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Stewarts Rant and the monopolized sponsors
Lets start out by saying I'm not sure if monopolized is the right word to use but I'm sure you guys can get what I'm saying. Tony Stewart's comments after the race were words that needed to be heard. I'm just not sure if he did it in the right way. Its not fair that drivers, fans, and teams have to continue to put up with half ass production out of companies that have a monopoly on the sport. Goodyear being one and Sunoco being the other. Reverse the situation on Sunday and lets say Sunoco brought bad gas to the track and cars were blowing motors and couldn't make for a good race. How would that look towards Nascar and how would the drivers react to that. I don't know how hard it was to drive a car because I'm not a driver, but it seems with no competition from outside sources the lack of a good product is hurting the sport. Now, i don't know all the facts behind the tire company and the contract Nascar has with them, but if more drivers speak up like Tony did something has to be done. It only takes a few drivers to get a bad taste in there mouth and it takes months to get it out. Goodyear has to come back with something that gets the drivers back in the good graces. OK, thats all for now.
March 10, 2008 | Permalink
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All cars raced on the same tire. If it made it hard to drive thats what they are paid millions for. If it was easy to drive you and I would be racin. I expect my high paid driver to always be on the edge and outdrive the others regardless of the track, tires, wind, sun etc. Quit bitchin' and race.
Posted by: mackyjay | Mar 10, 2008 1:44:41 PM
mackyjay - I don't think the drivers care if the car is hard to drive. They just want to be able to race the darn thing. The race was boring and I for one hope they get the tire situation worked out. If no one speaks up, nothing will change.
Posted by: Diane | Mar 10, 2008 2:44:25 PM
Drivers, team owners and crew chiefs, alone, should conduct the tire test and then make the decision on which tire will be run. Why is the sanctioning body involved in the first place. Safety first, is a worn out cliche. If the tire supplier is required to be competitive in the quality of the tire and all of the other factors involved in a racing tire, how could they not be as safe as the existing tire. Conduct an equal test between those who want to be in the competition, then let the drivers, team owners and crew chiefs make the final decision. I raced many a mile on Hoosiers, Bridgestone and Goodyear. I know which is best, the fastest and the most durable of the three. A monopoly cannot produce either of these three qualities in a tire. Good for Tony and Junior for taking a stand on one of the tools of their livelihood. Tires are pretty darned important to the guy wheeling a cup car.
Posted by: jim | Mar 10, 2008 3:22:03 PM
Mack if you watched Atlanta that was anything but a race. Those cars, every last one of them, were doing everything they could just to keep from wrecking. There was no side by side racing like there usually is at Atlanta. When Jeff Gordon said he was scared out there, and he finished 5th, then something's wrong. I didn't see anyone try to force the issue at any point yesterday, with the exception of Kyle on the last lap, and that tells me that the drivers didn't trust the tire to try to race side by side. Yesterday was the first time I ever saw Ryan Newman just pull over and let someone by. Usually he's racing as hard as he can to keep his position but even he didn't want to force the issue. Like Jr. said. There has to be something in between the tires they had yesterday and tires that blowout after 30 laps. Goodyear needs to do a better job of figuring things out and maybe a competing brand might just be what they need to do it.
Posted by: Ken | Mar 10, 2008 6:34:13 PM
I think the bigger problem is that they tested on one tire and then brought another. This is the first time this has happened and it completely screws up the teams making the data they compiled from their test worthless. Regardless, enough drivers were complaining about it that there does seem to be a legitimate problem with that particular tire, if it was just one or two then I would dismiss it as whining. I'm sure they'll fix it, who cares because it's onto Bristol! Oh, forgot, congrats Busch jr. on your win, dude I don't like you but man are you on fire right now.
Posted by: canucken | Mar 10, 2008 9:26:38 PM
They do get paid alot, but to add to what Diane said, they need to be able to drive them and put on a good show for the fans and have some fun themselves, I'm not sure any of those drivers were having fun and the race was boring! Which was upsetting cause I've always loved to watch Atlanta races, not after Sunday! I'm hoping that Texas doesn't turn out like that! And Ken is so right, Newman never pulls over, even when you think he should, he won't, but he did!
