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April 25, 2007
Stewart Slams NASCAR - Wow!
Tony Stewart decided to use his own radio show to speak out against NASCAR and boy did he speak out. Stewart is known for speaking his mind, which is one of the reasons why people love or hate him, but I don't think anyone expected this.
Stewart spoke out about debris cautions, which there were four of at Phoenix and whether they were warranted, a topic many fans have talked about.
"To me it's not all about the money, it's about the integrity of the sport, and when I feel our own sanctioning body isn't taking care of that, it's hard to support them and feel proud about being a driver in the Nextel Cup Series when they're throwing debris cautions," he said. "It's like playing God. They can almost dictate the race instead of the drivers doing it. It's happened too many times this year. You get so frustrated ... But enough of it's gone on that fans are writing in and talking about it.
At what point does NASCAR get the hint? I guess NASCAR thinks, 'hey wrestling worked, and it was for the most part staged, so I guess it's going to work in racing, too.' "
"I can't understand how long the fans are going to let NASCAR treat them like they're stupid before the fans finally turn on NASCAR," he said. "I don't know that they've run a fair race all year."
NASCAR has thrown 20 debris cautions in nine races this season, and finishes seemingly have been affected at least twice. At California Speedway in February, Jimmie Johnson was leading comfortably when a late debris caution eliminated his margin. After finishing third to Matt Kenseth, Johnson and runner-up Jeff Gordon both said he never saw any debris on the track to cause the yellow. (USA Today article)
Whether you like him or not, Stewart pointed out something that fans have been questioning for a long time, myself included, especially when they don't show the debris that brought out the caution.
I know NASCAR wants close races and thrilling finishes, but are they manipulating the race with debris cautions?
Your thoughts?
April 25, 2007 in NASCAR | Permalink
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Comments
If what Tony said was detrimental to NA$CAR, why wasn' something done to "King Brian" when he crashed and nothing was done or whem MouthWaltrip totals his car and then goes home "to figure thing's out",like hide in the pool house when the police show up to talk to him. I think in most states that would be considered "leaving the scene of an accident". I think that is more detrimental to the sport (and I use that term quite loosely now). Waltrip is supposed to be a pro driver and a someone kid's are to look up to and learn from. Wow, he's a great example of what they should not be. Want to be detrimental to NA$CAR,boycott the race on T.V. and skip going to a couple of races in person. That would wake them up in a hurry. Tony,YOU THE MAN!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Lanks | Apr 28, 2007 9:55:08 AM
Well I wasn't exactly saying 2003 was the best season...I just don't like the Chase.
Fan #5, what'd I say that you find objectionable?
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Apr 27, 2007 4:25:48 PM
Kurt, I hear where you are coming from. I will say I can list at least 5 seasons off the top of my head that may have been "better" than '03, but that's just opinion.
Looks like Tony had a huge dose of crow for breakfast this morning. Hope it was low-calorie.
Posted by: cale | Apr 27, 2007 2:05:54 PM
Kurt In YOUR dreams!
Posted by: Fan #5 | Apr 27, 2007 1:35:12 PM
Cale, years from now people will be yearning for the days of scrappy young drivers like Kyle Busch. People always think the eras before the present were better. I'm not saying NASCAR wasn't better then, I don't really know, but I thought NASCAR was at its best in 2003...before the Chase BS started. I don't have any problem with the drivers of today...there are a lot of colorful personalities out there.
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Apr 27, 2007 11:01:31 AM
NASCAR has made its share of large mistakes. But dontcha think that maybe the downturn in ratings and attendance might also have a little to do with Dale Earnhardt getting taken too soon and Rusty Wallace, Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd and Mark Martin either retiring or running partial schedules, all in a very short period of time? Take a look at the final 1997 Winston Cup Standings, just 10 short years ago:
1. Jeff Gordon
2. Dale Jarrett
3. Mark Martin
4. Jeff Burton
5. Dale Earnhardt
6. Terry Labonte
7. Bobby Labonte
8. Bill Elliott
9. Rusty Wallace
10. Ken Schrader
That was the face of the sport. That face has changed. Completely. Everything has changed. I've always thought it's like how much the NFL changed when all the great QBs of the 80s and early 90s retired.
