Turn 3

Forget the girls, Mark Martin has gone wild

By Mike Harper

On October 14, 2004 the racing world was rocked when Mark Martin announced he’d be leaving the Nextel Cup Series at the end of the 2005 season. "First off I have to be clear that I’m not retiring from racing. I’m too young to retire from racing, but I’ve been out here chasing this thing for a long time," said Martin. "For me it’s just time to do something different."

Just over a year later from that announcement Martin agreed to stay on at Roush Racing to pilot his No. 6 Ford with a new sponsor for the 2006 season with an exit plan to leave the Cup Series for the Craftsman Truck Series in 2007.

Now we’re heading into the 2007 season and I don’t think anyone had a clue of just how different things would be for this NASCAR veteran driver when he said back in 2004, "it’s just time to do something different."

Mark Martin will drive for different owners in 2007. The original plan was to have Martin remain at Roush and drive a Roush Racing truck in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2007. Martin also showed some interest in specific Nextel Cup Series events such as the All-Star race and the Daytona 500. But something backfired with his plans.

Instead of staying on at Roush, the place he called home for 20 years and the place he put on the NASCAR map, he will now leave and drive a part-time schedule in the Nextel Cup Series for Roush rival MB2 Motorsports. In addition, he will compete in the Craftsman Truck Series for the Wood Brothers in 2007.

Rumors are floating about Martin driving in the Busch Series next season too including for Hendrick Motorsports and according to Martin himself he tried to strike a deal with Dale Earnhardt Jr., to drive his Busch Series car. "I talked to Dale Junior about sharing a Busch car with him and a couple of other guys next season," said Martin. "We both wanted to do it, but we couldn’t get the details figured out."

While Martin has gone wild on partnering with multiple teams in multiple series for 2007, you’ve got to wonder why he decided to leave Roush in the first place. "Mark put Roush Racing on the map. My enduring relationship with Mark has been the proudest accomplishment of my business life. Perhaps more importantly, he has been the second brother I never had, my best friend, and the cornerstone of the effort I have devoted my competitive ambitions to," said Roush Racing’s owner Jack Roush at the time of Martin’s original announcement in 2004.

Ford’s Dan Davis, was asked by Martin after his 2006 announcement if he could remain in a Roush Ford truck even though he would be driving a Chevrolet in 2007. Davis said to Martin, "Mark, man, wow. You've sort of...my life at Ford headquarters is not real good right now because of your little deal here, so you're asking me something that's real hard. Maybe we need to get over the initial hurt of this whole thing and try to look at it in hard, cold business terms and that's what I would really like to do and be unemotional about it."

Martin will remain in a Ford Truck next season, but not for Roush Racing. And if Martin and Roush mean so much to each other, then why would they separate? If Ford’s so hurt that Martin left to race a Chevrolet in the Nextel Cup Series, then why would they separate in Cup? To me these are the million-dollar questions and it leads me to believe that there’s some sort of an issue going on behind the scenes at Roush Racing.

Last season when driver Jamie McMurray was rumored to take the wheel from Martin when he resigned the driving duties of the No. 6 Ford, Martin said, "But, for many of us the six-car will always be my car, and Jamie McMurray is my choice to take the car over." Could Martin be upset that McMurray didn’t get the job in the No. 6 or could Martin disagree with Roush Racing’s upcoming merger with Fenway Sports Group who also owns the Boston Red Sox?

If I were a bettin’ man, I’d bet Martin is upset that Jack Roush is selling up to half of his racing empire, an empire that Mark Martin helped build. An empire that if sold, Martin would have no future ownership interest and ultimately no future at Fenway-Roush. If this is truly the case, can you blame Martin for going wild and signing with other teams?

I think back to the 2005 season when Chip Ganassi Racing partner Felix Sabates was seen in the garage at one of the tracks having a conversation with Jack Roush about signing Jamie McMurray away from Ganassi. When asked what he told Roush, Sabates said, "I just said it was a great, great move hiring Jamie, so he’ll have a stable of great drivers, so when he sells the company, he’ll get a bunch of money. He’s been trying to sell it."

