2nd Thoughts on NASCAR: What if Bristol tire problem happens in removal race?

Amid all the glee from fans that a tire-management race lastly returned to Bristol and there requires to be more of it, I had one contrarian idea when believing ahead to September.

The Bristol night race is an removal race, following 2 wild-card first-round races in some methods in Atlanta and Watkins Glen. What would fans state if their preferred motorist goes into Bristol requiring points or to hold position to make the playoffs and then gets removed if they get a flat tire?

The Sunday race was more a unexpected case of liveroulette than tire management in that chauffeurs weren’t pitting since tire fall-off was so terrific that they might go muchfaster on brand-new tires. They were going as quick as they idea they might anticipating (hoping?) another chauffeur would have a flat and bring out the care.

So I positioned the concern to Hendrick chauffeurs Tuesday afternoon while at the store as to whether they would be OKAY with that type of occasion for an removal race, and they appeared to be reasonably OK with it — with the caution being as long as they understood inadvance they had to handle tires.

“Look in the mirror — you did it to yourself,” Chase Elliott stated. “That’s how I appearance at it. As long as you understand it’s coming. That’s the huge thing. You requirement to understand what you have to work with.

“If we understand that is going to be the environment that we go back in, that we change to it. We repair a lot of the durability concerns ourselves.”

Elliott pointed out that the tires didn’t simply go catastrophically flat without caution Sunday. A motorist would have a couple of laps at least to get to pit roadway. In reality, chauffeurs remained out understanding their tires were about to go flat in hopes that another motorist would bring out the care.

“That’s method more in a motorist’s control than a typical week is,” Alex Bowman stated. “Normal Bristol race where you run 500 laps large open as tough as you can — if your vehicle is excellent, you’re excellent; and if your automobile is not excellent, you battle.

“If you have ideal pit stops, you’re terrific. If you have one bad pit stop, it’s nearly difficult to pass your method back up through there [with tires that don’t wear].”

William Byron appeared most worried about the situation I explained.

“The routine season is one thing to have races that wear’t go according to strategy — it’s amazing and amusing,” he stated. “But I puton’t believe it is reasonable to the rivals and the groups to not understand what you’re getting into.”

The remarks weren’t what I anticipated — I figured the believed of another possible roll of the dice in the veryfirst round, specifically for an removal race, may issue them.

It absolutely made me believe that Goodyear and NASCAR accidentally discovered something that perhaps might be enhanced upon for a terrific, amazing Bristol race. Even one that may remove your preferred motorist. 

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has invested years covering motorsports, consistingof over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene publication and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.