The Issue at Daytona: Tires, Tires, Tires

The 2009 Coke Zero 400 looked very similar to another race at the Daytona International Raceway, nine years earlier.

If you were to ask NASCAR experts, The 2000 Daytona 500 was one of the most boring races in Daytona 500 history.

The 2009 Coke Zero 400 was no different.

That afternoon, the above pictured Dale Jarrett won his third "Great American Race" by passing Johnny Benson for the win with four laps to go. Benson was having the run of his life, which is what made that race interesting.

What might not be known about that race is that there were only four lead changes under green. Combine that with the pole sitter winning, and that equals a very boring race.

Even the Intimidator himself was furious.

"That's the worse racing I've seen at Daytona in a long, long time. They took NASCAR Winston Cup Racing and made it some of the sorriest racing, took racing out of the drivers and crews hands we can't adjust, can't make our car drive like we want. They just, they just killed the racing at Daytona. That's all I gotta say."

"Mr. Bill France Sr. would probably roll over in his grave if he'd seen that deal," Dale Earnhardt stated, after a very frustrating afternoon, where no car could pull out and make a groove.

Earnhardt was right.

The racing was horrible, and it reminded me so much of Saturday night. That afternoon, no one could move out of line.

If you did, you'd better look for a hole because that was the only way you would have saved your car. If you got out of line that day, when you were leading, you would fall out of the top-10 in one lap, just like Johnny Benson did.

That's what Saturday night was. No one wanted to pull out of line, knowing they were going right to the back if they did.

It was pathetic.

It's not like the C.O.T drives this bad on Superspeedways, but that (for some reason) Goodyear changed the tire combination on the right front since we came here in February.

It was a terrible move.

There was no passing, and, much like 2000, the most exciting part about the race came in the last laps.

The pole sitter won, and if it weren't for double-file restarts, they would have had the same amount of lead changes.

NASCAR needs to look into how the racing can be better for the 2010 Daytona 500.

No one could create a grove. The tire was too hard.

Goodyear needs to step up their program here.

I blame them for the whole race.

I've been a NASCAR fan since 1992, and I've supported Goodyear through thick and thin, but this is getting ridiculous.

Come on Goodyear, step it up!