Rate The Race: Kentucky

[Revman]

I disagree with a pitcher flirting with a no no as the potential exists for him to give up a hit right up until the last batter he faces. There is always tension and the tension ratchets up the deeper you get into the game.

In Nascar a car that is the class of the field just checks out and even manufactured restarts don't slow it down. Of course anything can happen as the dominant car could run into some sort of trouble but it normally doesn't happen and even if it did a lot of people have already moved on to something else. A leader checking out in Nascar is more akin to a blowout in the NFL where a team is leading 21-0 with 10 minutes to go in the first quarter.

You watch the races from a different angle than I do for sure. There was tremendous tension Saturday--especially after the legit yellow at the end. Just like waiting in anticipation for the next hitter in a no-hitter. I have seen Kyle dominate a few times this year only to have a dribbler up the middle crush his day. Regarding the blow out in the NFL....you missed one hell of a Super Bowl.

 

[Revman]

Please don't take this as a veiled insult or any kind of swipe against you but from what you have said in the past there really isn't anything Nascar is doing that is anyway problematic for you. Based upon that it doesn't surprise me that you liked the KY race and didn't have any issues other than a minor one with the PA system. Cheers!

I am in this group too @Skoalbandit33! As great as everybody says Sonoma is, I found it just as great as every other race I have attended. I supposed that makes me like the guy who when offered a selection of fine wine, chooses the one with alcohol.

 

[CalTenn]

I have no problem with people enjoying racing the way it is now, I started watching when you could go half the race without a break. Small debris or sometimes not even a minor wreck would bring out a caution. I have watched many times at Bristol where the final 150 laps went green. I don't need manufactured racing to enjoy the race. Just keep them safe and let the race unfold naturally .

 

[Skoalbandit33]

I've been to a ton of races myself, just about 100, and while I get what you're saying in terms "bang for your buck" I still feel a NASCAR race is good ROI. I attended Dover and Pocono when they were both 500 milers and now that they're 400 milers I don't feel "short changed". Although, I would be perfectly happy if each track with 2 dates did a 400/500 mile combo. Pocono wanted to do it but TV/NASCAR said no. As for Kentucky, I paid $60 for my ticket and got a great view of the entire track, free parking, brought in water and ice tea and bought two beers at the track and a soft pretzel at the track. I went last year and loved it so I made sure I came back this year. I was thoroughly entertained for the night. Will I return next year? I have every intention to but things change. It's the perfect summer weekend for me to get away.

The weather was absolutely perfect too. I hate the heat so Saturday was about a perfect an early July night you'll get in Northern Kentucky. I really think Kentucky as a facility does a great job of making it fan friendly. It reminds me of a smaller Pocono in terms of the vibe of place.

I am glad to hear from fans like you and Simple fan that went to the track and had a really enjoyable time. Like you I have been to so many races I have forgotten how many but if you attend a race and then watch a replay it can be like seeing 2 different things. Great at the track and not so great from home.

You watch the races from a different angle than I do for sure. There was tremendous tension Saturday--especially after the legit yellow at the end. Just like waiting in anticipation for the next hitter in a no-hitter. I have seen Kyle dominate a few times this year only to have a dribbler up the middle crush his day. Regarding the blow out in the NFL....you missed one hell of a Super Bowl.

I never count the Pats out until the final whistle so I was glad I saw the whole thing. I get what you mean though as you are well versed in the nuances of Nascar and enjoy seeing and hearing things that some fans probably don't notice. I am like that with football and hockey as I like looking for mismatches and other things prior to the beginning of play.

I am in this group too @Skoalbandit33! As great as everybody says Sonoma is, I found it just as great as every other race I have attended. I supposed that makes me like the guy who when offered a selection of fine wine, chooses the one with alcohol.

That is great and I hope more and more fans like you and the others come on board and like what you see. I know I have enjoyed this year and seen some good racing and even though I didn't care for KY it won't stop me from watching from NH.

 

[HoneyBadger]

Not sure it's the car so much as this package. There are many variables that go into performance. The one that is constantly changing is the rules package.

I think a lot of it has to do with night racing too. Truex has dominated the last two years but it really shows in night races. Night racing just isn't very good, it takes many variables out of racing and becomes the best car dominating.

