It is often suggested by casual NASCAR fans that you must have the faster car to win the race. In many cases that is correct. All drivers and teams toil for countless hours throughout the week hoping to formulate the elusive setup in order to have fastest car possible when they arrive at the track the following weekend. As reported by NASCAR news sources repeatedly, there is no such thing as a guarantee. Of course, not every vehicle can be the fastest so racing teams are investigating new strategies to find the one that will help them win.For instance, David Reutimann won the 2009 Coca Cola 600 when crew chief Rodney Childers told him to avoid the pit as the leaders were entering. The race was beyond the half-way point, and precipitation was falling. If the rains continued to pour on the surface of the track, the race would end. As such, Reutimann, and drivers Robby Gordon and Ryan Newman, chose to take their chances with the weather.At about 6:30 p.m. EST, NASCAR officials were obliged to cancel the race, giving Reutimann his first Sprint Cup win. When a victory was due to weather-shortened events, there has always been this proverbial asterisk placed next it. Sometimes, these wins, cause complaints from fans who look at the win as a mere fluke. NASCAR news is readily filled with such press. Still, NASCAR is a extremely competitive sport, if not the most competitive type of auto racing on earth. Winning is still winning, no matter how it is accomplished and all drivers would certainly do the 'rain dance' if it led to a trip down victory lane. It has become a privileged position in NASCAR news correspondents to witness the displays of amazing and winning strategies by racing teams.Strategy played a role in Reutimann's victory. Armed with the information from the latest weather reports, his crew chief decided to keep Reutimann out on the track. If the rain had quit, and the cars headed back out on the track, then they were going to have to pit, but according the Childers and Reutimann, they were going to make some important adjustments so they could improve the performance of the car. The vehicle tweaks would have required far too much time. Additionally, Reutimann would have lost his track position if they had pit stopped with the others, so he chose to wait on the rain. This proved to be a winning strategy for the team.It's an interesting fact that Kyle Busch was the leader in 173 of the 207 lapsed paced, while Reutimann only took a five lap lead and placed in fourteenth position when the rain started.The NASCAR news agencies made a big deal out of Jeff Gordon's use of the same strategy to win. Back in 2007, Gordon made use of the 'rain dance' strategy to achieve victory at Pocono. He did not have a car that could contend for the win, but his team sensed that the rain showers were immanent, and it paid off. What's amazing is that if the rain had started five seconds later, Gordon would have finished in second. Fellow driver Ryan Newman was making a pass on Gordon's vehicle when the caution flag was displayed.It seems like all the stars in the skies must be in alignment to win a race. Tire strategy and fuel mileage are other methods that can allow a driver to win a race without having the fastest car.Back in 2003, Newman and the Penske Racing team were known for using a smaller carburetor to stretch their fuel. Perhaps half of his eight wins during the 2003 racing season were a result of fuel mileage strategy.Other race car drivers have used the two-tire pit stop to get a better track position near the close of the race, thus, affording opportunity to run for the victory. Often, it has allowed the driver to make get a win.In NASCAR, a win is a win, no matter the specifics. It makes no difference how the trophy was gained, the driver will accept it every time.
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It is often suggested by casual NASCAR fans that you must have the faster car to win the race. In many cases that is correct. All drivers and teams toil for countless hours throughout the week hoping to formulate the elusive setup in order to have fastest car possible when they arrive at the track the following weekend. As reported by NASCAR news sources repeatedly, there is no such thing as a guarantee. Of course, not every vehicle can be the fastest so racing teams are investigating new ...
I, like many others, am drawn to the spectacle of NASCAR racing and keep up on NASCAR news items when I can. Writing about NASCAR provides its own rewards.
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