Turn 3

Just Shut Up With This FOX 3D Stuff

By Mark Young

I had to check my TV on Sunday to make sure I was watching the California Auto Club 500 or NASCAR Racers on the Cartoon Network.  What in the world were they thinking when they thought up the idea of FOX 3D or more importantly how simple do they take us the fans to be?  If I want to watch computer graphics of cars on the track I will fire up the Playstation2 because those are better than this stuff FOX is force-feeding us.  With that in mind I beg FOX to SHUT UP with this 3D stuff!!

U WANT SOME?

Now I have some friends at my real job that tell me this concept that FOX is trying to do is very cutting edge stuff.  Well maybe they should have waited until the second or third version of the software came out.  I really figured that after they showed this lame stuff during the Bud Shootout when the cars weren't even on the track but in the infield that it would not be back for the Daytona 500 but no, this is somebody's little baby and will not go down quietly.

Could someone explain to me how they could even possibly expect us to believe they had to go to the FOX 3D cartoon to find out who bumped Reutimann?  There are over 50 cameras on that track, surely one of them had the data of the accident.  Why can't they just do the race like they do football?  No flashy gimmicks or joking around commentators, just straight up journalism presenting en event in a professional manner.

People joke around that NASCAR fans are rednecks, simple, and narrow-minded.  Well if being a fan makes me redneck I guess I am guilty, but don't confuse us for being simple and expound on that by throwing up cheesy cartoon graphics to show something that happens on the track.  Get rid of this stuff and broadcast a race the way it is supposed to be.

That's what I think, what say you?

Final Verdict C and Notes:

By Keith Ott

  I’ve been sitting back and gathering inputs on what people thought about the race.  Inputs from both here on TR and calls to friends.   And, while I’ll personally never like the racing at Fontana, I can appreciate that some might.  Thinking about it as a whole event, I’m giving it a C.  It was a watchable event; it had moments, and will probably turn out to be right around the median as far as exciting/not so exciting events go for the season.  Had the Harvick challenge played out at the end it might have gone to a low “B.”  That was the best drama of the event and NASCAR probably wishes it had played out.

Notes:

1)       Has NASCAR gone too far with the “Red” as well as the “Yellow?”  The “Red,” in my book, is for serious injury or an incident so big that the workers would be put in jeopardy sorting things out.  It isn’t meant for a green race to the finish.  The driver, David Reutimann, was sore and out of the car (a poor finish but a great crash with a good ending) in good time…15 minutes was too long before they called that “quickie” yellow.   Also, IMO if NASCAR stops an event for that period or any period of time, then all should be free to go to pitroad, do their thing and restart in the same order. No I stayed outs, no race off pitroad.  All on and off pit road in the same order or merging back in the same order.  So, then we have the “Special Yellow” to let cars pit.  NASCAR said the tracks clear but there’s a special yellow for a quickie.  NASCAR should have said we’re staying yellow for a GWC or going green and pitting is up to you.  The Red flag is so serious it should never be used for us fans.  It’s to save lives and any other use hurts its value…NASCAR influenced the event.  JMO

2)      NASCAR 3D…WTF (what the fudge…unless you’re Navy <wink>) was on their minds?   Get the techno BS off the screen.  I don’t care if you have GPS that tracks a gnats butt to within 3000 nanometers…If I wanted to see a video game telling me what you missed I could load up NASCAR 2006 with better graphics.  Besides, for a second you had David outside the walls.  I’m sure he’s glad his GPS was off.

3)      “Commercials” and I’m not sure that this wasn’t just in my area.  But, a spot for Toyota showing a map of Toyota’s 10.4 billion $ investment in the US was interrupted by a commercial for the TV show  “24” showing an atomic bomb going off in LA with a mushroom cloud.  It just struck me as rather strange that Toyota would take this approach to NASCAR.  J/K Toyota…I for one welcome you.

4)      And the last note goes to Doug in Cali. Who says, “Maybe it’s not a bad idea to make this a 400 mile event.”  Doug, I don’t think it’s heresy,   I concur.  Especially if they kept the same time slot.  We could see the WHOLE event and all the commercials.   And, I hope Dave and Sharon return to Fontana (somebody has to…J/K) and continue to enjoy NASCAR.

Ok a few ????’s

Who painted the pace car like a Taxi?  It took me 4 cautions to figure out it was a Monte Carlo.

Is Kyle Busch’s steering wheel loose or is he just fun to watch?

LOL, ok LV coming up…Which Busch gets the first ticket?

