Speedweeks Continuing – Institute a No-Blocking Rule
Rain washed out Sunday activities and also played havoc with Monday’s. First
scheduled was the Daytona Dash race, ending after 44 of 60 laps due to more
rain. Toyota and Robert Huffman took the win and Arlene Pittman took a hard shot
in the inside wall.
With the Dash race done hope turned to getting in Daytona 500 qualifying, but
rain pushed it back to latter afternoon. With the possibility that it would not
get in at all, the question should have been discussed of why NASCAR after the
Sunday rainout didn’t simply line up the 125s based on owner points as they
lined up Talladega and other races where rain washed out time trials. Postponing
and postponing time trials when the 125s are what matter certainly does not help
matters, and if a future Speedweeks is plagued even more than this year’s by
rain, NASCAR should have a contingency plan – line up the qualifiers on owner
points; the winners of the 125s take the front row for the 500, the remainder of
each race’s top 15 line up in their respective rows, and the remaining 13
starters are filled by owner points.
But of course time trials did get underway and a number of shocks were found.
There were also some surprises, too.
The Teresa Earnhardt Chevrolets were the overwhelming favorites for the front
row, and they in fact got the front row – but of the second 125; the 500 pole
went to DEI’s engineering partner, RCR, and its #30 Chevrolet of Jeff Green.
Junior nonetheless timed second and will get the loudest applause of all drivers
all week from the raucous celebration heard after the Daytona Shootout.
As expected the Fords were the ones most affected by the aero-matching rule,
and one can almost see the non-Chevy line forming at the NASCAR transporter over
Chevy’s dominance.
The biggest surprise of all was actually something of a non-surprise – Tony
Stewart has yet to have a productive Speedweeks, and his engine failure before
putting up a speed was in keeping with the engine failure at the start of last
year’s 500 and his generally lousy results in Daytona during Februarys.
We also found out rather graphically that Mike Skinner’s great lap in testing
was a fraud, while Greg Biffle’s lousy Speedweeks suddenly got stout on pole
day. While Skinner was poor on the charts, Ricky Craven showed he is once and
for all this season’s Pontiac chief, with the only Grand Prix in the top 27.
Biffle’s lousy luck until now, meanwhile, carried on with Jeff Burton, 45th on
pole day.
With Speedweeks comes the inevitable moaning and groaning about blocking and
restrictor plate racing.1
"The 2002 running of the Daytona 500 would see Kevin Harvick blocking
Jeff Gordon during Lap 149 to the point of an eighteen car pileup…….."
Now in this particular incident, blocking was not the culprit – Harvick already
had the bottom lane and had the corner entering One, and receoved a cheap shot
by Gordon. It is reminiscent of the alibi Rusty Wallace offered after getting
blasted into a tumble at Talladega by Dale Earnhardt in 1993; Rusty said at the
time, "I shouldn’t have thrown a block like that." He didn’t; he took
the bottom lane well over three seconds BEFORE Earnhardt nailed him.
The 2002 Daytona 500 crash had nothing particular to do with blocking. The
Firecracker 400 melee the following July, however, WAS the fault of blocking
thanks to Dale Jarrett and Jeff Burton. And when the issue comes up for
discussion, the same bogus argument is made – "You’re forced to block in
restrictor plate racing."
Absolutely not. There is no need for blocking, be it at Daytona or anywhere
else. "Defensive racing is based on the loss of momentum, as offensive
racing is based on throttle response……." Offensive racing is not based
on throttle response; it is based on drafting. The most encouraging aspect of
the Shootout was that the draft got back to where it needs to work; dirty air
pulled cars forward and allowed them to pass.
What is seen now in blocking has to end, and the only way to end it is for
NASCAR to ban it – under no circumstances should any driver be allowed to change
his line to impede another car from passing. Making your car wide should be
ended once and for all. Cars can side draft high or low to hold a spot, which
leaves a car trying to pass an escape route. Blocking takes away escape routes,
and this is why is needs to be banned.
The IRL’s no-blocking rule has been a consistent success, and should serve as
the template for a no-blocking rule in NASCAR.
NASCAR’s out-of-bounds rule has contributed to blocking by eliminating a
legitimate passing lane and escape route, and also needs to be eliminated.
Contrary to popular argument, the rule is not even relevant to keeping cars off
the angled transition in the turns; its only effect is closing a legitimate
passing lane on the straights.
Before the out-of-bounds rule, cars passed below the yellow line down the
straights and couldn’t be successfully blocked off. There was no safety issue
involved at all; not once did racing below the yellow line contribute to any
crash.
Meanwhile, on Florida area short tracks, Ted Christopher drew some early
season blood; two straight nights of victory in his Modified at New Smyrna
Speedway.
It brings to mind a curious question – given that other NASCAR divisions open
their season in Florida, why not schedule a Mod Tour point race or two during
Speedweeks concurrent with the "outlaw" Mod races already run?
As it is, the Mod Tour used to begin its season at Daytona International
Speedway, first on the sprawling road course, then in 1977 on the super oval.
The superspeedway events, though, were more like the IROC series because the Mod
Tour was allowed to use Camaro-type full-fendered racecars on the high banks.
Finally, if it gets really warm at Daytona, Derrike Cope may become one of
the more popular drivers in the garage, as teams may bum him for some of his
sponsor’s product – Friendly Ice Cream, something that always seems to go down
well at racetracks.