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Embrace the Twisty (Road and Street Races)

Full disclosure: some of this was originally published here  in 2007, but since you can't plagiarizer yourself, let's kick it, 2014 style.

Dogs and cats, living together, MASS HYSTERIA on the road course. (Photo By Robert Laberge, Getty Images for NASCAR)

This weekend's NASCAR race at Sonoma (June 22, 3p.m., TNT) is a perfect time for everyone to EMBRACE THE TWISTY ("twisty" is must my short hand for road or street course races). By that I mean watch a road and street race without losing consciousness. YOU CAN DO IT. If you're a NASCAR fan, you've got a season full of ovals, with just a few road course races thrown in there like crushed cloves of garlic for flavah.

I used to be a twisty race hater, but now I find them a nice change of pace. I still prefer ovals, and not all twisties are created equally, but there is a way to grab some enjoyment. The big five are:

1) Starts and restarts

2) Pit stops

3) Pit strategy

4) Circus Music Moments (also know as Crazy-Ass Shit).

5) (Especially in NASCAR) who's car doesn't fall apart by the end.

And the Guiding Principle (GP) of Road Races: It's hard as hell to pass on the track.

Keep those five and the GP in mind, and here are some tips on how to watch, maybe even enjoy, street races.

The Curious Case of IndyCar at Texas

Ed Carpenter wins at Texas Motor Speedway.

What’s about to happen is this: I’m about to be critical of the IndyCar racing at Texas, and in return be accused of not being a real race fan, and told to go back to NASCAR, and probably have some kind of Danica Patrick-based derision slung at me. 

Since I have been reading Jane Austen, I’ll say "But, no matter (Mr. Darcy), I am nonetheless urged to make a most expedient recounting of my feelings thereunto (?)"

Here’s the nub of it: IndyCar at Texas has become NASCAR minus the contact. Whether you think that's good or bad is entirely up to you, but I believe it is the case. Pray, continue ..

IndyCar & NASCAR Execs Should Seek Average Fan Treatment

Regular fans at Iowa Speedway.

First and foremost, credit for this idea goes to Joe Berkemeier of Trackside Online, a reader-funded news services for IndyCar fans, to which you should all subscribe immediately.

Joe’s genius idea floated many years ago, is this: every executive in IndyCar, NASCAR and all big-deal sanctioning bodies, should be expected to attend at least one race a year as a fan. No VIP anything. Choose your average fan amenities (motel, camping, day trip to the race track), enter with a ticket, sit in the average fan seats, eat the average fan food.

NASCAR Sprint Cup All Star Race Fan Vote -- Fair? Farce? Folly?

It’s pretty likely that by now you’ve heard that Josh Wise made the last Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup All Star race via fan vote. Yay for Josh.

The reason you’ve probably heard about it, though, is because of who he beat. You know who. Don’t play coy.

Kenzie Ruston takes the Fendered Path, Doesn’t Court Fame

Kenzie Ruston's shares some racing enthusiasm with a fan.

Sitting at an Iowa Cubs baseball game in Des Moines on May 16, Kenzie Ruston’s eyes sparkle at the mention of Knoxville Raceway about 45 minutes down the road.

“The first races I saw when I was younger were sprint car races,” said Ruston, a native of El Reno, Oklahoma, who is in her second year in the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series and racing for Ben Kennedy Racing. “That’s what I grew up around so I wish I could get in one (a winged sprint car at Knoxville). I know a lot o people freak out about them and the safety and stuff, so I doubt I’ll ever get to drive one.”

If she ever did get into a sprint car, chances are the self-described “highly competitive” Ruston probably wouldn’t be content to just cruise around the track.

Kenzie Ruston: Working from Bondaleros Toward Big Time

Kenzie Ruston

By 10:30 a.m. Central time today (about 30 minutes into her first practice), Kenzie Ruston will have a good idea if she can win the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series race at Iowa Speedway starting at 8 p.m.

“It just depends on how you unload off the truck,” said Ruston, a 22-year-old native of El Reno, Oklahoma, who has been in Des Moines since Tuesday doing media advances for opening weekend at Iowa Speedway. “First practice you’re going to know if you are going to be decent or not, especially in the K&N stuff, where you don’t get a lot of practice.”

