Did NASCAR ruin the racing at Talladega?

Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, and Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Best Buy Ford, lead the field to a restart during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 6, 2012 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Tyler Barrick/Getty Images)
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, and Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 Best Buy Ford, lead the field to a restart during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway on May 6, 2012 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Tyler Barrick/Getty Images)

It was supposed to limit tandem racing and bring back the pack at Talladega Superspeedway. After fans and some drivers complained about the tandem racing seen at Daytona and Talladega last season, NASCAR reacted by instituting new rules that would break up the duos and bring back the pack racing of old.

NASCAR’s rules package used for the season opening Daytona 500 were again in use Sunday at Talladega. The rules included a smaller spoiler and an even smaller radiator opening.  The smaller opening combined with a pressure valve that triggers and spews water when the engine gets hot, meant that cars could no longer race together for long periods without the car in back overheating.

During the Daytona 500 in February overheating wasn’t a huge problem. Thanks to rain, the Daytona 500 was run at night in cooler early spring temps. This past weekend at Talladega was a different story. With temperatures over 90 degrees with humidity levels to match, cars overheated quickly, perhaps too quickly. MORE>>>

Greg Engle
About Greg Engle 7421 Articles
Greg is a published award winning sportswriter who spent 23 years combined active and active reserve military service, much of that in and around the Special Operations community. 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.