A wet, wild, and wacky race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway raised the question: do the teams know best?
The race weekend at the 1.058-mile oval was plagued by rain. With a watchful eye on the radar, NASCAR moved the start time of the USA Today 301 up roughly 30 mins. A smart move on NASCAR’s part as it allowed the event to pass the halfway point.
With the knowledge of impeding weather on their minds, green flag dropped with intense action and bold strategy.
Tyler Reddick and Michael McDowell were amongst the drivers with gutsy strategy calls to avoid pit road at the end of Stage 2. This gave them the first and second spots on track, leading the way when NASCAR eventually dropped the red flag for rain.
Unfortunately for them, the sanctioning body was willing to wait out the torrential downpour to give the fans the full race they hoped for. With that, it also gave the series the opportunity to try something they had never done before.
As the drivers were getting back in their vehicles, NASCAR instructed teams to put wet weather tires on their car. They also allowed the teams to top off on fuel.
What ensued when the green flag dropped again was a mix of confusion, frustration, and awe.
Join Taylor Kitchen in the latest episode of Above The Yellow Line to discuss all the action from Loudon.
