Off-Topic Forum

A good race so far, even if Bubba got in a wreck early.

Race was a lot better than I expected it would be based on the Shootout and Duels. Not a big fan of the winner but I liked seeing some of the other guys get Top 10s that don't normally.

I really not a fan of NASCAR, however, my son has a thing for cars (always has, since he could crawl he's been pushing any car toy, fascinated by the wheels). I told him "hey, there's a big race on TV. Do you want to watch it?" (Just keep in mind he's five.) As a Dad I think it's important to show intrest in his intrests. So we sit down to watch it. I really tried to get into it, but couldn't. Every time it started to get intresting there was a commercial, or the stage ended. I must admit the wrecks are fun to watch. But, the pauses to start the race up again are too much for me. I just hope he winds up liking F1, Indycar, MotoGP, or SBK more than NASCAR. Please don't take this the wrong way guys. I'm just saying it's not for me.

I kinda re-entered the NASCAR fandom, if you will, last year after a long break. Not that I lost interest, but rather I just had so much going on the last five years (mainly as a working high school/college student athlete; I didn't get to watch much baseball either). One of the things I am most disappointed in is the stages for the same reasons.

60 laps in, and a five lap caution. Then 10-15 laps of racing, and they start dropping to pit road so they can strategize for another 45 laps. I understand why NASCAR went to stages, and I suppose I can see the benefit in having a race within a race, so to speak, but the flow of it just irks me to no end.

Like Billy, I was pleased that the race itself was more entertaining than the Duels or the Xfinity race, where everyone jumped in one line and stayed there (yes, I understand it's strategy and getting hung out alone is a sure way to head straight to the back). Not a huge Hamlin fan, and was disappointed to see Byron take three hard licks on the driver's side door at the end there (through no one's fault, just part of the accident) especially when he still had a chance to win it, but overall I thought it was a good race.