The Final Word – Better looking car, interesting races thus far as they head to Las Vegas

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March 4, 2013

no99_ontrack_pir1_scoggins — Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

Two races down, along with a trio of exhibitions for good measure, so what do we know now about the Gen 6 car? Starting with cosmetics, it at least looks like a car one might drive down the street.

If I wanted a cow catcher, I would buy a steam locomotive. At least that front platform ledge disappeared a couple of years ago. Would I want to seen driving one of these new cars? Sure. In fact, I like it better than the showroom models. It is very sleek, while the cars on the road appear too boxy in comparison. Just tone down the safety features to save me and mine at 80 mph, instead of 200, put in the seats and all the gizmos for me and my crew to travel in comfort and style, and better the gas mileage from the racing version and we are talking about one sweet ride.

Has the Gen 6 car bettered the racing? It has not fixed everything, as when one passes a dozen cars to get up front it still would be nice to be able to pass that final one at the head of the pack. Imagine that little hiccup while out on the highway, and if it does not happen there it should not happen at Daytona. I thought they had engineers who understood this stuff and who could figure this all out. To be fair, they do and they are, but it is not going to happen overnight. Since 2001 it has been a whole lot about driver safety, and now that they have made great demonstrable gains in that area, the focus is starting to turn to better racing.

The racing itself has not been bad at all. I have long thought races at Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte, and Bristol to usually provide the most excitement, while I can remember only one at Fontana worth watching. This season I am rating the races to see if what I perceive is really the reality. Daytona I gave an 8.5 out of 10, while the slickness of track, the short cut, and the unexpected tire failures prompted me to give Phoenix the same. Whether it was the car or the tracks that weighed the most heavily in my enjoyment gets tested again when they roll into Las Vegas.

Even though I thought the Nationwide at Phoenix rated a 7, which still is pretty good, I also wonder how much the presentation on television influences my experience. For example, Mike Joy is not exactly Mr. Excitement, but his voice and expertise behind the microphone adds a lot. As much as I loved Allan Bestick on the Inside Winston Cup program where his boyish enthusiasm was a great asset, he vocally lacks the maturity and authoritative strength to keep you glued to three or four hours of race action. The personnel on FOX are better to watch, better to listen to, and they tend to provide real insight compared to those on ESPN. I doubt we will see much difference from their Nationwide crew to what takes over the Cup presentation on ESPN/ABC this summer. At least then the cars and drivers will be the same.

Daytona has its formation racing on those high banks, Phoenix had some quirks in its track design that brought some interesting moments. On Sunday, we will see what hand Las Vegas is able to play. Enjoy the week.

Rating the Race – Phoenix, where you can flip a house, flip a coin, or just flip the race winner

By

Ron Thornton

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March 4, 2013

no99_pir1_scoggins — Photo Credit: Simon Scoggins

Why I watched — Well, it sure was not to see qualifying, where 43 were entered for 43 slots. Maybe I watched to see which of the three non-points drivers would quit first and what reason they might give to not appear as a strictly field filling start and park. Behind us were the high banks of Daytona, and I wondered if the racing in Phoenix might be just as visually stimulating. I wondered how Danica might do, how Jimmie and Junior and Mark might fare after doing so well in the season opener. Would Carl Edwards rebound out of his slump, or if Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick might actually run at least half of the race. There were many reasons to watch, but I wondered if I would be happy with the results. The fact I gave the Nationwide event a 7 out of 10 had me hopeful.

The race — The fact Mark Martin claimed the pole was also good news. His 21st place finish not so much. Tires proved to provide us with unexpected moments, claiming Scott Riggs twenty laps in as he bounced into the fence after a blow out to end his day, the first to go out.

Ryan Newman blew his twice, the second time killing his car before we hit the midpoint. The driver still had his bounce, bouncing out of the car, across the track, and off into the infield. It appears he was done with automotive transportation for one day. Team mate Danica Patrick rode around outside the Top 25, blew her tire, and took a hard hit off the wall while getting hit even harder when David Ragan sheared off much of her driver’s side. As for Tony and Kevin, Smoke was 8th, Happy finished 13th.

Different pit strategy and changes between sunshine and shadow kept us guessing who would be where at the end. A late caution brought us a green, white, checker finish, with Carl Edwards running off to take the flag. Behind him, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin went fender to fender as Johnson was the runner-up. Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr rounded out the Top Five.

Oh, Mike Bliss parked first among our predetermined suspects, finishing 42nd. Brake problems was the official reason given, as the team collected over $50,000 for running just over 10% of the race. Joe Nemechek ran over 98% of the laps, wound up 31st, and earned almost $73,000. That was a very pleasant and very welcome surprise. You have to respect that.

Rating the race (8.5/10) — The final outcome was left in doubt until the final couple of laps, fate and right front tires provided some unexpected moments, a strong announcing staff, great scenery, and the first Edwards’ Cup back flip in 70 races made this a pleasure to watch. The fact Subway sponsored both his car and the race itself, and it all wrapped up in time for supper was just a bonus. As for myself, I went with soup.