No delay in the start of today’s event. By the time the broadcast came on and we were able to see the track, they were running pace laps. The green flag waved quickly thereafter. It’s 1308 eastern under partly cloudy skies and they are on lap 4 of 188. Again the stages for the today’s race are 60-60-68 with a competition caution scheduled for lap 25 of 188.
The sun is peeking out occasionally. Lots of clouds, both fluffy white clouds and dark blue and grey clouds in the skies.
‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) is doing his usual Talladega hiding thing. I find that particular behavior emblematic of his character and why I don’t believe he should be NASCAR series champion. When it’s time to do the hard work, he goes and hides and tries to outlast the real racers on the track.
I wonder if they’re going to really race, or just log laps until they’re almost at the end of a stage or the event before they bother to race hard.
11 laps have been completed rapidly.
NBCSN has gone to an idiot shot on lap 12 of 188 – a six-part split-screen; five driver cams, the race cam and that barely legible ticker. A mess.
The overhead shot makes it look like a video game; tiny little cars doing something.
On lap 14 of 188 a split-screen of a driver driving and an overhead shot of the race; Matchbox cars and a driver’s glove, leg, steering wheel and helmet. What awful television.
MRN is calling an exciting race. I’m not seeing the excitement – then again there are so may split-screens leaving the race action tiny, so that might have something to do with it. I don’t know for sure, if they’re overselling, or there’s actually on-track action I just can’t see due to the dismal camera-work/shot selection.
Competition caution.
Almost everybody pits. ‘Desperate’ slid though his number one pit box. They were coming for fuel-only, but since he flat-spotted the tires he’ll have to get four also.
Restarting on lap 29 of 188 with Kevin ‘Happy/KHarv’ Harvick (4) up front.
Kurt ‘KuBu’ Busch (1) is shoving MTH for all he’s worth. He pushes Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr (19) to the lead, then takes over the lead after dropping to the inside lane. MTJ gets anther strong push from It to the lead. KHarv (4) pushes KuBu back to the lead.
KuBu (1) gets a substantial lead on lap 31 of 188.
The field is divided into three lanes on lap 32 of 188.
Happy (4) drops KuBu (1) and the lane follows him on lap 24 of 188.
An outside lane has formed on lap 35 of 188 and cars are bailing from the inside lane behind KHarv to the fast moving outside lane. As it gains steam Happy dives to the front of the outside lane.
On lap 44 of 188 the field is in three lanes with the outside lane containing the most cars.
On lap 45 of 188 it whittles down to a single lane with a handful of cars on the inside.
On lap 47 of 188 the inside lane has doubled in the number of cars.
Chris Buescher takes the lead on lap 53 of 188.
One of the NBCSN tv shots included water droplets at 1357 eastern. The sun is still shining and the clouds are still visible. Now there appear to be three cameras with water droplets.
Caution on lap 55 of 188 for a crash involving Justin Allgaier (77), Kyle Larson, Ryan Preece (37), Chase Briscoe (14). William ‘WilliB’ Byron (24) turned Allgaier toward the outside wall and into Kyle Larson (5) who was in the outside lane.
Restarting on lap of 188.
Chris Buescher (17) wins stage one.
Happy (4) and Joey Logano (22) win the race off pit road.
Harvick has a flat left rear and has to pit again.
Restarting on lap 64 of 188 with Joey Logano (22) out front.
Logano gets a strong push, from his teammates, to the early lead.
Kyle ‘KyBu’ Busch (18) quickly bails out to the wall during the restart.
Kyle Larson (5) loses the right front tire on lap 66 of 188 bringing out the caution for debris. The right front tire took the right front quarter panel with it.
MRN’s Kim Coon reports that Cliff Daniels, Kyle Larson’s crew chief had just told her they were concerned about maintaining minimum speed and avoiding losing a tire with the front end damage. The front end damage was the source of a tire rub that killed the right front tire.
Larson is back on the six minute crash clock. He had made minimum speed and gotten off the clock for the previous crash.
Some pit; some stay out. With one to go many cars pit again.
MRN’s Steve ‘Postman/Postie’ Post reports there is rain in the area at 1428 eastern. He mentioned there was a light rain during the first stage which explains those droplets I saw on the camera.
At 1430 eastern NASCAR has called off the restart due to precipitation on the track in turns one and two. The sky is cloudier than it has been. Dave Moody of MRN is in turn two and says the rain has increased – big drops, not a problem yet, but might be a problem if it continues. In turn four the sun is shining on MRN’s Kyle Rickey. MRN’s Dave Moody reports the rain has stopped at 1432 eastern.
NASCAR is going to send the jet dryers out to work on turns one and two.
NASCAR is bringing the cars onto pit road on lap 73 of 188. Red flat 1436 eastern.
At 1427 eastern MRN reports the drivers have gotten out of their cars.
The sun is shining on the drivers during their pit road interviews during the red flag. As quickly as the sun is shining it disappears then comes back.
At 1447 eastern the drivers are returning to their cars and getting strapped in.
MRN says its raining hard about a mile or two away from the track at 1451 eastern.
