{"id":76289,"date":"2016-05-23T08:00:26","date_gmt":"2016-05-23T12:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=76289"},"modified":"2016-05-23T08:00:26","modified_gmt":"2016-05-23T12:00:26","slug":"despite-confusion-nascar-got-memorable-star-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2016\/05\/23\/despite-confusion-nascar-got-memorable-star-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite confusion, NASCAR got a memorable all-star race"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BFsssqGRMfU\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"12\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<div style=\"padding:16px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BFsssqGRMfU\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> <\/p>\n<div style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\"><svg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\"><g stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><g transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\"><g><path d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\"><\/path><\/g><\/g><\/g><\/svg><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\"> View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p style=\" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BFsssqGRMfU\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" style=\" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;\" target=\"_blank\">Congrats to the 2016 #SprintAllStar race winner @joeylogano!<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">A post shared by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/charlottemotorspeedway\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;\" target=\"_blank\"> Charlotte Motor Speedway<\/a> (@charlottemotorspeedway) on <time style=\" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;\" datetime=\"2016-05-22T05:50:22+00:00\">May 21, 2016 at 10:50pm PDT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>CONCORD, N.C. \u2013 Say this about NASCAR&#8217;s confusing and chaotic Sprint All-Star Race: At least it was entertaining.<\/p>\n<p>The latest running of NASCAR&#8217;s annual showcase was lambasted by drivers and fans for its new format, yet it still produced one of the most memorable all-star races in a very long time.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, part of the entertainment factor came from perplexed drivers who struggled to understand the officiating after the first segment Saturday night. Their comments were comical, and ultimately overshadowed racing that was far better than it was a year ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n<p>The event is billed as a $1 million dash-for-cash, where drivers can throw caution to the wind and race simply for the pile of money at the finish line. The dramatics of that theory ceased long ago, in part because the racing product deteriorated, the varying formats backfired and some drivers were simply going through the motions.<\/p>\n<p>Over the last decade, the All-Star Race produced some singular memorable moments but has rarely been a race to remember from start to finish. In that sense, Saturday night was special from the moment Matt Kenseth\u2019s botched strategy in the first segment derailed the new format until Joey Logano\u2019s gripping late battle with Kyle Larson for the victory.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe racing was significantly better than last year,\u201d Logano said. \u201cI remember this race last year, and I\u2019d get trapped because all you can do is run the bottom. We saw a lot of side-by-side racing (Saturday night), saw a lot of (tires) fall off, and obviously with so much strategy, a lot of us didn\u2019t know what was going on because there was so much strategy. That\u2019s what it promoted. It promoted a lot of racing, hard racing, and I thought it was great.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The 113-lap race was formatted in part by ideas presented by Brad Keselowski, a new member on this year\u2019s driver council. His proposals were shaped into three segments, the first of which required a pit stop under green.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where the race essentially derailed because Kenseth was waiting until the end to make his pit stop. But when a caution came out with four laps remaining, Kenseth was out of time to pit and was held a lap for not doing so.<\/p>\n<p>Because Kenseth had lapped so many cars by not pitting, he put eight drivers a lap down at the start of the second segment. That\u2019s where the frustration set in because those drivers didn\u2019t understand why they couldn\u2019t get their lap back before the second segment began.<\/p>\n<p>After the race, NASCAR acknowledged it had not foreseen a situation like the one created by Kenseth\u2019s failed strategy when setting the format.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t have a mechanism in our procedures to correct it,\u201d said Scott Miller, NASCAR\u2019s senior vice president for competition.<\/p>\n<p>If the fans and competitors could set that element aside, then the focus would turn to the actual on-track product. At this time last year, NASCAR was leaning toward sticking with the 2015 rules package that was basically producing unwatchable racing. Drivers used the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600 as examples of how wrong a decision that was, and the discussions ultimately produced a more favorable package for the drivers.<\/p>\n<p>That was further tweaked this week as NASCAR removed more downforce from the cars, to the delight of most of the drivers, and the end result was a pass for the win in the final segment for the first time in a very long time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re going down the right direction,\u201d third-place finisher Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Earnhardt cautioned against trying too many gimmicks to make the All-Star Race a better show. He admitted he was very confused about what was going on until the final 13-lap segment but chalked it up to no one predicting what would happen with Kenseth.<\/p>\n<p>Asked if in the future, the way to make the All-Star Race special would be to make it a race of innovation in which drivers competed without a rules package in whatever car their team built, Earnhardt wasn\u2019t sure.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe would all be full throttle,\u201d he said with a shrug.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he used Saturday night&#8217;s racing as an example of where NASCAR should focus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just think they ought to go back to the original formats that they started with that are simple and make the cars race better, you know?\u201d he said. \u201cGimmicks and all that stuff, trying to trick up the race is going down the wrong path. The way to make the racing exciting is to make the cars exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CONCORD, N.C. \u2013 Say this about NASCAR&#8217;s confusing and chaotic Sprint All-Star Race: At least it was entertaining. The latest &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":76290,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[10846,10847],"class_list":["post-76289","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-nascar","tag-sprint-all-star-race","mauthors-jenna-fryer","mauthors-the-associated-press"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76289","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=76289"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/76289\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/76290"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=76289"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=76289"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=76289"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}