Speaking as a Byron fan: WOOHOOO!!!! THIS RACE WAS AWESOME!!!! DONT CHANGE IT!!!! As an objective fan: Watching this race made me feel like Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park: At first, I’m in awe and wonder in how they were able to create this kind of racing out of a 1.5 mile track. “You did it. You crazy son of a b****. You did it.” But as I think about it more and more, I begin to feel weird especially seeing the number of wrecks it was creating. “You were so preoccupied to think if you COULD that you didn’t stop to think if you SHOULD.”
Horrible track. Period. And its to small to avoid wrecks If they happen in the middle of the pack. It has potential to take out 30 cars on lap 2. Then the fans would want to puke. And I watched a few in car cameras . And someone is going to die in one of these cars. THEY HIT HARD. WAY WAY 2 HARD. ITS GOING TO KILL ONE of these drivers. It was a 1 lane track. And no chance to make progress . Unless some idiot went low. Then they got bulldozed by. But no advances from 5th to 20th. So no good, the Regular package there running now at the 1 1/2 tracks with the 700 hp. It would of been A AWRSOME race . 3 lanes back and forth and it would of been awesome. But we got smoke screened over our eyes. Because all the cars were on top of each other.
Bottom line: Please don't change intermediates to match Atlanta. The best thing we can do is have some diversity among intermediate tracks, even if some of them don't produce the best races year to year.
The schedule is a bit more balanced with six SS races. Good amount of road courses, there’s a few mile and a half races, and there are several short track dates. It doesn’t take away from anything, imo.
I am fine with it - just don't convert Charlotte or Texas as a knee jerk reaction. If they want to rotate in some different tracks (Iowa, North Wilkesboro, a street race, etc.) OK with that too - but adding more SS races....nah.
Watching the best drivers in the country turn laps wide open absolutely takes something from the sport. That was straight up garbage what we saw on Sunday. What was the best intermediate track in NASCAR is now the worst.
@@blawrence4007 Homestead says hello (and is the best 1.5 mile track IMHO) One thing that has worked is the progressive banking installed at Homestead and Kansas - be interesting to see how the new car handles those 2 tracks
I had fun. But I agree, don’t wanna see too many of these. I’m really amazed by the endurance of these cars. Too bad our street cars can’t be manufactured using the same carbon fiber reinforced composite panels. Maybe not…..cars are already too damn expensive.
@JGR4LIFE Agreed, but he doesn't know how to push at a superspeedway, and he complains too much. Also I'd argue that Jimmie would have done well in the 550 without that 2017 Pocono crash.
Today was the first race I attended in person, and the energy from the crowd just amplified all the emotions I felt. It was an incredible race. All I hoped for, plus some.
I was there, had an awesome time! One of the best atmospheres of a NASCAR race i’ve ever been too and I have been to quite a few NASCAR races and tracks over the past 14 years.
Same here I had fun there. Only thing I don't like about atlanta is the built the stands in the wrong direction. Sun is in your eyes later in the afternoon. It would be a banger if it was a night race.
Not a superspeedway guy. But I'm still happy with the result. From a fan's perspective, I liked it better than the old Atlanta for sure. Still liked Vegas and AutoClub better. But it was better than Phoenix. I'm scared this will lead to exactly what you were saying. We need more short tracks, not baby superspeedways.
@@Bramon83 if the 1.5mile tracks race like AC and LV then as long as they replace Nashville superspeedway with the fairgrounds then I'll be happy. Problem is, like every rules package and car we've seen before, eventually these 1.5miles will get back to their usual selves. Which then refers back to Eric's point of making all 1.5miles mini superspeedways. No thanks.
They should us the spring race as the “super speedway race and package” and use the summer race as the “normal 670hp with 4in spoiler”. They should have both in my opinion just for Atlanta. It will make this track unique and taylor to both fans who hate or love either type of racing. Hope they listen!!
While this would be a cool experiment, it can't last. Ultimately one package will work better than the other, and you'll have half of the races be worse than they could be.
@@jimchurchill2868 If I heard right on a few podcasts, I want to say DJD was one, it's that the speed in the corner would be extremely high. With the superspeedway package, that speed isn't as high and drivers feel that is a safety issue.
Here’s my vote: If SMI is determined to turn another 1.5 mile track into a superspeedway, have it be Texas, and only have one date at both Texas and Atlanta so we keep the superspeedway races capped at 6, and keep the idea of more short tracks, keep road courses between 6-8 per year, and throw in a dirt race & street race for good measure on the rest of the schedule
Issue with turning Texas into a superspeedway is Indycar's race there. For Indycar, it is their second largest and fastest oval after Indy. Indycars at Texas already get up to 230 mph. If you turn Texas into a superspeedway, indycar won't be able to race there anymore, it will be too dangerous, and that is one of the last oval tracks left on the indycar schedule and at their race there today actually produced a good show.
@@EricEstepp it was good weather. That helped. The action was there. Chevy it seemed made it there. Most fans didn’t put together it was Chevy blowing tires. We were blaming Goodyear. After 35 laps, everyone begin to believe the tires were going to fail. So it was impressive some teams took 2 tires and some even staged out with 70 laps on their tires at the end.
I watched what can possibly be described as "all of the motorsports" this weekend, starting wht the 8 hour World Endurance Championship race as Sebring on Friday, the entire 12 Hours of Sebring yesterday, and F1, Indycar, and NASCAR today , and I have a lot of the same thoughts. Mye first takeaway was "I'm not sure how I feel about more superspeedway races, I thought 4 was a good number." My second takeaway was "This didn't need to be 500 miles." I think NASCAr would be better off if they could consistently fit their entire program - including opening ceremonies and some post-race interviews - into a 4 hour TV window, and that's coming from someone who will happily watch an entire 24 hour endurance race several times each year. My outspoken opinion is that I would like to see NASCAR take a page from the V8 supercars book and have a several different formats throughout the year. A 5 "crown jewel" races (Daytona 500, Coke 600, Southern 500, Bristol Night Race or one Martinsville race, and one Talladega race) without stages, a few stage races like we have now, and a few weekends with 3 sprint races of equal points value (even better if you intentionally don't give teams enough tires for all the races and make them think about how to get the most out of the weekend). Not every race needs to be a 5 hour marathon
I think 6 Superspeedway races is the perfect amount especially with all 3 tracks being uniquely different. This helps balances the schedule between the road courses and short tracks since these 3 have roughly the same amount of races between each other on the Schedule. Majority is still normal Intermediate tracks which is fine.
Personally I disliked what I saw today. Complete 180 from the F1 race this morning, and Indycar in the early afternoon (from Texas, no less). Daytona and Dega are their own special things, but pack racing isn't designed to highlight driver ability and adding more to the schedule is another bad gimmicky move. It seems that the general fan opinion is all for it and that is majorly concerning, especially given SMI's comments that this was a great showing of "sports entertainment". Moves like these continue to undermine the legitimacy of Nascar as a motorsport and move it further into the WWE sports entertainment territory.
Honestly, just by watching the highlights, it looked pretty interesting, but I totally agree, this DOES NOT need to become a thing with every mile and a half track! Not only would you risk loosing drivers to other series, but the possibility of injuries also goes way up.
Well to me I think the Drivers need to stop being babies like Kyle Busch and learn how to race one and be professionals. Suck it up buttercup. It's not about the drivers it's about the fans and what they think. And according to attendence every speedway race has been full.
The most consistent cause of wrecks wasn't on the drivers like it is at Daytona and Talladega. It was what caused carnage at Auto Club... Tire failures
Consistently every wreck was related to the tire and wheel combination throughout the season so far. And the outcome of every single race so far was flipped upside down??
I've been watching NASCAR since the mid-80's and today was the best ATL race I've ever seen. But, I do agree we don't need any more Superspeedway races. Take ATL's 2nd race and give it to a short track. That's where the real racing is. BTW, I love the stages. Its like having 3 races in one!
Eric in stage 1: " This is better than Daytona." Eric in stages 2 and 3: "6 Superspeedways is too much." I mean Eric I agree with most of your opinions, but that's just downright inconsistent. This was another great race, and it was skill-based because cars still got tight and loose.
@@indy968 There's a thing called nuance. You can still like certain aspects of a thing, while disliking other aspects of that thing. The world isn't black and white.
You nailed it. SS wins are like the lottery. Whoever happens to be in front of the churn wins. Hang on to the wheel real tight is the most important skill for the win. Case in point? Boyer's comment with 100 to go. "We just have to ride around for a while".
@@r_moore20 fans like the finishes, but dislike the wrecks. we need to minimize the former and provide the latter. So make the cars less spin-heavy and shorten the races. Done.
Eric, this is the first I totally agree with you we don't need anymore super speed ways they are nothing but wreck fests. NASCAR screwed up racing with all the mile and half race tracks, NASCAR needs to bring back more short tracks. Why not ask the drivers what they want after all its their lives that's at stake.
It was confirmed that the tire issues were setup related and running too much camber. It wasn’t an actual issue with the tire and they weren’t really wearing much
Eric, I agree with you 100%. Although, about two Superspeedway races a year is all that I can stomach. It is hard to see the best drivers in the world cruising at 3/4 throttle and only braking to keep from running over the driver in front of them. The only time that actual passing is involved is when another driving is helping. So boring- watching drivers go around and around waiting for the big wreck. Superspeedway racing is not actual racing to determine the best car and driver; it is merely entertainment with a lottery style format to determine the winner. If I wanted to be entertained, I would watch a demolition derby. Give me more road courses, short tracks, and horsepower! Let the best drivers in the world drive and not simply ride around trying to avoid the big wreck and hoping someone gives them a needed push at the right time.
