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AOL.Com, Best Buy Racing Partner to Help Fans Find Gold - No. 66 Chevrolet Will Promote New Interactive Gold Rush Game at Richmond Race: This Saturday at Richmond International Raceway, fans will watch their favorite stock car drivers hunt for the big prize in the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 race – the first-place trophy and a large payday. Fans also will find out how they can hunt for their own huge reward – in the form of $2.2 million in gold. This weekend, the No. 66 Best Buy Racing Chevrolet will carry logos promoting Gold Rush, a groundbreaking interactive reality game from Mark Burnett and AOL.com - where players literally can turn their entertainment and pop culture knowledge into gold. Gold Rush launches online at www.aol.com/goldrush Wednesday, Sept. 13. With more than $2 million in gold at stake, the game combines the excitement of online play, with offline integrations and reality competitions, creating an entirely new interactive experience.

Screaming At The TV Screen

Is it just me, or was NBC's telecast of the Sony HD 500 on Sunday night from California Speedway running on seven cylinders or less?

Seems that critical, dramatic moments in the race were missed because the cameras and airtime were devoted to what amounted to drivel.

For example, while Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were making spirited charges back to the front, NBC diverted the viewers from them to "run back through the field."  Cameras were aimed at 10 or 12 other cars one at a time while pit reporters divulged the status of each.  Mostly, this amounted to the annoying, repeated-endlessly revelation that the cars were either "tight going in, loose coming off" the turns.  Or vice-versa.

I found myself screaming angrily at the TV screen, "Tell us what Kahne and Earnhardt are doing!  What's happening at the front of the field!?"

When NBC finally broke away from the rundown, anchor Bill Weber announced that Kahne now was leading with Earnhardt in second place.  The passes that put them in those positions weren't shown.

I know the tendency of most fans/viewers is to blame the guys in the booth for such sloppiness.  In this case, that was Weber and cohort/analyst Wally Dallenbach Jr.

But it's not their fault.  The blame lies with the person directing the telecast, as they say, "from the truck."  The booth reporters are at his command and mercy.

Whoever was directing Sunday night did a disservice to NBC's audience, which I suspect numbered in the millions.

There were other miscues.

We weren't given much detail on the bobble with the lug nuts during a late pit stop that doomed Jeff Gordon's chance to win.

Nor was there satisfactory coverage of what was causing Mark Martin's strong run to fade at the end.

Both incidents could prove pivotal in these two drivers making "The Chase" for the Nextel Cup championship during the season's final 10 races.

Several friends here in Mooresville, N.C., where I live, were as frustrated as me.  Said one, Joe Burden, who has followed NASCAR since the 1950s, "I got so disgusted I turned the TV off and went to bed.  I didn't know that Kahne and Earnhardt eventually finished 1-2 until I got my newspaper the next morning.  It takes the fun out of watching when you see crappy coverage like that on Sunday night.  If NBC can't do any better, instead of watching next time I'll go play golf or go fishing."

So, no, it isn't just me.

It was a pathetic production.


The media loves the term “what if.” The press enjoys asking NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers questions that begin with “what if.”

Surprisingly, eight times out of 10, a driver will answer a “what if” question, especially the younger guys who don't know better and those folks who just like to hear themselves talk.

And, there's a few just being polite. Instead of saying, “That's the stupidest question I have ever heard,” they answer it like, “If that were ever to happen…”

Heard some good ones over the years, even a few unintelligent queries coming from this very mouthpiece.

On the surface, the entire concept of “what if”questions is completely ridiculous. Think about it just for one minute.

What if the earth rotated the other direction? Would that make a difference in stock car setups?

What if you could only race on four tires for the entire event?

What if the sky was green and the infield grass was blue?

What if you were better looking?

But sometimes, every once in a while, a “what if” actually opens a big can of delightful garage stink. For instance:

“Jeremy, what if Ray was around your team a little more? Would that help your performance?”

