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Happy Thursday!
Today In Nascar History
May 15, 1994: Ernie Irvan wins on the Sears Point road course in Sonoma, Calif., for the second time, leading a record 68 of 74 laps. Mark Martin breaks Irvan's record by one lap in 1997, winning for the last time before the course is reconfigured from 2.52 miles to just less than 2 miles. This year's race, scheduled for June 22, is 110 laps (219 miles/350 kilometers).
Number of the Day
12: Drivers that have been running at the finish of all five Craftsman Truck Series races this season. Twenty-four have started all
five races. The CTS resumes Friday night at Lowe's Motor Speedway with its first race since April 26 in Kansas. By comparison, 16 drivers have raced in all 12 Nationwide Series races but only three -- points leader Clint Bowyer, David Reutimann and Mike Bliss -- have been running at the finish of each. In the Sprint Cup Series, 33 drivers have started all 11 races with 15 running at the finish of each race.
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Large Photo section. There are now more than 300 photos there. And more added almost daily.
NASCAR Fantasy Leagues are here too. Join and enjoy them for the racing season.
Just give us a try and you will see that there is no other discussion group like it!
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You want to know about America?
It’s in the squeal of rubber, the scream of the engine and the roar of humanity seeing one of its own triumph against the odds. It’s there in a last lap duel. Joyous as Victory Lane, devastating as hitting the rail. Here, life lessons are learnt and man it’s as obvious as the number of the car in pole position.
It’s simple – NASCAR born in America.
Check it out! A great place to meet and get it off your chest!
Sprint _ Cup_Lounge (Formerly Nascar Sprint World Order)
We're growing, and we've changed our name to reflect the laid back format.
Welcome NASCAR Fans! A new fresh approach to all things Nascar has arrived.
Are you sick of those boring groups where everything is nothing more than Nascar is always right, where you can't say anything but nice
things about drivers, teams, Nascar?
Member bashing will not be tolerated.
Speedwaymedia.com…a great place to visit! Check it out.
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Quote of the Year
"NASCAR ain't doing nothing I like right now." "I don't like the rules they are doing...you can bump somebody and they want to fine you for it." Pearson saw the look on Carl Edwards face and made sure to say he knew that Edwards could not speak-up or he would get fined.
--David Pearson
In one weekend, Kyle supplanted Ulysses S. Grant as "the most-hated person in the history of Richmond."
--Mark Aumann In his Power Rankings comments
Comments from the Peanut Gallery
From Chip
Dear NASCAR Momma: Two things seem very
clear 1) The auto industry is a minefield of the likes it would take a Philadelphia lawyer to completely sort out and 2) NASCAR fans are brand loyal to their drivers beyond a shadow of a doubt. That being said, we could all argue till we turn blue in the face and still all enjoy the thrills and pitfalls of the entire NASCAR season. I have to admit that I see as many Ford F-150's with 8 decals in the back windows last year as I did Chevrolets and Dodges and likewise other drivers numbers in makes other than their favorite driver runs on the track. We are if anything a nation of diversity. I have the number 3 proudly displayed on both the front and back of my black GMC Sierra just to add another make to the mix. It will be interesting to see how this whole year shakes out for everyone but for myself, I would like nothing better than to see Jr's 88 come out on top as I am sure many other fans root for their favorite. As many times you get sick of hearing it "Lets go racing
boys" A loyal fan-Chip
Bits and Pieces
#40 Team skipping Sprint Showdown: Dario Franchitti and the #40 CGRFS Dodge team will sit out this weekend's NSCS All-Star events at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Franchitti, who continues to recover from an ankle injury he received in the NNS event at Talladega Superspeedway last month (April 26) has yet to receive clearance from his doctor to return to racing competition.
Franchitti was fitted for a carbon fiber brace earlier this month but will take another weekend off to give his ankle more time to heal. His status behind the wheel of the #40 Dodge will continue to be evaluated on a week-to-week basis.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)
Nintendo's Wii to sponsor #40 in Coca-Cola 600: Chip Ganassi Racing Teams announced it has partnered with Nintendo and its long-time sponsor Target,
to have Nintendo's newest video game, Wii Fit, as the sponsor of 1,100 miles of auto racing on Sunday, May 25. Nintendo and Wii Fit become the primary sponsors on Alex Lloyd's #16 Dallara Honda in the Indianapolis 500 and later in the day along with Target on the team's #40 Dodge in the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C. By sponsoring the Wii Fit 1,100, Nintendo follows Target as one of the only sponsors that will have cars competing in both races as Target has Scott Dixon and Dan Wheldon starting one-two in the Indy 500 and Reed Sorenson competing in his third Coke 600 The 500 mile Indianapolis 500 is the longest race on the IndyCar Series schedule while the 600 mile Coca-Cola 600 is the same in the Sprint Cup Series. Dario Franchitti, who would normally pilot the #40 Target/Wii Fit Dodge, is still recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered three weeks ago in a Talladega Superspeedway racing [Hationwide Series] incident. A final decision on Franchitti's status has not
been made nor has a replacement been named in the event Franchitti cannot compete in the Coke 600. Last year over Memorial Day weekend, Franchitti captured the Borg Warner trophy in the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He went on to capture the 2007 IndyCar Series championship before beginning his transition to stock cars at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (CGRFS). Franchitti is one of three former Indy 500 winners running in the 2008 Sprint Cup Series.(Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates PR)
Kyle Busch could set