While you need luck to survive to the end of SS races, William Byron dominated today and his team deserves a ton of credit for leading 100+ laps at a newly reconfigured track.
Exactly. I think the difference between Atlantas new style of racing vs Daytona and Talladega was the fastest car actually won. Byron had the best car, it was handling well and he could run the top or bottom. He led 111 laps. It’s not like he just won because everyone wrecked on the last lap. I think they said he led the race at 7 different points.
Slippery slope argument is a little tough when, even when converting Atlanta, this only makes 6/30+ races in the season super speedways. I get your opinion of flooding the schedule with Super Speedway races being a bad idea, but track diversity is good. Atlanta was a snooze for a while, this brought excitement. Breaking the schedule up with supers, mile and a half, road tracks, and short tracks is good and let’s different drivers have a shot and the elite drivers to rise up. If the second stage didn’t have so many tire issues would you still feel this way?
It wasn't the tracks fault that races were terrible. It was nascar bringing cars that were too sensitive on aero that brought the racing down. There's a difference.
I thought it was a great race and definitely noticed the reconfiguring The wrecks mostly this season are tire failures Should have been 400 miles And there are enough SS races
Same here haha. I had lost hope after his contact with Reddick but yet again he lurked for the majority of the race and pounced at the end. True mark of a champ
This was NASCAR to a "T". I loved the race and I was on the edge of my seat. I think NASCAR is making a good effort to have a variety of races on the schedule, so 2 more superspeedway races won't hurt. I think the series with short tracks, dirt racing, road racing, intermediate tracks and super speedways is so demanding over a full 36 race season the drivers and the teams who have the best car setups, the best drivers, and a little luck have earned the right to be called NASCAR champion. This was the best Atlanta race I've seen in years.
I think he ment as far as Bubba , he's been up front in almost everyone of them as far as deserved it. But let's be honest. LUCK has alot to do with getting through 500 miles of Playe racing. Amd Lets be even more honest. If no plate races last year does Michael McDowell get into the playoffs??? So there not a Normal race win. But. If you win. You win . But look at MOST of the good drivers. THEY FKN HATE ALL PLATE RACES. because they cannot use there God givin skills to RACE . and race there way to the front , and contend!!!💯👍👍
I can hear the *terror* in Eric's voice here; (rightly) worried that we're gonna go from 4 Super Speedway races last year to 8 or even 10 in just a few years from now.
@@clemzahrobsky2137 wasn't expecting a political thing in here, but since we're here: Today the north and south poles are about 50 degrees F warmer than normal. Read that as many times as you need. There is no reason to believe that an electric motor version of NASCAR would be any worse than current. Formula E's main issue, for instance, is the drivers and not the perfomance of the cars as compared to F1 or F2. (Biden is not a liberal, says this liberal.)
@@ThandrieDavis so much stupid in one comment…. “50 degrees warmer than normal” - lol, you never established what “NORMAL” is, therefore you only need to read it once to realize you’re not making any point whatsoever…. If what you’re trying* to do is point out that the planet is warming, thats well documented, pat yourself on the back. the factors as to why are much more complicated and more difficult to pinpoint but so far as we are able to determine, the earth has seen periods of warming and cooling since its inception. Formula E has been a complete disaster. Many major manufacturing are now leaving the sport entirely, and viewership has continued to plummet. Many of the teams in FE include F1 drivers, the claim that Formula E is not popular because it doesn’t have good or popular drivers is pure fiction. Its not popular because silent Motorsport is devoid of many factors race fans want, not least among them is sound. NASCAR may include some hybrid element in the future (as F1 has) but pure electrification is death sentence for an already retreating sport. Many factory teams within FE share the same drivers across their other Motorsports divisions, which does include F1 (ex: Stoffel Vandoorne). For reference, 26 drivers have participated in both F1 and FE since 2014. Biden is a progressive democrat, “liberals” today don’t even understand the term and its derivative from classic liberal ideology, which in practice is libertarianism today. Many of todays “liberals” are simply masquerading as progressive socialist. In practice, the modern day liberal racing fan is very inclined to favor super speedway racing. Instead of validating and rewarding the best teams hard work and individual ingenuity, they instead reward luck and authoritative governing controls which are more likely to determine outcome. All of this is a pretense for “fairness” and “equality” to stroke the short sided gratification of pure and simple entertainment at the detriment of authenticity and legitimacy of the sport at large.
I was telling a friend I was watching the race with last night, this is the best Atlanta race since the early 2000’s! I say 6 of these races a year is plenty but the racing was 4 hours of excitement!
Eric, I'm with you 100% on this, especially the time it takes to get through a NASCAR race. I love NASCAR but it just takes too darn long to get through a race. I also watched the F1 race and Indy which just makes it so obvious. I also one upped you by watching the Moto GP motorcycle race (recorded) which lasts around 45 minutes. I too also get bored with pack racing and agree that we don't need any more of these.
Two major things I hate about the reconfigure. The first: The turn one entry and four exit bottlenecks. A lot of the wrecks that happened were because the wings had to contract, so to speak, and nobody was ready for it. The second, which is an extension of the first: track width. If you're going to run Atlanta as a superspeedway, there is no reason that the whole track shouldn't have the same width. Forcing this crunch may make for some interesting racing dynamics, but it is also disaster waiting to happen, as we saw today. Thirty cars involved in wrecks. That's a huge number.
If it wasn't for all the torn up cars it really was a good race. I didn't mind it but man I can't stand that many torn up cars. Thats the part that gets me. I do NOT think this needs to continue at other 1.5 mile tracks though. This is enough. Especially considering how good the low df 670hp package has been so far.
Watched F1 start to finish, watched IndyCar start to finish, watched NASCAR for an hour and it became obvious how long the race was going to take to complete so I hit record and got some things done around the house and took the family out to dinner. I LOVE NASCAR.... BUT... the races take way too long and there are far too many interruptions in the racing. Having all three genres literally run back to back to back live really brought some perspective in my opinion.
I know he’s bubba’s friend and all but he’s got to look out for himself. I don’t see him pushing bubba again. Bubba is VERY prone to crashing. Shoulda pushed his future brother-in-law lol
@@thomaspodlesny239 agreed that 4 super speedways or 5 if you count Michigan was enough . They’ve already destroyed Texas . Atlanta was best when high groove up next to the wall was there and the tires wore quick in my opinion
I think Jeff Gordon nailed it. Chevys put too much camber on the right rear. Made them faster but cost them tire failure. Assuming they learned from that, the number of wrecks should go down a little bit. I like the “mini super speedway” concept but only in very small doses. NASCAR has found some common ground between the fans and divers but shouldn’t push this concept too much otherwise u are correct and drivers will move on. All in all it’s been a fun year so far!
I watched all three races at Atlanta this weekend and all three showed elements of both intermediate track racing and super-speedway racing. It seemed like the cars were stopping short of the full super-speedway effects; this allowed (especially in Trucks and xFinity) the better cars to use the inside lane to advance the position either single handedly or with a small group of cars behind them. I don’t know if this track should have the out of bounds line; I say that they should use the extra space on the front stretch and back stretch for racing. Maybe they should consider adding grip to the bottom lane for the next race and/or next year. I like the unique car/rules package that they used; this Atlanta Motor Speedway needs its own car/rules package. Overall, Atlanta is now a unique 1.5 Mile Super-Speedway that produces great racing with some room for improvement. They have a high-banked short track, so they don’t need another one of those; they don’t need another Atlanta. Maybe they need a road course with high banking, but let’s start off with a traditional banked turn into a long straightaway into a high-banking right turn.
So at a time when they are doing everything they can to make it more affordable for owners, we have added two more races where 75% of the field ends with wrecked cars. The sport would be much better off if SMI would spend their money to find a way to artificially age a new surface.
Eric. -No one stated nor implied the schedule would be 'flooded' with Speedway type racing. Yiu said so yourself. Had SMI simply left the configuration and did a repave, the event would have been the same boring one groove racing we have seen at AMS since the track was reconfigured 20 plus years ago. - I take Kyle Busch's opinions with a tiniest grains of salt because he is a contrarian. He gets is rocks off by being controversial. So, he can go pound sand. - Today's race was as entertaining as it was billed. Could not turn away from the race for a moment. -I'm quite sick of people complaining about crashes when those same people complain about how the race was boring because their were few cautions. Can't have it both ways. -NASCAR is on to something here. Close competitive racing based on driver skill and yes, luck. Being in the right place at the right time. I would imagine if you spoke to any Mets fan that is old enough to recollect the 1986 World Series, they will tell you if asked, were glad Bill Buckner was playing first base for the Red Sox. -If every race winner was the fastest car, the sport would carry little interest. - We watch sports because we want to see things and people compete against each other. In my opinion NASCAR hit a home run today.