What's really telling is when you go back another 10 years to 1987. Check this out:
1. Dale Earnhardt
2. Bill Elliott
3. Terry Labonte
4. Darrell Waltrip
5. Rusty Wallace
6. Ricky Rudd
7. Kyle Petty
8. Richard Petty
9. Bobby Allison
10. Ken Schrader
Look at all the common names. One thing that has definitely changed in NASCAR is that the guys alot of us watched back on ESPN and TNN and hell, even back to the Wide World of Sports were all gone at the same time. We're talking 20-25 years here. NASCAR has changed? Of course its changed. Maybe a little too quickly for alot of longtime fans. It sure seemed bad enough that all those guys left at the same time, then throw in expansion of the schedule, tons of new fans that never saw the guys above race, closing and moving old dates (Dropping the Southern 500 is the dumbest - Darlington is horribly mis-marketed, it's the freaking Wrigley Field of NASCAR).
Sure, maybe NASCAR plays with the cautions, who knows. Brian France will admit that probably about the same time Bud Selig admits he knew everything about all the juice the ballplayers were on. Aint gonna happen.
Guys with Stewart's attitude need to just shut up, hammer down and win races. All those guys listed above did there own share of bitchin', but come Sunday they all wanted to kick your ass and WIN, cautions or no cautions, rather than complain that the whole world was against them.
Maybe THAT's the biggest thing that's changed...
Posted by: cale | Apr 27, 2007 9:15:43 AM
Clint, the funny thing is, the more NASCAR tried to add "excitement", the more they drive people away. And the more fans leave NASCAR, the more NASCAR pushes the same things trying to bring them back. It's what they call a "vicious cycle", I think.
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Apr 27, 2007 8:05:11 AM
I dont know if NASCAR is quite like professional wrestling, but i think there is definately some inconsistancy with the cautions. seems like all to often when a driver is driving away from everyone else there appears to be a caution for debris. e.g Jimmy Johnson at california, he was gone until nascar threw a caution, Matt Kenseth ended up winning. I have heard a couple different sides on this, but NASCAR says they are only concerned for safety, so why at Daytona are cars piling up behind the leaders, and no caution, but other times they seem to look for the smallest reason to throw one. It seems they are looking for the best finnish they can get. Ratings are down, attendance is down, so i wouldn't put anything past them to try anything to put butts in the seats and in the living rooms. They have proven time and time again the they are all about the almighty dollar, so i dont know what to think exactly, we all have no real proof, but things for sure smell a bit fishy.
Posted by: clint | Apr 26, 2007 11:32:15 PM
What do they say in baseball "stats are for losers".....Tony in f1 sure, even the geniuses are Mclaren couldnt get him into a car, then what the jaws of life to get him out. Jr should a modern day "back in the day" show with Tony with a bucket of chicken and 6 pac of bud, doing some laps or lounging in the back of an old f150.
Posted by: Aggie | Apr 26, 2007 9:35:21 PM
OH YES !!!!!THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, !!! TONY STEWART . I Hated your guts till now, redemption my friend is sweet.
get rid of darby and all the rest of those drunks ....put the racing back in the hands of the drivers...there will be different champions and a whole lot of winners each week. and yes we fans from the 'ol days know!! I have a new respect for you and I know in my heart THE CRASH CAR..**n.ass.c.a.r.bunch will try to do to you what they did to jack roush. we the people support you.......lakeland florida!
Posted by: mike | Apr 26, 2007 9:09:40 PM
I used to have season tickets to Talladega, Bristol, Daytona, and Texas!!!! The last race I will go to is Bristol night race!!!! I enjoy the local dirt tracks sooooo much better!!!!!! To hell with Nascar!!!!
Posted by: aruofone2000 | Apr 26, 2007 8:47:43 PM
Brian France could have been in a coma for the last five years and the sport would be better off.
