Auto Club Speedway was vilified for much of the 2000s, first for not providing good racing, then for snatching a race date away from Rockingham Speedway in 2004. In recent years, the track has had something of a renaissance as the surface has aged.
However, Sunday was the last race at Auto Club for the foreseeable future as NASCAR has plans to convert the facility into a short track. It’s still unclear when that might come to pass (likely in 2025). We already know that there will not be any racing there in 2024.
Because of all that, this past weekend in Fontana felt somewhat similar to North Wilkesboro Speedway in 1996, even though the circumstances are different. Back then, you could just tell how bummed out everyone was that the NASCAR Cup Series was leaving Wilkes County. The Cup broadcast seemed to be more of the same.
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Sunday’s 400-mile race was officially sold out. However, 45-degree weather and a number of travel issues in Southern California caused by flooding and road closures due to snow kept a decent number of fans away. It’s quite a shame since it was a decent race.
Ultimately, the one instance that truly stood out was when AJ Allmendinger crashed on lap 75 exiting turn 2. It looked extremely strange when it aired.
Honestly, this is the kind of booth audio you usually see if a race is in commercial when the crash happens. That was not the case on Sunday.
What was the case is that the actual coverage of the wreck was slightly delayed. It is something that I’ve never really seen on NASCAR broadcasts, but I’ve seen quite a bit while watching FIA World Endurance Championship races on Motor Trend. You’ll see something happen, the camera will cut, then you’ll see the same thing again from another angle. It is extremely strange to watch on TV.
Sadly, this strange instance was the definitive moment of the race. There was a distinct lack of energy for much of the Cup broadcast Sunday. It was like everyone was just going through the motions as if the whole weekend was a letdown.
In and around the restarts, there was a good amount of racing for position. Then, there were some strange decisions made in regard to what to show. Late in the race, everything narrowed up despite not a lot going on at the front of the field. I’m not sure why this tactic was used because it deprived viewers of some good action.
In regard to the commercial story that was really huge at Daytona…
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