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August 05, 2008
Just Chillin'........With Some Random Thoughts.
By Mark Young
What up gang? Sorry it took a little while to get back atcha but forgive me, it was a very busy weekend. Thank goodness for my DVR because I would have missed Pocono. I thought that it was actually a pretty decent race. Whether you like the car or not I thought it was pretty racy and that there was a bunch of passing. Speaking of DVR, my son managed to program Country Fried Home Videos to record with a higher priority than NASCAR so I missed the Nationwide Slip N Slide 200K. Heard it was pretty decent from some folks and that it sucked from others.
I'm not really looking forward to another road race so soon but we have no choice right? I wonder if Kyle is just chillin' up on top of the standings or if perhaps the rest of the field is catching up to them? The world better watch out for Jimmie Johnson because those cats are getting things figured out.
Flipper is showing that he deserves a chance to win the Cup this year too. Carl should have had back to back wins but I am sure that a 2nd and a 1st will suit him just fine.
Imagine what it is going to be like when Junior gets a car that will; A) Stay consistent throughout the entire race and B) Not run out of fuel. I know, that was payback from Michigan.
The Newman deal to Stewart/Haas Racing is almost as poorly a kept secret as Stewart going to Stewart/Haas. What is with some of these reporters that are claiming "breaking news" when they got suckered into a rumor?
Who will get the RCR 4th car? People are saying Mears but this weekend it popped up that he could go to the #45 and replace Kyle Petty..........I suggested that one a few weeks ago. Who'd A Thunk It?
What's on your mind my fellow blog-heads?
August 5, 2008 | Permalink
Comments
Krissie says over on her blog that nothing's done yet between Ryan and SHR. But what would we expect her to say until everything's signed?
I thought Pocono was a pretty good race - glad I didn't go (I hate sitting out a rain delay when I'm at the track). Still waiting for Tony to get a victory.
Maybe this week?
Posted by: JWSmoke | Aug 5, 2008 7:48:53 PM
Still haven't watched it. Pissed 'cause of the big hit I took in the UWS Fantasy league. May watch it tonight. I usually enjoy Pocono. Usually. I mean, I can actually get stuff done during the race, lol!
Mark - "Som Randome"...wtf?
Posted by: the6and9 | Aug 6, 2008 12:34:37 AM
Holy Crap!!
Better go fix that one......
Edit: It's fixed. Waiting on Typepad...Keith
Posted by: Mark Young | Aug 6, 2008 6:34:12 AM
Mark,
Without timely cautions, Poconap would have been the same as always. The cars were racy at the starts/restarts, but there was very little up front except, guess when, after the starts and the end of the race. If I were a sponsor I'd pay my guy NOT to lead here. Nobody see's the leader much because all the racing is behind him.
You can tell it's farce season. Every two laps we get an update on who is or isn't 12th. Harvick got 50% more airtime for that, than he would have for his great comeback alone.
What did I tell you about proofreading? I'll be sparse as relatives come to town, (If I stop moving they'll find me), but I'll be around.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 7:35:16 AM
Glad you felt it was a decent event; over at Kathy's, Daly opined that if I thought it was a good race I need to open my attention span. After the past two events being bombs, believe, my attn span was WTFO. MD posesses a very pointed typing finger at times.
Inasmuch as Pocono always comes down to fuel, I think both races need to be cut to 497.5 miles. NASCAR doesn't see fuel/weather strategem in the same light which serious fans see it in. They bank much of the entertainment value on it. I would have much rather seen those top 10 cars scatter 5 wide across the frontstretch, hammer down en route to the finish line instead of most of them sputtering off of turn 3. Oh well, such is life.
I think Stewart is going to break out at The Glen, then cool off again. Then there's Jr. Man oh man, these are tough times for me. I honestly don't think they have another W in the cards this year. There is just something they are lacking. They can get the car to the front but can't keep it there. They have trouble building momentum during the course of a race. They have 3 mediocre pit stops for every fast one. They differ their pit strategy too often from the rest of the field. I have hope, still. I often think of the 2003 season (i know the pts system was different, still). Newman won EIGHT races that year. Kenseth got one. Although less so here in 2008, consistency still gets you places. I'm sure that walking turd Kyle Busch isn't through yet but one can always hope. Someone on this site was sticking pins in the 07 to vex their efforts; guess that's working! Maybe I'll start smashing M&Ms.
