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Happy Tuesday.....
"I love what I do; I love this business."
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer
"While our drivers are probably not nearly in the physical condition of the NBA's All-Stars, the Daytona 500 is going to have 43 of the top drivers in the country, trained to drive at speeds in excess of 180 mph. Now that's intense! The NBA only has like 20 or 25 basketball players playing."
--Benny Parsons
Quote of the Day
"I'm just glad we can finally start racing. We've been testing a lot lately, mostly doing single-car runs, and that can be pretty boring. We've been testing the Car of Tomorrow quite a bit, and I'm ready to get back in our regular racecars and cut 'em loose."
-- Dale Earnhardt Junior
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News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
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Bits and Pieces
Mears gets Daytona 500-winning crew chief
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Casey Mears got a new crew chief Monday, just four days before NASCAR begins preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500.
Fortunately for Mears, he's teaming with last year's race-winning crew chief.
Darian Grubb, who led Jimmie Johnson to the Daytona 500 victory, will now lead Mears' No. 25 team at Hendrick Motorsports. Grubb, an engineer on Johnson's crew, filled in for Chad Knaus during his four-race suspension last season.
Grubb led Johnson to a pair of wins during his stint.
``Darian is one of the most respected voices in our organization and has proven to be a terrific leader,'' team owner Rick Hendrick said. ``He and Casey represent an exciting new combination for the No. 25 team, its sponsors and its fans.''
Grubb takes over for Lance McGrew, who was crew chief for Brian Vickers when he drove the No. 25. McGrew will stay with Hendrick Motorsports in a leadership role.
"Our longtime relationship with Goodyear is a testament to the company's consistent high-quality tire it supplies the race teams," said Helton. "Goodyear has been a vital partner, which has been essential to NASCAR's side-by-side competition." Goodyear has had an uninterrupted commitment to NASCAR since becoming a race tire supplier in the 1950s. This relationship has become one of the longest-running supply programs in any sport. Over the last 50 years, Goodyear has worked to bring innovation to its racing products, which, in turn, has helped foster heightened competition on the track. Since it first began supplying tires to NASCAR, Goodyear tires have logged 1,410 NEXTEL Cup (and formerly, Winston Cup) victories, and the number continues to rise. As a further extension, Goodyear takes innovations and cutting-edge technology from the race track, and applies that technology to tires that consumers use on streets and highways. Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs more than 75,000 people worldwide. For more tire information on Goodyear tires, go to goodyeartires.com.(NASCAR/Goodyear PR)
UPDATE: hearing that #37 team over John Carter will still own the #37 team, with RJ Racing partnering up with Front Row Motorsports in 2007.
Stewart Celebrates Colts Super Bowl Victory
(MIAMI FL)-The Indianapolis Colts won their first Super Bowl Sunday night, 19-17 over the Chicago Bears.
The championship was the first in the team's 36-year history and gave Indiana native and self professed Colts fan Tony Stewart reason to celebrate.
"It's awesome." Stewart said. "It's a huge boost for the state of Indiana, obviously, but it's great to see somebody like Peyton Manning accomplish his dream. Now it's time for us to go try and accomplish a big goal for us and that's win a big race at Daytona."
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has been criticized throughout his NFL career for never winning a Super Bowl, much like Stewart was before he won his first championship in 2002 and his first Brickyard 400 in 2005.
Manning was awarded the games MVP and much like Stewart he'll never have to answer the question when.
"It's just going to be a huge weight lifted off his shoulders," Stewart said. "It probably never was that big of a hassle to him to begin with, but now, for sure, he'll feel the weight lifted off his shoulders because he just won't have to answer that question anymore.
It'll just make things a lot easier for him. Instead of worrying about what it feels like to win the first one, now he'll be worrying right away about what he has to do to get another one. It's just nice to see him be able to accomplish this goal. In fact, it's nice to see all the guys from Indianapolis get this win. Everybody had a great game tonight. They all just did a great job. They showed what a championship team is about. It's just a storybook ending for a great team."
NASCAR'S Wallace Brothers - Rusty, Kenny and Mike - share stories of their lives on and off the race track in SPOTLIGHT: THE WALLACE BROTHERS, a 30-minute special premiering Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 10:00 PM on Fox Sports Net Midwest.
FSN Midwest's Joel Goldberg sat down with the Wallaces at Fox High School in Arnold, Mo., where a billboard honoring the Wallace Family was unveiled on Dec. 21.
Rusty, Kenny and Mike talk about growing up in Arnold, racing as teenagers and living the NASCAR life. The show features unique photos of the brothers from childhood through their years as superstar drivers.
SPOTLIGHT: THE WALLACE BROTHERS will air throughout the entire FSN Midwest footprint. The regional sports network reaches more than 5.4 million cable and satellite television homes in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
Joe Millikan, the Roush Racing transporter driver who was injured in a multi-vehicle accident outside of El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, was released from Thomason Hospital on Friday afternoon.
Millikan returned home to North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 3. Millikan was one of two Roush Racing employees injured when the No. 6 Nextel Cup transporter was involved in an accident returning home from a test session in Las Vegas, Nev. Justin Grebe, the driver of the transporter, was treated, released and returned home to North Carolina on Jan. 31. (SCENEDAILY) Thanks Bob!
In an effort to reduce such a nasty risk, Nascar has turned to scientists at Battelle, an R&D company in Columbus, Ohio. Their solution: a new hyper-elastic material called FlexAll that deforms to absorb an incoming force and then bounces back to its original shape within minutes. After molding the FlexAll into honeycomb-like columns, the researchers repeatedly slammed racecars into it at speeds up to 100 mph. The plastic behaved identically crash after crash, absorbing 92% of an impact's energy each time. In road tests, the cushion reduced maximum G load on the driver by an impressive 60%.
Not just racers but everyday motorists stand to benefit tooBattelle has developed a highway version that can catch vehicles as big as a Hummer, traveling at speeds up to 60 mph. Both barrier systems await final approval from Nascar and the Federal Highway Administration and could be on a road or racetrack near you as soon as this summer.(Popular Science)
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The most surprising-and surprised-winner in the long, dramatic history of the Daytona 500, which dates to 1959?
My nomination is Derrike Cope, who captured NASCAR's greatest race in stunning fashion in 1990.
Cope, then 31, seemed to be in a daze in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway after taking the checkered flag.
"Looking back, it still seems surreal," Cope conceded in the year 2000 on the 10th anniversary of the triumph that emblazoned his name onto a list including the likes of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Fireball Roberts.
Cope wasn't the only person dazed. So were approximately 150,000 fans in the grandstands and infield at the 2.5-mile track and millions more watching the race on live TV.
For most of the 200 laps the Daytona 500 appeared to belong to Dale Earnhardt.
The sport's immensely popular "Intimidator" had kept his black No. 3 Chevrolet, fielded by Richard Childress Racing, in front almost at will. Earnhardt led 155 laps, including the start of the final one.
Earnhardt seemed in strong control in pursuit of stock car racing's "Holy Grail" as he swept down the backstretch. A quest of a dozen years, often foiled in the last moments, seemed sure to be about to pay off.
And then, unbelievably, Earnhardt's car bobbled as he stormed into the third turn. Earnhardt veered toward the outer wall, enabling Cope, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd to surge by.
In a furious finish, Cope held off his more-experienced rivals to win by 1 ½ car lengths as Earnhardt placed fifth.
Cope's Buddy Parrott-led crew on a team owned by New Englander Bob Whitcomb vaulted the pit wall, jumping and flailing arms in delirious disbelief.
What had happened to cause fate and fortune to flip-flop so quickly?
Earnhardt had run over a sharp-edged, broken piece that fell from a lapped car in front of him.
Said Earnhardt: "I hit some debris right in front of the chicken-bone grandstands (cheap seats) on the backstretch. I heard it hit the bottom of the car and then it hit the tire and the tire popped. You can't see everything on the track.
"I was in control, just sitting there. We outrun 'em all day and they couldn't have got by me. They didn't beat us, they lucked into it."
Then, in the next breath, Earnhardt was gracious.
"Cope ran a good race," said Earnhardt. "He was sitting there poised to win, but I still can't believe it happened."
Cope conceded he had needed a miracle to win.
He saw it developing in "a bunch of stuff coming out from under Dale's car, like maybe a tire was shredding.
"Dale moved up about a half a lane. I couldn't believe he was able to hold the car. No one else could have. I was waiting for him to spin out of control and then someone would hit me from behind.
"Then, I just turned that baby left and said, 'Please stick!'"
It did and Cope became a winner and a top-five finisher in NASCAR's premier series for the first time in a career that began in 1982. It was just his third Daytona 500. He had finished 33rd and 27th in the previous two.
While Cope was en route to the press box for the winner's interview, executives of the major CBS-TV station in his home state of Washington-KIRO-TV in Seattle - began damage control.
They had chosen to air a National Basketball Association game rather than the Daytona 500. And now a driver from nearby Spanaway, Wash., had won the race in thrilling, incredible fashion.
"My dad, Don, and a party of family and friends had to travel several hundred miles to a place where they could pick up the 500 on television," said Cope.
"I guess," continued Derrike with a mischievous smile, "the TV station back home is going to be hearing about it..."
