The COT is The Car

Rarely do I pray during a NASCAR event. With all the issues in the world and in my life in general I think it’s almost selfish to ask God to take time to help Jr.’s “tight in and loose off” condition. On the rare occasion that I do, it is in fear and shock to what I’m seeing. In the past few years I can think of a few times I have done what could almost be considered begging to the Lord during a race. Labonte’s car on fire at Chicago, Mikey on fire at California, Jr. with a neck brace on lying on a back board at California (I think it was there), Reutimann’s hit at California as well. This past week watching Jeff Gordon smack that wall live I felt a deep dark feeling. I leaned forward and almost in a trance started saying, “Please drop the window net. Please drop the window net. Please drop the window net!” I was genuinely afraid we had lost another legend. Come race day I’m liable to shoot several profanities at Kyle Busch and hope he loses a tire, smacks the wall, bends his suspension, but casually walks out of the infield care center for an interview. It’s fun to root for someone and its fun to have a rival to root against. However, there is no circumstance in the world where I would want to see harm befall any of these drivers. That brings me to the Car Of Tomorrow/Today…the current car.

Thank you NASCAR. The hit Gordon took in Las Vegas was ridiculous. If his angle was a little different, I’m not sure any of the safety equipment could have done a bit of good. It’s amazing that after all this time people still find a way to complain or question this car. The number one fact is that this car is safer for our drivers. “Oh, it drives a little tight?” Really? I bet those dirt cars you drove were a little free. I bet those late models didn’t have the best “front end geometry” in the world. The driver’s are adapting and the crews have adapted fairly well. It just seems like the fans can’t adapt.

Why in the world is anyone having an issue adopting this car? It seems like every COT race I can think of ends with a side by side finish or at least with drama in the finish. Yes there are some runaways, but that will always happen. When I think of the current car I think of Jimmie and Jeff at Martinsville, Burton and Busch at Bristol, and tons of other good finishes. Not to mention some great side by side racing and passing. Carl may have ran off at the end of the Las Vegas race, but that was because Jr. and Biffle were locked in a pretty tight battle for 2nd.

The COT is here and more important than anything else it is keeping these drivers much safer. Not only that, it truly is giving us better racing. The drivers and crews may have to adjust, but as long as the product is better then that’s something those healthy paychecks should take care of.