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The logical conclusion is that, if the drivers are more popular, then Supercars is more popular – a development which would surely be welcomed by all involved in the category.
But, is the bump-and-run the way to reach that point?
One position is that nudging/ramming a car from behind in order to pass is a dirty tactic.
In essence, it is an admission that one does not have the car speed and/or the skill to overtake another driver cleanly.
It takes less skill to knock another car out of the way than it does to brake later, or make a faster exit and take the superior line for the next corner.
Perhaps.
On the other hand, there is more to motor racing than pure speed, else qualifying would be all that matters.
After all, there is a reason why the term ‘racecraft’ exists, but can the bump-and-run be part of one’s racecraft?
To be clear, we are not necessarily talking about an out-and-out shunt which results in the (formerly) leading car sailing off into the scenery or smashing into a wall, although we will leave that as an option in this Pirtek Poll.
According to Dane, “The basis for new rules could be that contact is allowed as long as the car being passed doesn’t leave the track.”
There is arguably a skill in giving the car in front just enough of a touch to move it wide or unsettle it for a run out of the corner without pushing it all the way off the track.
In an era when each car on the grid is identical to the other (or designed to behave identically), allowing a bump-and-run reduces the risk of processional racing, and Supercars is an entertainment product, after all.
NASCAR is also an entertainment product, which has a far more hands-off policy with respect to officialdom.
Its racing rules – or perhaps lack thereof – would probably be unviable in Supercars given teams’ budgets and the cost of damage.
However, NASCAR drivers also employ the bump-and-run as described above, as Shane van Gisbergen experienced when he made his second Cup Series appearance at Indianapolis last August.
“It’s aggressive, but it’s fair,” he declared.
“I put a block on the 48 [Alex Bowman], and the next corner, he just moved me. I guess I deserved that.”
But what do you think? Should Supercars sick with its current racing rules, reintroduce the bump-and-run, or let the track become a NASCAR-style free-for-all?
Cast your vote below in this week’s Pirtek Poll and check back on Friday to see what Speedcafe readers had to say on the topic.
