I agree with everything in this video except calling it a gimmick, a gimmick implies that it was an intentional act. But it was more something that came along unintentionally as time went on, and people figured things out, as you explained.
Fair point. The intentional part was NASCAR adding restrictor plates and tweaking the rules package over the years. Tandem racing just was an unintended result.
I remember how funny it was watching pit crews spray Pam on the bumpers to lube them up so the pusher car could slide around without disturbing the front car haha. I can also vaguely remember a driver (maybe Kyle bush?) being frustrated that he couldn’t be a lead car after the rear bumper had been taped up to repair some minor early crash damage. The tape repairs made the car get loose when being pushed by adding extra grip 😅
As a kid, I remember watching the 2011 Talladega race with my grandfather. The drag race to the line made us both get off the couch in suspense! That race is still talked about in my family as one of our favorite races
Tandem racing was beautiful. The most elegant, poetic form of racing I’ve ever seen. 2 drivers who may or may not be teammates working together to go faster than 2 drivers (who also may or may not be teammates) with the exact same goal. Speaking of poetry- KFB 😂 6:22
I have to repeat myself here. You and Stapleton42 continue to set the standard for online Nascar content. The fact that you both have gotten so much closer to the sport and competitors this past year really just says everything. You should definitely do more videos like this btw!
Hey Eric!! I’m a regular OOTG fan but this video is the first one I had to comment on. I sincerely enjoyed and appreciated this educational and nostalgic review. I am counting down the days until the start of the 2024 season. Your content is invaluable in keeping NASCAR entertained and informed about what’s going on. Thanks for what you do. Keep up the great work!!! (and Hook’em Horns!)
What comes to mind in recent memory when it comes to the 2 car tandem is the final laps of the coke Zero 400. Brad Keselowski gave buescher a huge push and stayed locked onto his bumper almost all the way to the finish line
2-car tandem is still my favourite NASCAR trick or multi-car tandem. Whenever I race online at the banks of Daytona or banked ovals, I'm looking to hit the tandem or at the very least bump draft as in most cases
One thing that people don't talk about when they look back on tandem drafting was the absolutely violent wrecks. The 99 in the fence at Talladega. Larson's Xfinity wreck. Joey Coulter into the catch fence at Daytona. Even Ryan Newman in 2020. Tandem drafting had a habit of putting cars into the catch fence and resulted in far more violent wrecks than the packs did. When they wreck in a big pack, usually the relative speed differences are low, so the impacts aren't huge comparatively. Obviously, pack racing still has huge violent impacts with walls, but think of the end of the 2012 Xfinity race that James Buscher won. The speed disparity caused huge car to car impacts that we just don't see with pack racing.
Tandem racing was also adopted in the xfinity and truck series during that time period. They went even beyond 2011 up to 2013 with the tandem drift, but you can tell the Larson crash made an impact that tandem racing is no more, plus for the penalty for trucks and xfinity cars pushing each other
Eric I have been watching you for awhile now and I just want to commend you on how your page has grown, your professionalism, and the way you report the news. You are my go to guy on ANYTHING Nascar , even though I know people personally that work for teams that field in all three series. I know things that you haven't brought to light yet, but I am not saying anything, due to not being a gossiper. I will tell you this, looking from the outside in, don't ever get fooled that the owners and drivers are making a killing. I promise you that isn't the case. Nascar owners, the majority are using "house money" to fund this circus. Some are flat out broke. FACT
What i like most about it was the war between each manufacturers working with together and that was and still the best part. So weather it was tandem racing or pack racing i still like it and it will always be a part of Nascar.
I love tandem plate racing because it corrected the most broken aspect of plate racing. It broke up the pack and put the race back into the hands of the racers.
The great plate racers were great at it too. Brad K, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr and Tony Stewart were all amazing at tandem. It really showed off drivers talents and people like Larson for example these days would probably struggle even more at plate tracks.
Tandem racing was one of the best things to ever happen, it actually allowed for some form of passing even in packs, and I think it should be the aim of all racing…would love to see it happen at not just superspeedways but even the intermediates…imagine Charlotte with 2-wide tandem racing all the time. I think it allowed for competition without the chaos of a 40 car, 3-4 wide freight train at the end of the race.
We should allow the Xfinity cars to tandem draft again to add variety to plate weekends at Daytona and Talladega. We already get traditional pack racing with the truck series and the cup series.
I love both forms. I think there is a place for both. Pure pack racing gets frustrating, but pure tandems gets boring. I love how it is now where we have a pack race that leads to a final lap with some tandems pushing each other to the flag. Or a pack trying to screw each other for their own benefit when a tandem comes flying around the outside
I miss tandem racing. In my opinion, it's better than pack racing. Tandem racing requires more strategy, teamwork, and mental stamina than pack racing. They all just kind of ride around in pack racing now.
