NASCAR finds itself in a peculiar situation, as the latest engines are not very fuel efficient. Criticisms from drivers about these gas-guzzling engines and the need to save fuel were raised to the maximum after the race at Talladega. Drivers were stuck and had to make an effort to save fuel in order to finish the race. Some drivers suggested adding stages at Superspeedways to avoid such situations, but there is disagreement on this issue.
The weekend at Talladega was expected to have similar fuel-related issues as the season opener at the Daytona 500. This frustrated drivers who wanted to accelerate and feel the power of the engines, but had to adopt conservative strategies. They proposed adding more stages to allow refueling without consequences.
However, Joey Logano disagrees with this idea. He believes that the fuel-saving game is more interesting than full throttle racing. He suggests making a two-stop strategy mandatory in each stage as a possible solution, but advises against making significant changes. Logano believes that the fuel-saving game adds strategic thinking to the sport.
The race at Talladega had its thrilling moments, but it couldn’t hide the fact that there were few overtakes during the weekend. This raised questions about why drivers weren’t trying to pass their rivals. Logano explained that when drivers tried to overtake, they were met with a wall of air that slowed them down. Additionally, fuel issues motivated drivers to stay behind the leaders and make their moves in the final stages of the race.
Despite Logano’s lack of consideration for the fuel consumption issue, NASCAR stated that they will address it. However, finding a solution will take several months to a year, which means that the current situation of drivers slowing down on the straights may continue in the future.
