Infineon race may be most competitive in NASCAR
Sunday’s race at Infineon Raceway was so entertaining, I found myself trying to remember the last time I’d enjoyed a race at that track so much.
Um, let’s see, that would have been last year’s race at infineon Raceway.
I once viewed the race out in Sonoma, Calif., as an unwelcome intruder on the Sprint Cup schedule, an unnecessary diversion from oval-track races in NASCAR’s heartland in the Southeastern U.S.
Now, I see it as a very welcome break from the summer swing that sees two races each within a 15-race span at Dover, Pocono, Michigan and New Hampshire. (At least one of those tracks should lose a race date. I’m not going to name names here, but the track in question is located in a mountainous area.)
Yesterday’s race at Infineon Raceway featured hard racing, off-road excursions and produced more spins than a Washington, D.C., public relations firm. You had newcomers such as Marcos Ambrose and AJ Allmendinger driving like champions and championship-caliber drivers such as Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards getting in over their heads.
NASCAR’s new double-file restart rule was everything it was expected to be on a road course, producing several exciting restarts.
Infineon Raceway – and to a lesser extent, Watkins Glen International – is the only track where driving talent trumps the advantage a handful of multicar teams enjoy in finances, research and development, equipment and manpower. Where else could Australian Ambrose, running with a first-year team, finish a legitimate third and outrun Cup stars such as Johnson and Denny Hamlin?
The racing seems to get better at Infineon Raceway each year, and here’s my theory: As more NASCAR drivers have become proficient at road racing, it has raised the stakes for everyone at the two road courses. Teams seem to be doing more road-course testing, and those teams without a driver in the championship hunt are now more likely to put road-course ringers such as Max Papis, Patrick Carpentier and Ron Fellows in their car.
Add road-racing aces such as Juan Pablo Montoya and Ambrose to the mix and you have a field deep in talent. More drivers seem to have the potential to win at the circuit’s two road courses than at any other track, with the possible exception of the two restrictor-plate speedways.
Add it all up and you have an entertaining event. I can’t wait for next year’s race in Sonoma.
