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Happy Friday! Habbajeeba, we made it through the week.
Today In Nascar History
May 16, 1993: Geoffrey Bodine wins the Save Mart Supermarkets 300 at Sears Point (now called Infineon) to give owner Bud Moore his 63rd and final Cup victory.
Number of the Day
Today's NASCAR Number is this week's Daily Double.
23: Different number of drivers who have been in the top 12 in the points standings in the first 11 races of the
Sprint Cup season.
22: Drivers who spent at least one week in the top 12 through the first 11 races last season.
Drivers who have been in the top 12 both years: Matt Kenseth, Reed Sorenson, Jeff Burton, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, David Ragan, Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart.
2007 top 12-only drivers: Joe Nemechek, David Gilliland, David Stremme, J.J. Yeley, Jamie
McMurray, Mark Martin, Mike Wallace.
2008 top 12-only drivers: Greg Biffle, Juan Montoya, Kasey Kahne, Martin Truex Jr., Robby Gordon, Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Brian Vickers.
Hey guys…check it out…Sound like the place to be!
NASCAR racing is here again, so get your fix by checking out this one of a kind NASCAR discussion group that is more than just a discussion group.
This group is dedicated to all NASCAR related information.
As long as, every now and then, you can watch your driver get bashed, you will have fun here. Feel free to join in, respond, and bash other drivers you feel the need too.
We are free to talk about anything in NASCAR. We are allowed to bash driver and owners, but not others within this group.
THERE WILL BE NO MEMBER BASHING ALLOWED, PERIOD!!
Websites at your fingertips. We have over 255 websites in the link section.
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.
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!
Here's the link, feel free to click and join:
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.
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Vote here!
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 Bob S
I'm quite bothered by what purpose is served by Jeff Meyer's Tiradeabout the NASCARowned airplane tragedy.
I would find it curious if he just briefly commented that NASCAR found
It necessary to issue a press release, and some facts were glossed
over,but he seems intent on carrying on some sort of "NASCAR is devious and
deceptive" agenda. No, the press release is not a subject involving racing nor should it impact on fans of racing, but it is of far more interestand value than Mr. Meyer's tirade. Even if as Meyer suggests, NASCAR as a
corporation is spinning facts in the face of a potential lawsuit, who cares about that other than the lawyers involved? This is a tragedy, and weshould feel
sorry for the victims and their families. Other than that, the tone of Meyer's article is mean spirited and does not offer anyinformation of value to the casual reader. This effort to demonize NASCAR is
scurrilous in my opinion, and does have any value in a racing
publication. from Rd
As much as I hate to think about the hot humid days of summer here in Southern Ohio, I'm still looking forward to the relief from Faux Sports, NASCAR broadcasts. No more
Boogity or whatever, no more every one in the booth falling all over themselves, when ever DW makes any comment at all, no matter lame. One can't watch any Faux show without someone invoking some DW witticism. I'm sick and tired of it. In fact I was sick of it, before the first race was over. Come on July, you can't get here fast enough for me. I'll crank up the AC, let er eat.
rd
RD, you sound just like my husband. He too, is sick of everyone falling all over themselves regarding DW. Darrell wasn’t the end all, but he was good in his time. My question to you (and anyone else out there) is this: If Dale were in the booth, do you think it would be the same?
From Darrel
I do not understand why NASCAR fans still think that a NASCAR race car that has the Ford, Chevy, Dodge or Toyota on it are the same car that is on the streets and hi ways. They are all the same car except for the engine nosepiece and I have heard the hood, top and trunk lid. Also the engines are not used on the street in any of the cars represented by the racecars. The engines use a carburetor, which has not been used in streetcars for years.
So when you say that you like Fords in NASCAR the only thing that is Ford is really the engine, The rest of the car's structure and mechanically are the same as a Chevy, Toyota or Dodge.
Darrel
Bits and Pieces
All-Star Race Vote Close: Unique to NASCAR, the Sprint All-Star Race lineup has three spots remaining to be filled -- and on-track competition -- the winner and runner-up of the Showdown -- will take care of two of the openings. The third will be determined by fans' voting. This is the fifth year in which a driver will be voted-in to the field. Ken Schrader won the inaugural Fans' Vote, in 2004. Other fan-vote winners include Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Petty and Kenny Wallace. This year, more than 251,650 votes have been cast to date. Among the top vote-getters are
#7-Robby Gordon, #9-Kasey Kahne, #19-Elliott Sadler, #37-Wallace and #55-Michael Waltrip. Voting ends at 7pm/et Saturday [May 17th]. The winner will be announced on NASCAR.COM and also during SPEED's All-Star Saturday coverage, which includes the Showdown (green flag at 7:40pm/et) and All-Star Race XXIV. Fans can vote on NASCAR.COM, not sure where Patrick Carpentier stands in the voting, over the weekend in Darlington he said if he won the vote he would "I would run naked down pit road".
Vickers Red Bull Racing
team wins Pit Crew Challenge: The #83 Red Bull Toyota pit crew of Brian Vickers entered the NASCAR Sprint Pit Crew Challenge as the 24th – and final – eligible team, but left on top after dominating the competition and the record book. The team posted the quickest time in each of the five rounds and edged the #11 FedEx Toyota crew of Denny Hamlin in a photo finish in the Finals to take the title. The #83 team changed four tires, filled the car with fuel and pushed it 40 yards to the finish line in 22.902 seconds, besting the #11 crew by 0.109 seconds. Each of the five times put up by the #83 crew was under 23 seconds, with its top time of 22.572 seconds coming in the second round. The previous record was 23.35 seconds, set last year by the champion #12 Alltel Dodge team in the quarterfinals. “I can’t say enough about this team,” said pit crew coach Greg Miller. “Words can’t describe
this group, the effort they put in day-in and day-out. It’s all about them.”
The team was one of three in the event that has not secured a position in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Each of the 21 teams in the all-star race competed in the Pit Crew Challenge, with the three final positions going to the top available teams based on owner’s points. If the #83 Toyota makes the all-star race by finishing in the top two in the Sprint Showdown, it will have its choice of pit stalls.
The team includes several former collegiate athletes, a trend that has become commonplace in the sport. Catch can man Mike Metcalf played football at Appalachian State University, while front tire changer Brian Haaland and jackman Shaun Peet are former minor league hockey players. The other members of the championship crew are gas man Doug Newell, front tire carrier Aaron Schields, rear tire changer Danny Kincaid and rear tire changer Jake Brzozowski. Two new records were also set in the individual skills competition.
