Turn 3

Title Contenders For 2009

By Mark Young

Well my friends the week we have been waiting for since late November.  NASCAR is rolling in to Daytona kicking off the 2009 NASCAR season and with a new season comes new expectations, goals, and dreams.  Conversations among fans usually are filled with predictions regarding who was fast in pre-season testing, who has new rides, and who will win the Cup but this year has been different.  NASCAR has banned testing at all NASCAR sanctioned tracks meaning that the first cars to hit the Daytona high banks will be on Thursday or Friday when practice for the Shoot Out begins.  News has been all about mergers and sponsors, not about speeds.  So with that in mind I thought we would have a discussion about who YOU think is going to win the Cup in 2009.

My heart is pulling me in one direction but several other factors are telling me otherwise.  My pick for Sprint Cup Champion in 2009 is Carl Edwards.  This kid is hungry for a title.  In my opinion Carl had a much more consistent 2008 season where as Jimmie Johnson just plain pulled it all together in the Chase.  I am picking Carl to win in every fantasy league and pool I am playing in.   If there was pressure on Jimmie to win three in a row then there has got to be more to win four.  I also don't think Kyle Busch has matured enough to handle the times where things don't go as planned.  My sentimental choice to win the Cup is Mark Martin.  Biggest disappointment of the year is going to be Dale Jr.

1. Carl Edwards (most wins also)
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Kyle Busch
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Mark Martin

Those are my  top five predictions......who do you think is going to win it all this year?

The Petty decline

By Mark Young

In these days of financial unrest the racing world has taken a beating.  Sure Pope Brian France and the NASCAR juggernaut is still raking in the dough while at the same time turning a blind eye to empty seats each week at the track. ...Oh wait, they aren’t empty, they are just covered with big advertisements.

Other than the fans who can’t afford to go to the races the second biggest hit on the racing economy has been on the car owners.  Now don’t go jumping on me, because I realize that Rick, Jack, Richard, and the Joe are all doing very well.  I am talking about the Ganassis, Davises, Earnhardts, Yates and Pettys.  Lost sponsors, mergers, and perhaps lost manufacturers have placed the future of these teams in peril.

The one that will hurt the worst and put a mighty large black eye on the sport will be the loss of or merger of the Petty organization.

Petty.  It all started with Lee, then Richard, on to Kyle, and should now be Adam.  The longest running NASCAR team in history (I think) is in trouble, big trouble.  It began when the company had to move their shop from Level Cross, NC to Mooresville, NC in order to entice potential employees (a 67 mile difference in drive).  The organization’s troubles came to a boil when they had to sell majority ownership to an outside company in order to stay financially competitive.  Then they lost their primary sponsor for their primary driver, a former Cup champion, no less.  Compounded with the fact that Kyle was making races and we all saw the writing on the wall: The Petty’s are in trouble.

Now we are reading and hearing everyone report how the Petty operation is once again evolving, this time pursuing other teams to partner with.  As of today they have been rumored to be joining forces with Dale Earnhardt Inc. as well as Chip Ganassi and Gillette Evernham.  Regardless of what team they are talking to or wherever these discussions lead, it is a sad day in NASCAR.

But it isn’t just the Pettys who need to do something or face peril.  The Wood Brothers have been around almost as long (if not just as long) as the Petty family and if they don’t figure something out will be closing their doors as well.

Look at Bill Davis Racing.  Bill took Toyota on his back and carried the load during the development of the manufacturer and is looking for a merger or will be gone also.  Can’t NASCAR see that this is an epidemic?

When is Brian France going to WAKE UP and realize that if he doesn’t start helping the little guys there won’t be a Chase for the Sprint Cup we will just have a 36 race season with cars being driven by four or five car owners with less than 30 cars on the track.

Brian might not care about the little guy but when the Pettys have to close up because they can’t survive something is very, very wrong.  Is he going to wait until ALL of the seats are empty, HALF of the race cars have no sponsors because NASCAR has taken all of them to become the official “place company product here” of NASCAR, and two-thirds of the car owners, including U.S. racing history’s greatest family, are gone?  What will he do then?  Probably sell it off or try to merge with F1.