Wasn't there. Not sure how the subject was broached to the former driver of the #19 Evernham Dodge, but there's a 50-50 chance that whole cow pile was initiated with a similar “what if” question.

They sound innocent enough.

“What if” turns a question into a hypothetical situation, sort of like logging into “The Sims” Web site, where virtual life is a reality.

Huh?

For the veteran racing hacks, a well-timed “what if” can be the interview banana peel; the interviewee slips and falls on his or her own words.

The media just wants the real facts and truth to then pass on to its grateful and adorning public.

“What ifs” to the media are like those little keys that open a can of sardines -- some people like those little fish and others can do without them.

Why bring up the “what if” topic?

Heading into and out of Richmond International Raceway, you are likely to see a flood of “what if” questions and answers coming at you at the speed of light in print and on television.

Like, “What if you don't make The Chase?” Or, “What if you had not messed up that pit stop? Would you be in The Chase?”

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Consider this your warning.

What if you had not been given a warning?

Oh, my. No telling.

She's a lady
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM


While sipping scorched continental breakfast coffee in an Ontario, Calif., hotel lobby Friday morning, I was perusing the local paper and happened upon a column addressed to area NASCAR laypeople.

It sought to educate in a blithe, satirical sort of way, a vehicle to the Nextel Cup Series' periphery for the suburban L.A. "Who cares?" crowd.

I very much enjoyed it. It made me ponder -- ponder what the folks in Darlington, S.C., were up to.

There aren't many distractions in Darlington. Life moves slow most days. Fontana is the polar opposite. So much to do, so little time. Rush, rush like Paula Abdul.

Attendance is good, not great. The race is too long, but the competition is vastly improved. And NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. are committed. California Speedway abounds with capital improvements, the latest being a fan zone.

ISC needs to dump some cash into Darlington Raceway. Preserve a relic.

The Darlington Tradition steed is on life support, but I'll keep on flogging, thank you. I'm still a staunch believer that Labor Day belongs in the Pee Dee. Too bad NASCAR's more concerned with P. Diddy.

The Southern 500 was a distinguishing race on a distinguished schedule. One of the big four. A major, so to speak. Just happens to be in a non-existent television market.

But so is Martinsville. The difference? Attendance. For a time, Darlington struggled greatly to sell tickets, forcing NASCAR's hand to migrate west. It's standard business practice, of course, the vaunted bottom line.

But there's a lot to be said for history and tradition. It's very important to me, personally. It should be embraced. Not shunned.

Gussy the ol' girl up some. Buy her some new threads. Make her NASCAR's Fenway Park, an outdated, cranky must-see destination point for sports fans.

Most fans already respect her, but are reluctant to dance. Give them a reason to adjust the cummerbund and hit the floor.

The racing speaks for itself. To California Speedway's credit, the racing Sunday night was stellar at times. Tough to beat three-wide for the lead. But it still ain't Darlington.

Delusions of grandeur on my part? Possibly. But I respect Darlington more than 90 percent of the tracks on the circuit. Many folks agree. California Speedway can't say that. It's too new. It's unfair to even suggest.

It may take 40 years to garner that type of adoration.

Heck, judging by the newspaper it may take 40 years just for the townsfolk to take notice.

Random predictions and observations:

1. Kasey Kahne will qualify for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
  
Folks too quickly forget it wasn't poor performance that landed Kahne outside the top 10, rather poor decisions and overzealousness. He's 11th in the standings because he was overaggressive on the final laps at Indy and Watkins Glen, not because he ran poorly.

He is 30 points behind Jeff Burton. He can't afford to race conservatively, can't sit back and let it come to him, can't rely on Burton or Mark Martin or Jeff Gordon to hand him a freebie.

He has to go earn it. He has to race to win. He has to grab this thing by the throat and squeeze.

2. Kudos to the No. 8 team

To rebound as they have from back-to-back last-place finishes speaks well to their maturation as a group. In the past, I'm not so certain they wouldn't have folded if faced with that type of adversity.

