Opinions on Racing
The RacinDeals archive: race reports, commentary, and the conversations that followed.
One of the sport’s unresolved controversies has been the utility of the Latford point system. The controversy stems from the system’s emphasis on a team’s average finish as opposed to general performance. Defenders of the system note that driver and team consistency should matter in a points race and that the Latford system has […]
So 1999’s NASCAR season has finally come to an end. Within the season were many events worthy of comment and worthy of "awards." So, the envelope, please: 1999 NASCAR DRIVER OF THE YEAR – Tony Stewart. The winningest rookie in 35 seasons, Stewart rewrote NASCAR’s modern era record books for rookies. IDIOCY […]
It’s official. NASCAR has abandoned the two TV networks that are primarily responsible for NASCAR’s popularity. ESPN/ABC and TNN/CBS have been shut out by NBC/TBS (TBS!) and Fox. Let’s see…after this year, the total number of Winston Cup races broadcast by NBC and Fox will be…. one. TBS does have some experience with NASCAR. They […]
There is no parity in NASCAR. Now you might think this an inaccurate assumption. NASCAR has obsessed itself with achieving parity, and by many standards it has never seen greater parity than it has today. By November 1999 NASCAR had seen eleven different winners – Jeff Gordon with seven wins, Jeff Burton with […]
I disagree with Mr. Harness on the NASCAR point system. I dislike the NASCAR point system. It’s possible for a driver to never win a race but win the championship. I know, it’s consistency. No other sport decides it’s champion this way. Not baseball, football, basketball, or even boxing. They would never put a […]
If Bill France Jr. had appointed me to run the day-to-day operation of NASCAR instead of Mike Helton, things would be a whole lot different. For one thing, Mr. France would be undergoing psychiatric evaluation to determine his competency, since I’m a computer programmer with no significant experience either in racing or running a business. […]
In response to comments by Jeff Gordon about the NASCAR point system, Glen Harness authored a defense of the present point system. It is worth examining. A little history is in order, first, for controversy about NASCAR’s point system has raged for several decades. One of the first controversies came around 1968, when Bobby Isaac […]
We haven’t heard this in a couple of years, but it’s popped up again. What am I talking about? The fact that the Winston Cup points system doesn’t reward the winner with more points. You heard it a few years ago when Rusty Wallace was winning 10 races a year but not the championship. Now, […]
Got the chance again to cover the Talladega races from the press box. I know the drivers hate restrictor plate races, but from a fan’s standpoint, they have the potential to be the most exciting races of the season. Earnhardt proved again why he’s called "Mr. Restrictor Plate." He sliced through that pack like a […]
Just about every major racing series had an event over the weekend. Everyone from F1 to the IRL got some TV time. Here’s some stuff that came to mind as I watched some of the action over the weekend. Does every F1 race start off with a crash in the first turn? Or is it […]