Your comments and Viva Las Vegas!  A new track where anything goes…

King Of The Mountain; Matt Kenseth

By Mark Young

California is in the books and we have another weekend in sweep to talk about.  Matt Kenseth won both the Busch race on Saturday night and was clearly the class of the field yesterday in the marathon California 500.  Though people are complaining that this was a terrible race I think it was a pretty decent one and Matt's performance this weekend clearly puts him in the throne as King of the mountain.

Though I didn't get all of my predictions right in my fantasy preview from Friday I did nail it by picking Matt to win the race and he did so in dominating fashion without long-time crew chief Robby Riser who was home following his suspension from infractions at Daytona.  Matt clearly showed his emotions upon exiting his car in victory lane and those who don't understand why are missing the point because Robby is the only crew chief he has had since joining NASCAR.  Kevin Harvick did everything he could to retain his throne but that flat left front tire during the red flag following David Reutimann's nasty crash put an end to his day.

Unless I missed something this weekend there wasn't any other clear-cut candidates to make me question putting Matt on top of the heap.  His performance was clearly dominant and taking into consideration that the NEXTEL Cup series is on a one week hiatus he will be on top for at least two weeks.

That's what I think, what say you?

OK -- let's change the rules

By DAVID GREEN

Spotted on the television listings page of a Kentucky newspaper:

"Any more finishes like the crash-filled Daytona 500 and NASCAR's ratings will go through the roof. (Speaking of roofs, one driver crossed the finish line on his last week.) Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are pegged as favorites in the Auto Club 500 at Fontana, Calif. (3 p.m., Fox)."

Spotted in The Charlotte Observer:

"Perhaps some potential viewers who saw replays of Harvick edging Mark Martin as the field wrecked behind them last Sunday will tune in this week out of curiosity..."

It is safe to assume that those who are rushing to NASCAR's defense for giving its audience "an exciting finish" (at the expense of its rules) have a point. That kind of stuff sells to the masses.

It isn't that we curmudgeons who are complaining that NASCAR's judgment was flawed or that it ignored its own race-procedure rules don't want to see finishes measured in thousandths of a second. It isn't that we want to deny anyone a reason to leap out of his La-Z-Boy in the sudden ecstasy of a vicariously triggered adrenalin surge.

The heated, often acrimonious debate may be among those who, despite appearances, may not be that far apart in their points of view. So -- how about some compromises?

Sometimes the local short track has the best ideas. At most tracks in my experience as a fan or competitor, you know as a driver that you revert to the last green flag lap running order when there's a mid-race caution and, unless there's a serious crash, you race back to the checkered flag. If there's a serious accident, you get a green-white-checker -- not just one shot at it, but as many as it takes.

The road we've gone down with the GWC in NASCAR, why not use Saturday-night bullring logic for officiating Cup, Busch and Truck races? Why just one attempt at a GWC? Just keep doing it until we get it right.

What if somebody runs out of gas, you ask? Well, let's just give everybody a free trip to the pits for whatever services they may need, then line 'em back up and let 'em go. We've already junked the notion that the finish of a race is a fixed, definite number of laps or miles. Let's toss out the strategic implications of that notion, as well.

That way, we can throw caution flags when there's a genuine need to do so; not throw them when there's not; and, except in rare instances, let people race to the checkered flag and have a green-flag finish every time.

We can forget about the complications of videotape replays and loop scoring. If there was a thrilling pass for position that gets wiped out by a yellow, it's too bad for the driver who pulled off the maneuver; but, hey -- the fans will get a chance to see him try it again! And, perhaps, again and again and again.

Under such rules, we will have a better chance of providing the product that, virtually all of us agree, the masses desire.

I'm not being sarcastic. That's the way it works for the weekend warriors. It seems to me that's the sort of thing the mainstream audience wants to see. Why not give it to them?

Every sport has the same dilemma. How far do you go to pander to the audience's thirst for the spectacular without compromising the essence of legitimate competition?

In for a penny, in for a pound, I say.

California nightmare on such a winters day

By Mike Harper

My apologies to the Mamas & The Papas for messing up their lyrics, but heading into this weekend there’s many topics that are falling below the mainstream media’s radar screen that deserve some attention and even better, some of our opinions.

Lets get started with the Harvick-Shell v. NASCAR-Sunoco situation. This is one of those corporate political situations that tend to drive me up a wall. In reality it’s the dark side of NASCAR sponsorship.

In 2003, NASCAR signed a deal with Sunoco for 10 years to be the official fuel supplier. Under the agreement, NASCAR will not allow new fuel suppliers to sponsor cars. However, automotive lubricant companies are allowed in the sport and this is why Mobil One and Texaco Havoline have sponsorships – even though both companies are fuel suppliers too.