#24 Dupont Chevrolet gas man Caleb Hurd and catch can man Jamie Frady combined to fill the car with 18 gallons of fuel in 10.031 seconds, shattering the previous record of 14.20 seconds. Eric Wilson, jackman of the #9 Budweiser Dodge finished with a time of 5.431 seconds, topping last year’s record of 5.94 seconds. Other skills competition winners were #17 DeWalt Ford rear tire changer Dave Smith and carrier Jason Binger and #18 M&M’s Toyota front tire changer Nick O’Dell and carrier Brad Donaghy. O’Dell also won last year’s individual competition while with the #9 crew.(NASCAR PR/Teamredbull.com)
The team was one of three in the event that has not secured a position in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. Each of the 21 teams in the all-star race competed in the Pit Crew Challenge, with the three final positions going to the top available teams based on owner’s points. If the #83 Toyota makes the all-star race by finishing in the top two in the Sprint Showdown, it will have its choice of pit stalls.
The team includes several former collegiate athletes, a trend that has become commonplace in the sport. Catch can man Mike Metcalf played football at Appalachian State University, while front tire changer Brian Haaland and jackman Shaun Peet are former minor league hockey players. The other members of the championship crew are gas man Doug Newell, front tire carrier Aaron Schields, rear tire changer Danny Kincaid and rear tire changer Jake Brzozowski. Two new records were also set in the individual skills competition.
#24 Dupont Chevrolet gas man Caleb Hurd and catch can man Jamie Frady combined to fill the car with 18 gallons of fuel in 10.031 seconds, shattering the previous record of 14.20 seconds. Eric Wilson, jackman of the #9 Budweiser Dodge finished with a time of 5.431 seconds, topping last year’s record of 5.94 seconds. Other skills competition winners were #17 DeWalt Ford rear tire changer Dave Smith and carrier Jason Binger and #18 M&M’s Toyota front tire changer Nick O’Dell and carrier Brad Donaghy. O’Dell also won last year’s individual competition while with the #9 crew.(NASCAR PR/Teamredbull.com)
Biffle intends to re-sign with Roush: #16-Greg Biffle said on Thursday he remains 100% committed to re-signing with Roush Fenway Racing. Biffle's commitment to signing a new deal was questioned after he criticized his team following Saturday night's race at Darlington Raceway. He had the fastest car the first half of the race, but fell back because of a loose wheel and then was sidelined when the timing belt broke. "That had nothing to do with my contract," he said before the All-Star Pit Crew Challenge at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. "I was mad my stuff was broke." Biffle said negotiations are continuing and he hopes to finish a deal by mid-summer. "That is my focus," he said. "My focus hasn't
changed."(ESPN.com)
Labonte close to decision on future: #43-Bobby Labonte said he is no longer agonizing over whether he will stay at Petty Enterprises or drive for someone else next season. Labonte said he is likely within two or three weeks of having final answers concerning his driving career beyond this season. “We’re trying to get things squared away at Petty’s, like I’ve always said,” Labonte said. “But obviously we
have to get that done. In a couple of weeks, three weeks maybe, we’ll have a lot more answers. … Right now, I’m pretty much at ease… It’s just a matter of things happening that’s going to take place, whether you like it or not. I’m about to the point if it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, you do something different. I’m not worried about that as much as the talk about it from the outside trying to make sure that the guys that come to work, that they don’t read the paper and say, ‘What’s going to happen?’ Nothing is done yet – nothing that can be [said] because of the implications [on] people,” Labonte said. “We can’t implicate people that are doing things that will [mess] them up and our own position. I have nothing to report yet. Hopefully in the next few weeks, it will be a lot more well known." Petty Enterprises has been entertaining offers from investors. Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, said it’s his understanding those talks are
continuing.(SceneDaily)
VIR Stock Car Road Race Tests Open to Fans: Fans of stock cars and road racing are invited to attend the Stock Car Open Test Day at Virginia
International Raceway on June 3. “Last year’s test attracted over two dozen cars over two thousand fans,” stated track general manager Josh Lief. “Our guests and the teams all had a good time and we intend to continue this tradition.” Tickets to the spectator areas are available at the gate and only $10. Teams testing last year included Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, Evernham and others. Teams use the VIR North Course in preparing cars and drivers for the Sprint Cup Series races in California [Infineon Raceway] and New York [Watkins Glen]. Nationwide Series teams test at VIR as well, and these teams are invited to attend. Fans who attend the Stock Car Open Test day will be eligible for rides in the VIR Volkswagen R32 Pace Cars at the end of the day or at lunch if time permits. Food and VIR souvenirs will also be available. Virginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Virginia. Reopened in 2000,
VIR hosts a wide range professional and amateur auto and motorcycle racing and track events, and is well established as “America’s Motorsport Resort.” In addition to its historic 3.27 mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America's first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park and Motorsports Technology Park, which includes the Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research (“VIPER”); the Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8 mile paved natural terrain karting circuit; an expanding variety of on-site lodging (including 45 hotel rooms and the trackside Villas which are for sale); Camp Motorsport for enthusiasts of all ages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For information on the track and other event schedules, call 434-822-7700 or check our web site at www.virclub.com.(VIR PR)
NASCAR & Home Depot announce call of nominations: The Home Depot and NASCAR announced the call for nominations for the second annual NASCAR Home Depot Humanitarian Award. The Humanitarian Award celebrates an individual within the NASCAR community who has shown extraordinary dedication to serving others and improving communities through meaningful service efforts.
