Diez: NASCAR goes from bullring to open spaces

To paraphrase Charles Dickens, “It was the best of races, it was the worst of races.” Last Sunday’s Bristol 500-lap NASCAR Cup race was both, depending on who’s talking. According to Goodyear’s John Probst, it was one of the best short-track races he had ever seen. But fifth-place finisher Kyle Larson differed, saying that he never wants to run a race like that again. Maybe Probst liked it because the teams didn’t return any unused tires. In fact, Goodyear had to mount up an extra set for all the teams because tires were down to the cords in 50 laps. And 50 laps at Bristol is not quite 27 miles, not exactly extended run-length rubber. Instead of rubbering in, the track just shredded tires like a giant oval cheese grater. Was it the resin laid down in the low groove that caused the problem? I’m pretty sure that NASCAR, Goodyear, and the speedway management will be doing a detailed post-mortem on the situation.

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On the plus side, the race featured a total of 54 lead changes among 16 drivers, breaking a 33-year-old record. The situation put the race squarely in the hands of the drivers as tire management became the key to the race. Not surprisingly, veteran drivers Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr., and Brad Keselowski grabbed the top three spots, with Alex Bowman and Larson the only other drivers on the lead lap. The last time so few drivers finished on the lead lap was 20 years ago at Dover. Hamlin is now the fifth winner in as many races, boding a full field of winners in the playoffs.

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This weekend will be a huge change of pace, from the Bristol bull ring to the wide-open spaces of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. It will be the fourth outing for the Cup series at the venue, with the Chevrolets of Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain winning the first two and Tyler Reddick’s Toyota victorious in 2023. Xfinity driver A.J. Allmendinger will join the 36 regular entries in the No. 13 Kaulig Racing Chevy, along with 2023 Chicago winner Shane van Gisbergen in the Kaulig No. 16 and former F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi in the No. 33 23XI Toyota. Check this section for broadcast listings.

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Formula 1 heads south of the equator and across the International Date Line this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix. Due to the time difference, the race will air Saturday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. So far this season, Red Bull has continued its dominance and there’s no reason to think it will end anytime soon. So, if you’re not a Max Verstappen fan, you might want to wait and just catch the highlights on YouTube. Of course, if you really enjoy open-wheel racing, there will be plenty of exciting mid-pack action and the suspense of who will take third place.

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Also on tap this weekend is the Thermal $1 Million Challenge for the IndyCar series. This is a unique event on a challenging 3.067-mile road course near Palm Springs. The schedule includes testing on Friday and Saturday, followed by Saturday qualifying, and two heat races and a 12-car all-star main event on Sunday. The total event purse is $1,760,000, second only to the Indy 500. Open testing airs Saturday at 9 a.m. and noon with qualifying at 5 pm., all on Peacock. NBC will broadcast Sunday’s races beginning at 9:30 a.m.

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Finally, Louis Deletraz in the No. 40 Acura GTP of Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti won the 12 Hours of Sebring with a late pass on Sebastien Bourdais’ Cadillac Racing GTP to take the win by .891-second.