At 1454 eastern pace car driver Kip Childress leads the field back onto the track from pit road. Caution flag is out 1455.
MRN and NBCSN have repeatedly mentioned that the race is official at the halfway point, lap 94. The current rule states the race is completed at the end of stage two or at halfway; whichever comes first.
MRN’s Dave Moody expects the crew chiefs to tell the drivers to calm things down until we’re near the halfway point. So he’s predicting it’s time for logging laps for the next 20 laps or so.
1459 everybody pits for fuel.
Restarting on lap 77 of 188 with Justin Haley (16) and Corey LaJoie (7) who stayed out followed by Joey Logano (22) and teammate Ryan Blaney (12), who won the race off pit road, up front.
Logano pushes Justin Haley (16) to the early lead.
Chris Buescher (17) rolls to the lead on lap 78 of 188.
Justin Haley almost turns leader Chris Buescher (17). Everybody bails into the outside lane on lap 80 of 188 so the field is mostly single file wit five cars on the inside lane. Hannah Newhouse said the crew chiefs are all saying ‘we need to kinda aim for the end of stage two’. She concurred with Kim Coon’s report earlier. So lap logging for the next 15 laps or so.
On lap 83 of 188 the field has divided into two lines.
MRN says they’re not logging laps. The overhead television shot doesn’t seem to show that. Yes they’re double file, but they don’t appear to be racing particularly hard. MRN is calling a more exciting race than NBCSN is broadcasting.
At 1514 eastern the clouds seem to be increasing over the track.
On lap 91 of 188 there are three lines again.
MRN is mentioning various cars are creating tandem drafts to go to the lead. They also say the cars can’t stay locked up like that for very long.
At 1516 eastern the halfway point has been reached and breached. The race is official.
MRN’s Jeff Striegle says there’s certainly rain in the area, at 1518 eastern, and he’s pretty sure the drivers are aware of that.
Crash on lap 97 of 188 involving Alex Bowman (48), Kyle ‘KyBu’ Busch (18), Tyler Reddick (8), BJ McLeod (78), Matt ‘MattiD’ DiBenedetto (21), Martin ‘MTJ’ Truex Jr (19), Chastain (42), Chase Elliott (9) gave Ricky Stenhouse (47) a push into Alex Bowman (48) turning him to the wall and he bounced off the wall in front of the 78. Ryan Preece (37) got into a spinning MTJ (19). Quin Houff (00), Corey LaJoie (7), Josh Bilicki (52), James Davison (66), and Cody Ware (51) were also collected.
MRN reports there are pop-up rain storms beginning to form just behind the racetrack right now.
Restarting on lap 103 of 188 with Ricky Stenhouse Jr (47) and Christopher Bell (20) up front followed by ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) and Chase Elliott (9).
Both lanes shove both guys alternately into the lead.
Stenhouse has the early lead on lap 104 of 188.
At 1533 eastern MRN mentions the skies are darkening on lap 105 of 188.
MRN reports there’s a cell that’s popped up behind the tower on lap106 of 188 at 1535.
KuBu takes the lead on lap 107 of 188. There are three lanes formed up.
Tyler Reddick (8) made a verbal whoopsie during is radio interview – post care center – about his ‘shitty pit stall’.
MRN’s Moody says, at 1538 eastern on lap 111 of 188, that they’re racing like they expect to get wet at any minute.
Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace (23) takes the lead on lap 112 of 188.
Two lanes on lap 114 of 188.
Caution on lap 115 of 188 for a crash involving Ryan Preece (27), William ‘WilliB’ Byron (24), Matt DiBenedetto (21) and others. WilliB’s car went up in flames.
Chris Buescher (17) got a huge push from behind by Cole Custer (41) and Ricky Stehnouse (17) into the back of Preece turning Ryan Preece into the wall.
At 1546 eastern on lap 117 of 188 it’s raining around the entire track
NASCAR brings the the field onto pit road.
MRN’s turn announcers have had to leave their posts and the fans have run for cover.
Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace (23) is out front. MRN’s Alex Hayden says if the race ends now the drivers will get stage two points as they finish.
At 1547 eastern on lap 117 of 188 the red flag has been displayed.
Bubba is waving at the sky for it to rain more.
The 23 team is covering the car. The 22 team is covering the car.
Bubba (23) is standing looking at the sky; waiting nervously .
Team owner ‘Desperate’ Denny Hamlin (11) has crept into the camera shot with Bubba.
Chase Elliot (9) has come over and shook hands with his friend Bubba Wallace.
Chase Briscoe (14) came over and shook hands with Bubba Wallace.
Hamlin asked Bubba to hold his umbrella while he was doing something on his phone while they were waiting. He had not held it over Bubba’s head at any point though they were standing side-by-side. Bubba had stepped over to look at what Denny had on his phone and be a part of the conversation. Bubba gestured at the camera after taking the umbrella as if to say, ‘Look at this. He has me holding his umbrella under these circumstances’. Hamlin must’ve realized how that looked, glanced at the television camera and took the umbrella back.
MRN’s Alex Hayden says at 1600 eastern that turns one and two are getting the worst of the rain right now.
Alex Bowman (48) says the bump was on his left rear corner and got them turned around.
