NASCAR can't catch a break when it comes to weather and championship logistics.
Officials had to cut the AAA Texas 500 short by 41 laps because of rain issues. This is the second year in a row that rain has impacted the Chase elimination-style format. It rained in Phoenix _ of all places _ last year, forcing the race to be cut from 312 to 219 laps.
"I think Joey Logano probably said it best: We make every effort to get the race in under its advertised distance," Steve O'Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, said during his weekly appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
"I think you saw especially the circumstances [Sunday] with over six hours to try to dry a racetrack, at some point you've got to keep the fans certainly in mind, but also the competitors, the amount of time that they've had preparing for a race, and when does it get too late? So we've always looked at if you get past halfway, that's considered a complete race, and we do make every effort to get the full race in and we did that yesterday.
"We were a little short; that's unfortunate but the policy that's been in place. We feel like it is one that should stand. Never something that we want to have to enact, but, unfortunately, yesterday and really last night you saw that has to come into play."
Bottom line: Of course it stinks, but ultimately, there was no other logical and reasonable choice.
