Plate races

[wedge]

Man, I freekin' love the plate races even more!!

OK so it's not quite the good ol' days but more like bump-draft slingshots, right?

[Lee Roy]

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully disagree. I think plate racing sucks.

[call_me_andrew]

About 8 years ago there was an article in NASCAR Illustrated (I believe Larry Woody wrote it) that made a NASCAR Census to coincide with the U.S. Census. This was one of the questions

Restrictor plate racing is:
A. A Communist plot.
B. The work of the devil.
C. Just fine and dandy.

This was the next question.

If you selected C, would you like to watch some paint dry?
A. Wow, would I!
B. Sorry. I'm afraid the old ticker couldn't take the excitement.

Frankly, I've grown tired of plate races myself. Sure a pack of 43 cars looks nice, but it's just not racing.

[Aussie12]

Different strokes for different folks. I love plate races and I love Dega! :hot: And even though I’m still sceptical about the COT, it seems to handle the Superspeedways better than the older model. Faster too. :up: I also love the road courses and short tracks too. That's what makes this so great - so many different tacks with different racing! :up: :up: :up:

[Haulin'AssAndTurnin Left]

Different strokes for different folks. I love plate races and I love Dega! :hot: And even though I’m still sceptical about the COT, it seems to handle the Superspeedways better than the older model. Faster too. :up: I also love the road courses and short tracks too. That's what makes this so great - so many different tacks with different racing! :up: :up: :up:


Apart from the cookie cutter races. People say Restrictor plate racing is boring but ive seen many more dull races at the cookie cutter tracks.

[Lee Roy]

Some of us remember what racing at Daytona and Talladega was like before plate racing.

[harvick#1]

I would prefer Talladega and Daytona over any cookie cutter any day of the week

[jeffmr2]

I guess i'm one of the new generation of nascar fans as ive only followed the sport for 6 years.I love restrictor plate racing,i love the new variable banked bristol,i love the 3 and 4 wide racing at california,the high speeds at vegas,lowes and atlanta.Its the single file processional "races" at martinsville i cant take to,even though its the one track i always get advised to go to by american race fans.I guesss thats one of the reasons nascar is so popular,theres something for eveyone.

[ms0362]

I understand the excitement most people have when watching a plate race, but I grow tired of the constant demolation of cars from the one or two "big ones" we must always endure. And it seems to get worse each year, because towards the "money time" of the race it's bound to happen when they're all scrambling for the best position. It isn't about the best car or driver. It's about where you are at the end and if you get help. Point and case, would McMurray or Vickers have won anywhere but plate tracks? I doubt it.

[call_me_andrew]

Pack racing is like an NBA game. The first three quarters are entertaining, but irrelevent. And then at the end play keeps stopping every 4 seconds.

While it makes for an impressive show of tactics, car control is all but eliminated.

[Lee Roy]

I understand the excitement most people have when watching a plate race, but I grow tired of the constant demolation of cars from the one or two "big ones" we must always endure. And it seems to get worse each year, because towards the "money time" of the race it's bound to happen when they're all scrambling for the best position. It isn't about the best car or driver. It's about where you are at the end and if you get help. Point and case, would McMurray or Vickers have won anywhere but plate tracks? I doubt it.

McMurray won his first race at Charlotte.

[call_me_andrew]

Let's have a look at some of those pre-plate races.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRRFVjouKig

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBaDRYc1LoE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4oXWcJUHag&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmlZNXOJ6iE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPNkiN9gZ7o

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The leaders in some of those old races looks so strong that you couldn't even draft let alone slingshot.

[call_me_andrew]

Is that really a problem? Is it so terrible that the fastest car win the race and not just the driver that times the best pass?

Not only did you see cars pull away in those videos, you even saw guys get lapped. I recall seeing the blue & yellow flag being waved at least once.

[wedge]

Some people would call that boring single file racing, no different to racing on cookie cutters today.

Not me personally, I love the high speed superspeedways no matter what.

