Did you see the Nationwide Series race in Montreal? What a wild little affair that was. Frankly, I was disappointed to learn some of my message board buddies skipped. Of course, they are typically not big fans of NNS racing, nor are they fond of road courses.
To me, just seeing how the cars would handle racing in the rain was enough to pique my curiosity. It was interesting to say the least.
Watching Steve Wallace slide through the grass conjured up images of old foul weather football games. I, for one, was quite disappointed when the Minnesota Vikings went to an indoor stadium. I’ll never forget a late 70s football game between the Vikings and Rams. It was a good, old-fashioned, smashmouth slugfest. I don’t remember who won, but I’ll never forget the images. In that game, THE QUARTERBACKS were just about the only ones with relatively clean uniforms.
Seeing the drivers gingerly approach the turns, I am reminded of an occasional scene here in southern Oregon, where we get a decent amount of rain, and even some mountain snow, but the white stuff rarely sticks on the valley floors. You veterans of snowy road driving know well the drill of driving like you have an egg underneath your foot.
It definitely takes a different skill set. One can easily see from Sunday’s race that
the old road course racers like Marcos Ambrose and Jacques Villeneuve are old hands at it. It was quite impressive, though we all now know that Carl Edwards capitalized on an Ambrose bobble to sneak out a win and wow the Montreal faithful with a backflip.
There are a few questions I have of NASCAR Nation today:
Did you like Sunday’s race? Was it like a bad weather football game, something you don’t mind seeing once in a while, or is it just too sloppy?
Should the Cup series try this on the road courses, or are you more in the camp of Bob Pockrass, where you say, it’s overrated and the Nationwide series can keep it?
What about putting Montreal on the Cup schedule? Frankly, I think their should be one more road course on the schedule and the course named for Villeneuve’s late father fits the bill.
You already know, I like the road courses, and will catch some of the Koni series once in a while. I wouldn’t want a road race every week, I’m more of a “variety is the slice spice of life” kind of guy.
I just like seeing the best drivers in the world be really challenged by a different track layout and different conditions. To me, it’s what makes a great driver a great driver.
What say you?
PHOTO CREDITS- Photos by Jason Smith/ Getty Images for NASCAR.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I like that there is some variety in racing…I understand why Cup cant race in the rain on ovals but for the road courses, why not? I listened to Mike Helton at Watkins Glen say in effect that the unpredictability of the rain would ruin the championship. To that I say, why then is Talladega in the chase? Is it not the same issue. I also notice that all the true blue Nascar types (Tony Eury SR for example, today) think it is a bad idea to race in the rain because that is not what Nascar is about. Well guess what, its time to adapt because the money to race doesnt come from the drivers etc…it comes from the fans who put up a pretty penny to go to a race weekend and then see it all go to waste when they have to go home Sunday night without seeing a race that is going to be run the next day because the so called “toughest drivers in motorsport” cant race in the rain. Quite pathetic in my eyes. Good on Nascar today for giving the fans what they want and putting the drivers on rain tires and letting them sort it out themselves.
PS. there should be a Road course in the chase, and it should be in addition to the two already on the calendar, either move one of the existing ones to the chase and have a new one before the chase or put a new course in the chase.
Yes, i like rain racing..F1 is 100x more exciting when it rains. likewise Grandam and all the other racing series who sit back and laugh at silly NASCAR
First. yes we need a RC in the chase
Steven Wallace wrecked more times than he shouldve been allowed to. hes a hazard on ovals keep him off the track Rusty
While racing in the rain is probably hard, if NASCAR got their head of out their ass they could easily do it. give the drivers the tires and let them go test at VIR in the rain lord knows it rains enough in the fall/spring
Sorry folks, there are already too many road races in the cup series. These cars are to big and cumbersome for road racing. If I had it my way there wouldn’t be any road races on their schedule.
“Variety is the *slice* of life”??
