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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
SPENCER: The Road Less Traveled
Some NASCAR drivers are like a fish out of water on road courses while others swim straight to the top, leaving others in their wake...
Jimmy Spencer  |  Posted August 07, 2009   Watkins Glen, NY
Jimmy Spencer calls it like he sees it on SPEED. (Photo: SPEED)
This weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Watkins Glen International gives us one last opportunity this season to see what the majority of drivers can do outside of their comfort zone. Some are like a fish out of water while others swim straight to the top, leaving others in their wake.

However road courses affect the finishing order and Championship point race, they are vital to NASCAR because they showcase the versatility of not only its drivers but of the sport itself.

The late, great Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was so gratified when he finally nailed a road course victory. When he jubilantly told me, “Jimmy, I finally won at a road course,” it was obvious how much the feat meant to him. Earnhardt was the best in the business at restrictor-plate racing but he also felt the burning desire to succeed on a road course, probably the polar opposite of the plate tracks.

NASCAR has a wider variety of tracks on its schedule than any other form of motorsports - superspeedways, intermediate tracks, short tracks, road courses, flat and banked one-mile venues. No other racing series provides its competitors such an opportunity to demonstrate their well-roundedness and skill level. NASCAR is the premier form of auto racing and needs this diversity to maintain that position.

Guys like Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon have won on all types of tracks, which is one of the reasons they’re both repeat NASCAR Cup champions and among the top drivers. Jimmie Johnson has won three consecutive championships but hasn’t sealed the deal on a road course. Does that mean he’s not as good as Gordon or Stewart? No, but I bet Johnson wants nothing more than a win at Watkins Glen to show he is just as multi-dimensional as they.

Drivers aren’t the only ones who need to prove they are multifaceted at The Glen and Infineon Raceway. Crew chiefs are charged with the duty of trying to win road course races based almost entirely on fuel mileage and pit strategy. The importance of these factors poses a problem for me because I do not consider this to be racing at its purest. Teams can’t pit for four tires with 25 laps remaining and come through the field to win on a road course. It’s all about track position, achieved through fuel mileage and pit strategy, and that detracts from the true essence of racing.

And it’s also for this reason that I think road courses don’t belong in the Chase. Watkins Glen and Infineon Raceway are unique venues that test certain skills not necessarily gauged on the majority of Cup tracks. Road course experts, such as Robby Gordon, Marcos Ambrose and Boris Said, often finish up front and steal some championship points away from the title contenders. Two events out of 36 throughout the year shouldn’t be allowed to create an environment where those more skilled at the road racing specialty or pit strategy can score a bunch of points on the competition.

Additionally, the Chase was founded on 10 events that more or less are the same 10 they were before the Chase was instituted. In order to throw a road course into that mix, someone would have to surrender a date. Who would be willing to give up one of the much-hyped Chase races? There’s no question that adding a road course to the Chase would add a twist, but on the flip side, no track would be amenable to surrendering its race.

In the same manner, teams can’t afford to sacrifice points on road courses, which often wreak havoc on the championship picture. Look for Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart to gain points this weekend. But then you’ll have guys like David Reutimann who aren’t accomplished road racers and likely will take a big hit in the points, a very unfortunate outcome for a team who tends to run pretty well on any other type of track.

Unfortunately, that situation is just part of the deal. But if you want a true picture of how the Top-12 Chasers will shake out, just take a look at the tight quarters from about sixth through 14th in points. In all likelihood, those better skilled at turning right will pull ahead of those who tend to struggle on the twists and turns of ‘The Glen’. This race will haunt some guys for the rest of the year, but some will look back on it as the day that helped seal their place in the Chase for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship.

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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