Shell-Pennzoil joined Kevin Harvick and his RCR team for the 2007 season and the Shell logo was all over Harvick’s helmet and driver suit. The bad news for NASCAR, Sunoco didn’t like it and asked Harvick to wear a jacket during the pre-race ceremonies at Daytona. What made the situation even worst for Sunoco, Harvick won both Busch and Cup races at Daytona and the Shell logo was in Victory Lane and on the television for the world to see.

Going to California, Harvick will begin wearing a different driver suit and helmet.

This is where I feel NASCAR has gone wrong with sponsorships. To compete in this sport you need sponsors and when NASCAR handcuffs team owners and doesn’t allow them to secure sponsors, ultimately it will hurt the teams. Today’s fuel and/or oil industry is an extremely profitable industry with many sponsorship prospects. But NASCAR, thanks to their relationship with Sunoco limits teams to zero opportunities with the exception of automotive lubricants.

We find the same situation with Nextel this year regarding AT&T and their Cingular brand and we’ve seen it in the past like the nasty situation a few years ago with Powerade in Victory Lane.

In my opinion, NASCAR’s official sponsors are no more special than each team’s sponsors. NASCAR needs the teams, teams need the sponsors, and all three need the fans. While I understand this is NASCAR’s baby, I think contracts should have clauses allowing competitor sponsors into the sport. However put limits on the amount of signage allowed at a NASCAR event, but give owners the ability to secure sponsors and not limit what a driver can wear at the track. It’s just crazy.

What’s next – sponsors buying the naming rights to tracks and not allowing their business competitors to race or sell merchandise at their track? Oops, I guess a part of that question has happened in the past too.

Again, it’s just crazy!

The Busch Series takes a punch in the gut. 43 cars can race in the Busch Series right? But 43 aren’t on the entry list for California this weekend – there’s less. I hope this isn’t the sign of the times for the Busch Series, but many of us feel that the number of Cup teams jumping down to the Busch Series is straining the series. Let’s face it, Hall of Fame Quarterback Terry Bradshaw bolted from the series at the end of last season because of his frustration with the smaller Busch teams missing out on sponsorship and revenue opportunities.

The Busch Series is no longer the development series for Cup. It’s also no longer a series for new car owners to come into the sport. While NASCAR hits the microphone hard about increasing diversity in the sport, they should also add ownership opportunities to the mix because driver’s owning teams and Cup owner’s jumping down to the Busch Series is only closing the box on the sport.

It’s big business and when Busch teams are placing drivers like Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick in their cars, why would a non-Cup owner or new owner invest in a no-win situation? I know I wouldn’t with the few million I have sitting around. Bottom line, the low car counts could be a sign of troubled times in Busch.

Michael Waltrip finishes 30th, but is 43rd in the standings. How does this work? I understand how he’s 43rd in the standings, because of his 100-point penalty from Daytona, Waltrip has –27 points. But wouldn’t you think that teams that tried to make the race, but didn’t make the race like Red Bull Racing and Jeremy Mayfield would be in front of Waltrip since they have zero points? I know, I know – they didn’t race and NASCAR will only recognize the cars that made the race. I’m just trying to make a point.

Have a great weekend!

Fantasy Racing Preview, California

By Mark Young

This week the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup teams go to their first "real" race of the year.  I call it a real race because there are no restrictor plates, NASCAR distributed shocks, or drafting deals to be made in order to advance.  This race is going to require an aerodynamically agile car and a notebook full of information about car setups.  As for picking drivers to look for there are about eight or nine cars you can throw a blanket over and several that history states you should stay away from when picking your teams.

Matt Kenseth won this race last year and even though Robbie Riser is going to be absent I wouldn't be surprised to see the #17 up front most of the day.

Kasey Kahne visited victory lane last September and his team's history shows that they run extremely well on this high downforce tracks.  Kasey is my personal pick to win on Sunday.

Kyle Busch, though able to short circuit at anytime, is the class of the Hendrick fold right now and I expect him to continue the momentum he gained in Daytona.

Carl Edwards is hungry to get back into victory lane and this could be the place he does it.

Greg Biffle is the second highest rated driver at California behind Kenseth but the wild card here is the fact that he has a new crew chief and I am not sure how good the chemistry is right now.

Now some of the drivers to stay away from this weekend may surprise some of you but this is my gut feeling.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. though better last year at this type of track still hasn't shown any dominance in a couple of years and I would just stay clear of the red #8 on Sunday for your picks.

