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March 25, 2007
Busch wins and Gordon takes the points lead barely
Kyle Busch won, edging out Jeff Burton in a wreck filled Bristol race.
Gordon took the points lead, leading Jeff Burton by only 3 points.
The debut of the COT seemed to have brought slower speeds and didn't produce the careful racing people expected, there was still lots of passing and aggression out on the track.
So, how did the COT fair in the race and with the fans? I guess it all depends on who you ask. I'm sure if you ask Dale Jarrett, he would probably say it's as fragile as they were afraid when the rear of his car got destroyed in a wreck. On the other hand, Kasey Kahne and others were able to get their cars back on the track after damage, albeit laps down and their hits weren't as hard.
The worry about the splitter cutting down a tire proved itself, when slight contact between Bowyer and Kahne, cut Kahnes tire down, luckily for Kahne he was able to battle back to 19th and is in 34th in points now.
Even though it was the debut of the COT, it proved to be a typical Bristol race and didn't cause as much problems as they thought it could.
Oh and coverage was bad again, but that's nothing new.
Next week, another COT race at Martinsville.
Your thoughts?
March 25, 2007 in NASCAR | Permalink
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Comments
I think the bump and run has been a staple at the short tracks and I agree that it won't ever stop, but as I said if Gordon continues to dish it out at the shorts tracks he looks pathetic when he attacked Kenseth for doing to him what he has done numerous times. As a matter of factm he tried to pull it on his team mate, but he backed off slightly and only managed to bump him in the rear and bumped him in side when they were side by side. Had that been anyone else he would have spun the leader and won the race.
Posted by: Jon | Apr 1, 2007 8:42:12 PM
Jon,
You are correct that Earnhardt Sr. was criticized by some for his Bristol racing but to me it was one of the things that made the sport so fun to watch. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on the short track bump and run.
Cheers.
Posted by: NC Expat in Hong Kong | Apr 1, 2007 12:45:49 AM
Congrats to Kyle.
Well done, Jeff Burton, showing how a competitor races cleanly. The only thing y'all need to know is that Jeff Burton's conscience would not have let him win a race by 'dumping' Kyle, and he is the only one who could make that decision for him. I applaud him for his larger view.
The Car - the more I see it, the more it is yesterday, with a group of safety enhancements. The aerodynamics are built in to reminisce the boxy cars of the late '70's and '80's. Are they spec? Yup. All in the name of parity. Still, big teams will find the advantages at some point.
I'm waiting to see what happens on the big tracks with it, then we'll know better.
Posted by: BARman | Mar 27, 2007 11:27:00 AM
NC,
My point is look how many people jumped on Dale sr. when he bumped Terry out of the way to win Bristol. He caught all kinds of hell for that one single move and yet he never complained once when it happened to him. Unlike when Matt Kenseth got into Gordon and spun him for a win Jeff Gordon went after Kenseth. Gordon has this sense of entitlement about him that he thinks people should just bow down to his championships and wins. Jeff Burton shouldn't be criticized for not getting into Busch and causing him to lose the race just because that kind of racing is expected at Bristol or any other short track. To me if you can't pass the car cleanly you don't have any business trying to bump the car to get by them. Too many wrecks on short tracks are caused by impatient drivers thinking that the car in front of them should just bow to them and let them go.
Posted by: Jon | Mar 27, 2007 5:31:50 AM
Who won?
Posted by: Reginald | Mar 26, 2007 10:58:38 PM
I am sure there are lots of reasons why some fans don't like Gordon. Some valid reasons and some not. However, my point is that the bump and run is a short track move that has always been used by great champions (some liked and some not) and that Burton or anyone else for that matter shouldn't hesitate to use it on tracks like Bristol and Martinsville when they have the better car. I'm not saying to take the other guy out, just move him over.
Posted by: NC Expat in Hong Kong | Mar 26, 2007 10:48:20 PM
Bill,
Only you stupid Gordon lovers think it is because Gordon won races is why we don't like Gordon. LOL
Posted by: Jon | Mar 26, 2007 7:33:35 PM
Just reread and hi the wrong button, to clarify, the WIND TUNNEL folks whom said RCR should get rid of him, or his team wasnt happy. Well the guys over at the 31 are fine. Its a season NOT 1 race
Posted by: Kurt2 | Mar 26, 2007 7:28:44 PM
Well lets see Bristol:
A long weekend, over 1:30 to 2 to get thru inspection on Thurs.
Friday: I saw the post Kat on the "different names on the speed chart and qualifying"
I for one have to finally realize from the weekend we spent on this car, IT IS NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.
