Turn 3

I have to apologize to Doug.

By Keith Ott

I have to apologize to Doug (a long time poster) because I swore that I had never, ever, seen a race as boring, or as poorly managed, as a race at Fontana. I now stand corrected.

Did anyone see anything race-like today? Be brave, even the littlest thing will count. Good Year? How about Good for a lap? Was there anything that made this a race? Oh, and please, gimmee that Indy hype. Bring it on.  If this track has a NASCAR history/heritage it took a turn for the worse today. This was a hyped up non-event. I’m just getting started… 

Competition Cautions:

Ugh, it’s NASCAR influencing the event, again. Okay, stay with me here. How can NASCAR call a time out, but let the activities continue like it was a “real” racing caution? It’s an influence on the event. Great teams have great pit crews and that’s all well and good, but they shouldn’t be allowed to prosper from a fake caution. If NASCAR needs a safety caution for tires or whatever, then the field should be frozen, and you have to pit. Oh, and I’m pretty sure that since these are the best of the best stock car drivers and teams, that one warning /caution should suffice. Letting them know that NASCAR will call a caution after so many laps…duh, influences the event.

The Tires:

Did Wal-mart have a sale? I apologize to Wal-mart. I should not have associated any retailer with this product, but your name came to mind. Unless you actually stock these tires, I will still shop and feel secure at Wal-mart. Now, if this hyped-up event is supposedly NASCAR’s second most revered event, don’t you think they might have done a bit more tire testing? It’s a joke to consider this event as anything other than a normal race. You can put a ribbon on a pig, but at the end of the day it’s just a pig wearing a dirty ribbon.

The Car:

Sorry guys and gals, this lemon doesn’t race. It’s becoming the Yugo of NASCAR; the Edsel of Stock Cars. Need I go on? It was designed by committee, and like most things designed by committee, it sucks.

The Racing:

What racing? Races, and all sports, should compel the TV viewer to stay glued to the TV because he/she doesn’t want to miss a dramatic moment. It is why we watch, right? I was compelled to watch this event, because I like comedies! I’ve seen poor events in the past, but this one may take the cake. If I were NASCAR, I’d plan on a hell of a lot more empty seats next year. This was a non-event. Something that NASCAR seems to produce in abundance lately.

 

Be well, take care, and if you have something to say, say it!

What A train Wreck!!

By Mark Young

Holy Crap!! (Or insert your favorite explicative here)  That was by far the most ridiculous excuse of a race, at arguably the 2nd most prestigious NASCAR race of the season, I have ever seen with the exception of Charlotte in 2005.  Good Year dropped the ball so bad that Lester Hayes with his hands covered in pine tar couldn't have caught it.  How could America's #1 tire provider, and exclusive tire company of NASCAR I might add, have gotten things any worse than what I saw today.

I was excited about Indy.  I thought we were going to see decent racing.  I thought we would see passing.  I thought we would see everything Indianapolis Motor Speedway was supposed to be.  I saw 15+ heat races and a bunch of guys driving cars looking like Bambi on ice.

I am not going to blame the teams, the drivers, or the folks who run the speedway.  I place the blame on Good Year first and NASCAR second.  Here is why I am pissed off.......and I know I am not the only one.

Good Year held a tire test in April.  They had three or four teams there to gather data on what tire compound to bring.  Something tells me they went to the warehouse and pulled something out from 1995.  To sit there and think that the track would come in after two days of nothing happening was pathetic.

NASCAR sat on their hands and acted like they didn't have anything to do about it.  Why did Good Year bring truck loads of tires intended to use at Pocono if they didn't think they screwed the pooch?  And what did NASCAR and Pope Brian France do about it?  They left those tire sitting in the trailers!!  Why didn't they do anything?  BECAUSE THEY GOT THEIR MONEY!!  Money from the fans, money from the TV, and money from Good Year.

Now I understand why Formula 1 only had 6 cars compete when they had tire troubles.....but the fans had to pay the price then as well and now F-1 is gone.  NASCAR could care less........they got paid and Brian can go crash another Mercedes into a palm tree without worry.

Instead of NASCAR being pro-active and putting the Pocono tire in every pit stall they decided to be reactive and wave the yellow rag every ten laps for the sake of "putting on a good show".  SHOW?  It's a god damned race and those teams couldn't do anything but ride around and wait to see if their tires would hold out.