To even try to suggest that safety is first and foremost is a crock. Where the hell was the yellow flag when 20 cars were wrecking at Daytona? They have some chutzpah. Tony is absolutely right...they think we're stupid.
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Apr 26, 2007 7:09:41 PM
You're right JoeC. BF has just about ruined the sport for me and I have been a fan since the 50's. All BF wants is a good show for TV and to heck with the fans. Just notice all the empty seats at races that used to be complete sell-outs. The fans are getting tired of NASCAR making up rules as they go along and throwing cautions to make the races more interesting.
Posted by: Old Timer | Apr 26, 2007 6:56:08 PM
Teresa has a good point:
"My main problem with "debris" cautions is not being able to find the debris. I think they should be required to show the debris on television before they cut to a commercial."
Let me give you a "foreign" perspective, literally.
I live outside the U.S. when you get commercials in the States my broadcast feed cuts to one of the in car cameras for the duration of the ad time.
Many times under a caution for debris when the selected in car camera car goes past the site of the debris it is in fact there.
It's also true, if I were to guess, about 50% of the time the TV network never replays and airs what was plainly seen via the in car.
There are also times when the "debris" is caught on camera but it's plain it wasn't a threat, i.e. some kinda somthing that seen from where the officials sit can appear as if it was.
To be fair just like you in the States who run to the fridge during ads I don't sit thru each and every caution for debris looking for it.
But the point remains by at least 50% (again an educated guess) there is in fact crapola on the track and it's never noted by the tape shown or the broadcast crew.
Posted by: marc | Apr 26, 2007 6:47:38 PM
Ron , hey buddy gfy , as in go fuck yourself .
Posted by: Eric | Apr 26, 2007 6:27:23 PM
I still stand by my earlier statement that Tony is absolutely right. Mark29, sure overall yellows (and debris yellows) are down for this year from last... but I don't think Jayski went back enough years in his research to show the overall increase in phantom yellows. I'm gonna use racing-reference.info, and go back to 1997. I'd go back further, but they only keep track of cautions to 1997. Anywho, here we go...
In 1997, there were 76 total yellows in the first 8 races (20 were at Bristol). 7 of these yellows were for debris. That's 9.2%; and a much lower in debris yellows from this year. Note that the number of overall yellows is in the same ballpark as the past 3 years though.
Let's use 1998 as our next model year. And 1998 was a bit cleaner than '97 was. There were 58 yellows through the first 8 races. ONLY 3 of these were for debris. That's a whole 5.2%.
Let's skip a couple of years and check out 2001. I picked this year because it was the first year of NASCAR's huge new TV deal. Let's see what our debris caution numbers look like here. Through the first 8 races, there were 63 cautions thrown. Of those 63, 8 were for debris. That's 12.7%. Still not too many debris cautions in '01.
Skipping another couple of years now, let's try 2004. The first year of BF's stupid Chase. In 2004, there were 58 cautions through the first 8 races. And 9 of those were for debris. That's 15.5%. That's an increase. And look at where we are now.
There may be some other factors adding into the number of debris cautions, but I think NASCAR's regime change (the BF era) has a lot to do with it. Do I think they're manipulating races with yellows? Yes. Is it because they're fixing races for certain drivers? No. They're not that good. I just think they want a close finish for every race for their TV partners... it's all about the money. This is the reason for the chase too; they'll manipulate everything they can in order to have "excitement" and "close competition". So, once again, I agree with Tony's assessment of the situation.
Posted by: Joe C. | Apr 26, 2007 5:38:09 PM
Stewart needs numbers before he complains about yellows
NASCAR has had less yellows this year(71) then 2006(83) and 2005(86) after 8 races
Debris cautions(20) are also down from 2006(25) and 2005(22)
Stewart is just venting just like he did after Texas so I take it with a grain of salt.
Posted by: Mark29 | Apr 26, 2007 4:06:19 PM
Cale,
I like the idea of Tony Stewart going to F-1. Unfortunately he's too old and far too fat to fit into those cars. Bummer. Looks like we are stuck with his sad act until Home Depot and JGR decide they've had enough.