I think this is similar to when Charlotte introduced the Roval. It was such a huge success that people started to wonder if every 1.5-miler would follow suit, but Nascar and the tracks understood the importance of uniqueness. Same with the dirt race - just one to add variety. There will not be any other track morphing into a baby Daytona, and I’m glad to see something new that isn’t a road course come to the schedule. If you take out the three tire failures, there really wasn’t much carnage compared to Daytona/ Talladega. Drivers seemed to have much better handling and control of their runs here and it ended up creating a great product without a real “fluky” winner. There were no backmarkers teams sneaking up to lead the pack. William Byron definitely earned this one by running strong all day and playing things right at the end. Congrats to him!
I believe in F1 once the lights go out the race must be completed in 2 hours but if there is a red flag the 2 hour clock stops but the race must still be completed in 4 hours since the start of the race. Usually this is only a factor on tacks that are really long (e.g. Spa, 7Km/4.4mi) and are weather (rain) affected.
I think the racing starts was great, I don't want to see all the wrecks I just want to see some good racing which it was, all these 1.5 mile single file with 10 cars on the lead lap sucks, 6 superspeedways is enough but good for SMI on Atlanta!!
Talking about speedway racing and different winners, there’s many names to look at. Michael Waltrip won 2 Daytona 500’s, and I think a Pepsi 400 win. His only wins in cup. Trevor Bayne, Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, It’s a completely different beast.
Hey Eric, have you seen how good William Byron has actually been? I mean, he just won in honestly dominating fashion, scoring the most points of all drivers by winning stage one, leading almost half of the races laps, (which is super difficult on a superspeedway) and never really falling back other than stage 2, where he was able to find his way back up front quite quickly. It has actually kind of seemed like at one point in each of this years points races, Byron has seemed to have race-winning speed, for at least one point in the race. When he was up front at Daytona until getting collected in the big one as the 21 was spun into him, at Auto Club he raced past Tyler Reddick in stage 2 seemingly being faster until he got a lug-nut problem and going back to 17th, and worked back up to 6th until not being able to slow down to avoid Reddick's blown tire, (idk what happened but something seemed to screw up when he tried to swerve away from him) He was nearly the stage 1 winner of Las Vegas and had kind of the best short run car but Larson's pit crew just is better than his and pushed him back to the second row, losing him the clean air and having him fall back to 5th with the 4-tire guys, at Phoenix he won stage 1 and came 4th or 3rd in stage 2 but his car was losing speed because the track conditions messed up his car, and now he finally wins. I don't think it will be the first time this season, and knowing he is top 5 in points right now he is very consistent, kinda of a threat to win every week and being only 24 I think he has championship potential. He is one of the best, people don't see it yet.
People like to ignore Byron for some reason. It’s laughable that some people are discrediting this win because it was a “superspeedway”. He led 111 laps, and he and Chastain had the fastest 2 cars and were 1-2. Some people only give credit when it’s due to a few drivers. Guarantee if Larson won people would be jizzing their pants saying he can win anywhere.
More and more Cup Series drivers are partaking in oval racing outside of NASCAR. Track Enterprises just bought CRA with the intent of creating a national super late model series. This is the perfect time for SMI and NASCAR to do things with their race tracks that the drivers will hate.
I love the superspeedway races, this was one of the best Atlanta races I've watched in quite a while, I think one or 2 more tracks like this would be awesome
Fix the cars not the tracks. Happened in both F1 and NASCAR, they changed tracks after deciding to change the cars, before seeing if the cars could even race better.
I'm now conflicted as a fan. Normally I would hate the idea of this, and I agree that the racers should be pushed to the limit of their abilities and "pack racing" is basically throwing skill out the window. I do think more races like this will push drivers elsewhere and NASCAR will become a joke. That being said, I was there today. This was by far the most entertaining race I've ever been to. Edge of my seat almost the entire race. The crowd was huge and the energy was insane. Best race and most fun race I've ever been too and it isn't even close. I've already bought tickets for July. That's why I'm conflicted: for the legitimacy of the sport, this is not good. For entertainment purposes this kind of racing is just...unmatched. And if these races produce better numbers than your normal race... What else is NASCAR supposed to do?
Today was a motorsports day for sure F1 in the morning, indycar afternoon, then cup afterwards. I thought the cup race was ok. Problem was the track was really narrow and was really hard to get a run especially if you were past the top two.
Finally someone that agrees with me. Ty. You know what your looking at. The others here in the comments gave me hell because I said its not big enough to form 2nd and 3rd lanes. , so imho its to skinny to have more than 1 Solid lane. Maybe after it ages a bit , it'll have the bottom come in a bit. But ,, to me it was not a good race. NOT compaired to the last Atlanta, jmho. But I agree with you. 🍻🔥💯👍👍
@@Tow_Sr. Like at Talladega if you are running third and get a run you had enough room to make a move and get the lead. Yesterday if you were outside the top two you were pretty much stuck. Now maybe when they come back in July handling will be a bigger issue since it's gonna be insanely hot more than likely. And that could open up to more lanes.
I agree with Eric about the talented drivers possibly running in a different series to be able to actually race. That would only be a concern if NASCAR goes off the deep end. Why would a talented race driver want to go complete every week in races where you just mostly run wide open in a giant pack?
Personally, I liked it. The pack racing fan in me enjoyed it. Compare this to previous years at Atlanta, I would much rather take what we saw this weekend than prior years.
Leave it like it is now. As it is, all of the 1.5 mile tracks have something that makes them unique. We have a good mix of track types now. My only suggestions would be to maybe run one of the Atlanta races with the high hp, low df package to mix it up, and make the mini superspeedway race 400 miles.
If they want to keep the races somewhat short (like 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours), keeping the stages is fine but please abolish the mandatory cautions after stage 1 & stage 2. It kills the flow of the race and takes the endurance aspect away from it.
Totally agree. It's really hard nowadays to see some green flag pits stop. Mandatory cautions could be fine (but not for me) when the gen6th run 600 miles without wrecks, flat tires and blown engines.
Stenhouse had a comment on the tire issue. The load on the leader's tires was different than everyone else which combined with the aggressive setups can cause it
Great analysis! Just an editor's note: It looks like Sonic Financial Corporation is the sole owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc as of about September 19, 2019, and Sonic is a privately held corporation controlled by O. Bruton Smith and members of his family and affiliated entities and trusts. Just wanted to pass that along! Also, big fan of the pack racing of the event. the two by two kept me hooked while folding laundry and whatnot. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I'm new to the sport, and I'm just not sure how to watch and keep up with the non-super speedway races. again, no racing background, so superspeedways are just an easier onramp for me with this sport.
This is probably the most I have agreed with your assessment on a race ever. I can't disagree with anything you have said. I was like you and many others (including many drivers) where I was not picturing this new Atlanta change to produce pack racing. I am someone who admits when they are wrong. I was proven otherwise because this race delivered just like they said it would. The entire weekend in fact with the Truck Series and Xfinity Series combined. Amazing bumper to bumper, door to door action all day, with more lead changes then ever in this track's history! Sadly most of the field got into some sort of accident or incident but it was worth it I suppose. (Kyle Busch on the other hand lol). But yeah, 6 superspeedway races is where I draw the line. I also agree Texas Motor Speedway should have been the one changed to save the track from it's invetible extinction lol. But now that Atlanta is a Superspeedway, now I don't want Texas to change because I really... don't... want 8 Superspeedway races. I like my variety of unique tracks. Let's hope it stays that way because it probably would steer (no pun intended) drivers in a different motorsport career path. 80% is what I give this race too. Overal a fantastic race!
What’s good is that having more of these Superspeedway races like this really help smaller teams who struggle, get top 25 top 20 finishes like we saw today and can have more opportunities to do so
@@Jake_Innes idk about that I’ve heard Tony Stewart say Kurt Busch wining the Daytona 500 the race with the biggest purse wasn’t even enough money to make a profit because his 3 other cars crashed. I don’t think a top 25 at Atlanta is giving anywhere near the money a small team would need for the risk of totaling a car especially during this part shortage.
I don’t want to watch a “sport” where inferior teams are given wins (or given the ability to place higher arbitrarily) because you feel bad for them. It undermines the authenticity and legitimacy of the sport at large. I want the best teams and drivers to succeeded, regardless of who I favor.
I was someone that was waiting for the repave to go back to the track. Living in Atlanta, I went a couple of times on the old surface and did not find the racing great with the Gen 6 car. I think it could have been better with the new car, but the track just couldn't hold up before that came to fruition. However, being there the whole weekend I am glad I purchased my season tickets already. Stands looked to be about 85-90% full, and the crowd energy was awesome. The racing across the whole weekend looked great from the stands. Handling definitely was needed across all three series, especially when the track was at the hottest part of the day. Once it started cooling off handling became less of an issue. The crowd was seriously buzzing when leaving the race and it seemed like an overwhelming majority enjoyed the race. I do think that this should be the only intermediate track to have this change. It makes it unique and different, while the other tracks keep their own personality. One thing I do foresee is this race will change as the track wears later down the years. This may lead to a transition to the high horsepower and low downforce package for the second half of the tracks life. I think this could be a nice change as the track may not keep the same racing through the entire lifespan of the surface. I am excitingly planning to renew my tickets for next year.
This race was definitely a spectacle. Six superspeedway races is a lot and it's gonna be hurting the pockets of all the teams especially. Maybe NASCAR should look at going to Atlanta only once a year again. Who knows, maybe make it the regular season championship race and move Daytona back to where it belongs on July 4th weekend.
