Race Weekend Central

Holding A Pretty Wheel: Is There a Place for Plate Racing in Today’s NASCAR?

Talladega: Just the name is enough to send shivers up the spine of any race fan. For some, it’s shivers of anticipation of a favorite race. But for many, it’s more a feeling of dread. It’s not a question of if a multi-car crash will happen, it’s a question of when.

Current rules have created the kind of racing you see at Talladega and Daytona — huge, tight packs of two and sometimes three-wide racecars, racing inches apart. That leads to a couple of things: some drivers hanging in the back, satisfied with avoiding trouble over racing for better position, and a good bit of single-file racing. Coupled with the restricted air intake to the engines, it also means it’s difficult to get away from trouble because throttle response is sluggish at best. It’s a far cry from superspeedway racing before dangerously high speeds necessitated the use of restrictor plates and even from past plate races.

Which gives pause: is there a place in today’s NASCAR for this breed of racing?

It’s a complex question, the waters muddied by NASCAR’s rules and their enforcement.

For the viewers who liked to see lots of passing, recent rules changes have created a difference of opinion. Some like the racing the way it is right now, with the huge packs of cars running side-by-side. There are a lot of lead changes, in part because the racing is so close, the cars up front can swap the lead several times in a single lap. If two or three lines of cars can get going, it can produce an exciting finish.

On the other hand, there was also something to be said for the two-car drafting that was popular a couple of years ago. It allowed drivers, working with just one other, to avoid trouble because there was somewhere to go when trouble started. The pairs could move around on track to find a preferred groove, and there was lots of action. The downside was that drivers had to depend on someone else and not having a dance partner was a death knell.

The yellow-line rule also affects the action. Originally implemented after several crashes and near-misses when drivers would drop onto the apron on the straights and then try to shove their way back into traffic driving into the corners, it’s a smart rule in theory. However, in practice, it’s rarely applied correctly (the penalty is for advancing position down there, and is supposed to be waived if the driver was forced. NASCAR has missed more calls on the rule than it’s gotten right) and has ruined some fantastic finishes over the years. It’s hard to say if it’s prevented enough mayhem to justify its existence.

Let’s talk safety here for a minute. There are arguments for and against plate racing and a lot of them revolve around safety for both drivers and fans. The wrecks look horrific, and sometimes they are; there have been driver deaths and serious injuries on the plate tracks, plus instances where fans have been injured by shrapnel as well. Kyle Busch is currently sitting out races because of serious injuries he suffered in an Xfinity Series crash at Daytona in February. Certainly the high speeds at the superspeedways are a danger. But speeds entering the corners are just as high at a few other tracks, so safety as a reason not to race these tracks isn’t a valid argument.

Finally, there’s the end product, the racing that fans see. Fans seem to be divided on plate racing; some like it, others loathe it. It is undeniably exciting, but for some, it’s the wrong kind of excitement. Some do watch for the crashes, though many will deny that draw. For some, it’s a turnoff because it’s no fun for them to spend three hours wondering when the big one will happen (and 99% of the time it is when, not if) and if their favorite driver will be caught up in it. Watching their driver have a great run only to get wiped out in the closing laps because someone else threw a bad block isn’t exactly conducive to happy people.

So, given the negatives – including the changing rules, safety concerns and polarized fans – is there a place for plate racing in NASCAR today? Some fans love it, others hate it – and same goes for the drivers. I think that because sheer blind luck plays a larger than normal role and the current Chase rules are so unforgiving that a case could be made for not having a Chase race on a superspeedway, or that a plate race should be the first or second race, where there’s a little more time to recover.

But at the end of the day, plate racing is a skill. Some drivers are stellar at it, others just try not to cause a wreck. And neither is necessarily who you’d expect. A skilled plate driver can win at Daytona or Talladega despite an underfunded car; the same can’t be said for most other tracks. You’re as likely to see Casey Mears or Michael McDowell in the top 10 as some of the elite names because their skill trumps their equipment.