I do have a lot of respect for these public meltdowns of Stewart's. I'm looking forward to what comes out of his pie hole next. I love watching people that just can't help themselves in public. I'm betting Tony wins Talledega Sunday, then Nascar will start putting the screws to him in some subtle ways and make him even more nutty. I can't wait to see it!
Posted by: ron | Apr 26, 2007 3:44:34 PM
Rich, being outspoken doesn't always mean being right. And what is this hang-up people have with "vanilla?" The sport, far from having too many "vanilla" drivers, is trying too hard to get "flashy" "outspoken" drivers with "personalities." The sport doesn't particularly need that - it needs Barry Sanders more than it does Deion Sanders.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Apr 26, 2007 3:38:41 PM
Well, he's right.
Posted by: Bill | Apr 26, 2007 1:18:50 PM
We need Tony Stewart in NASCAR. He's like Jack Nicholson's character in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."
There are way too many plain vanilla drivers out there trying to be a poster boy for the Cub Scouts. I don't agree with him all the time but you got to admit he sure does stir the pot.
Posted by: Rich | Apr 26, 2007 12:34:32 PM
People seem to get hung up on Margin of Victory. It's overrated unless it's a photo finish. A race like the 1974 Daytona 500 had an MOV of 44 seconds, yet was one of the best races ever because the lead changed hands 60 times among 15 drivers. The Alabama 500 three years ago ended under yellow and NASCAR was wrong to let it end under yellow, but was still the most exciting race in 20 years because the lead changed 54 times among 23 drivers.
On debris yellows, Tony isn't wrong - the COT has needed them a lot more than the older cars to hide its inability to race - just that they're the least of the sport's problems.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Apr 26, 2007 11:42:14 AM
Stone Cold Tony Stewart, # 3-20 should be his new number and name. Is Tony a beer drinker?? Does nascar allow 3 digit car numbers??
Posted by: Aggie | Apr 26, 2007 11:35:36 AM
Kristy said: "I think they should show us the debris if they are going to throw a caution. With all the cameras they have at the track, one of them has got to be able to find it."
Right you are, and let's add these in: NASCAR should tell the networks where the debris is so the network can look for it and show it. TV should follow the safety trucks and show us the trucks picking up the alleged debris.
But there is a downside here as someone pointed out. You take out some of the phony yellows and suddenly you'll get races decided by 20-30 seconds, when a phony caution would have given us a great finish.
Hey, I don't know. How about taking a 500 mile race and running it like the AllStar race, breaking it into 4 125-mile segments? Four finishes, fewer caution interruptions, no need for phony yellows to bunch up the field.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Apr 26, 2007 11:14:48 AM
I think they should show us the debris if they are going to throw a caution. With all the cameras they have at the track, one of them has got to be able to find it.
I think Tony is just a sore loser and complains every time he loses.
Wah, Wah, Wah......
Posted by: Kristy | Apr 26, 2007 10:12:10 AM
Next time NASCAR needs a debris caution, just have someone toss a few beer cans at the leader. They can always blame it on the Jr fans.
Posted by: DonB | Apr 26, 2007 9:55:11 AM
Sorry. Just. Aint. Buyin'. It.
This is the guy that has gone pissy with at least six drivers for having the nerve to come anywhere near him on the racetrack. The guy that had so much respect for the Brickyard that he had to punch a reporter to show it. The guy that complained that restrictor plate racing is going to kill someone then promptly goes out and wrecks Matt Kenseth in the Daytona 500. So now the guy gets BEAT CLEAN and NOW he's trying to sell not talking to the media as some form of protest?
If you are the best driver in the best car that day, if there's no cautions or 50 cautions, you are going to win.
I have been watching NASCAR my whole life - and sometimes I wonder what people think they are watching. NASCAR has one and only reason to do what they do - make money. Counting contingency stickers, every car has at least 40 ads on it. All of the races, everything is sponsored. The teams don't race for honor or glory or integrity, they race for money. ISC is a publically traded company - their obligation is to make money for the shareholders. Period. NASCAR doesn't need Tony Stewart, they don't need anybody. You say you'll stop watching? You say NASCAR is dying a slow death? Bah. NASCAR isn't going anywhere. The Frances have always ran things the way the want to run them. They answer to no one because they own the governing body.
