Fuel Mileage Racing in NASCAR

Winners in NASCAR come from many different backgrounds and get to the top series many different ways. As go their careers, the fashion in which they get to victory lane can vary widely as well. The ultimate goal for any racer is to cross the finish line first, but does it matter how they accomplish that goal?

There seems to be wide varying opinions on the subject from both fans and drivers. In the past two weeks, both Tony Stewart and Mark Martin have brought home the trophy by outlasting the field on fuel mileage. Among drivers, the consensus appears to be that a win is a win. Martin said after the race at Michigan on Sunday that the fuel mileage win was "really cool". The reason why drivers tend to fall on this side of the line is that every year, one or more races do come down to fuel mileage, so most every driver in the field as at some point in their career lost a race due to running out of fuel. So, what goes around comes around.

"If you look at the stats, you know, I've lost 25 and won two probably on it. You know, I just don't have the luck for it." said Martin after his win in Michigan. This is something that nearly every driver feels win they finally do have the right strategy and are able to capture a win on fuel mileage.

Just in the past year, two of racing's most popular drivers - Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. - have won their only race of the season because of a fuel mileage gamble. Now, for the fans, it seems as though a win is a win as long as it is your driver doing the winning. Jr. Nation has been rather silent over the fact that Earnhardt's only win with Hendrick Motorsports came because of fuel mileage, yet had a driver like Kyle Busch won that same race, the Nation would be all over him for it.

Overall, drivers understand how hard it is to win a race at any level, but especially in a top series in NASCAR or the IRL, so they would most definitely say that an asterisk for a fuel mileage win would be ridiculous. Fans, however, will most likely be incredibly loyal to their driver and therefore their opinion on fuel mileage races will change depending on who is involved. In any case, a win is a win and fuel mileage racing is just one part of the sport that must be taken into account when following the series.

Mark Aumann, "Points racing turns into surprising win for Martin." NASCAR.com.