And at the sport’s highest level, drivers’ skill should be tested in a variety of ways, including plate racing, though the ultimate goal for superspeedway racing should be to find a way to race at safe speeds without restrictor plates. It’s a lot like road racing: some fans love that and others hate it, too, but it’s a skill set that should be tested, probably more often than it currently is (and most certainly within the Chase). Intermediate tracks and short tracks also test drivers differently, and in an era where the cookie-cutter tracks are so prevalent already, it’s important to test skills beyond the intermediates. Plate racing does that, and it allows a group of drivers to shine.

To be called a champion, a driver should take on as many different racing challenges as possible. To be called a winner, he or she should be able to call on the best strengths in the arsenal.

About the author

Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.

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Dennis

Plate racing can be good if the rules package promotes getting good runs on the car ahead of you. But, we haven’t had that for a long, long time. Given the choice between the plate racing we’ve been getting lately versus tandem there is no comparison. The tandem racing was far more interesting to watch.

JohnQ

I would contend that there is no place anywhere for plate racing. Trying to make an engine slower is the antithesis of the very definition of racing. A logical, and therefore never to be seen in NASCAR, idea would be to take smaller engines and try to get the most out of them.

Bill B

Given the fact that all the rule changes from the 1 race championship chase, to the double file restarts, fake cautions, lucky dog, GWC finishes and wave arounds all have increased the crapshoot factor as to who wins the race and championship, I think plate racing fits perfectly into NASCAR’s vision.

Personally I don’t care for RP races because I don’t care for any of the rules that increase the crapshoot factor. And as you mention they are also more dangerous than most other races. Still, I have to admit that the races are exciting in the same way as watching two monkeys playing with a hand-grenade would be. It definitely keeps the tension for both drivers and viewers ratcheted up and makes for edge of the seat entertainment but that is the result of the threat of the big one and not necessarily the racing itself.

As for tandem vs pack racing. I hated the tandem racing so if those are my only two choices, I will take the pack racing. At least that is an equal opportunity endeavor.

I also have a problem with any rule package where riding at the back and not trying to move forward for the first 150 laps is a viable strategy to win. At any other track riding at the back gets you lapped (assuming NASCAR doesn’t keep throwing fake cautions to keep that from happening).

GinaV24

Count me in as one who doesn’t like the plate racing since waiting for the “big one” and wondering if my fav will get caught up in it or get lucky & avoid it just makes me annoyed. The weather forecast for Sunday in my area is for great weather. I’m going to do things outside and enjoy it – maybe get in my first bike ride of the season – it was a long cold winter. More than likely, I’ll tune in for the last 10 laps to see who is the “lucky” winner.

With even lower powered cars in NASCAR’s current iteration of “stock car”, well, I imagine the racing will be even more stupid. I’d bet $ too that we can count on their being a caution to setup a green white checker mayhem at the finish.

I agree with Bill B and his comments regarding NASCAR’s rules and the current crapshoot format. Yes, it fits right into NASCAR’s efforts to attract the short attention crowd. I wasn’t a fan of the tandem racing. I think it will be interesting if the drivers do like the one year when they all lined up and ran single file until they got to 10 to go. I’m sure that annoyed the heck out of NASCAR and I would bet if I had paid $ to go to the race I’d have been peeved, too, but it sure made sense from a stay out of trouble point of view.

dodom

I have mixed thoughts about plate racing. One is it is some what exciting but on the other hand the wrecks can be brutal. I was under the impression that the EFI (electronic fuel injection) was in theory going to get rid of the plates, I guess that NA$CAR has not figured out the system that has been in all cars for many years. When they do modernize, the plates will be gone, and the teams can go racing again.

J. Smith

Plate races aren’t my favorite but we’re only talking about 4 races a year. DVR and fast forward are a necessity. Bristol (before egomaniac Bruton decided he could make it better and “fixed it”) and Martinsville are my favorites and there are plenty of people who don’t like those 4 races and think they should be removed. It’s only 4 races a year each so leave them be. I prefer any diversion from all the 1.5 Speedway racing. Speedway racing has got to be a large contributing factor to the de-evolution of the SPORT into the “SHOW” that Bill B describes in his first paragraph.

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