According to the report Roush told Sabates, "I’m not for sale, pal."

Maybe Martin leaving Roush validates Sabates’ comments after all and if so, losing the organizations biggest name to another team has become a normal practice for Fenway Sports Group. Just ask those Red Sox fans.

'Special' means just that

By DAVID GREEN

Tom Sorenson is a good guy and he writes a good column -- usually. This one is not one of his good ones. With all due respect to Tom and my Turn 3 blogmate Mike Harper, you guys have stated your opinions, and now, here's mine.

Sorenson's job is to be provocative. But in doing so this time, he has bought into the NASCAR mentality that every race and every championship battle MUST be breathtaking. If they ever succeed in making it that way, they will seriously devalue the sport.

Comparing the Ford 400 to the gripping 42-39 victory by top-ranked Ohio State over No. 2 Michigan is an easy way to make the NASCAR race look bad, but it's a flawed comparison. And it supports my point, not his.

That game was not special because it was like every other college football game ever played, or even like every Ohio State-Michigan game ever played. It was special because the overwhelming majority of college football games are NOT like that one.

I notice there was no mention of last year's OSU-Michigan contest (a 25-21 victory by the Buckeyes in a game that did not happen to match the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation). Should the Big Ten and NCAA be alarmed because that 2005 game was not much more exciting than, say, watching the Wendy's drive-through?

A better comparison would be to other sports' championship contests, most of which turn out to be something less than classic. The overwhelming majority of Super Bowls have been anything but "super." In that respect, NASCAR's season finale had just about the same "pizzazz" as other sports' championship events, not less.

Sorenson picked the OSU-Michigan game for comparison for two reasons -- one, timeliness, and two, because it was such a knock-down, drag-out classic of a game. So far, I have not heard legions of college football fans complaining that every game is not just like that one, and (so far, anyway) nobody is suggesting that we do something to make sure that every game is like that one.

That's a good thing, because we shouldn't.

We don't remember and talk about the Pearson-Petty finish to the 1976 Daytona 500 because it was so much like every other NASCAR race. We don't remember and talk about the 1992 Winston Cup championship drama because it's like that every year. We remember and talk about that race and that championship battle because they were so different from most races and most seasons.

That does not automatically mean there is something wrong with all those races that did not end in a last-lap crash or the championship battles that are determined in some manner that doesn't cause fans to swoon in their seats from excitement.

When everything is special, folks, nothing is.

In my opinion – NASCAR has turned soft

By Mike Harper

Thanks Tom Sorensen for the lead in.

I’ve been itching to write about this topic. I’ve even typed it up and backspaced over the darn thing because I can’t sugarcoat my opinions. So figured I would wait until the season was over so I could yell it from the top of the grandstand. Got a bullhorn?

Thanks to Tom Sorensen and his column published on ThatsRacin.com, everyone who has a ticket should jump on board Tom’s train and ride it with him. Bottom line, Tom is absolutely right, if you would like to replicate the thrills at Homestead-Miami Speedway, go to Wendy's and watch the drive-through. Man that’s brilliant!

I’m willing to push the envelope a tad bit further than Tom. I’ll name names.

The Mark Martin philosophy, you know the one, "move over and race them later" especially those non-Chasers who are scared to race the Chase drivers because they might take out a championship contender is hogwash!

First, has Mark won a championship in the Nextel Cup Series using this philosophy? Exactly, he hasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I like Mark Martin. So before all you Martin fans start sending me the hate email, keep in mind I’ve been very pro-Martin this season. I even picked him to win the championship. But his "give and take" advise might work for some, but it doesn’t for others.

Jimmie Johnson doesn’t live by giving and taking. Normally he is on the taking end and guess what? He won a championship.

At Phoenix, Johnson started 29th and was able to cut his way through the field up into the top 10. He achieved this in less than 30 laps. The majority of his competition moved out of his way and let him go. It was the same story at Homestead-Miami with the exception of Kevin Harvick, who made it difficult for Johnson to pass him early in the race and was criticized for it by Johnson. So racing should only happen during the last 25 laps of a race? Is that it?

