Opinions vary on Indy tire debacle, but most negative

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NASCAR racing is all about passion. And nowhere is that more evident than when you speak of NASCAR's fans.

But when fans interrupt their race-watching experience to send e-mails, that indicates a nerve's been exposed.

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Such was the case on Sunday, when unexpected and inordinate tire wear reared up and badly, badly affected the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard -- and even more unfortunately, some fans' enjoyment of it.

But it wasn't a consensus.

And that was a shock. But it was a way more pleasant surprise than the failure of the Brickyard to ever accept any rubber from the version of Goodyear tires selected for the 15th annual event.

Polls aren't usually too scientific -- but a random sampling of 15 fans leaving Sunday's race created an interesting and, truth be told, puzzling dynamic.

Of the fans polled, 73 percent of them were satisfied with their experience on Sunday. Only four were varying degrees of disappointed, and only two said Sunday would be their final trip to Indy.

That says the "live" experience of being at the racetrack counts for a lot, because the e-mails I got were 96 percent negative, to one degree or another. Two of those people were actually at the racetrack.

You can't downplay people sitting in their living room -- because every opinion matters. But the live response was encouraging, because Sunday's events proved that even the smartest people can sometimes miscalculate, misinterpret and plainly fall short of expectations.

You don't have to think too hard to conclude "miserable failure" would fit the day on Sunday. But it was just one day.

And for better or worse, gang, that is part of racing. The winner is he who best manages the conditions on a given day, including bad tire wear, changing track conditions and fuel mileage.

A lot of people leaving the track on Sunday recognized that, and appreciated it. A lot of 'em were pissed off. It doesn't make 'em "good fans" or "bad fans," but proves again what a sage individual once said, "opinions are like [butt holes] -- everybody has one."

Veteran observers predicted multiple competition cautions -- but the wildest imagination would have never predicted a situation dire enough to engineer the race's every turn, right down to the finish. That turned off a lot of people, but nowhere near all of them. And think hard, folks. Has Indy EVER been known for scintillating stock-car racing? Uh, it hasn't. (Continued)