Sometimes racing is hard to watch.
Consider NASCAR at Texas and the Duck Commander 500.
First was the rain. We just saw the same threat at Martinsville which washed out the Camping World Series Trucks forcing a run late on Sunday after the STP 500. The Sprint Cup race at Martinsville was also threatened with drizzle and even snow early in the morning.
At Texas, however, the rain played the day for the main event pushing the race to Monday. Fans plan and buy tickets and travel and many can not afford that extra day. It means an extra night stay-over and an unscheduled day away from work to remain and watch a race on Monday.
Rain might not bother a duck too much but to NASCAR it is a big, expensive, logistics hassle.
Consider also the dynamic of the fan attraction to the sport. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can be argued as the top fan attraction. People love him. The stands shake from the smallest short track to the fastest super speedways when he is introduced. The cheering from the grandstands washes out the roar of the engines when he makes a move and is out front.
The 2014 season, young as it may be with only six races in, has been good to Junior. A win in Daytona to start it off. Top runs and a points lead coming to Texas. Fans wanted to see another good run from the #88. They suffered rain all day Sunday. They scrambled to secure another night and eat another day of race track food. They made calls to their bosses saying “Nope – Ain’t gonna be there till Tuesday…”
Imagine all of that waiting and staying and hassle just to see the #88 for about 20 minutes once they actually got underway. Contact, wall, fire, done. He went low and into the still rain-soaked grass and crumpled the front and shook up likely every connection in the car. Sliding back up the track and hitting the wall twice was enough to spark and ignite leaking fuel. He brought it to a stop and climbed out while the car burned.
Fans saw their guy for 12 laps. Granted, they saw a spectacular exit but it was still going to be a long Monday without their #88 on the track.
Tony Stewart fans saw their man grab the pole at Texas after 6 races of less than fantastic results. They’ve watched his new team mates Harvick and Kurt Busch go for wins. Three of the six races so far had Stewrat-Haas in the winner’s circle but Stewart himself was back in the pack.
There was some satisfaction at the end of the day with a top 10 finish (10th) but the expectation was probably higher with a pole start.
Kurt Busch. Fans are trying to figure him out. Good guy, bad guy, don’t know. He has struggled with a personal fight between the good side and the dark side. He just won at Martinsville to crash out at Texas.
Jeff Gordon. His fans remain loyal. Perhaps staying through rain and the extra day gave them some payoff as he was there at the end with a second place but many may have left slightly disappointed as that upstart Logano took him on the last run of a green-white-checkered finish.
On top of everything else, on top of rain and planning their vacations around race day, fans are still trying to put a finger on how they feel about the #3 in the hands of a rookie. However, it is beginning to seem that the folks in the stands are open to the idea of the #3 back out and racing. They know what it is, who it was and where it has been.
Fans come and watch for as many reasons as there are seats in the stands. The bottom line is the day, the race and, perhaps, a chance to see there favorite drivers make some moves and to maybe get a win while they are there in person to witness it.
In Texas it was a rain delayed feel good day for fans of Joey Logano.
There are Logano fans…? Aren’t there…?
There must be… Somewhere…
Sometimes racing is hard to watch. Weather. Your favorite crashes out. Somebody other than your favorite wins. Your boss doesn’t get it…
Go to work or go racing…
OK – Maybe it’s not that hard.