Turn 3

Exciting possibilities for younger Busch

By DAVID GREEN

It's a struggle for some of us (read: yours truly) to walk the fine line between fondly remembering and trying to live in the past. The former is a wonderful thing, while the latter is a doomed and frustratingly futile thing.

Nevertheless, Kyle Busch's remarks to SPEED TV's Tom Jensen yesterday about the possibilities of open-wheel racing in his future were quite intriguing to me, largely because they invoked memories of racing's past and raised the notion that we might be able to go "back to the future," in a manner of speaking.

We'll deal with the personality issue first, and get it out of the way. Busch has more than his share of detractors, and he has done more than a little to give them ammunition, and then to bait and further antagonize them.

For those who wish to focus on that, fine. I choose to ignore it. I was out of the daily bustle of NASCAR racing before Kyle arrived on the scene, and I've never met him. He may be a nice guy who comes off differently to the public, or he may actually be something other than a nice guy. Doesn't matter. The kid can drive.

Sometimes he says things that are, to be kind, provocative. His remarks about the possibility of racing in Formula One raised by Peter Windsor at this week's announcement of the USF1 team may anger some NASCAR fans. From my perspective, what Busch said was tantalizing.

For those who may not know, he said that he's interested in doing other forms of racing, including the Indy 500 and Formula One, but not right now. His priority right now is NASCAR, and winning a Cup Series championship.

But once that mountain has been conquered (and I believe it's a question of "when," not "if"), he's inclined to look at other peaks to scale.

I really like that attitude.

Never really thought I would say those five words in reference to Kyle, but there they are.

Windsor said Busch could be a star in F1. I agree. Not merely a headline grabber or a marketable presence, but a strong competitor -- even a champion, in the right equipment.

And then, Busch told Jensen, he'd like to come back to NASCAR, where careers tend to be a lot more longer-winded.

Wow. Sounds kind of like the old days, when drivers weren't so tied down to one endeavor, into which they had to put everything to the extent that it had to be all-consuming.

And the Wood Brothers are running a limited schedule of selected races.

Hey -- maybe going "back to the future" isn't impossible, after all.

Changin' Location

By Mark Young

Just a quick note to say that I am moving back my old home at The Infield.  Please be sure to visit me there, I am lookin' forward to some home cookin' with everyone there.

Things I think about Fontana

By Keith Ott

1:  Broadcast – I’m two sided on this one.  Part of me thinks the guys in the booth need to get paid extra for having the ability to stay awake and at least try to entertain the TV audience.  The other part of me hates that Darryl’s nasal twang woke me up more times than I can count.  Did everyone catch the lame attempt to persuade us that ticket sales were surging?  “The ticket lines were staggering,” we were told.  All I can think is that the track mall must have a multiplex theater, and a new Harry Potter was secretly screening, because these people weren’t in the grandstands.  As far as the production goes, I’m still waiting for Fox to grow up and loose the inane graphics.  It’s a sporting network, or claims to be, not the cartoon network.  If you have a great angle, show it.  We’ll appreciate it all the more without a stupid gopher popping up.  And please tell me you did not dig up a little round patch of dirt for his home.  Oh, and if you want to “Crank it up,” just do it.  We have ears, we’ll notice that also.

2:  Racing – I wanted to leave this blank, but someone was bound to think I messed up and not see the sarcasm.  What racing?  I’m now of the opinion that this track isn’t even deserving of one race, much less two.  Seems the fans in Cali are voting with their attendance, or lack thereof, too.  The cautions are actually becoming my favorite parts, because if you rewind and play them at 4X it actually looks like racing two wide.  I even prayed to seven different incarnations of rain gods to no avail.  However, rain or no rain, Cali was a washout.

3: Drivers - Kenseth, Gordon, Johnson, the Busch Brothers and Biffle had good days.  The rest of the drivers were seldom seen or heard from.

Long story short, the next Cali race goes on the DVR.  I have better things to do than count how many times a gopher pops up.

It says here...

By DAVID GREEN

• Count me among those who agree with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s self-assessment ("I'm not a jerk and I don't race like a jerk."). I've watched the kid since his Busch Series debut at Myrtle Beach and he's not a dumb or a dirty racer. He makes mistakes, just like every other driver. He made a big one Sunday.

• NASCAR encourages blocking by permitting drivers to do it without any restraint, and Junior knows it. It couldn't have come as a surprise that Brian Vickers tried to block his move. Those who believe blocking is a legitimate racing tactic need to accept the fact that, when you block somebody, you're basically setting yourself up and daring the guy behind to hit you -- either intentionally or accidentally. (By the way, Mike Bliss was not blocking Vickers when Vickers wrecked him to win the preliminary race at Charlotte on all-star weekend a couple of years ago.)

• Three times in 51 editions of the Daytona 500, rain has caused the race to be cut short of its 500-mile distance. If you don't like those odds, don't buy a ticket. Unlike Ron Green Jr., I don't believe the 500 is a bogus event unless it goes the distance. This is another one of those apples-oranges comparisons that does not work. But he's entitled to his opinion.

