Does It Get Cold In Hotlanta?
In 1960 it opened its doors, the fourth super speedway of NASCAR’s existence
after Darlington, Daytona, and Charlotte. Since then it has changed owners
several times – Larry Lopatin bought it from the original owners in 1970, almost
bankrupted it, then L.G. DeWitt acquired it, and now it is part of Bruton
Smith’s Speedway Motorsports empire.
Atlanta International Raceway – now known as Atlanta Motor Speedway – used to
be the finale of the season. This year it is the first of four races left to go.
This position is not unfamiliar to Atlanta history, and also not unfamiliar is
Atlanta as a pivot point in the title chase – with the 1975 switch of its second
500-miler from August to November, the track became a focal area for the
championship. Richard Petty’s blown engine in 1976 wrapped up Cale Yarborough’s
first title; Darrell Waltrip retook the point lead by two over Petty in 1979;
Cale Yarborough’s dominant win edged him within 29 points of Dale Earnhardt in
1980; Darrell Waltrip’s top fives in 1981-2 edged him closer to his first two
titles; Bobby Allison’s late spin set up a title showdown in the final race of
1983; Terry Labonte and Harry Gant’s DNFs set up a showdown in 1984’s finale.
For awhile Atlanta was not the scene of decision in points, but in 1988 it
was the season finale and saw a close outcome in points, as Rusty Wallace raced
for the win and came up short in points to Bill Elliott. In 1989 it was Dale
Earnhardt who had to dominate to try for the title, while Rusty survived two
broken wheels and loose lug nuts to hold on for his only title. Earnhardt
sweated out 1990’s Mark Martin challenge for the title, then aced it by
qualifying in 1991.
The Atlanta race still talked about is 1992, when Davey Allison crashed, Bill
Elliott won, and Alan Kulwicki led the most laps and finished second with only
high gear, winning the title by just ten points. Allison’s crash really changed
the dynamic of the race; a sure top five would have won the title for Davey.
The rest of the 1990s has been largely anticlimactic – only Jeff Gordon’s
stumbling performance in 1997 had any hope of altering the title chase. Since
then the title chase has been clinched before anyone turned a practice lap at
Atlanta.
Given how this year’s point race has gone lately, Tony Stewart, the winner
here in March, should have a fairly easy go of it as far as points go. If he
crashes, then the point battle takes a totally different turn, but it is
dependent on him falling out and his pursuers finishing high for the point race
to change.
The track has promised 30 official lead changes in this race – hardly an
out-on-a-limb pick given that the track has been quite competitive since the end
of 1998. Two of the sport’s most famous finishes occurred here in the last three
seasons – Dale Earnhardt’s photo-finish win over Bobby Labonte in 2000, and
Kevin Harvick’s breakthrough photo over Jeff Gordon the next year.
So the odds are this will be one of the best races of 2002.
Has the process of NASCAR eating its young begun?
There is considerable discussion as to the future of the Dash series, a
14-race series for V6 subcompacts that began in 1975 as the Baby Grand National
division. Tom Ballos recently stated that 2003 may be the final year of NASCAR
sanction for the Dash cars.1
Sponsors have generally not been going to the Dash series or any other NASCAR
touring series because they want the media exposure of Winston Cup. Plus the
touring series are always a needed pool of crew and driver talent.
If NASCAR disbands or sells off the Dash series, it will be a case of the big
sanctioning body eating its young.
And then there is The Dating Game.2
B. Duane Cross discusses the schedule and writes, "NASCAR apparently
doesn’t get the message: less is more." No, NASCAR gets the message fine –
less is NOT more. Cross’ gripe is basically another gripe that Kentucky Speedway
will not get a Winston Cup date, never mind that there really isn’t a need for
it. Sure, a race at Kentucky would be great, as would a race at Nashville, a
second date at Fontana, a second date at Texas, a second date at Kansas, a
second Vegas date, and a second Chicagoland date, all of which could easily fit
into the schedule.
Still, NASCAR has no present plans to expand the season, and the gripes thus
focus on tracks that have two dates already. Cross dredges up that Pocono has
two Winston Cup dates, forgetting it is within several hours of New York and
Philly, markets more important than Kentucky. New Hampshire has two dates
because it is an hour from Boston, another more important area than Kentucky.
NASCAR should add dates at Kentucky et al – but if they don’t, then don’t
take it out on the tracks that already have dates. They earned them and deserve
to keep them.
One former Winston Cup track, meanwhile, is getting ready for a season finale
of its own. Thompson Speedway hosts The World Series Of Auto Racing at the end
of October, the final race of the year for the Featherlite Modified Tour. Mike
Stefanik has a solid lead in points and only needs a top ten for the Tour title.
Also campaigning this weekend are the track’s Late Model, Pro Stock, and
Sunoco-sponsored SK Modified classes. Ted Christopher will again be doing
double-duty, running Mystique Motorsports’ Tour mod as well as its SK-class Mod;
Terrible Ted holds a 112-point lead on Ron Yuhas Jr. in Thompson’s Sunoco Mod
class; Mike O’Sullivan, in contrast, leads Norm Wrenn in Por Stocks by a mere 28
points, while in Late Models Woody Pitkat has an even smaller point lead on Marc
Palmisano – only 20.
Thompson’s high banks and large size for a short track – 5/8 of a mile – make
for some great action, so the World Series Of Auto Racing should be an exciting
event.
Points for qualifying?3
Joe Foster argues that the sport now needs such, because what has happened in
qualifying since NASCAR went to the one engine rule, mandated shock package, and
banning of bump stop setups is that qualifying has become irrelevant – teams
make no serious effort during qualifying.
Foster believes that qualifying should mean something again, and proposes a
50-point bonus for qualifying; under his system the present point race tightens
up somewhat and some top-ten spots change hands.
While this certainly would change the dynamics of the point race, we ought to
wonder if it is for the better. Qualifying really should not be anything but a
decider of where one starts. Driver skill isn’t displayed in qualifying – it is
in traffic that real skill is shown. Foster skimps over the budgetary concerns
behind elimination of qualifying engines and shocks, and he is wrong to do so –
teams still invest too much into qualifying. At Talladega it was noted that
teams had to change hubs, shocks, oils, everything on the cars between
qualifying and race practice – why? Why can’t they just run the same hubs,
shocks, etc. in qualifying, practice, and the race? It is stupid to have to
change so much for qualifying and the race – the teams should not be changing ANYTHING
beyond wedge and spring rubbers between time trials and the race.
No, qualifying points should NEVER be awarded. It is a corruption of the
point race and a detriment to the racing.