Nascar raced its way into Las Vegas for their traditional spring 400-miler. In a race where with two cautions for the two stage breaks, nothing much happened! Nascar really needed an action-packed event to boost the appearance of this package. It appears to have done the opposite.
The Penske cars look to have an advantage with this package, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano already have one win apiece. Last season, we had the big 3 drivers going back and forth. This season, with three different winners and no apparent favourite as of yet, we look to have a more open field. More cars are competitive week to week, and the gaps aren't as large as they have been.
I've heard many negative comments about this race. There was a negative reaction to this package from the beginning, and I think it's because the cars, while running closer together, don't really pass each other more. I think making a pass is just as difficult because you need to get a draft and then work around the other car. Being on the gas for the majority of the lap also doesn't help the cause. The lack of cautions didn't cause me to like the racing any less, I didn't really like the restarts to want a yellow. Too much drafting and no real daring moves to put you at the edge of your seat. I don't necessarily blame the package, I blame the drivers for taking it a bit too easy. It's not my favourite type of package, but it's good to have a variety of these races so we don't always have the same packages. Variety is good!
Hot Button issues from this race: there are very few! Kyle Larson's crew member with a hand on the ground. Regardless of the rule and its warrants, I just gotta say it's a rule and there's no reason for the hand to be on pit road. I like the rule, keep more people from going over. No hands should be allowed to be out there, let's not have a grey area. I love black and white rules. You know you can't do it: don't do it!
Does Ricky Stenhouse drive too aggressively? Throughout the race, Stenhouse was the driver who got closest to the other drivers in terms of the side draft and attempting to gain an advantage. In my opinion, the package works best for Ricky, it benefits more of his very aggressive dirt track style. I like that Ricky races every lap hard and I refuse to say he shouldn't be doing it. We saw it on the final laps against Aric Almirola and Martin Truex Jr, and we saw it earlier against Erik Jones. Stenhouse's driving is what got him up to 6th at the end. I think he's putting a bit of fear into the other drivers, and that's a good thing. Jones was definitely looking more in his mirror after the contact, Stenhouse doesn't hit the brake to let someone get back in. He goes.
Finally, the last lap. Brad Keselowski waited to long IMHO. He should have started his attack a couple laps earlier. It's quite a shame Kyle Busch got that speeding penalty, because if he didn't he'd be closer to the front and would definitely drive more aggressively against Joey Logano, just like he did earlier in the race. There is promise in this package, but I think after resolving who was first and second and calming down, Keselowski didn't want to risk a bad meeting on Tuesday with Mr. Roger Penske. He went for it but only with low-risk moves. I've been there, don't entirely blame Brad, he had more to lose than win in that situation. Kudos to Joey Logano for being aggressive when the two had a bigger lead.
In other motorsports, Supercross went to Cooper Webb in Atlanta. He's been the class of the field this season, and Tomac's inconsistency and the lack of Honda speed in comparison to the KTM really puts Cooper Webb in the catbird's seat for the championship. But things change. Headed to Daytona next week, that's a Tomac track. I fully expect him to take it and close the championship battle. If Webb has a bad race there, it brings Roczen, Musquin and Tomac back in. We don't know who will get hot in the second half of the season, because if someone does it's their championship to take. Things are still pretty tight.
For Nascar next weekend in Phoenix, you gotta go with the guy who has two straight disappoiting top-5s: Kevin Harvick. When you're knocking on the door and not fully all there yet, you wanna go to your comfort zone. Phoenix is Harvick's comfort zone.
Also, it's the beginning of the Indycar season from St. Petersburg. Who do you pick? I don't think Bourdais will win three straight there. I like Will Power, he seems hungry this season and Penske looks poised to go back to the top. His two teammates won championships recently. Power also missed the season opener before. This track owes him.
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