The drivers and crew chiefs should have stood up and said no.  NASCAR should have said no.  Good Year should be ashamed of making a mockery of this race.  Brian France should be on the phone tomorrow morning to Goodrich, Michelin, Firestone, and Hoosier to see if they can provide a quality product. Mike Helton and Robin Pemberton should be in full on pucker mode tomorrow.  This was ridiculous.

If I screwed up on a level like this at my job I would be applying for unemployment tomorrow morning.  And we have Pocono to look forward to next week?  I can hardly wait to do yard-work on Sunday.

Growth, progress change racing's dynamic

By DAVID GREEN

As auto racing has grown in widespread mainstream popularity over the past couple of decades, it occurs to me that the sport finally seems to be transcending the image of something that appeals to bloodthirsty thrill-seekers, with regard to participants and fans alike.

The specter is not completely gone, of course; as long as there is an Independent Florida Alligator out there seeking to publish autopsy photographs, we can assume there's a segment of the population that wants to see such images. And some of them may, in fact, be among the motor sport audience.

Perhaps the ambulance chasers have finally realized that there just isn't enough carnage to satisfy them. And so, the debate has moved on into a critique of the on-track racing action, and just what constitutes a "good" race.

Some people see it as a numbers game -- how many passes for the lead, how many passes for position, how many cars, how many finishing on the lead lap, margins of victory, et cetera. Some remember especially dramatic finishes.

Some just get their kicks from watching on-the-edge performances by drivers in high performance machines. Those who fit into that category have an intuitive or a first-hand understanding of how difficult those performances can be, and how drastic the consequences of a minor error.

Nothing does quite as good a job of reminding older fans what it was like in the old days as Chris Economaki's autobiography, "Let 'Em All Go," co-authored by my pal Dave Argabright. The dean of auto racing writers, Chris has first-hand experience that dates back to the Great Depression era. He describes without euphemism how cruel the sport could be, and states frankly how those who loved it did so in spite of the harsh toll it often exacted.

Those of us who defended racing against the accusations that it was a "Roman circus" type activity always pointed out that even among the fans with a bit of morbid curiosity, the desire was to watch a driver cheat death, not be claimed by it.

Perhaps the sanitizing of the sport has stolen some of the magic of watching professional drivers do what they do. There's still a considerable degree of risk in the sport, but it's not as obvious as it used to be. Many new fans, I suspect, don't realize this.

Racing had to improve its safety margins, and it has done so. Growth in popularity was tied to the premise that it distance itself from those dangerous old days.

The change in spectator attitude was probably inevitable, too.

Why Penalize Toyota?

By Mark Young

You have got to be kidding me.  Toyota is clearly the dominant manufacturer in NASCAR racing.  Or should I say Joe Gibbs Racing is the most dominant team in NASCAR.  Regardless of how you look at it Toyota came into 2008 with both gun blazing and they are flat out kicking ass.  So what does NASCAR do but announce today that they are going to restrict some of the horse power advantage that all of the hard work has found for these team.  THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD!!!  Isn't racing supposed to be about being the first one to the finish line?  Didn't NASCAR approve the Toyota engine previously?  If Chevrolet, Ford, and Dodge are behind on the power curve then NASCAR should be telling them to find more horse power.....not take it away from Toyota.

I swear, those people in Daytona are trying real hard to piss off the fans that remember what it was like when a manufacturer had an advantage and NASCAR told the other ones to buck up or get out.

U Want Some?  Tell  me what you think..............

Is The Brickyard The Real Deal Or Just Hype?

By Mark Young

The Brickyard.  While growing up in the Midwest during the 80's  and early 90's  that was all that mattered.  To be honest I hardly knew that NASCAR existed back then.  We didn't have cable TV,  Satellites were something only NASA had, and the Internet was just an idea.  The only race I knew existed was the Indy 500 and it was the coolest thing in the world for me.  But then in 1994 I found NASCAR and was hooked.  I still watched the Indy 500 but it lost it's luster for me.  Strangely enough that was the first year of the Brickyard 400 as well so there was balance in my world.  But that makes me ask the question.......Is the Brickyard 400 the real deal or is it just hype?

