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October 30, 2005
Why Do Racers Pull Over to Let Another Driver Lead a Lap?
Friendly Tactics: Nascar Racers Let Friends, Teammates Go By
Here's something that I don't quite understand. Racers are always talking about how competitive it is on the track and how no one really has any friends on the track once the race starts. That would led me to think that no driver would ever pull over for another driver and let them pass for position or lead laps as a favor. So why does it keep happening? Today, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. pulled over so his good friend Tony Stewart could get five bonus points for leading a lap, then quickly retook the lead. Much later in the race Carl Edwards who went on to win, appeared to do the same for Matt Kenseth, though he was discouraged from talking about it by Jack Roush and his crew chief, Bob Osbourne. It boggles my mind that this happened twice in today's race. I think bonus points and positions should be earned via hard racing, not because one driver let another driver pass him by. In the case of Tony Stewart who is leading the Championship chase right now those five bonus points could end up being important if the next three races don't go too well for him but do go well for Jimmie Johnson. And that's not the way I want to see a Championship decided.
So what's to stop teammates from pulling over to let their teammates go by not just to lead the race but just to get by for position? I'm sure it happens. Yes, if the teammate trying to pass has a better car than the other that's one thing. And I think that teammates should race each other carefully and smart. A driver might give a non-teammate a harder time about getting by than a teammate. But to just pull over and let another driver go by, even if it's just for one lap, that just doesn't sit well with me. I want to see hard racing, whether it's between teammates, friends or drivers who hate each other. I want to see drivers battling each other for the lead, fighting for position and putting on a good show. Pulling over to let someone go by isn't hard racing. I guess it's an unspoken agreement between the drivers that they will do this under certain circumstances and they all have no problem with it but as a fan I wish it wasn't happening, or at least not this often.
Posted by silverdsl at October 30, 2005 09:29 PM