record: If #18-Kyle Busch wins the Sprint All-Star race on Saturday night, he will become the youngest winner of the event. Busch will be 23 years, 15 days old. Jeff Gordon's first victory occurred when he was 23 years, 9 months, 18 days old.(Gaston Gazette)
Dilner wins media title: SPEED's Bob Dillner' and his BDI Racing team took top
honors in Wednesday's Sprint Cup Celebrity Challenge presented by SPEED in Charlotte, NC. The victory caps off a week when the team also won their first PASS South race with driver Zach Stroupe at Virginia's Motor Mile Speedway. Dillner (jackman), Matt "Duke" Kentfield (gasman), Bob Bachner (rear tire changer) and Dustin Archer (front tire changer) survived three tough rounds to take the overall team title, going up against teams made up of NASCAR media, local celebrities and dignitaries. Highlights of the Celebrity and Media Pit Crew Challenge will be shown during Thursday's Sprint Pit Crew Challenge on SPEED at 9:00pm/et Thursday.(Speed51.com)
Gordon going for win record at All-Star race: Saturday night’s All-Star event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a “Sprint” race, and Jeff Gordon believes there is only one way to approach the annual event. “Go ‘all out.’” Gordon is currently tied with the late Dale Earnhardt for most victories in the non-points event for race winners. Each of Gordon’s three victories, coincidentally, occurred in years he won the NASCAR Cup Series championship (1995, 1997 and 2001). In 1995, he won all three segments en route to his first victory in the event. He won again in 1997 and, in 2001, he drove a backup car to victory after being involved in a first-lap crash [when it rained and over half the field was wiped out].(Performace Plus PR)
Windstream gives away Pole Night tix: Windstream Corp., a phone, broadband and digital TV provider, announced that it will host 2,500 soldiers and military families from Fort Bragg and the XVIII Airborne Corps at the upcoming Windstream Pole Night qualifier for the Cup Series Coca Cola 600 on Thursday, May 22 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The soldiers and families in Fort Bragg and of the XVIII Airborne Corps have made enormous personal sacrifices for our country and it is
our privilege to thank them for their service," said Stacy Hale, vice president of Windstream operations for the Carolinas. "We hope they take this time to enjoy a night with their families and experience all the excitement Windstream Pole Night brings." The Green Truck Tour is designed to give back to the local communities that Windstream serves and educate the public about landline safety.(Windstream PR)
Humpy picks Edwards to win All-Star race: H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler named Carl Edwards as his pick to win Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Wheeler revealed his selection today in uptown Charlotte with assistance from a pack of four-legged friends, including Princess, the back-flipping dog. "Carl Edwards is a racer's racer in the mold of Dale Earnhardt and Cale Yarborough," said Wheeler. "He will put his car in places angels fear to tread and beneath that big smile and his trademark back flip, Carl has an abnormal fire in his heart to win that I have seldom seen. Known for his promotional flair and Karnac-type ability, Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, has correctly picked the winner of the Sprint All-Star Race 10 times in the past 19 races. While Edwards' burning determination was key in Wheeler's decision, it was the early season performance of the #99 Office Depot Ford that proved to be the determining factor [Wheeler also
picked Edwards to win in 2006, he finished 4th]. In preparation for making his selection, Wheeler analyzed early season race results and studied Sprint Cup Series testing at Lowe's Motor Speedway. His final decision came down to a choice between Edwards and Kyle Busch. Each year since 1994, Wheeler has also named a dark-horse selection who he thinks could pull off a surprise victory. This time he's going with #20-Tony Stewart to fill that role. Good seats, in various price ranges, are still available for Saturday's Sprint All-Star Race and include the 3 Doors Down pre-race concert. Tickets start at $40 and may be obtained by calling 1-800-455-FANS or online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.(LMS PR)
Fan Zone
Stewart gives back to charity
by Carolyn Brewster/scenedaily.com
While thumbing through the May issue of NASCAR Illustrated, I stumbled upon a picture of Kevin Harvick picking what appears to be a piece of white paper off a slab of meat. Reading further, I realized that piece of meat is none other than Tony Stewart and
the paper was actually a strip of fabric used in spas for waxing.
I knew about the challenge Stewart issued (and Harvick jumped on) that, for a $100,000 donation to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Smoke would have his back waxed. But the picture of Stewart earned him kudos for not only motivating Harvick and Stewart fans to donate money but also for giving every fan a huge laugh at his expense.
I’ve had my eyebrows waxed many times (as, I’m guessing, have some of the Hendrick drivers). It’s amazing how much pain can be inflicted by a tiny piece of fabric yanking off a thin layer of hot wax to take stray hairs with it. I’m convinced that, centuries from now, future generations will look back in amazement at what our culture did to be “beautiful” – not unlike how we view the old Chinese tradition of binding feet. But the fact waxing is very accepted in our culture today doesn’t make it any less hilarious to watch as a large man sheds his furry coat in the name of charity.
NASCAR drivers are, for the most part, good about using their success and fame to raise money for different causes. Understanding that not all drivers have the genetic “gift” of back hair to use as a goodwill offering, I truly appreciate the creative fundraising idea.
But even less invasive than hair removal (and slightly more popular) is the fifth anniversary of NASCAR Day. Not only are drivers great about raising money for charities but so are race fans. NASCAR Day is a way for everyone, not just those covered in paraffin, to be part of a unified effort to support some very good charities. This year, Garth Brooks is the spokesman, and although he has appeared in several ads promoting the day, I have not heard any rumors that he will be following Stewart’s creative fundraising
tactic.
