I think it was an old Al Franken comedy bit from Saturday Night Live. But in an aerodynamic sense. That last-lap, slingshot pass for the win made every local sports show all over America. Watching Yarborough, Earnhardt, Waltrip, Petty and Allison slingshot each other is what drew many to the sport and the foundation of recent marketing successes. Just listen to the radio chatter at the next race you attend.
Crew chiefs implore their driver to keep the nose clean in the corner.
Running too close behind another car messes up the handling. Good strategy for sure, but avoiding close quarters with another car doesn t make for exciting racing. Recent CART and IRL races showed they have figured out how to bring the draft back in their form of racing, and their show dramatically improved. Compare the 1980s Pocono races to the late- 90s Pocono races and tell me which is better. I think it boils down to the draft.