The New Bristol?

I tuned in to watch the usual Bristol fireworks, and a race broke out. What happened? After the exciting racing in the Busch race, I was expecting an action packed Cup race. The race was enjoyable based on what your definition of "action" was.

The old Bristol track had one groove, and cars were going fast, so the only way to pass someone was to bump, bang, and gouge your way past them. The result was more or less like organized mayhem, or "Ben Hur" style chariot races. There were frequent yellow flags, frequent cars spinning out into the wall, and always angry drivers after the race.

Bristol replaced its old concrete track with a new progressively banked concrete track. The goal was to make more than one groove to race in. If that was the ultimate goal, then mission accomplished. In Saturday's race, we saw cars driving side by side all night long.

There were a few problems though. One, the race was dominated completely first by Kasey Kahne, and later by Carl Edwards. Whatever action there was on the track, it was never around the leader.

Second, the racing bore no resemblance to the "typical" Bristol race. The main draw to the old track was that its "flaws" created a unique racing experience. Now those flaws are gone, and the new progressive banking turned Bristol into a smaller Homestead.

Maybe the problem was the combination of the new track, the new Car of Tomorrow, and a Goodyear tire that seemed a little too durable. Fresh tires seemed to provide little benefit. The old ones just wouldn't wear out enough.

I'm all for side by side racing, and driver safety, and fewer cautions. But I also admit that much of the excitement of Bristol racing seemed missing last night. I wonder if Bristol will continue to be the hardest ticket on the Nascar circuit. I wonder if the next Cup race will live up to the last Busch race. I wonder if Nascar is nervous about how easy some drivers made it around the track all night, and will try something like softer tires to add some strategy.

After the race, the drivers were all smiles, which is the surest sign that something is wrong at Bristol.