NASCAR: Richmond Race Left Much To Be Desired

Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports

Have you ever heard a joke or story that is so bad that after hearing it a few times it actually gets better? Well none of that applies to last nights race at Richmond International Raceway and I would strongly suggest that you do not continuously replay the race in hopes of it getting better. Richmond was supposed to be the culmination of NASCAR’s 26 race regular season and the warmup to the chase which will begin next week. Richmond was supposed to be drama and intensity; instead it was difficult to watch for the most part.

Entering the night there were two spots left in the chase and 19 drivers who were vying for those spots. Of those 19 drivers, four them them could have made it on points while the rest needed to win. Two of those drivers that needed to win spent a good portion of the race in or around the top-five, Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray. Unfortunately neither of them were able to sniff the lead in a race where Brad Keselowski led 383/400 laps. There was never a point in the race where Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle (who entered the night with the final two chase spots) ever were not in the chase.

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In any sport there are going to be weeks where someone is dominant and Keselowski was indeed that Saturday night. However, the issues with the race didn’t necessarily have to do with Keselowski’s dominance.

The tire wear and the track and the conditions on Saturday were supposed to setup great racing. At the halfway point Saturday night the biggest mover in the race was Tony Stewart and he was up five positions from the start of the race. Some of the races greatest passes were Keselowski and the leaders weaving through lapped traffic. The tire wear was talked about all week but it never truly played an impact when it came to close racing. Sure, some cars faded in the ends of runs but it didn’t translate to good racing. Track position was key as there wasn’t much passing and in most cases drivers were around the same position from the start of a run to the end of it.

Long green flag runs and uneventful restarts made a fan climbing the catch fence and forcing a caution one of the most exciting events of the race.

While NASCAR cannot control how exciting a race is, they can control the tracks where certain races are run. That being said maybe NASCAR should have a race like Talladega in the 26th slot on the schedule. Talladega racing is always exciting and would offer a legitimate chance for almost any driver to win and ultimately race their way into the chase. Talladega aside there are plenty of smaller tracks that often produce good racing that could be a better fit than Richmond. In all fairness Richmond has produced good racing in the past but it also has produced some boring races as recently as earlier this season.

In the end it was a disappointing night all around for NASCAR who has put so much hype into their new chase format.With all of the anticipation of the chase Richmond was somewhat of a downer in a situation where an exciting night could have kicked the chase off with a bang. Let’s hope the actual chase a more exciting for the sake of NASCAR and its fans.

What did you think of the race from Richmond? Should NASCAR keep Richmond in that slot or should they consider putting another track there? Be sure to share your thoughts by commenting below.

Christopher Olmstead is the Editor of BeyondTheFlag.com on the FanSided Network. Follow us on Twitter @Beyond_The_Flag and “Like” us on Facebook.

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