• NASCAR's decisions tend to be inconsistent; they might defend them as appropriate for varying circumstances, and I don't reject that notion. I don't really like a "one size fits all" mandate. I have no problem with the decision to call the Daytona 500 official after 76 percent of its distance. I do have a problem with them pushing starting times back deeper and deeper into the afternoon. I would imagine they are trying to get the best time frame for both ticket-buying spectator and TV-watching fan. With the last couple of years' attendance and ratings figures, that doesn't seem to be working all that well.

• Speaking of starting times and ratings, I wonder what the numbers are for those seemingly endless pre-race extravaganzas? I may be in the minority, but I suspect that's not exactly must-see TV.

 

 

I'm Actually Looking Forward To California?

By Mark Young

I can't believe I'm actually saying this.  I am looking forward to this weekend's race in California.  With the fiasco in Daytona and not getting to see the race finish under green, I need to see the checkered flag fall, even if it is at, in my opinion, the most under-appreciated, under-attended, over-hyped track on the circuit.  Now no disrespect to you blog-heads out there that go to Fontana, I know how you feel as Michigan is my home track and it is not always the most excited deal either, but I really dislike Fontana.  HOWEVER, considering the screwed up ending at Daytona was like having Santa dump a bucket of dirty kitty litter in my stocking I would watch the boys race big wheels in a Piggly-Wiggly parking lot if it meant they ran the full distance.

I am picking Carl Edwards to start his winning ways this weekend followed up by Matt Kenseth.  Tell me what you all think!!

Are You Kidding Me?

By Mark Young

I have sat waiting......since late November for this weekend.  I have had thoughts and expectations for the Daytona 500 and what it would bring to begin the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season.  Then NASCAR went and ruined it all.  The first race of the season, the Super Bowl of racing, the one race where every race fan looks forward to and NASCAR went and ruined it all.  I am so pissed off right now I can't even see straight.......and it has nothing to do with the beverages I ave enjoyed today like so many other race fans.  To put it bluntly I AM PISSED OFF!!!!

U WANT SOME?

Why in the world did NASCAR call the race tonight with 48 laps to go @ 7:00-ish Eastern time?  How many times have we seen NASCAR milk a race until the wee hours of the morning in an effort to get the entire race in and tonight cut it so close?

I am going to be blunt, I am not going to pull any punches, short of dropping F-Bombs and other prime words that I know a ton of you out there screamed at the TV when they called the race, I am absolutely livid with whoever pulled the trigger to call the race.

It's one thing to say enough is enough if the entire state of Florida is socked-in with rain......but it is another thing to call the race for rain but have the trophy presentation and "hat dance" outside when it wasn't raining!!  I sit here one hour after they called the race and look at the radar seeing rain, but not enough to think they couldn't find a way to finish the bigggest race of the NASCAR season.

It isn't as if FOX had any pressing shows to air that would influence an early cancellation, it was only The Simpsons for cripe's sake.  I am pissed and there better be a sound reason behind this early cancellation because right now none of this makes any sense........

Drop the flag

By DAVID GREEN

I'm thinking Carly Simon this morning. You know, "Anticipation." Not in the depths the eloquent songwriter probed in her lyrics, but in a manner similar to the ketchup commercial that used the song as musical background -- the "keepin' me waitin'" line.

Keepin' me waitin', until 1 p.m. Central, that is.

For the first time in a long time, it feels as if the start of the racing season is overdue. As much as I have for so many years been wired up for the start of a new season, it has been a long time since I felt so ready and so anticipatory.

Junking the January testing at Daytona, I think, helped this feeling. (I suspect it may also encourage a more interesting 500, but that's getting off the subject.) It wasn't only the overstuffed size of the Cup Series schedule; it was the absence of any real off-season between the 36th race of one season and the beginning of Speedweeks the next year.

The tumultuous news of the past late November and all of December and January was really and truly "off track" in a way it hasn't been in awhile, if ever. It mandated that you either ignore it or get completely out of your comfortable rut to consider it in depth.

And now, having gone through that exercise (exploring, not ignoring), I am more than ready for today's Daytona 500.

Storylines are plentiful -- the strong qualifying run by Bill Elliott in the beloved Wood Brothers No. 21, the success and the tribulations of Stewart-Haas Racing (and Smoke's warm and cuddly Valentine's Day messages to Goodyear), the landscape-altering absence of the traditional Petty Enterprises and a driver with the Petty name in the field, Mark Martin on the front row in his 25th start in the event he has never won...

It seems to me that much, or at least some, of the instability of the cars has been addressed since the wild and wooly Budweiser Shootout. The product that I've seen so far has been quite entertaining.

Who'll win? Heck, I have no idea.