BAM Racing & Petty Racing team up for Sprint Showdown UPDATE: Chad McCumbee will run the #49 Marathon American Spirit Motor Oil Dodge in the Sprint Showdown and will have a Petty Enterprises crew and Billy Wilburn will serve as crew chief. Quotes from Chad McCumbee: “I just want to thank everyone at Petty Enterprises and BAM Racing for giving me the opportunity to race in the Sprint All-Star Showdown. Hopefully we can have a good run and race our way into the all-star race. That would be a dream come true. Being one of the
few drivers from North Carolina, I know how big that race has become. Lowe’s Motor Speedway is our backyard and the race is for bragging rights as much as anything else. I like the 1.5-mile tracks, like Lowe’s, so I’m confident that we will be competitive on Saturday. Billy (Wilburn, crew chief) and I have developed a great relationship over the last three races that I’ve run for Petty Enterprises. We have a lot of confidence in each other and that’s important when you are racing for all or nothing. That’s how we have to approach it. It’s win or go home. At the same time I’m going to go out there and do what I can to help my teammates. Kyle and Bobby have bigger fish on the line with the Coca-Cola 600. If there is something that I can try, something that may help them win next Sunday, then I am all for it. They have helped me tremendously in my time at Petty.” Petty Enterprises announced this week that McCumbee will pilot the #45 Dodge for two races this summer while Kyle
Petty works in the broadcast booth for TNT.(MCG Sports/Petty Racing) UPDATE 2: BAM Racing team owner Beth Ann Morgenthau announced a one-race association with Petty Enterprises for the upcoming Sprint Showdown on Saturday, May 17, 2008. According to Mrs. Morgenthau, "Before our move to Toyota, we were a Dodge team and we have worked closely with the Petty's for years. NASCAR's rules state that a team must be in the top 50 in owner's points from the previous year in order to compete in the Sprint Showdown. As I understand it, Kyle was looking to get Chad McCumbee some valuable seat time at Lowe's and wanted to enter a third car. Since our team is hard at work trying to secure sponsorship and return our Toyota to the track a little later in the year, we were glad to help them out. While the car for the Sprint Showdown will be listed as BAM Racing's #49, it will be a Petty Dodge and will be run out of their shop with their crew. I suppose you could say that when the
King asks for a favor, we listen! BAM Racing is committed to return to the Sprint Cup series and we have several potential marketing partners that we're very excited about. We should be able to make an announcement soon."(BAM Racing PR)
Drivers help build playground: About 500 volunteers spent Wednesday in building a playground at the Kennedy Campus of Elon Homes for Children. It was the 31st playground -- and first in
Charlotte -- built by Racing to Play, a program sponsored by Home Depot, the NASCAR Foundation, Joe Gibbs Racing and KaBOOM!, a nationwide organization that creates places where children can play near their homes. After descending on the site Wednesday morning, the army of workers sawed, painted, poured concrete, shaped walkways, molded mounds of mulch and hoisted playground equipment into place. Now, kids can climb on a racing-themed jungle gym that stretches at least 20 feet long. They can sail through space -- well, just above the ground -- hanging by their hands from a monorail. They can play tetherball. When all that wears them out, they can relax in the shade. The construction crew included NASCAR drivers Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle and Johnny Sauter; former racer Rusty Wallace; and Craftsman Truck Series drivers Stacy Compton, Brian Scott, Scott Lagasse Jr., Sean Murphy and Colin Braun. Stopping work to sign autographs, Stewart said the new playground offers children
more than recreation. "They'll build social skills and relationships that will last a lifetime," Stewart said. Racing to Play has built playgrounds in 22 cities on the NASCAR racing circuit. In October, volunteers will install another in Mooresville.(Charlotte Observer)
Final Darlington TV Ratings up 14%: NASCAR on Fox tallied its third straight year-to-year increase with a 4.8/10 (7.8 million viewers) for Saturday primetime
racing from Darlington. That's a +14% gain over last year's 4.2/12 for the same event, and that +14% increase is Fox's largest jump for a NASCAR race in two months, since the Atlanta race posted a +23% gain. Note that last year's Darlington race was rained out of its scheduled window and run on a Sunday afternoon. Nearing the end of Fox's portion of the Sprint Cup season [13 races], NASCAR on Fox is all but assured of finishing the year with increased ratings. NASCAR has averaged a 6.0/12 to date on FOX, a +5% improvement over last year's 5.7/13 with only two races to go. Key demographics have been a mixed bag, with Men 18-34 down for the season-to-date (-7%, 2.8 vs. 3.0), but Men 18-49 flat (4.6) and Men 25-54 up +4% (5.7 vs. 5.5).(Fox PR)
Charlotte track working on extension with Lowe's on naming rights
By Bob Pockrass/scenedaily.com
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Lowe’s and Speedway Motorsports Inc. are negotiating a deal to keep the home-improvement chain as the naming-rights holder of the track in Concord, N.C., SMI President H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler said Wednesday.Jarrett set for final NASCAR Sprint Cup run
By SceneDaily Staff
Lowe’s took over the naming rights in 1999 as part of a 10-year deal worth $35 million.
“We’re talking to them now, and so far, everything is going well,” said Wheeler, who also serves as president of Lowe's Motor Speedway. “I think they have been very happy with us. Certainly they have been a great sponsor to have. … I’d say we’re fairly close, but you never know in negotiations like these things.
“It’s not over until it’s over. But I think it looks pretty good.”
SMI has sold the naming rights to its road course in Sonoma, Calif. (Infineon Raceway) but has not sold naming rights to Bristol, Atlanta, New Hampshire, Las Vegas and Texas.
Only three tracks on the Cup circuit (Charlotte, Sonoma and California) have sold naming rights.
“Obviously you want an increase in what we’ve got now,” Wheeler said about the financial aspect of the deal. “Looking back, if you look at the price of naming rights, how much naming rights have gone up at different venues since we signed the Lowe’s deal – at the same time, you don’t want to gouge your sponsors that you have.
“You’ll do less to keep a sponsor than getting say 25 percent more for a new one. Now if it’s 50 percent, then that would be a different ball game. I just don’t like changing sponsors, and you don’t see many sponsor
changes in Charlotte.”
Obviously with the deal ending after 2008, if Lowe’s is not going to renew, SMI would want to begin negotiations for a replacement.
“Right now, you don’t want to have to do that – you
don’t want to change names of tracks,” Wheeler said.
Jarrett set for final NASCAR Sprint Cup run
By SceneDaily Staff
This is it. For the final time in his long career, Dale Jarrett will strap in a NASCAR stock car and take the green flag. The 1999 Cup champion last competed in a points-paying race at Bristol in March, but this Saturday’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will be Jarrett’s final race.
The reality of closing a career that began in 1984 is setting in, Jarrett said. The two months of being out of the car have helped prepare him for the finality.
“When I got out at Bristol, even with all the wonderful tributes and stories, I knew that I had this race left before it was over,” Jarrett said. “I’ve been out of the car for a little while now, so it’s something that I’ve started to adjust to, starting this next chapter in my career.
“The all-star race was just a perfect race to end on for me personally as well as from a sponsor perspective. This is a race for the fans, and it’s a great way for me to say thank you to them for the career they’ve allowed me to have.”
Jarrett will drive Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 44 Toyota in the all-star race, an event he’s never won. While winning his final race might seem far-fetched, Jarrett hasn’t stopped dreaming.
In addition to the 1999 Cup championship, he has won three Daytona 500s and two Brickyard 400s. But he’d still like to win the all-star race.
"It's the one thing that I wish that I had, one of those trophies,” Jarrett said. “It would be the storybook ending to finish our last race with a trip to victory lane. We'll try extremely hard and do everything short of cheating to make that happen."