3. How about a scroll?

The biggest complaint I hear from race fans, by a significant margin, centers on disenchantment about commercials -- far too many; they're distracting; they make me hesitant to watch, the like.

Again, just an idea, but what if the networks and advertisers struck a deal to keep the ticker atop the screen during commercials? Maybe even post a nonstop information bar, too; somewhat like CNN or ESPN News run during their newscasts.

Stupid? Maybe. All I know is fans don't want to miss action and advertisers don't want to give up television space. A happy medium seems impossible, and very well may be.

But that thought hit me Sunday evening, and I thought it could be pretty cool; thought I'd throw it out there to see what the fans think. Let me know. It would at least be a start.

4. Steve Irwin was a rock star.

Very sad, but I'd venture to say he went out the way he'd have wanted. RIP, wild man.

5. It seems Nextel Cup Series drivers aren't fond of raisins.

I'm big on trail mix, and anytime a driver grabs in he invariably picks out the raisins. Like five different guys now. Wonder if it's a superstition thing?

For clarity I contacted Matt Kenseth. Go figure. He eats the raisins, chucks the peanuts. Bad luck, he says.

E-mail time!

Bobby Gilland: Has anyone ever won both the Busch and Nextel Cup point championships in the same year?

Nope. The closest anyone has come was Kevin Harvick in 2001, when he won the Busch Series championship and finished ninth in the Cup Series standings.

Carl Edwards fared very well last season, finishing second in Cup and third in the Busch Series -- 30 points short of Tony Stewart for the Nextel Cup championship and 68 points behind Martin Truex Jr. in the NASCAR Busch Series.

Harvick this year could certainly be the first to win both crowns in the same season. He has the Busch Series locked up, and once the Chase starts it's anybody's ballgame.

Frank from Manassas VA: Hey Marty, Talking about the car of tomorrow, what do you think the chances are of NASCAR taking the restrictor plates off at Talladega and Daytona.

Zero percent, Frank. Plates aren't going anywhere any time soon.

BLUIII420: Discussion going on: Is there a driver championship and car owner championship? Example: If a driver gets hurt or leaves a team and is replaced.

The car makes the Chase and luckily goes on to win the Chase. Does the driver with the most points win the championship or does the car or both? Could you please clarify this for us. Thanks.
 
Well, Redheaded Stranger, first, yes, there are separate driver and car owner championships. The Chase applies to driver standings. So if a Chase-eligible driver were to switch teams, and ran well enough to win the championship with his new team, yes, your scenario could happen.

But to me your discussion is moot. If a driver got hurt and missed races he wouldn't qualify for the Chase, and therefore couldn't win the championship. And if he was running well enough to qualify for the Chase, he wouldn't be apt to leave his current team.

Karen Lemke: Your "stats" team has access to all the finishing places each driver has made in each race. I was just curious "who" and "how" the lineup would look if it were determined by "race finishing placement" w/o "points".

Like, most wins, seconds, thirds, etc. You know, like "other" sports, where their teams are lined up by wins and losses. Just curious.

Interesting question, Karen, and completely impossible to answer. Whereas other sports are single unit vs. single unit, racing is single unit vs. 42 other single units, some with allegiances and therefore resources and depth, others not.

Any comparisons to stick-and-ball standards-of-excellence likely aren't applicable.

That's precisely why some folks feel the Chase format is bogus.

I'll leave you today with one of the coolest e-mails I've ever received.

First, an explanation: While deep sea fishing in Alaska last week, Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears were asked to participate in a memorial service for one of the ship captain's fallen family members. They humbly obliged. The following is a thank you from the young man that requested their participation:

Clint: Marty, I just wanted to pass on this to in regards to the ceremony for Tom Grissom done by Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears up in Elfin Cove. Tom Grissom was my wife's uncle.