Was there and loved every second of it. The way I look at it, if we are gonna have 5, 6, or 7 road course races in a season we should happily be able to match or come close to that quantity with Superspeedway races. Since I was a kid, currently 27, I've wanted a 3rd Superspeedway and this race today was better than I imagined.
Eric I'm with you, no more than 80 on the groove gauge! This race left me betwixt and between. Raising the banking on all tracks is not the answer! Turning all the ovals to super speedways is not the answer. I like the uniqueness and mystique of Daytona and Talladega. This type of racing might be entertaining, but very dangerous and destructive/expensive!
I agree with you today. Daytona and Talladega were always fun and special. They were fun and special because they were unique. Now, that uniqueness has slightly eroded. I don't want to see a pack-wreck race every other week with road courses every week in between. We need balance between Super-Speedways, Short Tracks, 1.5's and road courses. Remember a few short years ago? We had 2 Daytona, 2 Talladega, 2 road courses (Watkins Glen and Sonoma), 6 short tracks (2 Bristol, 2 Martinsville, 2 Richmond). The rest of the schedule were unique tracks between 1 and 2 miles. This was nearly a good balance, but fans wanted more short tracks. I stand by that. NASCAR needs more short track dates.
Now I have three tracks I don't watch live... I'm sure I'm in the bottom 1%, but the randomness and lack of good racing (30 cars all locked together, doesn't necessarily equate to good racing -- in many cases; just survival of the luckiest...) is just too much for these geriatric senses... between the apparent fragileness of the tires, the high inertia of the car when it starts to step out, and the lack of possibility of the crews to reengineer the car to behave properly, this season is becoming one of the more frustrating... am I going to quit watching NASCAR; never... but I'm now a sceptic... sad to have done this to Atlanta; been going there off and on since the 43 car had its original driver...
I think this makes Atlanta a fun place to do the All Star Race maybe? I wouldn't mind seeing that, but in general I don't like how dangerous and random superspeedways are though. 4 superspeedway races was too much, 6 is way too much.
Loved the interview with Kyle Busch! Short and to the point: "Do you like the new Atlanta configuration as well as the old?" "No." Kyle may be a jerk, but at least he says what's on his mind. I agree that 4 hours is a little too long for a race, but some of that time is due to the large number of crashes. The newness of the track contributed, and as the drivers learn the nuances and crewchiefs learn how to set up cars for it, maybe the number of crashes will decrease. I remember when NASCAR ran 500 milers at Rockingham. Those races were 5 hours long. NASCAR shortened Rockingham to 400 miles, and not many people complained. If they don't decrease the number of cautions in the next few races, maybe it would be wise to shorten it to 400 miles. This is the third configuration for Atlanta. First it was an oval, and Dale Earnhardt dominated there. Then SMI changed it to a tri-oval, and now the superspeedway. Atlanta was called a superspeedway back then because pole speeds approached 200 mph, and they eventually went to restrictor plates, if memory serves me correctly. Original Atlanta was wide and cars could easily go side by side, and the races were great. Now I'm bugged that the cars are only running 180 mph and that the engines are at full throttle for the entire lap. They need to add power to get the cars up to 200 mph again, then maybe the pack racing will go away. Your grandmother could drive the new configuration of Atlanta at 180 mph. The cars are not at the limit of adhesion. Speed them up, and driver skill comes back into the equation. So the definition of "superspeedway race" has changed over the years. Now it means "restrictor plate race", and I agree that four of those a year is probably enough. But consider this: there are more road courses now than restrictor plate races. I like to see about an equal mix of different kinds of tracks so that winning the championship means the driver is versatile.
My antenna couldn't pick up the channel so I had to resort to PRN. Luckily I got to miss the pre race show. Dodged a bullet there. I'm kinda mad I missed the F1 race cause the highlight reel looked like an awesome race. I got to watch a nice portion of the Indycar race at a Chinese buffet on an old TV with a blue tint on the screen. I'd say it was a great weekend for Motorsports. Now let's turn Texas into an over under banked figure 8 track.
I actually disagree with your thought that "whether or not you liked this race is because you like superspeedways." I actually find Daytona and Talladega as the least enjoyable races, I loath superspeedway racing, but I enjoyed this race because you could tell the cars were on a knifes edge the entire time. It was a superspeedway race by definition only (restrictor plate/tapered spacer with pack racing racing). Granted, I know take Atlanta wins as less prestigious than other more driver orientated track wins, but I definitely think higher of an Atlanta superspeedway racer than a Daytona or Talladega winner.
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Speaking as a Byron fan: WOOHOOO!!!! THIS RACE WAS AWESOME!!!! DONT CHANGE IT!!!!
As an objective fan: Watching this race made me feel like Jeff Goldblum’s character in Jurassic Park:
At first, I’m in awe and wonder in how they were able to create this kind of racing out of a 1.5 mile track. “You did it. You crazy son of a b****. You did it.”
But as I think about it more and more, I begin to feel weird especially seeing the number of wrecks it was creating. “You were so preoccupied to think if you COULD that you didn’t stop to think if you SHOULD.”
Well said .
Horrible track. Period. And its to small to avoid wrecks If they happen in the middle of the pack. It has potential to take out 30 cars on lap 2. Then the fans would want to puke. And I watched a few in car cameras . And someone is going to die in one of these cars. THEY HIT HARD. WAY WAY 2 HARD. ITS GOING TO KILL ONE of these drivers. It was a 1 lane track. And no chance to make progress . Unless some idiot went low. Then they got bulldozed by. But no advances from 5th to 20th. So no good, the Regular package there running now at the 1 1/2 tracks with the 700 hp. It would of been A AWRSOME race . 3 lanes back and forth and it would of been awesome. But we got smoke screened over our eyes. Because all the cars were on top of each other.
@@Tow_Sr. I've seen you complain about this track and race in the comments lmao 😂😉
@@TheJoviLovi it sucked , and half the field was wrecked. It was shit. If it had 700 hp it would of been 3 lanes and a Great race. Not a crash fest
@@Tow_Sr. I missed the part where that's my problem
Bottom line: Please don't change intermediates to match Atlanta. The best thing we can do is have some diversity among intermediate tracks, even if some of them don't produce the best races year to year.
exactly, that's my only worry. they'll see ticket sales go up then turn all the tracks into this, lets hope not anyways
_death, taxes, _*_Ross Chastain finishing second after looking so competitive…_*
Ross is gotta be in the playoffs, he's so promising
Death, Taxes, Ryan Blaney running upfront all day and ending the day 18th.
Death, taxes, Suarez running over someone
*Trackhouse finishing in the top 5 yet again*
Ross will win at some point, it's only a matter of time.
NASCAR: We continue to improve safety.
SMI: Let’s create a small, high-speed, demo derby.
NASCAR: Yeah, sounds good.
They increase safety so they can continue to promote crashing
Cody ware would've dead or severely injured from that hit if it was early 2000's the safety never left
@@andrewr7982 sad but true
The schedule is a bit more balanced with six SS races. Good amount of road courses, there’s a few mile and a half races, and there are several short track dates. It doesn’t take away from anything, imo.
I am fine with it - just don't convert Charlotte or Texas as a knee jerk reaction. If they want to rotate in some different tracks (Iowa, North Wilkesboro, a street race, etc.) OK with that too - but adding more SS races....nah.
Watching the best drivers in the country turn laps wide open absolutely takes something from the sport. That was straight up garbage what we saw on Sunday. What was the best intermediate track in NASCAR is now the worst.
@@blawrence4007 Homestead says hello (and is the best 1.5 mile track IMHO) One thing that has worked is the progressive banking installed at Homestead and Kansas - be interesting to see how the new car handles those 2 tracks
I had fun. But I agree, don’t wanna see too many of these. I’m really amazed by the endurance of these cars. Too bad our street cars can’t be manufactured using the same carbon fiber reinforced composite panels. Maybe not…..cars are already too damn expensive.
this race was what NASCAR wanted the Gen 6 550 package to aspire to be but immensely failed at doing lol
Being a Hamlin fan right is not going good for ya, huh?
@JGR4LIFE Agreed, but he doesn't know how to push at a superspeedway, and he complains too much. Also I'd argue that Jimmie would have done well in the 550 without that 2017 Pocono crash.
@JGR4LIFE Jimmie...
Haven't heard that in a while
If they further down the line decid not to do this a 750 low down force would be amazing 180 in the turns 195 in the straits
@@Tow_Sr. that's not one lane racing 30 cars where hammered trucks and xfinity was amazing don't know how you got one lane racing
Today was the first race I attended in person, and the energy from the crowd just amplified all the emotions I felt. It was an incredible race. All I hoped for, plus some.
It's amazing attending a race live, the way it is supposed to be enjoyed. Really nothing like it. Glad you had a good time
It was our first race as well and it was amazing!
Been going to Atlanta since 2015 and this is the best race I’ve seen there and the biggest crowd there so you picked a good one as your first
glad to see another ace combat nascar fan out there...i was at the race and played some ac joint assault, while tailgating.
@@trfngaming2243 Hah! Very nice! I've been a fan of both AC and Nascar since I was very little. I grew up with both of them, essentially.
