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It’s hard to get a grasp on the Circuit of the Americas since the first two races ran at this track were so different, and even this year there’s a new twist to the third edition.
Let’s go back to a couple years ago, when this track debuted. Apparently everything decided to rain on the parade, but in true NASCAR fashion, because of the rules, the race was going to continue. Out came the red lights in the window, the wipers were already secured to the window, anti-fog was used to help vision, and the white-lettered Goodyears got bolted on the car.
At that point, no one knew exactly what was going to occur, simply because up until that point, the Cup Series had only seen a limited amount of time to run in wet conditions. Up till then, the closest the series came was the prior season at the Roval, when teams had the option to start on rain tires when the start of the race was in “damp” conditions. They also would do it again at Watkins Glen the following year, after said monsoon at COTA.
But, let’s be honest, when the rain became so bad, so intense, the rain tires were not even making a dent to get grip. Cole Custer plowed into the back of Martin Truex Jr. like a bull dozer, Kurt Busch unintentionally threaded between two cars when he missed a corner, and in the end the conditions were so severe that the race ended before the scheduled distance.
Last year, the track was dry and the sun was in the air, but it was the first road course run with this car, so no one knew what to expect with a new set of circumstances.
We ultimately got a bump, run, and melon drop for a first-time winner.
Now, we return again to COTA with yet another new wrinkle in the race, because now strategy returns to the race as stage points are awarded. But, the stage breaks now vanish, and the drivers just keep on racing. This is an old-school feeling that so many people have been wanting, and this is just an early taste of what could be.
All road courses will run without the stage breaks, but could it lead to then no breaks at short tracks…then intermediates? Could we even test it out to a certain extent when NASCAR’s all stars truly go old school at North Wilkesboro?
All these cards are on the table, each with pros and cons.
Everything seems to change at this track each time NASCAR arrives. They dusted off the first race, and then got poured on. The second race, they kicked up dust when a bold move led to victory. Now, we dust off a race where no green and white checkered flags will be in the air. The only checkered flag that will matter comes when the final lap is complete.
