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TAKE ME TO...
NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Don’t Tamper With Talladega
New rules made Talladega in the Fall of 2009 a very boring race...
Larry Woody  | http://www.RacinToday.com  |  Posted November 03, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Much of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Amp Energy 500 was run with cars single file, nose to tail. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Much of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Amp Energy 500 was run with cars single file, nose to tail. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

I remember a time when drivers had trouble sleeping the night before Talladega.

Now they have trouble staying awake during the race.

At one point during last Sunday’s race – using the term loosely – Tony Stewart radioed his crew that he was having a problem keeping his eyes open.

Trust me Tony, you weren’t the only one. About mid-race I switched over to watch old re-runs of the Joy of Dry-Walling.

Drivers spent most of the race running single-file, with points-leader Jimmie Johnson lollygagging in the back, and despite some late-lap fireworks, the overall affair was a snoozer by past Talladega standards.

I think the problem was due to two things. For starters, the race followed a scenario that has been typical this season – a lot of riding followed by a little racing. Fans should get a 95-percent refund on their tickets because they get to see only about 5 percent of actual racing.

Secondly was the pre-race warning by NASCAR not to touch anybody. Specifically NASCAR warned drivers not to “bump draft” in the corners.

Great. In a season in which fans are nodding off and tumbling out of the stands from sheer boredom, NASCAR tells drivers not to bump into each other.

(In other news, the NFL has called all its players together and warned them not to hit anybody.)

Over the years I’ve generally defended NASCAR and its decisions because I thought it was acting in the best interest of the drivers and the sport.

But this is getting ridiculous.


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Larry Woody

RacinToday.com

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