Here’s the good news, for those of you just waking up today …
Atlanta, once again, gave us one of the best NASCAR races of the season. Ryan Blaney won this morning with a thrilling last-lap pass, holding off Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, Carson Hocevar and a slew of other drivers at the line.
Now, the bad news …
Yes, I said this morning. You read that right.
Ryan Blaney won a NASCAR race that finished at 3 a.m. For those reading this with your coffee, it literally ended in Atlanta a few hours ago. The track is still hot. The haulers are still leaving. I’m fairly certain Blaney just finished his presser.
Again, nobody saw the best finish of the season because NASCAR, for some ungodly reason, chose to restart a rain-delayed race at 12:01 a.m. Why? I have no idea. None. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
But, I reckon that’s why I’m here? To fill in the gaps because you all were sleeping. That’s why they pay me the medium bucks. For days like these.
Do I like it? Nope. Do I understand it? Again, nope. Do I think NASCAR did the fans a disservice? Sure do. A big one.
We’ll get into it.
What else? I’ve got Bubba Wallace being penalized at the finish and taking a shot at Toyota, and an absolutely bitter exchange between William Byron and his crew chief. These two might just hate each other. You’ll see.
Four tires, a splash of Sunoco racing fuel, and maybe an Adderall for the next time NASCAR decides to start a race at midnight on a Sunday … Monday Morning Pit-Stop — the ‘Wakey Wakey, Eggs & Backey!’ edition — is LIVE!
You see? An amazing finish. A great race. I’ve said it for years now — Atlanta has become the best races of the season. If you’re new to NASCAR and looking for one track to go to, pick Atlanta.
Not Daytona. Not Talladega. Not Bristol or Darlington.
Atlanta.
They repaved and rebanked (?) it a few years ago, making it a smaller version of Daytona or Talladega. And it’s produced the absolute best racing for about three years now. None of that fuel mileage crap we get the big superspeedway. None of that single-file crap we get for 80 laps at Daytona because everyone’s just trying to get to the end.
Real racing. God, Dale would’ve loved this place.
Anyway, I praise Atlanta, of course, to dump on NASCAR. They screwed Atlanta this weekend. Everyone knew the rain was coming and the race wasn’t moved up at all. Even a little bit! It started late on a Sunday night, the rain came about 100 laps in, and then they decided to wait it out for THREE HOURS instead of just running it today.
I’m certainly no advocate for Monday races. And I understand the weather today looks ominous (another reason to have move the race up last night). But Lordy, who in the world stayed up till 3 a.m. to watch that finish?
West Coasters? Sure. But there’s just no chance any working class American east of the Mississippi (or south of the Mason-Dixon) saw Ryan Blaney win.
Hell, I didn’t even make it to the RESTART! Midnight on a work night when I’m up at 6 a.m. the next morning … with two toddlers at the house?
Yeah, no shot. No chance. That’s silly talk.
It was a great race at the best track on the schedule. NASCAR needed to do better this weekend. The fans at home — and at the track — deserved better.
Yeah, that last tweet. Let’s talk about that, because I think I’m in that camp, too.
I understand Saturday night races don’t do great with the ratings. I get that. However, I’d argue that most of those take place in the fall, when they’re also going up against college football.
In that case, yes, NASCAR was 100% for getting rid of Saturday night races. I’ve long argued that NASCAR needs to stop going up against football altogether and end the season on Labor Day weekend, but that’s neither here nor there.
If you’re going to insist on night racing in the summer, then have it on a Saturday night. It’s the summer. There is NOTHING else going on. Kids aren’t in school. The ratings will be OK.
Most importantly, you also give yourself plenty of wiggle room for weather so your best race of the season doesn’t end when 80% of America is asleep.
No idea if that number is accurate, by the way, but it seems close enough.
Speaking of making things up, let’s go ahead and check in with how Bubba’s morning ended (started?):
Thoughts? First impressions?
Here’s the thing … Bubba crossed the yellow line and advanced position. That’s sort of hard to argue given the video shows exactly that.
I mean, there you go. He’s literally in front of him. The rule states that “vehicles must compete above the double painted lines at all times. Passing below the double painted lines to advance position will result in a black flag.”
Junior said right when he made the move that he would be penalized. He saw it right away.
Now, Bubba says he was shoved down there and attempted to give the spot back, but couldn’t because Ty Gibbs was pushing him. He claims the data will prove it. We’ll see, I reckon.
As for Ty Gibbs … Let’s see how his morning started:
Lordy. What a battle that would’ve been!
I’m not sure why Bubba’s so pissed at Ty Gibbs here, unless he’s talking about Ty wrecking him at the end of Stage 2:
Clean block? Maybe. But a necessary block from Bubba at the end of Stage 2? No. Come on. What are we doing here? What’s the point? You’re asking a lot for a driver to stop on a dime there when he’s not expecting it.
As Bubba said after the race, “That’s just another day for Bubba Wallace and Company.”
Okeedokee, Bubba! Whatever you say.
Two more on the way out. First? Let’s check in with William Byron and crew chief Rudy Fugle from waaaaaaaaaaaay back before the rain started:
“Plowing my a— off. This is terrible!”
“I f—ing heard you, OK!? I heard you! I got it! You’re five numbers loose, I put a round in the left rear, we’re too tight right now! It’s the tight offset! We can park it, or we can keep trying until I get to work on it again! Just drive the f—ing thing!”
“You got it!”
Yikes.
William Byron, if you couldn’t tell, still doesn’t have a win this season. He finished 16th last night.
I’m sure the flight home this morning was fun, at least!
OK, that’s it for today. Good work, everyone. On the way out, here’s AJ Allmendinger’s wife, Tara, continuing to work towards the America’s Most Beautiful Pageant, which takes place next weekend!
Get out and vote for Tara, race fans! Shouldn’t be a tough choice.
“Proud to be a healthy, fit American wife & mama…who refuses to believe she’s finished yet.”
Amen.
See y’all at Indy.
