Rate The Race: Talladega 1

If Chase could have somehow won it would have been a 10. I think that was the most entertaining race of the year yet. 9.
 
9 the strategy was better, the first 1-3 was green. The cars need to be fixed better in the garage prior to race return.
 
7. Great racing, scary wrecks. Too hard to pass the leader. Much different pack racing style than 3 or 4 years ago, the leader is much more aggressive in blocking. Used to be they held their line. Now they just look in their mirror, listen to their spotter, and pray they don't get turned.

Race should've been called after Kenseth went into the fence. With the angle that he hit it, if the car was elevated up 5 more feet he would've gone straight through the cheese grader...errr..."catchfence" as the ignorant call it.
 
It is an intense race to watch. The cars dance around while the drivers try to keep them under control. A small mistake can become a big wreck - even no mistakes can become a big wreck. I have the utmost respect for the drivers that run in packs, even the ones that start the wrecks (they run a lot of laps w/o wrecking). I feel bad for the teams that have scrap metal to show for their efforts. I have to admit my stomach is in knots watching the cars run when not wrecking. Every crash and I'm looking to see which of my favorites are involved.
 
Today showed exactly why Gordon was completely terrified of plate racing the last 10 or so years of his career. And oddly enough, he has the most plate wins all-time.

I don't know how these guys do it. The first race I ever saw was at Daytona at the age of 8 and to this day I still watch in awe at how they can control the uncontrollable...until they don't. Watching them race in these packs completely on the edge still takes my breath away.
 
AdoubleU24 said:
Today showed exactly why Gordon was completely terrified of plate racing the last 10 or so years of his career. And oddly enough, he has the most plate wins all-time.

I don't know how these guys do it. The first race I ever saw was at Daytona at the age of 8 and to this day I still watch in awe at how they can control the uncontrollable...until they don't. Watching them race in these packs completely on the edge still takes my breath away.
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Mark Martin explained it best, when saying why he liked tandem racing. He said the tandems went faster because there was more control with two cars, a pusher and a drafter. He said when you get in big packs, every car is out of control except the race leader.

Even worse now is that it seems in these "unpredictable races", that one car can drive away from the rest of the pack with ease and not have any problems.
 
9
I hate cautions and wrecks, but the green flag racing yesterday was some of the best I've ever seen on a plate track. NASCAR needs to get rid of those ridiculous angles on the inside walls and raise the inside catch fences a few more feet. 3 close calls this weekend on the inside of the track that could have ended very badly....completely unacceptable.
 
AndyMarquisLive said:
1.

Fortunately, nobody left this race in a bodybag.
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Michfan said:
It's matter of time. It's disgrace to call this racing.
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Charlie Spencer said:
0. I hate this place.
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Agree with the above, I hate this place too, but I rate this race 7.5.

If we are having a referendum on plate races, I'd vote "No." I'd prefer to run the Daytona 500 on the Daytona road course, and reallocate the Firecracker 400 date plus both Talladega dates to races in Iowa, Canada, and Mexico.

For this thread, I'm expressing my opinion on the races we have, not the races I wish we had. This was a very good plate race, hard fought from flag to flag, with a very deserving winner. I might even have boosted my score by a half point because my guy won. (And I was entertained by Drama Queen 20's verbal attack upon Joey Logano, but I give no points for that.)
 
7.0 When there was actual racing rather than the wreck fest, it was good but it is such a shame we must watch race cars torn apart for viewer enjoyment. It is a sad commentary on the sport when carnage takes over for good racing. Give me Martinsville or Richmond any day.
 
9.5 The wreck on the very last lap was one too many, but the racing at the front of the pack was incredible. There were so many lead changes yesterday and they were real, not just someone going to pit.
The weather played a huge factor in the race and the whole race guys were trying to get to the front. We need to figure out how to replicate that each week. One of the things I like most about this track is that anyone has a chance to win. When was the last time they talked about Bobby Labonte in the 32? Even Clint Bowyer was in the top 10 for a while.
 
Just finished watching it!

10 for me - but guess my opinion as a newbie doesn't count for much!

It had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Nearly 20 different leaders - that laughs in the face of other motorsports where there are only 20 cars competing in total!

The thrill and excitement of watching those cars draft at 200mph is immense - it's like watching a Hitchcock thriller; you know something big is going to happen but you don't know where or when!

Accidents in the pit lane!

Dale's steering wheel coming off!!

Cars in the air - unbelievable viewing. Those guys are immense sportsmen!

Had to keep delaying watching the final few laps as I was watching the greatest story in English soccer happen tonight (Leicester winning the Prem!! - basically like Gilliland winning the title in NASCAR!)

Knock me down about my love for Dega, but nothing will remove the pure happiness that has just given me this evening!! :)
 
I'm beyond pissed off I missed this race. Sounds like a lot of action and my driver won it all to boot.
 
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5. Typical plate racing. The tandem racing was so much better.
 
I like the way the cars have raced at RP tracks lately. Too many crashed cars but I really do love to watch the pack operate. I'll go a 7.5... Would have been higher if they could have held it together at the end a bit more.
 
I say 9 for the race itself. It's one of the few races in recent years that I watched every second of and didn't skip anything.
 
Just saw it. I'd give it an 8. My driver won but plate racing just isn't my thing. 1.5's and Fontana have provided the best racing so far.
 
2. And here's why.Talladega used to by my favorite track, even after the advent of plate racing. It used to keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering who would win, wondering if there would be a big one (and hoping there wouldn't). The only thing this embarrassment kept me wondering was if anyone would even finish.
 
VaDirt said:
2. And here's why.Talladega used to by my favorite track, even after the advent of plate racing. It used to keep me on the edge of my seat, wondering who would win, wondering if there would be a big one (and hoping there wouldn't). The only thing this embarrassment kept me wondering was if anyone would even finish.
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35 of the 40 car field were involved in at least one accident. 2 cars had expired engines. That leaves 3 cars that weren't crash damaged.
This isn't racing.
 
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