This week's view was smoky in more ways than one. Tony 'Smoke' Stewart led the most laps and won the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on the Fourth of July. And we had plenty of on track fireworks to celebrate our nation's birthday as well.
Throw in a couple of the now standard, 'big ones', and this race was rockin'. All night long. Even the very best of the best drivers in the world was Kryptonited.
Checkered Flag....Goes to Tony Stewart. He led the most laps, and looked to have the fastest car all night. His pit crew was also the very best on this night. Time after time, they got him out ahead of everyone else. TNT network's Wide Open coverage of the race was outstanding! If NASCAR or any other networks care, or want to improve ratings....THIS is how you do it! Sadly, the ratings for this race won't reflect true appreciation, as the race was televised while millions of race fans were watching fireworks away from their TVs.
Green Flags....Denny Hamlin finished third, and didn't run much lower than that all night. Jimmie Johnson was second and was in the top four most of the race. Kurt Busch was top five most of the night and finished fifth. Marcos Ambrose (6), Brian Vickers (7) had decent finishes as they were also helped by the wreck on the last lap.
Yellow Flags....NASCAR's famous mystery debris caution at the end of the race. "Lets bunch all the cars back up and have a short shootout....and another 'big one'! We'll be sure to make the first half of Sports Center if we do that...again!" I guess we're going to be stuck with that script until someone famous gets hurt.
Black Flags....Did anyone think that Hamlin had two wheels completely under the yellow line? And was not forced down there? And that he improved his postion? Yeah, me too. Wally and KP sure danced around it while wondering if NASCAR would let any driver not named Jr get away with something so blatent. Surprise, they did!
Red Flag.....Blocking. I don't like it anywhere, but it is ridiculous at the plate tracks. Kyle Busch paid a hell of a price with his last lap blocking Saturday night. Carl Edwards paid even more doing the same thing in the last plate race. I'm not sure what NASCAR can do to curb it, but I'll be watching closely to see if Kyle and Carl are gun shy about blocking the next time.
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I was one watching the fireworks - boring! Did see the last 10 laps though. That was a wicked wreck and Shrub bounced off everything.
ReplyDeleteWith you that there isn't much NASCAR can do about blocking. At least not on the last lap. Maybe make then start from the back at the next plate race? Don't know, but it is getting really silly - four last lap plate wrecks every year now.
Moseby
Finally tracked you down Hanny .....
ReplyDeleteThank's to klvas for steering me here and she did not block.
Someone on another forum that I am on stated that the same thing happened with our boys, Petty and Pearson at Daytona in 1976. Dont think so.
Not sure what to make of it but this new car and in recent years passing is possible at the plate tracks. Looks like some of these guys are just trying to win. One thing is for sure, Carl Edwards and Kyle Bush will not do the same thing again.
The last lap down there was thrilling until the Big went down. I thought that Bush made his move too early as Hamlin pushed him through. That was awsome ! Stewart had enough time to come back but maybe with these full faced helmet's guys cant see...LOL.
Would rather have a door handle finish but it was not in the cards Saturday.
Thes guys need to use their heads. The front runners do not need money. Be smooth and take what is there but heck it is what is and there will be another tumble down the road.
Best Wishes
RL
It waa amusing that no one in the booth mentioned where the mystery caution started.
ReplyDeleteYep I really appreciatd the way TNt handled the comericals and the coverage. Looked like a winning combination to me.
What we need here is a school on how to properly block an opponent.
I think the blocking is a self-fixing problem. Perhaps enough of them will try it and fail and instead be more inclined to race to the finish holding their line instead.
ReplyDeleteI think both Kyle and Carl could have won the last two restrictor races had they done that, no one was drafting close enough to push the other drivers past them...IMO of course!
Moseby....Hey bro, nice to see you're not all work and no play.
ReplyDeleteThe fireworks couldn't have been boring. The last 10 laps of a plate race are usually all you need to see...lol
Rick...nice to see you made it too! Replying to comments on Fox is a major pain in the but now. They have all the soccer jerks and forum trolls right there on the same page as the bloggers...ugh!
ReplyDeleteDaytona 1976....Petty wasn't blocking. He was trying to complete a pass when he pulled up into Pearson....about 6" short...lol.
Photo....Maybe they could get Cale and Donnie Allison to give classes on what happens when you block at Daytona.
ReplyDeleteI believe those two started all this blocking nonsense. After how that turned out, I can't believe drivers still continued blocking.
Kristen...I doubt Kyle learned his lesson Saturday night. I think he would have won the drag race also.
ReplyDeleteThe worst part of the blocking was that Kyle destroyed 10 other team's specially built plate race cars, and didn't show any remorse.
Yeah at least publicly he didnt show any remorse and based on my blog we know how hard those fab guys work on those plate cars! LOL
ReplyDeleteI dunno he might have learned, he took 3 wicked licks...
Gene, good post as usual. That was a WICKED hit Kyle took from Kasey Kahne at the end of the race. Kahne had NOWHERE to go and hit him so hard he nearly flipped him forward. I definitely believe Kyle will think twice about blocking when he has a chance to win. He COST himself that race.
ReplyDeleteJon....The hit by Kahne was spectacular. But, I don't think it packed the g-forces that he received from the sudden stop into the outside wall, or when he was T-boned by Logano in the driver's door, while sitting still. Three very severe impacts.
ReplyDelete