I don't know why they killed the tandem draft. I just saw the 2011 summer Talladega Race relay on FS1 and forgot how much fun that was to watch. The only thing about those races i didn't like was the drivers having giant selector dials to connect to other drivers. I thought that was just too much and kind of silly. I'd love to see the tandem come back with drivers having to pair up and communicate through the spotters to plan and organize.
Now that that you went back in time and reminded us about the tandem racing, I did like it. But, I prefer the packed racing with a little bit of the tandem sprinkled in the pack.
I remember being so excited when tandem drafting came back 2019-2020 ish. I was so excited and the racing was so great. After Ryan Newman’s crash at the 2020 Daytona 500, I’m pretty glad we don’t have this anymore.
Why? He didn't wreck as a result of tandem drafting, he wrecked because of a block gone wrong. Same with Carl Edwards off of Brad K at Dega when he went into the catch fence.
@@davidrice3337 actually, the opposite. I've seen racing from the 70s and 80s, as well as the 90s. And I do like the cars and the sound a lot better (the drivers too, to some extent), however the actual racing style I like most is the COT era stuff, including tandem draft.
This was so well done!! All my life I have been a huge fan of plate racing. I love the pack racing and the two cart tandems. They both have their pros and cons. But I will say I do miss watching it happen. It is an art form all on its own.
I am not all for plate racing, but I’ve always found the 2-car tandem very unique and cool since I was a kid. This is the only gimmick that I’ll defend (unlike the garbage chase in auto racing, which do not belong, and other silly bs) But yeah, 2-car tangos. Good times. I always feel like I’m 10 years old when people talk about tandem racing and when it came back in 2019-2021
You want to fix it? Take off the restrictor plates and toss them in the garbage can, take off any spoilers, diffusers, and air dams put some 6 inch racing slicks and boys have at it
The 2 car tandem was really interesting to see, the poetic 2009 Aaron's 499, the 2011 season both were great, but pack racing is a staple of NASCAR now and I wouldn't want it going away. I also like you doing this type of historic content
Hello Eric, I don’t comment on videos much, but have been a long-time watcher and wanted to say the format of this video is really good. The other series like Groovy Grid, the Spinhouse video, and the rest of the one-offs are good content for the off-season especially and just as filler in general. Maybe for the olympic break? Thanks for helping me back into Nascar about 5 years ago or so. I’m diehard once again. Was hard when JG retired! Keep up the good work, and much support. Going to the Coke 600 this year and can’t wait. , A fan
Ever since I saw Bayne win that Daytona 500 I’ve been hooked. It makes me mad to see how many people hated it, but I now get that it’s just the older generation who couldn’t appreciate a new, and highly complex strategy to be used in a classic high intensity sport. Having cars battle it out at nearly 200mph was awesome. Add the ability to work with a team mate to go even FASTER? Absolutely incredible. I was always sad to see it go away, but I’m also very happy that, as you said, “once you see something you can’t unlearn it” Ever since, plate racing hasn’t been the same. There’s always SOMEBODY who’s super good at it. Denny Hamlin. Ryan Blaney. Bubba Wallace (though he needs some practice at holding stable when getting pushed. IE: the two times he and blaney were working together and he got loose) Im happy it’s used often in the next Gen and I think they finally got a good formula down with it. Very able to push and be pushed, but juuuust round and unstable enough to where you can’t hold a push in the corners because they’re quite likely to spin the lead car. I think this year with the new flat nose Toyota Camry the Toyotas are going to DOMINATE. If you see Denny win his 4th 500 or bubba win another race, you saw it here. The chevys are going to fall because they’ll be the only manufacturer with minimal help since they can’t push. Ford’s and Toyotas will be unstoppable in 2024.
If we have to tolerate plate racing, the tandem era was the best thing to happen since the inception of pack racing. I LOATHE pack racing so it made the super speedways interesting.
I actually liked back then how drivers of one team communicated with others drivers of the opposite team when they did two car tandem drafting.... I feel they should honestly bring that back along with the two car tandem drafting.
Denny Hamlin was the first one I remember seeing do the tandem. He would push a slow car to the front, drop em, then hold the lead for a few laps. Then he’d get shuffled to the back and do it again. I remember thinking then that I’d never seen a car that could do that before. I wanna say it was the season before everyone else was doing tandems but I can’t remember for sure. Also I was Jr and Chevy fan so I wasn’t paying much attention to the 11. I also don’t remember the Reed Sorensen pushing Dale, so I could be wrong and Hamlin was after this.