Jarrett said he considered making a points race his final event, but eventually settled on the all-star race.
“After really looking over the schedule, there are a couple of tracks or races that stand out as ones where you’d like to run your last race,” Jarrett said. “Obviously the Coca-Cola 600 came to mind because it would be here in Charlotte. But as I looked at that, and it was going to take away from somebody trying to run all the races if I go take a spot there, and I didn’t want to do that.
“I looked at Indianapolis, same scenario basically – a great place to end your career, but it is perfect here. This is where it should happen. The all-star race gives me a perfect opportunity to do that with family and friends coming here.”Youth movement: Jarrett's retiring represents changing of the guard
A tale of two drivers: Steve Wallace is racing differently this season
By Lee Montgomery/scenedaily.com
The reality of closing a career that began in 1984 is setting in, Jarrett said. The two months of being out of the car have helped prepare him for the finality.
“When I got out at Bristol, even with all the wonderful tributes and stories, I knew that I had this race left before it was over,” Jarrett said. “I’ve been out of the car for a little while now, so it’s something that I’ve started to adjust to, starting this next chapter in my career.
“The all-star race was just a perfect race to end on for me personally as well as from a sponsor perspective. This is a race for the fans, and it’s a great way for me to say thank you to them for the career they’ve allowed me to have.”
Jarrett will drive Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 44 Toyota in the all-star race, an event he’s never won. While winning his final race might seem far-fetched, Jarrett hasn’t stopped dreaming.
In addition to the 1999 Cup championship, he has won three Daytona 500s and two Brickyard 400s. But he’d still like to win the all-star race.
"It's the one thing that I wish that I had, one of those trophies,” Jarrett said. “It would be the storybook ending to finish our last race with a trip to victory lane. We'll try extremely hard and do everything short of cheating to make that happen."
Jarrett said he considered making a points race his final event, but eventually settled on the all-star race.
“After really looking over the schedule, there are a couple of tracks or races that stand out as ones where you’d like to run your last race,” Jarrett said. “Obviously the Coca-Cola 600 came to mind because it would be here in Charlotte. But as I looked at that, and it was going to take away from somebody trying to run all the races if I go take a spot there, and I didn’t want to do that.
“I looked at Indianapolis, same scenario basically – a great place to end your career, but it is perfect here. This is where it should happen. The all-star race gives me a perfect opportunity to do that with family and friends coming here.”
Youth movement: Jarrett's retiring represents changing of the guard
Tom Bowles/si.com
Saturday night in the All-Star Race, 32-time winner Dale Jarrett is set to officially retire from Sprint Cup racing. And when he hangs up the helmet for good, the sport will have all but finished off a seismic shift from an image of gray-haired glory to that of 20-something superstars.
For Jarrett, 51, the move comes after a few down years of
limited success. He got tired of running near the back of the pack with Michael Waltrip Racing, and is looking forward to transitioning into his new career as a broadcaster.
He had nothing left to prove: three Daytona 500 wins, two Brickyard 400 trophies and the 1999 Cup title sealed his legacy as one of the best drivers to ever get behind the wheel. But it used to be that a pending AARP card didn't automatically lead to retirement for stock car racers.
As recently as a decade ago, men like Harry Gant, Dick Trickle and even the late Dale Earnhardt never let getting older keep them from getting better. At 51, Gant won four races in a row in the Cup Series, tying a modern-era record that stands to this day. Trickle won the Rookie Of The Year title at 48, and Earnhardt was runner-up to Bobby Labonte for the title at 49 -- mere months before his tragic end at the 2001 Daytona 500.
With drivers reaching the Winners' Circle at around 50 back then, you can only imagine what the 40-something crowd was accomplishing. Jarrett won his first and only Sprint Cup championship at 42, headlining a list of five drivers 40 or older in '99
who finished in the Top 10 in points (see table, above). Age proved no barrier to on-track success, and that success, in turn, allowed them to keep their financial support.
There was no hesitation to hire these veterans for the best rides on the circuit, as image was never viewed as a proper substitute for racing experience. Defying middle age served as yet another way to make NASCAR unique during its growth period: while stick 'n' ball athletes retired at 40, drivers were just reaching their peak, allowing fans to believe that they, too, could stay at the top of their profession when their own hair turned gray.
But as Jarrett prepares to leave the stage for good -- just nine years after that coveted title -- he's leaving behind a totally different landscape. Forget contending for a win at 50; right now there's just one Cup driver age 40 who's eligible for the 12-man Chase: Jeff Burton. One month shy of his 41st birthday, he's currently second in points, the sole driver in his age group within the Top 15. Behind him there are a handful of others who could contend for a win every now and then -- Mark Martin at 49 comes to mind -- but for the most part, age 40 has gone from "Cup champ" to "over the hill" in just under a decade.
Meanwhile, the "young gun" movement has moved full speed ahead, giving a new generation its shot at ages previously unheard of in the Cup Series. With sponsors looking for the total package, drivers now need more than experience to survive in the sport. A young, marketable face can make all the difference in securing a Cup ride; in the past few years, veterans like Sterling Marlin have been released in favor of 25-year-olds that meet the approval of advertising bigwigs. Of course, many of those selections have eventually backed up success in the boardroom with success on the track, making 30 the new 40 -- and anything older all but unmarketable.
That's why Jarrett's relationship with UPS was such a rarity -- it survived NASCAR's popularity boom and subsequent pressure to align with young blood. But even the most age-indifferent of companies couldn't resist forever; as I mentioned last week, UPS is surveying its options to leave Michael Waltrip Racing and 38-year-old David Reutimann in favor of a "rock star" young driver with broad-based appeal. Carl Edwards, 28, is among those drivers reaching their short list.
So, where will this youth movement lead the sport? For one, we're unlikely to see the next generation of drivers race into their 50s, as drivers are already reaching the peak of
their careers at 28, 29, 30 (see the current Top 10 in the standings for proof). Instead, the trend we're likely to see is drivers beginning to mimic the careers of other major sports; in a few years, you'll be hard pressed to find any Cup driver in the series older than 45, and men like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart might hang up their helmet with careers that spanned less than two decades -- far less than the 30-year careers of recent semi-retirees Ricky Rudd and Terry Labonte.
And lastly, if a driver is released from his ride past 35 or so -- as Jeremy Mayfield and Ward Burton recently found out -- his chances of getting the financial backing needed to stay in the series is slim to
none.
