Last week it was Sonoma, a road course set in a beautiful background with curves and hills and places one could speed up and those where one had to slow down. This week it is Chicago. It is round.
Father’s Day, or was it Father’s Week? With time off, the boys took a little time for some R&R as they get set for the road course at Sonoma on Sunday. While all had some time with the family, some mixed in some other activities, while others dwelt on the race to come.
Rain. Sometimes rain really sucks. Outside my window, nothing but rain. In Brooklyn, Michigan, a two hours rain delay, a window for NASCAR, and with 140 miles still to go the rain returned and the racing ended. It was cold, wet, and miserable...both here and there. Just a perfect bloody Sunday.
Another weekend. Another race. Another track that does not excite me. Welcome to NASCAR. Michigan International Speedway, located in the lush, rolling Irish Hills, is about 40 miles southwest of Ann Arbor. The fact it is considered a sister track of Texas, and the basis of the facility in Fontana does not exactly thrill anyone, but they do go fast there.
Man, Pocono is pretty. It is so green. Watching a race from there is like watching a video on kittens or puppies. You might not be riveted to all you see, but you could calmly drift away to your happy place as you find yourself in the midst of peaceful meditation.
Some things matter. Some do not. Every weekend, no more than 30 entries matter to some degree. The rest do not. Most weekends NASCAR features a race and while some matter to race fans, most do not. Bristol, Charlotte, Darlington, Daytona, Sonoma, and Talladega races matter due to what they deliver and a long history of tradition.
Kyle Busch: Busch started on the pole at Charlotte and led 377 of 400 laps on his way to the win in the Coca-Cola 600. With the victory, Busch became the first driver to win a points race at every track on the NASCAR schedule.
Australia. If there was any road to success on Sunday, it was to be a native of Australia. Perth-born Daniel Ricciardo led from start to finish to claim the Monaco Grand Prix. At Indianapolis, Toowoomba’s own Will Power kissed the bricks and drank the milk. Unfortunately, the last Aussie to drive a Cup car was Tasmanian Marcus Ambrose four years ago.