Iowa Speedway President says IndyCar Remains "Incredibly Valuable" to Track

Since NASCAR purchased Iowa Speedway late last year, there has been some concern among fans that perhaps an IndyCar race at a NASCAR-owned track would not get a full promotion effort from the new ownership.

Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small Thursday re-affirmed the track's commitment to continuing to host IndyCar with this statement:

"IndyCar is incredibly valuable to us here at Iowa Speedway for a number of reasons. IndyCar invested in us early, committing to racing here in 2007. This was a watershed deal for us, as it was the first major national sanctioning body to add us to its schedule. Simply put, IndyCar’s commitment made Iowa Speedway immediately relevant. Additionally, the state of Iowa shares great enthusiasm for motorsports, so this was a wonderful gift for Iowa and our many passionate fans. Lastly, this commitment allowed us to build an international platform for our outstanding partner, the Iowa Corn Growers Association. IndyCar’s presence will remain very important to Iowa Speedway under NASCAR ownership and management. Our (Iowa Speedway) ultimate goal is to elevate and benefit all of motorsports, and IndyCar is most certainly included in our plans to achieve success."

Iowa Speedway Advises Fans on How Best to Get Into Speedway

Iowa Speedway News Release ...

NEWTON, IA. (May 14, 2014) – Race fans will converge on Iowa Speedway May 16-18 to watch NASCAR’s elite drivers in the K&N Pro Series and the Nationwide Series engage in a high speed traffic jam. In preparation for “Wide-Opening Weekend,” speedway officials want to ensure race fans and area residents are ready to handle increased race day traffic by providing safe and efficient travel routes and information.

During the offseason, speedway officials consulted with the Iowa State Patrol, the Iowa Department of Transportation, Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, Newton Police Department and a private traffic control company to produce a travel route plan that will allow fans attending events at Iowa Speedway to enter the facility with greater ease and efficiency.

The plan also will include signs and cones to clearly mark travel routes. Officials expect the heaviest traffic approximately two hours before and after each race.

“We are committed to making this track convenient and accessible for our race fans,” said Jimmy Small, Iowa Speedway track president. “Our goal always is—and always will be—to improve the event experience for our fans. The safe and pleasant arrival and departure of our fans, customers, and partners is an important part of the event experience, and will most certainly contribute to the success of our Wide-Opening Weekend events.”

Jimmy Small Talks about "Driving Value" to the Ticket Holder

Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small had a conference call today (5/13/14) and talked about the upcoming openin weekend at the track. Enteresting and encouraging comments about how Small wants to drive value to the ticket holder and how NASCAR continously surveys fans to get their feedback/suggestions on how to do just that. All of this focus on fans makes my face sweat, of course.

Opening weekend at Iowa Speedway is May 17 and 18 with a K&N Pro SEries and NASCAR Nationwide race. Details and tickets at iowaspeedway.com.

Transcript Courtesy of NASCAR PR

THE MODERATOR:  Good morning, everybody.  Thanks for joining us today.  We'll have Jimmy Small, president of Iowa Speedway.  Jimmy stepped into this role of track president back in December of 2013, one month after NASCAR purchased the track.  That timeframe seems like a long time ago to some of us, but not necessarily for Jimmy and his staff who are preparing to open their 2014 season this weekend by hosting the NASCAR Nationwide Series, along with the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West combination race.

            Jimmy, thanks for joining us today.

            JIMMY SMALL:  Good morning.  Thank you all for joining us.  Looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend.           

Reactions to Indianapolis GP and NASCAR at Kansas Speedway

Simon Pagenaud wins the first Indy GP (Photo Chris Owens, IndyCar)

Happy Mother’s Day, peeps. Just got done reviewing the DVR, so let’s pull up some dark roast and discuss …

IndyCar Grand Prix of Indianapolis – Where to begin? WHERE? Begin at the beginning, with the FUBAR standing start. Background: road and street racing sometimes (always outside the U.S.) starts with a “standing start.” The cars grid up on the track, park, wait for the signal, then take off. Pretty straight forward concept. The start tests reaction times, etc. I’m not opposed to standing starts, per se.