You want integrity in your sports? Go watch Little League where no one is getting paid.
If Earnhardt were still here, I'd lay good money that he'd come up behind Stewart, pinch him on the neck and say, "Son, you don't like the way things are? Go out and win. Go out and beat 'em. Otherwise, stop your silly ass cryin'."
Let's have Stewart go and review all of his wins and see if he was ever the beneficiary of a "phantom debris caution." If his integrity is so intact, then he should have no problem forfeiting those races. He seemingly has no problem hating NASCAR but he sure has no problem cashing the prize checks. Go back to open wheel, Stewart, hell go to Formula 1. They'd love your ass over there.
Posted by: cale | Apr 26, 2007 9:40:26 AM
Has anyone else noted how Fox now says "When we have these debris cautions we try to find it to show you" I started hear that and waiting to see it. Nine times out of ten they can't find it.
I agree that NA$CAR is in deed fixing races for Felon Rick and his crew of cheaters.
I do feel for Tony, as ol'DW used to say "You can't fight city hall" and he will have too. Let's see what goes on at Dega!
Posted by: Tony | Apr 26, 2007 9:13:28 AM
Thank God....there is one driver who can still tell NASCAR, like the fans have been saying for a longtime...the debris on the race track is nothing but manipulation to produce a winner. So Jim Hunter is amazed at Tony Stewart for telling the truth...wow,
is the truth that rare in NASCAR. Tony is
right...wrestling fans may have bought the showmanship. It will never happen with the real NASCAR fans who know the difference.
Maybe the Kentucky lawsuit will shake some of the squirrels out of the trees. Tony is
so far ahead of the rest of the drivers, in calling it like it is....that maybe he should retire so that he can maintain the integrity he brought to the sport in the beginning. This is one reason that Indiana is called "the heart of America". What is NASCAR going to do with him for his statements...take to the big Red Trailer and dock him 100 points and fine him. The truth is bigger than NASCAR.
Posted by: Jim | Apr 26, 2007 8:09:53 AM
I agree with Tony, NASCAR is too much about keeping the big money coming in instead of the racing. I have said that there either has to be a McManon or Crockett on the payroll.
Just look at how things are done, The top 35 in points getting a free pass, taking away a manfacturers advantage, cautions at the right time.
This is not your daddy's NASCAR, it is WWE on wheels. Tell them Tony.
Posted by: jim | Apr 26, 2007 5:54:48 AM
You people are such a trip! This is totally Tony's way of trying to turn things around and validate his reasons for acting like and ass and people like you are playing right into his pathetic little game. So cry baby complains about too many cautions and Nascar backs down on them, then the baby wrecks because of some debris on the field, he will be right back on his showing crying again. You cant win with this guy. Nascar is Damned if they do and Damned if they dont. NO NASCAR DOES NOT NEED TONY STEWART FOR ANY PUBLICITY...they have DALE JR. and alot of other talented drivers and there are dozens more waiting to step in and fill his shoes. So if he is this frustrated, then he need to throw in the towel. This stunt has not done anything good for his already asshole of a reputation and it will come back to bite him in the ass. I just hope I am recording it when it does! I also cant wait to see what other drivers "cry wolf" this weekend! You know, maybe he should invest in Kleenex! I had gained some respect for Tony through last year, but after this, every ounce of respect that I have is gone for good. Real champion like of Stewart!
Posted by: Melissa | Apr 26, 2007 1:15:36 AM
JWSmoke said "If it wasn't for Tony and Dale Jr. NA$CAR wouldn't be interesting these days. They're the only drivers left that will actually SAY anything to the media (other than recite a list of sponsors...) Can't cuss a guy, can't rumble with him, throwing a glove at a guy costs points, need I go on?"
