"We're the World Center of Racing. This is the Daytona 500. This is not supposed to happen, and I take full responsibility." - Robin Braig, Daytona Track President
Why?
Why did a pothole stop the race 122 laps in?
Why did the new patch that took one hour and 40 minutes to install crumble just 39 laps later?
And when is NASCAR going to start turning back north?
To be perfectly honest, I didn't really care about the stoppage due to the pothole, because in my NASCAR world the race would've been over by then.
I mean, for someone like me to sit and watch cars go left for two hours is like watching 30 minutes of Tiger Woods lining up a putt. Sure, it's exciting when they jumble up, go three wide and start spinning faster than the Tasmanian Devil, but with the laws that NASCAR has put in place for "protection" the putts will never be exciting to me, even if they win championships.
Simply put, NASCAR has major work to do.
The fact that the Daytona 500 could've been as exciting as that pitiful Nate Robinson dunk fest that needs to be abolished immediately should tell you how bad it has gotten in NASCAR. And then to top things off NASCAR tried to stage a Dale Jr. comeback in the end to make believers think that the "Amped" up Hendricks driver is back. Really?
How about making Sprint Cup drivers drive exclusively in the Sprint Cup? How about developing some new talent in the Nationwide Series? How about getting rid of the restrictor plate, and all the "stop touching me" laws that have turned NASCAR into a pure advertising fashion show?
Let's back to racing, folks! Good ol' fashion racing!
Heck, I think I would enjoy seeing go-karts race at 100 mph crashing in to tires more than watching the overpriced pieces of sheet metal carefully move around each other like a ballet.
Just imagine if the NHL eliminated all fighting.
Well, that's almost how far south NASCAR has gone.
Of course, I don't want to see anyone get hurt, but you can't tell me that having fewer crashes is helping NASCAR ratings. You can't tell me that making the races shorter won't bring back more fans. Most of all, you can't tell me that you honestly enjoyed that six-hour marathon (coincidentally, the length of two football games packed with hard hitting action) that ended with Smoke, Jimmie, and Kasey out of contention.
Instead, Jamie Mac led the charge to the checker with NASCAR celebrity Dale Earnhardt Jr. weaving his way past Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle and David Reutimann, of all drivers, only to come up a car length or so short.
Yes, the new rule for the maximum three attempts at a green, white, checker will help make the end of races a lot more exciting, but if that's the best NASCAR is going to do this 2010 season, fans should just watch the first and last five laps, and flip the channel or take a nap for all the ballet dancing in between.
Heck, maybe I will watch Tiger line up a few putts this spring; after all I will probably have a better chance of spotting him on the golf course than seeing a good door and bumper-banging all-American race.