I was there, had an awesome time! One of the best atmospheres of a NASCAR race i’ve ever been too and I have been to quite a few NASCAR races and tracks over the past 14 years.
I was there too!
I've been going since the mid '60's... and this sucks! Back to the local dirt tracks for me! Screw NASCRAP!
b
@@rogerdereske5923 yo what's with the b at the bottom?
Same here I had fun there. Only thing I don't like about atlanta is the built the stands in the wrong direction. Sun is in your eyes later in the afternoon. It would be a banger if it was a night race.
I was there too and this race was an abomination. The stands were full and there were lots of crashes. That's all there is to say about it.
Not a superspeedway guy. But I'm still happy with the result. From a fan's perspective, I liked it better than the old Atlanta for sure. Still liked Vegas and AutoClub better. But it was better than Phoenix. I'm scared this will lead to exactly what you were saying. We need more short tracks, not baby superspeedways.
No thank you on the more short tracks.
@@Bramon83 if the 1.5mile tracks race like AC and LV then as long as they replace Nashville superspeedway with the fairgrounds then I'll be happy. Problem is, like every rules package and car we've seen before, eventually these 1.5miles will get back to their usual selves. Which then refers back to Eric's point of making all 1.5miles mini superspeedways. No thanks.
@@PhlippinPhil I don't like talking about 1.5s they killed my TMS with the repave.
No thanks, I want 2 mile long, 5 wide racing Autoclub not another Bristol
They should us the spring race as the “super speedway race and package” and use the summer race as the “normal 670hp with 4in spoiler”. They should have both in my opinion just for Atlanta. It will make this track unique and taylor to both fans who hate or love either type of racing. Hope they listen!!
I like the idea. As crazy as the handling seemed to be, I'm interested in seeing how slick the hot track will be in July.
I like this idea
While this would be a cool experiment, it can't last. Ultimately one package will work better than the other, and you'll have half of the races be worse than they could be.
Can anyone explain how running unrestricted (or normal 670 as mentioned in post) would effect race?
@@jimchurchill2868 If I heard right on a few podcasts, I want to say DJD was one, it's that the speed in the corner would be extremely high. With the superspeedway package, that speed isn't as high and drivers feel that is a safety issue.
Here’s my vote: If SMI is determined to turn another 1.5 mile track into a superspeedway, have it be Texas, and only have one date at both Texas and Atlanta so we keep the superspeedway races capped at 6, and keep the idea of more short tracks, keep road courses between 6-8 per year, and throw in a dirt race & street race for good measure on the rest of the schedule
Issue with turning Texas into a superspeedway is Indycar's race there. For Indycar, it is their second largest and fastest oval after Indy. Indycars at Texas already get up to 230 mph. If you turn Texas into a superspeedway, indycar won't be able to race there anymore, it will be too dangerous, and that is one of the last oval tracks left on the indycar schedule and at their race there today actually produced a good show.
I was thinking Chicagoland but…
@@darthyoda1420 why don't indy race at charlotte.
@@horsefly1020 Charlotte is too narrow
I actually kind of agree with this. But definitely not with changing Texas.
I was 100% fully pleased with the new Atlanta. All 3 races this weekend were exciting and just fantastic IMO.
Now let's see what it looks like with the 670 HP and low down force pkg where they have to use the brakes
You had to be there Eric. The crowd energy was incredible
Looked like one of the best ATL crowds in a while!
Yeah it was wild. Everyone went crazy when Chase passed Truex for the lead
Yes it was hasn't been that many people here in a long time
Was my first time going to Atlanta. Had a great time.The racing was exciting. The crowd was really into it.
@@EricEstepp it was good weather. That helped. The action was there. Chevy it seemed made it there. Most fans didn’t put together it was Chevy blowing tires. We were blaming Goodyear. After 35 laps, everyone begin to believe the tires were going to fail. So it was impressive some teams took 2 tires and some even staged out with 70 laps on their tires at the end.
I watched what can possibly be described as "all of the motorsports" this weekend, starting wht the 8 hour World Endurance Championship race as Sebring on Friday, the entire 12 Hours of Sebring yesterday, and F1, Indycar, and NASCAR today , and I have a lot of the same thoughts. Mye first takeaway was "I'm not sure how I feel about more superspeedway races, I thought 4 was a good number." My second takeaway was "This didn't need to be 500 miles." I think NASCAr would be better off if they could consistently fit their entire program - including opening ceremonies and some post-race interviews - into a 4 hour TV window, and that's coming from someone who will happily watch an entire 24 hour endurance race several times each year. My outspoken opinion is that I would like to see NASCAR take a page from the V8 supercars book and have a several different formats throughout the year. A 5 "crown jewel" races (Daytona 500, Coke 600, Southern 500, Bristol Night Race or one Martinsville race, and one Talladega race) without stages, a few stage races like we have now, and a few weekends with 3 sprint races of equal points value (even better if you intentionally don't give teams enough tires for all the races and make them think about how to get the most out of the weekend). Not every race needs to be a 5 hour marathon
I think 6 Superspeedway races is the perfect amount especially with all 3 tracks being uniquely different. This helps balances the schedule between the road courses and short tracks since these 3 have roughly the same amount of races between each other on the Schedule. Majority is still normal Intermediate tracks which is fine.
I hope Nascar doesn't get rid of anymore ovals. We have a lot of short tracks, super speedway, and road courses. I kind of miss the good old ovals.
The lack of manufacturer/team alliances really set this track ahead of Fords dominating nearly all of Daytona and Talladega usually.
I think they won’t be able to do that ever at this track which is awesome. Runs are just too quick.
Nascar has shafted the fords and toyotas.
Personally I disliked what I saw today. Complete 180 from the F1 race this morning, and Indycar in the early afternoon (from Texas, no less). Daytona and Dega are their own special things, but pack racing isn't designed to highlight driver ability and adding more to the schedule is another bad gimmicky move. It seems that the general fan opinion is all for it and that is majorly concerning, especially given SMI's comments that this was a great showing of "sports entertainment". Moves like these continue to undermine the legitimacy of Nascar as a motorsport and move it further into the WWE sports entertainment territory.
Honestly, just by watching the highlights, it looked pretty interesting, but I totally agree, this DOES NOT need to become a thing with every mile and a half track! Not only would you risk loosing drivers to other series, but the possibility of injuries also goes way up.
Well to me I think the Drivers need to stop being babies like Kyle Busch and learn how to race one and be professionals. Suck it up buttercup. It's not about the drivers it's about the fans and what they think. And according to attendence every speedway race has been full.
This may have the unintended consequence of making Daytona and Talladega less entertaining since the moves don’t look as intense as what we saw today
The most consistent cause of wrecks wasn't on the drivers like it is at Daytona and Talladega. It was what caused carnage at Auto Club...
Tire failures
Oh, there were plenty of driver caused wrecks todau
Consistently every wreck was related to the tire and wheel combination throughout the season so far. And the outcome of every single race so far was flipped upside down??
I've been watching NASCAR since the mid-80's and today was the best ATL race I've ever seen. But, I do agree we don't need any more Superspeedway races. Take ATL's 2nd race and give it to a short track. That's where the real racing is. BTW, I love the stages. Its like having 3 races in one!
Sad you got to see good racing at one point and yet still get this hot garbage mixed up with that
Eric in stage 1: " This is better than Daytona."
Eric in stages 2 and 3: "6 Superspeedways is too much."
I mean Eric I agree with most of your opinions, but that's just downright inconsistent. This was another great race, and it was skill-based because cars still got tight and loose.
Exactly, like it or don’t.
it was about as skill based as superspeedways always are. takes skill, but is more luck based.
When they run out of cars this year we’ll come back to this comment
@@indy968 There's a thing called nuance. You can still like certain aspects of a thing, while disliking other aspects of that thing. The world isn't black and white.
It wasn't skill based lmao. All luck
You nailed it. SS wins are like the lottery. Whoever happens to be in front of the churn wins. Hang on to the wheel real tight is the most important skill for the win. Case in point? Boyer's comment with 100 to go. "We just have to ride around for a while".
That is why I like stage racing. It gives drivers incentive to battle for the lead in the early parts of a race.
Finally getting a good balance of sueprspeedways, road courses, short tracks, traditional tracks
The ideal racing schedule 🙌
Agreed. Let's not add more. Let's tweak the cars/packages and race lengths.
6 is too many for superspeedways, they already tear up enough cars and most race fans prefer racing over wrecking
@@r_moore20 fans like the finishes, but dislike the wrecks. we need to minimize the former and provide the latter. So make the cars less spin-heavy and shorten the races. Done.
Too Many Super Speedway races
Eric, this is the first I totally agree with you we don't need anymore super speed ways they are nothing but wreck fests. NASCAR screwed up racing with all the mile and half race tracks, NASCAR needs to bring back more short tracks. Why not ask the drivers what they want after all its their lives that's at stake.
I would give it a 90%. The racing was great but there were a lot of tires going down
I think that's more so a good year problem and the new car. It's most definitely not the track but they'll fix that I'm sure
Cars are proving to be more durable, but the tires, and/or wheels are definitely a major problem
Yeah. Stenhouse had a really good car, probably the best and got screwed over due to his tire.