Jimmie Johnson might prove me wrong on this one but I wonder if the the team still has a hangover from the banquet in New York.  Maybe it is too hard to get the car balanced with that guy strapped in next to him clutching the NEXTEL Cup.

Juan Pablo Montoya is the media darling for NASCAR but remember that even though he is a F-1 champion and IRL/CART champion he is still a rookie and is going to take his lumps.

Wild Card picks for the week include Ryan Newman (hard to call him a wild card), Kurt Busch, David Stremme, Casey Mears,  and Clint Bowyer.

This race will show the world who has done their homework during the off-season and who is behind the eight ball.  Enjoy the race my friends.....

Not Fontana, again:

By Keith Ott

Ah, Fontana.  Where turning left and going in circles is as much a political agenda as it is a racing format.  But, there are many things Fontana has to offer.  Great seating (since many will be empty); A chance for some indoor Mall shopping (30,000 took advantage of the sales one year); Stargazing may come into play as they pretend to be fans while hawking their latest projects…etc. etc.  Just as long as you didn’t come to see memorable racing, Fontana has you covered.  It’s an insomniacs dream…If you can’t nap watching Fontana you need to see a doctor.  The cars string out like pearls on a fat woman’s neck.  It’s like watching practice laps.  If one place needs phantom “Debris” cautions this is it.

Come on, NASCAR, get those yahtzee die and roll for debris cautions.  Give me something to make 60 inches of HDTV seem like an investment and not Chinese water torture.  Heck, the networks can even overdo a graphic of the die rolling and I won’t complain…They can even explain if the die was loose or tight and I’ll still be happy.  But, this here is the clincher.  I will “Crank it up” for every dang “Boogity” if only you will work with me here.

  Prove me wrong, Fontana, and I’ll repent.  Otherwise, come September, I’ll be asking what moron decided I needed 2 extra naps per year.

Your thoughts?        

Just Shut Up, And Quit Whining!!

By Mark Young

I figured this week's entry for Just Shut Up would be an easy one considering the race was at a plate track but everyone managed to mind their P's and Q's and the task was a bit more difficult.  So with that in mind I have decided to focus on three separate incidents from Speedweeks and with those three events single out some people who just need to.....JUST SHUT UP!!!

U WANT SOME?

Michael Waltrip and his "issues" obviously caught a lot of attention and rightfully so.  I thought for sure that I would be writing telling Michael to shut his trap over the whining that was sure to come over the mystery substance but he proved me wrong.  If he truly didn't know what was going on then I feel bad for him......to an extent.  An owner should know more about what is going on within an organization than that.  If he did know and was just trying to save face then he should get an Academy Award for best actor.  But the thing about this issue is that a portion of the media needs to Just Shut UP over the deal.  It is all in NASCAR's hands to figure out what to do when they determine the substance, there are 36 more races to go and if you guys keep kicking a dead dog it won't come back alive, try to focus on some racing for a bit.

Kurt Busch had one of the two fastest hot-rods on the track Sunday.  While Tony Stewart was slicing and dicing his way through the field after his speeding penalty Kurt was out front and just like Ricky Bobby was "Goin' Fast Momma".  It looked like these two cars would fight it out down to the wire for the win but a bobble by Tony after going onto the apron caused Kurt to get into him and crash out both of them.  Now I have heard a lot of people come up and ask me if I was going to tell Kurt to shut up this week and my answer was the same each time, why?  If you think Kurt could have checked-up to get out of the way while going 180+ mph and inches from Tony's bumper you have got to be kidding.  IF he would have jumped up the track we could have had a bigger mess than we wound up with.  So to those who are out bashing Kurt Busch I tell you.......Just Shut Up!!!

NEWS FLASH!!!  Kevin Harvick won the 49th Daytona 500!!!  I just wanted to let you all know because it seems that every media source on the planet is busy talking about Mark Martin.  Now I will admit that I was pulling real hard to see Mark Martin win his first Daytona 500 in what could be his last great opportunity but I am just as happy for Kevin that he won.  Now I am also a little peeved at NASCAR for their apparent lack of consistency when throwing caution flags but I am getting used to inconsistency from them.  What has me tired of is the fans, and members of the media, who are throwing out comments that this whole thing was just part of an ongoing plot to stick it to Mark Martin.  JUST SHUT UP!!!  I have heard stories about how NASCAR wanted to let Kevin win because it was the anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's death, or how the time of the ending was about the same time Dale was announced dead by Mike Helton six years prior.  Well my friends the time was a coincidence and even though it was six years to the day that Dale died we also need to remember that Daytona falls on the same weekend every year so Dale's death is always on people's mind.  Mark Martin drove his ass off, Kevin just drove his a little harder.