 

[KodiakRusty89]

I think a lot of it has to do with night racing too. Truex has dominated the last two years but it really shows in night races. Night racing just isn't very good, it takes many variables out of racing and becomes the best car dominating.

It was an unusually "cool" July evening for that part of that country. The track temps had to be way down relative to previous years. There's no doubt Truex was on rails. With that said, I rarely saw anyone slipping and sliding in the turns. Even the cars that were experiencing some handling issues.

 

[StandOnIt]

 

[Stu Jameson]

6. I enjoy the night races whether they're running 5 wide up front all race or 1 car checks out. For me, it's an all day affair, kind of like the primetime college games in football season. Just makes Saturday night more enjoyable around here.

 

[ahhculdee]

7. Pretty good racing all over the track despite Truex checking out, not the most exciting race but not the most boring either.

 

[Clutch]

I am glad to hear from fans like you and Simple fan that went to the track and had a really enjoyable time. Like you I have been to so many races I have forgotten how many but if you attend a race and then watch a replay it can be like seeing 2 different things. Great at the track and not so great from home.

At the track you experience the race. The atmosphere, the fans, the noise, fanzone and more......And if you go with friends or family and you create a great memory.....how in the heck can attending a Nascar race be a bad thing?

 

[BobbyFord]

At the track you experience the race. The atmosphere, the fans, the noise, fanzone and more......And if you go with friends or family and you create a great memory.....how in the heck can attending a Nascar race be a bad thing?

Watching a DVR'd race that you attended allows you to see little things that you don't see from your seat but being at the track with friends and family is far more enjoyable.

 

[HoneyBadger]

It was an unusually "cool" July evening for that part of that country. The track temps had to be way down relative to previous years. There's no doubt Truex was on rails. With that said, I rarely saw anyone slipping and sliding in the turns. Even the cars that were experiencing some handling issues.

Even in the heat of the summer, night races suck. Kentucky has never been a good race, except for the one year it was run on a Sunday afternoon because of rain and everyone's car was handling like ****.

Night racing is consistently bad, yet fans are ate up with it. I've got a feeling we're about to enter a phase again where a bunch of races move to Saturday nights because of attendance.

 

[ahhculdee]

Even in the heat of the summer, night races suck. Kentucky has never been a good race, except for the one year it was run on a Sunday afternoon because of rain and everyone's car was handling like sh!t.

Night racing is consistently bad, yet fans are ate up with it. I've got a feeling we're about to enter a phase again where a bunch of races move to Saturday nights because of attendance.

I enjoy night racing, there's just a certain air about it.

 

[HoneyBadger]

I enjoy night racing, there's just a certain air about it.

I prefer day racing, even at the short tracks.

Best Late Model Stock Car race I've ever seen was on a Sunday afternoon at Southern National Motorsports Park -- epic battles between Lee Pulliam, Bradley McCaskill and Kate Dallenbach.

 

[Efisher131]

Night racing is better on dirt, day racing is better on asphalt.

 

[LewTheShoe]

I've been travelling for nearly two weeks. I'm glad that I re-routed through Kentucky, adding only 120 miles to my journey. I had a great time at the race, easy in and easy out, first class facility in every way, and a great crowd was there. I was actually disappointed in the crowd at the green, but they just kept on arriving. And to be sure, many late arrivals had pit passes showing. I looked around during the second stage, and this was a very strong event for live attendance.

At the risk of getting lectured for my opinions by one or more Nascar hating blowhards, I liked the stage racing in person. The breaks between stages are too long, but are that way to accommodate two TV commercial breaks, same as a touchdown in football. So at least I understand it even if I don't like it. I understand those who don't like stage racing, but I'm one old school guy that likes the stages. And we had beautiful weather, a two-for-one show with the Xfinity race, and also proper officiating. I was OK with the 400 mile race distance.

It was a great experience, but not a great race. My rating of the race is 4.5, and that includes extra credit for Kyle Larson's two exciting charges through the field. This was the first bad race of the year. IMO the problem was the track, one grove only, and the hard tires. I don't think aero was the problem; it was the grip characteristics of the new pavement. I'm not sure why that was worse than last year, but it was.

