Round and round they went Saturday night at the Action Track in Richmond. Problem was, the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 seemed more like a parade than a race. There was very little side by side racing that die hard fans are used to at the RIR. The drivers on the bubble to make the chase were so freaked out that they drove as conservative as self declared conservative leader Ronald Reagan.

Late in the race on a restart, Jeff Gordon was trying to get past leader Denny Hamlin. On a restart, Gordon got clipped from behind and sent back 5 positions. Gordon never could get back to the front and Hamlin went on to an easy win at his home track. It looked too easy. Hamlin dominated the race leading 298 of the 400 laps. What’s fun about that! Yes I was rooting for the home boy to get his first win at his home track. But like all race fans, I was hoping to see some drama and action in the process.

I guess the Car Of Tomorrow is to blame. Since it was introduced to NASCAR, the COT has led to plenty of follow-the-leader racing. The biggest problem of the car is it’s size. It’s bigger than cars in the past and that seems to make it harder for the drivers to pull along side and race. It should come as no surprise to NASCAR why the sport is losing popularity. Attendance is dwindling and television ratings are down. More boring races like the the one in Richmond will not help the cause.