Hard Turn
A NASCAR BLOG BY Jeff Owens
Is Sonoma NASCAR’s New Bristol?
Are NASCAR’s road courses the new short tracks?
For years, NASCAR’s short ovals have been widely regarded as some of NASCAR’s most popular tracks, producing some of the best racing on the circuit.
After what we saw Sunday at Infineon Raceway, I’m wondering if the road courses might be on the verge of becoming the new short tracks. You know, kind of like 40 is the new 30?
With all the bumping and banging and spinning and fender-banging we saw in Sonoma, Calif., the action there certainly resembled a short track.
It even reminded me of Bristol and Martinsville the way Tony Stewart and Marcos Ambrose were trying to track down Kasey Kahne at the end while everyone behind them was busy wrecking and running into each other.
The only thing that could have enhanced the excitement would have been if Stewart or Ambrose had gotten close enough to Kahne to use their bumper or force their way into the lead.
Thinking back on it, it seems that the last few road-course races, all with NASCAR’s new model Sprint Cup car, have produced similar action, which suddenly makes the Aug. 9 race at Watkins Glen highly anticipated.
That also begs the question: If this new car, paired with the new double-file restarts, produces such compelling action in road races,
shouldn’t NASCAR consider adding another road course to the schedule?
How about Montreal?’
How about turning Pocono into a road course?
How about going to Daytona a third time and running the road course there?
And doesn’t Indy have a road course?
Road courses used to be a thorn in everyone’s side. They were boring to watch, drivers hated them, and practically everyone dreaded seeing them come up on the schedule.
But somehow NASCAR keeps producing compelling road races (maybe it is the road rage), so maybe we all need to adjust our thinking.
Maybe the road courses are the new short tracks.
Maybe Sonoma is the new Bristol.
Jeff Owens
Jeff Owens has been covering NASCAR since 1991 and began covering the circuit full time in 1993. He has been with NASCAR Scene since 1998.
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Comments
5 responses to "Is Sonoma NASCAR’s New Bristol?". Post a Comment.
sundaemunny said:
Jun 23, 2009 at 3:46 PMFunny, that's exactly what I was thinking as I watched the race. The repaving and proximity to the 'chase' have tamed Bristol from uniquely exciting to Michigan with traffic. The glut of 1 1/2 mile relatively flat tracks sure don't produce 'rubbin' is racin' action. Thank goodness for the road courses! How about Lime Rock, or VIR?
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» Confirm Abuse ReportOSUSam said:
Jun 23, 2009 at 7:42 PMI've been to Infineon a number of times. It's a great place for spectators to watch a road race. It sits down in a bowl and you can see quite a bit more than other road courses. I'd be up for one more road race on the schedule. Now, where that place is would be up for debate. How about Sebring? Lot's of speed there.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportthereesons said:
Jun 24, 2009 at 7:01 AMI would love to see a Cup race in Montreal.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportSTP43FAN said:
Jun 24, 2009 at 1:00 PMSUNDAEMUNNY - "Rubbin-is-racing action" isn't. Rubbing IS NOT racing. The road courses have not produced anything beyond a bunch of crashes, and the short tracks haven't been a whole lot better. "The way Tony Stewart and Marcos Ambrose were trying to track down Kasey Kahne...." Excuse me, but all they did was give utterly futile chase; there was never any prospect that Kahne would slide off the track. All you're doing is hideously exaggerating this race; there is no compelling action in road races with this car or any other. Road racing is a waste of time. Turn the road courses into real racetracks - superovals. Racing is LEAD CHANGES, not rubbing.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportboudruxbone said:
Jun 25, 2009 at 12:37 PMSTP43FAN, whats up now? Have you ever been to a road course race? As far as I'm concerned racing is all about moving yourself thru the pack as hard and as fast as your car will take you. Rubbing fenders beating on bumpers and just plain pushing people out of the way. Racing sure isn't reduced speeds by using restrictor plates between the carburator and intake manifold. Get out and enjoy some down home racing on a Friday or Saturday night and have some fun dude. :) :)
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