Race Fans Round Table~
3/29/2013
Five races down, twenty-one to go until we have a Chase for the Championship field. The season is still young, but the off week gives the Fast Forward race preview staff an opportunity to sit down at the Round Table and discuss what we have seen so far this season.Jim Fitzgerald: So, we are five races into this season, and I have to say I am fairly impressed with the quality of the product so far. We have had five different races with five different winners on five different tracks. We have had controversy on and off the track, some punches thrown, a lot of close racing, and a lot of new faces in new places. What stands out to you guys about the new season?
Brian Marchetti: My inability to pick winners consecutively.
Jim Fitzgerald: Or at all.
Alabama Fitz: "Tenacity" is the word I'm using these days; it sounds better than "hungry.” I'm referring to drivers like Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and others. After last week, I'll even throw in a vote for Logano. To be sure, there are others: Edwards and Kenseth to name two. I see the "old guard" starting to slip away: Gordon, Johnson a little…
Nate Breece: Daytona 500 winning Johnson?
Alabama Fitz: Yes, yes, I know…Stewart too. This time last year he had two wins already, and after last week, he seems to have forgotten his roots. I could go on and on….
Jim Fitzgerald: I agree with you about the tenacity. I think more and more these days, especially in the time of "the Chase," drivers are more and more concerned about scoring as many points as possible, so "points racing" has taken on a new meaning. Instead of being satisfied with second, third, even fifth place points, drivers are scrapping for wins and points as much as they can. It is not new to this year, but we have had some terrific finishes. And how about all the activity we have had AFTER the finishes?
Nate Breece: I think this new breed of NASCAR driver is
something else. They go on Twitter and
air their grievances and talk tough. Years
ago they would meet in the garage or somewhere else and hash it out. Remember Donnie and Cale? Put the phone down and throw down! To Tony Stewart- You're going to beat Logano's ass? Then
do it…don't talk about it. But at least
he didn't say it on Twitter.
Jim Fitzgerald: Well, to be fair, there have been some physical skirmishes as well as the verbal ones on Twitter and on camera, but they are usually broken up by the crews before anything can actually happen. Cale and Donnie happened on the grandest of stages, and all the parts of a perfect storm came together. I’m guessing if Stewart and Logano had wrecked in a turn or on the backstretch to the point where neither could continue, and they ended up anywhere near each other, the confrontation would have been a bit more escalated than it was. Honestly, I know how Stewart feels about blocking; everyone does. He has said it before. If you block him, he’s going to dump you. But I am not sure I understand why he was so angry at Logano, I don’t think Logano blocking him resulted in Stewart’s 22nd place finish. I think maybe the 14 wasn’t as strong as Stewart wanted it to be, and frustration was already peaking within him. But what do you think the root cause of it all is?
Brian Marchetti: I have to believe it's about money, to some degree. Under funded teams simply do not compete, and, if all of the cars are equal, this statement in itself is contradicting. I remember the IROC races we used to see, and we took 10 or 12 drivers, put them in perfectly equal cars, and no one particular driver dominated. In today's races, different drivers excel on certain types of tracks, and underfunded cars have no shot at Victory Lane. That, to me, means it's all about money, and frankly, I don't like that. Back in the day of drivers like King Richard, Cale, Bobby Allison, and that list goes on, the best teams with the best drivers built and ran the best cars, and consistently won races. Today, it's just different, and not as exciting as I recall from my childhood. Is it wrong to say that in today's NASCAR, you can buy a Top Ten finish? Aside from legit accidents, the same drivers are always up front.
Alabama Fitz: If we think about it, racing has ALWAYS been about points and money. It has to be! And in that order. The equation is simple: Points = Money. In the past, a win wasn't necessary to take the Championship home, as Matt Kenseth proved in 2003 when he won the Championship, the last Winston Cup Championship and won only once. His team focused on the "Big Picture": Don't wreck trying to outguess, outwit or outplay the competition. Take the 4th place instead of wrecking trying for 2nd and winding up 20th. (This also works well for the team owner in that there is no car to replace!) So, once it was clear to the team he had a top five car but not a winner, Matt just stayed out of trouble, got the points and in the end, the Championship, just by being consistent.
Nate Breece: I think today’s NASCAR driver will, because wins are so important, go for the win if they think they can pull it off. But, if they know they can’t, or think they can’t catch, and pass the leaders in the late going, they will try to secure the best finish possible to get as many points as they can without getting to a point where they put the car and a good finish in jeopardy. We’re not only talking about competitive racing for the win this year. Battles for position back in the field, although you usually don’t see them on the television in the closing laps, are just as good if not better than those going on for the win or even a top five finish. I think every spot matters, and every resulting point matters, and that is something that Kenseth and his team knew even ten years ago.
Jim Fitzgerald: And they changed the way the Championships were awarded because of that.
Alabama Fitz: Exactly! Then the fun began. The year after Kenseth won, NASCAR changed the rules, which changed the format. They have continued to tweak it until now the top twenty drivers are possibly eligible. So, if you have a win, you could possibly be in a position to make The Chase. This, I think, is the reason for the tenacity we are witnessing at this stage of the young season. Drivers want to get that win under their belt, so they can relax a little and concentrate on the Big Picture so they can play the consistent game until Chase time. So what happens when a driver that has a win gets another? Those with one win now have to get another. In that same mix, you still have those with no wins, many of them the younger drivers! Therefore, I expect more of this tenacity as the season goes on which can only add excitement to the already dynamite season we have had. Boogity - Boogity - Boogity...Let's go Racin'!! Thank you, DW!
Jim Fitzgerald: I could not have said it better myself. Thanks for sitting down and talking about this, guys. From what we have seen so far this season, and the hot topics on everyone’s minds, I can only hope it keeps up and we have another season to remember.
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