ESPN has many options for viewers – Does NASCAR care?

By: Shirley J. Buttacavoli

If I have learned one thing about NASCAR fans, is that most are also fans of college and pro football. Some of you may have watched the FSU/Miami game as I did last night on ESPN and/or ESPN2. And that’s what prompted me to write this blog.

Thanks to ESPN and ABC’s coverage of IRL (Bud, stop singing), we know they can provide Side-By-Side coverage during commercial breaks. (That is when a national commercial is aired on one screen with a “sponsored” by logo at the top – two commercials for one, and video of the race is also provided beside it – Side-By-Side.)

However, a few months ago it was established that NASCAR (or Brian) did not want to take advantage of this option when ESPN/ABC take over in 2007.

Personally, I thought that was a slap in the face of all NASCAR fans.

Back to the game. . .I was curious why ESPN and ESPN2 were BOTH covering the FSU/Miami game, and then understood all the commercials I had seen while watching the U.S. Nationals concerning what ESPN was calling “Full Circle.”

“Full Circle” aired on ESPN2, which provided eight different screens for fans to watch. There was a screen for each coach, both quarterbacks, two different views of the game, the Sky Cam and then the “normal” or main screen. When a commercial aired, the seven screens around the main remained with what was happening on the field, and the commercial aired on the center or main screen.

WHAT A CONCEPT!

For viewers who prefer not to have so much “stuff” going on, the network provided the “standard” format of watching the game with a full screen on ESPN.

Those of you who did not watch the game last night and/or don’t care about college football, are probably asking: why is this in Turn 3?

The reason is the fact that ESPN obviously knows what viewers of sporting events want to watch. And prior to the “take over” by Fox and NBC, ESPN had already proved the network could provide excellent coverage to NASCAR fans. Jack Arute and Dr. Jerry Punch were my pit road heroes!

While watching “Full Circle” I was thinking what ESPN could do with this format during its NASCAR coverage. Especially with the last race before The Chase coming up.

Instead of the coaches they could focus on the crew chiefs of the 6, 31, 9 - or those on the “bubble” at the time, because we all know that’s going to change on every lap. The leaders could be on one screen and then battles for position on others. Don’t know if Sky Cam would require its own screen during a NASCAR event, but possibly the blimp or helicopter.

The options are limitless!

For those who prefer not to watch that many screens at one time, ESPN could air the standard full screen format, as they did last night, and “The Deuce” could provide “Full Circle.”

Now all of this is a moot point if the France family does not think it is “acceptable.”

If that’s the case, Brian really does NOT want his sport to equal that of the NFL, or any other pro sport for that matter.

Don’t forget, Brian said “no” to Side-By-Side coverage. However, a poll presented on our beloved web site overwhelmingly proved that the fans felt differently..

If ESPN has anything like this in mind for their second term with NASCAR, and I can’t believe they would not, Brian will be given a perfect opportunity to change the way a race can be viewed. The questions is: will he take advantage of it, or not?

Why do I have a feeling I already know that answer.

That’s my opinion, what’s yours?

Change the names and it's still the same

EDITOR'S NOTE: Shirley Buttacavoli is back, and like a lot of us is still scratching her head over some of last weekend's activities at Michigan and the resultant response out of the big offices in Daytona Beach, Fla.

By Shirley Buttacavoli

I have to say, I am very surprised no one has posted anything regarding the "penalty" NASCAR gave Carl Edwards after Saturday's incident with Dale Jr. And I'm sure someone is already saying: But she's a Dale Jr. fan. Then you also know how I feel about Kurt Busch.

So let's substitute Kurt for Jr. and say it was Kurt Busch who spun Carl Edwards for the win. And then Carl Edwards slammed Kurt Busch on the cool down lap. I would still feel the same. What Carl did was totally uncalled for, no matter who was involved.

When I read that Carl Edwards was given a $20,000 fine and placed on probation until the end of the year, I thought to myself: "That's it?"

