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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SADLER: Weather Woes
Weather once again was the dominant factor in last week’s race...
Hermie Sadler  |  Posted May 29, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Hermie Sadler is a reporter for NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Live! on SPEED. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Weather once again was the dominant factor in last week’s race, as NASCAR called the Coca Cola 600, one of its crown jewels, a little past halfway on Memorial Day evening after persistent rain showers pounded the track Sunday and Monday.

But was that the right move?

Lowe’s Motor Speedway has lights, so the race technically could have been restarted well after dark. The speedway and NASCAR already had spent tens of thousands of dollars drying the track throughout the weekend, so why not fire up the jet dryers for a few more hours?

The decision whether or not to rule a race “official” past halfway is always a judgment call and despite our disappointment and that of the drivers who had pitted before the final rain cell moved in and lost that track position, NASCAR made the right one last week.

The sanctioning body made every effort to get all 600 miles in and when rain continued Monday past 6 p.m., it was time to call it a day. In the end, Mother Nature and David Reutimann prevailed, to the chagrin of everyone else, but that’s life.

When rain delays an event an additional day, everyone suffers - the teams, drivers, owners and tracks, but nobody more so than the fans. After dodging rain just enough to squeak past the midpoint, rest assured fans were in the forefront of NASCAR’s mind when they considered the following questions:

If it stops raining within the next hour, can we get the track dry and get all of the remaining laps in?

What about the fans? Some packed up and headed out Monday morning to be back at work the next day or because they weren’t prepared financially to spend an extra day in Concord. Several hit the exits when the downpour let loose about 4:30 p.m. Monday. We all wish there was some way to ensure everyone leaves the track satisfied, but that isn’t realistic amidst circumstances as unpredictable as the weather.

Is it fair to ask fans to stay until 8 or 9 o’clock on a Monday night with no guarantee the race will reach the advertised distance? Is it right that some are forced to leave early and potentially miss the end of the race should the track be dried and readied?

Although it may not always seem so, NASCAR considers its race fans first and foremost when juggling weather delays. These diehard fans had soldiered through another day in the elements and it was unlikely the race would reach the full 600 miles on Monday, at least not at a decent hour.

Some argue NASCAR's premier races like the Daytona 500 and Coke 600 should never end short of the advertised distance because fans pay to see a certain number of laps and those races are cornerstones of our sport. In theory, that sounds plausible but will never be guaranteed, so to be equitable to everyone, fans included, NASCAR should dictate every race in the same manner regarding weather delays, which they have done. Teams adjust their strategies accordingly when weather comes into play and NASCAR must be consistent for competition reasons.

It would be nice if the skies never affected the distance or outcome of a race but that scenario is not feasible when events are run outside. And when it’s all said and done, weather is one of the variables all teams must weigh simultaneously ... and Rodney Childers and David Reutimann gave it better consideration Monday than anyone else.

By the way, NASCAR is in luck - the forecast this weekend at Dover calls for dry weather Sunday, so it appears they’ve gotten a much-needed reprieve on these tough decisions for at least another week.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel

Hermie Sadler is a reporter for NASCAR RaceDay, NASCAR Victory Lane and NASCAR Live! on SPEED. Sadler began racing as a 10 year old and has more than 300 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series. He also owns the United Wrestling Federation, which promotes live professional wrestling events in the Southeast. To learn more about Sadler, visit HermieSadler.com or to access behind-the-scenes information about TNA Wrestling, click on “Hermie’s Hot Seat” at TNAWrestling.com.

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