'Dega fans and the 'big one'

Chad here again. Reading through one of our post-race features, Race Rewind, I came upon a paragraph David Poole wrote about a family at the race and something that happened right in front of him. If that isn't one of the funniest dang things I have ever read... At least the kid has the support of his family.

Also wanted to comment on Sunday's 'Big One'. I'm reading a lot about who's fault it is. It's Jimmie's fault, the DEI fans cry. It's Jr.'s fault, say the Hendrick backers. In my opinion, there's a multitude of factors at fault here.

First, it is clear Jr. bumped Mike Wallace and Wallace got a bit loose. Second, it is clear from the tape that Jimmie Johnson slid up a bit and made a bad situation worse. Third, and most importantly, NASCAR has created this monster we call 'The Big One'.

When Big Bill built this track in the late 60s, drivers boycotted. Senor France put a stop to that. In more recent years, efforts to make racing at Talladega safer has brought us such things as restrictor plates, roof and spoiler wickers and smaller gas tanks. More drivers are walking away from the big one, but owners are throwing millions of dollars away.

To make money, drivers need to win. To win, they need to be up front. To be up front, they have to knock the crap out of each other. That's safe, huh?

Drivers were warned before the race about bump-drafting. That worked, huh?

Bottom line is, most drivers hate plate racing, but there is nothing they can do about it. NASCAR has the final say. And as long as that is the case, it won't change. The big one will get bigger, costs will go up, but we'll still see four plate races each year.