I don't have time to do the research and give you exact dates, track location, fines, penalties, etc. (Ron, that's what we have you for), but this is what I remember happening over the past few years.

Kevin Harvick did a cat-like leap over the rear of a Busch car, grabbed Greg Biffle's driver's suit and the two had a very "close" discussion, with Kevin doing most of the talking.

Can't remember if Kevin was warned or fined by NASCAR, but not long after he then had another "altercation" on the track during a truck race. NASCAR sat him out for a Cup race.

More recently, Jeff Gordon pushed Matt Kenseth on pit road after a race when Kenseth seemed to be walking toward Jeff to apologize. (I don't even remember what happen on the track. I just loved seeing Jeff finally having some human emotion.) I believe Jeff received a fine, but I do remember he was put on probation for a short period of time.

And who can forget Jr's post-race interview in Victory Lane when asked how he felt about winning his fifth race at Talladega, and Jr. - in his most ecstatic and thrilling tone of voice said: "that ain't sh*t – daddy did it 10 times."

Jr's use of the dreaded "s-word" cost him dearly. Not only monetarily, but with the loss of valuable points needed to be part of The Chase. Everyone knew what to expect – except Jr. – as soon as he said it. Thanks to two Busch drivers using the same word previously, although in a negative fashion, NASCAR deemed it necessary to take the same "action" against Jr.

Back to Jeff and Matt. . .there were no vehicles involved and I don't believe anyone's life was a stake, However, there WAS a vehicle involved on Sat. at MIS, and Carl basically received the same "penalty" as Jeff.

And back to Kevin Harvick sitting out a Cup race. . . I'm not saying Carl should sit out a race in any series However, the events that occurred are more closely related to those by Kevin than that of Jr. and/or Mat and Jeff.

Jr’s “incident” in Victory Lane did not involve a vehicle, another individual, or any intent on inflicting pain on anyone. He was happier than shi*t!

If you look at the fines and penalties that have been given out, it seems Jr. received the most severe of all, for being happy, not mad. So when I said: “that’s it?” I was thinking of people using words, and physical actions - anything but a vehicle - and received fines and penalties MUCH worse than Carl Edwards received.

Plus I thought Carl was already on probation for spinning Tony Stewart on pit road, when Tony inadvertently wrecked Carl. Once again a vehicle was used, and a number of individuals could have been injured.

I guess this all comes down to NASCAR and their lack of consistency throughout the sport. I understand that not all rules are suited for all individuals. But someone needs to explain to NASCAR what “detrimental to the sport” really means. (David????)

BTW, if Mark Martin hasn’t already had a talk with Carl, I hope he does, and he does it soon. I also think Kenny Schrader needs to sit Cousin Carl down and explain the facts of life –and racing – to him. Just like Tony Stewart – the kid has talent, now he needs to use it wisely.

OK, that’s my opinion. . .let me have it!

Quality drivers: Where to look

By Shirley Buttacavoli

Last night’s “Speed News” focused on “quality drivers” to fill the seats in Cup in 2007, so I started thinking who could fill which seat. (Didn’t Tagliani and Tracy remind you of Gordon and Kenseth?)

Mike Harper’s recent blog mentioned ARCA has “developmental drivers” that could be the up and coming stars of the Cup series. There’s no doubt that Cale Gale (love that name!) and Steve Wallace are part of NASCAR’s future. (How many more years before Matt Martin drives the 6?)

However, I don’t consider them as “quality drivers” to perform in Nextel Cup in 2007.

There are three semi-retired drivers that I consider “quality.”

There have been many rumors that Ward Burton will take over the 88 for Robert Yates Racing. He might not be wearing UPS brown, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him taking the 88 into “The Chase” within a year or two.

What if Yates put Ricky Rudd in the 38? Not only could RYR be in Victory Lane with Ward AND Ricky, but M&Ms would probably sell more product than they can produce.

Red Bull needs to sign Bill Elliott so they can get into the Daytona 500. We all know what a provisional is worth, and we know Awesome Bill is a winner.

