Lee Montgomery: Where’s the competition with the new car?

By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor

Monday, May 19, 2008

Article Rating: 3.7
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Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images

COMMENTARY
 
Remember when NASCAR said the car of tomorrow would help promote side-by-side racing? The car wouldn’t be so aerodynamically sensitive, the bigwigs in Daytona Beach said, so it would be easier for drivers to race next to each other, especially in the intermediate tracks.
 
Has anyone seen any good side-by-side racing lately? It’s funny: Though the competition is better than ever, the racing is not. There is clearly more depth in the Sprint Cup Series than there ever was.
 
And if you doubt that, simply watch some ESPN Classic races when there were five or six cars on the lead lap, and the 10th-place finisher was six laps down.
 
Racing wasn’t necessarily better back in the “good ol’ days,” even though there were some great races. But there is no disputing that there are more good teams right now than there ever were.
 
So why isn’t the racing itself any better?

I say blame the new car. It didn’t accomplish what it was supposed to. Races on 1.5-mile tracks this year have been snoozers, unless your name is Carl Edwards.
 
Edwards has won three of the 1.5-mile races this year as Roush Fenway Racing seems to have found something on those tracks. Now, as teams try to cope with the new car, we’re seeing the latest round of hot setups. It involves twisting the rear end in such a way that when a car does down a straightaway, it looks like the rear wheels are about a foot out of alignment with the front wheels.
 
Some have called it “dog-tracking” or “crabbing.” I think it looks like a crazy cat. Have you ever seen a cat when it’s freaked out or trying to play? Its back arches, its tail poufs out – and it dances sideways.
 
Talk about an ugly sight. The car, not the cat. This is what NASCAR wants? A “stock car” with a rear wing and an ugly splitter going sideways down the straightaway. Something’s not right about that.
 
I wouldn’t care what the car looked like if drivers were actually racing side by side all the time. But they’re not, and no amount of testing is likely to change that any time soon. Something needs to be done to the car to make it more raceable, for it is clearly not at this point.
 
The NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race, frankly, was a joke. And I’m not talking about the fan vote-winner winning the race.
 
(What’s the big deal with that anyway? Fans vote in players in other sports’ all-star games.)
 
I’m talking about how the race played out. You get the lead, you run away. And it’s not the first time it’s happened either.
 
Several drivers noted the difference between running up front and running in the pack. Without making any adjustments, getting the lead can mean up to a half-second a lap. That’s fine if you’re leading, but what are you supposed to do if you’re 10th?
 
As much as I think strategy plays a vital role in this sport, I’d prefer to see races won on the track, by the best driver with the best car and the best team. Now, it’s hard to tell who has the best car.
 
The new car was supposed to fix some of those problems, like the aero-push that we all got accustomed to, but it seems to have made things worse. Let’s face it, short of NASCAR handing out bodies every weekend, there’s not much the sanctioning body can do, simply because teams are so smart about working in and around the rule book.
 
But you can’t tell me that there isn’t an aero solution out there, somewhere, that will allow cars to race side by side. NASCAR needs to find it, or else this new rise in television ratings will be fleeting.

Average Rating: 3.7

Comments

12 responses to "Lee Montgomery: Where’s the competition with the new car?"
  1. 1
    Worm Dirt said:
    May 19, 2008 at 12:18 PM

    Couldn't agree more... Watching the COT race on a 1.5 mile track is about as fun as watching Bob Packrass and Kris Johnson arguing over whether 'navy' or 'black' is the more versatile hue for dress socks. Just look at the difference between the truck race Friday night and the All-Star race. Same track, but the trucks put on a hell of a show! while the COT put people to sleep!

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  2. 2
    Jeff Placer said:
    May 19, 2008 at 12:59 PM

    I hate this new car like poison.

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  3. 3
    Angel Ziegle said:
    May 19, 2008 at 1:30 PM

    I agree, though you can bet they are not going to loose the COT. That would mean they were wrong about it. One thing that would help is loose that wing. That is the main difference between the trucks and the COT. Go back to the spoiler.

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  4. 4
    Jerry Weist said:
    May 19, 2008 at 2:16 PM

    I do not understand why NASCAR is so unwilling to try and make the COT race better. Especially when most of the drivers are saying the same thing that once you get in front the car drives better and if you try to pass someone it is very difficult. NASCAR need to wake up and fix the COT or lose fans.

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  5. 5
    Anonymous said:
    May 19, 2008 at 2:18 PM

    Throw out 90% of the rule book. Let them build cars out of todays showroom cars so we fans can identify with them. Let the builders get innovative. Cookie cutter cars on cookie cutter tracks have led my family to not watch a full Nascar race in 3 years now.

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  6. 6
    Anonymous said:
    May 19, 2008 at 3:41 PM

    I'm 65, went to Daytona in 1965, my man Lorenzen won, I bought my first new car, 1964 Galaxie 500XL convertible because of Freddy and Ford. You guys today have no idea what real racing was with Petty, Yarborough, Pearson, Allison, and real hard knuckle racers I can't remember. If you people today saw one old 1960's racing you would kick NASCAR in the fanny for ruining racing. Go back to "RUN WHAT YOU BRUNG" Steve Carknard, Johnsonville, NY scary2@nycap.rr.com

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  7. 7
    Jimmy Graves said:
    May 19, 2008 at 4:57 PM

    Maybe they need to let the teams distribute the weight from the left to right side as they see fit. NASCAR needs to give the teams more gray,or the fans are going away. As of right now I am more of a World of Outlaws fan. Those boys get after it.

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  8. 8
    STEVEN SPARKS said:
    May 20, 2008 at 1:05 AM

    I am actually falling asleep trying to watch the races for the first time since I started to watch NASCAR. If it were not for watching our favorite driver I would quit. Get rid of the wing and splitter. We need side by side racing and less pre race jabber. There were even empty seats at the all star race, unbelievable. Having a single file race except during caution restarts is boring,boring...yawn!

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  9. 9
    clem zahrobsky said:
    May 21, 2008 at 3:45 AM

    NASCAR has to keep all cars "equal" because if they don't the manufacture whose cars are not winning will leave. they want chevy,ford toyota and dodge to finish 1-2-3-4 and they don't care what order as long as the same make doesnt finish first every race

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  10. 10
    bob parent said:
    May 21, 2008 at 4:22 PM

    Is it the car or the drivers there are only a few that really push the limits and the rest seem to be more intrested in tv commercials and what the media thinks about them.

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  11. 11
    Timothy Schultze said:
    May 22, 2008 at 9:32 PM

    I am sure your speaking of Kyle Busch but maybe its more of the fact that MOST of the drivers know that this car is not invincible. He seems to like his face in front of the camera as long as hes winning and not pouting because he wrecked.

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  12. 12
    bob parent said:
    May 25, 2008 at 3:28 AM

    No not just Kyle .I was talking about Carl edwards,Clint and Biff to name a few but the 18 team seems to push a little harder than most.

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