NASCAR finds itself in a peculiar situation as the latest engines are not very fuel efficient. The criticism from drivers about these gas-guzzling engines and the need to conserve fuel by lifting off has reached its peak after the race at Talladega. Drivers were stuck and had to scramble 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 matter.
The weekend at Talladega was expected to have similar fuel-related issues as the season opener Daytona 500. This frustrated drivers who wanted to push the throttle and experience the power of the engines, but had to adopt conservative strategies. They proposed adding more stages to allow for refueling without consequences.
Joey Logano, however, disagrees with this idea. He believes that the fuel mileage game is more interesting than going full throttle. He suggests mandating a double-stop strategy in each stage as a possible solution, but advises against making significant changes. Logano believes that the mileage 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 very few overtakes throughout the weekend. This raised questions about why drivers were not attempting to overtake their rivals. Logano explained that when drivers tried to overtake, they were met with a wall of air that slowed them down. Additionally, the fuel issues motivated drivers to stay behind the leaders and make their move in the final stages of the race.
Despite Logano’s disregard for the mileage issue, NASCAR has stated that they will address it. However, finding a resolution will take several months to a year, which means the current situation of drivers slowing down on straights may continue in the future.