Bob Barnard Track Engineering

I have mentioned before that here in the US motorsport TV commentators are just a mouthpiece for the sport. Promoting the event is usually left to the person staging it, but I guess when the TV is basically paying to keep the sport alive you could argue that they are the promoter.

Yesterday we saw a Las Vegas track with perhaps 25% of the seats filled. Now I expected there to be a very good crowd given the terrible winter most of us have had. The chance of some sunshine in Las Vegas should have been irresistible. The economy is getting better, so having a holiday and watching the race should be a no brainer for an east coast "good "ol boy."

So, when we hear Mike Joy tell us that the promoter has said "the place is packed" while seeing a shot of sparsely filled seats in the main grandstand is ridiculous. Either Joy is a fool, or is prostituting himself for Fox. Lost my respect.

As is becoming the pattern this year the race was won on the last lap, if not the last corner. People have said for a long time they watch the start and the last 20 laps. Now they do not even need to do that. Sure we all like a close race, but this is a brief moment of excitement in a 2 to 3 hour race.

Note to the Fox Director, stay away from overhead shots, it is too easy to count the fans.