Posted by: darlene | Mar 10, 2008 9:33:16 PM
I'm kind of torn on this one...
First let me say that I agree 100% with Tony using the platform he had to speak his mind about something he saw as important. It wasn't just "this car sux", it was "this tire sux...and here's why." Anyway...
I'm all for tire wars. I think that teams should have their choice of the tire they want to run. Goodyear, Hoosier, Firestone, etcetera should be a part of NASCAR, imo. Either that, OR...let teams be able to test and choose the compound they want to race on. I don't know that that's really feasable, but it's an interesting idea.
The other option I see is to build 4 compounds - 2-2.5mile, 1.5mile, 1-.5mile, and roadcourse. Use only those tires at the respective distanced races, and that way the teams have an idea of what to expect. They can find a reasonable load tolerance based on an average and since there is some setup can be played with in the car accordingly, allow the teams to take on the responsibility of not overloading the tire.
But, I don't know...
If enough drivers bitch, maybe something will change.
Yeah, they get paid alot...but a comfortable driver races better. And comfort has full bearing on the quality of racing.
Posted by: the6and9 | Mar 10, 2008 10:37:10 PM
Hey Trent,
Gee Tony, tell us what you really think. lol
Never do I recall hearing the same complaint from so many drivers. Not sure about the blame going totally in one direction though. Nascar tells them what they "want". As Ray E. said, maybe it's time for a new size tire to work better with the new car.
Sure do see alot of old worn out race tracks. Yes, they want to keep the speeds down but, is "bouncing around" the answer?
Hope the powers that be find a solution for the Texas race.
Good finishs for the blue cars on a tough day. Sam has to start filling the hole that he is digging.
Posted by: Larry | Mar 10, 2008 11:03:14 PM
This is not the first time Goodyear has pulled the lets test one tire and race another. Remember Vegas last year. I'm with the driver's, it is not about they are getting paid a lot of money shut up and race. The WANT to be ABLE to race. As fans WE should demand more for our dollars. We spend alot of money and our time to pull for our teams. That race was pathetic. Even Jeff Gordon who for the most part is very political correct wasn't happy. Yes we all want our drivers to be safe. By Monday night you had commentators from ESPN even saying goodyear needs to bring better tires, the race was boring. No matter what device you watched the race on it was boring. PRN is not my favorite, but I am sure Dave Moody and the boys could not have made that race interesting. That wasn't Hotlanta that was Naplanta. I agree that this is not all goodyear's fault, maybe it is the combination of car, track and tire. If that is the case all the more reason for there to be effective communication between everyone before the event.
Posted by: kendria | Mar 10, 2008 11:16:17 PM
Tony Stewart proves once again that he is the absolute funniest guy in Nascar! It is never what he says that makes me laugh, it's the way he whines it out that cracks me up every time. The topper is his show on Sirius! I can't even drive when he's babbling because I'm laughing so hard! Someone correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't Tony threatening to get in shape with his purchase of a home gym? Bwahahaha! Looks like he swapped it in for a deep fryer.
Posted by: ron | Mar 11, 2008 12:33:39 AM
Trent,
I'm with Tony on this one.
How many years have we put up with strong cars going by the way side do to frickin tire problems?
I realize Nascar in there infinite wisdom is trying to create more "this that and the other."
Forget creating problems and give them a frickin usable tire and LET THEM RACE.....GEEEZ!
Posted by: The Buckeye Newman | Mar 11, 2008 12:54:04 AM
The tires didn't make the race bad, they made the bad race worse. NASCAR should have built more adjustability into this car. BUT...Goodyear was aware of this and chose to bring a harder tire than was tested.
Teams have no way to add downforce. NASCAR needs to let them remove the bump-stops to pin the nose and place more downforce on the wing. They should also allow more changes to the front splitter and rear wing. It does no good to have these tools if their exact placement is mandated.