Try “variety is the *spice* of life”
You need to “wake up and smell the roses” :D
I think they should oil the track down one week. That would be interesting to watch. It would be a crappy race but remember most NASCAR fans just want good entertainment, not good racing.
@MJG.My bad. At lest you knew what I meant. Maybe I should “wake up and eat the roses.”
That race brought back some memories of LeMans back in the 60’s when the Ford GT-40’s came across the finish line 1-2-3. There was also more action, even when it was dry, that what we’ve seen at Bristol recently.
The outcome of the race wasn’t determined until the last lap in the last turn. Now that’s some exciting racing.
I think a road course race is needed in the play-offs in place of one of the cookie cutter tracks or Fontana. A true racing champion should be able to do more than just drive ovals.
I thought that while sloppy it was entertaining. I was very happy for Carl Edwards win, even though I felt a little sorry for Marcos losing 3 straight races at a track he probably should have won three straight. It is kind of like the bad weather football game, not something you want to see every week but is interesting from time to time. I remember that Vikings Rams game too Jim. The Vikes won. I was a big Viking fan then. Fran Tarkenton and Chuck Foreman were great!. Back to racing. I do wonder how many times a driver should be allowed to spin out, and take others with him, before thay park him. Steven Wallace really was a hazard out there yesterday. Overall I say pretty good race and while I am not totally sold on a 3rd road course, I might be swayed if they replaced one of the 1.5 milers with it.
I was there yesterday (and last year) and I like the show ;)
Those who say NASCAR on road course is boring, it’s not what I saw yesterday.
I am all for a road race in the cup. Put Montreal instead of the second New Hampshire date (I would lose because I go to NHMS, but that’s okay)
With 3 road course out of 36, it’s a bit less than 10%, but 1 out of 10 in the chase would be representative of the season with 2 short track, 1 Restrictor plate, …
As for rain racing, I am all for, like in F1 you see who are the best driver to manage a car. True you might be in survival, but if you’re not the fastest or you make one mistake, you won’t win, ask Ambrose.
As for Wallace, the race was probably one hour to long because of him yesterday.
I also like the road courses. If NASCAR wants to run them. Then they should run them like the big boys. Rain, or shine. Especially Cup. These guys are suppose to be the best. Give them a chance to show it. That having been said. I heard an interesting point of view yesterday. A CC said,”these guys can barely get around here in the dry”. He had a very valid point. NNS is supposed to be a development series. A lot of what we saw. Even before the rain, reflected this. If I were an owner, & didn’t think my driver was ready for the rain. I think I would have parked rather than get my car destroyed. OJT in this situation can be rough on cars. F1 races in the rain. They have incidents. So will Cup, but these guys ARE the best. They will figure it out. So will Goodyear. On the last re-start Carl caused the wreck by forcing the issue to get to Marcos. After he got there it was classic. He put enough pressure on. To force a mistake. That’s racing as it should be. I was particularly impressed with Paul Menard. He was taking it to Boris, & giving him all he could handle. Come on Mike, man up. Let ‘em race
I didn’t think that race would EVER be over. It went way too long, and it got more like a demolition derby than a race. It was interesting at first, but got to be more attrition and survival than a real race. I have changed my mind about racing in the rain. It sucks.
I am the type of fan who watches every Nationwide and Cup race and my favorite show is Nascar performance. I used to mock Nascar when I was younger until I saw the science side of Nascar and became intrigued.
I watched Montreal last year and loved the rain and I had this date marked on the schedule and was hoping for rain. I think that was one of the more enjoyable races of the season in either division. I would love to see Loudon, the road courses and any other doable tracks adopt the rain philosphy. Not only does it add another skill set for the driver and his crew but it gives the fan an opportunity to see a race that he has planned the entire year to see on Sunday as opposed to possible having to leave town before the Monday make up race.
Racing in the rain sucks. It was a real zoo, hard to even call it racing. On the restarts, most of the field looked like beginners.
Why does Stephen Wallace even have a job? Oh, yeah, I forgot.
