Subscribe to this blog's feed« Who are those guys, really? | Main | Who Isn't Going To Make It? »
September 02, 2008
Thank God for My DVR
By Keith Ott
The Pros :
- The cars look good under the lights
The Cons :
- Pretty much everything else.
Actually, I had another title in mind, but Aerosmith’s “Same Old Song and Dance” lost out to the much beloved electronic device. Let’s do a fast reverse (nobody has devices that actually rewind still, do they?) to Bristol. Four-hundred laps of dullness with a semi-controversial finish. FF to Fontana and the best thing about Fontana is that it doesn’t have 400 laps. We get the same old song and dance, with no surprise finish. If dullness was a commodity, Fontana would be the export capital of the racing world. It may be a great show in person, but it plays on TV like a 30yo rerun of a bad soap opera. Thank god they put it in the Chase to spice up that most sacred event in all of racing (sarcasm off).
As for the drivers, Johnson, is the only name you need know from Fontana. The only way he could have done more would have been if he’d managed to pass himself for the lead, because no-one else could. Gordon and Stewart remained in their respective slumps, and neither shows any sign of a spark. Biffle, Hamlin, Harvick and Kenseth get honorable mention for being the best of the rest of the field.
The broadcast was solid considering what they had to work with on Sunday. I have to say, that among all the broadcast gimmicks we’ve been subject to, such as strange camera angles, Fox3D, and a freakin’ gopher, that the spotter segment actually made me sit up and tap another beer. That was downright entertaining, so it was probably a mistake.
The CON continues to lower my standards for NASCAR events. Could we please make the damn things go straight down the straightaway? If my car crabbed that bad going straight, it’d be in the shop the next day.
Fontana gets two thumbs down, and had it been a movie, it would be in the straight to DVD category, because, just like at the track, no-one would have attended.
September 2, 2008 | Permalink
Comments
I didn't think racing at Fontana could get worse and it managed to. How many races this year is it where one car dominated, lets say 80%+ of the laps? It's turning into F1.
Posted by: canucken | Sep 2, 2008 9:58:51 AM
I can't argue much on this one. If you were watching on TV, it would've been better to watch your grass grow.
I was there and lived to tell the story.
First, it was a beautiful day. The temperature was in the mid 80s when the green flag flew, which is about 20 degrees cooler than last year. It was clear - the mountains to the north were easily seen. Folks, for those of us who have dreaded Fontana for its heat and smog, this was a treat.
Second, more than one commentator has pointed out that it's pretty rare to see one car as dominant as Johnson was. On one pit stop he fell to 6th, and the 5 cars in front of him were pretty stout, but he had them all after two laps and a tick. It was VERY impressive. What racing there was was well back in the pack, although Harvick and Reutimann had a nice battle for 5th or 4th for a while. I watched my guy in the 31 as I usually do, and he didn't do much, fighting his way up to 12th, then waddling around between 12th and 18th most of the day. My daughter is a Kahne fan, and he wandered around the 10th spot all day. I forgot extra batteries and my scanner died mid-race.
I'm glad I went. I like going to NASCAR races, but have to admit that I have seen better. Many times.
I'm wondering how ticket sales will go next year, when the two Fontana races are only four months apart. Will the fact that it's a chase race make a difference? Stay tuned.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Sep 2, 2008 1:27:59 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Advertisements
