Let’s face it, these days when it comes to automobiles, people are not looking as much at the price as they are the gas mileage. This concept began when gas prices a while ago first went above the $3 a gallon mark, and then soon began hovering close to $4 and in some areas flirted with the $5 mark.
People weren’t as much concerned with how much the car would cost them on a loan, but how much money they would be investing in the tank.
For the people that can’t afford a newer vehicle, it becomes a matter of “How can I stretch my fuel mileage even farther?”
NASCAR has been dealing with this idea for many years, long before I even became a fan. When Darrell Waltrip won the Daytona 500 in 1989, he did so by stretching his fuel mileage to the finish. Harry Gant won a race at Talladega by coasting around the track while teammate Greg Sacks pushed him around certain areas to conserve fuel.
Drivers today have figured out many different ways to save fuel; whether it is under green flag conditions or under caution. When the pace car is on the track during the yellow flag period, drivers will run the apron of the track to keep fuel near the pick-up line on the right side of the car. The drivers will also get up to a certain RPM, then shut off the engine to coast, saving precious gallons or quarts in the fuel cell.
Under green, it’s a little more complicated. When the lead is on the line, especially if the second-place driver is right on the bumper of the leader, it’s not easy to save fuel because the position matters more. However, if that lead happens to be large and the need to conserve is there, it becomes a bit easier.
It almost becomes like what you or I would do if you need to stretch that fuel just enough to get to the gas station to fill up. The driver will let off the gas early in certain areas, like entering the corner, and slowly roll into the throttle when entering the straightaways.
We all do the same thing when we’re going around corners or up and down hills, because not using the throttle, or the brakes in essence, saves fuel.
Truth be told, I don’t like seeing a race come down to fuel mileage because it often means that the best driver doesn’t win, it becomes the driver who is the smartest. Sunday’s race at Kansas came down to the amount of fuel one could save and who would run out in the end.
The top cars on the afternoon had to stop for service, but some of the others that were flirting with the top-10 or top-15 gambled late and stretched the fuel. That’s the reason Brad Keselowski won the race. In fact, it’s also why Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and why Denny Hamlin finished third.
It doesn’t mean fans aren’t on the edge of their seats, just means they are there for a different reason. We all were the same way last week when Earnhardt Jr. came within a corner of winning the Coke 600 at Charlotte.
Fuel mileage races are part of NASCAR that will not go away, because if it comes down to how much fuel is left in the tank, every driver will try to squeeze every drop they can out of the system.
Next week is a track known for coming down to fuel mileage, and it’s the NASCAR track that is home to us Pennsylvania fans. Pocono Raceway is the track, and the Pocono 500 is the race. If it doesn’t come down to fuel mileage, this fan will be extremely surprised.
If it does, I’m sure there will be plenty of fans that will hate the fact that it did. NASCAR never wins when it comes to fuel mileage races, so might as well just accept it as part of the sport.
RESULTS: 1-Keselowski 2-Earnhardt Jr. 3-Hamlin 4-Gordon 5-Edwards 6-Kenseth 7-Johnson 8-Stewart 9-Kurt Busch 10-Biffle
NOTABLE FINISHES: 11-Harvick 12-Kyle Busch 14-Kahne 21-Martin 25-Burton
CAUTIONS: 5 for 22 laps. Lap 69-72 (Debris), 112-115 (Debris), 120-126 (#51 accident-FS), 154-157 (#88 spin-T4), 163-165 (Debris).
LEAD CHANGES: 17 among 9 drivers. Kurt Busch POLE, Montoya 1, Kyle Busch 2-8, Montoya 9-17, Kurt Busch 18-45, Cassil 46, Mears 47, Kurt Busch 48-83, Edwards 84-112, Kyle Busch 113-116, Hamlin 117-140, 141-153, Hamlin 154-159, Kurt Busch 160-204, Stewart 205-211, Hamlin 212-215, Kurt Busch 216-258, Keselowski 259-267.
TIME OF RACE: 2 Hrs, 55 Mins, 10 Secs.
AVERAGE SPEED: 137.184 MPH
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 2.813 Seconds
POINT STANDINGS (Top-12): 1. Edwards, 485 points; 2. Johnson, -40; 3. Earnhardt Jr, -41; 4. Harvick, -43; 5. Kyle Busch, -60; 6. Kurt Busch, -71; 7. Kenseth, -73; 8. Stewart, -92; 9. Bowyer, -94; 10. Newman, -103; 11. Hamlin, -104; 12. Biffle, -108.