Golden Era
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Thoroughbred Horse Racing has its celebrated Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, Belmont Stakes). Professional tennis cherishes its Grand Slam (Australian, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open), four tournaments that only five men and women have won in a calendar year. So does PGA golf (Masters, U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship), four tournaments that no man has captured in a single season.
Sports where every participant gathers for each event have traditionally recognized a handful of prestigious races or tournaments that stand above the rest. NASCAR has added to its schedule through the years after chopping it to one race per week when the "Modern Era" began in 1972. But with 36 events covering 10 months in the Sprint Cup Series, what distinguishes one date from the rest?
Currently only the season-opening Daytona 500, the "Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing," is recognized for special prominence, although certain racetracks have a measure of renown. "The Brickyard" at Indianapolis, due to its status as home of the open-wheeled Indianapolis 500, is one such venue. The "Track That's Too Tough to Tame" at Darlington, along with the fame awarded at Talladega SuperSpeedway, bring added significance during the 10-month race season.
If NASCAR wanted its own version of the "Triple Crown," the first pick is a no-brainer. The Daytona 500, a.k.a. "The Great American Race," is the most watched and esteemed motorsports event on the continent. Beyond that, there are few races most fans can even identify by name. The Pocono 500 comes to mind because it's about the only other event to keep its original name through the years, while other race names are in constant change due to corporate sponsorship. Still, the Pocono race only started in '82, missing out on the sport's Golden Era, and takes place two weeks after the better known Coca-Cola 600.
The argument that a Talladega race should be included is valid, but the Aaron's 499-no attention-grabber and with no real tradition-doesn't fit. And the April date is too soon and October race too late.
The Coca-Cola 600, called the World 600 until '85, runs on Memorial Day weekend and competes head-to-head with the Indy 500. The all afternoon drive began to outdraw the Indy Racing League's grand event in '02. Had NASCAR's longest race kept its original name, which denoted the world's longest regularly-run race of its kind, the World 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (formerly Charlotte Motor Speedway), held near the unofficial start of summer, would easily be the second leg of a Triple Crown.
The perfect date for the final leg would be the Labor Day weekend race, particularly if that were still the date of the Southern 500. But NASCAR killed that event-after renaming it the Mountain Dew Southern 500-in 2005. With the 10-race Chase starting two weeks later, a late August/early September date would be ideal.
Were a "Grand Slam" more preferable to a Triple Crown, the July 4th weekend race, once called the Firecracker 400 and since changed to Coke Zero 400 Powered by Coca-Cola, would work, but that would give Coco-Cola two major plugs-although Coke is the "official soft drink of NASCAR"-and also give Daytona two dates in the Crown/Slam. And Daytona officials would balk at losing that date to Talladega. A road course has been suggested as a final leg to give drivers a true test at versatility, but road course events haven't caught on fast with NASCAR's fan base. Chase races are not worthy of consideration given the emphasis on gathering points above winning any one event.
The Daytona 500, World 600, Firecracker 400 and Southern 500 are the events that spark the most memories and stir the biggest debates, but a Grand Slam is not doable just yet. With a tweak here and there, the best bet for a NASCAR Crown or Slam is three or all of the following: the Daytona 500, won in '08 by Ryan Newman; the Coca-Cola 600, won by Kasey Kahne; a re-named Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, won by Jimmie Johnson in a race marred by bad tires; and the final event before the Chase, which would return winning to the forefront over positioning for the "playoffs." Currently that's the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond-another prestigious track. Give the race a better name or switch dates with a re-named Talladega event, and decide if a Slam is preferable to a Crown. Otherwise, the first three options have merit for a true Triple Crown.
That would mean horsepower over horses. Our four-hoofed friends haven't won a Triple Crown of their own since 1978.
More articles about NASCAR news and auto racing can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net
The best way to watch NASCAR can be found at [http://www.watchautoracing.com]
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Farewell to the Last Golden Era $29.95 In 1960, Major League Baseball reached a crossroads in its history. Facing a challenge from the Continental Baseball League, the owners of the original 16 major league teams elected to admit new clubs. This in-depth look at that pivotal season--the last played with only the original 16 teams--follows the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates on their march to the 1960 World Series. The trials and triumphs of these two teams reflect the changes, large and small, that came to define the sport in the following decades--surnames on the backs of the uniforms, exploding scoreboards, the increasing impact of international players, and foremost of all, expansion. Marking the end of the "Golden Age" of baseball and the beginning of the ascendancy of professional football as the national pastime, this historic season witnessed the intersection of the past and future of American professional sports. |
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