Posted by: Joe | Aug 6, 2008 7:47:38 AM
Joe,
No, she was sticking pins in the kid's remote-controlled M&Ms car--and clearly, that worked. I asked her to go after the 07 next because I'd rather see the 17 in the stupid Chase then the 07 as I think the 17 will make much more of the opportunity. Plus I just like the 17 more. And really, isn't it all about what I want? ;)
Posted by: Kari | Aug 6, 2008 8:58:51 AM
Kari,
Seems that Bowyer represented himself pretty well in The Farce last year. Kenseth also. Maybe we should kick someone else out. Maybe a fan vote? Why not, it's fake already. What could it hurt?
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 9:07:05 AM
Since this entry seems general in nature.....
I've been on Staff Duty for the past 24 hours and to fill the boredom I have been thinking about unlikely NASCAR scenarios. The best one I came up with is the idea of rotating the All Star race to different tracks. Probably impossble from a logistical standpoint; you can't get the Charlotte area's pomp and circumstance into, say, Martinsville, but hey, if it has to be a huge show, leave out the half-milers and Richmond (sad thought, huh). Just one of my rare wacky thoughts.
Monday I was having computer issues at work, so I called our IT section and it's a guy I know comes up to fix it. He says to me, "so I hear your workstation went all Harry Caray on you."....I thought about it for a minute then couldn't stop laughing for a good 15. A new entry into the military lexicon. You could say the Brickyard race went Harry Caray on us race fans!
Posted by: Joe | Aug 6, 2008 9:27:39 AM
Keith,
Ha ha ha--I love it! At least we know in a fan vote, my guy's safely in, as is yours. ;) Bowyer represented himself VERY well last year but he's not shown that same moxie this year. I wonder if his run for the Bush League championship is distracting him a bit? And last year is last year--if we base it on last year, both my guy AND your guy go--no can do!
Posted by: Kari | Aug 6, 2008 10:20:46 AM
I missed Pocono because I was driving around Arizona with a pal from back east who had never seen the Grand Canyon. Sounds like I didn't miss much. This weekend, though, is The Glen, and I'm one of the substantial minority who likes road course races, and I think there's a better show at the Glen than at Sonoma.
As for the C---- (I won't say it), all I can say is that I hope the best man wins; so far this year, that's Kyle Busch, Edwards, and maybe Johnson. My guy in the 31 is having another solid year, but he hasn't shown championship form. You know how they say, "We had a top five car today?" Well, the 31 has had a top 5 car this year. Last year the 48 and 24 were the class of the field all year, and either one would have been a worthy champ.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Aug 6, 2008 12:21:07 PM
Joe,
LOL, I'm sure you mean Hari Kari (Seppuku), or the art of disembowelment after a major disgrace. Hmmm, I can see merit in that idea after Indy. I don't follow baseball, but I think Harry Carey was a nice old baseball announcer for the Cubbies? Famous for singing "Take me out to the ballpark," during the 7th inning stretch. Then again, I can see the fans singing, "Take me out to the ballpark," after Indy also.
Kari,
No offense. I'm sure the term has nothing to do with you, or how you were named.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 1:39:52 PM
Doug,
No-one should win "that which will not be named," except the driver with the most points at the end of the season. No playoff; no resetting of the points; no whatever gimmick Brainchild France can come up with. If you don't like the points, fix the way you dole them out. But, at the end of the season, the man with the most points wins. There should be no second chances to be number one.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 1:49:45 PM
Sorry Keith, but Harry CARAY was the Cub's announcer. Unfortunately his son, Skip Caray, the Brave's announcer died two days ago. I'm a baseball nut as well as a NASCAR fanatic. :)
Posted by: Diane | Aug 6, 2008 1:58:05 PM
Diane,
I got the last name spelled wrong, but I still assume that Joe's IT guy meant that NASCAR or somebody involved should have used the ritualistic way (Hari Kari) out of the situation. Unless, Harry Caray the man, was an incompetent blundering fool, and I know he wasn't, it's the only thing that makes sense to me. A baseball fan, eh? You must love Poconap. Baseball and Pocono are almost guaranteed naps for me...J/K
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 3:43:00 PM
Keith - Baseball is only boring if all you want is high scoring games. It's really interesting if you know its intricacies. But I agree that compared to racing, baseball doesn't have a chance as far as excitement goes. LOL.
Posted by: Diane | Aug 6, 2008 3:50:20 PM
Keith,
The husband knows all about Hari Kari, esp. when he ignores the honey-do list. ;)
Posted by: Kari | Aug 6, 2008 4:00:50 PM
Keith,
Yeah, I thought about that...prob what he really meant, but when I think about Will Ferrell as Haray Caray on SNL ("my favorite color is clear!") it would seem to take the meaning of "all f'd up"!
Now Hari Kari is what I felt like after 24 hour Stff Duty....
Posted by: Joe | Aug 6, 2008 5:24:57 PM
Joe,
Your typo there in your last sentence made me laugh out loud--apparently I need to get my mind out of the gutter.