So while Goodyear deserves the beating they are getting, NASCAR shouldn't have placed all hope for grip on the tire.
Posted by: tx12fan | Mar 11, 2008 6:48:08 AM
Speaking of bad gas, wasn't it Atlanta a year ago where water was found in the fuel? As for the tires, there have been various problems at all the tracks so far this year. This was not your typical fender to fender Atlanta race that we have come to know and love. Boring. I just don't see that many drivers beeing wrong about the inablility to drive into the corners with confidence in their tires, except Rowdy of course, and he doesnt know any better, nor care for that matter.
Posted by: Lynn Dozier | Mar 11, 2008 10:39:37 AM
The only answer is - TIRE WAR. Let Firestone and Hoosier race with Goodyear in Winston Cup. Don't give me this safety bull because that's all it ever was.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Mar 11, 2008 11:26:52 AM
tx12fan, you're missing the point - NASCAR should never have built this Car Of Tomorrow to start with. What they should have done is kept the long nose/flush airdam/chopped roofline body, gone back to a 7.5-inch spoiler and low airdam clearence, kept the hard 2001-2 tire package that helped produce 26 winners among 14 different teams in that two-season stretch, and bolted on a roof blade for drag and a bigger draft.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Mar 11, 2008 11:29:47 AM
Trent tony is a bad winer
Posted by: Micah | Mar 11, 2008 8:23:01 PM
I personally like the way Stewart drives and i like the way he competes. I do think he went a little to far in the post race comments but it is what it is. Your not the only one that thinks that Micah.
Posted by: trent | Mar 12, 2008 8:11:20 AM
trent - If Tony had complained about the tires in a PC way, would there be as much attention on this problem as there is now? Sometimes you have to go overboard with a complaint to get your point across. Being excessively outspoken is what is expected of Stewart. If he had given his opinion in the vanilla way that Jeff Gordon and others do, no one would have listened to him.
Is there a driver in Cup who has the guts to step up and be the leader of this sport? Jeff Gordon, are you listening. You have the stats, the knowledge and the standing in the NASCAR community to be the leader we need.
Posted by: Diane | Mar 12, 2008 10:01:23 AM
I have to say I think Tony did an excellent job of getting his point across. I admire him for being able to speak whats on his mind. Never mind the politically correct drivers and all their mumbo jumbo...just speak whats on your mind!! Way to go Tony!! Maybe someone at Nascar and Goodyear will listen to you. They are not obviously listening to the fact that race tracks are not filling the stands any more. We fans deserve to see racing and what we saw in Atlanta was a far cry from that!!
And I am sorry Diane, Jeff Gordon is not going to step up to be a leader...he is one of the most politically correct drivers in the garage. He will never tell it like it is!
Posted by: sb | Mar 12, 2008 12:39:23 PM
Trent, I think the sadness in this is that the drivers aren't having fun racing, and the fans aren't having fun watching. The drivers and teams work hard every weekend, and Atlanta was awful. That's not to say the 12 team didn't do well, they did the best they could. While it's true that all the cars were in the same situation, it appeared the drivers had all they could do to keep the cars from hitting the wall and each other! Let's get back to racing!
Posted by: Donna | Mar 12, 2008 1:44:06 PM
Diane and sb........totally agree that Jeff Gordon would prefer to do things the politically correct way rather than taking things WAY OVERBOARD (my opinion) like Tony did. The fact is you'll never know what Jeff does. In Jeff's post-race interview he said he had plans to meet with NASCAR and Goodyear the next day at testing. I have read articles stating that Jeff does take issues up with NASCAR and has brought up concerns in the driver's meetings. I am really glad Tony is around to entertain the fans though. I consider him rude and hope my sons do not go through life thinking that is the way to resolve issues.
Posted by: Victor | Mar 12, 2008 3:58:38 PM
Trent, I'm glad Tony spoke out about the tires and as far as the way he said it, well, at least he didn't keep his mouth shut completely. We are slowly hearing how more of the 42 other guys were not happy. Let's just hope that from now one these guys are not forced to race with one tire after having tested on another. That, to me, was absolutely a moronic move on Goodyear's part.
