A trip to the wine country of Sonoma Valley is a fantastic experience. I always looked forward to it, and I can't think of a driver who didn't share the same opinion of the climate and culture of the area.
But competing at Sonoma Raceway is where drivers' opinions differ. it's not every driver's cup of tea, or choice of wine, so to speak.
What does stand out to me is that the best in our sport embrace the challenge of competing twice a year at tracks requiring both left and right turns.
When most people think of Dale Earnhardt Sr. and his happiest days behind the wheel of a race car, they automatically think of the 1998 Daytona 500. For me, I often think of the postrace cool-down lap at Sonoma in 1995.
Earnhardt was wearing the traditional open-face helmet, so I could see his expression as I flashed him a thumbs-up and headed for pit road. His mustache grin was ear to ear, as driver after driver passed alongside to acknowledge his first and only road course win.
I'm not suggesting, and wouldn't expect anyone to believe, that the Sonoma victory was more significant or more satisfying than the Daytona 500 win that had eluded Earnhardt for so long. But this was different. This was a personal satisfaction I saw from a competitor -- a driver measuring himself not against every other driver but against the track.
Among the driver fraternity, there exists a certain endorsement associated with being one of the few who have won on all disciplines of racetracks. It's a different status than being a champion (although the two groups are often connected!). It's about being able to boast of the ability to win anywhere, under any circumstance.
The same type of satisfaction exists for drivers when they win at Martinsville or Bristol, as the win anoints you as "a good short-track racer." The same label applies if you win a restrictor-plate race.
The difference in winning at a road course event versus any other type of track is that most if not all NASCAR drivers began their careers on an oval and an oval has become second nature to them. Road racing is an acquired taste -- not all enjoy it, not all look forward to it, but I believe all are attracted to the idea of saying I am a Sonoma winner.
Three Keys
1) Capitalize on passing zones. Among Sonoma's 12 turns, only two provide quality opportunities to pass -- Turn 7, a hard right turn, and Turn 11, a hairpin. The primary objective is to maintain your position in all of the other turns, as they carry much more risk as it relates to attempting a pass. But as you enter Turns 7 and 11, seize the opportunity to out-brake the competition, drive deeper into the corner and square even entering the apex of the turn.
2) Pit strategy. Most crew chiefs have perfected the road course pit stop strategy, which operates opposite of what's used at most ovals. Because a lap on the road course is so long, you can typically pit for tires and fuel under the green flag without the risk of losing a lap. So the objective is to determine how many stops are required for the 110-lap race, divide by that number and pit when you're at the number -- what's known as the "fuel window." If you choose to stay on the track while others pit, and the caution comes out, you will lose track position to those having already pitted. In other words, you can do everything right, all day long, but if you miss on pit strategy, you lose.
3) Be nice to your car. More than any other race on the schedule, how well you treat your car in terms of managing the brakes, executing perfect shifts and matching your revs (engine RPM on downshifts) goes a long way in determining whether you will finish the race. The absolute best road course drivers not only execute the entrance and exit of each turn to perfection but also appreciate -- and protect -- the mechanical components of their car.
Who Wins
Kurt Busch is flying high and driving with authority, perhaps more confident than ever. I expect the No. 41 to set the pace, lead the most laps and be the driver all others are chasing Sunday.
The Bottom Line
The attitude a driver brings to the facility goes a long way in determining what kind of results the driver gets. But this formula seems to be even more telling when the NASCAR drivers compete at road course events. Because this type of track represents only two of the 36 races on the schedule, not all drivers enjoy or embrace the challenge. When looking at a driver's statistics on road course tracks, the numbers speak for themselves. In simplistic terms, the old adage that it's difficult to teach an old dog new tricks applies to this weekend's form of racing.