The problem with NASCAR's All-Star race isn't the confusion that reigned Saturday night, it's what happened decades ago. Simply put: this race is a victim of its own success.
Darrell Waltrip blowing his engine as he won the first race, the Pass in the Grass, the first night race with Davey Allison and Kyle Petty wrecking as they crossed the finish line and Rusty Wallace taking out Waltrip…those moments, and
But, no matter how you try to manufacture drama, you can't count on it playing out right.
If you look at the final segment alone, outside of the fact there were only two cars on old tires, it really played out as they'd hoped: wild passing
Give NASCAR credit for trying something different to try and enhance the entertainment value of the event. The mistake they made was making it too complicated.
This is the sport that went with one point per position to make it easier to figure out the points standings on the fly. So, why forget about the old KISS acronym here? Keep It Simple Stupid.