What a great video!!! From the music to the edits everything was perfect! And the story was great I almost forgot about how great 2011 was for pack racing yet dangerous at the same time
This was an amazing new style! I loved this video and how it gave an informative and engaging look at one of NASCARs most unique gimmick! I definitely would like to more videos like this!
I kind of wish the 2 car tandem would come back it I don't how to describe it other than it's just cool to watch I think it definitely increases the skill level required at superspeedways I think the closest we'll ever get is the 550 package it seemed like ford's could lock bumpers for a short time and I think if we had stayed with that package at superspeedways for a few more years it would have returned I honestly wish nascar would get rid of the no locking bumpers rule if xfinty and trucks and we probably could have 2 car tandems back
Correction Eric: It was the 2008 Aarons 499 on lap 32 when Denny Hamlin pushed Jamie McMurray from 12th to the lead on lap 35 using the FIRST ever two car tandem that the crowd and the Fox Booth showed on relay what happened and why they were fascinated. DW Mike Joy and Larry Mac were flabbergasted the entire race as drivers kept experimenting with it. But it was Denny Hamlin who started it. Not Dale Earnhardt Jr.
That was a great example I should have mentioned. The brief Dale/Sorenson tandem in the 2008 Duels jumped out at me as one of the first examples, though they didn't stay locked together for very long
I would argue that Jr definitely prototyped it in the late Gen-4 days with aggressively he would bump along the backstretch of Dega in 06 (as seen in the clips), Hamlin is definitely the first driver to fully exploit it to the level that he did. That didn't stop Jr from trying to make it viable in the Gen 4 cars after the fact, and to some degree, it was, and after the 2010 Aarons 312 (ironically a plate race Jr wasn't a part of), the floodgates were open.
@@EricEstepp yea two days ago i was watching the 2008 Aarons 499 and then you posted this video today so perfect timing. Ive been binge watching old plate races from 1988 to now im at 2008 season. Denny Hamlin was indeed the best tandem pusher as he did it with multiple cars to get them the lead better than others who tried but failed to do it quite as well as Hamlin.
@@EricEstepp it certainly didnt look like Nascar intended for it to happen. Even i was shocked but saw it as a unintentional consequence of the new car. It was a interesting era in plate racing for sure 😂
Personally, I think the Trucks and maybe Xfinity series can benefit from tandem drafting making a comeback. I hated the whole "don't lock bumpers" rule when it was implemented and i still hate it now. It makes the lower seires races feel more "scripted" to have big packs and, by nature, big wrecks that cost the teams more money but produce "entertainment" value in the lower series. Plus, there's a lack of respect in those series right now (or at least in the trucks there is) and having to use tandem drafting could help build relationships between teams and drivers and make those series better as a result. It's probably just me, but I would love to see the ban on locking bumpers in the lower series be lifted. It just feels like driver manipulation and removing it could benefit the lower series to a degree. ...or I could be completely wrong. Who knows XD
I wish I saw a race like this as a fan so I could really compare but I honestly wouldn’t mind 1 Talladega race being a tandem package from what I’ve seen
*MORE* I appreciate the news and updates, but I enjoyed the structure of this. Not as thorough and long as Brock Beard, not as heavy on edits like Elly or S1ap, it's a solid compromise
Great episode!! I have not thought about the 2 car tandems in a long time. I hated the 2 car tandem racing. OMG I couldn't stand it... Lol I'm was so thankful they fixed it.
I think bringing back the 2 way radios could do a lot to help with showing off driver personalities and create some really great moments. Gives drivers more choices on how they strategize.
Man I wish there was a restricter plate package that gives us both pack and tandem racing. I miss tandem racing it gave us some great moments and finishes !
