NASCAR's Embarrassing Night at Richmond
Photo courtesy of Sportingnews.com
Back in 1999 I attended my one and only WWE match in person. We all belly laughed as Stone Cold Steve Austin drove a beer truck into the arena and sprayed Vince McMahon with beer. Funny stuff. Last night, NASCAR’s final regular season race at Richmond, we saw an ambulance pull onto a track during a caution and stop right at the entrance of pit road causing mayhem and eventually taking out a playoff contender. Unlike the WWE event, ambulancegate was not staged. And I did not laugh.
Oh but wait, there’s more. With one lap remaining, NASCAR decided to throw a caution for a car going slow, just trying to finish the race. That WWE-like decision ended up costing Martin Truex a victory AND destroying his race car.
NASCAR has been suffering through some tough times. Fans have left the sport in droves as measured in the number of empty seats at most races and sinking television ratings. In what should have been a marquee event, last night became another laughingstock moment rivaling that beer spraying WWE event.
Sure, Kyle Larson is every bit a deserving driver, but this win is tainted. That is if his car passes the NASCAR inspection which will come in a few days. You see, now in the world of NASCAR a win isn’t a win until late Tuesday or Wednesday when NASCAR inspects the winning car. That’s where the new NASCAR word, “encumbered” comes into play.
For too many years we’ve watched crappy cars on crappy tracks with vanilla drivers. Too many weekends have been spent talking about boring races, single grove race tracks and empty seats. Since about mid-summer, I think we’ve all seen an uptick in racing. Racing for playoff points certainly had much to do with that as has the decrease downforce in the cars.
It looked for all intents and purposes as if NASCAR had finally turned the corner. New stars with personalities such as Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney entered NASCAR’s world and with exsisting stars with personalities, like Kyle Busch, the future finally looked brighter.
Than we have that circus show Saturday night. As having experience in Emergency Services, there is no way no how that rig entered that track without being told to. Much of the criticism has been unfairly directed at that crew. I call bull crap. I’m certain that rig was told to respond. The real issue is why wasn’t pit road closed?
So we survived that WWE/Bozo moment and racing resumed and then the caution from nowhere ruined Martin Truex night. How in the world does NASCAR or anyone with any sense throw a caution flag for a car going slow just making laps?
I wonder what’s in store for us next week? One thing for sure, NASCAR had an awful night Saturday night at Richmond. They owe their fans much better than that. Like Tom Hagen in “Godfather”, someone should be yelling to NASCAR, “An apology! An apology Senator”.
Thanks for reading. Listen to WTBQ radio on Monday and Friday mornings at 8:45 as I join Frank, Taylor and the Morning Show gang to discuss all the current happenings in NASCAR. 1110AM 93.5FM or online at WTBQ.COM. You can also follow me on twitter @JimLaplante
