The rain-postponed NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AdvoCare 500 took place at Altanta Motor Speedway on Tuesday, 9-6-11. After being delayed from Sunday night, the race got under way with grey skies abound. It turned out to be an eye-popper of a finish between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
The only problem with the timing of a Tuesday NASCAR race is the lack of abundant online streaming access to the race that isn’t provided by ESPN/NASCAR. There was ESPN on the television, SiriusXM and the streaming MRN broadcast from the NASCAR home page.
We also had the NASCAR updates via Twitter, depending on who you follow. Race apps didn’t seem to be cutting it either as Twitter was full of folks trying to get access to the race and grumbling.
I got home with 100 laps to go. Unfortunately the rain-postponed race was in rain-delay mode. During the rain delay, when the flag came out for this rain, J.J. Yeley (25th) and Landon Cassill (22nd) had stayed out and were one-two in the line. Then the cars were started up and the two leaders waited out the first caution laps, and then they were given the 1-to-go sign and they came in for fuel and tires.
But then, less then two laps later, another rain caution came out.
Then the waited again for a little bit.
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Hey gang, here’s a quickie blurb on some stats headed into the Atlanta NASCAR weekend.
With NASCAR headed into Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend, for the AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup Series race.
NASCAR TV Schedule
If you’re planning to settle in with the TV for your NASCAR weekend…. then
First practice on Friday, 9/2 on Speed at 6pm ET.
Second practice is Saturday, 9/3 on Speed at 1:30pm ET
Qualifying is also on Saturday at 5pm ET on Speed
The AdvoCare 500 airs 7:30pm ET, on Sunday on ESPN.
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By Leon Hammack:
It has readily been apparent that the quality of the racing has had little influence on the decision making process of NASCAR about the calender and schedule in the Sprint Cup era.
Having been to six Atlanta races over the past 20 years, quite predictably, this year’s race produced a crowd pleasing, earth-shaking, old fashioned scramble that would have pleased Glen “Fireball” Roberts! “Fireball” was the winner of the very first race at Atlanta Motor Speedway back in 1960. However, the race track that has provided the most side-by-side racing, as well as some of the closest race finishes in NASCAR history is losing one of their two race dates next year.
This guest article branch is continued over in the article, Atlanta Looses a Date.
Sometimes you find an article that is sparked by something like Atlanta Motor Speedway‘s Golden Anniversary, but to describe it, the author talks about some of his early experiences experiencing NASCAR.
In this case, Leon, over at “Working On My Redneck” talks about his experiences at Atlanta and some earlier experiences watching some classic historical drivers.
Take a gander Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Golden Anniversary article and let us know what you think or chime in with your own experiences.
When I first wrote a piece about the new dates that Phoenix, Kansas, CA and Atlanta are looking at, it sort of went right over my head on some of the nuances that went into Kansas Speedway getting a 2nd NASCAR Sprint Cup Series date in the season. But then I started encountering some interesting perspectives on the track.
According to a few Kansas locals on bulletin boards and radio call-ins, Kansas hasn’t sold out the one race they have each year. Despite that, if you recall, consolidating to improve seat sales was a factor that was floated out there for consolidating Fontana’s dates into one day in 2011. It makes perfect sense.
Then it hit me… ISC is adding a casino to the track and they need more butts in the casino, so why not add a 2nd Cup date! It’s the only logic that makes any sense about adding a 2nd date to a venue that isn’t already selling out.
Granted, if I ran a business and wanted more customers in my newest venue, I’d probably do the same thing. It’s a smart business move. It really is, I get it.
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While we wait for NASCAR’s announcement on its 2011 season schedule, individual tracks are releasing news on their own date changes, sort of circumventing NASCAR’s big announcement.
Phoenix International Raceway keeps 2 races, one of their dates will move to the 2nd week of the season, to February 27th, right after Daytona. Wow, that will be a big but fun contrast, not to mention being probable to taking advantage of possible better weather.
(“Starting Tuesday, fans can make a $50 deposit to reserve 2011 seats by calling 877-PIR-XTRA (747-9872). The 2011 season tickets go on sale to the general public on Oct. 29, with prices starting at $99. Tickets for the Cup race in February go on sale Nov. 11 and start at $25.”)
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We have been hearing about a track losing a date for some time now. But most of the conjecture was looking at New Hampshire, not Atlanta Motor Speedway for losing that date.
But the question remains for me if only having one date will save the track from future changes?
In my mind, the only reason a track loses a date is due to poor to moderate ticket sales. If you’re not filling the seats, you are losing money. It’s as simple as that.
What isn’t that simple is telling NASCAR fans that their favorite / local track lost a date because no one was supporting the events.
It’s harsh to hear, as I did on the radio this morning, because a lot goes into whether a family or individuals choose to pop the price for tickets. I’d be buying tickets all the time, except I don’t trust the weather and there are no weather refunds. Another reason for me, with the California track, Auto Club Speedway, is I don’t like frying in the blazing heat. Others have other reasons for not being able to attend a race and it is not because they don’t want to go. Family vacations are a finicky balance to pull off.
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In Sunday’s NASCAR Kobalt 500, Carl Edwards showed his severe lack of impatience of Brad Keselowski on 2 distinct occasions in NASCAR, both of which, to me were pretty blatant and not surprising. Will Carl Edwards get suspended by NASCAR? Many hope so.
What is surprising me is some of the the John Q. Public responses, saying this is NASCAR’s fault for their new policy of “have at it.” Are you kidding me? Do you really think that after all the public complaining you, John Q. Public, have done in the past about NASCAR interfering, that now you’re spearing NASCAR for trying to back off?
Blaming NASCAR for Carl’s lack of control is akin to blaming the government for the gun-related killings. It’s not the tool, it’s the mentality of various people that make the tool a dangerous.
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The Kobalt 500 as a tale of attrition as tires eliminated one after another competitor at Atlanta Motor Speedway. I was surprised because we’ve not heard or seen much about tires this season, but now we have Atlanta. At least it’s not track surface chunks or stray running caution lights. It’s something that someone had some control over, when you dwell on it.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the pack to the first green flag start, but Kyle Busch just took the lead from him and spanked Jr. Dale should have taken the outside line to start the race maybe. Or maybe it wouldn’t have mattered actually.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr set a blistering pole speed by almost 1/2 a mph faster than the next driver as he snagged the No. 1 starting spot for the Kobalt 500 on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Junior Nation goes crazy wild, that’s for sure.
One qualifying story the world was watching was to see if Ryan Newman was going to break his tie with Buddy Baker of 7 poles here at Atlanta, but alas, it is not to be so this time by as Ryan oddly, qualified 7th. [Atlanta Stat Facts]
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