It's time to accept that the All-Star Race has run its course. The event, every year, is so overhyped by both NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway, that it enrages fans when it disappoints.
Maybe it was my low expectations for races at Texas, but Sunday's O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 was good. The field didn't get exponentially stretched out as the race progressed, and the leader didn't simply pull away from the car in second.
The 70th season of NASCAR is drawing to a close. After 38 weeks and 35 races, Ford Championship Weekend is upon us. Four drivers in each national touring series will race tonight, Saturday and Sunday to win the championship.
We've had six weeks of positive energy from great racing and a truly momentous victory by possibly the most popular driver in NASCAR today. And what is the big story nearly 24 hours removed? It's the arrest of the sport's leader for drunk driving.
Another Tuesday has come and gone. Another set of penalties have been dealt out by NASCAR. Another crew member has been suspended for the next few races. Another fine has been handed to the crew chief. Another points penalty has been handed out. Another encumbered, I mean L1, penalty (yes, because it's so different from "encumbered") was bestowed upon a driver. Another tainted finish that's allowed to remain in the record. We've repeated this process too many times to count, yet teams continue breaking the rules. In the words of Mötley Crüe, "It's the same old, same old situation."
At first glance, the catchphrase of Monty Python's Flying Circus "And now for something completely different," would sum up 2017 NASCAR. As the season played out, however, it went from "something completely different" to a return to form.