As a fan, I love how the racing community embraces philanthropy. If you already have your NASCAR Day pin, congratulations. If not, it is never too late or early to check into your favorite driver’s charity and support it.
And for those who contributed part of the $100,000 ($125,000 was actually raised) that laid Stewart out on the waxing table, thank you. Not only did your money go to a great charity, but seeing Tony endure the sadistic beauty ritual was worth every penny.
I knew about the challenge Stewart issued (and Harvick jumped on) that, for a $100,000 donation to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, Smoke would have his back waxed. But the picture of Stewart earned him kudos for not only motivating Harvick and Stewart fans to donate money but also for giving every fan a huge laugh at his expense.
I’ve had my eyebrows waxed many times (as, I’m guessing, have some of the Hendrick drivers). It’s amazing how much pain can be inflicted by a tiny piece of fabric yanking off a thin layer of hot wax to take stray hairs with it. I’m convinced that, centuries from now, future generations will look back in amazement at what our culture did to be “beautiful” – not unlike how we view the old Chinese tradition of binding feet. But the fact waxing is very accepted in our culture today doesn’t make it any less hilarious to watch as a large man sheds his furry coat in the name of charity.
NASCAR drivers are, for the most part, good about using their success and fame to raise money for different causes. Understanding that not all drivers have the genetic “gift” of back hair to use as a goodwill offering, I truly appreciate the creative fundraising idea.
But even less invasive than hair removal (and slightly more popular) is the fifth anniversary of NASCAR Day. Not only are drivers great about raising money for charities but so are race fans. NASCAR Day is a way for everyone, not just those covered in paraffin, to be part of a unified effort to support some very good charities. This year, Garth Brooks is the spokesman, and although he has appeared in several ads promoting the day, I have not heard any rumors that he will be following Stewart’s creative fundraising
tactic.
As a fan, I love how the racing community embraces philanthropy. If you already have your NASCAR Day pin, congratulations. If not, it is never too late or early to check into your favorite driver’s charity and support it.
And for those who contributed part of the $100,000 ($125,000 was actually raised) that laid Stewart out on the waxing table, thank you. Not only did your money go to a great charity, but seeing Tony endure the sadistic beauty ritual was worth every penny.
Kenseth struggling to find chemistry with new crew chief
Tim Tuttle/si.com
Few drivers have welcomed a sixth-place finish like Matt Kenseth did at Darlington. He'd been hemorrhaging
points in the three previous Sprint Cup races, plunging to 22nd in the race for the Chase. But Darlington allowed the former champ to post his best run since taking fifth at the California Speedway in Fontana in February.
Kenseth has been in jeopardy of missing the Chase before. He was 24th and 320 points out of 10th with 12 to go in the 2005 regular season and rallied to make it. Kenseth has 15 races left this year and is 153 behind 12th-place David Ragan. He did it once and he can do it again, right?
Maybe. And maybe not.
This has been a transition season for Kenseth and Roush Fenway Racing's No. 17, with Chip Bolin replacing Robbie Reiser as crew chief. Their Ford has been hit-and-miss, lacking the high-quality consistency from Kenseth's previous seasons.
Reiser and Kenseth had a deep-rooted history, dating to their days on Wisconsin's
late-model circuit. They arrived at Roush Fenway together a decade ago -- first in the Nationwide Series -- and closed out their partnership with a win in the season finale last year at Homestead-Miami. They won the '03 Cup championship, made the Chase in all four of its years and won 15 races together.
Jack Roush promoted Reiser to general manager this season, in part because he was confident that Bolin could step in without missing a beat. Bolin had been an engineer on the No. 17 since 1999 and was interim crew chief when Kenseth won at California in February '07.
But it's also a fundamentally different role for Bolin that goes far beyond sitting on top of the pit box and making calls. Engineers provide information, technical and valuable, but it's up to the crew chief to adapt it to the driver. It doesn't happen overnight.
Chemistry is often cited as the reason for the successful pairing of a driver and crew chief, and it's a product of communication and understanding. Reiser and Kenseth developed it as they rose through the ranks. Bolin and Kenseth are trying to find it at the top level of motor
racing.
Eleven races into the season, Kenseth has one top-five. Five top-10s isn't horrible, but it's below the pace of the 43 top 10s Kenseth has had over the past two seasons.
What has Kenseth in trouble is finishing 30th at Martinsville, 38th at Phoenix, 41st at Talladega and 38th at Richmond. They were cases of bad cars compounded by bad luck.
Case-in-point, Kenseth was caught up in the Big One at Richmond because he was running at the back.
"We didn't run very well at all even before the accident," he said. "We were running in the back and everybody was doubled up. We were two- and three-wide back there and everybody was trying to stay on the lead lap and they all wrecked. I got run into from behind and kind of got pushed into it, but that's part of it."
At Talladega, Kenseth blew a right-front tire and hit the wall. Tires weren't a problem for anybody else, which points to either an aberration by the manufacturer, running over a piece of debris or a major setup mistake.
"It amazes me that you can blow a tire at Talladega, but I guess you can, " Kenseth said. "We did everything to Goodyear's specs. We had a tire problem for some reason. We just can't seem to get anything to go our way, so far."