It amazes me when a driver like Harvick or Ryan Newman gets raked over the coals for racing his competition during the early to middle stages of a race. What’s wrong with making your competition work for a pass or have him use up his stuff in an attempt to pass you on lap 20? Isn’t that racing?

During the Busch event at Homestead-Miami, Kyle Busch complained that David Reutimann was blocking him and caused him to wreck early in that event. Honestly, Reutimann discovered a new trick and it’s called racing! It’s where you do your best to race and keep the guys racing you, behind you. It’s a great concept and entertaining too.

While Busch wrecked trying to pass Reutimann, Reutimann finished in the 12th position all because he raced his competition. Amazing how that works.

On Sunday morning, SPEED televised a show hosted by Dave Despain highlighting "The State of NASCAR." Team owners, media and drivers were invited to join the panel of experts to discuss many topics including the decline in the TV ratings. My main question is why didn’t they find a NASCAR fan and put them on the panel?

Isn’t a fan an expert in watching NASCAR? Couldn’t a fan or a panel of fans explain why the ratings are down?

I think the reason a fan’s voice wasn’t heard is because NASCAR doesn’t want to hear the truth. And the truth is the ratings are down because the racing is soft and so are the driver rivalries. It’s not fun watching race car drivers move out of the way of other race car drivers.

Sadly, as much as we’re told the car of tomorrow will increase the racing between drivers, that can’t happen until the drivers themselves decide to race each other hard each and every lap.

Call them the most disappointing of 2006

By Mike Harper

Championship weekend has arrived, but some in the garage area are ready to put this season behind them. Today’s NASCAR off-season is more than just rest and relaxation it also brings pressures to rebuild those teams that stumbled during the previous season.

With more and more changes coming to NASCAR’s elite series and additional teams joining the mix next season, the importance of pointing a team and driver into the right direction is becoming more critical. Let’s face it, faltering teams with major sponsorship money could miss more races next season.

Looking back at the 2006 Nextel Cup Series season, Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle not making the Chase after their efforts in 2005 stands out most in my mind. Would I call not making the 2006 Chase disappointing for these drivers? In the case of Tony Stewart, yes. In my opinion, the defending champion should make the next season’s Chase.

When you look at NASCAR’s three top racing series, the most disappointing of 2006 include:

Craftsman Truck Series

At the end of the 2005 season Dennis Setzer found himself as the runner-up to series champion Ted Musgrave. Missing the championship by 56 points wasn’t his only runner-up accomplishment in 2005. He won four races, second to Todd Bodine’s five race wins.

In 2006, Setzer currently sits 12th in the standings with no wins and only one top five finish in 24 races. This makes him and his team the Craftsman Truck Series most disappointing.

Busch Series

Kenny Wallace has taken pride over the years in his ability to finish inside the Top 10 in the Busch Series standings. In 2004, Wallace finished 9th in the standings and last season with five top five finishes, he ended the season standings in 7th.

Wallace, a fan favorite with his outgoing personality hasn’t recorded any top five finishes during the 2006 season through 34 races and currently trails the 10th place points position by over 90 points. In addition, Wallace has run every event and trails three drivers who haven’t raced the entire season, including Greg Biffle who has only raced in 29 events prior to the Homestead-Miami weekend. With news that his sponsor will be leaving, Wallace announced that he’ll be moving to the Nextel Cup Series next season, but not without him and his team first being labeled the Busch Series most disappointing of the 2006.

Nextel Cup Series

The lost rookie

In the category of rookies, David Stremme gets the nod for the top disappointing rookie spot. Stremme is the only 2006 rookie who has not finished a race inside the top 10 and finds himself outside the top 30 in the standings, the only rookie to hold this honor as well. With one event left in the 2006 season, Stremme has a chance to give his team a spark going into the off-season.