Great job Eric . One of the best videos you have done . And that's something to me , cause all your vid's are very good . I would encourage you to do more like this , maybe once a week . Sort of a history vid on how we got to where we are today . Or just plain history vids of drivers , teams , sponsors , nascar as the host organization , rules and and things like that . Lots of good stuff to think about . I realize this is a lot of hard work to put together one of these , but you are a excellent presenter . Please give it a thought
they keep teasing us at Atlanta, now that its fair game to lock bumpers. Unfortunately I don't think there are any takers bringing back the 2-car tandem there yet
The tandem in the next gen is absolutely there the cars just don’t handle well enough to make it stick for long. At the fall 2022 dega race it was two tandems that decided that race. At the Daytona 500 this year we saw several tandem. RFK practices it every time they get near each other and in the fall dega race I mentioned before (I was there in person) the both dropped to the back and practiced it for like 75 laps. Then the got caught up in a wreck but you can’t win them all. It showed in this years Daytona 500 where the two RFK cars matched speeds with a line of like 5 cars for nearly 2 laps. And the summer Daytona race they finally got the win. It’s here it just requires good handling cars. Shit FRM was trying it at fall 2023 dega this year too. It’s gonna catch back on im telling you
By definition the two car draft IS NOT a gimmick by any rational or technical interpretation of the definition. It’s wasn’t never designed or unintentionally intended to attract attention/viewers. It was a direct result of performance gains that was always technically available from the conception of plate racing which itself was only implemented for safety reasons. Thus, one could accurately argue that plate racing itself is technically the (accidental) gimmick along with super speedway racing that’s maintained for the sole purpose of being a spectacle to attract viewers. The tandem was obviously made easier to execute and more efficient by the body style changes however it was still a possibility prior to the change, just not discovered. (Although short run bump drafting was commonly exercised which was essentially the same concept) It’s still not an accidental gimmick as it was never intended to attract viewers and never really did as an unintended result. It didn’t drive attendance in any fashion with zero metrics to substantiate that theory. The lead changes don’t correlate to good racing especially with plate racing. The reality is that nascar knew fans didn’t like the tandem (why it’s not a gimmick) but they where uncertain of how to approach an easy fix. They threw multiple changes at it to prevent it. There a million examples of NASCAR GIMMICK’S the random wasn’t one. Easy examples would be the Winston million or even the chase/playoffs. The notion of still Manufacturers/ stock body’s is technically a gimmick. Yes the random made for an interesting thumbnail with a sensational parallel to the title but it makes zero sense.
I wouldn't be against seeing two car tandems coming back, but I also don't want to see it every superspeedway race either, maybe if you can have a Daytona package with the tandems and a Talladega/Atlanta package with more normal pack racing. The teams probably won't accept it, but I think it would be the best of both worlds at least for me.
The tandem draft races were some of the greatest racing they've ever had. It truly leveled the playing field where anyone could win. The driver to driver coms, the lube strips on the bumpers, the constant lead changes, etc. Far more exciting (and a lot more going on) than pack racing.
If you're gonna start delving into making history videos, then the content on this channel just became endless. I hope you stick with it cause this video was well done
This is the closest nascar has ever felt to a team sport. I actually miss it compared to the current package
Came to post this. The team strategy was super intriguing
I LOVED the two-car tandem racing. And that's coming from someone who also loves pack racing.
And combine that with the "drivers could talk to each other" radio!
I agree with everything in this video except calling it a gimmick, a gimmick implies that it was an intentional act. But it was more something that came along unintentionally as time went on, and people figured things out, as you explained.
Fair point. The intentional part was NASCAR adding restrictor plates and tweaking the rules package over the years. Tandem racing just was an unintended result.
@@EricEstepp that's a totally understandable approach to that, I appreciate the reply!
@@unionmaster I think a better word than gimmic would be emergent but that wouldn't make for eye grabbing thumbnail haha
Dude you consistently set the standard for NASCAR content creation. What a great video man.
Totally Agree!
Yeah, isn’t it crazy that Eric only has 219,000 subscribers?!
I remember how funny it was watching pit crews spray Pam on the bumpers to lube them up so the pusher car could slide around without disturbing the front car haha. I can also vaguely remember a driver (maybe Kyle bush?) being frustrated that he couldn’t be a lead car after the rear bumper had been taped up to repair some minor early crash damage. The tape repairs made the car get loose when being pushed by adding extra grip 😅
the driver to driver radio coms that happened during this time was pretty based
I'd love to see that make a return. Even if it's only between teammates
As a kid, I remember watching the 2011 Talladega race with my grandfather. The drag race to the line made us both get off the couch in suspense! That race is still talked about in my family as one of our favorite races
Same here. I was a Jimmie Johnson fan so seeing him somehow win that race was insane.
Tandem racing was beautiful. The most elegant, poetic form of racing I’ve ever seen.
2 drivers who may or may not be teammates working together to go faster than 2 drivers (who also may or may not be teammates) with the exact same goal. Speaking of poetry- KFB 😂 6:22
I liked the tandem racing because of all the lead changes.
Love these style of video! Videos like this appeal to older fans and also teach the newer fans, all around growing the sport.
I have to repeat myself here. You and Stapleton42 continue to set the standard for online Nascar content. The fact that you both have gotten so much closer to the sport and competitors this past year really just says everything. You should definitely do more videos like this btw!
Hey Eric!! I’m a regular OOTG fan but this video is the first one I had to comment on.
I sincerely enjoyed and appreciated this educational and nostalgic review.
I am counting down the days until the start of the 2024 season. Your content is invaluable in keeping NASCAR entertained and informed about what’s going on.
Thanks for what you do.
Keep up the great work!!!
(and Hook’em Horns!)
