Watching racing shouldn’t make you feel dirty.
Watching racing shouldn’t make you feel dirty.
It’s tuesday afternoon. I’ve known what I was going to focus on writing about since Saturday evening but what I haven’t dialed in is how to accurately explain why I feel the way I do.
I honestly still don’t. Here’s what I do know and it’s no surprise to anyone because everyone is talking about it. That Daytona track was garbage. I don’t care who’s fault it was, I’m not trying to pin a tail of blame on someone for it’s failure. I just know I felt uneasy and dirty the whole time I was watching the racers navigate it. On Twitter I saw it referred to as a Goat trail and that really is the best description I could imagine for it (RC designed or not, that happens to be a convenient pun).
With the legendary heritage of the Daytona Supercross having taken a hit many years ago by moving from a longer program in the heat of the Daytona sun, to a more status quo stop on the indoor tour; this year’s track hammered home that regression like a sledgehammer on a thumbtack. It was a joke.
We all, the movers and “shapers” of the sport included, need to get over the idea of Daytona being such an honor for us to even have the chance to race at, that just being on the schedule is the “win”. Details regarding restrictions placed on the track builders and organizers of the race by the Daytona rule-makers have come to light and it’s clear that Supercross on the infield of Daytona Speedway is regarded about as highly as a skateboard demo Hickory Indiana (Hoosiers reference).
Some people are claiming that the 250 race was one of the best ever. I scoff at that. Was it close? Yes, a one-lined track is a lot like freeway gridlock. Bumper to bumper action with a lapse in judgement here or there which removes a knucklehead or two and changes the running order.
It’s going to be a tall order to rebound from this years Daytona and reinstate some of that luster that although faded was still noted as the schedule brought the series into the infield each year. The level of vocal displeasure with the track by those professionals who raced on it need to be amplified to ensure they are heard and this doesn’t go unnoticed. Squeaky wheels get oiled and this Daytona track had every moving part squeaking so loudly, it’s failure was front-page news.
Can we just please stop hoping that concessions on track design will get us through the weekend without too much negative mumbling and actually strive to put together something great? Leading up to Daytona, the effort in the tracks so far this year has been at the forefront (other than Dallas which I felt was a toilet bowl) and we have all noticed Feld’s effort. The Daytona track felt like something someone drew up on a napkin at a Waffle House… drunk.
Anyone seen the Nicholas Cage movie “8mm”? You know how he felt watching the snuff-film in that? That’s how I felt watching Daytona SX 2016.
Please. Never again.