That's a stark contrast from the direction the sport was heading in the mid-1990s; as now, more than ever, Saturday will be an All-Star showcase for the young. So, if you're a longtime fan, be sure to sit back and enjoy Jarrett's final ride. It's the final salute to an era that may never return.
Send comments or questions to tbowles81@....
Pocky’s Paddock
Sorry, Jon Wood
Bob Pockrass/scenedaily.com
All-Star race eligibility questions, Take 2.
It looks as if Jon Wood gets the raw end of the deal as far as the Sprint Showdown is concerned.
Here’s what has happened, according to those familiar with the situation (and not willing to be quoted by name):
NASCAR has the sole discretion to approve all drivers who compete in the event and in general requires drivers to have been in the top 50 in points or have started a race by March 10. The March deadline is used so Sprint can get its fan voting set.
That would have been fine for Jon Wood, who was scheduled to compete at Las Vegas the first weekend in March. But when Wood didn’t compete at Vegas, his team checked with someone at NASCAR and was told he wouldn’t be eligible to drive the No. 21 car in the all-star qualifying race because he hadn’t started a race before March 10. So the team entered Bill Elliott.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and BAM Racing and/or Petty Enterprises inquires about Chad McCumbee. Another NASCAR official, apparently unaware of the Wood Brothers’ request and wanting to get as many cars as possible in the Showdown, made an exception for him to compete in the No. 49 BAM car in order to get another team in the field.
So where does that leave Wood? On the bench.
Maybe NASCAR should just ditch the rules for this event and just say anyone who has raced in 2007 or 2008 can enter. If NASCAR needs a deadline for those eligible for the fan vote, then it can set one for that and even put in a requirement that the driver had to be in the top 50 in the previous season.
This year, maybe they should let Wood drive a second team car in the event.
Wood not being allowed to race while McCumbee is in the qualifying event is not the biggest crime in the world. But it just shows that the confusing mess of rules involving all-star criteria could use some tweaking.
It looks as if Jon Wood gets the raw end of the deal as far as the Sprint Showdown is concerned.
Here’s what has happened, according to those familiar with the situation (and not willing to be quoted by name):
NASCAR has the sole discretion to approve all drivers who compete in the event and in general requires drivers to have been in the top 50 in points or have started a race by March 10. The March deadline is used so Sprint can get its fan voting set.
That would have been fine for Jon Wood, who was scheduled to compete at Las Vegas the first weekend in March. But when Wood didn’t compete at Vegas, his team checked with someone at NASCAR and was told he wouldn’t be eligible to drive the No. 21 car in the all-star qualifying race because he hadn’t started a race before March 10. So the team entered Bill Elliott.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and BAM Racing and/or Petty Enterprises inquires about Chad McCumbee. Another NASCAR official, apparently unaware of the Wood Brothers’ request and wanting to get as many cars as possible in the Showdown, made an exception for him to compete in the No. 49 BAM car in order to get another team in the field.
So where does that leave Wood? On the bench.
Maybe NASCAR should just ditch the rules for this event and just say anyone who has raced in 2007 or 2008 can enter. If NASCAR needs a deadline for those eligible for the fan vote, then it can set one for that and even put in a requirement that the driver had to be in the top 50 in the previous season.
This year, maybe they should let Wood drive a second team car in the event.
Wood not being allowed to race while McCumbee is in the qualifying event is not the biggest crime in the world. But it just shows that the confusing mess of rules involving all-star criteria could use some tweaking.
A tale of two drivers: Steve Wallace is racing differently this season
By Lee Montgomery/scenedaily.com
One driver was seemingly always over his head, often trying to make lesser-quality cars go as fast as the best cars on the track. The other driver is an “Iceman” in comparison, driving fast and smooth and recording top finish after top finish.
One is the Steve Wallace of 2007. The other is the Steve Wallace of 2008.
How can one driver change so much? In many ways, Wallace is the same driver: Young, brash and talented. In other ways, he’s changed, learning the benefit of consistency and driving within the limits of his cars.
Other differences have nothing to do with Wallace. Instead, Rusty Wallace Racing’s Nationwide Series team has changed completely, with better cars and what the organization feels are better personnel. No longer does team owner Rusty Wallace’s youngest son have to drive over his head, because the cars are as fast as those of the Richard Childress Racings, the Roush Fenway Racings and the Joe Gibbs Racings.
“It’s almost like a miracle,” Wallace said. “It’s just been really fun.”
To fully understand the Wallace of ’08, you have to remember what the Wallace of ’07 was like. In his first full season in what was then known as the Busch Series, he showed a lot of potential, but often crashed. A lot.
Officially, he crashed out of six races and was parked at Memphis. Unofficially, the body shop in RWR worked overtime in 2007.
He crashed so much that Rusty didn’t worry about Steve’s reputation as a car wrecker – Rusty knew he already had that rep.
But Rusty also knew some of the reasons. For starters, his cars weren’t up to snuff. So RWR switched from Dodge to Chevrolet and built all new cars. The team started getting engines from the Earnhardt Childress Racing Technologies group.
Veteran Harold Holly was brought in as Wallace’s crew chief, bringing much-needed, non-family stability. RWR added a second car to its stable, hiring former Cup driver David Stremme for most races. Stremme has been another positive factor in Steve’s development, and the two drivers have hit it off.
“Last year, he learned a lot about the tracks, the cars,” Stremme said. “He made some mistakes early in the year, but the last half of the year, his cars weren’t very good. He was trying to make up for it.
“Now, he understands that if he’s got a fifth-place car, at least run fifth with it instead of trying to win, or taking a 10th-place car and trying to win. He’s doing a really good job at that.”
The season started slowly, as Wallace wrecked in the season-opener at Daytona. He was average for the next several weeks, though at least he was finishing races.
Then, something clicked. A light switched on.
He qualified 12th and ran a steady race to finish 10th in Mexico City, his first career top-10 finish. After getting swept up in a big wreck at Talladega, Wallace was fifth at Richmond and fifth at Darlington.
“I feel like a light switch has kicked in,” said Wallace, calling the Mexico race a turning point. “The cars are running a lot better. Once you’ve got momentum, it’s hard to get knocked off your saddle.”
Wallace doesn’t turn 21 until Aug. 18, so he’s clearly still maturing. He started dating Tarah Poteat earlier this year, bringing some stability to his personal life.
“I feel like I’ve matured a lot,” Wallace said. “I feel like David’s helped me a bunch with that. You’ve really got to mess up a lot to learn how to know what you’re doing and what’s right from wrong. [You] keep crashing, keep crashing, keep crashing. Finally, you don’t want to crash any more.