[djarumdudley]

be warned, this is going to be a bit of a rant, but this topic should be so done. i've grown rather tired at reading things about how the racing, especially plate racing is lame and not like it was.

So what!! just watch the race and take it for what it's worth. why complain about the event after the fact, what's the point? there's a simple solution if you loathe the racing so much: turn it off! every tv has an on/off button, so use it.

if one were a true race fan you would understand that the sport has evolved. i enjoy watching the races of yesteryear as much(or more!) than anyone, but i know, unfortunately, those days are gone. why complain about it? if you can't love it for what it is then why keep watching it? does one stop loving their child at seventeen because their not the same as when eight years old?

imho this past Talladega race was damn exciting. as good as any event the mid-80s served up. the racing was great, there was lots of side-by-side-action, thrilling passes, near disasters and as close to a 'slingshot' pass as we've seen in twenty years. Talladega(&Daytona) always have, regardless of era, thrilling seat of your pants intrigue. on the flip side there's also been stinkers. the '92 Diehard 500, '85 Daytona 500, '81 Talladega 500(a great finish but five lead lap cars?), or any random '70s race where every race had five or less cars on the lead lap. sure there may have been exciting finishes but those middle stages were surely top drawer.

isn't Nascar racing about competition? i'll take an event any day when there are 20 or more lead lap cars capable of winning. where's the excitement when it somes down to the two or three dominant cars?
yes i know an argument can be made for this day and age of two or thre superteams winning everything. but with the competition so tight surprises can and do happen. really, after tonight's Richmond race who saw Clint Boweyer as the winner with twenty to go?

if processional runaways are your thing F1 still has that going for them, so watch that. i'll be watching as well because it's still racing and that's what makes it so damn enjoyable. this applies to plate racing, it is what it is. it's not going anywhere, least of which to whatever 'golden era' you 'true' fans would like to see. it's not happening. either sit back, take it in and enjoy, or simply change the channel and watch whatever Law and Order marathon that's on. i'm rather confident if given the choice of Law and Order or racing, racing will win everytime. so why complain?

evolution happens in racing(and everything), deal with and try to enjoy it. if empty complaints get your rocks off go right ahead, but reverting isn't an option.
cherish the past of the sport. but is there really a GOOD reason to apply the past as an excuse for this era's shortcomings?

[wedge]

cherish the past of the sport. but is there really a GOOD reason to apply the past as an excuse for this era's shortcomings?

Well yes motorsport evolves and sometimes you have to take 1 step back to make 2 steps forward.

The COT cars resemble 80s stockcars, NASCAR opened up the restrictor plates and the driver can play with the throttle more.

[call_me_andrew]

So what!! just watch the race and take it for what it's worth. why complain about the event after the fact, what's the point? there's a simple solution if you loathe the racing so much: turn it off! every tv has an on/off button, so use it.

I've determined that not paying attention to something you dislike is the equivalent of voting for a third party candidate. Yeah, they're the best choice, but voting for them accomplishes nothing.

Pack racing and processions are the two extremes, and using one of them will only satisfy some. But finding a balance between the two will satisfy everyone.

I'll agree that it was a good race, but the only part that mattered was after the last caution.

I don't want a procession, and I don't want a pack. I just want the field to thin out. I want to eliminate "the big one".

[djarumdudley]

i'm all for eliminating 'the big one', but i'm not sure that's possible. it's an inherent reality of racing at Daytona or Talldega, not a byproduct of restrictor plate racing. sure the plates have increased the odds of one occuring. it happened numerous times in the open engine, big car era of the '70s and '80s. the '73 & '79 Winston 500s come to mind as well as the '82 Firecracker 400 and '83 Talldega 500.

the big one isn't even exclusive toto the plate tracks. it can happen on short speedways and short tracks as well. Dover has had several over the years including the event last fall. how about the truck race at Martinsville last October? just this past Saturday Richmond had it's own 'big one'.

don't get me wrong, i'm not supporting big wrecks in any way, but it's just an element of the sport. it doesn't discriminate, it's merely a perfect storm of close racing and circumstance. of course nobody wants to see the big one happen, but it does add another level of intrigue and showcase the unpredictability of racing.