I know I was criticized previously when I thought Cup owners should look at drivers in the Craftsman Truck Series, and I’m sure I will again. (You can give me all the stats you want, I’m looking at “quality.”)

I like Clint Bowyer, but I bet if RCR had Ron Hornaday in the 7, that team would be in “The Chase” as well. He is Mr. Re-start. (I know that doesn’t fill an empty seat, but I like Hornaday and Childress together.)

I’d love to see Michael Waltrip take his buddy from “Inside Winston Cup,” Johnny Benson, and give him the third ride at MWR. Johnny knows the mechanics of a race car, and that is something MWR could use on and off the track. Who knows, he might bring another champagne/pop corn trophy into the Speed set.

Can you imagine Mike Skinner in Evernham’s 19? Look out Kahne and Riggs! After all, Skinner was a teammate of Dale Earnhardt’s and could also turn out to be “the voice.”

I’ve got more, but I’ve given everyone more ammo than you need for a day or two. (Okay, Diane probably has more.) You can think positive or negative, but I believe these “vets’ deserve another opportunity in the Cup series. Like it or not, they were instrumental in developing NASCAR in the 70s and/or 80s. Let them get some of the big bucks Corporate America is willing to offer. And we might actually see some respectful bumper-to-bumper, fender-to-fender racing.

Hey, it’s only my opinion, and I’m sure you’ll give me yours!

The 'Voice of God'

By Shirley Buttacavoli

I’m sure everyone has seen and/or read about the “incident” between Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards that occurred during lap 32 at the Pocono 500 Sunday afternoon. And I’m sure everyone has their opinion. I won’t get into that subject. However, Tony made a statement Monday stating he took “100% responsibility.” I applaud him for doing so.

But what got me thinking about the “Voice of God” was the statement Tony made Sunday that things would be different if the #3 was “policing the garage area.”

Should a driver – even Dale Earnhardt – be the individual to police the garage?

For those that watched Inside Nextel Cup last night, you probably heard the conversation between Carl Edwards and his crew chief after he spun Tony on pit road and received his one lap penalty. I’m paraphrasing, but basically Carl was adamant that what he did was no worse than what Tony did. That all changed when Jack Roush got on the radio and told Carl to settle down. I think Carl’s last words were: “yes sir.”

But back to my question: if a driver should police the garage area. . .

Not too long ago, I believe it was Darrell Waltrip who made the statement that maybe the “Voice of God” needs to call drivers to calm them down and bring them back to reason. The “Voice of God” DW was referring to was Mr. Bill France, Jr. – NOT Brian – Bill. Do you not think that even a seasoned veteran would not stop and THINK about who was talking directly to them? He’d certainly get my attention.

I also remember a story about a conversation Mr. France and Dale had off the track. I’m sure Mr. Higgins or David Green could enlighten even further. But Dale wasn’t happy about something, and Mr. France reminded him of his yacht, his jet, his ranch, etc., and that it was because Dale was involved in NASCAR that he had these luxuries. Once again, Mr. France got his point across.

I believe if the “Voice of God” could have one-on-one conversations with drivers getting “out of control” on the track, that you might see a different demeanor from most, if not all of the drivers.

I wonder if Tony received a call from Mr. France if he would have ended his conversation with: “yes sir.”

And now is the time for everyone to correct any errors I may have made, and I thank you for doing so. The “Voice of God” doesn’t have my phone number, so I’m safe - until next week anyway - when I’m standing on the sacred ground of Daytona International Speedway!

Enjoy the weekend off!

What were your picks?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Shirley Buttacavoli jumps in with the group in Turn 3 with a good, right-to-the-point question: What were your picks? She's not afraid to say which pony she bet on before the season started at Daytona and dares you to do the same. Besides, why wait for a Chase to see where we stand?

By Shirley Buttacavoli

Keith and I have discussed that I should submit a blog on other subjects than the one above, but I realized we are halfway through the season and no one has gone back to look at their predictions from the first of the year.

