Restrictor plate racing is an acquired taste for many race fans. Like brussel sprouts, ABBA and Adam Sandler movies.
It’s a double edged sword to watch high speed action with cars on top of one another while waiting for the inevitable big crash(es) to happen, hoping cars don’t literally wind up on top of one another.
Saturday night’s Coke Zero Sugar 400 was the latest example of the paradox. The three hours and change race contained more action than three or four races combined from earlier this season. But it also included a series of multi-car accidents that left the Daytona garage looking like the “World Figure 8 Championships” from Islip, New York, to borrow a vintage “Wide World of Sports” reference.
At the finish, as is usually the case, it came down to a final lap shootout among the survivors. Saturday night it was Erik Jones outracing defending champion Martin Truex Jr. to score his first career Cup win, adding an emotional and sentimental flair to the already dramatic proceedings. His jubilation and sincerity after climbing from his race winning car was palpable and something the sport needs more of on a regular basis.
But to get to that point, did the end justify the means? It depends how you look at it I guess. Some certainly saw it as entertaining, compelling, exciting and intense. Others no doubt were turned off by the wrecked race cars and caution periods to clean up the carnage, rerack the field and do it all over again.
One race, two different tastes. At the very least it has to better than brussel sprouts, right?
- Seven winners have now secured playoff spots after the season’s first 18 races with Jones joining Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano and Austin Dillon with an automatic spot in the field of 16 drivers. Points will play a huge factor in determining who has a chance to run for the title and those without wins, a list that includes such heavy hitters as Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson, have to be as cognizant about accumulating points as much as finding Victory Lane. Eight races left in the regular season to determine nine playoff spots will make for some interesting weeks ahead.
- While the first road course race of the season at Sonoma didn’t create much opportunity for underdogs to land in the top 10, that certainly wasn’t the case Saturday night in Daytona. The first 10 finishers had a number of Cinderella stories starting with JTG Daugherty Racing teammates AJ Allmendinger and Chris Buescher both finishing in the top five, marking a first for the organization. Kasey Kahne had the Leavine Family Racing ride in front of the field for 17 laps before finally taking the checkered flag in fourth. Ty Dillon came back from an early race spin to give Germain Racing a sixth-place finish. And Matt DiBenedetto continued his stellar season with a seventh-place finish after starting 31st. Those names might not be that high on future results sheets but it was nice to see them there at Daytona.
- Friday night’s Xfinity Series race ended in controversial fashion when Justin Haley’s move to take the lead and win the race was disallowed by NASCAR after he crossed the yellow out of bounds line. It was an unpopular call with many fans but the correct one. Keep in mind why the rule was put into place in the first place at Daytona and Talladega. It’s because of safety and to stop drivers from dive bombing onto the apron and coming up the track, a dangerous scenario at restrictor plate races with speeds so high and cars tightly packed. The idea rules should not apply on the final lap and officials should “swallow the whistle” is ludicrous. The decision cost Justin Haley a thrilling first career NXS win but the call was the right one in what really is a pretty black and white rule.
- Some feathers were ruffled in the ongoing conversation about the current crop of young drivers and their performance against the veterans competing at a high level in the sport. As NASCAR looks to replace such household names as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Danica Patrick, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle who have departed in recent years, the sport had hoped for the talented group of youngsters to step up. But so far at least in the win column, that hasn’t happened to any great degree. Some of the youth movement bristled at the lack of winning perception being detrimental to overall growth. “I think it would be healthy for the sport if we just see more variation in winners,” Ryan Blaney. “There have been six winners this year. Come on now. You can’t just put that on the young guys for not winning. That’s a lot of other people that aren’t winning, too.” Touché. And by the way, Erik Jones scored one for the young guys Saturday night.
The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Motor Racing Network.