“I figured out to myself that I [didn't] want to keep crashing, and we’ve had really good runs so far. You live and learn. That’s pretty much all I can say.”
A lot of younger drivers face similar issues with wrecking as they learn the fine line between driving on the edge and going over it. While Wallace lived over the edge last year, in 2008 he’s on this side of it.
“He’s 20 years old,” Stremme said. “I’ve seen it with Reed [Sorenson], too, and Bryan Clauson [both former Chip Ganassi Racing teammates] and a lot of guys. I’ve looked at my career, and I’ve learned a lot too. When I was racing at Braun [Racing], I tore some stuff up, too. I was like, ‘Why did I do that?’ But you’re out there and you want to run so well, and you make mistakes.”
These days, Wallace is much calmer inside the car, he said. Instead of getting overly frustrating when a faster car passes him, Wallace tries to take it in stride.
“Way different, way different,” Wallace said. “David Ragan was doing an interview the other day, and he really summed it up the best by saying that he used to get really frustrated when cars would pass him.
“When a car passed me, I’d freak out. Man, I was like, ‘I’m faster than him, and he passed me?’”
Wallace said he tried to run them back down, only to end up crashing himself.
“You’ve got to keep crashing, crashing and crashing,” Wallace said, “and finally something clicks, and you’re like, ‘I learned how to run good.’”
Oversimplified? Perhaps.
But it still holds true.Bobby Allison and The Black Flag
John Potts · Frontstretch.com
Kyle Busch, Thou Dost Protest Too Much
You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing NewsHead2Head:
True All-Stars
Should the number of drivers in the All-Star Race be trimmed?
One is the Steve Wallace of 2007. The other is the Steve Wallace of 2008.
How can one driver change so much? In many ways, Wallace is the same driver: Young, brash and talented. In other ways, he’s changed, learning the benefit of consistency and driving within the limits of his cars.
Other differences have nothing to do with Wallace. Instead, Rusty Wallace Racing’s Nationwide Series team has changed completely, with better cars and what the organization feels are better personnel. No longer does team owner Rusty Wallace’s youngest son have to drive over his head, because the cars are as fast as those of the Richard Childress Racings, the Roush Fenway Racings and the Joe Gibbs Racings.
“It’s almost like a miracle,” Wallace said. “It’s just been really fun.”
To fully understand the Wallace of ’08, you have to remember what the Wallace of ’07 was like. In his first full season in what was then known as the Busch Series, he showed a lot of potential, but often crashed. A lot.
Officially, he crashed out of six races and was parked at Memphis. Unofficially, the body shop in RWR worked overtime in 2007.
He crashed so much that Rusty didn’t worry about Steve’s reputation as a car wrecker – Rusty knew he already had that rep.
But Rusty also knew some of the reasons. For starters, his cars weren’t up to snuff. So RWR switched from Dodge to Chevrolet and built all new cars. The team started getting engines from the Earnhardt Childress Racing Technologies group.
Veteran Harold Holly was brought in as Wallace’s crew chief, bringing much-needed, non-family stability. RWR added a second car to its stable, hiring former Cup driver David Stremme for most races. Stremme has been another positive factor in Steve’s development, and the two drivers have hit it off.
“Last year, he learned a lot about the tracks, the cars,” Stremme said. “He made some mistakes early in the year, but the last half of the year, his cars weren’t very good. He was trying to make up for it.
“Now, he understands that if he’s got a fifth-place car, at least run fifth with it instead of trying to win, or taking a 10th-place car and trying to win. He’s doing a really good job at that.”
The season started slowly, as Wallace wrecked in the season-opener at Daytona. He was average for the next several weeks, though at least he was finishing races.
Then, something clicked. A light switched on.
He qualified 12th and ran a steady race to finish 10th in Mexico City, his first career top-10 finish. After getting swept up in a big wreck at Talladega, Wallace was fifth at Richmond and fifth at Darlington.
“I feel like a light switch has kicked in,” said Wallace, calling the Mexico race a turning point. “The cars are running a lot better. Once you’ve got momentum, it’s hard to get knocked off your saddle.”
Wallace doesn’t turn 21 until Aug. 18, so he’s clearly still maturing. He started dating Tarah Poteat earlier this year, bringing some stability to his personal life.
“I feel like I’ve matured a lot,” Wallace said. “I feel like David’s helped me a bunch with that. You’ve really got to mess up a lot to learn how to know what you’re doing and what’s right from wrong. [You] keep crashing, keep crashing, keep crashing. Finally, you don’t want to crash any more.
“I figured out to myself that I [didn't] want to keep crashing, and we’ve had really good runs so far. You live and learn. That’s pretty much all I can say.”
A lot of younger drivers face similar issues with wrecking as they learn the fine line between driving on the edge and going over it. While Wallace lived over the edge last year, in 2008 he’s on this side of it.
“He’s 20 years old,” Stremme said. “I’ve seen it with Reed [Sorenson], too, and Bryan Clauson [both former Chip Ganassi Racing teammates] and a lot of guys. I’ve looked at my career, and I’ve learned a lot too. When I was racing at Braun [Racing], I tore some stuff up, too. I was like, ‘Why did I do that?’ But you’re out there and you want to run so well, and you make mistakes.”
These days, Wallace is much calmer inside the car, he said. Instead of getting overly frustrating when a faster car passes him, Wallace tries to take it in stride.
“Way different, way different,” Wallace said. “David Ragan was doing an interview the other day, and he really summed it up the best by saying that he used to get really frustrated when cars would pass him.
“When a car passed me, I’d freak out. Man, I was like, ‘I’m faster than him, and he passed me?’”
Wallace said he tried to run them back down, only to end up crashing himself.
“You’ve got to keep crashing, crashing and crashing,” Wallace said, “and finally something clicks, and you’re like, ‘I learned how to run good.’”
Oversimplified? Perhaps.
But it still holds true.
Driven To The Past
Bobby Allison and The Black Flag
John Potts · Frontstretch.com
One of my favorites back when
he was racing was the great Bobby Allison — and the biggest reason why was because he’d show up anytime, anyplace to simply drive a race car. Allison liked to travel all over the country when he wasn’t busy with NASCAR, putting up a schedule much like Kenny Schrader will run nowadays.
And Allison was a great “hired gun,” too. He’d come into any local track for the right price — but he wasn’t just making an appearance for the money. Usually bringing his own equipment in tow, Allison always wanted to win your race while he was at it.
