Back home again from Indianapolis, after a long, strange and disastrous day, PR-wise, for the NASCAR boys. And now that I've had a chance to sleep on it a bit, I have a few takes.
* I know I gave NASCAR a pass in this morning's dinosaur editions, saying that at least everyone worked together to put on a race, or a quasi-race, unlike the debacle that was the 2005 U.S. Grand Prix. In hindsight, though (which is always 20-20, as Robin Pemberton of NASCAR helpfully told us yesterday), I'm wondering if what NASCAR gave us Sunday was all that much different.
Like Michelin in 2005, after all, Goodyear brought a tire that didn't work. Like Michelin in 2005, it underestimated just how severe the problem was until it was too late to do anything about it. And like 2005, we consequently got farce or something very like it.
Steve Letarte, Jeff Gordon's crew chief, said that at least NASCAR wasn't like Formula One, which gave the fans "nothing." Technically, that's not true. F1, like NASCAR, did put on a race in 2005. It was an absurd race, but it was a race -- which is pretty much the same description you can apply to yesterday.
Six cars going around and around; mandated cautions every 10 laps. Esthetically, what's the difference?
* The effect of the economy on NASCAR -- on all discretionary spending, frankly -- has been an ongoing story all season. And I don't know if this was anything but coincidence or, at best, andecotal evidence, but it sure looked as if the economy took a bite out of NASCAR Sunday.
I say this after seeing bare aluminum -- lots of bare aluminum -- in the north and south short chutes stand and Northwest Vista seating. Empty seats have become more and more prevalent the last few years at the Brickyard, but there were considerably more in evidence this time around.
Again, I can't say if this was economy-related or simply a pointed commentary on what a lousy venue Indianapolis is for stock cars. But it was pretty jarring.
* If Sunday taught NASCAR anything, it's that it MUST reinstate an open test at Indy. Pemberton and Greg Stucker of Goodyear claimed it wouldn't have made any difference, but out of the other side of their mouths they were admitting that some procedures would change for next year. Which to me suiggested that the return of an open test at Indy is imminent.
-- Ben Smith, The Journal Gazette
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