Mark Martin is probably seeing the upcoming tracks for the last time in his Cup career, as the Cup rookies are seeing them for the second time around. But with or without a "Chase," these are the teams I picked after watching testing at Daytona in January: This is NOT the order I picked them to finish. However, I did pick the 20 to win the championship. But I hope it's the 6.

I couldn't decide between the 29 or 31, but I felt one would make the Chase and the other would be 11th.

Call me brilliant, call me an idiot, or even someone that does not know what they are talking about, but these were my picks:

1. 20 (How could I not?)

2. 6 (My sentimental favorite)

3. 8

4. 48

5. 25 (Call me stupid)

6. 16

7. 99

8. 9

9. 17

10. 29

11. 31

No, I did not pick the 24, because they were in a slump at the end of '05 (or out of luck as David Green stated in a prior blog), with basically a rookie crew hief. I really thought Mr. Hendrick would step up and make the 25 team more competitive this year. But blown engines at the beginning of the season, and a teammate that doesn't seem to want to play fair, has almost taken them out of the top 20.

I couldn't decide between Truex and Yeley for rookie of the year, and then Denny Hamlin goes out and wins the Shootout. That was settled before the season even began.

Enjoy the rest of the season and let's hope for green flag restarts. Lady (Diane) and gentlemen (you know who you are), start your engines. . . or. . .What were your picks?

Can't catch Stewart

By LEE MONTGOMERY

The Chase for the Nextel Cup is over, unless something happens.

Nobody is going to catch Tony Stewart, unless something happens.

He's too far out on front for someone to outrun him, unless something happens.

Funny phrase, that is. Unless something happens. Say it out loud right now. "Unless something happens." Don't worry, your colleagues in the office won't mind. "Unless something happens."

You know what it means. The status quo remains until something odd occurs.

But how does that apply to the NASCAR Nextel Cup championship?

Simple. Stewart is the 2005 champion ... unless something happens.

We saw it last year when Kurt Busch won the title. He wasn't going to get beat unless he beat himself. And no matter how hard Busch and his No. 97 team tried, they couldn't blow the title. Sure, you might call it luck, but Busch won because after he got the points lead, he and his team rebounded from adversity time and again.

We haven't seen anything as dramatic this year, for Stewart has been steady in running up front, excpet for Dover, where he did come back from a horrible run to post a decent finish of 18th.

But Stewart likely won't need any dramatics to win the championship this year. He'll run well enough of the next six races to hold off Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle. No one else has shown enough consistency this year to mount a challenge in the remaining six races. Sure, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson have run well at times, but it's too late in the game for "at times."

Newman and Biffle are the only ones close enough who have run well enough to beat Stewart, but forget it. You won't be able to beat Stewart consistently over the next six races, unless something happens.

And that's the beauty of this sport. You never know what's going to happen. Stewart could cut a tire and hit the wall on the first lap at Charlotte, and everything is up for grabs.

But that's not likely. So let's stick with performance. Stewart has had plenty of it this season, more than anyone else. What else can you base predictions on? Sure, speculate all you want that Martin will mount a vigorous challenge, but there's no proof.

So get used to seeing Stewart celebrate at Homestead next month.

Unless something happens.

NASCAR suspends ... Ryan Moore?

By LEE MONTGOMERY

Big news! NASCAR suspended a driver for retaliation! They're cracking down! Next, they'll actually punish a team when its car fails inspection!

OK, OK, I'll stop being a smart-aleck. Well, maybe I won't.

In case you haven't read, Ryan Moore was suspended for retaliation after a Busch North Series race at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut last weekend. Moore, according to NASCAR, hit Sean Caisse's car twice - once on the cool-down lap and again on pit road - after the race was over.

On Thursday, NASCAR dropped the hammer. (Why'd they wait until Thursday?) Moore won't be able to drive in any NASCAR event until November, meaning he'll miss the Busch North finale this weekend and a Craftsman Truck Series race in Atlanta later this month.

Moore, you might know, is a development driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc., and DEI was trying to put him in a truck at Atlanta. That ain't gonna happen.