The late Milt Hartlauf, a superb promoter I’ve mentioned before, brought Allison to the Bluegrass 300 at the old Fairgrounds Motor Speedway in Louisville in 1974. This was a 300-lapper on the quarter-mile track, run in three 100-lap segments — “Monza Style,” as we put it. The name came from the “Race of Two Worlds” at Monza, Italy in the 1950s, when the Indy roadsters ran in a segmented race against their European counterparts.
For our format, we lined the cars up by qualifying in the first 100-lapper — then, we inverted them according to their finish in that one for the second. The third and final segment was done the same way.
On the day of the event, Allison’s car arrived early in the afternoon — but its driver was running late. There weren’t any cell phones back then, of course, but we got
a call from the airport that Allison had called, reporting he was held up because of the weather. Charlie Glotzbach then took the car out and hotlapped it, getting it down into a reasonable time before reporting that it “felt pretty good.”
Well, we had just completed time trials when Allison finally showed up; but Milt told him he’d give him a shot at qualifying late if he’d just take the car out there and turn a decent lap.
I found out about this one on the radio. “Just let him have a couple of warmup laps and we’ll put the clock on him,” Milt told me. “When he’s going fast enough to make the race, I’ll tell you, and you can drop the green, then the checker on him.”
This was an unusual setup, to say the least; but we were paying Allison to be there, and the promoter’s word was law if you respected him. And I
did respect Milt Hartlauf a bunch — so I did what I was told, no questions asked.
Now, bear in mind that Allison had never seen the race track before. But he took one slow warmup lap and then dropped the hammer; one lap later, Milt was crackling on the radio once again.
“Throw the flag! He’s under the track record already!”
Needless to say, Allison qualified on the pole with a new track record, and started the first 100-lapper right at the front. But the real race was for Allison to make it back in time; he had to run back to the airport to move his airplane, which the driver had just left sitting in front of the terminal.
I was impressed by the whole scenario, to say the least; and I told him so at driver introductions.
Unfortunately, the story didn’t have a really happy ending for Allison. After 20 laps in the lead, he started spraying water everywhere.
While I was picking up the black flag, Milt said, “Is it that bad?” I told him the cars behind Allison were sliding, and I was getting hot water all over me each time he came by. So, there was no choice; I threw the black, and Allison’s night was over.
12 years later, at Indianapolis Raceway Park, our general manager, the late Bob Daniels (another promoter for whom I had the utmost respect), brought Bobby in
to race a few times. He appointed my son Matt — 16 back then — as his designated driver to bring him to and from the airport.
They got to be good friends, and one night, on the way back to the airport, Matt recalled the story I had told him about that Louisville race.
“That was your dad that black-flagged me?” Allison said. “I’ve been looking for that guy.”
“We’ve got to talk the next time I come up here.”
Kyle Busch, Thou Dost Protest Too Much
An Opinion
By Rebecca Gladden/insiderracingnews.com
Last August, I had the opportunity to interview Kyle Busch when he was in Phoenix for a fan event.
At the time, Busch was still driving the No. 5 car at Hendrick Motor Sports, but his move to Joe Gibbs Racing for the 2008 season had already been announced.
Kyle was polite and patient throughout the afternoon, interacting with fans, answering questions, signing hundreds of autographs, posing for pictures, and working his way through a throng of media members lined up for one-on-one interviews - including me.
One of the things I asked Kyle that day was about his relationship with the fans, and whether he felt his
reputation would improve once he moved to Gibbs.
Kyle told me, "I think the fans have had their reaction of who I am already, I guess, and hopefully we can try to change that a little bit with showing exactly who I am. I've done a pretty good job of showing them the wrong person, so I don't blame them. But maybe we can turn that around some."
It sounded to me, at least, that Kyle
was not relishing the bad-boy role as much as people might have thought - that he was aware he'd made some mistakes and was optimistic for a fresh start with a new race team.
How he planned to improve his image by joining ranks with the pugnacious Tony Stewart and pouty Denny Hamlin remained to be seen. Perhaps he was banking on the overall popularity of the Gibbs' drivers compared to the Hendrick's boys, especially Jeff Gordon, whom fans have held in disdain for decades.
But whatever hopes Busch had to "turn around" his reputation evaporated two weeks ago in Richmond when he turned around Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the track - stealing a likely victory from the grasp of NASCAR's most popular driver and casting Busch once again in the familiar role of the villain.
In retrospect, most experts and fair-minded fans labeled the incident a racin' deal. Earnhardt Jr. commented that he'd done similar things himself. "I have done that before," he said after the race, "that's what happens if he got loose underneath me."
But the Junior Nation was in no mood for apologies. It had been over two years since Earnhardt last visited Victory Lane in a points-paying race, and he came so close at Richmond that the fans could taste it - until, they contend, Busch put him in the fence, ending not only Junior's quest for victory, but Busch's for a fresh start with the fans.
It wasn't just the collision itself that angered
fans, of course, but Busch's comments afterwards, which many perceived as haughty and combative. Of course, the fact that he saw tens of thousands of fans giving him the middle finger and trashing his car with beer cans after the incident had little to do with whatever surliness fans perceived in post-race interview.
In the weeks that followed, the media has been quick to capitalize on the controversy, labeling Busch "Public Enemy Number One" and practically salivating at the thought of an ongoing Earnhardt-Busch rivalry. Rumors swirled that Busch needed extra security at Darlington the following week and broadcasters hyped the prospect of an outraged reaction when his
name would be called at driver introductions.
So it's no surprise that when Kyle appeared on ESPN's "NASCAR Now" this week, the issue of his relationship with the fans was broached. Busch was asked about the fan reception at Darlington and how he managed to cope with the hatred.
"As long as I'm out there doing what I do best, which is to try to compete and win races,
everything else doesn't matter," he said. "I just don't care. Those guys can say what they want and do what they want. To me, it just doesn't matter. I'm here to do a job, and whether I'm getting cheered for doing my job because I'm good at it, or being booed because I'm good at it - yet people don't like me for whatever reason - it just doesn't matter."
Okay. That was three "it doesn't matters" and one "I just don't care" over the course of about 30 seconds. During the rest of that segment of the interview, he added a fourth "it just doesn't matter."
So I get the intended message - Kyle wants us all to know that fan hostility doesn't bother him in the least.
But there's one big problem with that assertion - the big unspoken "but" that followed his initial answer. It was what he said next that belied his cavalier denials and revealed his true feelings:
"Ever since I came into the sport of NASCAR just after my 18th birthday - before I even had my first race - I was getting booed … You try to go out there and you try to be the nice guy and do what you can, and support the well-beings of others and stuff like that, but you just don't get credit for it, and you just get criticized for any little bad thing that you do. Whatever it is that happens to you happens to you, so you just keep going."
