{"id":1930,"date":"2017-07-28T06:10:09","date_gmt":"2017-07-28T10:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=1930"},"modified":"2017-10-02T23:26:57","modified_gmt":"2017-10-03T03:26:57","slug":"is-nascar-starting-races-too-late-in-the-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2017\/07\/28\/is-nascar-starting-races-too-late-in-the-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Is NASCAR starting races too late in the day?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A long day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway<\/strong> has shed light on a new issue this season in NASCAR<\/strong> – later start times.<\/p>\n

Is NASCAR starting races too late in the day?<\/h2>\n

Sunday’s Brickyard 400<\/strong> race started just before 3 p.m. Eastern time. It was almost dark when race winner Kasey Kahne<\/strong> was celebrating in victory lane. A track-record 14 cautions, including a red flag for rain early in the race and two red flags because of crashes, meant that NASCAR was racing the sunlight as much as drivers were racing for the checkers.<\/p>\n

In fact, while a caution on the second overtime ended the race, Kahne was not close to the overtime line on the backstretch when Denny Hamlin’s<\/strong> car hit the wall. NASCAR waited for Kahne to pass the overtime line (meaning a caution ends the race) before waiving the yellow flag. If the caution flag had waved before he crossed the line, finishing the race before daylight expired would have been in doubt.<\/p>\n

Count Brad Keselowski<\/strong> as one driver who is not a fan of the recent later start times.<\/p>\n

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I’m not supportive of late starts at any track without lights.<\/p>\n

Especially in the summer as a midwesterner https:\/\/t.co\/Z4CzCTkxhv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) July 23, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n