Kathy's Pit Stop

Congrats Bowyer, Nationwide Champ

Good race, Edwards won the race, but Bowyer kept himself where he needed and won the championship.  Congrats Bowyer and and the whole RCR team!

Landon Cassill won the Rookie of the Year honors, ironically, he wasn't even in the race.  JGR won the Owners Championship with the #20...congrats to them for an awesome year also!

JGR given stiff penalties in Nationwide Series infractions

When it was heard about the possibly trying to cheat the dyno testing after the Michigan Nationwide race, everyone thought NASCAR would come down hard for the blatant cheating and they were right.

Seven members of the #18 and #20 JGR teams were indefinitely suspended, additionally, both crew chiefs were fined $50,000 and all crew members for both teams were put on probation.  Joey Logano and Tony Stewart were each docked 150 driver points and Joe Gibbs lost 150 owner points for each car.

I knew NASCAR was upset when they used the word blatant after finding out about what happened, so I figured the penalties would be steep and they were.  Why the teams did this is unknown, unless they weren't complying with Toyota engine rules that were handed down.

It will definitely be interesting to see how the cars do at Bristol this week without key members of the teams.

Your thoughts? 

Ambrose gets his first Nationwide win

Marcos Ambrose, who looked to be the winner last week until a speeding penalty took the wind out of their sail, finally got his first win at Watkins Glen.  He may not have had the best car on the track for today's race, but their strategy paid off and he took the checkers.  He deserved it, he should have had that win last week, but the speeding penalty took that away and it was nice to see the team come back from that with a win this week.

It was also nice to see a Nationwide regular (non-Cup also driver) win a race and it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy.  Congrats Ambrose.

Other Nationwide only regulars that did well were...Keselowski, Logano, Leffler and Coleman.  Good job guys!

Oh, and what exactly did Keselowski do to Harvick in the early part of the race, I missed the incident and all I know is that Harvick said something about dumping the #88 next time he was near him.

Congrats again to Ambrose for his first win!

Your thoughts?

NASCAR makes history with rain tires at Montreal

Well, we kept hearing it might happen, but it never did, until now.  The rain tires actually were used in a NASCAR race.  The crews got three minutes to get the rain tires on, if the teams chose to, they could put the windshield wiper on.  Most teams did put on the windshield wiper, but some elected not to, for whatever reason.  I honestly don't know why they all didn't use the wipers, but I guess it's a teams or drivers preference.

Of course, the rain slowed down the pace of the race and it was funny at first that it didn't appear that they were going much faster than under caution speed, but as the rain slowed, some drivers got more confident and picked up their pace.  Marcus Ambrose seemed fairly confident in his car and those rain tires and had a pretty large lead for most of the race, but a speeding penalty hurt him and put him down to third, and almost a lap down to race leader Ron Fellows.  Then the caution for heavy rain came, a couple cars wrecking under caution, the red flag and then they called the race.

Congrats to Ron Fellows and the #5 team for the great strategy, it go them the win and they deserved it.  I would have liked to see it go back to green and see if Ambrose could get the lead back, but for once I do agree with NASCAR on the call to call the race.  I do think that if they had gone back to green Ambrose probably would have won, but we'll never know.

Edwards took over second in points over Brad Keselowski, but not by much, it'll still be a battle with those two to see who can get second when the season is done, I think Bowyer is going to win the championship unless they really mess up.

As far as the rain tires, I think they worked as they were suppose to and the best they could, hydroplaning is always an issue with water on the track even with tires that have tread.  Many drivers complained as it rained harder about hydroplaning and visibility, especially under that last caution, which caused a couple of mishaps for Logano and Villeneuve.  I think the visibility issue was the main reason NASCAR called it, although I'm not completely sure of that, I think that if the rain had slowed down they probably would have been able to finish the race, but visibility wasn't improving at all throughout the race.

Your thoughts?

Nationwide race pushed to ESPN Classic

For those fans wanting to tune in to tonight's Nationwide race from Richmond, I hope you have ESPN Classic.  The race was originally scheduled to air on ESPN2, but because of NBA playoffs, it's been pushed to ESPN Classic and ESPN360.com.  For those that don't have ESPN Classic on their cable or satellite service, the race is suppose to be shown in it's entirety (although recorded) after the playoff game.