What comes to mind in recent memory when it comes to the 2 car tandem is the final laps of the coke Zero 400. Brad Keselowski gave buescher a huge push and stayed locked onto his bumper almost all the way to the finish line
2-car tandem is still my favourite NASCAR trick or multi-car tandem. Whenever I race online at the banks of Daytona or banked ovals, I'm looking to hit the tandem or at the very least bump draft as in most cases
I loved the two car tandem racing with the drivers about to talk directly to each other. Bring it back!
One thing that people don't talk about when they look back on tandem drafting was the absolutely violent wrecks. The 99 in the fence at Talladega. Larson's Xfinity wreck. Joey Coulter into the catch fence at Daytona. Even Ryan Newman in 2020.
Tandem drafting had a habit of putting cars into the catch fence and resulted in far more violent wrecks than the packs did. When they wreck in a big pack, usually the relative speed differences are low, so the impacts aren't huge comparatively. Obviously, pack racing still has huge violent impacts with walls, but think of the end of the 2012 Xfinity race that James Buscher won. The speed disparity caused huge car to car impacts that we just don't see with pack racing.
Tandem racing was also adopted in the xfinity and truck series during that time period. They went even beyond 2011 up to 2013 with the tandem drift, but you can tell the Larson crash made an impact that tandem racing is no more, plus for the penalty for trucks and xfinity cars pushing each other
Eric I have been watching you for awhile now and I just want to commend you on how your page has grown, your professionalism, and the way you report the news. You are my go to guy on ANYTHING Nascar , even though I know people personally that work for teams that field in all three series. I know things that you haven't brought to light yet, but I am not saying anything, due to not being a gossiper. I will tell you this, looking from the outside in, don't ever get fooled that the owners and drivers are making a killing. I promise you that isn't the case. Nascar owners, the majority are using "house money" to fund this circus. Some are flat out broke. FACT
What i like most about it was the war between each manufacturers working with together and that was and still the best part. So weather it was tandem racing or pack racing i still like it and it will always be a part of Nascar.
2 car drafting was what got me into the sport, when it left, I left. And now that I'm back, I still miss it.
This video belongs in the hall of fame museum theater on loop for guests. Really enjoyed the history in this one.
I love tandem plate racing because it corrected the most broken aspect of plate racing. It broke up the pack and put the race back into the hands of the racers.
Me too dude, I never understand the hatred for it. It was like a high speed chess match.
The great plate racers were great at it too. Brad K, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr and Tony Stewart were all amazing at tandem. It really showed off drivers talents and people like Larson for example these days would probably struggle even more at plate tracks.
How did tandem put control back in the drivers hands?
Tandem racing was one of the best things to ever happen, it actually allowed for some form of passing even in packs, and I think it should be the aim of all racing…would love to see it happen at not just superspeedways but even the intermediates…imagine Charlotte with 2-wide tandem racing all the time. I think it allowed for competition without the chaos of a 40 car, 3-4 wide freight train at the end of the race.
Tandem drafting was incredible. So much fun to watch.
We should allow the Xfinity cars to tandem draft again to add variety to plate weekends at Daytona and Talladega. We already get traditional pack racing with the truck series and the cup series.
Seeing all of the old clips makes me miss older Nascar so much. Older paint schemes, horsepower, drivers ect. We were spoiled.
I absolutely loved 2 car tandem because 2011-2012 was the first year that I watched nascar. Nostalgic tome
I love both forms. I think there is a place for both. Pure pack racing gets frustrating, but pure tandems gets boring. I love how it is now where we have a pack race that leads to a final lap with some tandems pushing each other to the flag. Or a pack trying to screw each other for their own benefit when a tandem comes flying around the outside
I miss tandem racing. In my opinion, it's better than pack racing. Tandem racing requires more strategy, teamwork, and mental stamina than pack racing. They all just kind of ride around in pack racing now.
It also required more skill and talent to because at least you could pass to and pull away from others
Loved the change in style with this new video. The music and visuals were awesome. Would love to see more content like this bro
I don't know why they killed the tandem draft.
I just saw the 2011 summer Talladega Race relay on FS1 and forgot how much fun that was to watch.
The only thing about those races i didn't like was the drivers having giant selector dials to connect to other drivers. I thought that was just too much and kind of silly.
I'd love to see the tandem come back with drivers having to pair up and communicate through the spotters to plan and organize.
I loved the 2 car tandem. It was literally horse racing at the end watching what pair could stick their nose out at the line.
Now that that you went back in time and reminded us about the tandem racing, I did like it. But, I prefer the packed racing with a little bit of the tandem sprinkled in the pack.
2011 had the best plate racing of all time. Change my mind.
2003
I hated 2011s plate racing
1998
2000
Pre COT plate racing was the peak, but the tandem draft was crazy for watching two cars go screaming past others like they were standing still.
