Too Much of a Good Thing at Bristol?

When Jeff Gluck’s Good Race Poll is tickling 90%, you know it had to be a barnburner. This past Sunday (March 17) at Bristol Motor Speedway at first looked like it was doing a bad impression of the 2008 Brickyard 400, but it ended up being must-see TV for the next three hours. Tire management was key, as pit stops were revealing completely corded and worn tires being removed from every car in the field.

While it was exciting to watch, it also felt a bit like watching Russian Roulette with three rounds in the cylinder. What approach should NASCAR take — if anything — to mitigate the short if not arbitrary tire life that everyone saw on Sunday? This week, Chase Folsom and Wyatt Watson tackle the tire controversy in 2-Headed Monster.

Throwback Racing at Thunder Valley Is Just What NASCAR Needs

Well, if it’s entertaining, don’t change it!

I, like some fans last weekend, was expecting to wait over half the race before seeing any kind of competent racing at Bristol.

Oh boy, was I caught off guard with the show that was put on this weekend in one of the best ways possible. NASCAR has struck oil with this package.

Two simple changes, running the already exciting intermediate package and changing the traction compound from PJ1 to a resin due to Bristol being approved as a wet weather track, provided the most exciting, thrilling Bristol show that I have ever watched.

Fifty-four lead changes, 16 different leaders and tire wear (albeit extreme tire wear) – what more could we ask for? Good old short track racing at Thunder Valley is finally back.

So, why would we change anything with the package now that we have a product that is more than entertaining?

This race brought back the almost lost art of tire conservation that’s seen on the CARS tour and other short track scenes regularly. Being smart and saving your stuff is something I haven’t seen in quite a while, especially to this degree, and Bristol and the drivers delivered once the veterans recognized what it was going to take to win.

Additionally, drivers this weekend after seeing what they did — just like a quarterback goes over film on a Monday — have either echoed or switched to praise for the type of racing that happened on Sunday.