Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
One of the most contentious issues for fans this season has been the debate over iffy debris cautions that bunch up the field for the show.
On Friday night, Denny Hamlin – who has been outspoken on the issue – asked fans for their opinions on Twitter. I suggested Hamlin's results were skewed, and it ultimately resulted in a brief back-and-forth via tweets.
A couple of you asked for a recap, so here it is.
@dennyhamlin: Truthfully I don't think It matters to the fans who wins the race as long as its a good "show". Even if it comes as the expense of competition
@dennyhamlin: I'm listening to your comments.. Ok if ur fav driver is out of contention and leader is on his way to winning with 10 to go. Would u like to see nascar tighten it up or let the best car win? Please reply.@dennyhamlin: ok too many reply's to give a true count but its about 80% let it go 20% tighten it up.. thanks for the info. i was courious what u thought
@jeff_gluck: @dennyhamlin Personally I don't think they're not all being honest w/you or themselves. When the leader is running away fans BEG for caution@jeff_gluck: @dennyhamlin And btw, I say "Tighten it up." I want to see an exciting finish...if cars get torn up, it just adds drama.@jeff_gluck: OK, here's the feeling I get from most of you: At the end of the race you would love love love to see a caution...as long as it's legit.
@dennyhamlin: @jeff_gluck big difference in legit and not.. im not saying dont throw a caution when a guy is in the way.. come on dude..
@dennyhamlin: @jeff_gluck sounds like your the type of fan that watches for the crashes...
@dennyhamlin: @jeff_gluck i mean when a guy is in the wall.. and of course people wanna see a caution. Not a fake one tho.
@dennyhamlin: @jeff_gluck AND. fyi that debris caution caused over 500k in damage to 10 wrecked racecars at the end of that race. no big deal huh?
Hamlin makes some good points, but obviously we're coming from different angles on this. I don't think the fans really care about how much money it costs to fix race cars; the dollar amount that matters to them is the value for their ticket.
Clearly, though, Hamlin is right about the finishes being too contrived. I admit I'm probably wrong about that, but I still think these late debris cautions have done more good than harm.
As Hamlin himself said at Michigan: Without the debris cautions, we'd be talking about boring racing. And that's not what NASCAR needs right now.
4 comments
Comments
Genevieve Cadorette
Damn, I missed a good debate yesterday! Personally, I like a good race and love seeing the best car win. It’s more exciting to see a car speed up to the front when there no cautions; I think cautions should be there to prevent accidents and harm to the drivers. For me, I love it when the laps are fast and ‘tight’ but I love it more when all of a sudden, out of the blue, 1 car starts passing everyone else and no one sees it coming. Seems to me like Dale Jr’s done that a few times this year. He’ll drive in the back for awhile then he finishes in the top 10…that’s good racing to me. maybe cautions helped him do that but there weren’t a lot of cautions in NH and he went from 31st to 7th…(I was there in NH and couldn’t keep up with positions as easy but I know he started in the far back, like 31st)….
by Genevieve Cadorette on Jul 10, 2010 10:25 AM EDT reply actions
An advantage you have, Jeff is you are sitting in this chat room while @dennhamlin is racing. You witness all us fans screaming for a caution during a boring race. I agree with you on this issue and always have. I think a lot of fans say they don’t but deep down if we got a 10 lap shootout, they don’t care how or why they are just glad it’s happening (unless their driver just had a huge lead closed up).
by jshaunburke on Jul 10, 2010 10:31 AM EDT reply actions
If the best car is truly the best car, they will win anyway………….
by Sandi Frady on Jul 10, 2010 11:07 AM EDT reply actions
Denny also said something about seeing cars passing or cars just driving in a single file line. I think when the cars get in a single file line thats when the fans start to beg for a caution…legit or not. I can not tell you how many times I have been to Dover and wished and hoped for a debris caution. If there is good passing and something to watch, I don’t care if the leader has lapped the whole field. I don’t care if I am watching drivers race for 30th as long as its good RACING. I want to see passing…I love when guys are running side by side for several laps trying to pass each other or swapping positions because one car/driver is better on a certain part of the track than the other driver.
by JennyWyatt on Jul 10, 2010 4:02 PM EDT reply actions
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