Track Position is Sprint Cup's Trump Card

So how does a "Top-5" car run in the middle of the pack for nearly an entire race?

Just ask Jeff Gordon.

Following last Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Gordon found himself with a fourth-place finish in NASCAR's longest event after stretching his fuel mileage late in the race. That finish, though, wasn't an accurate picture of Gordon's night at LMS.

According to NASCAR's loop data, Gordon had an average running position throughout the race of 19th. Winner Kasey Kahne however averaged a 5th-place effort.

In years past, statistics like that and Gordon pulling out a fourth-place finish would be indicative of a car that just wasn't performing throughout the event, but that simply wasn't true. Instead, what kept Gordon -- and plenty of other drivers -- from moving through the field was his track position.

"...When we got up front there and got our lap back, I thought hey, you know, we've got a pretty decent car. We just need track position," said Gordon after the race. "Once we got our lap back, we were back in the back again and there were cars all over the place."

"You just can't go anywhere and you can't pass anybody."

As a race fan, I'm not particularly fond of a driver saying "you can't pass anybody".

The moment Gordon is talking about came in the middle portion of the race when he had gone a lap down and ended up being the first car one lap down on a restart. While Gordon couldn't pass the leader, he settled in as the "Lucky Dog" car and maintained position as the fourth or fifth car in the line of leaders.

In other words, Gordon had a car capable of running with the leaders in the Top-5.

A subsequent caution 50 laps later -- with Gordon still in the same position -- gave the No. 24 a trip back to the lead lap but in 18th-place as the last car on the lead lap. That meant that the rest of the field was in front of him either on the lead lap or a lap down for the restart.

A caution then came out on lap 307 and then lap 331, and in that time Gordon had driven all the way to 15th-place, with a car that had easily stayed with the Top-5 cars just laps earlier.

So what gives? What is it about NASCAR's new vehicle that's keeping people from advancing their position in green flag runs?

To Greg Biffle, it's the equality that the car brings.

"We're all going a similar speed, and our car is identical. That makes it more difficult because you have to be a fair amount faster than the guy in front of you in order to pass him, in order to get beside him and pass him.

"It's a double-edged sword. We've made them all equal or made them more equal, but at the same time that makes it a little bit more difficult to pass the guy in front of you when everybody is the same."

In other words, NASCAR has almost overly leveled the playing field with a car that either handles, or it doesn't. And when it does handle, every other driver on track has the same feel and runs the same speed.

Combine that with two other factors -- Goodyear bringing racing tires that don't lose hardly any grip any more and the aerodynamic problems presented with a car's ability to grip the track when trailing another one -- and you've got a pretty good recipe for why the drivers, and fans, are frustrated with the current style of racing.

Track position truly has become the trump card of Sprint Cup Series racing, as a majority of the biggest swings in a race's lineup isn't happening under green flag conditions. Instead, its become about the race off pit road, any spots a driver can grab on a restart, and fuel economy.

I had been quite worried about the show we were going to be treated to last week at LMS, but my worst fears weren't realized. The leaders did mix it up quite a bit, but those passes generally came when the first lead car reached a lap down car, and his machine changed handling due to the dirty air he was racing in.

While the Coca-Cola 600 brought out the unexpected -- as should be expected with that 600-miler -- it also showcased how drivers are more at the mercy of their race car now than ever before.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-30-2008 @ 2:41PM

drgrcr601 said...

Like I have said in the past. Fans do not want IROC style racing but thats what it's coming to. Ask yourselves why IROC in no longer around. Because it SUCKED. If the majority of these cars just ride around for a few hours the fans will stop coming or watching. Nascar is heading down a slippery slope. JMO

5-30-2008 @ 3:24PM

Don Emerson said...

I'd buy into that position crapexcept for one thing. If it is true, then how does Kyle Busch and a handful of others manage to pass their way to the front. The truth is that the COT handles like the cars of yesterday and the drivers of today are lost as to how to drive it. The COT has to be set up loose and it takes nerve and a little extra effort to get it to perform well. Alas, the current crop of drivers are used to driving in a "comfort" zone, and are too lazy or scared to push the envelope. Bring on some drivers with ballz and see how much the racing improves. Works for me.....

5-30-2008 @ 3:50PM

I don't think it has anything to do with balls Don, what it comes down to is these drivers need to change their driving style to match the car rather than the other way around. You're right about the comfort zone. A loose car is not comfortable to most drivers but if they want to get around these tracks quicker they will have to leave that comfort zone and realize that loose is quick and comfortable isn't and if they don't, we will have what I refered to in my first post. JMO

Ron

5-31-2008 @ 1:11AM

I dunno Ron, with apologies to the ladies. I think ballz has a lot to do with it. You can't go out and buy them, you either got them or you don't. Works for me....

5-31-2008 @ 10:30AM

Kim said...

Gotta agree with Ron, here. The cars are set up to be too equal and like he said, NASCAR is quickly becoming just like the IROC series, and like Ron, I believe should NASCAR continue to go down this path, they will lose massive amounts of fans both at the track and at home. I know I used to never miss a race, for any reason. This year though, I have missed a couple and didn't even think twice about it.

The cars are set up way too similarly. There is no room for the teams to make the car their. The races are becoming extremely boring and I firmly believe, Gordon and others like him are correct. It's impossible to pass if every other guy on the track is driving an identical vehicle as you.

Don, you use Kyle Busch as a stand out and yes, he is. But really he is the only one this year. You mention "BALLZ" (have no fear, I have a pair so am never offended to read or hear about them), and yes, Kyle has a brass pair in my opinion but so do many of the other drivers. Kyle's advantage is his ambition, competitiveness, and overall, "I'm gonna win at any cost attitude." The other drivers are a bit more cautious. I believe Kyle's success has more to do with his age and ability than the car itself. JMO

Kim

6-01-2008 @ 12:25AM

If the cars are going to be so similiar, then we need a bigger variety of drivers to race them. i say dump the fat cats we have now and bring in some new blood. It's high time the drivers of Nascar earned their huge salaries. Works for me.....As for that ballz comment, you can have all the skill and determination in the world, but without the ballz to take a risk and really push the envelope, you're destined to be an also ran. I take mine with me everywhere I go, and so far their use has made for a very interesting life. By the way, they aren't issued in developmental driving programs, you're either born with them or you ain't. They works for me....

6-01-2008 @ 7:02PM

Paul said...

Don, you are 100% right on. With the hard tires and bad handling cars, Kyle has the balls to drive them. The big difference this year from last year, hard tires....

6-02-2008 @ 2:19PM

Vicky said...

To whom it may concern: All I know is, this season isn't over yet, let's just sit back and see what happen's. Gooooooooo #24 Jeff Gordon, I still believe you can make it right up there with #18. Jeff Gordon fan since he started driving. Thank you, and Have a Wonderful Day! :):):)