The setting for one of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' more interesting subplots of the season hasn't been the race track, but on pit road.Greg Biffle blamed a mistake there with costing him a win at California. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were guilty of miscues Sunday at Las Vegas.
And if not for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s one-lap pit penalty in the Daytona 500, he's not a lap down racing desperately to get around Brian Vickers to earn the Lucky Dog pass ... and maybe the inevitable "Big One" doesn't go down that way but with another cast of characters.
"It just takes one mistake or one circumstance or whatever the case may be, to change everything that you're doing that day,'' Kevin Harvick said this week, acknowledging a run on early season pit road issues.
"All of sudden you're trying to play catch-up instead of trying to keep your track position.''
Johnson agreed, saying it could be in part because track position means more than ever with the new cars. He thinks people are being more aggressive on pit road trying to make up positions they're finding tougher to take on track with the new cars.
"Daytona is always so tough as the first one out of the gate,'' Johnson said Tuesday. "At the other tracks, I think it's just people being aggressive and I'm guilty of that as well.
"We had a little bit of confusion on the radio when I slipped through my stall this weekend. ... I was just going too fast and slipped through.
"So some of it could be just early in the season and guys are making mistakes. I'm guilty of that.''
"I know there were a lot of mistakes on pit road. I think you'll see everybody spending more time practicing their pit-ins next time we're back in Vegas.''
According to NASCAR's race reports there has actually been one less pit road penalty assessed this year in the first three Cup races compared to 2008.
There were 16 penalties handed out at Daytona in February, compared to seven a year ago. Six were issued at California, compared to 20 a year ago.
Of the three tracks, Las Vegas easily leads this category with 28 pit road violations last Sunday and 22 accessed in 2008.
Of course these numbers don't take into account mistakes like missing the pit box and having to drive around again, or simply having a slow stop -- but it is an interesting statistic. And it was certainly a hot topic in driver interviews this week.
What it tells us, however, is that there aren't necessarily any more problems on pit road, but maybe it's just higher profile drivers making the mistakes and getting the penalties.
Last weekend, the three-time champ Johnson, his four-time champion teammate Gordon and two-time champion Tony Stewart committed pit road violations, as did Earnhardt.
"I just keep giving everybody ammunition,'' Earnhardt joked with reporters afterward.
"The problem with speeding on pit road is just trying too hard and that can hurt you just as bad as not trying enough. We've just got to be smart.''
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-06-2009 @ 11:01AM
jmtrom said...
And that is just one reason why NASACR is a shadow of it's former self, and I am a former fan. Races off pit road to determine who wins, kids playing bumper cars, tires that can't last 20 laps, no driver or brand tradition, single file racing due to aerodynamics, I could go on and on why the racing just plain sucks. I won't waste any of my time watching caution laps separated by commercials and a couple of green flag laps anymore.
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3-06-2009 @ 1:25PM
safetydirect2004 said...
Nascar has become a joke of a race. Build it and if passes inspection, run it. Cars need to look something like they do coming of the assembly line and if my engine is bigger and better than your, you lose. Maybe we should require muffler so the driver and pit crew don't need ear plugs
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3-06-2009 @ 2:44PM
KEITH C CAPLE said...
Years back when dale sr would complain about fords being stronger, they let him move his spoiler. Now everything is better balanced because you can't touch anything.As far as having problems on pit road, just think of the problems there would be without a speed limit. Thing are much better.
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3-06-2009 @ 5:07PM
Mr Anderson said...
NASCAR should keepit lane closed for 1 extra lap thus allowing the cars on the lead lap to stay together instead of having them all spread out as was the case last week which then cuased numerous fiascos as one was exiting the other was entering.
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3-06-2009 @ 6:03PM
Wagner8642 said...
Plus...now the races at advertised to come on tv at 2:00, but they don't throw the green flag until 3:30....just so they can ram more and more useless commercials down our throats!!
It's become Nascrap Spec Racing...with all the cars being almost identical.
How do you ruin a good thing??? Ask Nasquack!!
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3-06-2009 @ 6:23PM
Kim said...
Just wondering....for those whom have commented above.....If you hate the sport so much than why waste time reading and posting about it on a blog for NASCAR lovers?
While I will agree that COT is too much of a cookie cutter car and that a driver's true talent is hard to show when all cars and drivers start out on the same page, I will disagree with you all about pit road. The race out of the pits has always been a large part of NASCAR races. This is nothing new. The driver's pit crew and his ability to make it on and off pit road can and will make or break a driver's race. That's how it's always been and how it should be. It's a team sport, folks! Get used to it!
Kim
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3-06-2009 @ 7:12PM
farmwillie said...
NASWOOD your a joke. I WAS a fan from way back
now your all about Hollywood hince the name
NASWOOD. My uncle's first cousin was Ralph Seagraves ,yes you could say I've been around it
for a few years. You've left your old fan base,now I wish you luck !
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3-07-2009 @ 3:01AM
Don Emerson said...
I agree Kim, pit stops have always been a part of racing, but with the new rules and cars it seems that pit stops have become too important. It takes away from the action on the track. I say...cut down on all the rules on pit road, raise most of the speed limits, and let us get back to the action on the track. Then too, money has always been a factor in cars and equipment, too bad it has become a major factor in the pits too. The more money, the better the pit crew....just one more thing to mess up racing. Works for me......
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