By Allen Gregory
Sports Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: June 26, 2009

There are so many dark clouds on the NASCAR horizon.
A drug scandal. The economic woes of the automobile manufacturers. Lackluster television ratings and empty seats. Uneven competition.

It’s enough to turn even the most avid fan into a cynic.

But wait, there is good news. Even exciting news.

The recent ruling by NASCAR officials regarding double-file restarts has created a buzz in grandstands and living rooms across the racing heartland.

By altering the restart rules and forcing the leaders to start double-file, NASCAR has generated suspense without resorting to gimmicks. Instead of pulling away from the field, race leaders must now fend off multiple challenger throughout the day.

The rule change, long awaited by action-hungry fans, has paid dividends since it was unveiled for the June 7 event at Pocono Raceway.

For various reasons, notably the development of the generic Car of Tomorrow, the Sprint Cup show has become bland and predictable.

Like him or not, Kyle Busch deserves credit for fanning the flames of controversy. In addition to leading almost every race he enters, Busch has dared to poke and prod at the sport’s traditions and its resident rock star, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

To the dismay of his followers and car owner, Earnhardt has been unable to answer the challenge from Busch. A change in crew chiefs has yielded limited results.
When Earnhardt struggles, fan interest and media attention wanes.

That’s another big reason why the double-file decision was so vital.

With so many things going wrong, something needed to be done to engage the hardcore fans who make costly sacrifices to attend races and support the sponsors of the sport.

This time, NASCAR did something right.

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