The Great American Pot Hole

Well done NASCAR. The hightlight of your "Great American Race" wasn't the record 22 leaders, wasn't NACARS's most popular driver making a power move in the last few laps to take second, wasn't the 55 lead changes. The highlight didn't have to do with the very good race. It had to do with a hole in the track.

Twice competitive side by side racing was sent to pit road seeing red for about two and a half hours of parking. NASCAR and Daytona Speedway Officials should be embarrassed. Their Super Bowl was delayed because they can't maintain their hallowed grounds. This is equivalent to if the Super Bowl was delayed because the field goal posts kept falling down. Embarrassing. This is something they control. I understand if the race is delayed due to rain. Last year the race was cut short because of rain. I wasn't happy but that's something out of our control but track failure? Yes they did fix it, eventually but lets look at this mecca of racing. It hasn't been paved since 1978. Thirty two years! And the track wasn't scheduled to be re-paved until 2012. I think their plans will change.

I do need to give credit to the drivers and the fans. For the fans, way to stick it out. I've never been to Daytona, but the track I have been to, Bristol, didn't have too much going on in the building during the race. The drivers wanted to get back out there, hole or no hole. They gave interviews like they aways do. The one thing I love about NASCAR is the drivers care for the fans more than any other sport. The one small grip I do have is that none of the drivers ripped into Daytona Officials for allowing something like this to happen.

They wanted to put on a show and when they were on the track they did. The Dayton 500 always seems to deliver some dramatics and NASCAR may be turning the corner with these new cars and rules but we won't find out until we get to a track that historically hasn't had the most exciting racing. But first, NASCAR maybe you should make sure that your tracks are raceable.