No kidding.
About two hours after the race a NASCAR official announced that KIRO-TV had received so many irate telephone calls that it interrupted a movie after 30 minutes to show a tape of the Daytona 500.
After his formal press session, Cope met with a small group of motorsports reporters.
"I know you're stunned," he said. "I'm not exactly a big name in this sport. We're stunned ourselves.
"We came on a little bit at the end of the '89 season and figured we might win a race this year, but not the Daytona 500."
Cope won one more time in '90, taking the Bud 500 at Dover Downs in Delaware in June.
He hasn't triumphed since, but now, at age 48, Cope continues to try, alternately running at times for a variety of car owners and a team he fields himself.
Cope is of Cherokee-Portuguese extraction, and among the treasured memorabilia he has from 1990 is proclamation praising him from the government of Portugal.
Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress came away from the 1990 Daytona 500 with a "trophy" too - that shredded tire.
Most teams would have thrown it in the dumpster, burned it, cut it into little pieces.
However, Earnhardt and Childress had the tire preserved, shellacked and mounted on a board like a trophy deer head.
It was placed in a prominent place in the RCR shop as a reminder of a mission yet to be accomplished in the Daytona 500.
That goal was reached in 1998 when Earnhardt finally won the great race.
He lost his life in a crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001.
"Like everyone, I remember Dale each time I return to Daytona," said Cope. "I remember him shaking my hand after I'd won, and that means a lot to me.
"Even as excited as I was, I recall a lot of what happened immediately after that race. It's embedded in my memory.
"Maybe the strangest thing is this: I can close my eyes and feel all over again how warm the sun was on my face in Victory Lane."
Your![cid:237401719@06022007-0487]()
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
Countdown to Daytona
12 Days, 1 Hour
12 Days, 1 Hour
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Top Ten Seminars Taught by NASCAR Drivers
Frontstretch Top Ten/Kim DeHaven and Amy Henderson
10. How to Retire Rich (the T.O.Y.O.T.A. Method) by Dale Jarrett
9. Lead an Exciting Life After Retirement by Mark Martin
8. Public Speaking by Ward Burton
7. How to find Mrs. Right (In just a decade or two) by Greg Biffle
6. Who Needs Skills When You Can Plug A Sponsor Like Me by Michael Waltrip
5. Break out of Your Shell; Help for the Meek and Timid by Kenny Wallace
4. Run Your Very Own Dirt Track for Fun and Profit by Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart, with guest appearances by Kenny Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
3. Potty Training 101 by Martin Truex, Jr.
2. Golf Cart Safety by Jimmie Johnson, with a special appearance by Jeff Gordon
1. Hairstyles for the On-the-go Professional by Boris Said and Casey Mears (there's a special discount if you also sign up for Ban that Blemish Forever; a Course for Creamy Skin by Kasey Kahne)
Frontstretch Top Ten/Kim DeHaven and Amy Henderson
10. How to Retire Rich (the T.O.Y.O.T.A. Method) by Dale Jarrett
9. Lead an Exciting Life After Retirement by Mark Martin
8. Public Speaking by Ward Burton
7. How to find Mrs. Right (In just a decade or two) by Greg Biffle
6. Who Needs Skills When You Can Plug A Sponsor Like Me by Michael Waltrip
5. Break out of Your Shell; Help for the Meek and Timid by Kenny Wallace
4. Run Your Very Own Dirt Track for Fun and Profit by Ken Schrader and Tony Stewart, with guest appearances by Kenny Wallace and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
3. Potty Training 101 by Martin Truex, Jr.
2. Golf Cart Safety by Jimmie Johnson, with a special appearance by Jeff Gordon
1. Hairstyles for the On-the-go Professional by Boris Said and Casey Mears (there's a special discount if you also sign up for Ban that Blemish Forever; a Course for Creamy Skin by Kasey Kahne)
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People With a Purpose
This group exists to lead different people that is on the Internet to a personal relationship with
Jesus Christ. Helping them to become like Christ in Character and deed.
Also this is a group for different kinds of Bible Studies. We are interdenominational.
Please feel free to join in and learn together.
Please send an email to:
peoplewithapurpose-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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Quote's of the Year"I love what I do; I love this business."
-- Bobby Hamilton Sr, March 2006 as he announced he had cancer
"While our drivers are probably not nearly in the physical condition of the NBA's All-Stars, the Daytona 500 is going to have 43 of the top drivers in the country, trained to drive at speeds in excess of 180 mph. Now that's intense! The NBA only has like 20 or 25 basketball players playing."
--Benny Parsons
Quote of the Day
"I'm just glad we can finally start racing. We've been testing a lot lately, mostly doing single-car runs, and that can be pretty boring. We've been testing the Car of Tomorrow quite a bit, and I'm ready to get back in our regular racecars and cut 'em loose."
-- Dale Earnhardt Junior
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Mears gets Daytona 500-winning crew chief
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Casey Mears got a new crew chief Monday, just four days before NASCAR begins preparations for the season-opening Daytona 500.
Fortunately for Mears, he's teaming with last year's race-winning crew chief.
Darian Grubb, who led Jimmie Johnson to the Daytona 500 victory, will now lead Mears' No. 25 team at Hendrick Motorsports. Grubb, an engineer on Johnson's crew, filled in for Chad Knaus during his four-race suspension last season.
Grubb led Johnson to a pair of wins during his stint.
``Darian is one of the most respected voices in our organization and has proven to be a terrific leader,'' team owner Rick Hendrick said. ``He and Casey represent an exciting new combination for the No. 25 team, its sponsors and its fans.''
Grubb takes over for Lance McGrew, who was crew chief for Brian Vickers when he drove the No. 25. McGrew will stay with Hendrick Motorsports in a leadership role.
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Petty's may now run Busch Series: One team--Petty Enterprises--stands to gain when Busch drops out of the Busch Series after this season. The company, which does not associate with alcohol-based advertising [also No Bud sticker on the #43 or #45, so even if a pole is won, doesn't get pole award or entry into Bud Shootout], long has resisted running in the series because of the title sponsor. Now, Petty Enterprises might run in the series, which could help its Cup efforts.(Sporting News), Kyle Petty did own a Busch team, #45 Spree/Sprint Chevy] in 1999-2000 with Adam Petty before he was killed practicing at NHIS in May 2000, then Kyle took over the #45 for 15 races to finish out the season. They last ran in the series in 2001 with Steve Grissom in the #45 at Daytona. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rusty back at the Indy 500: ABC will pull Rusty Wallace off his NASCAR broadcasting gig to put him back in the booth at Indy this May, he told the Journal Sentinel. The 1989 Winston Cup champion also will return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July for the debut of the ABC / ESPN portion of the Nextel Cup schedule. "I've got an opportunity this year to do what I don't know that anyone's done," said Wallace, who worked the Indy Racing League telecasts last season. "It doesn't mean a lot to most people, but to me it's really important as a driver an now as a broadcaster that I can say, 'You know what? I got to call the IRL, I got call the Indy 500, I got to call the Chase for the championship, I got to call basically all of NASCAR and I got to come back and call the Indy 500 again.' "(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
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Goodyear and NASCAR Extend Agreement: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and NASCAR jointly announced on Saturday that they have signed an extended agreement for Goodyear to continue as the exclusive tire used in NASCAR's top three racing series for the next five years. The agreement through 2012, naming Goodyear the "Exclusive Tire Supplier" of NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, was signed in front of more than 2,000 attendees at the 2007 Goodyear Dealer Conference. Goodyear Chairman and CEO Bob Keegan, Jon Rich, president of the company's North American Tire business, and Mike Helton, NASCAR president, delivered the news to Goodyear's customers. "This extension of the more than 50-year relationship of two American icons is one that we are extremely proud to announce," said Rich. "Nothing says racing like NASCAR, and Goodyear has been recognized as the longest-running sponsor of the sport. We plan to have our Eagle tires in the winner's circle for another 50 years.""Our longtime relationship with Goodyear is a testament to the company's consistent high-quality tire it supplies the race teams," said Helton. "Goodyear has been a vital partner, which has been essential to NASCAR's side-by-side competition." Goodyear has had an uninterrupted commitment to NASCAR since becoming a race tire supplier in the 1950s. This relationship has become one of the longest-running supply programs in any sport. Over the last 50 years, Goodyear has worked to bring innovation to its racing products, which, in turn, has helped foster heightened competition on the track. Since it first began supplying tires to NASCAR, Goodyear tires have logged 1,410 NEXTEL Cup (and formerly, Winston Cup) victories, and the number continues to rise. As a further extension, Goodyear takes innovations and cutting-edge technology from the race track, and applies that technology to tires that consumers use on streets and highways. Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. The company manufactures tires, engineered rubber products and chemicals in more than 90 facilities in 28 countries around the world. Goodyear employs more than 75,000 people worldwide. For more tire information on Goodyear tires, go to goodyeartires.com.(NASCAR/Goodyear PR)
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Front Row Motorsports buying #37 R&J Racing? UPDATE: hearing that Front Row Motorsports, who has three teams, the #34 with Kevin Lepage [which plans to run at least the first five races of the 2007 season], and the #61 and #92 teams that have no schedules or drivers yet for 2007, have bought out or into the #37 RJ Racing Dodge team. The #37 team plan to run Bill Elliott at Daytona in the Budweiser Shootout and Daytona 500, but after that plans have not been announced. Elliott did test the #37 Dodge at Las Vegas, which was listed as the #37 Front Row Motorsports Dodge.(2-4-2007)UPDATE: hearing that #37 team over John Carter will still own the #37 team, with RJ Racing partnering up with Front Row Motorsports in 2007.