Kenseth's problems in four of the past six races become more stark when juxtaposed to those of three Roush Fenway teammates, who have been thriving. Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Ragan are in the top 12.
Ragan is with crew chief Jimmy Fennig for the second straight year and they've made an impressive improvement over last season, finishing fifth at Darlington and fourth at Talladega. It points to the fact that there's no substitute for time working together for a driver and crew
chief.
Kenseth's wasn't exactly overconfident going to Darlington. "We really haven't had much luck with the handling of these cars yet," Kenseth said prior to the start of the weekend. "We've been struggling with getting the car to turn through the corner without getting it too loose on exit. The handling problems we've had on top of our just awful luck has made the past few weeks not a lot of fun for me. So maybe we'll catch a break and at least finish on the lead lap."
Kenseth's drive up from his 34th starting spot to sixth was a welcome relief from the misery. "It was a great finish for us," Kenseth said. "We've been running so terrible and having such bad luck, so I was happy for our finish."
The challenge ahead for Kenseth and Bolin is to put together a string of top fives and top 10s and to start competing for wins. That's what it will take to make the Chase. Is this first-year partnership of driver and crew chief ready to compete at that level? We'll know in 15 more races.
Voices From The Heartland
Some Plane Crash Facts NASCAR Fails To Mention
Jeff Meyer · Frontstretch.com
When I saw a headline the other day stating that NASCAR officials had determined it was an electrical fire that brought down a NASCAR-operated Cessna 310 on July 10, 2007 in Sanford, FL; it struck me as extremely odd that they would be making such a statement.
For those who’ve forgotten, let me refresh your memory of the tragedy that occurred halfway through the year. Five people were fatally wounded, including NASCAR pilots Michael Klemm and Dr. Bruce Kennedy, husband of ISC President Lesa France Kennedy. The three other fatalities were residents of the houses that the plane struck when it went down.
Now, the reason it struck me as odd that NASCAR would issue such a statement is because — well, let’s face facts: NASCAR deals with race cars, not airplanes! Another reason my suspicion was aroused is because the same story stated that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the governmental agency that thoroughly investigates such incidents, did not necessarily agree with NASCAR’s findings. So, I did a little investigating of my own, and after using several bottles of Visine that reading official government reports usually warrants, I found some interesting facts about that day, the airplane in question, and the people involved. Anyone who might be interested may examine the same reports that I did, feeling free to draw their own conclusions.
Here’s mine. In a nutshell, the day before the accident, there was a known electrical malfunction with the plane’s weather radar, one which emitted an odor into the cockpit that was described by the pilot as a “burnt electrical smell.” The pilot (not one of those in the accident) turned the unit off, disengaged the circuit breaker for the unit, and the smell went away. Upon landing safely and uneventfully, the pilot filled out a “maintenance write up” form, left the original form in the cockpit attached to the throttle controls, and informed maintenance personnel of the problem. The form read as follows: “Radar went blank during cruise flight. Recycled – no response… smell of electrical components burning (triple underlined). Turned off unit – pulled radar c.b. (circuit breaker)
– smell went away. Radar INOP (inoperable)”
At this point I would like to point out that, as of this date, the NTSB reports do NOT state that the radar unit itself is what caused the on board fire that ultimately brought the plane down. The NTSB will not release its final report until sometime this summer; these reports simply reflect what is known about the prior history of the aircraft. So why, then, would NASCAR come right out and definitively say that it was NOT the radar unit in question that started the fire? In their summary that they gave to the NTSB (at the above link titled “Party Submission” (NASCAR) ) the sanctioning body directly blames the aircraft manufacturer for not using “slow burning wire” as required when the aircraft was built in 1977.
All that notwithstanding, I am not here to say one way or the other what, in fact, started the fire. I am simply here to bring forward some more facts about the people in question, and the events that led up to the flight in
question.
As stated in NTSB reports, NASCAR Aviation Division policies that are found in their Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manuals were not followed. First of all, the SOP states that, “The expeditious transportation provided by Company aircraft is to be directed to those activities which have a positive impact on corporate earnings.” The ill-fated flight on that day was for personal use.
NASCAR Aviation SOP also states that the captain or “pilot in command” must hold an ATP certificate with appropriate type ratings. For this particular flight, Dr. Kennedy was listed as the pilot in command. While Dr. Kennedy did have training in the Cessna 310, he did not hold an ATP (Airline Transport Pilot), and the company did not document any exceptions in the SOP for him. As per company directives, Dr. Kennedy was not to use the plane by
himself.
Mike Klemm, (one of the fatalities) — someone who did hold an ATP, was also personally told by NASCAR Aviation Chief Pilot Van Brendle about the problem with the radar that had occurred the day before.
Mike Klemm, when told by Aircraft Technician Juan Solis that there was a discrepancy with the aircraft before the flight, was quoted as telling Solis: “I know about the radar, I don’t give a shit about that, I’m taking the airplane.”
Meanwhile, Van Brendle, when shown the original “Maintenance Write Up” form concerning the radar malfunction that was recovered from the crash scene, said that he would not have flown the aircraft with the discrepancy as shown.
Readers, I’m not here to assign blame or cause of this terrible tragedy. All I am merely doing is pointing out some things that NASCAR has left out when they go public and positively say that this or that did not occur. The facts that I have listed above only really scratch the surface: I strongly encourage you to go to the link above and check out the official documents yourself. It is truly enlightening.