I remember being so excited when tandem drafting came back 2019-2020 ish. I was so excited and the racing was so great.
After Ryan Newman’s crash at the 2020 Daytona 500, I’m pretty glad we don’t have this anymore.
Why? He didn't wreck as a result of tandem drafting, he wrecked because of a block gone wrong. Same with Carl Edwards off of Brad K at Dega when he went into the catch fence.
you poor kids don't know what good racing is because you've never seen it
@@davidrice3337 actually, the opposite. I've seen racing from the 70s and 80s, as well as the 90s. And I do like the cars and the sound a lot better (the drivers too, to some extent), however the actual racing style I like most is the COT era stuff, including tandem draft.
I loved the two car tandem. We went from that to single line of cars racing that couldn't do anything.
eric, please do more of this style of video. i really enjoy your perspective
Makes me so happy to see other fans of this style in the comments. Fewer crashes, more lead changes, better finishes. Who cares if it was a gimmick?
Good video. You are starting to be one of my favorite sources of Nascar media. Thank you for what you do.
This was so well done!! All my life I have been a huge fan of plate racing. I love the pack racing and the two cart tandems. They both have their pros and cons. But I will say I do miss watching it happen. It is an art form all on its own.
Drivers being able to talk to each other again would be awesome!
The COT was so bad, but the drivers figured out how to make it work on super speedways & it was great to see.
I am not all for plate racing, but I’ve always found the 2-car tandem very unique and cool since I was a kid.
This is the only gimmick that I’ll defend (unlike the garbage chase in auto racing, which do not belong, and other silly bs)
But yeah, 2-car tangos. Good times. I always feel like I’m 10 years old when people talk about tandem racing and when it came back in 2019-2021
You want to fix it? Take off the restrictor plates and toss them in the garbage can, take off any spoilers, diffusers, and air dams put some 6 inch racing slicks and boys have at it
The 2 car tandem was really interesting to see, the poetic 2009 Aaron's 499, the 2011 season both were great, but pack racing is a staple of NASCAR now and I wouldn't want it going away. I also like you doing this type of historic content
Originally the gimmick was a length of wire attached to a circuit to adjust the inductance of the circuit.
I miss the tandem drafting. Wish it would come back. From the outside, it also seemed like the drivers had more control of their fate.
I really wish Iracing would allow us to select the two car tandem as a selectable package when hosting a race. it was so fun on there when being used
Hello Eric,
I don’t comment on videos much, but have been a long-time watcher and wanted to say the format of this video is really good.
The other series like Groovy Grid, the Spinhouse video, and the rest of the one-offs are good content for the off-season especially and just as filler in general. Maybe for the olympic break?
Thanks for helping me back into Nascar about 5 years ago or so. I’m diehard once again. Was hard when JG retired!
Keep up the good work, and much support. Going to the Coke 600 this year and can’t wait.
, A fan
Ever since I saw Bayne win that Daytona 500 I’ve been hooked. It makes me mad to see how many people hated it, but I now get that it’s just the older generation who couldn’t appreciate a new, and highly complex strategy to be used in a classic high intensity sport. Having cars battle it out at nearly 200mph was awesome. Add the ability to work with a team mate to go even FASTER? Absolutely incredible. I was always sad to see it go away, but I’m also very happy that, as you said, “once you see something you can’t unlearn it”
Ever since, plate racing hasn’t been the same. There’s always SOMEBODY who’s super good at it. Denny Hamlin. Ryan Blaney. Bubba Wallace (though he needs some practice at holding stable when getting pushed. IE: the two times he and blaney were working together and he got loose)
Im happy it’s used often in the next Gen and I think they finally got a good formula down with it. Very able to push and be pushed, but juuuust round and unstable enough to where you can’t hold a push in the corners because they’re quite likely to spin the lead car. I think this year with the new flat nose Toyota Camry the Toyotas are going to DOMINATE. If you see Denny win his 4th 500 or bubba win another race, you saw it here. The chevys are going to fall because they’ll be the only manufacturer with minimal help since they can’t push. Ford’s and Toyotas will be unstoppable in 2024.
Ken Schrader was ,and is, right . Everybody is running at the same speed and it is dangerous.
Like when speed limits are set too low on interstates …
I loved the two car tandem. BRING IT BACK.
was at the 2011 Daytona 500 - the cautions were a bit much but watching Trevor win was worth it!
I want it back, two car tandems was fun
If we have to tolerate plate racing, the tandem era was the best thing to happen since the inception of pack racing. I LOATHE pack racing so it made the super speedways interesting.
I actually liked back then how drivers of one team communicated with others drivers of the opposite team when they did two car tandem drafting....
I feel they should honestly bring that back along with the two car tandem drafting.
