PH Blog: why NASCAR rules

Only in America would a vehicle full of jet fuel be allowed on a live race track and be called a 'safety truck'

By Dan Trent / Tuesday, 28 February 2012 / Loading comments

Much hilarity in the PH office this morning at the reports from

which, having been delayed due to rain, then literally exploded thanks to Juan Pablo Montoya crashing into the back of a track-drying machine. A track-drying machine that has a sideways-mounted helicopter engine blowing hot air across the banking. Obviously.

Short of getting the USMC to napalm the track with a

fly-by of F-18s

you have to admire the sheer lunacy of putting a slow-moving vehicle full of jet fuel onto a live race track. What next - getting the crowd to take potshots with shotguns at the racing cars, just to spice things up a bit?

From a European perspective it's easy to get snooty about NASCAR. But boy, these guys know how to put on a show. OK, there's the whole not being able to drive in the rain thing and the postponement of the race for the first time in its 54-year history. You can read the full race report and tale of Matt Kenseth's victory on Sports Illustrated here but in-house NASCAR fan Riggers was full of tales yesterday from the earlier Nationwide 300 race.

Here Danica Patrick got punted off the track by her team-mate Cole Whitt, prompting a caution flag and dive for the pits that saw the self same get flipped round in the melee.

The NASCAR solution to a car facing the wrong way in the pits? A blunt radio message "just turn it around", a dumped clutch and a neat 180. In the pits. Brilliant! See here.

And if you think that's exciting wait until you see the finish of the same race.

I had a taste of NASCAR in a previous life on MSN Cars and, I've got to say, it remains one of the most exciting drives I've ever had. And if you're ever Stateside and get a chance to do it, look up The Richard Petty Experience and sign yourself up. OK, it's a lot of build-up (and money) for three flying laps but, by heck, it's pretty intense. Just watching the video back gets the taste of race fuel on the back of my throat, stinging your taste buds the moment you arrive at the infield from the pit tunnel. It's a vivid memory, emerging blinking into the sunshine, the spooky empty stadium looming over the track and the sound of a lone NASCAR V8 echoing across the vast infield and reflected off the empty seats. I'd love to see a race for real too. I might pack the Nomex though. As well as a brolly. Can't be too prepared, it would appear.

Dan