It wasn’t that long ago that Charlotte Motor Speedway had the Media Tour this time of year. It evolved over the years; starting by going to the individual team’s race shops, to being feted by the sponsors of those teams at their shops, to having the teams come to ballrooms at hotels because the Tour had become too big for the teams to handle, having to shut down a part of their shops for half a day.
But one thing never changed through all those years. Optimism.
No matter where the Tour went, or who the media talked to, a new season meant new optimism. Just about everybody felt like they had the combination of driver, crew chief and crew to contend for a championship.
In fact, it became something of a game for some media members to count the number of times the word “excited” was used during the Tour.
The Tour may be gone, but a new year still comes with optimism. They just need a little time to figure out this Next Gen car first.