Modesto Bee Logo

Plate racing enters third decade as a NASCAR fixture | Modesto Bee

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Buy Photos
    • Submit a Photo
    • Search Archives

    • News
    • Politics
    • Local News
    • Crime
    • Bee Investigator
    • Education
    • Turlock
    • Oakdale
    • California News
    • Nation & World
    • Scott Peterson Case
    • Local Sports
    • Sports
    • High School
    • High School Football
    • High School Athletes
    • College
    • Outdoors
    • Camps, clinics listings
    • Pro Sports
    • NFL
    • MLB
    • Giants
    • A's
    • 49ers
    • Raiders
    • NBA
    • Politics
    • The California Influencer Series
    • Business
    • Biz Beat
    • Agriculture
    • Employment News
    • Real Estate
    • Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Pets
    • Travel
    • Worship Directory
    • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV News
    • Contests
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Modesto Bee Rewards
    • All Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Influencers Opinion
    • National Issues
    • State Issues
    • Submit a Letter
    • Mike Dunbar
    • Community Voices
    • Obituaries
    • View Obituaries
    • Place Obituary Ad

    • dealsaver
    • Classifieds
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Pets
    • Garage Sales
    • Real Estate
    • Apartment and Rentals
    • Jobs
    • RVs/Motorhomes
    • Merchandise
    • Service Directory
    • Place an Ad
    • Place Celebration
    • Place Obituary Ad
    • Place Classified Ad
    • Place Legal Ad
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • See Legal Notices
  • Mobile & Apps

NASCAR & Auto Racing

Plate racing enters third decade as a NASCAR fixture

MIKE HARRIS - The Associated Press

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 03, 2008 03:54 AM

When Bobby Allison had a horrifying crash at Alabama International Motor Speedway in May 1987, no one could have imagined that it would usher in an era of restrictor plate racing that would still be going 21 years later.

Allison got sideways and then airborne at close to 210 mph, sailing into the protective fence that separates the track from the grandstands during a race at what is now Talladega Superspeedway. The car tore down about 100 yards of fencing, scattering parts and pieces of both the fence and the car into the stands and injuring several spectators.

The accident struck fear in NASCAR officials and prompted the sanctioning organization to make sure that speeds stay below 200 mph at Talladega and Daytona - its two biggest and fastest tracks - by mandating horsepower-sapping carburetor restrictor plates.

That has made for a very different style of racing on the big tracks. With all of the cars close in speed, they tend to race in huge packs, usually two- or three-wide, inches apart at close to 200 mph.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Modesto Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

And there is the constant danger of someone making a mistake and setting off "the big one" - a huge multicar crash - at any moment.

And that's exactly what the Sprint Cup drivers will face Sunday in the AMP Energy 500 at the big Alabama track.

"I like racing at Talladega, but I hate wrecking there," Kasey Kahne said. "It's so easy to get caught up in somebody else's mess, but that's part of racing at Talladega.

"If you're not in one of the wrecks, it's fun running that close together for 500 miles. It's a hectic but exciting day. Anytime we go to Talladega I know it's going to be a wild race. There are some things that are out of my control, but I have to make sure that I take care of what I can and get the Budweiser Dodge to the finish, hopefully with a chance to win."

Rookie Patrick Carpentier, making his second start at Talladega, says knowing what to expect makes a difference.

"This will be my third restrictor plate race in the Cup Series and I'm glad I know what to expect running in those big packs," the former open-wheel star said. "I wouldn't say it's something that you can ever get comfortable doing - running 200 miles an hour inches away from each other - but you can get used to it. That's something I have going for me now that I didn't have going into Talladega in the spring."

Series points leader and two-time reigning Cup champion Jimmie Johnson said he isn't sure if his strategy should be to hang back and try to stay out of trouble, or try to lead every lap.

"I really don't know what to do," he said. "The last couple of Talladegas have been pretty calm. Everybody has been relatively respectful to what's going on. ... It's one of those things where you just kind of judge the situation at the time and just take it from there. It's really tough to map out strategy."

Tony Stewart, another two-time champion, says drivers practice as much as they can at Talladega to try to see what the car will do in every traffic situation.

"It's trial and error, but at the same time, it's like pulling a pin on a grenade," Stewart said. "You know through that process that if one guy makes a mistake, the car's torn up for the race. It's just a delicate balance of how hard you go, how many things you try, and how much time you spend doing it."

  Comments  

Videos

Police investigate shooting in east Modesto

See confusion after medical emergency at Orpheum Theatre

View More Video

Trending Stories

Teenager injured in west Modesto shooting; gun found at the scene

February 15, 2019 09:56 AM

Gavin Newsom says California plans to sue Donald Trump over national emergency declaration

February 15, 2019 10:32 AM

Police investigate shooting in east Modesto

February 16, 2019 12:01 PM

Statewide mortgage fraud case began in Stanislaus County; the scheme bilked millions

February 15, 2019 02:13 PM

Kaepernick, Eric Reid settle collusion grievances with NFL

February 15, 2019 03:58 PM

Read Next

Fresh faces and new sponsors give Daytona 500 throwback feel

Sports

Fresh faces and new sponsors give Daytona 500 throwback feel

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 16, 2019 04:14 PM

NASCAR's biggest race features 8 drivers making their Daytona 500 debut and a handful of sponsors new to the sport.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Modesto Bee

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE NASCAR & AUTO RACING

Michael Annett wins Xfinity Series opener at Daytona

Sports

Michael Annett wins Xfinity Series opener at Daytona

February 16, 2019 03:57 PM

Celebrities

Daytona 500 announces 4th consecutive sellout

February 16, 2019 02:19 PM
Drivers competing in the 2019 Daytona 500

Celebrities

Drivers competing in the 2019 Daytona 500

February 16, 2019 02:05 PM
Sam Bass, NASCAR’s paint-scheme artist, dies at 57

Sports

Sam Bass, NASCAR’s paint-scheme artist, dies at 57

February 16, 2019 01:37 PM
Toyota stars Truex, Busch benched for Daytona 500 practice

Sports

Toyota stars Truex, Busch benched for Daytona 500 practice

February 16, 2019 01:35 PM
Perfect Storm: The 500 and fight that changed NASCAR forever

Celebrities

Perfect Storm: The 500 and fight that changed NASCAR forever

February 16, 2019 08:28 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Modesto Bee App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Advertising Information
  • Place Obituary or Celebration
  • Place Classified, Legal
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story