NASCAR fans use to love ESPN for their coverage of NASCAR races and thought that when they started airing races again, it would improve coverage, unfortunately, ESPN cares more about other sports fans and NASCAR fans are not happy about it.  In this case, NASCAR fans are being pushed aside to accommodate basketball fans, ESPN use to care about their NASCAR fans, obviously other things are more important and there is really nothing fans can do about it.

For those of you fans that had plans and were planning on recording the race, set it to record it on ESPN Classic at 7 PM ET instead of ESPN2.  Fans that don't have ESPN Classic, but have ESPN2 will have to wait until after the basketball game to see the race.

NASCAR needs to say no to Mexico City until Safer Barriers are put in

First, congrats to Kyle Busch on a hard-charged win.

Now, on to the safer barrier thing...oops, I forgot there are no safer barriers in Mexico City.  Why is this?  All the other tracks that NASCAR races at had to put them in, some even coming under fire for not having them on the inside walls, but at least they have safer barriers on the outside walls.

Two red flags because of wrecks and to fix the walls, the concrete walls, with no safety features, at that.  Luckily this was a road course and the speeds weren't higher.

I think NASCAR needs to say, "You want us to race there, put in the safer barriers," if they choose not to, for whatever reason, say "adios" to the Mexico City race. 

Your thoughts?

Qualifying changes for 2008

Michael Waltrip complained last season about qualifying, saying that the guys who have to race their way in should qualify at the same time, not sprinkled throughout the whole field.  Well, it seems that NASCAR listened, starting this season, drivers who have to make it in on speed will qualify at the end of the qualifying session, meaning that the top 35 got first and then the other guys that have to make it on time.  This new rule change applies to all three series, not just the Cup series.

I'm not sure how much this will help, but I guess it can't hurt, although I think they need to do away with the top 35 guarantee and make everyone qualify on time, the way qualifying use to be.

Another change going into effect this season is that the fines collected from the drivers will go to the NASCAR Foundation instead of the points fund.  This is something that was complained about a lot in the past because a driver could basically get his money back at the end of the season unless he had a horrible season and/or was fined heavily.  This way the fines should mean more since they won't get it back.  Hopefully NASCAR puts the money to good use and I hope Victory Junction Gang gets a good chunk of it.

Your thoughts?

Trick or Treat - No points to Cup drivers in 2009 for Nationwide Series?

Trick or Treat!  There are many things being thrown around for the new Nationwide Series, one of the interesting tidbits is the possibility of a new rule that would state any driver ranked in the top 35 in Cup points could not earn points competing in the Nationwide race. 

Depending on which side you're on, it could be an evil trick or a treat.  I like the idea!  While it's nice seeing your favorite Cup driver race in the lower series, it doesn't do any good for the regulars in the series.  No word on how the points would be dished out if Cup drivers are in the race, but at least they're looking at it and hopefully implement it.

Your thoughts?

Nationwide Logo Unveiled and Steve Hmeil leaves DEI

Nationwide unvelied the logo for the new NASCAR Nationwide Series today.

From the press release...

“The logo is simple yet extremely effective in delivering a completely new look to the branding of the series,” said Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s chief marketing officer. “It’s good to be able to place a ‘face’ to a name now.”

"Nationwide is pleased to be able share the new NASCAR Nationwide Series logo today," said James Lyski, chief marketing officer for Nationwide. "Over the next several years, Nationwide intends to make this series the finest entertainment experience in racing."

The quest for the inaugural NASCAR Nationwide Series championship will begin on Feb. 16, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway. The series, which features 35 races at 26 tracks located in 20 states and two countries – Canada and Mexico – is exclusively broadcast on ESPN2 and ABC.

I haved to admit, they are are right about it being simple.  I guess it looks ok, I think the only thing I'm not too thrilled about is that box.  Not sure what it's there for, maybe it's part of the regular Nationwide logo.

The full press release and video of the unveiling can be seen at nationwide.com.

In other NASCAR news, Steve Hmiel and DEI have "parted ways" effective immediately.  What that means for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and DEI this weekend and the rest of the season no one knows.  Surprising news since it was stated over and over again that he wasn't leaving DEI and then this abrupt announcement.

Your thoughts?

More on the NASCAR Nationwide Series

I received an email on behalf of Nationwide, wanting to share a Q & A session that was held after the announcement.