Its a beast to deal with and pit. Not the normal stops had out there prior.
Now to the race, well the best car by far was the 20, no doubt.
To address the Kyle Buch and Burton thing. No Jeff Burton is a gentlemen and races as Mark Martin does, no one had a fear anyone was going to dump the other.
Totally stupid to have RCR moan that he should have.
People,Kyle is a kid still. He is very talented, maybe his mouth gets in the way @ times. But popular to contray belief , he is not a pompous A**.
I dont work for HMS, or anything.
But the kid has talent and massive potential.
On a side note: DJ needs to leave the Kenesth thing be, he came out on Matt in the media and it spread after the race like wildfire. He needs to leave be, as we all have a faint idea that after next week he will use the LAST champions provisional left to make the race in Martinsville.
Not attemtping nor trying to anger the Jarrett fans , but as stated "they is alot of trouble brewing in Toyota land" Overall
Posted by: Kurt2 | Mar 26, 2007 7:26:53 PM
The COT was designed, I believe, for driver safety, cost reduction, and a reduction in "aero push." (I admit that I'm not really sure what aero push is.) I think all three are worthy objectives. I also think that as the teams get more time, they'll begin to tweak the cars to make everyone happier.
The CEO of Ginn racing was on TV (Wind Tunnel) last night and said that while the COT is costing them a lot right now, within a year or two it will cut costs significantly. He said that each of his teams now has about 20 cars, but with the COT they'll only need ten or so.
People watch car races, motorcycle races, jet ski races, snowmobile races, swamp buggy races, etc. So what if the vehicle looks weird? It's the product on the track that counts.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Mar 26, 2007 4:17:53 PM
The last lap at Bristol was a 15.98 second wake up for an historically boring race. The only relief came when I realized I didn't have the sound muted. I agree with the blogger who said, "is this the best design that NASCAR engineers can up with?"
Compared to F1 and Indy cars...I have to agree with Kyle Busch...IT SUCKS! When I was kid I built a cog wheeled racer out of a casket that was given to me and had better aerodynamics that the COT. It was far superior on handling and at least the equivalent on the crash test. Mother nature even tapers certain things for aerodynamics.
They guys who ran dirt may have an advantage but that won't help much when this contraption hits the big tracks. How about that NASCAR designed tire cutter? If one of the teams had come up with it, they would be sucking up about 100 negative points right now.
This is as positive as I can be following Sunday's event in Bristol...it wasn't a real race...only a test.
Posted by: jim | Mar 26, 2007 3:46:01 PM
"Sorry NC, that is one of the reasons Gordon is disliked so much, he doesn't have a problem with pushing someone out of his way to win a race and yet if anyone does it to him he throws a fit, just ask Kenseth."
Gee, and all this time I thought it was because he won too many races. Hmmm... no one seemed to have a problem with that kind of driving when Earnhardt was bumping his way to 7 championships, then again, there is a double standard applied to those who are deemed a member of the "good ole' boys" bunch and to those who are not. When you are a fan of one who is not, it's just something you kind of get used to.
Posted by: Bill | Mar 26, 2007 11:49:15 AM
I'm not impressed with this "Car of Tomorrow". Just takes them even further away from "stock" not that they were anyway. They do it all in the name of "driver safety" but I wonder if that's really the reason. I just get the feeling that there are other motivating factors and chucking them all under the "driver safety" umbrella just keeps critics from questioning it. I can't see where it made the racing any better, then again, we are just one race in the new design. The real test will be 'dega.
Posted by: Bill | Mar 26, 2007 11:32:52 AM
In all honesty after watching the race yesterday I can't say it looked any different than any other race I've ever seen there. Maybe a few less big wrecks (I'm wonderding why Kathy called it a 'wreckfest'?) than normal. Jarrett's rear deck exploding was interesting, I was surprised by how much damage resulted from the spin, I'm sure they'll figure it out. From watching it on TV the cars really looked about the same as normal except for the rear wing and I didn't find myself focusing on that either. Only when they're stopped do they look strange and I'm sure we'll get used to that over time. All in all the race was decent with a little bit of drama at the end.
Posted by: canucken | Mar 26, 2007 10:36:38 AM
That thing is pretty ugly on the race track. I don't care how many engineers they had come up with that thing, It still looks like something a pre-schooler designed. I can't believe that is the best thing they could come up with for the sport's top series. What an embarrasment. How can stand up on a soap box and say you are the most competitive and exciting racing series in the world and present that contraption as your technology advanced car. Compared to the cars in F1, Indi, Cart, and Rolex, what a joke.
