Waid's World
A NASCAR BLOG BY Steve Waid
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The 600 was better than many expected
May
28
There were plenty of folks who speculated that the Coca-Cola 600 could be a boring race.
Yeah, I was one of them.
There seemed to be plenty of evidence. In the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, there was hardly any passing for the lead – make that hardly any passing at all.
The new car, we were told, doesn’t permit much side-by-side racing – particularly on the 1.5-mile tracks. Additionally, once a driver gets out front and into clean air, it is difficult for another to get around him.
At the finish of the special event, Kasey Kahne got track position after a stop-and-go pit stop. And he inherited the lead when Denny Hamlin experienced engine problems.
Out front and in the clean air, Kahne sped away to victory.
Gosh, some folks thought, if there’s an obvious lack of competitive racing over the course of 100 miles, what’s it all going to be like for 600 miles?
Frankly, I thought most teams would race for position early and then try to stay up front until the final, crucial pit stops.
Then strategy would come into play. Should there be a four- or two-tire change or no change at all? What’s needed to assure track position and find the clean air?
Pit strategy did prove to be crucial, but the race was far from simply a chess game on pit road. There were many plot twists that provided drama until the very end.
Yes, every driver who took the lead gained the advantage of clean air. Once in it, his car was stronger than the others.
But in the 600, to gain the lead was one thing. To hold it was quite another.
Kurt Busch led 64 of the first 137 laps but suffered a cut right-front tire on lap 162 and hit the wall. He finished 16th.
Brian Vickers led the pack for 61 laps. But on lap 182, his left-rear wheel came flying off and caused his to spin into the wall. He wound up 42nd.
As night fell and the track cooled, Dale Earnhardt Jr. came roaring to the front. He took the lead on lap 260 and was 3 seconds ahead before he got a flat tire, hit the wall and got smacked by J.J. Yeley.
Earnhardt Jr. managed to stay in the race and finish fifth.
Jimmie Johnson took on fuel only during a late-race caution period and assumed the lead. The driver who had won the Coca-Cola 600 three times in his career seemed poised for another victory.
But he encountered engine failure on lap 351 and finished 39th.
Kahne made his final stop for fuel only on lap 384. About 24 laps earlier, he stopped for right-side tires while most other drivers took on fuel only.
It meant Kahne wouldn’t have to cover the last 150 miles or so on the same tires. Team Director Kenny Francis thought that would be too risky.
Events proved him right.
Four laps after Kahne’s last stop, Tony Stewart pitted for fuel. He had a 5-second lead after all the leaders visited pit road for the last time.
But with just three laps remaining, Stewart blew out a right-front tire and hit the wall in Turn 2. He finished 18th, one lap down.
Lo and behold, just as he had done in the all-star race, Kahne inherited the lead – and held it.
Seems tires were something of an issue in the 600, wouldn’t you say?
But passing wasn’t – at least according to the numbers provided by NASCAR Statistics.
There were 2,850 green-flag passes in the 600 and 1,985 in last year’s race. That’s a difference of 865 passes, or a 44 percent increase.
While the numbers indicate an improved competitiveness, the Coca-Cola 600 was also eventful and even dramatic.
It was like a good mystery. You didn’t get all the answers until the very end.
A lot of folks – including me – did not anticipate that.
Yeah, I was one of them.
There seemed to be plenty of evidence. In the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race, there was hardly any passing for the lead – make that hardly any passing at all.
The new car, we were told, doesn’t permit much side-by-side racing – particularly on the 1.5-mile tracks. Additionally, once a driver gets out front and into clean air, it is difficult for another to get around him.
At the finish of the special event, Kasey Kahne got track position after a stop-and-go pit stop. And he inherited the lead when Denny Hamlin experienced engine problems.
Out front and in the clean air, Kahne sped away to victory.
Gosh, some folks thought, if there’s an obvious lack of competitive racing over the course of 100 miles, what’s it all going to be like for 600 miles?
Frankly, I thought most teams would race for position early and then try to stay up front until the final, crucial pit stops.
Then strategy would come into play. Should there be a four- or two-tire change or no change at all? What’s needed to assure track position and find the clean air?
Pit strategy did prove to be crucial, but the race was far from simply a chess game on pit road. There were many plot twists that provided drama until the very end.
Yes, every driver who took the lead gained the advantage of clean air. Once in it, his car was stronger than the others.
But in the 600, to gain the lead was one thing. To hold it was quite another.
Kurt Busch led 64 of the first 137 laps but suffered a cut right-front tire on lap 162 and hit the wall. He finished 16th.
Brian Vickers led the pack for 61 laps. But on lap 182, his left-rear wheel came flying off and caused his to spin into the wall. He wound up 42nd.
As night fell and the track cooled, Dale Earnhardt Jr. came roaring to the front. He took the lead on lap 260 and was 3 seconds ahead before he got a flat tire, hit the wall and got smacked by J.J. Yeley.
Earnhardt Jr. managed to stay in the race and finish fifth.
Jimmie Johnson took on fuel only during a late-race caution period and assumed the lead. The driver who had won the Coca-Cola 600 three times in his career seemed poised for another victory.
But he encountered engine failure on lap 351 and finished 39th.
Kahne made his final stop for fuel only on lap 384. About 24 laps earlier, he stopped for right-side tires while most other drivers took on fuel only.
It meant Kahne wouldn’t have to cover the last 150 miles or so on the same tires. Team Director Kenny Francis thought that would be too risky.
Events proved him right.
Four laps after Kahne’s last stop, Tony Stewart pitted for fuel. He had a 5-second lead after all the leaders visited pit road for the last time.
But with just three laps remaining, Stewart blew out a right-front tire and hit the wall in Turn 2. He finished 18th, one lap down.
Lo and behold, just as he had done in the all-star race, Kahne inherited the lead – and held it.
Seems tires were something of an issue in the 600, wouldn’t you say?
But passing wasn’t – at least according to the numbers provided by NASCAR Statistics.
There were 2,850 green-flag passes in the 600 and 1,985 in last year’s race. That’s a difference of 865 passes, or a 44 percent increase.
While the numbers indicate an improved competitiveness, the Coca-Cola 600 was also eventful and even dramatic.
It was like a good mystery. You didn’t get all the answers until the very end.
A lot of folks – including me – did not anticipate that.
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Comments
1 response to "The 600 was better than many expected"
Lin Gerringer said:
May 30, 2008 at 10:05 AMSteve, I normally agree with you, but come on. the only exciting thing about the 600 was the last few laps. i even mowed my yard during the middle of the race. After watch the Indy 500 which wasn't much more exciting and the the F1 cars going around the go cart track in Monte Carlo I was ready for some good old stock car racing. Bummer. I was entertained at the FOX TV crew trying to covince us that the place was packed. Either they were blind or all those empty seats in turns three and four were no shows. When is NASCAR going to catch on? Put these races back on tracks that make it a race or atleast cut out these 600 milers that are yawners to most of us and make it a drivers, not a riders, race.
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