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Dow Automotive to be a major assoc sposnor for the #44: Dow Automotive, a major technology and solutions provider to the global auto industry, announced a multi-year marketing partnership with Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR). Dow Automotive will become a prominent associate sponsor Dale Jarrett and the #44 UPS Toyota Camry team. "Dow Automotive's involvement with NASCAR has been developed to help provide excellent safety solutions to the Car of Tomorrow program," said George Hamilton, president of Dow Automotive. "Michael Waltrip and Dale Jarrett are two people who believe in this approach, and we are delighted to form a partnership to help us highlight this work. Of course, it's great to be associated with two winners and the entire Michael Waltrip Racing organization - a team dedicated to the same performance success as we are." The marketing partnership with MWR and Jarrett is a natural follow-up to Dow Automotive's new three-year technical partnership agreement with NASCAR. Dow Automotive will become the sole provider of energy absorbing foam solutions beginning with the Car of Tomorrow program being initiated at 16 events in 2007. Every car will be using Dow Automotive's patented IMPAXX energy absorbing foam at these races.(MWR PR)
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Parsons honored at NCMA Banquet: On Tuesday, Jan 31st, the Inaugural North Carolina Motorsports Association (NCMA) banquet honored individuals, businesses and organizations that have significantly contributed to -- and have positively impacted -- the motorsports industry in the state of North Carolina. Nine achievement awards were presented in seven categories, followed by the NCMA Tribute Award to Benny Parsons. Keith and Kevin Parsons accepted the award in honor of their father's lifetime achievements and contributions to motorsports. Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue was in attendance, and the Honorable Karen Ray, District 95 state representative, presented the Parsons family with the state's highest honor, The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, on behalf of Gov. Mike Easley. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is awarded for dedication and extended length of service to an organization. Finally, Richard Petty and Rick Hendrick, previous Order of the Long Leaf Pine recipients who also comprise the NCMA Board of Trustees, unveiled and presented the Parsons family a collage portrait by artist Jeanne Barnes that truly illustrates Parsons'motorsports career. Executive director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Motor Racing Network broadcaster, Winston Kelley, served as master of ceremonies.(see the full PR and all the award winners at the NCMA site)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A First: Budweiser Shootout Draw Party Seen in Prime-Time on SPEED: Thursday night, February 8, will mark several "firsts" in the 29-year history of the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. For the first time, the drawing to determine the starting line-up for Saturday night's 70-lap Shootout will be seen on prime-time television, as SPEED kicks-off their massive Daytona Speedweeks schedule. Fans across North America can tune-in at 8:00pm/et Thursday evening to see the one-hour special with co-hosts Steve Byrnes and Kenny Wallace along with 21 Nextel Cup stars. Each of the drivers will participate in the random draw for their starting position. The field includes six current or former Nextel Cup champions and nine past winners of the Budweiser Shootout. The Budweiser Shootout at Daytona includes all active past champions of the event as well as all Bud Pole Award winners from the 2006 Nextel Cup season. Kasey Kahne will be the first to draw for his starting position as the recipient of the season-long Bud Pole Award for winning six pole positions during 2006. Also for the first time, the general public can attend the Draw Party, free of charge. It will take place at the SPEED Stage, located outside of the turn four tunnel at the Daytona International Speedway. The stage features the new 50-foot "Fan Tower," and will be the Budweiser Draw Party Headquarters for the evening. For fans attending in person, the live, on-stage proceedings are scheduled to begin at approximately 6:45pm/et. (fingerprint inc. PR) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(MIAMI FL)-The Indianapolis Colts won their first Super Bowl Sunday night, 19-17 over the Chicago Bears.
The championship was the first in the team's 36-year history and gave Indiana native and self professed Colts fan Tony Stewart reason to celebrate.
"It's awesome." Stewart said. "It's a huge boost for the state of Indiana, obviously, but it's great to see somebody like Peyton Manning accomplish his dream. Now it's time for us to go try and accomplish a big goal for us and that's win a big race at Daytona."
Colts quarterback Peyton Manning has been criticized throughout his NFL career for never winning a Super Bowl, much like Stewart was before he won his first championship in 2002 and his first Brickyard 400 in 2005.
Manning was awarded the games MVP and much like Stewart he'll never have to answer the question when.
"It's just going to be a huge weight lifted off his shoulders," Stewart said. "It probably never was that big of a hassle to him to begin with, but now, for sure, he'll feel the weight lifted off his shoulders because he just won't have to answer that question anymore.
It'll just make things a lot easier for him. Instead of worrying about what it feels like to win the first one, now he'll be worrying right away about what he has to do to get another one. It's just nice to see him be able to accomplish this goal. In fact, it's nice to see all the guys from Indianapolis get this win. Everybody had a great game tonight. They all just did a great job. They showed what a championship team is about. It's just a storybook ending for a great team."
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NASCAR's Wallace brothers to be featured in 30-minute TV special NASCAR'S Wallace Brothers - Rusty, Kenny and Mike - share stories of their lives on and off the race track in SPOTLIGHT: THE WALLACE BROTHERS, a 30-minute special premiering Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 10:00 PM on Fox Sports Net Midwest.
FSN Midwest's Joel Goldberg sat down with the Wallaces at Fox High School in Arnold, Mo., where a billboard honoring the Wallace Family was unveiled on Dec. 21.
Rusty, Kenny and Mike talk about growing up in Arnold, racing as teenagers and living the NASCAR life. The show features unique photos of the brothers from childhood through their years as superstar drivers.
SPOTLIGHT: THE WALLACE BROTHERS will air throughout the entire FSN Midwest footprint. The regional sports network reaches more than 5.4 million cable and satellite television homes in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.
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Johnson Honored in Washington D.C.
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was honored Monday in Washington, D.C. for his 2006 championship. The day began with an Oval Office meeting with President George W. Bush, who congratulated Johnson on his victory.
Joining Johnson was team owner Rick Hendrick, Lowes Corporation CEO Robert Niblock, NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France and NASCAR president Mike Helton.
Following the White House visit the group made its way up Pennsylvania Ave to the Capitol where they were greeted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
After that meeting, Johnson and the group made their way across the Capitol for a Senate reception led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Also attending the meeting to congratulate Johnson was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Seanator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Bob Casey (D-PA).
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was honored Monday in Washington, D.C. for his 2006 championship. The day began with an Oval Office meeting with President George W. Bush, who congratulated Johnson on his victory.
Joining Johnson was team owner Rick Hendrick, Lowes Corporation CEO Robert Niblock, NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France and NASCAR president Mike Helton.
Following the White House visit the group made its way up Pennsylvania Ave to the Capitol where they were greeted by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
After that meeting, Johnson and the group made their way across the Capitol for a Senate reception led by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Also attending the meeting to congratulate Johnson was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Seanator Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Bob Casey (D-PA).
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Millikan released from hospital after hauler wreck Joe Millikan, the Roush Racing transporter driver who was injured in a multi-vehicle accident outside of El Paso, Texas, on Wednesday, was released from Thomason Hospital on Friday afternoon.
Millikan returned home to North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 3. Millikan was one of two Roush Racing employees injured when the No. 6 Nextel Cup transporter was involved in an accident returning home from a test session in Las Vegas, Nev. Justin Grebe, the driver of the transporter, was treated, released and returned home to North Carolina on Jan. 31. (SCENEDAILY) Thanks Bob!