Robert ‘Bootie’ Barker is Bubba’s crew chief right now. He’s gained quite a bit of weight since the last time I saw him. I’m so glad Bootie has a crew chief job. I think he’s a good crew chief who hasn’t had the breaks up to this point. Then again I like him, so I may be giving him the benefit of the doubt. This stint with 23XI racing my bear that out, or prove me right.
Corey LaJoie (7) has gone over and congratulated Bubba. Corey did not appear to be wearing his firesuit. There are fans hanging around waiting.
At 1606 MRN says they can see a little sunshine to their left. To their right, toward turns one and two, they say its a total fog/mist. The jet-dryers are lined up on the track.
MRN’s Kim Coon has climbed up to the 23 pit box to talk to Bootie Barker.
The jet-dryers have gone to work at 1610.
At 1612 eastern MRN reports there was a lightning strike within eight miles of the track, so we’re on the mandatory 30 minute hold.
Sunset is around 1830 central according to Rick Allen of NBCSN. He says it takes about two hours to dry the track entirely. It is current 1514 central time – so about three hours to sunset.
Kurt Busch (1) and Joey Logano (22) both mentioned during their interviews that Denny Hamlin (11) was obviously trying to push teammate Christopher Bell (20) into the next round of the playoffs.
The skies are darker again at 1617 eastern.
MRN believes it continues to rain in turns one and two; a mist.
Kurt Busch goes over to the 23 pitbox and congratulates Bubba.
NBCSN reports the rain has started again in turns one and two at 1624 eastern time.
NASCAR calls it. It’s official! Bubba Wallace is the winner. His first career win. He is the second black driver to win a NASCAR Cup race. The last black driver to win was Wendell Scott in Jacksonville, Florida on December 1 in 1963. The track announced a different driver won and gave that driver the trophy. Scott was declared the winner later, but never received the trophy. The Scott family was finally presented Wendell Scott’s winning trophy in August at Daytona; 57 years after he won the race and had the trophy and the win withheld.
Bubba made a verbal whoopsie saying ‘bullshit’ during his television interview, with tears streaming down his face, when talking about the significance of being the first black driver to win since Wendell Scott.
Ryan Blaney (12) dumps water on best friend Bubba in celebration.
Warrick Scott Sr, Wendell’s grandson, sent a tweet to congratulate Bubba.
Overall it was a so-so race with a gratifying finish. The race itself seemed to be more about getting 94 laps in, than it was about racing or giving the paying fans and viewing audience a show. It was very nice to have three first time winners this weekend. I was disheartened to hear the teams deciding to log laps until near the halfway point due to weather. I imagine if there was no threatening weather they would’ve advised their drivers to log laps until 20 laps to go, so instead of 20 laps of boredom we would’ve been subjected to 100 laps of non-racing. I would like NASCAR to do something to vastly reduce that.
When the broadcast networks had quality talent in the booth that could engage the audience when the on-track action was lagging those sections of the race were acceptable. Now that the folks in the booth are difficult to tolerate when they are actually describing exciting action, they are incapable of holding an audience during the lulls. Therefore NASCAR needs to reduce the amount of time the teams have the luxury of ‘taking a breather’ and logging laps, because it is boring television. Once upon a time the broadcast talent would build the drama and ramp up the anticipation for the finish. Now they babble and scream at the start, middle and end of the race. There seems to be little difference in their voices. They seem just as hysterical about the pace laps as they are about restarts and about the conclusion of the race. As a result every part of the race is equally meaningless.
The broadcast video is generally terrible. Rarely are the cameras on the relevant, most exciting on-track action. The camera work varies from too far away to discern what’s happening on track, to cameras on things that don’t matter – missing lead changes, mechanical failures, and crashes, to convoluted shots of a driver driving, or a driver’s foot, or the very limited view out of the windows, or from the bumper, to much too much time on the pit reporters. As a result the shots change from one shot which doesn’t tell the story of the race to another.
If the audio doesn’t tell the story of the race and the video doesn’t tell the story, the on-track product is forced to do it all. As a result the on-track product needs to be all-action-all-the-time to compensate for the lack of other assets. I believe NASCAR can provide high quality entertainment. I’ve witnessed it. I also believe it requires high quality, trained, professional broadcast talent, high quality camera-work and directing, high quality talent driving the cars, and high quality on-track action. NASCAR is improving the on-track product (though there’s more work to be done in that area). There’s extensive work needed with the television broadcasts with both the on-air people and the presentation of the racing action. The focus needs to return to the racing and the racers. There’s a lot of work needed with the drivers. Again the broadcasters seem unable to present them in the best light and they, overall, don’t have the personality to bring fans to the sport.
NASCAR can be the exciting, fun sport that drew me in in 2006 and hooked me in 2007 and made me a fanatic for racing in 2008. It will require the reversal of a decade of missteps, but it can be done. Jim France has been the man with the top title during the effort to repair the racing product. He can either do the right things, or hire the right people, or stay out of the way when needed. I hope he can train Ben Kennedy, who seems to be the heir apparent, to successfully follow in his footsteps and return NASCAR to glory.
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