Q&A with Brian France, Chairman and CEO of NASCAR, and Jim Lyski, Chief Marketing officer of Nationwide Insurance, about the recent announcement that Nationwide will become title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 2008:

Q: Why did NASCAR select Nationwide Insurance to be title sponsor of the NASCAR Nationwide Series?

Brian France: Nationwide Insurance is an ideal partner for NASCAR, advocating safe driving, and already serves millions of NASCAR fans with its auto, health, and life insurance. Nationwide Insurance is a distinguished, blue-chip company that is passionate about the sport and has experience through existing partnerships with NASCAR tracks. We’re confident the company will make a seamless transition as a title sponsor and will help this Series continue to expand and grow.

Q. What was it that made the sponsorship attractive to Nationwide Insurance?

Jim Lyski: Nationwide has a history with NASCAR and sees this as a natural progression. When we began our sponsorship with Speedway Motorsports, Inc., eight years ago, we were the first insurance company to make a major commitment to NASCAR, and we’ve seen first-hand just how passionate NASCAR fans can be.

Nationwide recognizes that NASCAR has the most loyal and dedicated fan base of any sport. This is an opportunity to play a larger role in supporting NASCAR, while building stronger relationships with these great fans, as well as the drivers competing on the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The sponsorship will allow us to reach millions of fans including families, youth and diverse markets in a fun and friendly manner.

Q. What changes are in store for NASCAR Nationwide Series fans in 2008?

Brian France: It’s likely that the NASCAR Nationwide Series will grow in a number of very positive ways as a result of Nationwide’s involvement. We are looking at a number of options, including a new chassis, which will transfer a number of the positive safety, competition and cost management attributes from the Nextel Cup Series car to the NASCAR Nationwide Series car.

We’re also evaluating a number of options to continue to make the series more exciting for fans and competitors, and help increase competition among all teams.

Look for more details in coming months including the introduction of the NASCAR Nationwide Series logo.

Q. Brian, what about doing more to make the NASCAR Nationwide Series a place to develop drivers?

Brian France: The Series has been developing and will continue to develop up-and-coming drivers. Just take a look at Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Martin Truex, Jr., and Clint Bowyer. In the last three years, each of these drivers, all currently in the Chase for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, honed and developed their driving skills in what will be known as the NASCAR Nationwide Series. So it’s clearly serving that purpose while keeping the tradition of providing young drivers the opportunity to compete against the NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers.

Q. What will Nationwide Insurance bring to its sponsorship of the NASCAR Nationwide Series?

Jim Lyski: Nationwide looks forward to partnering with NASCAR and ESPN to take this already great racing experience to the next level. We’re committed to bringing the NASCAR Nationwide Series experience to life for the fans. The NASCAR Nationwide Series provides a unique environment for Nationwide to extend our On Your Side brand promise to race fans. At the end of they day, we want fans to feel like Nationwide somehow improved their race experience. We’ll be able to provide more details about how we’re going to do that soon.

We’re also excited to engage our network of over 8,000 Nationwide and Allied Insurance agents to promote and market the NASCAR Nationwide Series and get involved in races across the country. 

We’ll take very much the same approach we’ve taken with our sponsorship of the Nationwide Tour. Since becoming umbrella sponsor of the Nationwide Tour in 2003, which, like the NASCAR Nationwide Series, is a proving ground for the next generation of superstars who will one day compete at the highest level, we’ve put significant resources into elevating the tour’s profile in the golf world. Since we’ve been involved, the Nationwide Tour is sending more players than ever to the PGA Tour. Purses have increased, as has media coverage of the sport. We’ve got a great road map for local activation based on our experience with the Nationwide Tour.

So, changes will be coming, but we don't know what yet.  Hopefully Nationwide can help the series move in the right direction.

The only problem I have with the whole deal is the fact that GEICO, which has been in the series for seven years, is being given a sunset provision, that's two years left and then they're out.  I don't agree with that, I think they should have been grandfathered in, but that's just me.

The other issue I want to address is what France said about development drivers, that the series will continue to develop up and coming drivers.  How can these guys prove themselves with all the Cup drivers in the race?  How many non-Cup drivers won this year so far?  The Cup drivers keep winning all the races and the media coverage is always on the Cup drivers, so how can these developmental drivers really be seen?

They need to lower the cost to the teams and limit Cup drivers to so many races or something like that, something needs to be done, maybe Nationwide can have some influence and change the series in the right direction.

Your thoughts?