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Kurt Busch to run Gold scheme at Bud Shootout UPDATE: #2-Burt Busch will run a special gold paint scheme in the Bud Shootout, to promote and congratulate Miller Lite Beer for winning the World Beer Cup, Golden Award Winner in 2006. See the images on my #2 Team Scemes page. UPDATE: Miller Brewing Company today announced it will paint Kurt Busch's #2 Miller Lite Dodge with an all-gold scheme for the February 10 Bud Shootout. The one-race re-design honors Miller Lite's fourth gold award in the American-Style Light Lager category at the World Beer Cup. The car will be painted from front to back in gold paint and will feature the World Beer Cup logo and "World Beer Cup Winner" on the hood, spoiler and rear quarter panels. Miller Lite won its fourth gold in the prestigious bi-annual competition in 2006. The 2006 Brewers Association World Beer Cup is the world's largest and most diverse international beer competition for commercial breweries, this year touting 2,221 entries from 540 breweries in 56 countries, including all other major breweries. The World Beer Cup has been held every other year since 1996 and is presented by the Association of Brewers, a not-for-profit educational and trade organization founded in 1978 that is dedicated to the promotion of quality beers and brewing throughout the world. The Association also hosts the annual Great American Beer Festival and is based in Boulder, Colo. Miller Lite Dodge driver Kurt Busch is excited about driving a gold car in this weekend's Bud Shootout. "Gold is a color long-associated with great achievements," Kurt said. "Gold always signifies the best in class, and that's what we're constantly striving for on the track. And I know the folks in Milwaukee take great pride in the unmatched quality of Miller Lite. We'd love to kick off the 2007 season by putting this awesome looking car in Victory Lane." Until recently, Kurt was not aware of the great competitive history of Miller-sponsored gold cars at Daytona. "Someone pointed out that Bobby Allison was driving a gold-colored Miller car when he won the '88 Daytona 500 in that super-exciting battle with his son, Davey," Kurt said from Las Vegas last Saturday (2/3/07). "It's nice to know that there is such good fortune associated in the past with the gold color scheme at Daytona. Man, wouldn't it be cool to follow in Bobby's footsteps and win the Shootout in another gold Miller car?" The record book also shows that Allison claimed Daytona wins in the 1987 Pepsi 400 and his 1988 "Twin-125" qualifying race behind the wheel of gold Miller-sponsored cars.(Tom Roberts PR) You have got to check out that car....it is awesome!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR looking at FlexAll for entrance to pit road: During a race on Virgina's Richmond International Raceway in 2003, Nascar driver Robby Gordon lost control of his car as he roared into the pit at 55mph. He smashed sideways into the concrete slab that separates the crew from the pit road and wrecked his car. Luckily, he didn't do the same to his body. Had he hit the divider head-on, the collision could have transferred a 100G-force jolt to his body, more than enough to kill him.In an effort to reduce such a nasty risk, Nascar has turned to scientists at Battelle, an R&D company in Columbus, Ohio. Their solution: a new hyper-elastic material called FlexAll that deforms to absorb an incoming force and then bounces back to its original shape within minutes. After molding the FlexAll into honeycomb-like columns, the researchers repeatedly slammed racecars into it at speeds up to 100 mph. The plastic behaved identically crash after crash, absorbing 92% of an impact's energy each time. In road tests, the cushion reduced maximum G load on the driver by an impressive 60%.
Not just racers but everyday motorists stand to benefit tooBattelle has developed a highway version that can catch vehicles as big as a Hummer, traveling at speeds up to 60 mph. Both barrier systems await final approval from Nascar and the Federal Highway Administration and could be on a road or racetrack near you as soon as this summer.(Popular Science)
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Olympia Steel Buildings join Petty's as assoc sponsor: Olympia Steel Buildings announced that they have entered an agreement with Petty Enterprises to be the "Official Steel Building" of Petty Enterprises and an associate sponsor for drivers #43-Bobby Labonte and #45-Kyle Petty for the 2007 Nextel Cup season. Under the agreement with Petty Enterprises, the Olympia Steel Buildings logo will be featured on the uniform sleeve of both Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. In addition, discounts for Olympia Steel Buildings will be given to 2007 Richard Petty Driving Experience participants and NASCAR fans who are visitors to Olympia's website olympiabuildings.com.(Moore Consulting Group PR) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jim Beam renews with Robby Gordon for 12 races in 2007: Jim Beam The Official Spirit of Racing, announced that it will continue its partnership with Robby Gordon Motorsports (RGM) as a primary sponsor of the #7 Ford driven by team owner and veteran driver Robby Gordon during the 2007 Nextel Cup season. "We're excited to continue our relationship with Robby Gordon as a primary sponsor in 2007 and look forward to supporting his endeavors to capture his first win as an independent driver and owner in the NASCAR(r) Nextel Cup Series," said Brian Gallagher, manager of Jim Beam Racing. Jim Beam will sponsor 12 races in 2007 which marks the third year of the partnership with RGM. Gordon and Ford Motor Company recently announced the signing of a manufacturer agreement aligning Ford Racing Technology and the #7 car. This will be the first season that Gordon will drive a Ford since the 2000 Cup season. "RGM continues to put a competitive car on the track because of the experience and capabilities of everyone involved," said Gordon. "We are excited to build on our partnership with Jim Beam and look forward to a strong racing program both on and off the track with the #7 Jim Beam Ford Fusion." Jim Beam will utilize its sponsorship of Gordon and the #7 Ford to support the Beam Global Spirits & Wine drink smart initiative. Jim Beam and Beam Global Spirits & Wine will execute programs, with help from Robby Gordon, throughout the 2007 racing season that focus on preventing underage drinking and drunk driving. Details for the 2007 Jim Beam Racing drink smart program will be announced at a later date.(Ketchum Public Relations PR) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Hard Times: NASCAR Busch Series champ and wife struggle with ailments and little money
By Bill Dyer/MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
DANVILLE, Va.
Sam Ard, who drove the red-on-white Oldsmobile with Thomas Brothers Country Ham No. 00 to back-to-back NASCAR Busch Series championships in 1983-84, now faces the biggest challenge of his life.
Last year, Ard, a Southside-area racing legend, had symptoms of a stroke and was hospitalized.
But after a series of tests, it was confirmed that he had Alzheimer's.
This is not the first obstacle that Ard has had to face.
He was the runner-up to the crown in 1982 in a Busch Series career that lasted only three seasons. He had to quit racing after a wreck at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1984.
Severe head injuries left him unable to maintain his balance or speak clearly, and his short-term memory was at a low point.
Still, he was determined to walk again.
"I built a sawdust pile behind my home to cushion my falls," Ard said in a recent telephone interview. "I wanted to walk again. I knew my driving career was over, but I couldn't make a living off sympathy. I needed to work. I had a wife and kids to support."
Ard made a comeback, this time as a car owner, winning a few races with Jimmy Hensley and Jeff Burton.
"Things got better," Ard said. "I walked better, but I couldn't hold out to do anything. My breathing was getting so bad that all I was doing was taking breaks."
Ard said that doctors later discovered that his breathing problem came from exposure to asbestos used in the floorboard of his racecars.
That was only the beginning of what was to come later.
Months before he was found to have Alzheimer's, Jo, Ard's wife of 46 years, learned of a degenerative eye disease that could lead to blindness. She has already lost most of her sight in her right eye and now fears that the problem may spread to her left eye.
The Ards now live in a modest mobile home on a farm owned by a sister in Pamplico, S.C. Ard is equipped with a tracking device to keep up with his whereabouts. His activities are limited to riding around the farm in an old pickup truck with his dog and son Robert, one of the couple's four children.
The problems that plague the Ards are both physical and financial. They live on $1,200 a month in Social Security money, limited medical benefits from the VA hospital and money that Ard's wife earns cleaning houses.
"It's not much," Jo Ard said. "I feel like Sam helped make the Busch Series, yet we get nothing from NASCAR ... zero. We never lived fancy nor had million-dollar sponsors or big homes to live in. Times are tough now. I just wish things were better for Sam."
NASCAR, like other major sports, has no benevolence funds for drivers or crewmembers that need financial assistance.
To help offset financial difficulties, Ard has sold much of his racing memorabilia, including his two championship rings and all of the numerous grandfather clocks he won at Martinsville Speedway.
In May 2006, as part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Busch Series, Richmond International Raceway joined with NASCAR and held an auction to benefit the Ard family. The two-day auction raised more than $36,000 to help with mounting medical expenses.
Bill Dyer is a freelance writer for the Danville Register & Bee.
By Bill Dyer/MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
DANVILLE, Va.
Sam Ard, who drove the red-on-white Oldsmobile with Thomas Brothers Country Ham No. 00 to back-to-back NASCAR Busch Series championships in 1983-84, now faces the biggest challenge of his life.
Last year, Ard, a Southside-area racing legend, had symptoms of a stroke and was hospitalized.
But after a series of tests, it was confirmed that he had Alzheimer's.
This is not the first obstacle that Ard has had to face.
He was the runner-up to the crown in 1982 in a Busch Series career that lasted only three seasons. He had to quit racing after a wreck at North Carolina Motor Speedway in 1984.
Severe head injuries left him unable to maintain his balance or speak clearly, and his short-term memory was at a low point.
Still, he was determined to walk again.
"I built a sawdust pile behind my home to cushion my falls," Ard said in a recent telephone interview. "I wanted to walk again. I knew my driving career was over, but I couldn't make a living off sympathy. I needed to work. I had a wife and kids to support."
Ard made a comeback, this time as a car owner, winning a few races with Jimmy Hensley and Jeff Burton.
"Things got better," Ard said. "I walked better, but I couldn't hold out to do anything. My breathing was getting so bad that all I was doing was taking breaks."
Ard said that doctors later discovered that his breathing problem came from exposure to asbestos used in the floorboard of his racecars.
That was only the beginning of what was to come later.
Months before he was found to have Alzheimer's, Jo, Ard's wife of 46 years, learned of a degenerative eye disease that could lead to blindness. She has already lost most of her sight in her right eye and now fears that the problem may spread to her left eye.
The Ards now live in a modest mobile home on a farm owned by a sister in Pamplico, S.C. Ard is equipped with a tracking device to keep up with his whereabouts. His activities are limited to riding around the farm in an old pickup truck with his dog and son Robert, one of the couple's four children.
The problems that plague the Ards are both physical and financial. They live on $1,200 a month in Social Security money, limited medical benefits from the VA hospital and money that Ard's wife earns cleaning houses.