But why pick on Ryan Moore? Sure, the message will get through to him and every other Busch North driver. But has the message gotten through to Nextel Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series driver?

Yeah, but they're not scared. You're going to suspend us? Hahahahaha!

I'll believe it when i see it. They had a perfectly good opportunity to kick Robby Gordon and/or Kasey Kahne out for a race or two - especially after threatening to do so - but slapped their wrists. Then, Todd Berrier is caught cheating a SECOND TIME this year and gets a two-race suspension. Why not the rest of the year?

Oh, and why wasn't Berrier on probation for the Las Vegas penalty? Can you say, "NASCAR screwed up"? But we're used to that now.

The latest issue cropped up in post-race inspection at Talladega, when Jamie McMurray's car flunked inspection but wasn't penalized because NASCAR said it was in a wreck. Did anyone at Talladega see the No. 42 crash? I didn't. That car was so wrecked that it ran up front most of the race.

But no penalties.

Ryan Moore, however, gets suspended. Robby Gordon and Kasey Kahne don't.

You want justice? Watch Court TV.

Cheatin' and beatin'

EDITOR'S NOTE: David Green is moving, joining Lee Montgomery and Krista Voda in the new Turn 3 blog. The Infield will still be inhabited by most of the usual suspects you're used to seeing there.

By David Green

Ah, the things those crew members to do those racecars and the things those drivers do with those racecars!

Cheatin' and beatin', techin' and wreckin' -- they keep the blood-pressure numbers up, don't they?

Not only have those topics garnered more than their share of headlines lately, but they are among the primary ingredients that make up the sport of auto racing.

I'm the guy who has written more than once that racing is about fans watching drivers drive cars, and I stand by that fundamental assessment. But when the competition gets a little spirited, with regard to the fellows who prepare the equipment and the ones with the steering wheels in their hands, it sure makes for a more interesting show.

Certainly, the last couple of weeks on the NASCAR circuit have given us plenty to debate. The reaction up and down pit road is interesting enough, and then when you throw in the fans' perceptions of things, it really gets heated.

Personally, I'd like to see a simplified rulebook, with some guidelines that both clearly establish what you can and cannot do and also effectively negate the advantages of things you might do that are either unregulated or hard to detect. "Not so easy to do," you say, and I reply, "What -- you mean, more difficult and controversial than the ongoing attempt to maintain a level playing field by micromanagement?"

I believe things that are blatant, outright cheating -- concealed nitrous oxide, oversized engines, soaked tires -- ought to be severely punished. Post-race inspections ought to be limited to checking things that require a teardown or disassembly of components that cannot feasibly be done in pre-race inspection. Other things, such as body shapes and ride height and even weight, ought to be checked before the race and that should be the end of it.

Other than that, let's let the crew members be creative and let the drivers see what they can do with the machines they are given.

I don't believe the sport is well-served when there's a laundry list of nit-picky "violations" released every Tuesday, especially when the press release never provides any context. From a rocket engine to a seat belt with the wrong "born on" date, it's all lumped under the "actions detrimental to the sport" heading. That is, in itself, detrimental; all it does is contribute to the image of racing as a sport of "cheaters."

Then, there's the matter of races devolving into demolition derbies, as was the case in two of three Chase races so far.

Somewhere between a civilized, follow-the-leader parade and outright carnage, there is spirited, exciting racing. Just where that sweet spot is found depends upon the individual competitor or observer.

Likely, you could never assemble anything resembling a consensus among drivers about what is acceptable racing etiquette. (The one universal rule: "No one should ever, ever wreck me.") But there is one sure-fire way to stop a lot of the dirty/reckless/overly aggressive (pick your adjective) driving that goes on these days: Take the cowcatchers off the cars.

Fix things so that if you hit something with the front end of your car, the nose of your car is going to be deformed. If it's deformed, it will cease to function the way you need it to. It won't take long for you to learn not to hit things on purpose. Magically, you will learn to avoid most if not all of those "unavoidable" rear-end impacts other drivers have been feeling when you're behind them.

And if you do make a mistake and hit somebody, we'll know for sure your apology is sincere.