Sorry isn't often in NASCAR's vocabulary but it was front and center in the aftermath of Sunday’s Brickyard 400 debacle in Indianapolis.
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| NASCAR official Robin Pemberton says a problem like the one that took place at Indy will not occur again. (Getty Images) |
In addition to apologizing, Pemberton laid out NASCAR's plans to address the situation head on to ensure nothing like what marred Sunday's race will happen again.
"I'd like to let everybody know we're going to work on it," Pemberton said. "We've had a call with Goodyear this morning, talked to Joie Chitwood (the Indianapolis Motor Speedway track president). I can't say enough how sorry we are -- it's our responsibility, being NASCAR, that we don't go through this situation again.
"We've already got after it, and we're moving forward with a plan to get ahead of the situation.
"The race didn't come off like we had hoped; the fans didn't get what they wanted; and we'll do everything in our power that it won't happen again, I can tell you that much."
NASCAR did the best it could managing the problem thrown by the excessive tire wear on Sunday. With no other real solution left than simply canceling the race, an impossibility given the ramification, throwing mandatory cautions every 10 laps was the right thing to do.
Safety was paramount even if it meant robbing the fans of much competition, aside from the final seven lap shootout between Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards.
But that is still little solace to more than 225,000 fans who in the face of one of the country's toughest economic periods in recent history invested considerable dollars and time in attending the event.
"We probably spent $500 in race tickets alone and when you take into consideration the fuel, food and lodging -- not to mention the vacation time we gave up to be here -- we’re out probably a couple thousand dollars," said Phil Mancalli, who along with his suburban Chicago area family attended his fourth Brickyard 400 Sunday.
"I understand that things happen, like when it rains at a baseball game and you only see five innings. But the way it was handled was wrong and we should get some kind of refund or gift card or something. At the very least someone from NASCAR or the speedway should have come on the PA system and addressed the fans after the race. Sometime a simple sorry goes a long way."
It took NASCAR a couple of days to give that public apology.
We're still waiting on one from Goodyear.
