NASCAR can beat the weather but not Harvick
HAMPTON, Ga. – Only the most overbearing optimist would have predicted that there would be racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Predictions from the weather people were dire — rain, rain and more rain. Ugly splotches of green filled the radar screens, with the track area south of Atlanta fully in the target zone.
The rain indeed arrived midmorning, soaking the track and sending fans scattering for cover. It quickly became obvious that the scheduled 1 p.m. green-flag time wasn’t realistic, and many in the garage rapidly concluded that the only racing at the speedway Sunday would be those hurrying out of the track to beat traffic.
Then there appeared that magical thing NASCAR refers to as a “window” — specifically, a break in the weather that allows for racing after track drying. The positive nature of the window has been overplayed over the years; more often than not, the window slams down on NASCAR’s fingers and cars never see the track.
But to the amazement of many, the rain went away, NASCAR’s Air Titan track-drying trucks hit the pavement and the surface was ready for racing by 3:30 p.m., two-plus hours after the scheduled start.
Even as eventual winner Kevin Harvick blistered the field in the early going, more clouds threatened from the west. Then the race took on several themes: The field chasing Harvick, NASCAR racing the weather to get at least halfway and hopefully all the way home, and crew chiefs dealing with rapidly changing conditions (including the possibility that more rain could end the race at any moment).
The weather wasn’t the day’s only irritant.
In a cost-saving move, NASCAR decided during the offseason to make a major change on pit road, providing standard pit guns to teams instead of allowing them to use their own customized units. Three leading teams had problems with stops.
The race rolled past lap 170, the end of the second stage, at about 5:25 p.m., making the race official, meaning that drivers and teams wouldn’t have to return to the track Monday. Despite the noise, you could almost hear the sigh of relief along pit road.
Another day at Atlanta Motor Speedway would have complicated a week in which teams have to travel to Las Vegas for next Sunday’s third race of the season. That’s no problem for drivers and team members who fly out west, but the truck drivers hauling cars and equipment have a 2,200-mile run from Charlotte to Vegas.
Rain returned a few minutes after Harvick roared under the checkered flag.
In the end, Harvick was much easier to predict than the weather. His car was virtually in a class by itself — Truex called him “stupid fast.” Teams tried a web of strategies to combat Harvick. None worked. It was a remarkable victory, one that brought back memories of his win here 17 years ago after taking over Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s seat following Earnhardt’s death in the Daytona 500.
The early race-day forecast for Las Vegas reads: Mostly sunny, 0% chance of precipitation. A window!