Whom do I want to win? Well, being an old-timer myself, I'd be pleased to see a greybeard such as Martin or Elliott win it; I'm friends from way back with crew chiefs Donnie Wingo and Steve Addington, so I couldn't unhappy if either of their drivers happened to take the flag; it would be fitting if the two great drivers of their era, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, were to win (Stewart for the first time); it would be equally fitting if one of the trio that seem to be emerging as the definition of the next era (Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch) were to win.

I guess, when you turn all that into statistics of some sort, I have two plugs for Kyle Busch (Addington being his crew chief), so maybe that's a prediction in itself.

To paraphrase Carly Simon again, "I'm no prophet and I don't know" what the day holds. But "I'll stay right here (in front of the TV screen) 'cause these are the good old days."

Hooray For The Little Guys!!

By Mark Young

Just a quick blog as I sit here watching the truck race (which is a great race as usual).  After watching the twin 150's with my radio show co-host Dave I realized I spent nearly the whole time watching the transfer spots.  Of course with the stupid Top 35 rule in place there was only two spots to fight for but boy was it a great battle in both events.

To see "The Little Guys" like Tommy Baldwin and Jeremy Mayfield get into the Daytona 500 by guts, determination, and volunteer help just  got me fired up for them.  The $250,000 they will get just to start the race is going to help both of those programs go a long long way.

So I tip my hat to Tommy Baldwin and Jeremy Mayfield, good luck guys........run well.

Bring On The Season!!

By Mark Young

After what seemed like an off-season that lasted six months instead of only two The Budweiser Shootout was a great prelude for things to come.....I hope.  The banning of testing and the economic downturn we are all feeling has made the weeks leading up to the Daytona 500 a little lack-luster compared to years gone by.  But in some ways I think this may have created more anticipation as we prepare ourselves for the 150 mile qualifying races and ultimately the 500 on Sunday.  Regardless, the season is upon us and I cannot wait for it to kick-off on Sunday.

The shootout as well as qualifying for the pole showed me some things that I didn't expect but I am anxious to see how it pans out on Sunday.  Here are a few thoughts I have based on what I have seen so far...

The Dodge teams either have a real big horsepower issue still or they aerodynamically need the draft to go fast.

All of the Childress cars qualified bad (Bowyer the fastest at 26th).  We know they make good power, these guys are going to rely on how well they draft to do well........don't count them out.

The newly formed Stewart-Haas teams are fast right off the truck, no surprise since they are essentially the 5th and 6th Hendrick cars.

Glad to see Bill Elliott and the Wood Brothers running so well, I hope they have a great 500 and get sponsorship for more races.

The three full time Earnhardt-Ganassi cars showed great muscle, perhaps this union is going to work.

Joey Logano had a tough first weekend, I don't think this coming weekend is going to be any easier.....welcome to the Cup Series son.

I am really concerned about how much these cars are dancing around on the increasingly bumpier surface at Daytona.  There are a couple of things that need to be done to fix this. 1) The track needs to be repaved like Talladega was. 2) NASCAR needs to ease up on some of the restrictions on the chassis adjustments and tell the teams that they can no longer use bump-stops to get the cars to handle.

I can't wait for Thursday to see everyone out there grinding away in the 150 mile races.  That will really tell us a lot more about what to expect on Sunday.

What do you guys think?

Too much fun?

By DAVID GREEN

At first blush, I can’t help but agree with surprise Budweiser Shootout winner Kevin Harvick. If you didn’t find this race entertaining, I don’t know what to suggest.

However, I have to confess a good bit of anxiety about the remainder of Daytona Speedweeks. Those cars appear to be a handful to drive.

I’m an old dirt-dobber, so the sight of cars getting sideways and twitchy is no big deal – not at speeds somewhere south of the low 100-mph bracket, that is. At 180-plus, now, that increases the pucker factor exponentially.

Not that it should be easy. Not that any dummy should be able to go out there and do what Harvick and the others did, with as little carnage as they produced. But 28 cars and 75 laps was scary enough. Imagine 43 and 200.

I know this is an apples-and-oranges comparison, but yesterday’s undercard, the ARCA race, provides an example of what I’m feeling. That race featured old-style Cup-type cars, with vertical front airdams and blade spoilers, not the new-generation Sprint Cup Series car. And it included a field of drivers whose experience level hardly compares to that of the Cup journeymen.

Quite often, ARCA events on tracks such as Daytona and Talladega are crash-filled, but even by those standards, yesterday’s 200-miler was a wreck-fest. One of the victims of one of the crashes alluded to the notion that some fans like to see crashes, and he figured those fans got their money’s worth.

In my mind, though, everyone except perhaps the most extremely morbid, blood-lust thrill-seeker would have gotten more than a little frustrated with all the yellow flags.

We won’t dwell on the very scary crash near the end of the race, in which Patrick Sheltra’s car was nailed at high speed by another car driven by Larry Hollenbeck, except to note that the more often these high-speed incidents happen, the more chances there are for one to turn tragic.

I don’t mean to be an alarmist, and I’m not predicting catastrophe. I’m not suggesting NASCAR or anybody “do” anything.

Everything will work itself out. It should be anything but boring.