Short term investment ends up a bust

The 2005 season was rocked with a few announcements regarding driver contracts. Jamie McMurray signed with Roush Racing one year before his contract was set to expire with Chip Ganassi Racing.

After finishing 11th in the standings at the end of 2004 and 12th in 2005, McMurray was primed to put Ganassi’s No. 42 in the Chase for 2006. But Jack Roush and Mark Martin from Roush Racing had other plans for young McMurray and signed him to a contract beginning in 2007. This brought tension to the Ganassi team and it trashed their 2006 plans for McMurray. They ended up cutting McMurray loose and allowed him to race for Roush this season.

Unfortunately what seemed to be a steal for Roush ended up being a bust for 2006. With only seven top 10’s recorded this season going into Homestead-Miami, McMurray is the worst of all Roush drivers. Also, one of this seasons most disappointing.

Top Dog

Known as the Rocketman, because of his ability to secure the top spot during qualifying, Ryan Newman is one of NASCAR’s top drivers. Coming off back-to-back Chase runs from 2004 and 2005, Newman was easily picked as a championship contender for 2006. In each of the last two seasons prior to the 2006 season, Newman has recorded atleast one win, 8 or more poles and multiple top 10 race finishes.

In 2006, Newman and his No. 12 Penske Dodge hit a major speed bump. With two poles, seven top 10’s and no wins, Newman sits 18th in the standings and even trails his new teammate Kurt Busch in the categories of poles, top 5’s, top 10’s and race wins.

With Newman’s crew chief leaving the team with two races to go in the 2006 season, things don’t look any better for Newman to end the season on a high note. Newman, though he remains one of NASCAR’s most talented drivers will be one of those drivers ready to get this season behind him. The 2006 season will go down in history with Ryan Newman and his No. 12 team being known as the most disappointing of the season.

Who do you consider the most disappointing?

Notes Etc.

By Keith Ott

 

Note from Brian France to Brian France: Extra large Christmas presents to be sent to the Vickers Household. (Without Vickers assistance at Talladega, Jimmie Johnson gets the championship before the race even starts in Homestead. Second to Twenty Fourth is 79pts + 63 point lead = 142pts. Johnson would just have to turn the key since 143 is the most points a driver can make up in a single race. Actually, that mathematically eliminates everyone but Kenseth. How’s that for an exciting Chase finish?)
 

Note from NBC Producer to Graphics department: I want bigger, better, flashier graphics next week. I’m still seeing cars on the track. (One of my thoughts on graphics is that just because you can do something doesn’t always mean you should. When you add “Through the field” to the scroll it takes up a hunk of TV space. I even catch myself trying to look behind it to see what the car they’re talking about actually looks like. BTW, have they ever actually finished one all the way through the field? I’m calling this graphic deluge “Monday Night Football Syndrome” because nobody obsesses on graphics like MNF. )

Note from Director to camera people: You will cover Johnson and the leader. If Johnson is the leader go to plan B and just cover the leader. I’m still seeing way too many other cars on the track. (I swear I walked away and came back a few times and the coverage was consistently Harvick/Johnson. Other cars almost had to wreck to get a mention. Maybe, I’m exaggerating a bit but it wouldn’t hurt to sweep the field a little more.)
 

Overall I thought Phoenix was a decent show. Of course, It didn’t hurt that my guy won. If Johnson loses the title it won’t be because of Johnson. He showed “Big Picture” thinking when he decided a try for the win was too risky. I even thought the commentary from the booth was pretty good. And, I don’t care what you say, “I like Weber.” He doesn’t know everything (We have the other guys for that) and he gets excited and says stupid things at times. He’s become the “comic relief” for the broadcast. I Thank the lord that he never says, “Boogity.”

 

Your turn.

