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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
JENSEN: NASCAR Answerman
The NASCAR Answerman is on SPEEDtv.com - The Online Motorsports Authority and welcomes your questions...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted June 11, 2009   Charlotte, NC
The NASCAR Answerman on SPEEDtv.com - The Online Motorsports Authority

I'm not an expert on racing and certainly don't know all the rules, but can you tell me what “racing” means? There are some drivers — i.e., Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch — that get upset when a slower car, lapped car, or even teammate won't move over and let them pass. Isn't each car out there racing for a position whether they're a lap down or not?

I think “racing” signifies trying to beat your competitor and get the best finish possible. So why should a car give way to another car just because that other car is faster or even going for the win? I understand that intentionally blocking is wrong but the faster car or leading car is “racing” as is everyone else and should learn that that means getting through traffic, getting around slower cars, racing teammates is what it's all about.

So tell, am I wrong? What does R-A-C-I-N-G mean? — Tom Gustin
Thanks for the question, Tom. You make some good points. First off, any good racer I’ve ever met is impatient and believes that in equal equipment, he’s better than the next guy. In a country of 300+ million people, you don’t get to be one of 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers because you are patient and wait your turn. OK? The nature of racers in any series is to want to get to the front as soon as possible and that means getting around the competition or getting the competition out of the way.

Second of all, the nature of NASCAR’s new-generation race car is such that a driver’s car can be leading the race and be a tenth of a second faster than everyone else. But if he has a bad pit stop, he can suddenly find himself back in 20th place, surrounded by lapped cars. And in dirty air and traffic, his car might not be any faster than those around him. So I can understand a driver’s frustration in that situation.

I have no problem with guys racing each other hard through the field. But I do think cars that are a lap down and in no position to get their lap back right away, should not hold up lead-lap cars.


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