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June 25, 2007
That makes me... the winner?
By DAVID GREEN
Quickly, now, before the news breaks about NASCAR sentencing Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte to a prison colony on the Planet Mungo and that's all everyone will be talking about, let's hear it for Aric Almirola. You remember Aric, the guy who won his first career victory in NASCAR's big leagues -- sort of -- Saturday night at Milwaukee.
In what has to be the weirdest development in racing in some time, Almirola won the pole in place of the absent Denny Hamlin and then, when Hamlin was late arriving from Sonoma for the race, he started the car and led the field to the green flag.
Things were going just great for the young driver -- and then, Hamlin arrived.
Incredibly, the Gibbs Racing team called Almirola in for a driver switch. Even more incredibly, after falling a lap down during the lengthy pit stop, Hamlin roared back to win. To win a victory that won't even be credited to him. A victory that will be credited to Aric Almirola.
This must be some new strategy for motivating young drivers. Sounds like something a consultant cooked up and sold to Joe Gibbs.
As Dr. Phil might say, "How's that working for you, Aric?"
The cliche is that you never forget your first victory. I'll bet Aric would like to forget his -- no, check that. He'd like to remember it. All 250 laps of it.
Oh, well. NASCAR continues to change. Guess we'll have to add a statistical category for "saves" and credit Denny with the first one.
June 25, 2007 | Permalink
Comments
David,
Thanks for mentioning Aric Amirola and actually posting a blog that doesn't have anything to do with what will happen on Tuesday, it's refreshing. Aric showed that he can wheel a Busch Series car on Saturday, and there are rumors circulating that he will sign a deal to drive for Ginn in 08, and full time in 09. I hope this comes true for the young man and he has many successful years in Nascar. What a Dream come true if this happens.
Posted by: SteveH. | Jun 26, 2007 12:26:58 AM
A rare set of circumstances that we hope never happens again. Look. Rockwell sponsors a car for Hamlin. They pay big bucks for Hamlin. Amirola is the backup guy here. Due to wacky circumstances (cars parked on the helipad) Amirola starts. Gibbs opts to please the sponsor and pulls the kid. I have read one column that says Hamlin wanted to drive, another quoting him as saying he didn't, he wanted to let Amirola keep the ride.
Tough for the kid, but if he handles this right and shows some class, it'll work out for him. If he goes off and trashes Gibbs and the sponsor, it won't work out so well.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Jun 26, 2007 12:49:39 AM
Doug, you're correct. Aric needs to keep his head on straight and his mouth shut.
Gibbs is where he will eventually become a star.
Posted by: marc | Jun 26, 2007 3:45:24 AM
David,
After Hamlin's shifter failure, I still think they should check Aric's gloves for metal filings.
Group decisions seldom make anyone completely happy. Aric got the short end of the stick, this time. He'll have his day soon. Take the check; Take the money; Put the trophy in the closet and keep your mouth shut. When Aric's an old retired racer, with many trophies, he can pull it out and dust it off. He'll have a story for the grandkids..."Yes siree, back in ought-seven I won this here trophy and I wasn't even in the dang car. Pull up a chair..."
Posted by: Keith | Jun 26, 2007 7:32:33 AM
Everybody who's suggesting Aric ought to suck it up and live with this is, obviously, thinking clearly.
Some of you may have noticed that my comments on this were not as sharply critical as, for example, Jim Utter's "Only in NASCAR can this happen." That's because my feelings are pretty conflicted.
I'm old enough to remember when relief drivers were, if not commonplace, at least a frequent occurrence. Aric is hardly the first guy in racing history to take the checkered flag in a victory credited to somebody else.
Then, as well as now, I wish there was some way to give credit to both drivers, in the manner that Indianapolis Motor Speedway does for L.L. Corum and Joe Boyer, who combined to win the 500 in 1924, and Floyd Davis and Mauri Rose, who drove the winning car in '41. Rose, who came back after WWII and won again in '47 and '48, is rightly recognized as a three-time winner of the race.
Being old-school, I also liked it better when the relief driver took over for reasons of physical stamina in contrast to today, when beancounter logic drives the decision-making. However, being a free-market capitalist, I also appreciate the financial support sponsors provide and can see that motivation as well.
Thanks to everybody who has weighed in, and thanks in advance if anybody else has a comment on this matter while we breathlessly await pronouncement of sentences from Daytona Beach (cue the sinister "danger music")...
Posted by: David Green | Jun 26, 2007 8:09:19 AM
Pulling Aric from the race when he'd been leading laps and was running 3rd had all the class and grace of a little kid stomping his foot and shouting, "If I can't play shortstop I'm taking the ball and going home."
It was bad sportsmanship on Rockwell's part. They took a gamble that Denny would arrive on time and they lost. Its not Aric who should be sucking it up, its Rockwell who should have sucked it up when Denny's travel plans didn't pan out.
If Denny had come dashing up to the car at the last moment as the pace laps began that would have been fine. But once Aric started the race there is no morally defensible reason for pulling a perfectly healthy, perfectly competant driver out to replace him with a bigger star.
Additionally, J.D. Gibbs's interview double-talk about "group decisions" is shameful verging on slimy. He needs to either say straight out, "It was my decision and it was the right decision," or "We made a mistake in letting the sponsor pressure us that way and its my responsibility." The boss doesn't have the luxury of passing the buck to some elusive "group".
Posted by: M. B. Voelker | Jun 26, 2007 8:36:35 AM
David, since I live in the Tampa area, I have been following Aric Almirola right along with David Reutimann.
I don't know if Denny was "lobbying" to replace Aric, just like I don't know if Aric was replaced due to the sponsor wanting "their driver" in the car.
But I do know that Aric Almirola proved what he can do when provided decent equipment, and I hope owners in NASCAR noticed it as well.
Too bad the Tampa Bay drivers were treated with such disrespect this weekend.
But maybe it will turn out to be the best for both of them.
Thanks for noticing David, and thanks for a postive message during a week of insanity!
Posted by: Shirley | Jun 26, 2007 8:54:27 AM
Thanks, David, you made me have to take out the joke about having a save rule out of my blog! But a good post.
One question I have to ask though is, if this whole uncomfortable decision was made because the sponsor paid big bucks for Hamlin, then what was he doing in Sonoma on race day? I think clauses should be put in Buschwhacker contracts for this sort of thing.
But I also think that there shouldn't be Buschwhackers to begin with. It isn't fair to up-and-coming drivers, and it isn't fair to struggling Busch teams that can't afford a Cup driver.
Posted by: Kurt Smith | Jun 26, 2007 12:25:55 PM
Kurt Smith,
Not to answer for David, but define, "Buschwhacker." NASCAR hasn't seemed to either want to or be able to. Now, if you want NASCAR to define profit...They are all over that puppy.
Posted by: Keith | Jun 26, 2007 3:30:44 PM
Thanks, guys. It was fun while it lasted. Now -- on to Fendergate!
Posted by: David Green | Jun 26, 2007 5:28:25 PM
I would expect him to be mad. Unless of course he is not a real racer. And I would have to believe he is.
Posted by: jeff | Jun 26, 2007 7:51:41 PM
Hey David,
just a bit late but....
Aric will get more mileage out of this, than say, Mark Harmon's Bristol crash.
Posted by: Larry | Jun 27, 2007 9:54:29 PM
Won't be anymore Buschwhackers when they quit sponsoring the series.
Posted by: Doris | Jun 28, 2007 8:29:16 AM
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