SPEED IN THE PITS: The last time pit
road was without a speed limit during a NASCAR race, Kyle Busch was a
15-year-old kid. Joey Logano had just hit double digits and begun to
race Bandits cars. David Ragan wasn’t old enough to get his driver’s
license.
But tonight, they will get a taste of NASCAR’s roots as
the series abolishes the pit road speed limit for NASCAR Sprint Cup
All-Star Race qualifying, which will consist of three laps with a pit
stop and four-tire change.
NASCAR’s last foray into limitless pit speed came during
the All-Star qualifying races in 2000. Only four drivers eligible for
tonight’s race are left from that original roster 13 years ago: Dale
Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin.
“It’s been a long time (since there was no pit road
speed limit),” Busch said. “We’ll see how it all plays out. I think
it’ll be interesting. I have no idea what to expect, to be honest with
you.”
Busch might not know what to expect, but anyone who was
around NASCAR in the 1980s and ‘90s knows. One grizzled PR veteran
recalled making a point to go out and watch pit road practice during
that 2000 All-Star Race weekend, because it was the most chaotic,
entertaining, frenzied time of the entire weekend. The drivers who had
experience driving without pit road speeds were still able to perform,
but the uninitiated were glaringly obvious, overshooting their pits and
generally creating havoc.
“I’m glad I don’t have to do it with no pit road speed
(every week),” Matt Kenseth said. “I think it can get pretty crazy and
pretty dangerous… I can’t imagine what it would be like today.”
No comments:
Post a Comment