There is a reason for everything NASCAR “officials” do, and this case is no exception. However, in this case, you have the chance to view the actual documents and know, as Paul Harvey puts it, The Rest of the Story!
Stay off the wall,
Jeff Meyer
Greg Biffle ... will he stay or will he go?
Marty Smith/espn.com
It's always good to get back home and be reminded of what's it really all about.
Marty,
I'm a huge Roush Fenway fan, and I have a few
questions about my team. What's the latest on Greg Biffle? Will he stay or will some other team pay him too much to say no? And what about David Ragan?! Give him some love, man!
-- Samantha Jacobs, Charlotte, N.C.
Biffle first, Samantha. Big money is certainly floating around out there for him. Teams offer drivers like Biffle
-- who is widely considered among the most talented wheelmen in Cup -- stupid money just to sit in the seat. Elite drivers make millions just to fire the engine each week, not including their respective percentage of weekly race winnings, personal endorsements and such.
Successful, marketable drivers have a lot of leverage. But it's quite rare to be in Biffle's position. There are a thousand very talented drivers all over this country, but only a select few get that key opportunity for destiny. And only a select few of those are able to capitalize on it. And only a select few of those win. And only a select few of
those win enough to earn the leverage Biffle has right now.
Question is, what does he want? Does he want to pad his bank account or contend for more wins? He'd make less money at Roush than at some other organizations, but the difference is likely marginal. And he can win at Roush Fenway. Say what you want, but few teams offer that variable these days.
That's why I think he'll stay put, despite his recent frustrations about his team. He said at Richmond he was sure he'd stay at Roush. I believe that.
As for Ragan, I couldn't be more impressed. I was discussing that with him at Darlington on Friday evening. He was a pinball as a rookie, but he's matured tremendously as a driver this season. Last year he had a ridiculous learning curve. Not only was he a rookie, but he was a rookie driving three different types of
cars -- the Busch car, the old Cup car and the COT.
I'm glad Jack Roush had patience with him, because he truly is talented. And he's a good kid, too. He had the quote of the weekend at Darlington. In discussing his fifth-place finish in the Dodge 500, he said it reminded him of grade-school math. Here he was with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in front of him and Matt Kenseth in his rearview mirror.
"It was like, which one doesn't belong?" Ragan chuckled. "Me."
He's proving otherwise, huh?
Hey Marty,
Since this whole Junior vs. Shrub [Kyle Busch] fiasco has now reached critical mass in the overblown hype category, I wanted to clarify something. On this site, and everywhere else for that matter, it seems the hot ticket is to say young Shrub is the new Dale Earnhardt.
Interesting, but ultimately flawed
and rather stupid. Now I will be first to admit that the elder Earnhardt (in his early days) and young Shrub share some uncanny on-track traits -- like knocking people around, ruffling feathers and generally not caring if folks like it or not.
But let me be clear, aside from a shared affinity for on-track altercations, the two could not be further apart. Earnhardt grew to be the people's champ by being known as a scrapper who came up rough and always stayed true to his blue-collar roots. An Everyman who people could relate to. Especially those of us who work hard all week and tow to local
short tracks on the weekend.
Shrub, on the other hand, comes off as more of a petulant child in a fast car. The kind of kid that many of us see every weekend at our local tracks. He's got the rich dad and the best stuff and brings enough people with him every weekend to keep him from catching a beating after the races are over.
Folks in the media seem to think that like Earnhardt, Shrub will
eventually race his way into our hearts with his aggressive, caution-to-the-wind style and fulfill the role of the lovable black hat that has been missing since Earnhardt's death.
Shrub can wreck all the people he wants and win all the races he wants, but he will never find a place in the hearts of the working man. Whether it's perception or reality, he will never be viewed as one of us.
-- Tom S.
Logan, Iowa
I asked Busch about that at Darlington, Tom, and he (of course) admitted it was flattering to draw comparisons to Ironhead, but made it abundantly clear that he's just trying to be his own man. That's good, because he ain't Earnhardt. It's actually unfair to Busch to go there, but I get it.
Maybe I'm wrong, but I just don't think stories like Earnhardt's could happen anymore. Poor kids don't much race these days, and the thought of a ninth-grade dropout making it to Cup is ridiculous.
Busch does drive like a young Earnhardt, though, and damn is it fun to watch. I don't care if you hate him, you can't deny the entertainment value of watching him work. I marvel at it. And hear this: He's gaining fans faster than any driver this side of Dirty Mo Acres. Don't believe
me? Take a peek at the souvenir trailers at your next race.
Frankly, I think he's missing a huge opportunity by not fully embracing the Bad Boy role. (I'm not sure his sponsor would be too huge on that, given its demographic.)
Even
Junior admits that from a driving perspective Busch resembles a pre-'89 Big E. But don't ask about similarities in personality. Junior doesn't want to hear it.
"Personality-wise, they are polar opposites," Junior said. "Give me a break. You knew my dad better than that. Give my dad a little more credit than that."
Marty,
With the economy the way it is, and with how expensive it is to race, is there really room for the All-Star race anymore?
-- Sammy Whitehead, Coral Gables, Fla.
Sammy ... seriously, dude? Let's do the math: The best drivers in the world. No points and thus no conscience. A million-dollar sprint. Under the lights. Checkers or wreckers. Trophy or steering wheel. The whole thing.
Hell, yes, there's room for it.
