Last week’s rain delay at Michigan International Speedway showed just how regimented the NASCAR schedule is, leaving little room for error, or in this case, weather.

NASCAR has long said that they will employ every reasonable effort to run the event on its scheduled date as a commitment to the fans, but it serves another purpose. The later the series stays on Sunday; it just ensures that the whole shebang will not have to return on Monday or even the next day.

Anyone who watched this weekend’s coverage of the race was able to see that unless some invisible hand appeared and swept all the rain away, there wasn’t going to be any racing in the Irish Hills on Sunday. As a spectator watching at home, I was irritated that NASCAR seemed to be dragging out its decision to postpone the race. Maybe it was because I was subjected to more ESPN proselytizing and ridiculous talking heads, but I was getting sick of waiting for NASCAR to say what everyone else had known since the moment they woke.

If I had been a spectator in the stands, I know I would have had a different opinion. Those people have paid good money to get tickets to the race, get to the race, and then find their seats to wait for the race. The hardier fans try to stick it out in the grandstands. I would have been browsing the gift shop, myself. NASCAR has its obligation to these fans to try and run the race.

Fast-forward to Monday and another day of rain. A tiny pocket, a bright, shining space of nothing, gave the promise of time to dry the track and possibly get in at least 100 laps, the official halfway point of the race and also the point at which a race is considered officially completed in the event of adverse weather. Since noon on Monday, I had been doggedly checking the weather radar in Michigan and checking NASCAR.com for updates on the track condition. When I saw the magical words of “track drying is underway” I was beyond thrilled. It was getting close to my quitting time and it meant I could go home and watch the race.

So I went home, and NASCAR.com said “green flag at 4 p.m.” Well, that didn’t happen. It didn’t happen at 4:15. What did happen was more rain moved into the area and the race was scrapped yet again. Here is where NASCAR and I differ a little on opinion.

NASCAR decreed that the race would be run on Tuesday morning rather than try to come back later in the year. From a business and people perspective (NASCAR people’s perspective) it was the best decision that could have been made. If the race wasn’t run on Tuesday and couldn’t be finished on Wednesday, some reports stated that the series would have to return in November.

That’s right, Michigan would become a Chase race. Instead of the season-ending Ford Championship weekend at Homestead, the traveling circus would have left the sunny climes of Miami to retreat north to Michigan on Thanksgiving weekend. There, on the traditional first weekend of the off-season, drivers would have been battling chilly conditions, but it would be less likely to rain.

NASCAR wanted to avoid this at all costs. I do understand why, because I am sure that the time and effort involved in making another trek after the normal end of the season would be hard on the crews. But I also had the opportunity to talk to a fan who felt otherwise.

My co-worker actually had Michigan tickets. Her mother normally goes because the race falls near her birthday. But the mother didn’t go and handed them off to her daughter. My co-worker lamented the fact that they wouldn’t get to use their tickets. The radar screen had been predictive enough to keep my co-worker and her husband from driving to Michigan. Now it was Tuesday and my co-worker was actually hoping the race wasn’t run, predicated on the slim hope that the series might come back in November so she could enjoy her tickets.

The decision to run on Tuesday definitely was not fan oriented. For all intents and purposes, it couldn’t be. Despite the fact that thousands of tickets weren’t able to be used, NASCAR ran their race and got it in.

A news story broke that said in 2008, Michigan would begin to offer ticket insurance, so ticketholders could be compensated should another situation like this weekend’s occur. Of course, it couldn’t come into play now. No refunds were given. People are out of luck if they weren’t able to use their tickets.

NASCAR will never come out on the “right” side of a situation like this for precisely the reasons I outlined above. It seems that this is a perfect example of why there should be an off-weekend before or during the Chase. Most drivers and crews will say that the weekend between California and Vegas at the beginning of the season is nearly worthless. Sure, they’ll take it, but the time and effort involved to get all their rigs, equipment and people out to the West Coast twice is enormous.

What if they shifted that off-weekend and juggled a few dates, in effect placing the normal pre-Pocono (now it will be pre-Indianapolis) off-weekend later in the year, maybe just preceding the Chase? A 17 race streak without a break is ruthless. Why not just one weekend of vacation before the series buckles down and runs for its life?

But I’m not paid to think up these things. I’m sure it is a delicate balance between NASCAR, the tracks and sponsors. Until NASCAR hires me as their tactician (and believe me, that won’t be soon), fans will have to endure weekends such as Michigan once in a while. At least there’s solace in that, since the last time this happened was over thirty years ago and out of the memories of all but the most ardent and longtime fans.

Until next week, remember that rubbin’ is racin’ at Thunder Valley!

Questions and comments may be sent to samanthamaynard@sportsgrumblings.com.