Yesterday should be enough to convince everyone that stock cars in the rain do not work. While I agree with most of you that stock cars on a road course makes for good racing, for the 3500 pound cars to perform properly, you need a dry surface. Almost half the race was run under caution. Not good! To be considered a good driver, you should know how to turn both left and right and be able to shift, so yes, I agree, add a road course to the final 10 races in Cup. Just don’t make them do it in wet conditions. The folks in Montreal sat in the stands and cheered to the very end, partly because they are loyal fans and partly because this is their only chance to see a NASCAR event on their home turf. I’m guessing that if they were given a choice, they would prefer to see the race run on a dry track. Finally, I feel terrible for Ambrose and I feel like S. Wallace needs to find a replacement driver for any future road course races run in the rain.
No, no, and no. Sloppy racing, smashed cars (costly), and more ringers and cup drivers than NN cars. A royal mess.
The Nationwide drivers may have the talent to race in the rain. The cars do not. That is the difference between F1 and sports cars competing in the rain and stock cars competing in the rain. Stock cars belong on dry ovals.
I thought it was great ! And a treat to see, Not something that should be done weekly but that’s the reason we only have 2 Road Courses in Sprint Cup!
I do how ever think that adding a Road Course to the Chase is a great Idea.
I did not like the 5 minute red flag to make the cars rain ready, That should like in Grand Am be left to the teams.
I loved watching them race in the rain. They should add at least two more road races to the cup schedule and let them race if it’s raining. I’m tired of seeing them race on 1.5 mile ovals. Add more short tracks and road races.
Every OTHER road racing series in the world races in the rain. On road courses, so should NASCAR. Like the old saying goes “REAL racers do it in the rain!”
At first I was like “bolt those rain tires on and lets go,” but after the first 5 or so wrecks it appeared to be a bad idea, and costly for the teams. I do like road course racing but that was more of a circus than a race. I feel bad for Marco’s.
Wow! Now that was racing! I love the road courses! Add this one to the cup seires! I like the ovals too, but they get boring! I loved the CART series because for the varity of courses. Drivers should know how to turn right!
The race yesterday was awesome, until they put on the rain tires. That calamity was not racing. I understand the desire to be able to race, in all conditions. The fans at the track deserve to see a full race, since they pay for a full race, etc.
BUT, after seeing that disaster yesterday, I have no interest in seeing rain tires on any NASCAR vehicle (truck, Nationwide, Sprint…). That was simply awful. If you werent in the top 4 on the restart, you were screwed, simple as that……..
Dude, that was a great Nationwide race, I want to see the Cup cars race in the rain, a Cup race at Montreal would be great. You had to feel for Marcus Ambrose. That guy has dominated that Montreal race the last three years in the Nationwide Series but hasn’t been able to seal the deal. I think it might be a few more years before any Cup cars try the rain tires. If you restrict yourself to just the Sprint Cup races, your missing out on some good racin.
Stock cars are not built for the rain. Yes GrandAm, and open wheel series race in the rain but they have several advantages that make them more suitable for wet weather. F1 and Indy cars generate much more down force giving them more grip in the wet weather. The tires in those series are also wider giving more grip. The wide stance of grand am cars also helps when dealing with slippery conditions. The fact of the matter is that stock cars are not built for the rain, and shouldnt be raced in the rain. I have been to more than my fair share of rained out races. I live in Atlanta and got used to having at least one with rain issues every year, but i never thought that they should race in the rain. The way the drivers on sunday were able to control their cars in turn 1 was laughable.
And to anyone who says that all of the other road racing series run in the rain. NASCAR is not a road racing series, we are an oval-track series that moonlights a couple times a year as roadracers.
Yes, I am a Marcos Ambrose fan so this is obviously biased. He did lose the race fair and square though. That being said, there were way too many cautions in the final laps and not necessarily because of bad driving but because the track was too wet in some spots. It ruined the race in my opinion when they switched to rain tires. I was excited to see it again like everyone else but running in the rain meant it got sloppy.