Fortunately, blow out races are pretty rare today, unlike in prior decades. The field of really good teams is deeper and the parity is greater today. The tone of disgust by some who are complaining about "Nascar's pitiful product" and similar comments in this thread, illustrates how Nascar is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Blow out races were common "back in the day," but no one seems to remember those. If today's social media had existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, Nascar would not have been a happy place in those decades. Today it seems that fans expect every race to be a great race, and that just ain't how sporting events work. So it's not gonna happen.

 

[rocket dawg]

Minus 10. I lost power for 3 days, huge storm, watched it on nascrap 120 today. One word comes to mind, as Homer would say. These 1.5 milers are off my list forever. jeez how can it get any more boring? Bonehead of the race? 1.5 mile tracks period. Clean air sucks. Speed isnt the item here, its competition and there isnt any with this "clean air BS" NBC dont help, but it wasnt as annoying as the last few years with these jackholes. Who has the advantage? whoever has the lead at the time. " the first place driver "checked out" well, so are the fans.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

I've been travelling for nearly two weeks. I'm glad that I re-routed through Kentucky, adding only 120 miles to my journey. I had a great time at the race, easy in and easy out, first class facility in every way, and a great crowd was there. I was actually disappointed in the crowd at the green, but they just kept on arriving. And to be sure, many late arrivals had pit passes showing. I looked around during the second stage, and this was a very strong event for live attendance.

At the risk of getting lectured for my opinions by one or more Nascar hating blowhards, I liked the stage racing in person. The breaks between stages are too long, but are that way to accommodate two TV commercial breaks, same as a touchdown in football. So at least I understand it even if I don't like it. I understand those who don't like stage racing, but I'm one old school guy that likes the stages. And we had beautiful weather, a two-for-one show with the Xfinity race, and also proper officiating. I was OK with the 400 mile race distance.

It was a great experience, but not a great race. My rating of the race is 4.5, and that includes extra credit for Kyle Larson's two exciting charges through the field. This was the first bad race of the year. IMO the problem was the track, one grove only, and the hard tires. I don't think aero was the problem; it was the grip characteristics of the new pavement. I'm not sure why that was worse than last year, but it was.

Fortunately, blow out races are pretty rare today, unlike in prior decades. The field of really good teams is deeper and the parity is greater today. The tone of disgust by some who are complaining about "Nascar's pitiful product" and similar comments in this thread, illustrates how Nascar is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Blow out races were common "back in the day," but no one seems to remember those. If today's social media had existed back in the 70's, 80's, and 90's, Nascar would not have been a happy place in those decades. Today it seems that fans expect every race to be a great race, and that just ain't how sporting events work. So it's not gonna happen.

The condensed version would be that you saw a bad race at a good track that was easy in easy out and there was a decent sized crowd.

Regarding the rest of your tome I don't think you need to be in fear of getting lectured about liking stages as several people on here either can deal with them or like them.

Of course you don't think aero is the problem as you could be driving the second place car being buffeted by dirty air watching the leader check out and you would think it was something else.

You have missed the boat on on what makes a bad race as I know that one car spanking the field doesn't bother me as that is only one aspect of it. I know others feel the same way but the problem was there was nothing redeeming about the race especially from home.

As far as what went on in Nascar years ago many people enjoyed what they saw and despite your attempts to denigrate what people enjoyed it doesn't change it. If Nascar had planned stoppages, bogus cautions, lucky dogs and wave arounds who knows what it would have been like. What you fail to grasp about the old days was that you never knew which cars would make it to the end and it wasn't uncommon for leaders to bow out from overheating or another mechanical failure. You always watched as you didn't know what would happen.

About all that is left to say is don't be so paranoid and don't worry about what others think about what you like and dislike. You are making mountains out of molehills.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

Minus 10. I lost power for 3 days, huge storm, watched it on nascrap 120 today. One word comes to mind, as Homer would say. These 1.5 milers are off my list forever. jeez how can it get any more boring? Bonehead of the race? 1.5 mile tracks period. Clean air sucks. Speed isnt the item here, its competition and there isnt any with this "clean air BS" NBC dont help, but it wasnt as annoying as the last few years with these jackholes. Who has the advantage? whoever has the lead at the time. " the first place driver "checked out" well, so are the fans.

