With the Vegas 400 weekend wrapped up, some miscellenia:
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The Race-Stream Media has been pushing Mark Martin to run the full 2007 schedule despite Martin's protestation against it. It seems that the motive behind the RSM's lobbying is to have something interesting to write about.
It certainly shows how covering the sport has become problematic with the lack of good competition and the media's endless hunger for soundbiting athletes. Certainly Martin is a better interview than Jimmie Johnson or the other Hendrick drivers, but for the RSM to lobby a driver to change his mind reflects poorly on them. If Martin does not want to run the ful schedule, then leave him alone about it.
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The outstanding quality of the Vegas 400, alas, was the same quality of so many races - it was what didn't happen that was the big story. There wasn't much side by side racing up front, and between the increase in speeds, the lack of downforce, and a repaved surface that several complained was poorly done, it turned out not to be much different from other Vegas races. NASCAR and Bruton Smith got lucky in the Vegas 300, as a late yellow set up another crashing finish - so far this year we've seen late-race-deciding melees at Daytona, Mexico, and now Vegas.
It reflects the reality that the sport's competition package is so ineffective that late yellows, or a flurry of yellows, remain almost the only way to get any kind of memorable competition out of the sport. The increased banking didn't help - the Vegas 300 finish was like the Vegas 400 finish last year when Jimmie Johnson sidedrafted past Matt Kenseth up high on the final lap, on the old flat layout.
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Bruton Smith commented that "I want more Montoya." By this he apparantly meant that he wants more of the kind of racing Montoya showed in the Mexico BGN GP when he nailed erstwhile teammate Scott Pruett into a spin. Montoya's belligerent move in that race, though, crossed the line between aggressive racing and bullying; this sport doesn't need another Dale Earnhardt.
It also reflects how timid his oval racing is right now. He flat looks like a rookie, and a very timid one, on the ovals right now, which I'm sure perplexes quite a few people who want to see him win. Now some of it is the usual assortment of unforseen and often strange occurrances common to racing - breaking in the BGN race was hardly part of the career plan. But his overall oval timidity isn't an encouraging sign; when he hit CART and F1 as a rookie he had far more confidence as a racer and it showed up right away. Right now, however, he's not progressing, and his timidity brings to mind the reality that an overaggressive rookie can be calmed down, but a timid rookie can never be fired up.
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Could Kasey Kahne turn out to be a one-season wonder? His start to this season has been pretty bad despite running strong pretty much everywhere. He clearly wanted to avoid a repeat of his wreck in the Vegas 300, but what happened? He got a repeat of that wreck anyway.
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Ward Burton made his first race of the year. For all the good it did, he might as well have stayed home. The track time he's lost will never be made up for him this year.
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With Vegas wrapped up it's on to Atlanta, which has struggled to sell out the last number of years. Vegas sold superbly; it will be interesting to see if Atlanta sees any serious void of empty seating.
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