Kyle Busch became the ninth driver to win 60 NASCAR Cup races after he swept through to win the Bristol dirt race when Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe spun on the final lap. It was the first time in 223 NASCAR national touring division races Busch has won a race with only one lap led. Bristol wasn't the only place to have a wild final lap. Bristol also wasn't the only place where Toyota was on top. The GT World Challenge America season began, and it was business as usual. Alexander Rossi might have an orange future ahead of him. Paretta Autosport is looking to a run a few road course races. Here is a rundown of what got me thinking.
Two of Each, Please
During last week's IndyCar race at Long Beach, NBC flashed a graphic about strategy just after the first caution of the race. It was pretty straightforward. A two-stop strategy had a 99% chance of winning. A three-stop strategy had a one-percent chance.
The windows were still large enough to allow for different strategies though everyone was on a two-stopper. Scott Dixon was able to come in early and leaped forward, positioning himself for a sixth-place finish, but because of Dixon's strategy choice, he had to pay later on in the race and conserve fuel.
Tire regulations mandate that each driver use at least one set of the primary tire compound and alternate tire compound during a race. IndyCar race distance alone means every road/street course race will be at least two stops, meaning it is matter of does a team fulfill the tire requirement after its first stop or its second. If it is a three-stopper, does a team wait until the last one?
Romain Grosjean did not use his new alternate tires until the final stop at Long Beach, and it worked to his advantage combined with the late caution periods. Grosjean was able to turn what was likely only going to be a top five result into a runner-up effort, falling short of victory despite late pressure on Josef Newgarden.
The fuel windows and tire compounds keep races open-ended, but for a split moment during Long Beach, it felt like we were going to see a stagnant race. Gaps opened up in the field and it looked like Colton Herta was going to run away with it. Then Herta had a slow stop, Álex Palou jumped from third to first and the fight amongst the top three became compelling. The rest of the field was left in the dust, but it at least wasn't over before we had even reached halfway.
However, while watching the race and seeing how everyone was racing to a lap number, I was thinking about the tire regulations and wondered why IndyCar didn't make everyone use each tire compound twice. It would be a simple change and all the teams have enough tires to make it possible. Some teams used a new set of the primary compound and a used set of primary tires as well as the alternate compound. Other teams went with a new set of alternate tires and a used set of alternate tires. They all have the necessary sets of tires that it wouldn't be a big strain on the teams.
Using two sets of each tire compound would decrease the importance of fuel strategy significantly. The goal would be to still make the final stop as early in the window as possible, but because of the necessity of an extra pit stop, it would change up how teams approach a race. Does a team squeeze the first two stops in before the final window opens and then makes its final stop as early as possible, or would that team lose too much time early on? Does a team run as hard as it can and make its final stop later in the race, running the risk of a caution catching them out?
IndyCar has had some good road and street course races lately but mandating each tire compound be used twice during the race seemingly increases the likelihood for more risks taken, both on-track and on the pit stand.
We want the teams and drivers encouraged to race hard. In the case of Dixon, instead of holding on for a 32-lap stint, he could push harder because he and the rest of the field would need to make another pit stop, and in Dixon's case he would get to end on the alternate compound.
Running each compound tire would change how a race is approached at many tracks. There are plenty of places where one compound is notably worse than the other and teams will suffer through a stint, most likely the opening stint, before being able to finish the race on the preferred tire. Imagine if each teams had to use that undesirable compound twice. It would be a monkey wrench thrown into race strategies. Some teams could do two quick stints to get rid of that compound. Some teams might split it up to balance the detriment of the worse compound. Some teams might decide to use the preferred compound in the opening two stints and go long on those stints in an effort to run away from the field so it could end with two quick stints on the bad compound.
IndyCar races would become more interesting if teams had to use each compound twice. There would be no cut-and-dry way to tackle a race, and a team taking a chance would have a greater chance to pull out a great finish and possibly a victory.
This is something simple enough that IndyCar could try it at any road/street course race weekend and not have to change much to its operation. It shouldn't cost the teams any extra money. IndyCar might decide to give its teams an extra set of tires, but it would appear they already have enough tires to make this happen. Honda and Chevrolet wouldn't have to change anything. This isn't like IndyCar deciding to institute a Drag Reduction System and force Dallara to develop new rear wings and in turn force the teams to spend thousands of dollars. This is using another set of tires already in the team's possession.
There is no sense IndyCar is looking down this avenue for an improvement to its road and street course events, but I think it would be worth trailing at one event, perhaps Nashville would be best setup for it. There would be no loss for trying it. If it works then that means people got to see a great race and IndyCar could look to implementing this at other races. If it doesn't work, it likely doesn't turn a race into a disaster, and I don't think anyone would notice more than every team made an additional pit stop and IndyCar could then just return to its current tire regulations for all future events.
This is the kind of thing IndyCar should be ok experimenting with, and the series should try different things every now and then. This isn't adding stages or having green-white-checkered finishes up the wazoo or putting dirt on top of an otherwise fine oval. It would be adding an extra pit stop to a race, something people are already accustomed to seeing.
Winners From the Weekend
You know about Kyle Busch, but did you know...
Jason Anderson won the Supercross race from Atlanta, his fourth victory of the season.
The #14 TGR Team Eneos Rookie Racing Toyota of Kazuya Oshima and Kenta Yamashita won the Super GT race from Fuji. The #56 Kondō Racing Nissan of João Paulo de Oliveira and Kiyoto Fujinami won in GT300.
The #9 Prema Racing Oreca-Gisbson of Louis Delétraz, Ferdinand Habsburg and Lorenzo Colombo won the 4 Hours of Le Castellet. The #17 Cool Racing Ligier-Nissan of Mike Benham, Malthe Jakobsen and Maurice Smith won in LMP3. The #32 Rinaldi Racing Ferrari of Pierre Ehret, Memo Gidley and Nicolás Varrone won in GTE.
The #1 K-PAX Racing Lamborghini of Andrea Caldarelli and Jordan Pepper swept the GT World Challenge America races from Sonoma. Jason Daskalos and Jason Harward split the GT America races. The #18 RS1 Porsche of Eric Filguieras and Stevan McAleer swept the GT4 America races.
Ben Rhodes won the NASCAR Truck race from Bristol.
Coming Up This Weekend
Formula One has its first European round at Imola.
MotoGP has its first European round at Portimão.
NASCAR heads from dirt to Talladega.
Super Formula is back on track at Suzuka.
World Superbike will be at Assen.
Supercross has its antepenultimate round in Foxborugh, Massachusetts.