Look at history. Some of the greatest moments on four wheels happened in the NASCAR All-Star extravaganza -- the Pass in the Grass in '87? Ridiculous. I remember 1998 well, too, when Jeff Gordon ran out of gas in the Chromalusion car and Mark Martin sped by to win. My former brother-in-law (long story) was an Earnhardt fan, and we about went to blows that night.
And then, Sammy, there's one of the greatest
races ever: One Hot Night -- Davey, Kyle and a whole truckload of ... well, let's just say guts. Davey was the man.
Marty,
Are you on Rick Hendrick's payroll?
-- Tim Brommer, Philadelphia
About as much as you're on Terrell Owens' payroll, Timmy. Go Cowboys.
Marty,
I understand the economy is in bad shape and that contributes to the reason why some racetracks do not sell out. What are some of the other key contributing factors? I saw the race in Cali and it was pretty bare in some of the stands. If this doesn't change, is NASCAR going to reconsider going to that venue?
-- Mayra Baltierrez, Aurora, Ill.
Several factors contribute to poor attendance, Mayra, including weather, the race's date on the calendar and market saturation. Take Atlanta. The racing at Atlanta is always good, but they struggle to sell tickets. It's weird. I have to presume a major part of that is because Atlanta is fighting for the same dollar as Daytona, Darlington, Lowe's and Talladega.
And speaking of fighting for the same dollar
-- California just struggles in general in that regard. There's so much to do out there it's tough to entice fans to come out to the track. That's why the rainout in February hurt them so much. The one thing Fontana always had going for it was great weather, but the past two weekends there have produced a rain-delayed Monday show and a 110-degree oven.
California does all right. It doesn't have to be packed to be successful. There can be 15,000 empty seats in Fontana, and they've still sold more tickets than some tracks do when sold out. You just have to wonder how a second Vegas date would affect
Fontana.
That's my time, folks. Check out the Pit Crew Challenge. It's intense. And how great is that song "Shiftwork" by Chesney and Strait? Seven to three ... Three to 11 ... Eleven to seven ... A big ol' pile of Shiiiiiiiiiiffffftwork. So clever. Love it.
Jeff Gordon's Retirement
Brian Watkins/insiderracingnews.com
I wasn’t at Darlington Saturday night and the television coverage didn’t show it, but I can imagine that for the first time in years, Jeff Gordon rode by the stands and received only a smattering of boos and derogatory
shouts. It seems the days of “Gordon Hating” have gone the way of the $1.50 gallon of fuel.
I gave up “hating” Jeff Gordon last season- it was getting old and I honestly was having a hard time not only justifying hating him, but also remembering why it was that I disliked him in the first place. But then again I wasn’t a citizen of the Junior Nation. Those folks, at least the one’s in the stands at every race I’ve been to, kept up their distain for Gordon -- booing him during introductions and throwing things at him during victory laps.
Even after (or more likely because of) 81 wins and four championships, Gordon seemed destined to remain the most disliked driver in NASCAR -- Junior’s polar opposite. It seemed nothing he could ever do would shift the jokes about his “annunciating”, the shouts from the stands questioning his sexual orientation or the plain ole vitriol that spewed anytime his name came over the loudspeaker. There was indeed nothing he could do to change the hearts and minds of Junior’s fans. Someone else, however, could and finally did.
On the evening of May 3rd, 2008 in a private ceremony, Jeff Gordon finally retired from being the most reviled driver in NASCAR. At the same moment, in a much more publicized incident Kyle / Rowdy / Shrubby / Wild Thing, Busch was elevated (or lowered depending on your perspective) to the role of NASCAR Public Enemy #1.
You all know how it happened and I’m sure some of you are already sick of hearing about it. But the fact that one incident has had such a huge effect is astounding.
It’s interesting to note that Junior has been the victim of questionable late-race turning in the past; most notably the fall Talladega race in ‘06. We’ve mostly forgotten that Brian Vickers (driving the #25 car for Hendrick at the time) clipped Jimmie Johnson on the final lap at ‘Dega, sending Johnson and Junior spinning into the infield and Vickers to victory circle. It was an unfortunate, but in the end, forgettable incident.
But why?
Did the Junior Nation view it more as a rookie mistake? Did they feel that their hero was more collateral damage than a target? The situation wasn’t all that different really -- at least on the face.
At Talladega in ’06, Junior had had only one win that season (at Richmond in the spring) and had but one win the season prior. In fact, Juniors 2005 season statistically speaking was nearly identical to his 2007 season.
Could that one win at Richmond have been the difference between “Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 Red Bull Camry” and “Brian Vickers, the anti-Christ of NASCAR”? If you look at the numbers, Junior fans should have been just as angry at Vickers for stealing the win then as they are (and shall remain for perpetuity) at Kyle Busch now. Look past the numbers though and you find your answer.
Emotion.
The moment before the #88 and the #18 got together at Richmond, the suspense and the expectation and the optimism couldn’t have been thicker. The second he got turned you could almost hear the thud as the hopes and hearts of a million Junior fans came crashing back to earth. There was a brief pause in the emotional spectrum as everyone took in what had just happened, and then the air got hot as those #88 fans turned their sights onto Busch. At the same moment, on the in car camera was the image of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Even with his helmet blocking the view, you could see the frustration and disbelief in his face.
This was bigger than Vickers in
2006. The incident with Busch didn’t just prevent a win -- Kyle derailed NASCAR’s biggest emotional roller coaster 3 laps short of the station.