Amen, JW, but you forget to mention Robby Gordon. Oh wait, it's against the rules to let him near a microphone.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Apr 26, 2007 1:06:56 AM
NASCAR give this guy a drug test, he's stealing everyones lunches in the garage area, is too lazy to shave, and is runnif his mouth like a crack feind that cant get a fix.
Maybe him and Jimmy Spencer need to jog right down to a clinic and check theirselves in for a couple of months to dry up and remember what got them there.
Posted by: another joe | Apr 26, 2007 1:00:24 AM
JW isnt this what its been all season ??
The 'debris' cautions have convinced me that I only need to watch the last half-hour of a race these days.
Thank god for tivo, hi end video cards, u tube and the shows after the races!!
Posted by: Aggie | Apr 26, 2007 12:23:34 AM
Maybe I'm in the minority here but I watch NASCAR because I enjoy the racing part of it. If I'm able to, I watch the race flag-to-green-white-checkered-flag. I know some of these "debris" cautions have been questionable at best but I still watch the race and, for the most part, enjoy it (especially if Kenseth wins!). I'd like to hope NASCAR is not like the WWE but many on this post seem to think it's headed that way. In fact, some have said that if a driver can't speak his mind or throw a tantrum, then the sport is becoming too "vanilla." Well, if you are watching NASCAR racing because of the colorful comments that people make after the race or because of the characters behind the wheel, then you apparently DO want NASCAR to be the WWE. In the WWE, they do interviews, strut around, do interviews, strut around, and if time permits, wrestle!
I'd like to do away with the questionable cautions as well but at the end of they day, you still have to outrun the other guy when it counts. At least that's my 2 cents.
Posted by: choach | Apr 25, 2007 11:27:07 PM
He's on the brink of "retiring" to have fun every week at Eldora - except he's already beat all those guys. Riiiight.
The only challenge left for him is his 3rd Cup and a Daytona 500. So he can speak his mind.
Jr. is Jr., so he can also speak freely. Everyone else is conforming to keep cashing checks...except maybe Jeff Gordon who seems to be built that way.
Posted by: JWSmoke | Apr 25, 2007 10:28:35 PM
If it wasn't for Tony and Dale Jr. NA$CAR wouldn't be interesting these days. They're the only drivers left that will actually SAY anything to the media (other than recite a list of sponsors...) Can't cuss a guy, can't rumble with him, throwing a glove at a guy costs points, need I go on?
The 'debris' cautions have convinced me that I only need to watch the last half-hour of a race these days...Ratings? What Ratings?
Posted by: JWSmoke | Apr 25, 2007 10:15:57 PM
One thing you have to give Tony is he keeps it real. Although his attitude is often very much like that of a spoiled brat, he at least is honest and is fun to watch/hear. Nascar needs to take a serious look at how they are running things before its too late.
Posted by: NC Expat in Hong Kong | Apr 25, 2007 10:13:23 PM
Well at least we know why they call him Smoke. Sounds like he is blowing "smoke" up everybodies AZZ. If he had any real stones he would have went to the post race media session and aired his views rather then hide behind his little radio show.
Posted by: jeff | Apr 25, 2007 10:10:36 PM
I agree with Tony. Nascar will probably have it in for him now.
Posted by: Mims | Apr 25, 2007 10:05:27 PM
Tony was auditioning to replace Rosie on The View. I don't think the crowd would notice any difference.
Posted by: buddynoel | Apr 25, 2007 9:42:41 PM
Thank you Tony. Thank you.
I agree completely. It's about time a driver steps up and calls NASCAR out about this crap. This absolutely needed to be said. Now the only problem is, Tony's gonna get a lot of speeding penalties and other BS calls against him in the future... but needless to say, he's now among my favorites.
Posted by: Joe C. | Apr 25, 2007 9:24:21 PM
Corny but true, where there's Smoke, there's fire! Tony's right.