He died saving the life of another person when all four crew members of a research boat went overboard in a storm a couple months ago off Kodiak Island in Alaska. Since I knew my dad was going to be up there, we asked him to send Tom off the right way, as they never found his body.

When I made the request, I had no idea that Jimmie and Casey were even going to be there, let alone actually take part in the ceremony. There are no words to describe how much the whole thing meant to my wife and her family.

I think it is things like this that set NASCAR apart from other sports. My only regret is that we are not able to personally thank them for what they did for a family they have never even met.

I know it is unorthodox for you to get e-mails such as this, but I think it is something that really highlights the good in NASCAR and should be recognized.

Couldn't agree more, Clint. Most celebrities would rather these types of stories remain untold. But when it proves so touching, so uplifting, it merits telling.

And so you know, both read your note and were quite honored.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.

1988 Miller High Life 400
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM

Perhaps it was the voice of father Bobby -- a driver synonymous with victory at the half-mile Richmond Fairgrounds -- that got Davey Allison dialed in on the new three-quarter mile Richmond International Raceway in the 1988 Miller 400.

Perhaps it was all the static about the tires, as many teams qualified on the new Hoosiers with the idea of switching to the longer-lasting Goodyears as the race wore on.

In any case, the younger Allison came in loud and clear, leading 262 of the 400 laps to win for the first time at Richmond, carrying on the family tradition. Allison beat Dale Earnhardt to the line by more than three seconds in becoming the first driver to reach $1 million in earnings by his 52nd start.

At the same time, Rusty Wallace's championship hopes were disconnected in a first-lap bell-ringer with Geoffrey Bodine.

Still recovering from head injuries suffered three months earlier at Pocono -- a crash that would put an end to his racing career -- Bobby Allison was able to give the command for drivers to start their engines from his room in Alabama. His voice was piped in via long-distance phone lines over the track's public address system, much to the delight of the 36 drivers and some 60,000 fans.

Davey Allison, who had finishes of 12th, 26th and 29th in his three previous Richmond appearances, apparently caught on quickly to the new configuration, winning the pole with a lap of 122.85 mph, more than 28 mph faster than Neil Bonnett's pole-winning speed in February.

Six other drivers led the race, including Earnhardt for 78 circuits, but it was Allison's day to dominate at the track where his father won seven times and posted 28 top-10s in 38 career starts.

"We just got the car dialed in," Allison said. "And we probably gambled right on the tires.

"We thought if we started on the pole with 'em, then we could lead the first lap and get five bonus points. We didn't think it was gonna be very long before we had a caution anyway -- then we could get in and change to Goodyears."

Allison was able to switch his tires after one lap when the new track surface claimed its first victim in the form of Wallace, who came into Richmond just 26 points behind Bill Elliott in the championship chase.

Bodine, starting 23rd, suddenly found his windshield filled with the rear of Wallace's slowing Pontiac -- and nowhere to go.

Wallace, who started directly in front of Bodine, couldn't understand how the other driver didn't know the caution had come out.

"I don't know what happened," a fuming Wallace said. "Geoff must be suffering some sort of brain fade."

Bodine disagreed.
  
"They say the caution was out, but I didn't see it, and no one told me over the radio," he said. "I had a head of steam up and ran over him.

"I can understand why they would be upset, but if they see the films, I think they will owe me an apology."

The impact and resulting damage left Wallace 35th, and coupled with Elliott's seventh-place finish, dropped him 119 points out of the lead.

Wallace would go on to win four of the last five races on the schedule and post seven consecutive top-five finishes to close out the season, but he never was able to regain the points he lost at Richmond.

Wallace lost the 1988 championship to Elliott by 24 points.

However, Rusty earned a measure of revenge the following season when he captured the title by 12 points over Earnhardt, thanks to a pair of victories at Richmond.

Allison would go on to continued success at Richmond, never finishing worse than 20th from that point on. His final Cup victory came there in the 1993 Pontiac Excitement 400. He would die in a helicopter accident in the Talladega infield 14 weeks later.