Posted by: Kari | Aug 6, 2008 6:48:14 PM
Joe,
I feel your 24hr duty pain, but you eventually got home. Think of a 24hr day at sea (Is there any other type of day at sea?). Even when the dang thing is over you're still at work with the same people...LOL.
Kari, I'm thinking you might have to climb up to get your mind into the gutter.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 6:50:25 PM
Kari,
Nope, Hari Kari is self inflicted, or even more honor is lost. He's on a kami kazi path by ignoring the list. Although, not having seen said list, hari kari might be a better option.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 6, 2008 6:56:02 PM
Keith, the C---- system is no more arbitrary than the "old" points system; we just got used to that system and gave it some sort of legitimacy that it may or may not deserve. To me, the bottom line is whether I can look at the "champ" and say, "Yeah, OK, he's a worthy champ." Subjective? Totally. Quantifiable? Yeah, a little bit.
An example: why do the top 9 or so get 5 points and the next few get 4 points? Why not 7 and 6? 12 and 8? It's all totally arbitrary! Daly and I agree (wait, don't get too enthused) that you need some OBjective standard. He argues for number of wins and then, as tiebreaker, laps led. I argue for 43-42-41 and on down. OBjective.
Separate note: I have been invited to join somethig called Nascar World Order. Has anyone ever heard of this? Feel free to answer offlist if you wish.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Aug 7, 2008 12:22:01 AM
Doug,
Ugh, the objective argument, again. Well, everything in life is objective, if you want to go that route. Objectively speaking, I think the Farce has no business in racing. The old point system was certainly dated and needed a revamp to modernize it. It needed to emphasis winning and consistency in a more proper ratio. Instead NASCAR tried, and failed miserably, to re-invent the wheel. Racing doesn't need a playoff. Playoffs are needed when all the competitors do not have the opportunity to play each other during the regular season. Let's objectively call this what it really is. It's a clown in the head office trying to up TV ratings, it hasn't, to line his pockets. It has absolutely nothing to do with crowning a better champion or the integrity of the sport. It's all about the money.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 7, 2008 8:49:45 AM
Doug,
Number of wins? No way. Kahne's my guy but he did not deserve to be the champion in 2006. And a one point spread between 1st and 2nd place? A win is huge, while second place, not so much. The drivers--and their fans--want wins, not seconds or thirds. IMO the champ must be a guy who is not only winning, but collecting top fives and top tens on a regular basis. Last year, that was Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. This year, it's Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.
Posted by: Kari | Aug 7, 2008 10:08:04 AM
(I swore I wouldn't get into this discussion again!)
Kari, I can certainly accept the argument that 43-42-41 isn't the best system. Maybe it's 100-95-90-86-82, or some other arbitrary distribution of points. I guess my bottom line is that the champ is the person who gets the most points under whatever system is in place. Right now, that's the C---- system, which I do NOT like at all. Prior to that it was the Latford system, and before that it was some amazingly complicated system that factored in the length of the track! Whatever the system, we know that Ned Jarrett was champ in 1965, Richard Petty in 1979, and Jimmie Johnson in 2007.
And despite all my moaning and whining, I have yet to come up with a system I like better than the 43-42-41 system. I'm not sold on a win paying significantly more than second, but were I at the bargaining table, that would be negotiable. Leading the most laps should carry some bonus, and I play with the idea of giving points to people who lead a "significant number of laps," whatever that may mean. Maybe if you lead 20% or more of the laps you get something? I also think about the points stopping nearer the front, as in F1. 43 car field, only 20 get points?
The debate goes on and on and on, but the bottom line, like Kari and I have said, is whether the guy holding the trophy is a real champ. Johnson or Gordon could have been last year. So far this year, Busch has been THE man, but Flipper may close the gap.
Posted by: Doug in CA | Aug 7, 2008 11:51:32 AM
Yeah I didn't mean anything by it Kari; I will hereafter refer to it as seppuku. And if you ask my wife, she will tell you my mind will never be out of the gutter.
Auto racing seems to me, very unique in how champions are determined. NASCAR further sets itself apart with its hapless system. I mean, conventional methods don't work. It is kind of a quandary; the winner should get more points, absolutely, but they upped points for wins, and it seems that under the right circumstances (like KyBu not having the season he is) you could still pull off a 2003 Kenseth. Maybe there needs to be something ridiculous like 50 bonus points to the winner, I don't know. But then a dude could have a season with 10 wins and an equal number of DNFs and still conceivably win a championship. I imagine it must be a feat of mathematics and critical thinking to come up with something both fair and effective.
Posted by: Joe | Aug 7, 2008 12:00:48 PM
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