Restrictor Plate Blocking ... Err, I Mean Racing

Fan Commentary by Grandstand Bob

First, let's thank God that we made it through another season of restrictor-plate racing without a fatality. As I've said before, like many of you, restrictor-plate racing scares the hell out of me, and I feel guilty for watching it.

If fans didn't support it, restrictor-plate racing would cease to exist, or at least, it would cease to exist once NASCAR>ISC found it to be unprofitable.  That's not going to happen any time soon, because it is thrilling to watch the cars travel nearly 200 MPH only inches away from each other, even if it's not really racing.

The term "racing" implies a speed competition wherein the fastest competitor wins the race by beating others to the finish line. At restrictor-plate tracks, blocking is every bit as important as racing, because the cars lack enough horsepower to pass each other on their own or to pull away from slower cars. This results in large packs circling the track in dangerous proximity.

Yes, it helps to have a fast car, or at least one built by DEI, to win one at one of these tracks, but unlike most other tracks, luck and a driver's ability to get in the way of his competitors are probably more important factors.

Luck is important because the slightest bobble by a car in front of or behind you often leads to terrifying pile-ups that drivers cannot maneuver around. The closing time to the cars in front of them is nearly nil, and there is usually a car in all the spaces around them. Thus, it's just grit your teeth and grip the steering wheel while piling headfirst into a wreck. Most of the drivers out there have experienced that feeling before, and they know that it's a possibility almost every second that they're on the track at Talladega and Daytona.

Do we really want to put our favorite drivers in this situation? Does that reduce them to gladiator status? Therein lies my guilt. I don't want racing to be a game of survival.

Beyond that, the blocking at restrictor-plate tracks really bothers me. After all, that's what did in Dale Sr., a consummate racer if there ever was one. No, I don't fault drivers for blocking. That's what they have to do to win. It's just dangerous and a shame that they are reduced to those tactics.

Now, someone who bitches as much as I needs to offer some solutions to accompany all the belly-aching. My solution is to redesign Talladega and Daytona. I know that this is costly, but I don't want to see either spot lose a race date. The fans and businesses in those areas don't deserve to lose a race. So, the only other option is redesigning or replacing the tracks in those locations.

In order to reduce the costs entailed in a project like this, I recommend redesigning the tracks to be no larger than Richmond. You could probably still use the existing garage area and a large portion of the frontstretch seating. I believe that this could all be done without sacrificing profit or seating.

Yes, it would cut into NASCAR>ISC profits, but probably not as much as losing some of the sport's top names in horrific restrictor-plate blocking events.

Grandstand Bob Profile and Past Columns

note: This opinions expressed in this column are those of writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of ARS Racing Outlet or its parent company, Beydler and Bell, LLC.