Poor Matt

By Mark Young

I read the article on the front page of the mother ship last night that Jim Utter wrote called "When Do You Say That It's Over?" http://www.thatsracin.com/mld/thatsracin//15997555.htm where he wrote about the chances Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick have at winning the NEXTEL Cup on Sunday at Homestead and to say the least I was disappointed.  Matt was asked if he was optimistic about his chances and his response was "No, not really".  In fact, it kind of ticks me off that he has all but conceeded the championship to Jimmie Johnson when there are 40 other drivers and teams out there that would give anything to be where his team sits right now.

o63 points is not impossible to overcome, but when you talk like it is already over that number might as well be 630.  Has Matt forgotten all of the weird things that have happened during the 35 races he has run since Daytona back in February?  Sure it will take a little luck and a lot of help but with the right attitude it could be overcome.  What do those kind of comments mean to the hundreds of people that build those cars, tune those engines, and bust their butts during race weekend?

A race car driver is like the quarterback on a football team.  He is the heart and soul of the team and his attitude trickle downs to the rest of the team.  To come out in the media and talk about how badly the team has run sends a message that he has given up.  Conversely Kevin Harvick is talking about how they are out there having fun and working hard to get the best finish they can.  Granted they are riding a wave of jubilation following another win at Phoenix but I truly believe a positive attitude makes a ton of difference.

If Matt has already cashed in the season it is truly a shame.  He and the team have had a great season, one that guys like Kyle Petty, Dave Blaney, and Michael Waltrip would do anything to have a taste of.  Tony Stewart could have thrown in the towel after Richmond when he didn't make the Chase but instead they went out and worked harder, dominated races, and are reminding people that they are still there hungry for wins.

Tweaking the Chase

By DAVID GREEN

I know this is stirring a pot that doesn't need much stirring, but it sure looks as if, after nine Chase races, we have a finale that is a whole lot like many finales we had over the years without the Chase format. Jimmie Johnson finishes 12th or better, he wins.

If Lady Luck owes anybody a concession, it has to be Johnson. Based on the past couple of years, Johnson is surely wondering whether a meteor is going to fall out of the sky and knock him out of the top 12 next Sunday at Homestead. Hopefully, not. This guy has proven himself and he deserves a break.

Johnson, Kenseth and Harvick have all enjoyed success this year that would more than validate them as the 2006 Nextel Cup champion, so it looks as if the Chase is going to give us a bona fide winner, not someone whose title would have been questioned or rejected.

Still, the Chase leaves much to be desired. This year, much more conspicuously than the last two, the 10 Chase drivers have been elbowed aside by non-Chase drivers, who have won four of nine races. Except for Johnson, Kenseth and Harvick, this year's field has not acquitted itself all that well, either in how they got into the top 10, how they have fared in the Chase, or both.

What to do? Well, I'm going to pass along the comments of a buddy of mine from Miami, who came up with some darned good suggestions. I'm blending my own thoughts with his.

First, you should have to win at least once in the first 26 races to get into the championship playoff. Winners this year included all the Chasers except Jeff Burton and Mark Martin, plus Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle (11 total). Expand the field to 11, or take the top 10 in points.

It's highly unlikely that we're going to have a season with fewer than 10 different winners, but if so, so be it.

Not only should NASCAR better reward race winners, it ought to give bonus points for multiple victories -- not only in the 26-race "regular season," but also in the Chase. Emphasize and reward winning.

I have the utmost respect for Martin and Burton, who would have been excluded from this year's Chase field by this revised format. I'm a fan of both of these guys and, in many other seasons, they have demonstrated championship-caliber performance. Under a different format, either or both might well have already won a Cup title before they missed out on this year's opportunity.

A focus of attention (and rewards) on winning races will help the sport overall. Before today's Phoenix race, Johnson said, according to an NBC announcer, that he would trade all his victories for a championship title.

If we adopted the changes suggested here, that wouldn't be an option. The only way to win championships would be via winning races.

I think that's how it should be.

