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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SPENCER: Double The Fun
NASCAR’s first test of the newly-implemented double-file restart was a ringing and overdue success...
Jimmy Spencer  |  Posted June 10, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
Double your pleasure... double your fun... double-file restarts got it done.
Live! NASCAR Chat on SPEEDtv.com - The Online Motorsports Authority (Image: SPEED)

NASCAR’s first test of the newly-implemented double-file restart was a ringing and overdue success last Sunday at Pocono. The new policy created more passing and side-by-side racing that made for intense action after each restart, precisely what fans have been clamoring for.

We saw side-by-side racing that has some actual significance instead of beating and banging amongst cars on different laps. It’s great that the leaders don’t have to contend with guys who have had a rough day and are down a lap or more – they just race those with whom they’re truly competing for position.

There now are more spots than ever before up for grabs on restarts for those willing to get up on the wheel and be aggressive. Unfortunately, several drivers would rather forsake the fans’ needs in order to keep their jobs to be as effortless as possible. With the new restart policy, drivers must pedal harder and a few don’t like that, preferring single-file restarts that enable them to ride around and collect a paycheck. But those aren’t the guys consistently contending for wins. The more ambitious and aggressive guys willing to get after it and muscle their way through the pack will benefit.

Jeff Gordon, who rallied to a top-five finish at Pocono, commented that although he got pinned down on the inside lane a couple of times while restarting and lost track position, drivers will win and lose in this new deal, but most importantly, the fans are the big winners. Several of the classier drivers commented that while they don’t really prefer the double-file method, they recognize the policy is better for the sport and fans, so they support it and they’ll figure out how to make it work for the betterment of the sport and its fan base. We have to make these races a true event for fans and get them interested in racing again.

Even the lapped cars have more of an opportunity to put on their own show now. Not only are they still racing each other for the Aaron’s Lucky Dog award, their crew chiefs now will be strategizing and agonizing over whether to earn their lap back by staying out while the leaders pit, hoping the caution comes out quickly so they can pit for their service and remain on the lead lap, or pit under caution.

This new situation with the lapped cars and their pit strategy adds an intriguing twist to the mix, one that we’ll be talking about for the next couple of months as teams figure out the best way to play the game and others catch on to their new tricks.

The new game will be even more captivating when we go to Infineon Raceway and Watkins Glen International. The road courses have always featured restarts in one single line instead of lapped cars on the inside, so the fans are really in for a treat this year. I find road course races to be a little repetitive and boring but drivers now will be forced to race each other into the corner. Track position is crucial at every track but even more so at the road courses, and competitors will be fighting for it every restart.

I’d like to commend NASCAR for taking immediate measures to enact the double-file restart once we saw how well it worked in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. I’m the first one to criticize NASCAR most of the time but they truly are listening to the fans and competitors. I’m proud to say I’m associated with this sport and the sanctioning body’s proactive steps are a big step in the right direction.

Now if we can just get them to start all the races at the same time on Sundays so the fans know when to tune in...

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

Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it as an analyst on NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane on SPEED. He retired from driving with two NASCAR Sprint Cup, 12 NASCAR Nationwide and one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory, putting him in an elite group of drivers who have logged wins in all three of NASCAR’s premier divisions. In 478 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, Spencer amassed 28 top-five and 80 top-10 finishes. He won back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships in 1986 and 1987 on the heels of 15 victories, becoming the first driver ever to earn consecutive titles in the series. He earned the nickname “Mr. Excitement” for his flamboyant and aggressive driving style early in his racing career.

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