Rating the Races – The best and the worst of 2013

It is not surprising that the race I thought was the most entertaining in 2013 was on one of the circuit’s premier venues. It was not a surprise to see the winner of that race the now six time champion. What was a surprise was that the race was broadcast on…get this…ESPN!

Best Race of the Year – As usual, Daytona in July provided us with a visual spectacle. Lap by lap there was always the promise that all hell might break loose and we were amazed when it did not. However, it did, as the likes of Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, A.J. Allmendinger, Denny Hamlin, Aric Almirola, and Martin Truex Jr all ended the day on the hook. Then there was the final lap, where things did go a bit sideways after the green-white-checker took us into overtime. Carl Edwards got spun by Scott Speed in turn one, collecting four of the lesser lights, as Jimmie Johnson beat out Tony Stewart to claim his fourth of the season. Not even the horrid broadcast crew could mess this one up.

Honorable Mentions – Bristol (March), Fontana, Talladega (both), Sonoma            

Worst Race of the Year – They race twice at Texas. In the spring, the big story was the NRA sponsorship. Not even FOX recognized who paid the big bucks to have their name up in lights. In November, we could have only hoped for such a distraction. Dull, dull, dull as Johnson led two-thirds of the event, Dale Earnhardt Jr finished a distant second, and fans could not wait for the season to come to an end. They turned left a lot, we had a couple of debris cautions and another to clean up some oil. Damn, that was exciting. Visually, it was almost as stimulating as watching paint dry, but not quite, and if you expected the ESPN announcers to dig into their bag of tricks to keep us entertained, you should have known better.

Dishonorable mentions – Dover (September), Charlotte (October), Martinsville (October)

Best 2 Race Track – Daytona provided some great action in July, but February’s Daytona 500 gave us a good start to the season. It was not perfection, as even the new cars could not slingshot by the leader and the inside line could not challenge them on the outside. However, the FOX crew did a great job setting the mood, reminding us of NASCAR’s past, the progression of the six generation of race cars, the driver intros, and the action was good enough to make it a fulfilling way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Honorable Mentions – Talladega, Richmond, Bristol, Kansas

Worst 2 Race Track – My wife has a cousin who lives in Fort Worth. I have always thought one year, in either April or November, that it would be so nice to visit Andy and his family. You know, catch up, dip in his pool, and just maybe wander down the few miles to the west and check out that little racetrack and take in a little NASCAR. Maybe it might be best if we just stayed pool side.

Dishonorable mentions – Martinsville, Charlotte, Dover

Biggest Surprise of the Year – As much as having ESPN broadcast the most entertaining race of the year shocked me, the fact the action from California’s Fontana venue was top notch was another pleasant surprise. Two drivers with bad blood between them battled it out for the final three laps.  When Hamlin and Joey Logano wrecked themselves, Kyle Busch shot to the front for the win, Denny went to the hospital, and Tony tried to kick Joey’s ass. The action was spread out, but there was racing and there was passing. It was the most entertaining race I have ever seen broadcast out of Fontana.

Biggest Disappointment of the Year – I have always loved Charlotte, the home of the NASCAR family and home to the World 600. Then there was Charlotte in October. It was lap after lap of whatever and who cares. I wish a win by Brad Keselowski might give me the warm and fuzzies, but it does not. Both the all-star race and the 600 endurance test were entertaining. Maybe if they had a camera fall out of the sky in the fall, like they did in May, or have engines blow up or have big name drivers take out other big name drivers it might have been different. Sadly, it was not. Maybe if it had been broadcast on FOX.

Rating the Broadcasters – In rating the races out of 10, TNT had a five race average of 8.3, FOX at 8.2 over their 13 broadcasts. ABC/ESPN was an 7.2 over their 18. I will miss TNT when they go but 2015 can not come quick enough so we can say goodbye to Allan, Dale, Rusty, and Brad. NBC is bringing in Rick Allen and Jeff Burton. See, good things really do happen for those who wait.

Being at the track does provide a very different feel than being on a couch thousands of miles away. However, from that vantage point, with these eyes, this is how I saw the 2013 Cup season unfold, thanks to the networks who broadcast all the action to our homes.