NASCAR: ‘Frowned upon’ issue could actually be beneficial

On-track drama between teammates has been a story early in the NASCAR season, but the often frowned upon conflicts could actually help attract fans.

The unique dynamic of racing which sees teammates competing head-to-head has led to some interesting moments early in the 2022 NASCAR season. Through two race weekends, there have been three noted incidents that caused frustration between drivers within the same organization.

In the Daytona 500, Austin Cindric moved up to block his Team Penske teammate Ryan Blaney coming to the checkered flag. The move sent Blaney into the wall, resulting in a fourth place finish, while Cindric went on to win.

When commenting about whether the move was fair or foul, Blaney didn’t give a clear answer.

“I don’t know,” he told reporters, including Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass. “Congrats to him, I guess. You’ve got to throw a block in that situation.”

The next incident happened during last Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Auto Club Speedway. Josh Berry made contact with his JR Motorsports teammate Justin Allgaier in a pass for third place, with 20 laps to go. Allgaier lost momentum after being passed by Cole Custer, before being tapped in the left rear by Berry.

“Did (Berry) just put me in the fence?” Allgaier asked over his radio, in audio aired on the TV broadcast.

“Yep,” a crew member responded.

The announcers then made note of the fact that they are teammates and that Monday would be interesting, the date often referenced for when team meetings are held.

The third and perhaps most notable incident happened in last Sunday’s Cup Series race. With 21 laps to go, Kyle Larson moved up the track while battling Joey Logano for the lead, which caused him to make contact with his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Chase Elliott, sending Elliott into the wall.

Elliott fell back quickly and was lapped by Larson with 12 laps to go. He showed his frustration by forcing Larson to the bottom of the track for the pass. He then spun out, leading to accusations of race manipulation as a way of getting back at his teammate.

Following the initial contact, announcer Mike Joy said on the TV broadcast that “Elliott, on the radio, was not happy with his teammate’s abrupt move to the top.”

Analyst Clint Bowyer added, “I don’t think you want to hear what he had to say.”

Larson said in a post-race media availability that he had no idea that Elliott was coming, adding that “it happened, and I hate that it did…but we’ll talk and hopefully we’ll get on the same page. I would never run into my teammate or block him that aggressively, that late, on purpose.”

While it’s often frowned upon, teammate drama in NASCAR is different than other sports and could create extra intrigue for fans.

Rivalries have always had a place in NASCAR. From the famous fight at the end of the 1979 Daytona 500 to the Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon battles of the 1990s to the confrontation between Elliott and Kevin Harvick after last September’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, these rivalries rally fans around their favorite drivers and often get as much attention on the broadcasts as victory lane.

While some of these rivalries stay on-track and others spill outside of the race car, they all come down to drivers battling for every inch of track. While the team structure in NASCAR can see up to four full-time cars belonging to a single organization, it’s ultimately up to 40 individual drivers battling for positions and wins.

That unique aspect of the sport means that teammate chemistry doesn’t matter like it does in stick-and-ball sports. If two starters on a basketball team butt heads, it will be hard for them to work together and for the team to ultimately score points, defend and win. But in NASCAR, teammates don’t need to get along to win races, as long as they don’t wreck their cars.

Fans are attracted to drama. There’s a reason why fights are often highlighted in ticket sales commercials and why cameras quickly circle drivers involved in heated conversations.

The aspect of drama isn’t something lost on Formula 1. The Netflix series Formula 1: Drive to Survive debuted in March 2019 and features three seasons which showcase the many behind-the-scenes storylines of drivers, managers, and team owners in the sport.

Last year’s champion, Max Verstappen, is among those who have criticized the series’ over-dramatization of certain events, but the potential end result of dramatizing Formula 1 is the increase in its popularity.

“There is not a way to quantify if the Netflix series has contributed to the audience increases, but it’s all positive,” said John Suchenski, director of programming and acquisitions at ESPN, in a statement to Sports Illustrated.

The network reported an average of 931,000 viewers through the first 14 races of the 2021 season, which was 40% higher than the first 14 comparable races of 2019.

Inside Track Motorsport News editor-in-chief Greg MacPherson wrote in a column that “my wife – who is also hooked on the Netflix series – went from not watching an F1 race in the past 10 years, to never missing one now.”

This isn’t the only example I’ve seen of people who had previously had no interest in racing all of a sudden becoming diehard fans.

While tension between teammates in NASCAR has often been talked about in a negative tone, with reference to the team meetings that would follow on Monday, why can’t teammates be part of the drama?

As long as the drivers don’t wreck each other’s cars, frustration and rivalries between teammates add another layer of drama to the sport, which could help keep fans interested. Since chemistry doesn’t matter like it does in other sports, it won’t affect the individual driver’s ability to compete for the win.

If a post-race confrontation between Elliott and Harvick can entertain fans, then what’s wrong with a little bit of bad blood between Elliott and Larson? Teammate drama in NASCAR may not be so bad after all.