Bob Pockrass: Bristol brings out fans' feelings … on boredom vs. excitement
Michael Waltrip (55) makes contact with Clint Bowyer (33) during the Sharpie 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. // Elmer Kappell, NASCAR Scene
COMMENTARY
It wasn’t surprising when the e-mail popped up in the inbox Sunday morning that said, “Hi Bob – I think the unthinkable has happened: Bristol has become boring. I got dizzy just watching them on the half-mile – no real racing, lead changes, excitement.”
That has been somewhat typical of the e-mails since Bristol’s resurfacing coincided with NASCAR’s introduction of its new-model Cup car a few years ago. Drivers now have multiple grooves, and people who found the bump-and-run exciting have been a little (or more) disappointed in their Bristol races.
But was that the sentiment of just one reader or many? To find out, I posted a part of that comment on my Twitter page and let the comments roll in.
Here’s a sample:
“I didn’t think Bristol was boring at all. They can actually pass each other. I thought the race was awesome.”
“I’ve been going to Bristol forever. Not much racing for the lead now days. I don’t like a short track Michigan race.”
“Ppl that say its boring r the ones who enjoy the demo derby. I don’t & you can’t deny last night there was some damn good racin.”
“Bob, this was the 7th boring Bristol race in a row. Where ya been?”
Even NASCAR head PR dude Ramsey Poston chimed in: “Not if you are a “racing” fan v. “crashing” fan – 3 wide at Bristol!; < 1 sec MOV; NASCAR, Best Racing in the World.”
All in all, it was pretty much split down the middle. Half the fans thought Bristol was exciting. Another half felt a little empty after the race Saturday night. There also was a group who blamed the television coverage.
One thing about Bristol, for sure, is that it’s difficult for television to do it justice. When watching the race from the stands and getting to see most or all of the track, it’s easier to watch all the battles happening on the track and seeing the battles for position among the Chase For The Sprint Cup hopefuls. There is still contact among the drivers, but it’s not necessarily for the lead, and it’s more subtle.
Maybe ESPN should do something special for the Bristol night race. Maybe on ESPN Classic, it could televise the race with overhead shots and scanner traffic. It could show at least half the track all the time. It would be something different and would be interesting to see if people would want that view rather than the close-up of two or three cars battling for position. ESPN could split the screen with a box in the corner highlighting a battle.
Watching the race on monitors in the infield and from pit road throughout the night, I found the race interesting and exciting. But part of that was trying to track what the Chase contenders were doing and not just the racing itself. Then the final battle between Kyle Busch and Mark Martin was cool to watch even with no contact between them.
The racing at Bristol is different than it was in the past. It’s hard not to miss some of the late-race contact and postrace craziness NASCAR has seen there. But it’s also nice not to have the middle of the race slowed by a caution for a wreck by drivers battling for 15th.