The Chase and Championships

By Keith Ott

 
Ok, now that most of the grownups have decided that real men shouldn’t push women down, let’s get back to racing. I was thinking about Gordon’s “Drive for 5,” and Johnson’s, “Run for One,” and how the Chase factors in for both. The Chase changed the whole ballgame. They threw out the book and turned getting a title into a 10 race crap-shoot…A “Playoff.” It used to be that we could look at the points with 10 to go and pick out the top 5 (less or more depending on the year) who were fighting for the Cup. Now, it’s the top 10 made even in points (or close to even) after the first 26 races. Drivers who had a zero, nyet, nada, no-f’in way hope of getting a title under the old system are back in play…And, they’re good drivers. They may have had a subpar season or bad fortune under the old system,  but they have new life with the Chase. So, let’s look at this from a couple of angles:

1)     Using Gordon (from above) as an example, does the Chase help or hinder his “Drive for Five?” Certainly, this was not one of his best seasons and, under the old system, his points would maybe have gotten him a seat at the “head table” but not even a glance at a title. But, the Chase gave him a chance. Fair? Those are the rules so, yep,  it’s fair. Deserved? That’s a determination only you and I can make for ourselves. Personally, I voted no.

2)     Gordon again, still going for that fifth, only now, this season, he is “The Man,”  again. Points leader, creaming the field…a shoe in. But, alas, now he has to deal with those 9 other great drivers revitalized by the Chase. “One “Oops” can wipe out a whole lotta “Atta Boys”” is a NAVY saying that applies in the Chase. One tire, one wreck and 26 weeks is down the tubes. Yeah, yeah it’s fair in the Chase. But, I don’t think it’s deserved. (Oh, btw, we don’t use “Oops” on the ship.)

3)    I was going to use Johnson, fighting for his first here for #3. But, it’s exactly the same as example #2. He and Kenseth have been “The Man” this season and either would have legitimate claims on the throne. Alas, this is the Chase, and “Oops” comes into play. Johnson not only has to beat the other Chasers for his first. He has to dodge 2 more chances for a potential “Oops.” An “Oops” maybe not even of his own making. You don’t think so? Ask Jeff Burton about “Oops.” So, this Chase thingy has made Johnsons job of beating one man, Kenseth, into a playground game of dodgeball. 

So, I guess my question is: Does the Chase make it harder or easier to…

a) Establish a Legacy: A fifth title say for Gordon; Will there ever be another 7 time Champ?

b) Get that first title.

Or, c) It just doesn’t matter. The Chase is just a different set of rules with the same outcome.

LOL, it’s already Friday and I never posted about Texas. My bad. Ok here’s my quick Texas rundown. Stewart stunk up the show and don’t push women down ramps. Yep, that about covers Texas.

The Harvick assault

By DAVID GREEN

It won't ever be as big a story as it might have been, because there's no videotape of the incident (along with Kevin and Delana Harvick and a NASCAR official) going down. But it will be a story, nonetheless.

We all saw Scott Riggs battling furiously to hold onto third place, saw his No. 10 Dodge get out of shape, saw the car slam viciously into the Turn 4 wall and carom off the Texas Motor Speedway SAFER barrier, saw Harvick's black and silver No. 29 zoom safely past as the yellow lights blinked on and traffic stacked up behind the wreck.

We never got the chance to see whether Riggs had any comment about the incident; just how today's television crews choose their interview subjects after an incident, I haven't yet figured out. And, of course, there was no hand-held camera conveniently watching when a member of Riggs' team, allegedly, took retaliatory action against Harvick later, on the way back to the garage.

So, we all wait for NASCAR to render a verdict. Meanwhile, we all have probably come up with our own versions of what happened and formed our opinions about it.

For what it's worth, here's my version.

I saw a heated battle between a car with older tires and one with four newer ones. I saw a valiant attempt by the driver with the not-quite-as-quick Dodge to stay in front of the slightly quicker Chevy. And then I saw him veer out of control and crash.

Did Harvick dump him? Or was it incidental contact, or even no contact at all, that caused Riggs to first lose control and ultimately wreck? I won't kid myself and pretend to know the answers to those questions.

I'm entirely sympathetic toward Riggs. But while I have seen Harvick do some low-down things to other drivers, while I have seen him erupt in anger when somebody does something that causes him to have a problem, while I have heard him defend the indefensible "bump and run" as a legitimate racing tactic, I honestly can't say I saw him do anything Sunday night except race hard.

