Good morning world. I had been a NASCAR blogger for a few months a few years ago, but stopped due to general laziness. I’m not going to sit here and use the writers block excuse, I usually have more to say than the keyboard can capture due to my poor typing skills. I typed a blog called theStewatFan, and enjoyed it. But that was then (the Home Depot #20), and this is now (Office Depot #14). I still love JGR, Home Depot, and the color scheme of orange and black. But the only constant is change, so change I will. I lost the URL of The Stewart Fan, so that also has changed. Now on to my post. The plate racing is as good as I’ve ever watched. I’m not saying I’m a fan of the two car draft, or pack racing, but I don’t sit down with 20 laps to go. Isn’t that what we all want? Isn’t that what we watch for? But I think the best racing is to come. It seems to me that the current racing is due to the new surfaces as much as anything. As the surfaces wear in, we will transition back into pack racing. But the most exciting racing will be what comes in between as the drivers discover the changing conditions allow them to “pack up” a little more every race. Soon enough it’ll be four cars lined up, then six, and so on. It’s gonna be great! If you want to get rid of the plates, my answer would be to get rid of two cylinders. Hey, they’re stock cars, right? And the majority of the cars we’re driving are V6 engines. I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth now. Yes, I’m aware that “there’s no replacement for good ‘ol displacement”. But while we’re swallowing fuel injection, knock the plate tracks down two cylinders and let them open those injectors wide open. The advantages are obvious. Slow the cars down (I’m guessing not by much. I’ll bet we can get a 6 banger up to 180), and don’t restrict the air flow. It opens up “Have at it boys” up to the the whole race shop. And it should do the same for the drivers, allowing them to use the gas pedal to step out and pass on their own like on non-restricted races. This doesn’t help the smaller teams (or any of the teams for that matter) in the money department. These aren’t the best economic times to run a race team anyway, much less add another bullet to the budget. Having to acquire a whole new engine for these four races might mean they don’t race, and I’m not happy with that. Nothing would make me happier than your comments on this idea. Let me have it! I have pretty thick skin, and am open to the good and bad on this idea.