"It's not much," Jo Ard said. "I feel like Sam helped make the Busch Series, yet we get nothing from NASCAR ... zero. We never lived fancy nor had million-dollar sponsors or big homes to live in. Times are tough now. I just wish things were better for Sam."
NASCAR, like other major sports, has no benevolence funds for drivers or crewmembers that need financial assistance.
To help offset financial difficulties, Ard has sold much of his racing memorabilia, including his two championship rings and all of the numerous grandfather clocks he won at Martinsville Speedway.
In May 2006, as part of the 25th anniversary of the NASCAR Busch Series, Richmond International Raceway joined with NASCAR and held an auction to benefit the Ard family. The two-day auction raised more than $36,000 to help with mounting medical expenses.
Bill Dyer is a freelance writer for the Danville Register & Bee.
Tom Higgins' Scuffs
Earnhardt dominates in '90, but win goes to CopeThe most surprising-and surprised-winner in the long, dramatic history of the Daytona 500, which dates to 1959?
My nomination is Derrike Cope, who captured NASCAR's greatest race in stunning fashion in 1990.
Cope, then 31, seemed to be in a daze in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway after taking the checkered flag.
"Looking back, it still seems surreal," Cope conceded in the year 2000 on the 10th anniversary of the triumph that emblazoned his name onto a list including the likes of Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Fireball Roberts.
Cope wasn't the only person dazed. So were approximately 150,000 fans in the grandstands and infield at the 2.5-mile track and millions more watching the race on live TV.
For most of the 200 laps the Daytona 500 appeared to belong to Dale Earnhardt.
The sport's immensely popular "Intimidator" had kept his black No. 3 Chevrolet, fielded by Richard Childress Racing, in front almost at will. Earnhardt led 155 laps, including the start of the final one.
Earnhardt seemed in strong control in pursuit of stock car racing's "Holy Grail" as he swept down the backstretch. A quest of a dozen years, often foiled in the last moments, seemed sure to be about to pay off.
And then, unbelievably, Earnhardt's car bobbled as he stormed into the third turn. Earnhardt veered toward the outer wall, enabling Cope, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd to surge by.
In a furious finish, Cope held off his more-experienced rivals to win by 1 ½ car lengths as Earnhardt placed fifth.
Cope's Buddy Parrott-led crew on a team owned by New Englander Bob Whitcomb vaulted the pit wall, jumping and flailing arms in delirious disbelief.
What had happened to cause fate and fortune to flip-flop so quickly?
Earnhardt had run over a sharp-edged, broken piece that fell from a lapped car in front of him.
Said Earnhardt: "I hit some debris right in front of the chicken-bone grandstands (cheap seats) on the backstretch. I heard it hit the bottom of the car and then it hit the tire and the tire popped. You can't see everything on the track.
"I was in control, just sitting there. We outrun 'em all day and they couldn't have got by me. They didn't beat us, they lucked into it."
Then, in the next breath, Earnhardt was gracious.
"Cope ran a good race," said Earnhardt. "He was sitting there poised to win, but I still can't believe it happened."
Cope conceded he had needed a miracle to win.
He saw it developing in "a bunch of stuff coming out from under Dale's car, like maybe a tire was shredding.
"Dale moved up about a half a lane. I couldn't believe he was able to hold the car. No one else could have. I was waiting for him to spin out of control and then someone would hit me from behind.
"Then, I just turned that baby left and said, 'Please stick!'"
It did and Cope became a winner and a top-five finisher in NASCAR's premier series for the first time in a career that began in 1982. It was just his third Daytona 500. He had finished 33rd and 27th in the previous two.
While Cope was en route to the press box for the winner's interview, executives of the major CBS-TV station in his home state of Washington-KIRO-TV in Seattle - began damage control.
They had chosen to air a National Basketball Association game rather than the Daytona 500. And now a driver from nearby Spanaway, Wash., had won the race in thrilling, incredible fashion.
"My dad, Don, and a party of family and friends had to travel several hundred miles to a place where they could pick up the 500 on television," said Cope.
"I guess," continued Derrike with a mischievous smile, "the TV station back home is going to be hearing about it..."
No kidding.
About two hours after the race a NASCAR official announced that KIRO-TV had received so many irate telephone calls that it interrupted a movie after 30 minutes to show a tape of the Daytona 500.
After his formal press session, Cope met with a small group of motorsports reporters.
"I know you're stunned," he said. "I'm not exactly a big name in this sport. We're stunned ourselves.
"We came on a little bit at the end of the '89 season and figured we might win a race this year, but not the Daytona 500."
Cope won one more time in '90, taking the Bud 500 at Dover Downs in Delaware in June.
He hasn't triumphed since, but now, at age 48, Cope continues to try, alternately running at times for a variety of car owners and a team he fields himself.
Cope is of Cherokee-Portuguese extraction, and among the treasured memorabilia he has from 1990 is proclamation praising him from the government of Portugal.
Dale Earnhardt and Richard Childress came away from the 1990 Daytona 500 with a "trophy" too - that shredded tire.
Most teams would have thrown it in the dumpster, burned it, cut it into little pieces.
However, Earnhardt and Childress had the tire preserved, shellacked and mounted on a board like a trophy deer head.
It was placed in a prominent place in the RCR shop as a reminder of a mission yet to be accomplished in the Daytona 500.
That goal was reached in 1998 when Earnhardt finally won the great race.
He lost his life in a crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001.
"Like everyone, I remember Dale each time I return to Daytona," said Cope. "I remember him shaking my hand after I'd won, and that means a lot to me.
"Even as excited as I was, I recall a lot of what happened immediately after that race. It's embedded in my memory.
"Maybe the strangest thing is this: I can close my eyes and feel all over again how warm the sun was on my face in Victory Lane."
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Been there, done that
By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
He tries to make a name for himself, yet can't avoid the shadow cast by his famous grandfather and even more famous father. Comparisons are inevitable, whether fair or not, simply because of his genes.
Perhaps he reaches a point where he wonders if he's gone as far as he can with his current team and the family business, for that matter. If he is to be his own man, maybe the best thing for his future is to go out on his own.
While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is faced with the above scenario as he ponders whether to remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc., another driver with an equally famous racing surname knows exactly what Junior is going through.
After all, Kyle Petty experienced much of the same more than 20 years ago when he decided to leave Petty Enterprises and strike out on his own.
Granted, there are a few differences in their respective stories.
Petty didn't have a stepmother with an iron-handed controlling interest in the team. And the younger Earnhardt isn't faced with the same dilemma that contributed significantly to Petty leaving the family fold there not being enough money to continue running a two-car operation.
Everything else being equal, Kyle can understand what Dale Jr. is thinking about these days whether to re-sign with DEI or leave the family business to race for another team like Richard Childress Racing.
On one hand
"I don't think he has to leave DEI to get out from under his father's shadow because I think he's already out from under his father's shadow.," Petty told Yahoo! Sports. "I think he's his own individual."
But on the other hand
"Maybe for him to establish who he is in his head, it's important for him [to leave]," Petty said.
Making a decision to leave ultimately could be harder than the actual move itself. For Petty, all he ever knew was Petty Enterprises, a situation not too dissimilar to what the Earnhardt is facing.
"It's different to go to a place and go to a group that's not under the umbrella of where you've always been," Petty said. "I grew up hanging out at this race shop. I grew up working on these race cars. I grew up driving these race cars. So then to go drive somewhere totally different, it didn't even look like a race shop to me.
"[Dale Jr.'s] been the same way. He grew up with his late model stuff, working out of his father's Busch shop, with the Eurys Junior and Senior and doing all that and then all of a sudden, boom, to go somewhere else, it's going to be totally different if he does it."
Dale Earnhardt built DEI primarily for Dale Jr., his sister Kelly, half-sister Taylor and half-brother Kerry and their respective futures. Likewise, Richard Petty wanted his son to continue the family business.
But without enough money to successfully field another car for Kyle, Richard Petty knew his son leaving the team might be the best thing for him in the long run.
So Kyle left Petty Enterprises following the 1984 season and spent four seasons driving for the Wood Brothers, where he earned his first two career Cup wins. He then jumped to Felix Sabates Racing in 1989, where he remained through the 1996 season, winning six races along the way.
"It was probably a real good [experience] for him," Richard Petty said. "I think it got him out from the shadow of Lee Petty and Richard Petty and let him be his own man. It probably was the best thing to happen to him personally."
Leaving the family for a dozen years actually helped Kyle, now president of and driver for Petty Enterprises, grow in a way that he might not have been able to had he stayed in the Petty camp.
"[Leaving] helped me a lot, because you have to make a lot of decisions and they're your decisions, they're not a group decision," Kyle Petty said. "I think when you go out on your own, the decisions you make are for you; they'll be for Kyle Petty, they'll be for Dale Jr. and his family and his future. I think it broadens your perspective."
While leaving Petty Enterprises helped Kyle grow as both a driver and person, there is something missing: none of his eight career Cup victories came while driving under the family business banner.
Still, getting his prodigal son back was all that counted, Richard Petty insists.
"We were happy and he was happy when he returned," The King said. "It was one of those deals where he sort of went and did his own thing and he was ready to come home."
To which Kyle readily agrees.