It was confirmed that the tire issues were setup related and running too much camber. It wasn’t an actual issue with the tire and they weren’t really wearing much
On a serious note, team owners might have something to say about more SS races. Tony has been quite open than these are money losing races
For the 50 laps I saw it was a good race but 6 super speedway is enough for the season.
Eric, I agree with you 100%. Although, about two Superspeedway races a year is all that I can stomach. It is hard to see the best drivers in the world cruising at 3/4 throttle and only braking to keep from running over the driver in front of them. The only time that actual passing is involved is when another driving is helping. So boring- watching drivers go around and around waiting for the big wreck. Superspeedway racing is not actual racing to determine the best car and driver; it is merely entertainment with a lottery style format to determine the winner. If I wanted to be entertained, I would watch a demolition derby. Give me more road courses, short tracks, and horsepower! Let the best drivers in the world drive and not simply ride around trying to avoid the big wreck and hoping someone gives them a needed push at the right time.
Totally agree. Ss racing was great when short packs of cars could go by by themself
I'm from Jamaica 🇯🇲 race was the awesome best racing we watch because. Nascar driver see the best fans was on their feet Omg
They needed to move the start finish line closer to turn 1 so someone actually had a chance to get a run on byron at the end
While you need luck to survive to the end of SS races, William Byron dominated today and his team deserves a ton of credit for leading 100+ laps at a newly reconfigured track.
Exactly. I think the difference between Atlantas new style of racing vs Daytona and Talladega was the fastest car actually won. Byron had the best car, it was handling well and he could run the top or bottom. He led 111 laps. It’s not like he just won because everyone wrecked on the last lap. I think they said he led the race at 7 different points.
Slippery slope argument is a little tough when, even when converting Atlanta, this only makes 6/30+ races in the season super speedways.
I get your opinion of flooding the schedule with Super Speedway races being a bad idea, but track diversity is good.
Atlanta was a snooze for a while, this brought excitement.
Breaking the schedule up with supers, mile and a half, road tracks, and short tracks is good and let’s different drivers have a shot and the elite drivers to rise up.
If the second stage didn’t have so many tire issues would you still feel this way?
It wasn't the tracks fault that races were terrible. It was nascar bringing cars that were too sensitive on aero that brought the racing down. There's a difference.
I thought it was a great race and definitely noticed the reconfiguring
The wrecks mostly this season are tire failures
Should have been 400 miles
And there are enough SS races
The July 10th race is 400 miles - going to a different animal in 90+ degree heat under the boiling Georgia sun (3 PM start time).
For the second race in a row, I, as a Kurt Busch fan, just have one thing to say: HOW?!
Same here haha. I had lost hope after his contact with Reddick but yet again he lurked for the majority of the race and pounced at the end. True mark of a champ
Kurt was in the super cross in tv both last night
Honestly. I respect Kurt a lot for these races
Me too.Smart driving , a little patience, and of course a decent amount of luck. The team is still gelling and it shows in the results
He did lead the race at one point. He was managing the race as a superspeedway. And drove through the carnage late
This was NASCAR to a "T". I loved the race and I was on the edge of my seat. I think NASCAR is making a good effort to have a variety of races on the schedule, so 2 more superspeedway races won't hurt. I think the series with short tracks, dirt racing, road racing, intermediate tracks and super speedways is so demanding over a full 36 race season the drivers and the teams who have the best car setups, the best drivers, and a little luck have earned the right to be called NASCAR champion. This was the best Atlanta race I've seen in years.
Eric when Bubba won at dega: Completely Deserved!
Eric now: meh not a legitimate win
I think he ment as far as Bubba , he's been up front in almost everyone of them as far as deserved it. But let's be honest. LUCK has alot to do with getting through 500 miles of Playe racing. Amd Lets be even more honest. If no plate races last year does Michael McDowell get into the playoffs??? So there not a Normal race win. But. If you win. You win . But look at MOST of the good drivers. THEY FKN HATE ALL PLATE RACES. because they cannot use there God givin skills to RACE . and race there way to the front , and contend!!!💯👍👍
@@Tow_Sr. Byron led over 60 laps in this race he 100% deserved it
Kurt Busch was leading and in the top 5 for most of stage 2 before Reddick wrecked in front of him. Give my mans some respect 😤
I can hear the *terror* in Eric's voice here; (rightly) worried that we're gonna go from 4 Super Speedway races last year to 8 or even 10 in just a few years from now.
I share that terror.
as a NASCAR fan since 1955 NASCAR will not be around in a few years unless you like the hum of electric motors if the libs stay in control of govt.
@@clemzahrobsky2137 wasn't expecting a political thing in here, but since we're here:
Today the north and south poles are about 50 degrees F warmer than normal. Read that as many times as you need.
There is no reason to believe that an electric motor version of NASCAR would be any worse than current. Formula E's main issue, for instance, is the drivers and not the perfomance of the cars as compared to F1 or F2.
(Biden is not a liberal, says this liberal.)
@@ThandrieDavis so much stupid in one comment….
“50 degrees warmer than normal” - lol, you never established what “NORMAL” is, therefore you only need to read it once to realize you’re not making any point whatsoever…. If what you’re trying* to do is point out that the planet is warming, thats well documented, pat yourself on the back. the factors as to why are much more complicated and more difficult to pinpoint but so far as we are able to determine, the earth has seen periods of warming and cooling since its inception.
Formula E has been a complete disaster. Many major manufacturing are now leaving the sport entirely, and viewership has continued to plummet. Many of the teams in FE include F1 drivers, the claim that Formula E is not popular because it doesn’t have good or popular drivers is pure fiction. Its not popular because silent Motorsport is devoid of many factors race fans want, not least among them is sound. NASCAR may include some hybrid element in the future (as F1 has) but pure electrification is death sentence for an already retreating sport. Many factory teams within FE share the same drivers across their other Motorsports divisions, which does include F1 (ex: Stoffel Vandoorne). For reference, 26 drivers have participated in both F1 and FE since 2014.
Biden is a progressive democrat, “liberals” today don’t even understand the term and its derivative from classic liberal ideology, which in practice is libertarianism today. Many of todays “liberals” are simply masquerading as progressive socialist.
In practice, the modern day liberal racing fan is very inclined to favor super speedway racing. Instead of validating and rewarding the best teams hard work and individual ingenuity, they instead reward luck and authoritative governing controls which are more likely to determine outcome. All of this is a pretense for “fairness” and “equality” to stroke the short sided gratification of pure and simple entertainment at the detriment of authenticity and legitimacy of the sport at large.
I was telling a friend I was watching the race with last night, this is the best Atlanta race since the early 2000’s! I say 6 of these races a year is plenty but the racing was 4 hours of excitement!
Eric, I'm with you 100% on this, especially the time it takes to get through a NASCAR race. I love NASCAR but it just takes too darn long to get through a race. I also watched the F1 race and Indy which just makes it so obvious. I also one upped you by watching the Moto GP motorcycle race (recorded) which lasts around 45 minutes. I too also get bored with pack racing and agree that we don't need any more of these.
Two major things I hate about the reconfigure.
The first: The turn one entry and four exit bottlenecks. A lot of the wrecks that happened were because the wings had to contract, so to speak, and nobody was ready for it.
The second, which is an extension of the first: track width. If you're going to run Atlanta as a superspeedway, there is no reason that the whole track shouldn't have the same width. Forcing this crunch may make for some interesting racing dynamics, but it is also disaster waiting to happen, as we saw today. Thirty cars involved in wrecks. That's a huge number.
If it wasn't for all the torn up cars it really was a good race. I didn't mind it but man I can't stand that many torn up cars. Thats the part that gets me. I do NOT think this needs to continue at other 1.5 mile tracks though. This is enough. Especially considering how good the low df 670hp package has been so far.
Watched F1 start to finish, watched IndyCar start to finish, watched NASCAR for an hour and it became obvious how long the race was going to take to complete so I hit record and got some things done around the house and took the family out to dinner. I LOVE NASCAR.... BUT... the races take way too long and there are far too many interruptions in the racing. Having all three genres literally run back to back to back live really brought some perspective in my opinion.
Was a pretty good race but as a Blaney fan the ending hurt.
I know he’s bubba’s friend and all but he’s got to look out for himself. I don’t see him pushing bubba again. Bubba is VERY prone to crashing. Shoulda pushed his future brother-in-law lol
It was a Terrible race wtf were you watching . It’s Atlanta not Daytona
@@DG-lr1sh Thats a respectable opinion but I thought the race was good. It just feels weird having 6 superspeedway races a year
@@goose2323 Yeah I thought Blaney shouldve gone with Byron on that last restart
@@thomaspodlesny239 agreed that 4 super speedways or 5 if you count Michigan was enough . They’ve already destroyed Texas . Atlanta was best when high groove up next to the wall was there and the tires wore quick in my opinion
I think Jeff Gordon nailed it. Chevys put too much camber on the right rear. Made them faster but cost them tire failure. Assuming they learned from that, the number of wrecks should go down a little bit. I like the “mini super speedway” concept but only in very small doses. NASCAR has found some common ground between the fans and divers but shouldn’t push this concept too much otherwise u are correct and drivers will move on. All in all it’s been a fun year so far!
A great race! A heartbreaker again for Bubba, but excited to see Trackhouse doing so well.