When Junior left DEI, it was emotional. For Junior fans, it was Dale breaking free from the limits DEI seemed to be imposing. For many Dale Earnhardt, Sr fans it was like watching Junior step out of his fathers shadow a little further and become his own man. And while the move to Hendrick put Junior in the same stable as Gordon, it also represented the best chance for Junior to shine on his own.
As the season progressed and the DNFs piled up, Junior and fans couldn’t wait for the move to the promised land. Even as the 2007 season was drawing to a close, the optimism for 2008 was at a fever pitch.
Then came the new number, the new sponsor, and the new car, followed closely by Daytona and two wins in five days. Wildly optimistic barely scratches the surface of describing the attitude of the United States of Junior.
With each passing race (with the exception of a 40th place finish in California) Junior and his fans had been building momentum towards that first points victory for the Amp #88. As each week passed with nothing in the win column, the fast approaching two year winless streak was adding fuel to the fire.
At the same time, Kyle Busch had been building “villain” momentum all season. While having great success in all three major series,
he also displayed what some called aggressive raw talent, and what others called recklessness. He rode into Richmond on a wave of success fueled by 3-in-a-row Nationwide Series wins and a Sprint Cup victory the week prior.
By the time the #18 and #88 were leading the waning laps of the race it was nearly a (trite but true) perfect storm. Junior needed the win to get the 2-year-old monkey off his back, and Busch needed the win because he doesn’t know anything else. Both needs collided with three laps to go.
Because the incident happened when it did, at the worst/best possible moment, it’s side-choosing effects have spread beyond the Junior camp to just about all corners of NASCAR fandom and have taken Kyle Busch from a cocky hard charger and turned him into the Hillary Clinton of motorsports. Had the wreck involved any other driver besides Busch (with exception of Gordon), it would have been a disappointment and nothing more. If it would have been a Mark Martin behind the wheel instead of Shrubby, Martin would still be a sentimental favorite.
Shortly after the caution flew, Darrell Waltrip spoke the truest words of the night, and perhaps the season: “Boys, lemme just tell ya somethin’, that ain’t gonna go over too good right there”.
At that same moment, the “Kick Me” sign finally fell off of Jeff Gordon’s back.
You can contact Brian Watkins at
.. Insider Racing News
The Dale Jr. Interview: Rick
Hendrick
Dalejr.com
This is the second interview of a monthly feature column not about Dale Earnhardt Jr., but by Dale Earnhardt Jr., exclusive for his official website, DaleJr.com. This month, Junior sits down with Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and new boss to the
33-year old NASCAR driver.
DALE JR: OK, this might be the first interview we've done without beer.
RICK HENDRICK: Well get the beer.
DALE JR: Alright, you ready?
RICK HENDRICK: Yep.
DALE JR: Alright, so I started doing this interview to put on DaleJr.com, because I think it would be interesting for the fans. Plus, I've been trying to get it linked on Jayski's articles/columns page so I can get more hits to my site...
RICK HENDRICK: You're such a marketing guru.
DALE JR: Well so far it's not worked, because he hasn't linked to it yet. So I've got to make it better I guess. That's why I'm interviewing you.
RICK HENDRICK: How about at the bottom say, "Go to HendrickCars.com for your next vehicle."
DALE JR: You can work that into the transcript if you like. OK, so I guess my first question to you is, "How am I doing, boss?"
RICK HENDRICK (laughing): You're doing great if you'd be a little easier on Tony Jr. on the radio!
DALE JR: Are you serious?!? Man, let me tell you...
RICK HENDRICK (sarcastically): If he doesn't slap you, I will. You just gotta behave yourself.
DALE JR: You ain't hard enough on him...
RICK HENDRICK: I'm not hard enough on you. He's fine.
DALE JR: Nah, I'm taking up your slack! Me and Tony Jr. had this conversation last month for this very column. He was my first interviewee, and you're my second. I think you know just as well as I do why we are the way we are on the radio. We're like brothers. Besides, I don't think we can have any success without getting after each other a little bit.
RICK HENDRICK: Well what about...
DALE JR: I mean, he might forget who's in that car, so I have to remind him! You told me before when Ricky was driving how hard it was being the father and the boss at the same time. Well Tony Jr.'s got to always remember that his cousin is driving that car, and he can't forget that. As long as he remembers that his cousin is driving, then he'll make good adjustments.
RICK HENDRICK: (Long
pause). That's ridiculous!
DALE JR: Hahahahaha... no it ain't!
RICK HENDRICK: Yes it is.
DALE JR: He's my cousin, so sometimes I want to ask him, "Why would you do that to my car?" Know what I mean?
RICK HENDRICK: Well have you ever thought about maybe if you were a little kinder to him, he wouldn't jack you up so much, and then he'd be kinder on the adjustments?
DALE JR: Maybe that's a good point.
RICK HENDRICK: OK, seriously, you're doing great. Actually, you're doing better than I anticipated this early in the season. I thought it'd take us time to get going, but you've run strong every week. If it wasn't for the slippery track at California and the
accident that occurred there, you'd probably be up there leading the points right now. We're going to win some races, because we're in the top five every week. If you told me before the season that by mid-May you would have already won a pole, won the Budweiser Shootout, won the Gatorade 150, and be third in points after 11 races, I'd be doing handstands out there.
DALE JR: I hear ya.
RICK HENDRICK: So you're doing great. I'm really proud of the entire team.