Good Luck at Bristol!!!
Posted by: JenInIL | Mar 12, 2008 5:58:15 PM
One thing is that Tony dont like Kyle to OUT drive him,and another is I dont care what tire you put on JR car he will not win the title.NASCAR is geting payed by Goodyear, and say what you want NASCAR will never own up to it.All these drivers get a lot of money to drive so drive the car or leave.they can pay 200.00 dollars for a ticket and watch, and they will see how to get Tonys 38in ass in a 18in seat
Posted by: larry | Mar 12, 2008 6:08:56 PM
Based on his comments over the last two seasons, I think Tony's going to retire after his contract is up next season. He's too pissed at NASCAR's stupid decisions and he has too much fun at Eldora.
I think he's done after 2009 when his contract is up.
Posted by: JWSmoke | Mar 12, 2008 8:15:30 PM
"tx12fan, you're missing the point - NASCAR should never have built this Car Of Tomorrow to start with. What they should have done is kept the long nose/flush airdam/chopped roofline body, gone back to a 7.5-inch spoiler and low airdam clearence, kept the hard 2001-2 tire package that helped produce 26 winners among 14 different teams in that two-season stretch, and bolted on a roof blade for drag and a bigger draft."
I agree Mike, but do you really think NASCAR is going to kick the dirt, spit on the ground, and say "lets click undo boys"? I just hate that all mechanical grip has been tossed out the window, leaving ALL hope for real racing on a tire supplied by a single manufacturer.
Until they allow some real adjustments, this is what we've got to look forward to. Any grip provided solely by the tire either won't be enough, or certainly won't last long enough with this heavy car.
Posted by: tx12fan | Mar 13, 2008 7:09:09 AM
I dont think he can afford to retire. just cause he s mad hes not going to leave the money tree. he ll get over it.
Posted by: jwsmoke | Mar 13, 2008 8:17:48 AM
I think Tony is upset he has to drive a Toyota!! Tony is a good ole boy from Indiana so that makes him an American...wait...does he have an Italian background? Well one thing for certain is he is not Japanese!! Keep Nascar a true American sport!! Keep out the foreign cars!!!!!!
Posted by: sb | Mar 13, 2008 8:48:33 AM
tx12fan, at some point NASCAR will indeed have no choice but to "click undo," because the present COT design cannot work. Yes, for now we'll have to put up with what we've got, but that doesn't make it the right deal, and it certainly does not make it a deal that will help the sport.
Posted by: Mike Daly | Mar 13, 2008 1:49:53 PM
It is high time that the drivers and fans had a spokesperson. Not since Dale died have we had anyone who would really stand up to Nascar, monopoly vendors, and sponsors the way Tony has.
Posted by: Lynn Dozier | Mar 13, 2008 7:44:27 PM
I find TONY STEWART and Kyle Bush put a
little emotion in the race. This around and around we go sometimes takes the fun away from watching the race. As long as
no one gets badly hurt and it is mostly lip service let Tony GO. Dale Sr. got his fans
and name because he ran over everybody or at least he gave it a shot. So why down TONY
WHEN PEOPLE EXPECED IT FROM DALE SR. GO GET EM TONY.
Posted by: demaina | Mar 13, 2008 10:30:19 PM
"jwsmoke" (note lower case, not me, JWSmoke) said:
"I dont think he can afford to retire. just cause he s mad hes not going to leave the money tree. he ll get over it."
Why are you making it look like I posted this?
Posted by: JWSmoke | Mar 14, 2008 1:44:32 AM
Lynn Dozier, when the hell did Earnhardt ever make a difference?
Posted by: Mike Daly | Mar 16, 2008 12:30:32 AM
What planet are you from Mike Daly?? I assume Lynn Dozier is talking about DAle Sr. He was always speaking his mind and Bill France always listened too.
Posted by: sb | Mar 18, 2008 4:17:44 PM
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