Chastain and Suarez doing very well so far. I expect both of them to be in the winner circle.
awesome to see bubba crash
13th is good for bubba he’s trash , Kurt makes him look even worse then ever before
I watched all three races at Atlanta this weekend and all three showed elements of both intermediate track racing and super-speedway racing. It seemed like the cars were stopping short of the full super-speedway effects; this allowed (especially in Trucks and xFinity) the better cars to use the inside lane to advance the position either single handedly or with a small group of cars behind them. I don’t know if this track should have the out of bounds line; I say that they should use the extra space on the front stretch and back stretch for racing. Maybe they should consider adding grip to the bottom lane for the next race and/or next year. I like the unique car/rules package that they used; this Atlanta Motor Speedway needs its own car/rules package. Overall, Atlanta is now a unique 1.5 Mile Super-Speedway that produces great racing with some room for improvement. They have a high-banked short track, so they don’t need another one of those; they don’t need another Atlanta. Maybe they need a road course with high banking, but let’s start off with a traditional banked turn into a long straightaway into a high-banking right turn.
So at a time when they are doing everything they can to make it more affordable for owners, we have added two more races where 75% of the field ends with wrecked cars. The sport would be much better off if SMI would spend their money to find a way to artificially age a new surface.
Eric.
-No one stated nor implied the schedule would be 'flooded' with Speedway type racing. Yiu said so yourself. Had SMI simply left the configuration and did a repave, the event would have been the same boring one groove racing we have seen at AMS since the track was reconfigured 20 plus years ago.
- I take Kyle Busch's opinions with a tiniest grains of salt because he is a contrarian. He gets is rocks off by being controversial. So, he can go pound sand.
- Today's race was as entertaining as it was billed. Could not turn away from the race for a moment.
-I'm quite sick of people complaining about crashes when those same people complain about how the race was boring because their were few cautions. Can't have it both ways.
-NASCAR is on to something here. Close competitive racing based on driver skill and yes, luck. Being in the right place at the right time. I would imagine if you spoke to any Mets fan that is old enough to recollect the 1986 World Series, they will tell you if asked, were glad Bill Buckner was playing first base for the Red Sox.
-If every race winner was the fastest car, the sport would carry little interest.
- We watch sports because we want to see things and people compete against each other.
In my opinion NASCAR hit a home run today.
This type of racing is more luck based then skill/talent/set up based. Yes it’s exciting but I don’t consider it real racing.
I think this is similar to when Charlotte introduced the Roval. It was such a huge success that people started to wonder if every 1.5-miler would follow suit, but Nascar and the tracks understood the importance of uniqueness. Same with the dirt race - just one to add variety. There will not be any other track morphing into a baby Daytona, and I’m glad to see something new that isn’t a road course come to the schedule.
If you take out the three tire failures, there really wasn’t much carnage compared to Daytona/ Talladega. Drivers seemed to have much better handling and control of their runs here and it ended up creating a great product without a real “fluky” winner. There were no backmarkers teams sneaking up to lead the pack. William Byron definitely earned this one by running strong all day and playing things right at the end. Congrats to him!
The race was amazing please don't change it IT WAS AWESOME
FACTS
@@cowboysdubs i know right
I believe in F1 once the lights go out the race must be completed in 2 hours but if there is a red flag the 2 hour clock stops but the race must still be completed in 4 hours since the start of the race. Usually this is only a factor on tacks that are really long (e.g. Spa, 7Km/4.4mi) and are weather (rain) affected.
I think the racing starts was great, I don't want to see all the wrecks I just want to see some good racing which it was, all these 1.5 mile single file with 10 cars on the lead lap sucks, 6 superspeedways is enough but good for SMI on Atlanta!!
Talking about speedway racing and different winners, there’s many names to look at. Michael Waltrip won 2 Daytona 500’s, and I think a Pepsi 400 win. His only wins in cup. Trevor Bayne, Bubba Wallace, Michael McDowell, It’s a completely different beast.
I was there and 99.9% of people were very happy including me but I agree with you and not having any more superspeedways and it will be very overkill.
Hey Eric, have you seen how good William Byron has actually been? I mean, he just won in honestly dominating fashion, scoring the most points of all drivers by winning stage one, leading almost half of the races laps, (which is super difficult on a superspeedway) and never really falling back other than stage 2, where he was able to find his way back up front quite quickly. It has actually kind of seemed like at one point in each of this years points races, Byron has seemed to have race-winning speed, for at least one point in the race. When he was up front at Daytona until getting collected in the big one as the 21 was spun into him, at Auto Club he raced past Tyler Reddick in stage 2 seemingly being faster until he got a lug-nut problem and going back to 17th, and worked back up to 6th until not being able to slow down to avoid Reddick's blown tire, (idk what happened but something seemed to screw up when he tried to swerve away from him) He was nearly the stage 1 winner of Las Vegas and had kind of the best short run car but Larson's pit crew just is better than his and pushed him back to the second row, losing him the clean air and having him fall back to 5th with the 4-tire guys, at Phoenix he won stage 1 and came 4th or 3rd in stage 2 but his car was losing speed because the track conditions messed up his car, and now he finally wins. I don't think it will be the first time this season, and knowing he is top 5 in points right now he is very consistent, kinda of a threat to win every week and being only 24 I think he has championship potential. He is one of the best, people don't see it yet.
People like to ignore Byron for some reason. It’s laughable that some people are discrediting this win because it was a “superspeedway”. He led 111 laps, and he and Chastain had the fastest 2 cars and were 1-2. Some people only give credit when it’s due to a few drivers. Guarantee if Larson won people would be jizzing their pants saying he can win anywhere.
Glad Byron got the win, he was the best car all day and really deserved it.
More and more Cup Series drivers are partaking in oval racing outside of NASCAR. Track Enterprises just bought CRA with the intent of creating a national super late model series. This is the perfect time for SMI and NASCAR to do things with their race tracks that the drivers will hate.
I love the superspeedway races, this was one of the best Atlanta races I've watched in quite a while, I think one or 2 more tracks like this would be awesome
Fix the cars not the tracks. Happened in both F1 and NASCAR, they changed tracks after deciding to change the cars, before seeing if the cars could even race better.
Was much better than what I had originally anticipated also Corey Lajoe p5 amazing
I'm now conflicted as a fan. Normally I would hate the idea of this, and I agree that the racers should be pushed to the limit of their abilities and "pack racing" is basically throwing skill out the window. I do think more races like this will push drivers elsewhere and NASCAR will become a joke.
That being said, I was there today. This was by far the most entertaining race I've ever been to. Edge of my seat almost the entire race. The crowd was huge and the energy was insane. Best race and most fun race I've ever been too and it isn't even close. I've already bought tickets for July. That's why I'm conflicted: for the legitimacy of the sport, this is not good. For entertainment purposes this kind of racing is just...unmatched. And if these races produce better numbers than your normal race... What else is NASCAR supposed to do?
Today was a motorsports day for sure F1 in the morning, indycar afternoon, then cup afterwards. I thought the cup race was ok. Problem was the track was really narrow and was really hard to get a run especially if you were past the top two.
Finally someone that agrees with me. Ty. You know what your looking at. The others here in the comments gave me hell because I said its not big enough to form 2nd and 3rd lanes. , so imho its to skinny to have more than 1 Solid lane. Maybe after it ages a bit , it'll have the bottom come in a bit. But ,, to me it was not a good race. NOT compaired to the last Atlanta, jmho. But I agree with you. 🍻🔥💯👍👍
@@Tow_Sr. Like at Talladega if you are running third and get a run you had enough room to make a move and get the lead. Yesterday if you were outside the top two you were pretty much stuck. Now maybe when they come back in July handling will be a bigger issue since it's gonna be insanely hot more than likely. And that could open up to more lanes.
I agree with Eric about the talented drivers possibly running in a different series to be able to actually race. That would only be a concern if NASCAR goes off the deep end. Why would a talented race driver want to go complete every week in races where you just mostly run wide open in a giant pack?
Personally, I liked it. The pack racing fan in me enjoyed it. Compare this to previous years at Atlanta, I would much rather take what we saw this weekend than prior years.
I hope they let the asphalt age because it will help separate the field a tiny bit.
Disagree 100% the old track has about 20.of the best races of all time. In all of nascar. Amd it could of today if they gave them the HP.
Leave it like it is now. As it is, all of the 1.5 mile tracks have something that makes them unique. We have a good mix of track types now. My only suggestions would be to maybe run one of the Atlanta races with the high hp, low df package to mix it up, and make the mini superspeedway race 400 miles.
Agree 100%, crap shoot racing. Might as well add a demolition derby event to the schedule too.
If they want to keep the races somewhat short (like 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours), keeping the stages is fine but please abolish the mandatory cautions after stage 1 & stage 2. It kills the flow of the race and takes the endurance aspect away from it.
Totally agree. It's really hard nowadays to see some green flag pits stop. Mandatory cautions could be fine (but not for me) when the gen6th run 600 miles without wrecks, flat tires and blown engines.
I was skeptical but I think it was a really good race and loved the length of the race. 👍
Stenhouse had a comment on the tire issue. The load on the leader's tires was different than everyone else which combined with the aggressive setups can cause it
Too many superspeedway will definitely dilute the sport. I'd personally say all 3 get one race a season. That's just me.
