After last week’s race at Texas, Denny Hamlin is a man on a mission. That mission? Save the scoring pylons at NASCAR race tracks. The driver has really taken up the crusade in the last few days.
First, it was Texas, now it’s Talladega. SMI and NASCAR have both gone to their tracks and done some clever editing of the landmarks. The pylons were old, outdated, and apparently aren’t worth replacing, not from the point of view of those who make those decisions.
Denny Hamlin gets a lot of hate for being opinionated, speaking his mind on a variety of topics. However, it feels like he really does care about this issue from a fan perspective. Perhaps earning brownie points with the NASCAR masses?
“I did talk to [Chief Track Properties Officer] Chip [Wile] and he says that, you know, they did think it through but they figured the scoring pylons only service those in the infield, it doesn’t serve those that are in the stands,” Hamlin said, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “I don’t know about that. So, certainly, we know it’s important for race fans, because you know they put it on TV for you for the millions that do watch at home. You want to be able to see where your driver is at and I think that’s why it’s important.
“Not only that, that’s what a race track is. I think taking these down it’s just not as good. Every time I go through a tunnel, and it might be just me, first thing I do is look at a scoring pylon to figure who’s where and what. So it’s a, I don’t know, maybe more of a sentimental thing from a purist like myself. But every track has its own ideas and we’ve seen it over time. It started with Bristol taking some out, then it was Watkins Glen I noticed, obviously last week, and now this week. So, hopefully, it’s not a trend.”
Denny Hamlin also reiterated that it is a fan issue. Drivers use the pylons as well, but it’s all about the fans. There might be a change of heart from NASCAR in the near future, but right now it feels like they have made up their minds.
The reasoning from NASCAR comes down to the pylons being old, hard to repair, and not necessary for fans. New video boards are being added and NASCAR even went as far as to encourage fans to keep up with the running order on their phone.
Apparently, the executives at NASCAR have never tried to use the public WiFi at one of their tracks. Denny Hamlin is putting up a strong argument. Meanwhile, NASCAR is telling you to just check your phone…while the race is happening in front of you.
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