Love this style of video Eric!! Great job! Would love to see more of these from time to time.
The being able to talk to each other always kinda cracked me up
Hahaha Kyle calling up Joey
“What a shame”
Denny Hamlin was the first one I remember seeing do the tandem. He would push a slow car to the front, drop em, then hold the lead for a few laps. Then he’d get shuffled to the back and do it again. I remember thinking then that I’d never seen a car that could do that before. I wanna say it was the season before everyone else was doing tandems but I can’t remember for sure. Also I was Jr and Chevy fan so I wasn’t paying much attention to the 11.
I also don’t remember the Reed Sorensen pushing Dale, so I could be wrong and Hamlin was after this.
Good video as always, that’s just the best of my recollection
I’ve been longing to see this type of video style on your channel for a while; good on ya
04-06, probably had the best superspeedway racing, but 2010-11 was just sooo fun to watch
Tandem was better than single file follow the leader
Really thought that Tandem Racing was coming back with a vengeance in that 2019 Talladega race
What a great video!!! From the music to the edits everything was perfect! And the story was great I almost forgot about how great 2011 was for pack racing yet dangerous at the same time
Brad K and Buescher still got it
I am one of those that miss tandems. I still say the only reason they're hated so much is that Dale Jr wasn't good at leading tandems - only pushing.
This was an amazing new style! I loved this video and how it gave an informative and engaging look at one of NASCARs most unique gimmick! I definitely would like to more videos like this!
I kind of wish the 2 car tandem would come back it I don't how to describe it other than it's just cool to watch I think it definitely increases the skill level required at superspeedways I think the closest we'll ever get is the 550 package it seemed like ford's could lock bumpers for a short time and I think if we had stayed with that package at superspeedways for a few more years it would have returned
I honestly wish nascar would get rid of the no locking bumpers rule if xfinty and trucks and we probably could have 2 car tandems back
I love this format, Eric. Keep doing more Nascar history lessons :)
Been saying it since it was a thing. Tandem racing was the most interesting feature in the sport
Great video! Love this short form video essay and how easy you made it follow! Would love to see more like this!
Only problem I see is in the turns if you don't line up just right and hit left side of bumper around they go
Correction Eric: It was the 2008 Aarons 499 on lap 32 when Denny Hamlin pushed Jamie McMurray from 12th to the lead on lap 35 using the FIRST ever two car tandem that the crowd and the Fox Booth showed on relay what happened and why they were fascinated. DW Mike Joy and Larry Mac were flabbergasted the entire race as drivers kept experimenting with it. But it was Denny Hamlin who started it. Not Dale Earnhardt Jr.
That was a great example I should have mentioned. The brief Dale/Sorenson tandem in the 2008 Duels jumped out at me as one of the first examples, though they didn't stay locked together for very long
I would argue that Jr definitely prototyped it in the late Gen-4 days with aggressively he would bump along the backstretch of Dega in 06 (as seen in the clips), Hamlin is definitely the first driver to fully exploit it to the level that he did.
That didn't stop Jr from trying to make it viable in the Gen 4 cars after the fact, and to some degree, it was, and after the 2010 Aarons 312 (ironically a plate race Jr wasn't a part of), the floodgates were open.
@@EricEstepp yea two days ago i was watching the 2008 Aarons 499 and then you posted this video today so perfect timing. Ive been binge watching old plate races from 1988 to now im at 2008 season. Denny Hamlin was indeed the best tandem pusher as he did it with multiple cars to get them the lead better than others who tried but failed to do it quite as well as Hamlin.
@@EricEstepp it certainly didnt look like Nascar intended for it to happen. Even i was shocked but saw it as a unintentional consequence of the new car. It was a interesting era in plate racing for sure 😂
Personally, I think the Trucks and maybe Xfinity series can benefit from tandem drafting making a comeback. I hated the whole "don't lock bumpers" rule when it was implemented and i still hate it now. It makes the lower seires races feel more "scripted" to have big packs and, by nature, big wrecks that cost the teams more money but produce "entertainment" value in the lower series. Plus, there's a lack of respect in those series right now (or at least in the trucks there is) and having to use tandem drafting could help build relationships between teams and drivers and make those series better as a result.
It's probably just me, but I would love to see the ban on locking bumpers in the lower series be lifted. It just feels like driver manipulation and removing it could benefit the lower series to a degree.
...or I could be completely wrong. Who knows XD
i love the two car tandem racing and it needs to come back
I wish I saw a race like this as a fan so I could really compare but I honestly wouldn’t mind 1 Talladega race being a tandem package from what I’ve seen
Dale didn't win 8 races at Talladega...
He won 10.