Harvick sets himself up for criticism by doing all the unsavory things I recounted, and by being a bit of a smart aleck about it all.

You may chuckle at some of his comments, and crack a smile in response to his crocodile-like grin. Sometimes, you just can't help it. But often, you're not inclined to cut him much slack when you evaluate what happens on the racetrack.

A long time ago, I had a lengthy conversation with a driver who had been offended by something I wrote about him. Essentially, I wrote that when you make a risky move and pull it off, you're a hero. But when you make that move and somebody else ends up picking concrete dust out of his teeth, many people are going to think you're a villain. Same move; same motivation; same degree of aggression; but a different outcome, and a different assessment of what kind of driver you are.

When you happen to be involved in many incidents in which somebody else winds up crashed, and when you don't demonstrate much remorse about it, that opinion hardens.

Harvick uses up much of the benefit of the doubt many might otherwise be willing to grant him, not only through his driving style but via his attitude.

It's not right for a crewmember to go after Harvick, and it's worse (for everybody, but especially the assailant) when the collateral damage includes an injured NASCAR official.

But it's pretty much what Harvick should expect. If he wants to present a bad-guy image, he ought not expect a kind and gentle reception -- whether he was reckless, or dirty, or not.

Where Is Everyone At?

By Mark Young

My wife and I were sitting together watching the race on Sunday when NBC showed an aerial view of the track that prompted a question from her, "What is all that blue stuff in the bleachers?"  I had to look twice because I was actually watching the cars fanned out around the track but what I realized that giant blob of blue was actually was empty seats.  There had to be at least a third of the entire front stretch seats empty and least that along the backstretch.  Thats four races in a row that there has been noticeable amounts of empty seats during NASCAR races.  Is it because of football?  Maybe it is the weather?  High prices?  Or maybe these conglomerates that own all of these tracks have saturated the market?  Let's take a look at a few possible reasons why people aren't going to the track.

I believe that part of the reason has to do with the economy.  Granted gas prices have gone down a bunch in the past couple of months but back when these tickets went on sale gas prices were over $2.50 per gallon and in some areas higher than that.  Combine that with the cost of tickets (MIS seats all average over $75 each, most higher) as well as the hotels and campgrounds that double even triple their rates and it is a very expensive weekend.  People just don't have the money to go to the races.

Maybe these tracks shouldn't have a second date on the schedule?  In fact, with the exception of a handful of tracks, I don't think NASCAR should visit any track more than once.  Daytona, Talladega, and Bristol are always packed.  It is hard to tell about Richmond because it is at night but I think they do well.  Even though it tends to get boring Michigan has two packed dates and the same thing holds true for Loudon and Pocono.  I believe that some of these tracks simply don't need two dates.  Dover and Martinsville have had trouble in the fall for a few years now and recently Atlanta has as well.  California couldn't even sell out their first ever second date, but we won't go there right now.  Texas has great racing but man I can't believe they shut down Rockingham to give this place a second date on the schedule.

Speaking of Rockingham I really wish they had at least one date.  Now that people recognize what they have lost I am sure the seats would be filled once a year to see a race on that track.  North Wilkesboro would bring another short track to a schedule that desperately needs it.  The new track in Iowa holds a lot of promise and hopefully it will get a date someday.  What would be really cool is to not only go back to the Rock and Wilkesboro NASCAR should really expand and go to some other tracks that they have never been to before.  Nashville and Kentucky immediately come to mind as does South Boston and the Milwaukee Mile.  Gateway in St. Louis is a nice track as well.

What I am getting at is that NASCAR needs to go back to their roots.  Go back to the tracks of our forefathers, go check out some of these other facilities that could easily host a race.  Don't tell me they don't have enough seats, Chicagoland only has 75,000.  Don't cover this up and tell us it is to expand your market because that stuff isn't sticking.  NASCAR needs to realize that they are saturating certain markets and that there are a dozen or so others that would love to have a chance.