I watch a lot of racing that includes a lot of different styles and forms, from sport cars to the really fast sleek IRL open wheel bullets. Recently, while watching the IRL race at Chicagoland Speedway, it dawned on me that the speed of the IRL cars on the Chicagoland track kind of negates NASCAR's excuse concerning speed verses safety where their penchant for restrictor plate racing is concerned.
With the IRL cars, speed has nothing to do with the safety of the drivers, teams, or fans. The IRL cars were circumventing the Chicago track at speeds of 224 M.P.H. I remember hearing a year or two ago when either the CART or IRL cars were at Charlotte, they turned speeds of 236 M.P.H. I have to interject something here, the CART cars had trouble at Texas Speedway once, complaining about the speeds making them dizzy. The CART race was unexpectedly called off that weekend, a very unpopular move that bred lawsuits and ill-feelings. On the other hand, the IRL cars didn't seem to have any problems at all with the Texas track.
So why does NASCAR try to make people believe that the reason for its restrictor rule at the super-speedways of Daytona and Talladega, is that the speeds the cars would be running would be unsafe for both the drivers and fans? The show, it's as simple as that. NASCAR has to have the slower cars to make up their big wasted 43 racecar starting field. In an effort to make the big bucks, the half-wit Neanderthals who claim to be running NASCAR have sacrificed racing for the show, just like professional wrestling.
Following professional wrestling's lead, NASCAR has also become a haven for hype. Take for instance the hype that they are shoving down our throats about Talladega being the "fastest track in the world." Maybe it was at one time, but it certainly isn't now. Speeds at Texas, Atlanta, and especially the two-mile track at Michigan are several miles per hour faster compared to the restrictor plate speeds at Talladega. The new TV deal has opened the door for hype piled on top of hype. We don't need the hype, all we need is racing.
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