Magic Number at Fontana Is 126 (Laps)
I'm sitting here at Auto Club (nee California) Speedway and going through a countdown:
To Lap 126.
If we can get in 126 laps, that's more than halfway to 500 miles and it's an official race. We have a winner. They distribute points, etc.
And we all go home.
I think everyone is rooting for 126 laps. Fans, organizers, journalists (certainly), even the teams.
Let's get this over with. It's been messy, the rain has made a hash of things ... and let's get the show out of town.
Another yellow flag has gone out, 87 laps in -- leaving us 39 short of an official race.
A rain cell is the problem this time. One of the last in the area, if the radar is accurate. But it's coming down pretty good, and it's going to be hard to dry -- given that night has fallen and it's maybe 50 degrees.
Ack. We may not get to 126.
Some drivers just came off the track, because the cars are parked.
Said Dario Franchitti: "The seams on the track are like ice. Each time I hit one I lost 3-4 spots. It's a shame. Fans have been sitting around all day waiting ... I don't think we're going to do much more racing tonight."
And the weather? "I'm bloody freezing," Franchitti said. "It's California, and I'm freezing."
Said Tony Stewart: "Mother Nature, she's tough today. We didn't need that red flag, for sure. It got us behind. ... The biggest troupers are the ones (fans) over there behind the fence. They're cold and wet and they haven't given up."
There seems to be a consensus this spate of rain could end the racing for the day. I hope not. I don't think anyone wants to come back tomorrow and start from scratch. Not at all.
Comments
Eh, it's NASCAR. Who cares? Are they even in town? Who's winning the Oscar? Not these rednecks. Go home.
Posted by: Bill | February 24, 2008 7:14 PM