A couple of times already today, Oxford Plains PR guru Kalle Oakes has come through the press box announcing the number of 1st-time TD Banknorth 250 starters in the field.And my only response is, 'Yeah, so?'
Let's be honest here. Sure, there are 28 drivers on the 44-car grid who have never made it into the Oxford 250 before. When the track overhauled the race, and its weekly program last summer, though, wasn't that exactly the point? Weren't we supposed to be seeing a new doorway into the region's biggest race of the year.
One would expect, then, that there would be new faces.
Looking at all the new faces, though, I'm wondering if we didn't go too far. The first 7 rows on the starting grid look like a Saturday night feature -- with a few exceptions, of course. The names there are Martin, Rolfe, Wentworth, Brill, Martin, Hewins, Watson, etc.
I want to see new faces. But I want to see established drivers and teams, too. That's what the race has always been about -- seeing the little guys having their time to shine in the spotlight, a spotlight provided by the high-profile teams.
Seeing Richard Moody Racing and Lux Enterprises have to pack up with drivers like Jeff Taylor and Patrick Laperle because they didn't make the race is disheartening. Hey, look, some guys are just supposed to be in the show. That's what makes it "the show."
Here's a list of who isn't in -- Laperle, Taylor, Mario Gosselin, Bobby Dragon, Robbie Crouch, Jamie Fisher, D.J. Shaw and Joey Polewarczyk. Terry Labonte and Kevin Lepage needed provisonals to get in, as did Jamie Aube. So, too, did Travis Adams.
Of the three pre-race favorites, only 1 -- Jean-Paul Cyr -- is starting inside the top-40. Adams is 41st, while Mike Rowe isn't even here.
It proved to be every bit a wide-open field, but I'm searching for a phrase a little better than "wide-open."
Maybe it's just the way they "drew it up," as in, where they drew for qualifying order is where they landed.
2 comments:
LOL I can definitly see you saying this
"And my only response is, 'Yeah, so?'"
If I was there I would have laughed... not so much with what Kalle said but with you saying what you said :)
Good take Travis. My angle on that is that if those top teams and drivers want to qualify for the Oxford 250 they will need to switch their focus on this type of car and put their seat time in.
I heard a lot of talk about how Late Models are a step backwards. Well, technologically, in some areas they definitely are. However, isn't learning how to drive something new a challenge and a skill, no matter what you are driving?
And one semi-asterisks to the Lux car and RMR cars not getting in. The #4 was all but "in the show" until he jumped the underpowered #42 car a couple of times in the consi. The first time maybe he just didn't know who was out there, but the second time he took off on the backstretch. Just a bad decision to "go" there.
Patrick Laperle was stout in the #24 Lux car. He had bad luck in the Last Chance race. However, from a fan standpoint, he could have drove that car under the #66 a couple of times in his heat, caused contact and possibly gained the qualifying spot. To his credit, he backed off, but sometimes that keeps you out of the show.
This race once again received incredible exposure, was an awesome one day event, and opened some eyes that these type of cars can put on the exact same type of show as any other full bodied stock car.
Those "names" will either have to put their seat time in and learn how to race their way into the shows with Late Models or possibly be watching from the grandstands. It's never too late to learn something new.
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