That's what I got friends, I know it isn't anyone in particular but it still bugs me.  Thanks for the e-mails and comments regarding who you think should just shut up, I really appreciate it.  I have my eye on a couple of people in the media, one on TV and one on satellite radio, drop me a line and let me know if you can point them out.

That's what I think, what say you?

King Of The Mountain; Kevin Harvick

By Mark Young

Let me be one of the few writers (a term used loosely) to actually write a piece about the winner of the Daytona 500 and not who should have won or what should have happened.  After winning the Busch Series AND the Daytona 500, Kevin Harvick is King of the mountain this week and it cannot be denied.

All weekend I was prepared to be sitting here and writing about Tony Stewart as King for the week.  I actually contemplated making him King last week after winning the Bud Shootout but decided to make Jimmie Johnson the inaugural king instead.  Tony was dominant in his 150 mile qualifying race on Thursday and with the exception of his speeding penalty was equally dominant yesterday in the 500....until he and Kurt Busch collided.

The rest of the racing world is upset that Mark Martin should have won the race had NASCAR been consistent and thrown the caution flag, and I must admit I was rooting for Mark as well.  But Harvick made a great move and won the biggest race of the NASCAR season and the first race with his own identity.  This year Kevin and his RCR team are sponsored by Shell rather than GM Goodwrench, getting him out from under Dale Earnhardt's shadow.  How fitting is it that Kevin gets his first Daytona 500 victory on the anniversary of Dale's death?

I am anxious to hear who you think should be King of the Mountain this week.

But we don't race to the flag anymore...

By DAVID GREEN

Speedweeks 2007 had scarcely begun when controversy first flared, and it ended with more of the same -- this time, pertaining to race administration, not technical rules. Specifically, the question is this: Did NASCAR not violate its own rules by allowing Kevin Harvick and Mark Martin to race to the finish of the Daytona 500?

The issue is not favoritism of one team over another by NASCAR officials, nor does it have anything to do with whether the last-lap crash would have been diminished or exacerbated by a decision to put out the yellow flag. The issue is not whether Harvick or Martin was in front when the time came to put out the yellow.

The issue, folks, is consistency. Do we race back to the flag, like we used to, or not?

The answer, obviously, is, "We do not (Except In Rare Instances)."

It's not the outcome of the race that is driving this argument. I was rooting for Martin, but who knows which driver would have been ruled ahead when the field was frozen? The point is, the field was not frozen.

Supposedly, the new NASCAR policy is to cease competition when it becomes necessary to put out the yellow flag. Supposedly, the old practice of racing back to the yellow flag while a race is in progress, or racing back to the checkered flag at the end, was abolished. I'm one of those who had lobbied for that change to be made, on safety grounds. Emergency vehicles cannot roll until the cars are brought under control, and the sooner that happens, the better.

Under the new policy, to make sure fans get their money's worth, NASCAR is supposed to make one attempt to have each race finish under green-flag conditions. However, if an incident occurs during that one attempt, the yellow waves, the field is frozen and the race finishes under caution.

Except in rare instances.

Except in the 2007 Daytona 500, when a crash -- not just a fender-bender, you understand, but a whiz-bang, multi-car doozy, with Clint Bowyer sliding on his roof across the finish line, flames flaring from under the crumpled hood of his car -- erupts more than a quarter-mile from the finish line and escalates as the only two cars in front of the carnage race on.

Sure -- regardless of whether NASCAR declared Harvick or Martin in front when they froze the field, there would have been harping. That's surely the last thing NASCAR officials wanted, given the week they had endured. But that's the chore they took on when they (supposedly) did away with racing back to the flag. They ducked the responsibility Sunday night.

Some of the criticism offered Sunday night is off base. I don't think there was any favoritism shown to any driver or team.

Likewise, most of the defense offered by the Fox and Speed Channel commentators is invalid, too. NASCAR violated its own policy, as I understand it, and no rationalizing or semantic wordmanship will change that.

The reason NASCAR allowed Harvick and Martin to race to the checkered flag was simply to ensure that the flagship race had the most spectacular finish possible. I have nothing against spectacular finishes -- except when they come at the expense of the rules of race procedure.

Everybody has been calling for just punishment for all the "cheaters" of Speedweeks 2007. Let's add NASCAR's officials to the list. They broke their own rules.