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Pressure to PERFORM
Beating and banging used to be confined mostly to short tracks and road courses, but lately it has become almost commonplace on high-speed ovals. Defending Cup champion Tony Stewart blames much of the problem on younger drivers who don't show patience or respect for veteran drivers. But Stewart has triggered several incidents this season, including one in the Daytona 500 when he sent Matt Kenseth spinning into the grass at nearly 200 mph and another at Pocono last month when he wrecked Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards in retaliation for being crowded by Bowyer earlier in the race. Jeff Burton said it's not fair to place all of the blame on younger drivers. "We do have some young drivers who don't get it, but we have some older ones who don't get it, either," he said. He said that when he's behind the wheel, he doesn't try to treat a competitor any different because of his experience level. "When I am out on the race track, I don't look at a guy and think, 'That guy is a rookie and I need to stay away from him,' " he said. "The quality of drivers and teams that we have today is so high that I just see somebody I have to pass or who is trying to pass me." Burton also pointed out that aggressive driving is not new to NASCAR. "I would be willing to bet that Cale Yarborough was pretty ticked off about somebody being young and aggressive," he said. "It is part of the sport. It is part of what we do. It is an aggressive sport." Burton said what really has changed about NASCAR is that the sport has become more visible, which has put more pressure on drivers to perform. "The media coverage is more," he said. "You can't turn on the TV without watching something to do with NASCAR ... [and] I think the intensity of racing is at an alltime high. "I really believe that from spot [No.] 1 to spot 30 is more competitive than it has ever been. If you are running 15th, you are in a dogfight. You can't imagine how hard it is to run 15th." But he said that intensity and pressure from the media and sponsors and fans is not a bad thing.
"[It's] why people watch it," he said. MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY |
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