I'm sure many of you Busch-haters are thinking, "Boo-hoo, Kyle. Cry
me a river."
But when you stop to think about it, Kyle has had an uphill struggle from the beginning - coming into the sport as the brother of then most-hated driver Kurt Busch, and becoming teammates with long-time NASCAR whipping boy Jeff Gordon.
I contend that all that cockiness isn't Busch's true personality as much as it is a coping defense developed out of
necessity.
Busch has done a lot away from the track that fans seldom hear about. Among other things, at the ripe old age of 21, he formed his own charitable foundation - something that many older and more popular drivers have yet to do.
Notably, his foundation isn't tied to a high-profile cause. Busch quietly chose to help a largely underserved population - children
living in residential foster homes around the country.
According to the Foundation's website (www.KyleBuschFoundation.org), Kyle made the decision to nurture this cause after a visit to the St. John's Home in Michigan, where "he realized the things most people take for granted are the very things that these children need - a safe home where they are encouraged to learn and are taught the skills to achieve their dreams."
Many in the media claim that Kyle Busch is not only accepting, but relishing his role as NASCAR's most hated driver. When he was booed at Darlington, he smirked and wiped away a fake tear. When fans hurled beer cans at him, he joked that next time the cans should be full so he can at least enjoy the beverage inside. And just to rub a little salt in the wound, he went out and methodically led the most laps at Darlington, won the race, and expanded his lead in the Sprint Cup standings by 61 points, and took a congratulatory bow on the roof of his race car in front of the largely outraged crowd.
But really, what choice
does he have?
Let me be clear here. I'm not a Kyle Busch fan, per se. But I try to be objective and to treat people fairly. In writing about NASCAR, I call 'em as I see 'em.
If you think that Kyle Busch longs to be NASCAR's bad boy, I think you're wrong. And his own words support my contention.
Nobody "wants" to be hated by millions of people, especially by the very fans of the sport where Busch will most likely be making his living for the next few decades.
I think for the most part Busch has been judged unfairly since he entered the sport. That brashly arrogant "I don't care" mentality is not only a defense mechanism; it's a survival mechanism.
You probably don't agree. Time will tell which of us is right.
You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News
Head2Head:
True All-Stars
By NASCAR.COM
This week's hot-button topic deals with the drivers slated to compete in the Sprint All-Star Race. This year, 21 drivers already have their spots secured on the starting grid, with three more slots to be filled from the Showdown and a driver voted in by the fans.
That equals 24 starters in the All-Star Race, more than half of what comprises a normal Sprint Cup Series starting lineup. However, the criteria to get in hinges on being a race winner or past champion (except for the Showdown transfers and fan-voted driver). So should the number of drivers allowed to participate in the All-Star Race be cut?
Read both sides of the argument, then weigh in with your take.
Should the number of drivers in the All-Star Race be trimmed?
| | |
| YES | NO |
| The very definition of "all-star" is "made up wholly of outstanding
performers." It should be the absolute best, the cream of the crop, the pick of the litter. And while Saturday night's event at Lowe's Motor Speedway is an All-Star Race, the field looks conspiciously like any other race on the schedule. While other major sports showcase only their best players for one night in a special exhibition, how is it that more than half of the cars that race on a week-to-week basis are considered "all-stars?" Just because somebody won a race in the previous two seasons, that doesn't necessarily constitute "all-star" in my book. Not to pick on anyone's favorite driver, but Juan Montoya's lone top-10 run this season came at Talladega. Kurt Busch finished second at Daytona -- and hasn't cracked the top 10 since. Jamie McMurray? One top-10 finish in 11 starts, the same amount as Aric Almirola, who doesn't even have a ride this weekend. But they all won races in 2007, and here they are. Don't get me wrong. I like seeing guys like Dale Jarrett get a chance to say goodbye, but his best finish in five starts this season was 16th, and he's been retired since Bristol. That's like asking Hank Aaron to replace Jeff Francoeur in right field for the Braves. And when you factor in the entry list for the Showdown, there are several cars and drivers that haven't even made a race this season. Yes, Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL have their future stars games -- and maybe that's what the Showdown should be. If this race is truly for the fans, then the fans should be allowed to choose the entire field for the main event, not just somebody from the Showdown. That, or hold elimination heat races from all entrants. Anything but arbitrary rules that cheapen the glamour of what should be NASCAR's night to showcase its very best. Yes, the All-Star Race is great exposure for the sponsors and teams. I'm certain the folks at Lowe's Motor Speedway love the extra attention they get. And every driver has a passionate fan base. But what's the point of calling it an All-Star Race if it's really nothing more than all-inclusive? • Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. | Look, we can all agree that the All-Star Race is a gimmick and not really a necessity in the sport. But the joy about All-Star weekend is it's a carefree time for the drivers and crews to have a little fun at their home track and try to win a million bucks. So why do we need to burden it with a ton of rules about eligibility? It's an exhibition, a time for the best in NASCAR to go all-out and not worry about points -- and make no mistake, the best are featured. The only way you get into the race is if you won a Cup event in that or the previous season; are a previous All-Star winner; or are a past champion in the last 10 years. That gives you about 20-25 drivers that are guaranteed in the big show. Of course, you have to involve the fans (what all-star event doesn't -- the event is for them, after all), so they choose a driver.
And then you have what is possibly the best race of the night, the Showdown, where the top-two finishers make it to the main event. In a sport that features up to 50 of the best drivers in the world every weekend, the field for this weekend's All-Star race will be 24. That sounds like the best-of-the-best to me. And one look at the Sprint Showdown entry list proves some pretty stout drivers won't be racing for the million.
David Ragan (currently 12th in the points), Kasey Kahne (seven Cup wins, currently 14th in points), Bill Elliott (former Cup champion), Michael Waltrip (two-time Daytona 500 winner) -- odds are more than one of these drivers who deserve a spot in the race aren't going to be there. It's obvious to me, only the best drivers make the field, and besides, it's exciting to see guys try to race their way in. It's what makes the duel races at Daytona so exciting and it makes All-Star Saturday a remarkable all-day affair. There are enough rules in NASCAR that everyone has to deal with on a weekly basis, let's leave the All-Star event alone and keep it for what it is -- a way to show appreciation to the fans and an opportunity for everyone in the sport to let their hair down and have some fun one weekend out of the grueling 40-plus week schedule. • Bill Kimm, NASCAR.COM The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. |
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