DALE JR: So next question... What opportunity did you pass on and wish you hadn't afterwards?
RICK HENDRICK: You mean in racing?
DALE JR: Anything. Anything you can think of. You got the floor.
RICK HENDRICK: I'm going to have to think about that...
DALE JR: You told me once that you and Daddy talked about working together.
RICK HENDRICK: Yep.
DALE JR: But I think he passed on that one.
RICK HENDRICK: Yeah, I never passed on him, he passed on me! Funny thing is, he had my Corvette because I thought we had a done deal. I had to go back and get it.
DALE JR: Wow!
RICK HENDRICK: (Long pause) Ya know, I'm still trying to think of a good answer for this question. What comes to mind to you?
DALE JR: Well there are things that pop up that might remind you of an opportunity you wish you had back. Like for me, I kind of wish I'd gone back to military school in 12th grade and graduate from there. I would've liked to graduate from Oak Ridge (Military Academy). I'm pretty proud to have graduated, period, from Mooresville High School, and I've got a lot of pride being from this area. But Oak Ridge did so much for me.
RICK HENDRICK: Yeah, that's a good example.
DALE JR: So you don't have any regrets, huh?
RICK HENDRICK: I'm really drawing a blank here.
DALE JR: Wow, I guess you've just led the most awesomest life.
RICK HENDRICK (laughing): No, no, not at all. There are things I could do differently...
DALE JR: Was there a driver you fired you wish you hadn't, or was there a call you made you regret making?
RICK HENDRICK: Ya know, we had a situation where I was talking to Tony Stewart before Joe Gibbs hired him, and right about the time we were talking about a deal, I got sick. I had already gone to (Jeff) Gordon and said, "What do you think about Tony Stewart?" and he said, "I think if you put him in equal stuff, he'd beat me." That's how highly Jeff thought of him, so we wanted him. That was way back when Tony was still driving Indy cars. Had I not gotten sick, I probably would've hooked that deal up. That's one thing that
comes to mind.
DALE JR: What's the toughest business decision you've ever made, or maybe the toughest business decision that you have to make regularly?
RICK HENDRICK: Well business is all about dealing with people. When you're promoting people or hiring people, you're going to put them in important positions and hope you made the right decision. I've made some of those decisions where I've regretted them, and some have been great. And there are some that I let get away because I didn't think they'd ever make top slot, and they
went on to be great. A lot of that happens in the business world. You just have to take it and go on. Ya know, if I would've had these questions earlier, I could've come up with some good answers.
DALE JR: Yeah, but that doesn't make a good interview if you can predetermine your answers.
RICK HENDRICK: I'm so old my mind isn't working tonight.
DALE JR: Yeah, yeah... OK, so I've always wanted to know something. You toyed around driving race cars for awhile...
RICK HENDRICK: Yes.
DALE JR: ...And if I recall correctly, you weren't too shabby of a driver. So why didn't you stick with it? Actually, let me rephrase it. If you had known how big the sport would become, would you have pursued your driving career more?
RICK HENDRICK: I never would've had the opportunity.
DALE JR: But you had your own cars.
RICK HENDRICK: Well I was trying to pay for them too, and the bank and the insurance company told me if you don't quit that stuff, we're not going to loan you any more money. So I had to make a decision, and I really wasn't a good enough driver. I liked road racing, and I think I could do a pretty good job of that, but I was 36 years old when I was doing
that...
DALE JR: Yeah, but at that time that wasn't old...
RICK HENDRICK: Right, but at the same time if you have Tim Richmond and Darrell Waltrip who are willing to drive for you, and you're trying to beat Dale Earnhardt, it's a lot better to have them drive for you. I'm a competitive guy, and I don't want to go out there and get my butt kicked. I mean, I could run top-15 with my stuff, but I wasn't going to be satisfied with that. In racing boats and drag cars, I won. In stock car racing, I enjoyed it, but I had to make a
living. Also, about the same time I got into the NASCAR deal, my automobile business was going straight up. I had to jockey between the two. So to be able to support the other deal, I had to do the real work.
DALE JR: I don't know, man...
RICK HENDRICK: You'd know if you didn't have any money.
DALE JR: Well hell, I've seen guys who had no money but still race. I don't know why you just didn't go after it when it was right there in front of you.
RICK HENDRICK: Well, if you know you're not as good as the people you're racing against...
DALE JR: But at that time, 1985, half the guys in the field didn't belong in that field.
RICK HENDRICK: Yes, but I had to make
a living, and I couldn't afford it. This is the way I would answer that. Do you want to just be out there and ride around in 12th or 15th, or do you want to win? If you knew - and I did - that I didn't have the talent or experience that those guys had, I was a better off as a car dealer and owner. That's why I made that decision. Now, what I would do to fulfill that need for speed is go rent tracks, take the cars out there, and go play.
DALE JR: There was a scene in the movie Days of Thunder where the two drivers were squabbling and fighting and wrecking each other, so Mr. France made them have dinner together. That supposedly was taken from a real
occurrence between my dad and your driver, Geoff Bodine. First of all, is that true?
RICK HENDRICK: Absolutely.
DALE JR: And you were there?
RICK HENDRICK: I was there.
DALE JR: What was the conversation at the dinner table between Dad and Geoff Bodine?
RICK HENDRICK: Well.... There wasn't a whole lot of conversation. Your dad didn't talk much anyway.
(Message over 64k, truncated.)
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