"Yeah, you can go home," he said. "Remember, the front door may be closed, but the back door is always open at home. That's what I tell people all the time, you can go back. There's nothing to say that Junior can't leave and go back to DEI at some point."
Junior, in fact, could leave and then come back and buy DEI sometime down the road.
"I think when you look at it from that perspective, I don't think it should be that traumatic for him or racing in general if he does leave," Petty said.
Perhaps making the decision whether to leave DEI even more difficult is the backlash Junior might suffer from his loyal fans the same ones who have voted him NASCAR's Most Popular Driver four years running.
Junior himself has said that he has earned many of those fans himself, but that he also inherited many from his father. And with that comes pros and cons.
"I feel for him in a lot of ways," Petty said. "We lost a son and it's very public. He lost a father and it's very public. To go through that is hard in the first place. But to be in the position that he's in, and the fans as soon as Dale Sr. passed away, they expected him to be Dale Sr. I think he disappointed a lot of fans because he's not Dale Sr.
"But at the same time, I think he won a ton of fans because he's not Dale Sr. That's a double-edged sword, too. You feel for the part, that struggle that he went through during that period of time. Now I look at him and I think he's a fine individual and will be a great man because of the struggles he's been through."
The struggle now is a prolonged contract negotiation with stepmother Teresa Earnhardt. So what if Junior seeks out Kyle for some advice?
"I'd tell him straight-up, 'Do what's right for you. You're always going to be Dale Jr. You're always going to have the Dale Earnhardt name,'" Petty said. "'If you think you can win races and be more competitive and not have half the headaches or be able to do this or expand your horizons by going to drive for Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs or start your own deal, hey, give it a shot, dude.'
"'There's nothing wrong with giving it a shot in your early 30s. Don't wait until you're 45 and then look back and say, "I should have." It's always best to try than it is to look back.'"
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR columnist.
Team looks to improve on first season, knows Chase is unlikely
By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News
ADDISON The day after the NFL's biggest game, two former Cowboys quarterbacks each with a Super Bowl MVP award and five NFL championships between them admitted that just making the playoffs isn't a realistic goal for their NASCAR team.
Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, co-owners of Hall of Fame Racing, know their team won't be chasing any championships this season. Sure, they'll work hard to land a coveted spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. But they understand that making NASCAR's version of the postseason is a huge long shot.
"Our reasonable goal is top 20 [in points]," said Staubach, from his office in Addison. He turned 65 on Monday. "I think we can get a few top 10s, but it would be a challenge for us to think about the Chase."
This season, just like their rookie year of 2006, is about continuing to make progress. Last season, the team's goal was to finish in the top 25 in owners' points. They tied for 26th, just 67 points out of 25th. That finish was better than nine cars that raced in all 36 races last season.
Many in the team, including the owners, were just figuring out how things work at NASCAR's top level. Staubach and Aikman said they learned that fans were rabid and, for the most part, very supportive. And neither fully appreciated the cost of the sport until they became owners.
That's one reason that Bill Saunders, the team's managing partner, said the team won't start a second car in Nextel Cup until they have full sponsorship. If they get the funding by the middle of the 2007 season, they'll race the car in 2008. If not, they'll try again for 2009.
The focus for now is the No. 96 DLP Chevrolet, driven by Tony Raines. And Raines said he also learned valuable lessons in 2006 that should propel the team to better results in 2007.
Raines said he already sees a difference in his team, which switched crew chiefs from Philippe Lopez to Brandon Thomas with six races remaining in the 2006 season. Raines had four top-20 finishes, including a seventh at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, with Thomas calling the shots. Raines also ran near the top of the pack in testing last month for the Daytona 500.
Last season, Hall of Fame Racing's average starting position was 32.9. Saunders points out that if they could improve that to even 25th, they would be in better position to take advantage of early race cautions and maybe do a better job of staying on the lead lap.
They never really found the best setup on the 1.5- and 2.0-mile ovals in 2006. Hall of Fame Racing finished near the rear of the field in nearly every race at those tracks. They did have top-20 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway and at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, both 1.5-mile ovals.
The team continues to lease cars and engines and share and receive information from Joe Gibbs Racing. Saunders said he wouldn't think about leaving Gibbs at this time, especially with the cost of figuring out how to race the Car of Tomorrow.
Aikman, wearing his Hall of Fame Racing golf shirt, is ready for the season to get going.
"I know there's a lot of people that never dreamed we'd come as close as we did last year," Aikman said. "But 26th this year probably wouldn't excite us that much. We expect to be better and think we can. We hope to win our first race in '07 and [for] more top 5s and top 10s."
By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports
He tries to make a name for himself, yet can't avoid the shadow cast by his famous grandfather and even more famous father. Comparisons are inevitable, whether fair or not, simply because of his genes.
Perhaps he reaches a point where he wonders if he's gone as far as he can with his current team and the family business, for that matter. If he is to be his own man, maybe the best thing for his future is to go out on his own.
While Dale Earnhardt Jr. is faced with the above scenario as he ponders whether to remain with Dale Earnhardt Inc., another driver with an equally famous racing surname knows exactly what Junior is going through.
After all, Kyle Petty experienced much of the same more than 20 years ago when he decided to leave Petty Enterprises and strike out on his own.
Granted, there are a few differences in their respective stories.
Petty didn't have a stepmother with an iron-handed controlling interest in the team. And the younger Earnhardt isn't faced with the same dilemma that contributed significantly to Petty leaving the family fold there not being enough money to continue running a two-car operation.
Everything else being equal, Kyle can understand what Dale Jr. is thinking about these days whether to re-sign with DEI or leave the family business to race for another team like Richard Childress Racing.
On one hand
"I don't think he has to leave DEI to get out from under his father's shadow because I think he's already out from under his father's shadow.," Petty told Yahoo! Sports. "I think he's his own individual."
But on the other hand
"Maybe for him to establish who he is in his head, it's important for him [to leave]," Petty said.
Making a decision to leave ultimately could be harder than the actual move itself. For Petty, all he ever knew was Petty Enterprises, a situation not too dissimilar to what the Earnhardt is facing.
"It's different to go to a place and go to a group that's not under the umbrella of where you've always been," Petty said. "I grew up hanging out at this race shop. I grew up working on these race cars. I grew up driving these race cars. So then to go drive somewhere totally different, it didn't even look like a race shop to me.
"[Dale Jr.'s] been the same way. He grew up with his late model stuff, working out of his father's Busch shop, with the Eurys Junior and Senior and doing all that and then all of a sudden, boom, to go somewhere else, it's going to be totally different if he does it."
Dale Earnhardt built DEI primarily for Dale Jr., his sister Kelly, half-sister Taylor and half-brother Kerry and their respective futures. Likewise, Richard Petty wanted his son to continue the family business.
But without enough money to successfully field another car for Kyle, Richard Petty knew his son leaving the team might be the best thing for him in the long run.
So Kyle left Petty Enterprises following the 1984 season and spent four seasons driving for the Wood Brothers, where he earned his first two career Cup wins. He then jumped to Felix Sabates Racing in 1989, where he remained through the 1996 season, winning six races along the way.
"It was probably a real good [experience] for him," Richard Petty said. "I think it got him out from the shadow of Lee Petty and Richard Petty and let him be his own man. It probably was the best thing to happen to him personally."
Leaving the family for a dozen years actually helped Kyle, now president of and driver for Petty Enterprises, grow in a way that he might not have been able to had he stayed in the Petty camp.
"[Leaving] helped me a lot, because you have to make a lot of decisions and they're your decisions, they're not a group decision," Kyle Petty said. "I think when you go out on your own, the decisions you make are for you; they'll be for Kyle Petty, they'll be for Dale Jr. and his family and his future. I think it broadens your perspective."
While leaving Petty Enterprises helped Kyle grow as both a driver and person, there is something missing: none of his eight career Cup victories came while driving under the family business banner.
Still, getting his prodigal son back was all that counted, Richard Petty insists.
"We were happy and he was happy when he returned," The King said. "It was one of those deals where he sort of went and did his own thing and he was ready to come home."
To which Kyle readily agrees.
"Yeah, you can go home," he said. "Remember, the front door may be closed, but the back door is always open at home. That's what I tell people all the time, you can go back. There's nothing to say that Junior can't leave and go back to DEI at some point."
Junior, in fact, could leave and then come back and buy DEI sometime down the road.
"I think when you look at it from that perspective, I don't think it should be that traumatic for him or racing in general if he does leave," Petty said.
Perhaps making the decision whether to leave DEI even more difficult is the backlash Junior might suffer from his loyal fans the same ones who have voted him NASCAR's Most Popular Driver four years running.
Junior himself has said that he has earned many of those fans himself, but that he also inherited many from his father. And with that comes pros and cons.
"I feel for him in a lot of ways," Petty said. "We lost a son and it's very public. He lost a father and it's very public. To go through that is hard in the first place. But to be in the position that he's in, and the fans as soon as Dale Sr. passed away, they expected him to be Dale Sr. I think he disappointed a lot of fans because he's not Dale Sr.
"But at the same time, I think he won a ton of fans because he's not Dale Sr. That's a double-edged sword, too. You feel for the part, that struggle that he went through during that period of time. Now I look at him and I think he's a fine individual and will be a great man because of the struggles he's been through."
