Zachary Peters

Talladega was…? That is the question I asked myself the night after the race and the next morning. Fans, not just NASCAR fans, but all fans that express themselves on social media are loud. We fans are often hyper-critical, and I include myself in the conversation. We expect perfection. We expect classic moments at every event. We expect entertainment. In NASCAR, this is especially true. Racing is exhilarating by its very nature, but hopefully, we realize that even in the best of times, NASCAR racing is not always about visually spectacular moments.

So what makes a good race? As a kid, a good race was when your favorites did great. It did not matter what track, style, car generation, or other stuff. If your favorite won or did well, that was a good race. Please, do not get me wrong. I still have favorites. Just ask my wife. Yet, the older you get, the more other aspects of racing impact a good race besides your favorites.

The apparent stuff that makes a good race is the action. Wrecks (as long as no one gets hurt) amp up the action. Tying this into your favorites, if your favorite wrecks or is a wreck, the action negatively influences whether you think it was a good race or not. If the wreck doesn’t impact your guy or girl, then the entertainment and excitement factor skyrocket.

Wrecks lead to pit stops, and pit stops have the potential to ramp up the action. The older I get, the more I appreciate a nice smooth pit stop, but the kid in me still likes seeing the rogue tire or the overzealous driver skid into the pit and miss his mark. As long as no one is injured, pit stop madness can help make a good race.

Some pit stops lead to restarts, and on some tracks, that is the only time some drivers get close enough to do some aggressive and white-knuckle racing, especially if it is late in the race. The urgency and proximity breed danger, wrecks, and more pit stops. It is a cycle of fun that most people under the age of 200 find fun and exciting. This excitement thus creates the feelings of a great race when it is all over.

Some tracks lend themselves to side-by-side action for 500 or 400 miles, which is just too much excitement in a good way! From a viewership standpoint, the most popular tracks are Dayton and Talladega.

Some short tracks give you this when the car works. There is beating and banging for three hours, and there is no lull in the action. From 1st to 31st, someone is racing someone. That is fun, and that is good racing. Plus, you are guaranteed to get wrecks, pitstops, and restarts when you race like that.

As I have gotten older, I sometimes enjoy a race where a team does something different with Strategy and wins. It’s not high-octane madness, but it’s like watching a gambler win big. Sure, they might be racing against fuel or tire fall-off (Maybe not this season) and not someone right next to them, but the drama is there. And people love drama even when it isn’t from a bump and run on the last turn.

I have started to enjoy races that I normally would not turn on until the last 30 minutes. I have learned to enjoy a race of excellence and superior execution. I can see why a team winning four seconds or more ahead of second place can be viewed as boring, but that four seconds is a result of excellence, superior execution, and some luck. This is adult fun (not that kind), but the fun you learn to have to make sure your yard looks great or your car is detailed magnificently. It’s a perfect meal. It is a perfect swing at the range that no one sees, but it is fulfilling and, therefore, fun. Sometimes teams produce a race that is fun, not because of drama or action, but solely because you know how hard it is making no mistakes for three hours at 190 mph.

We must learn to enjoy the variety of good racing: the childish action and the refined excellence.

With all of that nuance in mind, Talladega was barely a serviceable race, and as one of the top races in NASCAR, it left a lot to be desired. Talladega is the track of speed, drafting, daring, big runs, and big wrecks. It is a massive track with room for three wide racing historically. Yes, even in the best races, there is a slackening of the action, but in my memory, there has not been a less interesting Talladega race for a very long time. The end certainly picked up, but ¾ of that race was simply “follow the leader” and wait for pit road. All of this on the second most popular race of the year in attendance and viewership.

I have no idea what would help this race other than making that third line work. The technicalities of that are beyond me, but fixing that would fix other parts of the mediocre race. Or fixing one thing would create ten more problems.

I love Talladega, and there is a strong chance I will make it to the next race there. I am desperate for a return to form at that track. I did not see any real skill payoff for the drivers who excel at superspeedways. The last ten laps, plus the overtimes, saved the race, which I am thankful for. I also know there is more there to be had at the big and beautiful track. Hopefully, things will improve next time, but there is a lot of other things that need to be fixed before that.