The Daytona 498In my chest beats the heart of a major race fan. And like most die-hard race enthusiasts, I have a mental vision that is hard to beat. It's the image of a beautiful, sun-drenched day in the sea-ladened air where the roar of both engines and fans can be heard. It's a vision that can be seen and heard each year at the NASCAR season-opening thriller, the Daytona 500.
The rich and proud history that is unique to this race has kept racing in the hearts and minds of its patrons, and it has kept us coming back for more-year in and year out. The finishes at the cathedral of speed called Daytona International Speedway are too many to count.
However, at this year's Daytona 500, an unfortunate thing occurred. There was a finish under caution that caused outright frustration by many because it was anticlimactic. A caution came out that virtually ended the race at Lap 498.
Nevermind that the race did not have its usual gripping aura because of the effect of shock-rule changes and new aerodynamics by Ford and Chevrolet that led to limited lead changes-the finish left us die-harders feeling somewhat empty.
How About This?During the last 20 laps, caution laps don't count in the total. And the rules should be written so that, caution or not, there should be at least five clean laps of racing at the end of the race.
I know, I know-there will be cries of gas mileage, tire wear, and pit strategy problems, but hey, who is the race for? The last time I checked, racing was supposed to be for the fans.
Coming up with a way to ensure racing is actually happening at the end of a race is something that I believe the fans deserve. The unparalleled growth in the sport did not happen because it's boring. It has exploded because fans have bought into the excitement of the sport.
So let's look for ways to keep it exciting. No one is asking to compromise safety, sanity, or comfort. Just let it be said by everyone leaving a race that they got what they paid for-a race.
If rules can be written to make it comfortable for the drivers (e.g. the new shock rules), then shouldn't we, the fans, have some rules that benefit our comfort level too? Rules that ensure a caution-free ending, so we can say we saw the Daytona 500, not the Daytona 498.-David Miller
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