The struggle now is a prolonged contract negotiation with stepmother Teresa Earnhardt. So what if Junior seeks out Kyle for some advice?
"I'd tell him straight-up, 'Do what's right for you. You're always going to be Dale Jr. You're always going to have the Dale Earnhardt name,'" Petty said. "'If you think you can win races and be more competitive and not have half the headaches or be able to do this or expand your horizons by going to drive for Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Joe Gibbs or start your own deal, hey, give it a shot, dude.'
"'There's nothing wrong with giving it a shot in your early 30s. Don't wait until you're 45 and then look back and say, "I should have." It's always best to try than it is to look back.'"
Veteran motorsports writer Jerry Bonkowski is Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR columnist.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOF Racing isn't rushing itTeam looks to improve on first season, knows Chase is unlikely
By RICHARD DURRETT / The Dallas Morning News
ADDISON The day after the NFL's biggest game, two former Cowboys quarterbacks each with a Super Bowl MVP award and five NFL championships between them admitted that just making the playoffs isn't a realistic goal for their NASCAR team.
Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, co-owners of Hall of Fame Racing, know their team won't be chasing any championships this season. Sure, they'll work hard to land a coveted spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup. But they understand that making NASCAR's version of the postseason is a huge long shot.
"Our reasonable goal is top 20 [in points]," said Staubach, from his office in Addison. He turned 65 on Monday. "I think we can get a few top 10s, but it would be a challenge for us to think about the Chase."
This season, just like their rookie year of 2006, is about continuing to make progress. Last season, the team's goal was to finish in the top 25 in owners' points. They tied for 26th, just 67 points out of 25th. That finish was better than nine cars that raced in all 36 races last season.
Many in the team, including the owners, were just figuring out how things work at NASCAR's top level. Staubach and Aikman said they learned that fans were rabid and, for the most part, very supportive. And neither fully appreciated the cost of the sport until they became owners.
That's one reason that Bill Saunders, the team's managing partner, said the team won't start a second car in Nextel Cup until they have full sponsorship. If they get the funding by the middle of the 2007 season, they'll race the car in 2008. If not, they'll try again for 2009.
The focus for now is the No. 96 DLP Chevrolet, driven by Tony Raines. And Raines said he also learned valuable lessons in 2006 that should propel the team to better results in 2007.
Raines said he already sees a difference in his team, which switched crew chiefs from Philippe Lopez to Brandon Thomas with six races remaining in the 2006 season. Raines had four top-20 finishes, including a seventh at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, with Thomas calling the shots. Raines also ran near the top of the pack in testing last month for the Daytona 500.
Last season, Hall of Fame Racing's average starting position was 32.9. Saunders points out that if they could improve that to even 25th, they would be in better position to take advantage of early race cautions and maybe do a better job of staying on the lead lap.
They never really found the best setup on the 1.5- and 2.0-mile ovals in 2006. Hall of Fame Racing finished near the rear of the field in nearly every race at those tracks. They did have top-20 finishes at Texas Motor Speedway and at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, both 1.5-mile ovals.
The team continues to lease cars and engines and share and receive information from Joe Gibbs Racing. Saunders said he wouldn't think about leaving Gibbs at this time, especially with the cost of figuring out how to race the Car of Tomorrow.
Aikman, wearing his Hall of Fame Racing golf shirt, is ready for the season to get going.
"I know there's a lot of people that never dreamed we'd come as close as we did last year," Aikman said. "But 26th this year probably wouldn't excite us that much. We expect to be better and think we can. We hope to win our first race in '07 and [for] more top 5s and top 10s."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A NASCAR Nation of Whiners
By Greg Engle/Editor, Cup Scene Daily
I spent 23 years in the United States Army. One thing I used to hear was that soldiers would whine about the sunshine. Meaning of course that soldiers would complain about anything and everything, no matter what. And so it goes with a segment of NASCAR fans.
In the so-called `NASCAR Nation', there are many fans that'll bemoan just about anything connected to the sport they allegedly love. And thanks to uncle Al Gore's Internet they can find a multitude of platforms to do so. From fan sites to blogs, the disgruntled fan can find a stage to air their collective disparaging remarks. Then suddenly they're expert analysts who find fault in everything about the sport of NASCAR in addition the sanctioning body itself.
Problem with these sunshine patriots is that most of the time they are way off the mark. And the issues where they may have a point or two are directed at no one in particular. They whine to whoever will listen, and most often fellow fans take their word as gospel. Well it's time for a little exorcism boys and girls.
One of the issues that gets a great deal of fodder is one that I happen to agree with wholeheartedly. The price an average fan has to pay to attend a race in person is becoming way out of control. Ticket prices are going through the roof, and a night's stay in a Motel `4' (that's a hotel by the way that isn't even up to the standards of a Motel 6), is ridiculous. Although I'm blessed with an expense account, I know first hand that even a substandard room on race weekend can cost enough to make a manager at a Ritz-Carlton raise an eyebrow, and that is just plain wrong.
To me there is a difference between making an honest living and gouging a middle-class race fan that just wants to attend a race.
So what can be done high ticket prices and outrageous hotel bills? Don't blame or expect NASCAR to do anything about it. That's seems to be where most of the whiners direct their energy. NASCAR is in the business to stage races, that's it. Yes the parent company does own tracks, but not all of them. Yet there are the collective whiners crying to the world that a ticket costs as much as a car payment and that staying somewhere during a race weekend is akin two months pay. Again they have valid points and I agree with them in principal, but I wonder, when is that last time they aimed their anger at the people who could actually address the issues?
How many of the disgruntled, disenchanted and downtrodden have ever written, or called for that matter, a track president? Those are the people who could affect change. A track president is the one person who stands to gain or lose the most by attendence or the lack thereof. A track president lives in the local community and by addressing the high prices for tickets as well as lodging they could start to see fewer and fewer empty seats come race day.
Let's suppose that this track president were to reach out to a local government and point out that fewer out of town race fans mean fewer tax revenues and that fans who balk at high prices for hotel rooms during a race weekend would rather stay home. Perhaps the local government could then talk to and work with the local hoteliers. Too far fetched you say?
In my home state of Florida several years ago, citizens got together to complain that hotels and gas stations were charging three or four times the normal prices whenever a hurricane came near. Hotels and gas stations gouged people who were forced to evacuate unmercifully. The evacuees in turn complained to the state and the state enacted a law preventing the practice. Could this not be done on a local level? If a city or county knew that they could attract more fans and more tax revenue by telling local establishments to hold the line, perhaps in the end everyone would win.
If NASCAR truly is a nation, then its citizens need to get together and let themselves be heard to the right people instead of simply whining amongst each other.
Another favorite topic for the whiners is declining TV ratings. And its true that TV ratings are down this year. But campers none of the people seem to mention two very important facts; NBC pretty much screwed itself out of the contract and decided in turn to screw the fans on the way out the door. And in the last few years with the glut of cable stations coming on board meaning more choices for Joe sports fan to watch, ratings are down for all sports, not just NASCAR. But of course some would have you believe that NASCAR is on its way to an early grave.
Then there's the Car of Tomorrow. It's ugly, not one driver I met this year seems to think otherwise and I have to agree. But drivers and most NASCAR fans applaud the safety innovations designed into the car and god forbid we should have another Daytona 500 like we did in February 2001. No one wants that and the Car of Tomorrow incorporates the latest in safety and will help prevent another Earnhardt tragedy from ever happening again. And what's so bad about that?
Let's go back in history a bit. When the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series first hit the track in the early 1990's most of us looked at the big boxy trucks and wondered what that hell NASCAR was thinking. But the truck series has evolved into one of the closest, most competitive and exciting racing series in the world. And as the series has developed so has the truck. The truck's themselves have become racier in appearance over the years and seeing them on the track no longer looks strange. So it will go with the Car of Tomorrow. Sure it will take a while for us to get used to seeing them, but eventually the Car Of Tomorrow will become the norm. And since NASCAR has designed them to act much in the same way as the trucks, I'm looking forward to seeing them race.
One of the things that makes me chuckle is when I hear that NASCAR has in some way determined the outcome of a race in some form or fashion. I can tell you after seeing all the people involved in a garage area, that NASCAR could no sooner control the outcome of an event then the man on the moon. There are just way too many people who would stand to benefit by exposing any type of plot, not to mention those who would come out on the losing end in a scenario. You really think that a driver who has never run better than 20th would stand to be told that they couldn't contend for a win just so driver `X' could? Of course not, their competitive spirit would eat them alive. And NASCAR would be paying out more hush money that the current National debt. So boys and girls, this dog don't hunt. And by the way there was no shooter on the grassy knoll in Dallas.
None of this stuff compares however to the holy grail of the whining nation- the Chase.
According to them, Brian France (who to some is the anti-Christ), has single-handedly destroyed NASCAR. First he closed Rockingham, then he took away a date from Darlington, got rid of Winston and to top it all off he changed the very point system that had been in place since time immortal. The way some of them think about the old point system, it's almost has if Moses himself handed it on two stone tablets to Bill France Jr.
