2015 NASCAR Behind the Wall Hot Laps: Week 22

Fuel Mileage and NASCAR Turning Right

By Richard Tix

Hot Laps will be a weekly article on news in the world of NASCAR. I will write these articles any weeks where I have a thought or opinion on NASCAR news that is worth sharing. So, this could be an every week thing, or just every few weeks. Its an opinion piece, so it is open to discussion and debate and would love to here your thoughts.

It has been a few weeks since I jumped into the Hot Laps article's. Actually it has been since week 11. That isn't because I have had a loss of opinion on NASCAR topics, but just haven't had enough to put into a full article. Many times I use the Pit Road Race Review Introduction for my area's to rant on a weekly topic. But, NASCAR is getting through its dog days of Summer and is heading for the home stretch. So, lets get into a couple things before this weeks race at Watkin's Glen.

Taking Right Turns

Speaking of Watkin's Glen, NASCAR is heading there to turn right for the second time in 2015. Earlier this season when NASCAR headed to Sonoma Kyle Busch also entered with zero wins on the season. Much has changed since then (including three more wins), but the fact remains the road course was the race to break open his chances at the Chase.

So, will the same thing happen this weekend? Last season AJ Allmendinger won his first Sprint Cup race and also notched his first bid into the Chase in one right turn race (Glen). He is once again in the same position he was last year: win and get in. However, this year Marcus Ambrose is not in Cup which takes away one of the biggest road course threats.

Ambrose leaving actually opens the door to two possibilities. One, AJ will step in and be the road course favorite every time out. Or two. the field catches back up and the road course is fair game to all the top drivers.

I think it might be a mix of the two, which I know is now a third option. I do think AJ will be a threat to win, but now so many more drivers in Cup are good road course drivers. Long gone are the day of the ringers in underfunded cars competing. Guy's like Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski have shown they can wheel it around the Glen with the best. 

Even with more drivers now focusing on the road courses, a guy like Allmendinger still has a great shot again. Known road course specialist have won 4 of the last 5 races at the Glen (AJ, Ambrose, Ambrose, and Juan Pablo Montoya). So, who is to say the Dinger can't do it again?

Michigan International Speedway Weekend

It's true I do not make many races in person a year. I wish I could but living in Minnesota is a tough spot to be a hard core NASCAR fan (I feel for you Canada NASCAR neighbors). Weekend trips turn into many days off and extra travel money. The biggest reason past the length is also the means and time. It is not easy to take time off when you have many other events throughout a busy Summer. I am a big family and friend man, so my time with them is worth a ton.

Speaking of being a great friend, that is what Michigan International Speedway has been like for me since 2006. I have yet to miss an August race since 2006 (except in 2007 when it got rained out and we had to travel back to MN). I was still there for the race weekend and it was still a great time. You know why? Well because MIS has some of the best staff, facilities, and activities on the NASCAR schedule.

This all starts from the ground on up. Everyone working or even volunteering at MIS each race weekend will great you with a smile. Most of these workers are huge racing fans themselves and are happy to help in anyway they can. If you are attending the race this August (and if you are not may I ask why not?!?) take the time to get to know one of them. Many times workers on the many tram's running around would love to shoot the breeze even on a hot muggy day. 

The friendliness and family feel runs all the way up to the top with Track President Roger Curtis (@MISroger on Twitter). He not only is great with interacting with fans on Twitter and Social Media, but also at the track. I have still yet to meet him in person while at MIS, but everything I hear has been good reports. He also loves giving away great fan experiences all weekend long to lucky fans who may run across him and no, you do not have to be up in some fancy suite to see him! Many times he will be roaming the infield or dressed up going around to camp sites. 

It is all part of the fun at MIS. If I could suggest to anyone a track to go to for a great time it would be MIS. And to think, I haven't even mentioned the racing yet! If you are thinking about giving another track a shot then you should really try out Michigan International Speedway. The track is amazing, the workers are great, the surrounding people are awesome, and the area of the Irish Hills are beautiful. It really is Pure Michigan.

Fuel Mileage Excitement

Yes, after the week at Pocono I really wanted to touch on NASCAR and Fuel Mileage racing. This is specifically about some of the folks on social media who always bash and complain about a race when it becomes a fuel mileage race.

After the race Sunday some fans were very happy with the outcome. They saw excitement and strategy played out before our eyes. Yet, as we know, NASCAR can not please everyone. Many fans were left screaming "NASCAR needs to eliminate fuel mileage races."

The funny thing about that statement is, these are the same fans that yell "we need to get rid of these late debris cautions that are thrown for no reason."

Whats so funny? Well the only way you get rid of the fuel mileage race is to always have a late yellow. That is what has happened time and time again the last few years, late yellows. So, Sunday when teams were laying out the strategy they were going to use many of them factored those yellows in.

That is the thing about strategy, it is just a calculation of how you think it might go. The same strategy does not work every time and many teams found that out this past week at Pocono the hard way. 

So, do you want late yellows or fuel mileage?

Well, the answer you might want to start thinking is both because this is racing. Racing will always have some late yellows (and sometimes we may never actually get a video shot of the debris). Also, racing will always involved fuel strategy. Not every race can be a last turn pass for the win. We can not always get two guys banging door to door as they cross the finish line. Not every race will have consistent passing all day long. 

Never has NASCAR had these qualities week in and week out so why do us fans clamor for it every race? I think we need to sit back and enjoy every type of racing. Fuel mileage strategy is part of the game and it always will be (unless we find a way to run with unlimited fuel). Sometimes it is more exciting than the many other outcomes that could happen (example: a guy winning by 5 sec on a long green flag run). So, I think some fans need to realize fuel mileage will always be a part of the sport just like a two tire change is.

After saying all that, do not get me wrong I don't mean to say NASCAR can sit still. They need to keep experimenting with packages to get the most out of the cars. Many tracks could use a better package that encourages and helps for more passing, but some races it just isn't in the cards and we need to realize that.