Posted by: Michael | Mar 26, 2007 8:52:17 AM
Was in the stands Sunday for my 11th Bristol race. It might very well be my last. To paraphrase a character from an animation show.
Worst. Race. At Bristol. Ever.
I slept through atleast half of it. No joke. (And no, it wasn't from too many "adult" beverages, I was the DD.) That's right. Asleep right there in the stands. Only after Stewart's extended stay on pit road did the race stop being a yawn-fest. And then no-driving-Jimmie-Johnson glances the wall all by himself and doesn't know enough to get to the apron of the track when he realizes he's not going to get the car back up to speed within a lap and therefore brings out the caution.
Since the changes that were made to the sport, I've found myself watching less and less. Once my driver retired a couple of years ago, I don't think I've watched a race flag-to-flag since except for my attendance at Bristol. Why, do you wonder? Because I didn't think NASCAR could mess up a race at Bristol.
I've just been proven wrong.
Posted by: Five0 | Mar 26, 2007 6:28:10 AM
Sorry NC, that is one of the reasons Gordon is disliked so much, he doesn't have a problem with pushing someone out of his way to win a race and yet if anyone does it to him he throws a fit, just ask Kenseth.
I respect Burton for not taking Busch out just to get a win and I am far from being a Kyle Busch fan.
Posted by: Jon | Mar 26, 2007 6:00:02 AM
Well... NASCAR got a side-by-side drag race at the finish line from a GWC. They must be pleased overall.
We'll have to wait until Phoenix to see what the COT is really about.
The tire issue on the air dam is of concern. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see a new air dam debut at Martinsville next week.
I am glad, however, that they used the shot tracks to test these things in racing conditions! At these tracks you can be sure these cars are going to hit each other in about every possible configuration. I'm sure NASCAR has a lot of data to pour over and lots of questions to the teams about how the cars were damaged (and how they weren't).
I'm also sure that more than a few teams are concerned about the fuel-pump issue from Smoke's "Impala." Hopefully it was just a fluke and not something that will cause problems down the road for a bunch of teams.
Posted by: Matt Durell | Mar 26, 2007 12:44:19 AM
First let me say that Burton is a good racer. Burton had the better car at the end and he should have won but he didn't have the mentality get the job done. I can respect his clean racing but this is Bristol. It is okay and even expected to do a little rubbin' and bumpin'. Just ask the short track greats like Earnhardt, Wallace, Gordon, and Waltrip. Their bumping and banging at short tracks is what made the sport so fun to watch. I'm not saying to wreck another driver to win. But the bump and run for the win is truly a short track art. Which is what Burton should have done. If I was a member of his race team I am extremely disappointed that he "settled" for 2nd.
Posted by: NC Expat in Hong Kong | Mar 26, 2007 12:41:25 AM
Typical Bristol...far less caution than I would have imagined. I noticed straight off the lack of forward bite...you could her the tires spin off the corners, But Bristol and these short track won't prove much for the "CON" car of now, The true test will be bigger tracks...did you notice when DJ got hiit hot quick the rear deck came detached? Drivers who raced dirt will adapt to these cars quickly!
Posted by: Tbfka#5 | Mar 25, 2007 7:13:04 PM
The new car was interesting, I guess. Jeff Burton has described it previously as "just another car." I want to second the previous post- would love for JB to take it all this year.NASCAR needs more like him!
Posted by: James | Mar 25, 2007 7:09:11 PM
How have the Waltrips ruined racing? If you blamed the bad racing on a Waltrip, your head is up you know where. DW is loud, but this is nothing new, and Mikey had a car in the race for what, 50 laps? All I know is that I hope Jeff Burton wins the title. He is classy and deserves it.
Posted by: joe | Mar 25, 2007 6:59:33 PM
LOUD NOISES! ALL CAPITALS! MAD!
Now that we have that out of the way... it was typical Bristol racing. The changes made in the new car were never meant to show up at Bristol and they won't show up at Martinsville either.
When they run at an intermediate track or a plate track we'll have something to look at.
Posted by: Brian | Mar 25, 2007 6:43:21 PM
TODAY IS ONE OF THE WORST RACES I HAVE SEEN
THE WALTRIPS NEED ONE OF THOSE TOYOTOS
DROVE UP YOU KNOW WHERE
THEY HAVE RUIND RACEING I HAVE QUIT
Posted by: CHARLES L HOWARD | Mar 25, 2007 6:30:23 PM
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