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This Weekend in Motorsports
What to watch for this weekend in motorsports? Us. Kate and I are in Dover, Delaware for the NASCAR race. But more on that in a minute.
First, last week. Last Sunday was great day for racing as expected. The F1 guys looked like fast-processing freaks of nature in Monoco, and the Indy 500 literally came down to the last thousands of a second, with a 19 year-old Andretti losing at the line to a guy who'd not yet manage to finish the 500. And the NASCAR race in Charlotte lived up to expectations (at least for me) as one of my favorite drivers, Kasey Kahne, took the checkered.
But on to this week.
F1
The F1 teams are off, but race next weekend in the UK.
IRL
This is worth watching: The same Indy Cars that last weekend were doing 225 mph at the Indy 500 spend this weekend navigating the 11 turns and 3.4-odd miles of the road track at Watkins Glen. Most folks who don't watch motorsports don't realize that it's not all just racing on ovals, and the Glen is a great example. 3:30 today on ABC.
NASCAR
Big race in Dover this weekend and Kate and I are here (a Christmas present from her to me; thanks, dear!). We saw the Busch race yesterday (here's a snap I took from the track; click it to see a larger size), and today the big boys race at 2:00. This is a great race to watch because of the track itself: Dover is a concrete track, which means plenty of grip and high speeds. It's also well-banked, with 20+ degrees in the turns and 9 degrees on the straights. And best of all, it's short -- only a mile long -- and narrow. The grip, short length, and the changes in banking conspre to make Dover very fast for a track of its legnth -- the drivers today will average speeds of 150+ miles an hour, doing a lap in 20-23 seconds. They'll also experience extreme G-forces as they dive down into and acellerate out of the corners. It's why the drivers say racing at Dover is like being in a rollercoaster ... for four hours straight.
The track is also very narrow, so there should be lots of bumping and grinding today. Pit road is very tight, too, so the crews are going to have to be particularly good on the stops as they help the driver enter and exit without incident. Finally, the track itself is a cool environment. Dover has towering grandstands surrounding the majority of the track, which makes it like racing (and watching) in a massive football stadium.
It's 7:30 AM as I type this and looking out our hotel window at Route 13 (we're about a mile down the road from the track) the traffic is already stacked up. Kate and I are going for a run up to the track and through the massive party that's been going on for three days at same, and I'll return with some snaps that might convey the vibe of the event. This is our first NASCAR race, and frankly, it's been wonderful. The fans are extraordinarily friendly, and the entire scene feels like the Greatest Show on Earth.
Today at 1:30 on FX. Look for us in the stands: I'll be the guy with his shirt on. ;-)