Their most recent example is this year's edition. Under the old system, Johnson would have won the title by a mere 4 points over Matt Kenseth. And while I admit that it would cool to have seen that, I'd rather take my seat at Homestead knowing the title could be won by a total of five drivers, not two.
There isn't a week that goes by that someone somewhere doesn't bemoan the Chase and suggests ways to `fix' it. I've seen formulas so complicated they'd have to be taught in high school along side algebra in order to be understood. When all is said and done, the points system has and always will reward consistency. A driver can win several races in a season but still lose the championship because of a few bad races. And that is how it should be.
The point is, the Chase works. It has generated more interest not only from inside NASCAR but outside as well. The NHRA and the PGA have both developed their own versions of the Chase. Is it perfect? No, but then again neither is NASCAR. And whether you agree with him or not, love him or hate him, Brian France isn't afraid to lead. He knows the Chase needs some tweaking and will do just that prior to the 2007 version.
My parents owned a furniture store in North Carolina when I was growing up. My dad being an expert sales manager, used to force his salespeople to call every customer they sold after the customer accepted delivery, without exception. When a salesperson asked why (and one always did), my dad would say `because if you sit back and wait for the customer to call, then the only ones you'll hear from are those who are unhappy. Rarely does a customer go out of their way to call and say how much they like us, we only hear from them when the think theirs a problem.'
A point here, one of the things I learned in the furniture business is that problems do occur although rarely and most of the time they can be cleared up with a phone call and turn out to be no problem at all.
When the salespeople in my family's stores would call their customer, every customer, after delivery they found out that 90% of them were happy and content with their purchase. They only ones who took the time to call and complain were those of the smaller minority.
I think you see my point.
So sharpen your pencils boys and girls, I'll be steeling myself against the onslaught of backlash from you. And I know it will come, because as I look out my window, I see that the sun is shining.
By Greg Engle/Editor, Cup Scene Daily
I spent 23 years in the United States Army. One thing I used to hear was that soldiers would whine about the sunshine. Meaning of course that soldiers would complain about anything and everything, no matter what. And so it goes with a segment of NASCAR fans.
In the so-called `NASCAR Nation', there are many fans that'll bemoan just about anything connected to the sport they allegedly love. And thanks to uncle Al Gore's Internet they can find a multitude of platforms to do so. From fan sites to blogs, the disgruntled fan can find a stage to air their collective disparaging remarks. Then suddenly they're expert analysts who find fault in everything about the sport of NASCAR in addition the sanctioning body itself.
Problem with these sunshine patriots is that most of the time they are way off the mark. And the issues where they may have a point or two are directed at no one in particular. They whine to whoever will listen, and most often fellow fans take their word as gospel. Well it's time for a little exorcism boys and girls.
One of the issues that gets a great deal of fodder is one that I happen to agree with wholeheartedly. The price an average fan has to pay to attend a race in person is becoming way out of control. Ticket prices are going through the roof, and a night's stay in a Motel `4' (that's a hotel by the way that isn't even up to the standards of a Motel 6), is ridiculous. Although I'm blessed with an expense account, I know first hand that even a substandard room on race weekend can cost enough to make a manager at a Ritz-Carlton raise an eyebrow, and that is just plain wrong.
To me there is a difference between making an honest living and gouging a middle-class race fan that just wants to attend a race.
So what can be done high ticket prices and outrageous hotel bills? Don't blame or expect NASCAR to do anything about it. That's seems to be where most of the whiners direct their energy. NASCAR is in the business to stage races, that's it. Yes the parent company does own tracks, but not all of them. Yet there are the collective whiners crying to the world that a ticket costs as much as a car payment and that staying somewhere during a race weekend is akin two months pay. Again they have valid points and I agree with them in principal, but I wonder, when is that last time they aimed their anger at the people who could actually address the issues?
How many of the disgruntled, disenchanted and downtrodden have ever written, or called for that matter, a track president? Those are the people who could affect change. A track president is the one person who stands to gain or lose the most by attendence or the lack thereof. A track president lives in the local community and by addressing the high prices for tickets as well as lodging they could start to see fewer and fewer empty seats come race day.
Let's suppose that this track president were to reach out to a local government and point out that fewer out of town race fans mean fewer tax revenues and that fans who balk at high prices for hotel rooms during a race weekend would rather stay home. Perhaps the local government could then talk to and work with the local hoteliers. Too far fetched you say?
In my home state of Florida several years ago, citizens got together to complain that hotels and gas stations were charging three or four times the normal prices whenever a hurricane came near. Hotels and gas stations gouged people who were forced to evacuate unmercifully. The evacuees in turn complained to the state and the state enacted a law preventing the practice. Could this not be done on a local level? If a city or county knew that they could attract more fans and more tax revenue by telling local establishments to hold the line, perhaps in the end everyone would win.
If NASCAR truly is a nation, then its citizens need to get together and let themselves be heard to the right people instead of simply whining amongst each other.
Another favorite topic for the whiners is declining TV ratings. And its true that TV ratings are down this year. But campers none of the people seem to mention two very important facts; NBC pretty much screwed itself out of the contract and decided in turn to screw the fans on the way out the door. And in the last few years with the glut of cable stations coming on board meaning more choices for Joe sports fan to watch, ratings are down for all sports, not just NASCAR. But of course some would have you believe that NASCAR is on its way to an early grave.
Then there's the Car of Tomorrow. It's ugly, not one driver I met this year seems to think otherwise and I have to agree. But drivers and most NASCAR fans applaud the safety innovations designed into the car and god forbid we should have another Daytona 500 like we did in February 2001. No one wants that and the Car of Tomorrow incorporates the latest in safety and will help prevent another Earnhardt tragedy from ever happening again. And what's so bad about that?
Let's go back in history a bit. When the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series first hit the track in the early 1990's most of us looked at the big boxy trucks and wondered what that hell NASCAR was thinking. But the truck series has evolved into one of the closest, most competitive and exciting racing series in the world. And as the series has developed so has the truck. The truck's themselves have become racier in appearance over the years and seeing them on the track no longer looks strange. So it will go with the Car of Tomorrow. Sure it will take a while for us to get used to seeing them, but eventually the Car Of Tomorrow will become the norm. And since NASCAR has designed them to act much in the same way as the trucks, I'm looking forward to seeing them race.
One of the things that makes me chuckle is when I hear that NASCAR has in some way determined the outcome of a race in some form or fashion. I can tell you after seeing all the people involved in a garage area, that NASCAR could no sooner control the outcome of an event then the man on the moon. There are just way too many people who would stand to benefit by exposing any type of plot, not to mention those who would come out on the losing end in a scenario. You really think that a driver who has never run better than 20th would stand to be told that they couldn't contend for a win just so driver `X' could? Of course not, their competitive spirit would eat them alive. And NASCAR would be paying out more hush money that the current National debt. So boys and girls, this dog don't hunt. And by the way there was no shooter on the grassy knoll in Dallas.
None of this stuff compares however to the holy grail of the whining nation- the Chase.
According to them, Brian France (who to some is the anti-Christ), has single-handedly destroyed NASCAR. First he closed Rockingham, then he took away a date from Darlington, got rid of Winston and to top it all off he changed the very point system that had been in place since time immortal. The way some of them think about the old point system, it's almost has if Moses himself handed it on two stone tablets to Bill France Jr.
Their most recent example is this year's edition. Under the old system, Johnson would have won the title by a mere 4 points over Matt Kenseth. And while I admit that it would cool to have seen that, I'd rather take my seat at Homestead knowing the title could be won by a total of five drivers, not two.
There isn't a week that goes by that someone somewhere doesn't bemoan the Chase and suggests ways to `fix' it. I've seen formulas so complicated they'd have to be taught in high school along side algebra in order to be understood. When all is said and done, the points system has and always will reward consistency. A driver can win several races in a season but still lose the championship because of a few bad races. And that is how it should be.
The point is, the Chase works. It has generated more interest not only from inside NASCAR but outside as well. The NHRA and the PGA have both developed their own versions of the Chase. Is it perfect? No, but then again neither is NASCAR. And whether you agree with him or not, love him or hate him, Brian France isn't afraid to lead. He knows the Chase needs some tweaking and will do just that prior to the 2007 version.
My parents owned a furniture store in North Carolina when I was growing up. My dad being an expert sales manager, used to force his salespeople to call every customer they sold after the customer accepted delivery, without exception. When a salesperson asked why (and one always did), my dad would say `because if you sit back and wait for the customer to call, then the only ones you'll hear from are those who are unhappy. Rarely does a customer go out of their way to call and say how much they like us, we only hear from them when the think theirs a problem.'
A point here, one of the things I learned in the furniture business is that problems do occur although rarely and most of the time they can be cleared up with a phone call and turn out to be no problem at all.
When the salespeople in my family's stores would call their customer, every customer, after delivery they found out that 90% of them were happy and content with their purchase. They only ones who took the time to call and complain were those of the smaller minority.
I think you see my point.
So sharpen your pencils boys and girls, I'll be steeling myself against the onslaught of backlash from you. And I know it will come, because as I look out my window, I see that the sun is shining.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Championships have always driven me to win races. That 3 car pulling into the track would cause people to look around and wonder what we were doing, to see how to beat us."
-Dale Earnhardt
-Dale Earnhardt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
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