Rowdy Stays Inflated - Wins at Atlanta
It had to happen right?
The odds were stacked against Kyle Busch dominating as he has and not eventually coming away with a win. Odds also favored Goodyear tires surviving to the checkered flag rather than popping like cheap circus balloons. (Note to NASCAR, it’s time to start checking inflation rates and camber angles)
If not for a blown tire Saturday, Busch would have won all three races on the weekend. As it is Kyle gets his win, JGR scores a 1-2, Toyota has its first Cup win and Tony Stewart is still whining about tires judging by his PRN interview.
And for those longing for the Good Old Days, with only 13 cars on the same lap as Busch, you got it.
The Kobalt Tools 500 is as Old School as it gets.
Atlanta Spring 1998, Bobby Labonte wins with only 8 on the lead lap with another five a lap down.
Atlanta Spring 1988, Dale Sr wins, only two on lead lap, three a lap down.
Atlanta Spring 1978, Bobby Allison wins and is the only car on the lead lap, next four are a lap down the the rest of the field is 3 or more laps behind. Brother Donnie Allison is declared the winner of the November event after the crowd of 40,000 thought Richard Petty had nipped Dave Marcis in a race to the finish. NASCAR scorers failed to notice that Allison had passed both Petty and Marcis with three laps remaining. Donnie’s Hawaiian Tropic Chevy was one of only three on the lead lap.
Atlanta Spring 1968 the winner Cale Yarborough and second place finisher LeeRoy Yarbrough are only two on lead lap.
UPDATE: But Jack! You said you would, what’s the problem now?
NASCAR, Sprint Cup, Auto Racing, Motorsports, Full Throttle, Kyle Busch
I wouldn’t get too much credit. If there is no wear on the right side tires, there is no traction there either. No traction means no racing. No racing, to a NASCAR fan means boring.
I know it’s a thrill to watch a Formula One driver run by himself, putting everything he has into getting the car around the circuit as fast as he can. We saw that same kind of thing with Rowdy last weekend.
But that is why we watch F1, not why we watch NASCAR.
RevJim’s last blog post..How do I say this?
grin … you’re right about NASCAR seemingly bringing back the ‘good ol’ days’!
But, when you think about it — ratings/ticket sales for the “good ol’ days of NASCAR” were about what we’re going to get back to if they don’t find a happy medium with this COT-disaster.
Kind of a shame to go back to what are increasingly CU camera angles, too, especially considering modern broadcast capabilities (uh, to accomplish both ends — FOX’s new gopher-cam, anyone?), but … then again … we sure don’t wanna’ show all of those increasingly empty seats, do we?
I’m just sayin’, lol …
angler’s last blog post..NASCAR: Atlanta Hangover
Come on gal get another angle, (pun intended) there are multiple reasons why event attendence is down and most are unrelated to anything produced on the track.
TV ratings? Puh-lease! Thru the first three Cup events they are up and thru the first four NCTS events they are up. In fact the NCTS is averaging nearly a 30 percent increase.
lol … “angles” — you don’t really wanna’ go toe to toe with me on ANGLES, do ya’? Naaahhhhhhhh, not when foil offers SO many options in the way of hat-tricks … grin …
Seriously … if you’re not talking about current NASCAR event attendance in direct relation to what’s happening ON the track (any track) … then … I offer up ticket prices for the vacancy signs (we’ll never see on broadcast unless FOX/ESPN screw up too much).
Too easy, huh?
Yeah, well …
Simple reason(s) why NCTS is boasting higher tv (et.al.) ratings for the moment:
First, since none of the other major series have opened their gates yet (until this coming weekend, of course, at least with F1, down under), then I suppose that NCTS offers a great Friday night deal for race-nuts … (Who said Saturday night was the only night for fightin’?)
And second, since the COT? If you’re busy with honey-do’s on Saturdays, when the “old cars” are runnin’, then I guess Friday night’s the only time of the weekend you’re actually gonna’ see some wheel-to-wheel, hardass racin’ anymore — at least in relative peace from the “have you done [insert the domestic nonsense] yet??” thing(s), because even a non-race-fan knows that somewhat glazed, bored look in his/her race-crazed partner’s eyes …
And that’s just scratchin’ the absolute surface of stuff I know you’ll just get all wigged out about in order to prove me wrong, grin …
hehe … I’m just kidding … not … am … not …
… but do you really care?
Honestly, darlin’ … part of the reason why ya’ love to hate me is because I hate the COT without reservation, and always have.
I’m still hoping as much as I ever have, however, that it (and/or you) will prove me wrong.
Simply: nothing/no one has yet.
Happy Tuesday!! grin
angler’s last blog post..NASCAR: Atlanta Hangover
What Friday night competition would that be? NHRA… the tape delayed NHRA!
F1… they got nothin’ gal, nothin’ on Friday to lure the unfaithful away. F1’s Fridays are Thursday or in the middle of the night in the States.
How ’bout the local bull rings. Could be, but that flies in the fact of every current and previous bull ring promoter who all claim, nay… swear on a stack of Mythical NASCAR Rulebooks “The Show” has killed the bull rings.
Wanna watch NASCAR ratings decline? Wait until March madness starts. And then they’ll pick up when baseball starts putting us back to sleep. There really isn’t any racing to compete against, it’s usually the other stick and ball sports.