[call_me_andrew]

While I aknowledge that wrecks can't be completely done away with, they would be reduced if the field wasn't bunched together. It could also eliminate guys waiting at the back of the pack before advancing to the front in the last 100 miles.

The COT isn't as likely to become airborne as the previous car, so traveling 210 isn't as dangerous as it was 20 years ago. If the wing angle was dropped, the horsepower increased, and tires were altered to reduce grip; we could see a safe, fast race with slingshots, less crashes, and no lollygaging.

[Lee Roy]

be warned, this is going to be a bit of a rant, but this topic should be so done. i've grown rather tired at reading things about how the racing, especially plate racing is lame and not like it was.

So what!! just watch the race and take it for what it's worth. why complain about the event after the fact, what's the point? there's a simple solution if you loathe the racing so much: turn it off! every tv has an on/off button, so use it.



First, I'm not one to complain very much . . . I'm usually considered to be a NASCAR stooge or lackey around here that will suck up everything that NASCAR hands out without complaint.

Top 35 in points - locked in starting positions? Fine with me.

The Chase? Fine with me.

The COT? Never a complaint from me. And I could go on.

But I've never, ever, been comfortable with Plate Racing. I went to my first race at Daytona in 1968. Went to a bunch more at Daytona and Talladega in the 1970's. Loved every single one of them, even though there may have been only 2 or 3 cars on the lead lap at the end of the race.

When I see the crowds at Talladega and Daytona these days, I'm impressed that they're 2 or 3 times the size of when I attended in the old days. But when those additional people stand and cheer when the "big one" occurs (as it always does), I'm embarrassed to say I'm a NASCAR fan. I wish I was back in the days where the people came to see the race and not the wreck, even though there would be fewer of us.

[ms0362]

McMurray won his first race at Charlotte.

I wasn't bringing up "first time winners", although there are plenty. I was pointing out that those the seldom run up front find themselves top finishers at plate races. Vickers and McMurray are two examples.

[ms0362]

I don't want a procession, and I don't want a pack. I just want the field to thin out. I want to eliminate "the big one".[/QUOTE]

Here Here....

Some of the old races look pretty competitve. I don't believe we're living in the past for being critical of the current plate program. It needs to be improved.

[djarumdudley]

The COT isn't as likely to become airborne as the previous car, so traveling 210 isn't as dangerous as it was 20 years ago. If the wing angle was dropped, the horsepower increased, and tires were altered to reduce grip; we could see a safe, fast race with slingshots, less crashes, and no lollygaging.

this is a great point. the wing of the COT seems to provide more stability/control and an addtional measure of keeping the cars on the ground. lookat the spin Paul Menard had. the roof flaps didn't deploy until he was quite a bit into the spin. regardless of that his car was stuck to the ground. Menard would have flew and tumbled through the tri-oval in the old flap-less cars in a spin like that. on the old car with flaps he may have lifted, but likely stayed on the ground. the wing of the COT appears to provide sufficient downforce to keep a car on the ground. the flaps could then be a back-up means to prevent airborne vehicles.

btw, i'm not trying to bash the racing of the past. i'd love to see a return to the plate-less ultra competitive racing of the early-mid 80s. or even the early 90s when imo restrictor plate racing was at it's best. i just feel Nascar is not going to do anymore than small tweaks. they seem quite happy with the current plate racing(product?)

[call_me_andrew]

I just had a terrible thought. What if the broadcasters started selling the naming rights for "the big one" (e.g. Aaron's Lucky Dog)?

[djarumdudley]

Playboy has been a sponsor on a car in the France supported Grand Am series....

i can almost hear it now out of DW's mouth: " on lap 133 the Big One by Playboy went down after Busch got rammed".






yep, put me on the fast track for hell.