The Exception.
I have never cared much for burnouts, and I like the Mark Martin mindset: love and respect the equipment. If you want to show off the car, put it on display somewhere, but don't just blow it up for the hell of it.
There is a balance, and a race car is built to be abused; just have a little respect. Use it up with some intelligence, as in skillfully getting everything out of the car in order to get the best possible results. Yes to draining everything out of the car, but it should be all about optimization.
Maybe I am just out of touch with old, antiquated ideas that no longer apply. A lot of it goes back to the local Saturday night short track days. Try to get a season out of an engine with just a mid-season refresh/rebuild. You will want to use the same engine and every component on the car for the race next week.
Unless you are filthy rich, just having the money and support to race next week makes you very fortunate. You avoid things like a needless burnout because even them tires are precious only to be used up in competition, and they could possibly be used for the heat races next week. A front-running LMS car in some cases can even resell them to a team with less money. Just don't burn it up with a useless post-race burnout.
That's the end of the rant because Hocevar's post-race celebration was an exception and a bit of fresh air, probably the best one ever or at least going back to Kulwicki's Polish victory lap.
When he took a few moments to position himself to drive it while hanging out the window, I just wasn't sure. Then the car headed toward the wall, and I was just hoping that the kid wouldn't fall out of the car and run over himself. When he finished it by bumping it up against the wall, I thought it was clumsy until he did the actual burnout.
But the pure joy on his face, the celebration with the fans, and the originality of it all were pure charisma. He has always had the speed that many fans love, along with some immature moments for those who are not his fans. But his personality really came through during the celebration; that alone will resonate with many.
He has the substance (speed), and he is more than an attention clown. A ton of personality that doesn't appear to be a schooled or well-trained corporate personality. He is a natural and the type that is good for NASCAR, and even needed.
It was perfect, but a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and the only way I can think of topping it on the next win is not to try. It would be impossible to re-create, and NASCAR will probably ban the post-race door hanging
driving.
Avoid the burnout too and just keep the happy smile while celebrating with the fans.