Great analysis! Just an editor's note: It looks like Sonic Financial Corporation is the sole owner of Speedway Motorsports Inc as of about September 19, 2019, and Sonic is a privately held corporation controlled by O. Bruton Smith and members of his family and affiliated entities and trusts. Just wanted to pass that along!
Also, big fan of the pack racing of the event. the two by two kept me hooked while folding laundry and whatnot. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I'm new to the sport, and I'm just not sure how to watch and keep up with the non-super speedway races. again, no racing background, so superspeedways are just an easier onramp for me with this sport.
I actually really did not like what they did to this track. This feels like a teenager's ideal nascar race, and I'm not sure that's a good thing.
This is probably the most I have agreed with your assessment on a race ever. I can't disagree with anything you have said.
I was like you and many others (including many drivers) where I was not picturing this new Atlanta change to produce pack racing. I am someone who admits when they are wrong. I was proven otherwise because this race delivered just like they said it would. The entire weekend in fact with the Truck Series and Xfinity Series combined. Amazing bumper to bumper, door to door action all day, with more lead changes then ever in this track's history! Sadly most of the field got into some sort of accident or incident but it was worth it I suppose. (Kyle Busch on the other hand lol).
But yeah, 6 superspeedway races is where I draw the line. I also agree Texas Motor Speedway should have been the one changed to save the track from it's invetible extinction lol. But now that Atlanta is a Superspeedway, now I don't want Texas to change because I really... don't... want 8 Superspeedway races. I like my variety of unique tracks. Let's hope it stays that way because it probably would steer (no pun intended) drivers in a different motorsport career path.
80% is what I give this race too. Overal a fantastic race!
What’s good is that having more of these Superspeedway races like this really help smaller teams who struggle, get top 25 top 20 finishes like we saw today and can have more opportunities to do so
I think they lose more money from crashing cars
@@crazybut6641 the smaller teams stay at the back and just let everyone else crash and usually have a clean car at the end of the race
@@Jake_Innes idk about that I’ve heard Tony Stewart say Kurt Busch wining the Daytona 500 the race with the biggest purse wasn’t even enough money to make a profit because his 3 other cars crashed. I don’t think a top 25 at Atlanta is giving anywhere near the money a small team would need for the risk of totaling a car especially during this part shortage.
@@crazybut6641 but when they only have a one car team than they will be fine if they don’t wreck
I don’t want to watch a “sport” where inferior teams are given wins (or given the ability to place higher arbitrarily) because you feel bad for them. It undermines the authenticity and legitimacy of the sport at large. I want the best teams and drivers to succeeded, regardless of who I favor.
I was someone that was waiting for the repave to go back to the track. Living in Atlanta, I went a couple of times on the old surface and did not find the racing great with the Gen 6 car. I think it could have been better with the new car, but the track just couldn't hold up before that came to fruition. However, being there the whole weekend I am glad I purchased my season tickets already. Stands looked to be about 85-90% full, and the crowd energy was awesome. The racing across the whole weekend looked great from the stands. Handling definitely was needed across all three series, especially when the track was at the hottest part of the day. Once it started cooling off handling became less of an issue. The crowd was seriously buzzing when leaving the race and it seemed like an overwhelming majority enjoyed the race.
I do think that this should be the only intermediate track to have this change. It makes it unique and different, while the other tracks keep their own personality. One thing I do foresee is this race will change as the track wears later down the years. This may lead to a transition to the high horsepower and low downforce package for the second half of the tracks life. I think this could be a nice change as the track may not keep the same racing through the entire lifespan of the surface. I am excitingly planning to renew my tickets for next year.
Best race of the season so far in my opinion, it was really refreshing seeing that kind of racing
This race was definitely a spectacle. Six superspeedway races is a lot and it's gonna be hurting the pockets of all the teams especially. Maybe NASCAR should look at going to Atlanta only once a year again. Who knows, maybe make it the regular season championship race and move Daytona back to where it belongs on July 4th weekend.
Was there and loved every second of it. The way I look at it, if we are gonna have 5, 6, or 7 road course races in a season we should happily be able to match or come close to that quantity with Superspeedway races. Since I was a kid, currently 27, I've wanted a 3rd Superspeedway and this race today was better than I imagined.
Eric I'm with you, no more than 80 on the groove gauge! This race left me betwixt and between. Raising the banking on all tracks is not the answer! Turning all the ovals to super speedways is not the answer. I like the uniqueness and mystique of Daytona and Talladega. This type of racing might be entertaining, but very dangerous and destructive/expensive!
This was an amazing race, lots of exciting events. It was pretty long for an Atlanta race though
I agree with you today. Daytona and Talladega were always fun and special. They were fun and special because they were unique. Now, that uniqueness has slightly eroded. I don't want to see a pack-wreck race every other week with road courses every week in between. We need balance between Super-Speedways, Short Tracks, 1.5's and road courses. Remember a few short years ago? We had 2 Daytona, 2 Talladega, 2 road courses (Watkins Glen and Sonoma), 6 short tracks (2 Bristol, 2 Martinsville, 2 Richmond). The rest of the schedule were unique tracks between 1 and 2 miles. This was nearly a good balance, but fans wanted more short tracks. I stand by that. NASCAR needs more short track dates.
Be interesting to see Atlanta next year after the drivers are use to this new car. I think it will be a totally different race
They will be back July 10th with a 3 PM start. 90+ degrees under boiling Georgia sun. Handling WILL be an issue at the 2nd race.
@@jimbosc like old Daytona and Talladega
I agree with your opinion. The race was good but we don’t need anymore plate racing.
In my opinion 6 Super Speedway races is perfect. Leave it at 6. It’s 16% of the schedule. That’s not too much
Now I have three tracks I don't watch live... I'm sure I'm in the bottom 1%, but the randomness and lack of good racing (30 cars all locked together, doesn't necessarily equate to good racing -- in many cases; just survival of the luckiest...) is just too much for these geriatric senses... between the apparent fragileness of the tires, the high inertia of the car when it starts to step out, and the lack of possibility of the crews to reengineer the car to behave properly, this season is becoming one of the more frustrating... am I going to quit watching NASCAR; never... but I'm now a sceptic... sad to have done this to Atlanta; been going there off and on since the 43 car had its original driver...
I love pack racing so this is the perfect version of Atlanta to me
I think this makes Atlanta a fun place to do the All Star Race maybe? I wouldn't mind seeing that, but in general I don't like how dangerous and random superspeedways are though. 4 superspeedway races was too much, 6 is way too much.
You hated it then loved it now hate it pick one
Loved the interview with Kyle Busch! Short and to the point:
"Do you like the new Atlanta configuration as well as the old?"
"No." Kyle may be a jerk, but at least he says what's on his mind.
I agree that 4 hours is a little too long for a race, but some of that time is due to the large number of crashes. The newness of the track contributed, and as the drivers learn the nuances and crewchiefs learn how to set up cars for it, maybe the number of crashes will decrease. I remember when NASCAR ran 500 milers at Rockingham. Those races were 5 hours long. NASCAR shortened Rockingham to 400 miles, and not many people complained. If they don't decrease the number of cautions in the next few races, maybe it would be wise to shorten it to 400 miles.
This is the third configuration for Atlanta. First it was an oval, and Dale Earnhardt dominated there. Then SMI changed it to a tri-oval, and now the superspeedway. Atlanta was called a superspeedway back then because pole speeds approached 200 mph, and they eventually went to restrictor plates, if memory serves me correctly. Original Atlanta was wide and cars could easily go side by side, and the races were great.
Now I'm bugged that the cars are only running 180 mph and that the engines are at full throttle for the entire lap. They need to add power to get the cars up to 200 mph again, then maybe the pack racing will go away. Your grandmother could drive the new configuration of Atlanta at 180 mph. The cars are not at the limit of adhesion. Speed them up, and driver skill comes back into the equation.
So the definition of "superspeedway race" has changed over the years. Now it means "restrictor plate race", and I agree that four of those a year is probably enough. But consider this: there are more road courses now than restrictor plate races. I like to see about an equal mix of different kinds of tracks so that winning the championship means the driver is versatile.
I wanna see Kyle Larson continue his momentum from coming off the championship last year!!! That would be great to see!!
My antenna couldn't pick up the channel so I had to resort to PRN. Luckily I got to miss the pre race show. Dodged a bullet there. I'm kinda mad I missed the F1 race cause the highlight reel looked like an awesome race. I got to watch a nice portion of the Indycar race at a Chinese buffet on an old TV with a blue tint on the screen. I'd say it was a great weekend for Motorsports. Now let's turn Texas into an over under banked figure 8 track.
I like super speedways, I think it gives more drivers to be more engaged and up front, I'm not a short track enthusiast.
i was at the race they need to up the hp i agree with what kurt busch said july race unrestricted
I disagree.. this was the best racing I’ve ever seen
I actually disagree with your thought that "whether or not you liked this race is because you like superspeedways." I actually find Daytona and Talladega as the least enjoyable races, I loath superspeedway racing, but I enjoyed this race because you could tell the cars were on a knifes edge the entire time. It was a superspeedway race by definition only (restrictor plate/tapered spacer with pack racing racing). Granted, I know take Atlanta wins as less prestigious than other more driver orientated track wins, but I definitely think higher of an Atlanta superspeedway racer than a Daytona or Talladega winner.