So, this thing is lookin' like a real yellow-fest today? Oughtta be over about 10pm ET? :-))))
I caught a little bit of some replays last evening and some comments from Smoke; doesn't seem like anyone is very pleased about the new blackstuff......check this from Autosport:
Former champion Stewart said both parties generated the situation that saw a record twelve cautions during the Busch Series race, with nearly as many crashes caused by drivers spinning and losing control of their cars due to the conditions.
"It's a domino effect. Phase one was changing the racetrack and then phase two was tyre troubles. Didn't they learn anything last time they did something like this?" Stewart told reporters.
The track was modified for this year with the aim of creating better and closer racing for the fans. The banking on the corners was increased and the whole 1.5-mile oval was resurfaced.
However Stewart believes track officials did the wrong thing to achieve their objectives.
"Hey, I didn't go to college and I'm not an engineer, I don't know anything but I've sat my butt in a race car for 27 years of my life.
"I think I'm somewhat qualified to know that this wasn't the right change. This wasn't going to accomplish their goal," he added.
The former Nextel Cup champion also claimed Goodyear do not care about the performance of their tyres when changing compounds to make them safer.
"As long as they don't blow tyres and as long as they don't get bad press because they blow tyres, they're happy, they couldn't care less about the rest of it - they don't care how hard the tyre is," said Stewart.
"They've made it harder at Daytona, they've been making it harder all last year. Half the tracks we went to we had a harder tyre than we had before.
"They don't care about the performance. All they care about is they don't blow tyres and don't get bad press because of it."
When asked about any possible solutions to the situation ahead of today's Nextel Cup race, he joked he could only get himself ready for a likely crash.
"I want to put pillows on the right side of my car and basically all around in case I get wrecked. I mean, there's nothing you can do," Stewart said.
"All I want to tell them to do is see if they can get to put some airbags in there and pillows in the outside and we'll go from there."
Greg Stucker, Goodyear's racing tyre sales director, defended the manufacturer's product and claimed Stewart's comments are biased because of his dislike of the track
"He's one that's pretty vocal about not liking too much of anything this weekend. I don't think he likes the racetrack. I don't think he likes the harder set-up. There's no question it is a harder set-up, we acknowledge that," Stucker said.
