The Frontstretch: Top Ten Things We’ve Learned From Racing in the Rain at Montreal by Jeff Meyer -- Wednesday September 2, 2009

First, I just have to say that percent-wise, there are more Canadian NASCAR fans than there are in the US… and I was really impressed by their commitment to stick it out in the bad weather. Probably the most packed Nationwide race all year.

I think what we really learned is that NASCAR drivers aren’t up to par when it comes to driving in the rain. Besides the cars not being very good for wet conditions to begin with, especially not the Cup cars, most of the drivers aren’t road course racers. So either the series needs to add a bunch more road courses so the field will actually be filled with drivers that know how to make a right hand turn, and that will also lead to them having that much more experience when it comes to racing in the rain. So the “lesser” drivers aren’t stinking up the show. It was bad enough when it was dry, total cluster in the rain.

Thanks to watching all NASCAR via my Tivo so I can fast forward (usually just the commercials, but with Montreal’s 4 minute caution laps, quite a few of those too) it was actually fun to watch the calamity going on in the rain. But in reality, it made for some poor racing.

I really think NASCAR should just eliminate road courses completely, because adding a bunch more isn’t going to happen. Yes, there are some talented drivers that are great at them, but there are also some very talented drivers that can’t turn right worth a damn. As Clint Bowyer said a couple weeks ago, “I guess there weren’t any right hand turns in the town I grew up in.” LOL

It’s kind of like throwing a couple drag races into the mix. A completely different style of racing that NASCAR cars are not designed to do. Yes, you could set them up to drag race just fine, but they would be by no means true drag race cars. We might as well have a couple drifting events, and some dirt tracks too.

My main point is that they should just make it a complete Oval series. That would free up 2 dates on the Cup side and let those dates go to some better tracks.

BTW, Montreal really needs some exits around the track so a “dead” car doesn’t have to be towed completely around the entire track to get back to the only exit which is on pit row. (Sonoma and the Glen both have them.)

How about that Marcos guy? Doing an impression of Kyle.