While Sundays NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway ended in an emotional win for Indiana native Ryan Newman, for those watching, the race seemed to feature the duo of Newman and Jimmie Johnson racing in the lead and not much else.
There were 20 lead changes among 12 drivers, but not much passing elsewhere on the track. Even drivers noticed that passing at the famed speedway seems limited in recent years.
“I know in ’04, my first year here, it was pretty easy to pass, ’04 and ’05,” said third place finisher Kasey Kahne. “Since then, it’s been difficult. It was after they did some work to the track. I know the tires have changed, the cars have changed. ’04 and ’05, however the track was then, you could run the outside, kind of diamond and get runs down the straightaway. Right now a lot of the race you’re equal. It’s hard to be behind a car and carry that speed off the corner running in their tracks.”MORE>>>
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.
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