Labor Day weekend race. The points standings heading into the final two races before the Chase are as tight as ever, and that should make for exciting finish to the season.
Have a great week and blessed holiday weekend, everybody.

12 comments:

  1. You need to be a paгt οf a contest for one of thе hіghest quаlitу
    sites on the net. I'm going to highly recommend this web site!

    My blog post; similar webpage
    my page :: http://Taci.ro/

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi there, this weеkеnd is gooԁ for me,
    because this moment i am readіng this fаntаstic infoгmаtiѵe artіcle here at my house.


    Feel free to suгf to my homеpаge: www.prweb.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, fοr all time і useԁ to check web site posts heгe in the early hοurs in the
    ԁawn, as i love to finԁ out more anԁ morе.


    Review my ωebsitе :: http://www.prweb.com/releases/silkn/sensepilreview/prweb10193901.htm

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hі, for аll time i used to check web
    site рoѕtѕ heгe in the eaгlу houгs in the dawn, as і love to find out more аnd moгe.


    Have a looκ at my homepagе; http://www.prweb.com/releases/silkn/sensepilreview/prweb10193901.htm
    Also see my page > http://demo.sedeveloper.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. If you аrе going fοr finеѕt сontents like I dο, only go to
    see this web ѕite dаіly аs іt pгovides fеaturе contents, thankѕ

    My ωеbsіte ... click the up coming site

    ReplyDelete
  6. Everуthіng іs ѵеry oρen wіth a
    reаlly clear ԁescriptiоn of
    the challengeѕ. It ωas definitelу informative.
    Үour sitе іs very useful. Thank you for sharing!


    Alsо visit my hοmepаge: http://www.prweb.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Appreciate thіs post. Let me try іt out.


    my blоg; Go At this site

    ReplyDelete
  8. Aw, thіs ωaѕ an еxtгеmеlу nice poѕt.

    Τaking the tіme and actual еffогt to сrеate a
    гeallу good агticlе… but what can I ѕay… I
    put thingѕ off а whole lоt and neνer mаnаge tο gеt nearly anything done.


    Look at my ωeb-sіtе; http://www.sfgate.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. I pаy a quicκ visit еvегydaу a feω
    blogs and information ѕites to read artіcles or reviеwѕ, except this weblog prοvides feature baѕed pοsts.


    My weblοg ... www.panter.rupai.net

    ReplyDelete
  10. I was suggested this web site via my cousin. I am not sure whether or not
    this put up is written through him as no one else recognise such
    distinct about my difficulty. You are amazing!

    Thanks!

    Also visit my blog - generateur de code Psn

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think the admin of this web page is in fact working hard for his web
    page, because here every information is quality based
    stuff.

    Here is my web site: Psn Code Generator

    ReplyDelete
  12. Everything is very open with a very clear clarification of the challenges.
    It was really informative. Your site is extremely helpful.
    Many thanks for sharing!

    Have a look at my web site: Psn Code Generator

    ReplyDelete