Posted by: Alltel_fan | Apr 25, 2007 9:20:58 PM
Too funny! Stewart says Nascar should heed what the fans are writing about debris cautions! I hope he also reads what fans have been saying about him for the last few years. No chance what the fans say will make him any less of a dickhead. Stewart thinks Nascar should listen to the fans but he doesn't need to. It is obvious to me who it is that thinks they're God. He likes to blame the media for this and that but if you have a radio show that makes you a part of the media. I can't think of what could be more dangerous to Tony's career than having his own talk show! Tony! Dude! When you are even thinking about saying anything just start eating until the urge is gone. Sure you will balloon up to five hundred pounds but at least you'll finally be happy. This is why I respect The Pudgy Little Driver! He is always good for a rolling-on-the-floor laugh! He could even be right but he whines about so much other stuff that it is hard to take this latest rant seriously. I watched Nascar before Darrell Waltrip was a rookie and I'll be watching long after The Pudgy Little Driver of the 20 car is gone and happily eating his retirement fund away.
Posted by: ron | Apr 25, 2007 9:07:27 PM
Cale, if you actually read what Tony said, then you would know that Tony did not blame the loss to Gordon on a debris caution. In fact, he said that the last caution that lead to Gordon getting the lead was the only legit caution.
Tony, like a lot of the fans and other drivers, are fed up with NASCAR manipulating the races by throwing debris cautions when there is no debris on the track. (ex, California... if not for the bogus debris caution at California Jimmie Johnson would have beaten Matt Kenseth.)
Posted by: 48fan | Apr 25, 2007 8:14:38 PM
Quote from Jim Hunter: "Jim Hunter, vice president of corporate communications, responded Wednesday afternoon in a statement.
“To hear that Tony Stewart said these things is very, very disappointing,” Hunter said. “NASCAR has been running races since 1948 and ... the safety of the drivers is our first priority. It has always been that way and will continue to be that way.”
~~~
Hmmm..if the safety of the drivers is NASCAR's first priority, then why was there no caution thrown at the Daytona 500? I guess NASCAR feels that a hot dog wrapper or a garbage bag is more of a threat to the driver's safety than cars wrecking in front of the field!
If there is in fact debris on the track that can harm the drivers, then I am all for throwing the caution. However, too often there is no debris on the track when the yellow comes out for a 'debris' caution.
Is NASCAR blind and deaf? Have they not read and heard the complaints from the fans, drivers, and media the last few years about the mystery debris cautions? I guess that they must think the fans are stupid. Maybe if they took a few steps back and looked at the situation objectively then they might begin to understand why TV ratings and ticket sales are down.
Posted by: GatorNation | Apr 25, 2007 8:05:57 PM
I've died!!! No, i'm still here; shucks. But i thought i had when i read about Smoke giving tongue to a truth! Manipulation of cautions has been so apparent that it is one of the major reasons i can only stomach watching about 2/3 (maybe; this year i've only watched Daytona and Texas, and i cannot even stand that Texas cookie-cut track; funny) of the races now days. With NASCAR turning into NACAR ... say, is anybody interested in starting a thing called STOCK CAR racing in the USA?
Posted by: John | Apr 25, 2007 8:03:46 PM
Go Tony...right back to the IRL. The sooner the better.
Fat Ass got Smoked fair and square and threw one of his patented fits, then comes up with some lame excuse as to why he couldn't get in front of a camera and say that he just got beat.
NASCAR has been around long before and will be around long after Smoke Stain leaves. The Frances have always run their company the way they want. Period. Go back to open-wheel, Smoke Punk.
Posted by: cale | Apr 25, 2007 7:59:59 PM
Tony may be right, may be wrong! Regardless If he doesn't like it, leave!
Posted by: the_g_man | Apr 25, 2007 7:50:58 PM
Kathy,
When I read this at work, I figured you would have posted a entry about this and I am glad to see you have gotten plenty of responses. Tony was 100% right and you can bet the ones that are against what Tony said are all Hendrick lovers that don't care that they are often the beneficiary of the mysterious cautions. It isn't funny that during the race broadcast we hear the commentators talking about a Hendrick driver having a tire going down and then amazingly the next lap NASCAR throws a debris caution. Hmmm!!! sounds pretty suspicious to me.
Posted by: Jon | Apr 25, 2007 7:42:14 PM
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