The fascination with night races continues to confuse me, but then again, I'm easily confused.  Ever since Bruton Smith got that first capacity crowd at Bristol Motor Speedway, it seems that night races are the rule at his Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks.  It's backfired two times in a row at Charlotte.  When will they learn?

I can understand a night race at Daytona in July.  The place that time of the year is simply unbearable during the day.  The Bristol night race is a tradition and in August, so I can let that one go, but Charlotte in October?  Come on. 

According to statistics I researched on various internet sites, the average temperatures in the Charlotte, N.C., area in October are a high in the 60's and a low in the 50's.  This weekend, the highs were in the 50's (though it did get up in the 60's briefly both Saturday and Sunday) and the lows were in the 30's.  Not exactly racing weather that is easy on the fans.  Both days, the sun was out and temperatures were more moderate, but the nights were brutal.  One thermometer showed a low of 37 degrees on Saturday night near the end of the race. Is that good business?

I was amused as I listened to the radio feed from one of the outlets carrying the race.  Many reporters were saying that over half of the crowd had left near the halfway mark.  A producer came on and told the announcers to not mention people leaving again because the boss was listening.  Funny stuff.

If you must have a night race in Charlotte, NC for the second race, why not swap dates with New Hampshire?  It would be crisp in Loudon in October, but at least it would be a day race.  It's interesting that both Friday and Saturday at Lowe's Motor Speedway were at least pleasant days--I said days--for racing, but the coldness of the night made sitting in the stands unbearable.  And people left early.  Consider that's a little tough to do when you paid nearly or over $100 for some seats.  People looked like Eskimos.  The comparison to football doesn't hold a candle here, either.  This sport isn't football, something that the lords of NASCAR cannot get away from.

Regardless, they had a race, so a reasonable facsimile of one.  The weather had little to do with the outcome this time, unlike the May race which was held on the "next clear day," and the consistent rain. Lots of folks led and Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne pretty much ran away from the field at times, with Johnson being the predictable winner.  And the stands cleared.

Back in the pack, it was a pretty good race, and the lead battle between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson on the last run, as well as Gordon and Joey Logano after Johnson had set sail, was wonderful.  But by then, a lot of folks had headed for the warmth of their automobiles.  One fan mentioned that had the races been held during the day, it would have been more comfortable, but that wouldn't have changed the outcome. 

You see, people love night racing.  Or so they say.