I will be the first race fan to say that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is not best suited for 3,400 lb. race cars.  The racing action is not the best either but for me it is just as important as Daytona, Bristol, and Darlington.  Indy is hallowed ground for racing and to have NASCAR there just seems right.  I also believed that Formula-1 just seemed right as well.

But I want to hear what you fans think about Indy.  Is it all hype with bad racing?  Is it a place that NASCAR needs to be?  Let me know what you think..........

Hard times ahead?

By DAVID GREEN

General Motors' decision, announced this week, to end its sponsorship of races at New Hampshire and Bristol is in all likelihood just the beginning of some belt-tightening overall and in the auto industry in particular.

The move, along with other actions announced by GM on Tuesday, cannot help but make race fans a little wary.

GM North America president Tony Clarke advised "there will be modifications and changes in our promotional footprint" and told reporters, "We're not going to talk about the details today, and specifically NASCAR, but all those areas have been reviewed and will continue to be as we work these action plans through."

Economic trends move in cycles, and the cyclical movement is affected by factors such as the spike in oil prices. Manufacturer participation in auto racing is also cyclical. The presence of automakers in all forms of racing has never been a constant.

When the first oil crisis struck in the early 1970s, Ford and Chrysler were already out of NASCAR racing. The sport managed to survive the abandonment of the factories and persevered along with the rest of us through the earlier-edition energy dilemma.

When the American car companies got back on their feet, they made their way back into racing. It was a gradual involvement, not a big-splash type of promotion, but in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ford, guided by Michael Kranefuss, and GM, under the leadership of Herb Fischel, established large-scale efforts in motor sports, with a particular emphasis on NASCAR. Those programs were the prototypes for today's efforts, including those by Dodge and Toyota.

Their money paid for technical development and promotion, both invaluable assets as NASCAR soared in popularity.

A generation earlier, the factories were heavily involved in racing to promote their powerful creations as Americans showed their fondness for horsepower as well as the over-the-top styling of the late 1950s. Factory participation abruptly ended when, in June 1957, the Automobile Manufacturers Association declared a moratorium on involvement in racing.

The reason was safety, not energy costs. Traffic fatalities were drawing the attention that gasoline prices are attracting today, and suddenly horsepower and speed were dangerous, not glamorous.

The factories -- especially GM -- continued to participate in various forms of racing, but not in an "official" capacity, until in 1962, Ford and Chrysler jumped back into NASCAR for another decade or so of support and promotion.

The down side of that period was that the relatively small number of factory-backed teams enjoyed a huge competitive advantage. The up side was that their lavish budgets made lots of perfectly usable hand-me-down parts available to the independents. It may have been impossible to compete for victories, but it was relatively easy to participate.

That model has radically changed. "Independent" is an anachronism in present-day NASCAR racing. Some fully-funded teams fail to make the 43-car cut these days, and more would if not for the protected top 35 car owners. Nowadays, all the teams are at least as much dependent on corporate sponsorship in general as they are in auto manufacturer support.

It may not be the monster that it became in the post-World War II era, but the car business is still an important vital statistic in America's economic health. Recent examinations tell us that the patient is not all that healthy.

That is bound to have an effect on NASCAR racing.

Just how much of an effect remains to be seen, but there's not much point in panicking. Best-case scenario: Racing will go on. Worst-case scenario: Racing as we know it will become a casualty of economic war. There isn't very much any of us as individuals can do about it.

Newman's leaving.......is Truex Or RCR Next?

By Mark Young

Well the not so big announcement that Ryan Newman would not be returning to Penske Racing next season was made today.  No big surprise as there have been rumors flying around about Ryan for quite some time.  Is it ironic that he waited until after Tony Stewart announced that he was made that he was buying 50% of Haas-CNC Racing?  I don't think so.  As you might recall I predicted, based on things I learned at Michigan, that both events would happen.  The next domino to fall is either going to be RCR's announcement of who their next driver is going to be or Martin Truex Jr's announcement that he is leaving DEI.  Perhaps it will be both.....at the same time.

We know that Stewart-Haas is going to be two cars, maybe three.  Will Tony keep Scott Riggs?  Will he grab a free agent?  I predicted Truex to go there along with Bass Pro Shops, that may or may not happen with Rumors of Newman going there instead.  Stewart, Newman, and Truex would make a pretty stout lineup if you ask me..........