8 in the restrictor plate era
*MORE*
I appreciate the news and updates, but I enjoyed the structure of this. Not as thorough and long as Brock Beard, not as heavy on edits like Elly or S1ap, it's a solid compromise
I loved this style of video i hope to see more deep dives into smaller parts of nascar history i hope to see more like this soon excellent work Eric
Great episode!! I have not thought about the 2 car tandems in a long time. I hated the 2 car tandem racing. OMG I couldn't stand it... Lol I'm was so thankful they fixed it.
If you were to make a recipe for a great race it would be lead changes, a spectacular crash and a photo finish.
Tandem Racing brought all of those.
I love this style of video! This better not fade as quickly as the 2 car tandem did.
I think bringing back the 2 way radios could do a lot to help with showing off driver personalities and create some really great moments. Gives drivers more choices on how they strategize.
Man I wish there was a restricter plate package that gives us both pack and tandem racing. I miss tandem racing it gave us some great moments and finishes !
Great job Eric . One of the best videos you have done . And that's something to me , cause all your vid's are very good . I would encourage you to do more like this , maybe once a week . Sort of a history vid on how we got to where we are today . Or just plain history vids of drivers , teams , sponsors , nascar as the host organization , rules and and things like that . Lots of good stuff to think about . I realize this is a lot of hard work to put together one of these , but you are a excellent presenter . Please give it a thought
2011 Was A Great Year Of NASCAR Especially With The Two Car Tandem
they keep teasing us at Atlanta, now that its fair game to lock bumpers. Unfortunately I don't think there are any takers bringing back the 2-car tandem there yet
Dale wanted the plates for the Fords, not his car...
I loved that kind of plate racing
I absolutely loved the two-car tandem era. The racing was exciting and unpredictable.
The tandem in the next gen is absolutely there the cars just don’t handle well enough to make it stick for long. At the fall 2022 dega race it was two tandems that decided that race. At the Daytona 500 this year we saw several tandem. RFK practices it every time they get near each other and in the fall dega race I mentioned before (I was there in person) the both dropped to the back and practiced it for like 75 laps. Then the got caught up in a wreck but you can’t win them all. It showed in this years Daytona 500 where the two RFK cars matched speeds with a line of like 5 cars for nearly 2 laps. And the summer Daytona race they finally got the win. It’s here it just requires good handling cars. Shit FRM was trying it at fall 2023 dega this year too. It’s gonna catch back on im telling you
Hope to see more videos like this. Love the daily news style episodes, but these are a nice mix up EE 🤙
By definition the two car draft IS NOT a gimmick by any rational or technical interpretation of the definition. It’s wasn’t never designed or unintentionally intended to attract attention/viewers. It was a direct result of performance gains that was always technically available from the conception of plate racing which itself was only implemented for safety reasons. Thus, one could accurately argue that plate racing itself is technically the (accidental) gimmick along with super speedway racing that’s maintained for the sole purpose of being a spectacle to attract viewers. The tandem was obviously made easier to execute and more efficient by the body style changes however it was still a possibility prior to the change, just not discovered. (Although short run bump drafting was commonly exercised which was essentially the same concept) It’s still not an accidental gimmick as it was never intended to attract viewers and never really did as an unintended result. It didn’t drive attendance in any fashion with zero metrics to substantiate that theory. The lead changes don’t correlate to good racing especially with plate racing. The reality is that nascar knew fans didn’t like the tandem (why it’s not a gimmick) but they where uncertain of how to approach an easy fix. They threw multiple changes at it to prevent it.
There a million examples of NASCAR GIMMICK’S the random wasn’t one. Easy examples would be the Winston million or even the chase/playoffs. The notion of still Manufacturers/ stock body’s is technically a gimmick.
Yes the random made for an interesting thumbnail with a sensational parallel to the title but it makes zero sense.
I wouldn't be against seeing two car tandems coming back, but I also don't want to see it every superspeedway race either, maybe if you can have a Daytona package with the tandems and a Talladega/Atlanta package with more normal pack racing. The teams probably won't accept it, but I think it would be the best of both worlds at least for me.
The tandem draft races were some of the greatest racing they've ever had. It truly leveled the playing field where anyone could win. The driver to driver coms, the lube strips on the bumpers, the constant lead changes, etc. Far more exciting (and a lot more going on) than pack racing.
If you're gonna start delving into making history videos, then the content on this channel just became endless. I hope you stick with it cause this video was well done
Too old to explore earth, too young to explore the universe but just old enough to see the greatest show of them all. Superspeedway racing
Really enjoying your new energy and editing style! Your videos feel very fresh and super well produced
Yeah, your gimmick of zooming in suddenly to create drama... 😂
I wish we still had one tandem race a year.
1983-1987 best super speedway racing