Lew said aero wasn't the problem.

 

[LewTheShoe]

At the risk of getting lectured for my opinions by one or more Nascar hating blowhards...

Well, I took the risk.

 

[LewTheShoe]

Of course you don't think aero is the problem as you could be driving the second place car being buffeted by dirty air watching the leader check out and you would think it was something else.

When Truex gapped the field and had a 4 second lead, the second car had clean air on his nose. But the gap grew to 8 seconds. And then 12 seconds, and then 16. Clean air vs dirty air was not the reason, as anyone watching could clearly see (at track or on TV). BTW, thanks for the insult. I'll consider the source and regard it as a compliment.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

When Truex gapped the field and had a 4 second lead, the second car had clean air on his nose. But the gap grew to 8 seconds. And then 12 seconds, and then 16. Clean air vs dirty air was not the reason, as anyone watching could clearly see (at track or on TV). BTW, thanks for the insult. I'll consider the source and regard it as a compliment.

Despite what you may think I truly enjoy your contributions whether I agree with them or not. Your earnestness, method of interpretation and your love and defense of Nascar is all good and Nascar could use many more fans like you. Cheers!

 

[Goose61]

I turned on the TV Saturday night to watch a race, but it never did come on.

No score.

 

[LewTheShoe]

your love and defense of Nascar is all good and Nascar could use many more fans like you.

There are several things in life that I love and will defend as a matter of course, but Nascar is not one of them. For everything else, including questions about Nascar, I make up my mind on a case-by-case basis.

I am still interested to hear your view on how Truex threw a wake of dirty air that slowed down chasers that were half a lap behind. I'd like to ask that you explain that one.

 

[StandOnIt]

There are several things in life that I love and will defend as a matter of course, but Nascar is not one of them. For everything else, including questions about Nascar, I make up my mind on a case-by-case basis.

I am still interested to hear your view on how Truex threw a wake of dirty air that slowed down chasers that were half a lap behind. I'd like to ask that you explain that one.

They were doing laps in around 28, 30 ish seconds depending on traffic, Tire falloff wasn't a factor or a help with the hockey pucks and a one lane track they had to work with. Truex at times was 15 to 16 seconds ahead of second so he was over half a lap ahead of the second place car. Dirty air behind Truex could be explained by using the D.W. "vortex" theory. Many races back in the day and even pray tell on the much beloved and to some and cure all for all of Nascar's, ills, the short tracks, had two or three cars on the lead lap for the finish. A twisted view of Nascar exists with the highlight reels of old that shows a handful of races and racing incidents (the big one) or a close battle for the win or bump and run passing (in the grass) are shown every year. They have conditioned many of the viewers a misshapen view of the years past. Many of the same fans that complain loudly about the stages, scream to high heaven when they get a glimpse of what the majority of races back in the day were like with the winner half a lap ahead or more when the checkered flag falls like the Truex win. As they say..ah.. same ol ****

 

[Skoalbandit33]

There are several things in life that I love and will defend as a matter of course, but Nascar is not one of them. For everything else, including questions about Nascar, I make up my mind on a case-by-case basis.

I am still interested to hear your view on how Truex threw a wake of dirty air that slowed down chasers that were half a lap behind. I'd like to ask that you explain that one.

I never said that he did as the 78 car could have been pulling a mobile home and checked out.

 

[Skoalbandit33]

It is remarkable how many poor old sods who claimed to have watched Nascar way back when don't understand what made it so enjoyable for many of us.

 

[rocket dawg]

Back in the Richard Petty era, 5 or 6 different brands of car makers, rules were in place but tons of "gray" areas. The best innovative race car builders "checked out " on the field. Today each car goes thru so many inspections, so many rules and measurements, templates, engine size, all have the same exact tire, etc. All cars are almost equal to keep competition close and "exciting" So when a car 'checks out" even if its my favorite driver, I check out. A race between a Hellcat and a Town and Country station wagon isnt exciting either. So when the lead cars starts lapping the 30th thru 40th place cars in 15 laps...Yawn... On these 1.5 milers, realistically there are probably only 4 cars who could possible win and they usually qualify in the top 8 ( except the 42 last week). Invert the whole field? It would be much more exciting.

 

[FLRacingFan]

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