So we have RCR with an opening (I would love to see Montoya jump ship and go there) and Sewart-Haas perhaps with one, maybe two.  With a handful of drivers that are going to need a ride and only a few quality seats out there I think we are going to see a very spirited game of musical chairs.

Hang on fans, this is just the beginning.

It's Kyle's time

By DAVID GREEN

Understatement: Kyle Busch winning a NASCAR race is getting to be a fairly regular occurrence these days. All Busch has done is win 13 races in the three national touring stock car series, in roughly half a season. That's a pretty darned fair share of winning.

How to explain this? Is the younger brother of Kurt Busch, nicknamed Shrub, really that good? Is his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team that good? Is the Toyota that good?

Whatever the answer, consider this: Busch has a chance of winning as many races in major NASCAR competition in a season as the winningest driver in stock car racing history -- Richard Petty, who won 27 in 1967.

Yes, yes, I know Petty won all his races in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. There was no Nationwide or Craftsman Truck Series back then, and the Grand Nationals ran a mix of approximately 50 or more major and minor races, from the Daytona 500 to a 50-mile chase at the quarter-mile Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. Sometimes there were a dozen or so cars in the field.

Arguably, the competition Busch is facing in three series today offers a much stiffer test than the 48 Grand National races Petty ran in '67. So, even if the pursuit of King Richard's victory total is bogus, it's not a completely contrived suggestion.

It's all but certain no driver will ever win 27 Cup Series races, not in the foreseeable future. But if Busch wins 27 or more races, it's certainly valid to suggest his accomplishment is at least as significant as Petty's was 41 years ago.

Fans of Shrub, also nicknamed Rowdy, probably aren't worried about explanations. They're just enjoying it. As for the rest of stock car racing's fandom, looks like they just have to grit their teeth and take it. There's no sign Rowdy is going to slow down.

Did Tony Make The Right Move?

By Mark Young

OK my fellow blog-heads, a short but sweet blog here.  The world now knows it's true, Tony Stewart is leaving Joe Gibbs racing after 12 years, 2 Championships, and 32 wins to be co-owner of a team that quite frankly has sucked since it's conception.  Did he make the right move?  Is this professional suicide?  I want to know what you all think........this is your chance to speak out.  I will take your thoughts and combine them into a segment on my internet radio show U Want Some?  that airs on Wednesday nights @ www.racetalkradio.com.....  Tell me what you think.

U WANT SOME?

Now She Wants To Sell!!!

By Mark Young

 

At this time last year NASCAR was watching the turmoil and inner-family power play between Dale Earnhardt Junior and Theresa Earnhardt over control of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, the family business that the late Dale Earnhardt created. Junior said he wanted more control of the team, the ability to be involved in the decision making process to help make DEI more competitive. Theresa refused to budge and the rest is now history.
 

Dale Junior is second in NASCAR Sprint Cup points and DEI is floundering in mediocrity. Mark Martin will be gone next year to make a final full court press attempt to win his first ever Cup Series Title. Martin Truex is in the center of rumors to be leaving for either RCR or the new Tony Stewart team, and long-time sponsor Bass Pro Shops is rumored to be leaving as well.

 

Then yesterday word got out that DEI was for sale…………..Why now?

 

U WANTS SOME?

Is Theresa Earnhardt finally realizing that her greed got the best of her? Did her pride cause her rose tinted glasses to create a vision that she didn’t need Junior? 

Granted, in this day and age of NASCAR where teams like the venerable Petty Enterprises sell majority ownership to become more competitive I am not surprised to see DEI looking for investors. But what has me just shaking my head is that she had the chance to have it all. She could have had the most popular driver in the sport and the merchandise dollars he generates. She could have had control of the business side of the organization. She could have had someone embedded into the sport that relies on being competitive making decisions to make the team run well.
 

I have read on other sites that she just wants to walk away from it all……..all of it except the licensing rights and merchandise sales of the #3 and the Intimidator logos, not a bad retirement plan if you ask me.

 

What absolutely makes me shake my head is the question Why Now? I know hind-sight is always 20-20 but was she that nieve to think that she didn’t need Junior? If she would have budged just a little bit a year ago she would still have Budweiser as a major sponsor, the most popular driver in the sport driving for her, and more importantly Dale Earnhardt Inc. would mean something other than a memory of something her late husband created.