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Happy Hump Day.
Today In Nascar History
03/08/1953-Herb Thomas wins at Spring Lake, win #1 of the season, and #17 of his career.
03/08/1959-Curtis Turner wins at Concord, win #2 of the season, and #16 of his career.
03/08/1970-Richard Petty wins at Rockingham, win #1 of the season, and #102 of his career.
03/08/1987-Dale Earnhardt wins at Richmond, win #2 of the season, and #22 of his career.
03/08/1992-Bill Elliott wins at Richmond, win #2 of the season, and #36 of his career.
Today In Nascar History
03/08/1953-Herb Thomas wins at Spring Lake, win #1 of the season, and #17 of his career.
03/08/1959-Curtis Turner wins at Concord, win #2 of the season, and #16 of his career.
03/08/1970-Richard Petty wins at Rockingham, win #1 of the season, and #102 of his career.
03/08/1987-Dale Earnhardt wins at Richmond, win #2 of the season, and #22 of his career.
03/08/1992-Bill Elliott wins at Richmond, win #2 of the season, and #36 of his career.
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Quote of the Day
"If (NASCAR CEO/chairman) Brian France wants welfare, he needs to get in line at the food-stamp office down in Daytona."
-Jeff Taylor of the John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank in Raleigh, N.C.,speaking against the Hall Of Fame proposal Monday night before the Charlotte City Council. The Council went on to unanimously approve it.
News gathered from multiple sources, including but not limited to: Jayski.com, Cup Scene Daily, Thatsracin.com, catchfence.com, nascar.com, yahoo!, espn.com and others.
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery
from Lou
The NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series Race attendance and viewership is down condiderable according to the powers-that-be. At least that's what I read and saw. In my opinion this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. It is my opinion also that NASCAR has taken what was a very good sport and through their over regulating and inconsistency is turning it into a boring and uninteresting event. I am all for the safety aspects they are incorporating and enforcing, but after that let the men race. I drove in local races in my younger days (I'm 70 now) and we had rules on the engine bore and stroke and the safety features and that was about it. I can't recall the last time I saw the blue flag with the yellow stripe (move over) used in a NASCAR race. It would appear that the driver in front has the right to block, but if the driver behind tries to push him out of the way, it may or may not be called aggressive driving. I thought that's how you won races. By being more aggressive than the rest of the drivers. Not dirty, just aggressive. What NASCAR seems to have done is take most of the incentive out of racing and things won't get better until they put it back.
Lou Elliott
from Jack
Real happy that Charlotte got the HOF. Darrel Waltrip says he can't wait until he is "enshrined". My search of definitions reads: Enshrine; hold as sacred. OMG, is he running for Pope now?
Burnouts: How do you classify yourself as a professional race car driver and then, if you come in first, light up the tires and burn them until they blow? Especially the new trick of nosing up to the outside wall and flogging it. Hell, any of us could do that! I dread the day that something comes flying off a car during a burnout and ends up in the stands. Just grow up and stop acting like children or at most do a couple of didos in the grass.
Smilin' Jack
from Lou
The NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series Race attendance and viewership is down condiderable according to the powers-that-be. At least that's what I read and saw. In my opinion this is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. It is my opinion also that NASCAR has taken what was a very good sport and through their over regulating and inconsistency is turning it into a boring and uninteresting event. I am all for the safety aspects they are incorporating and enforcing, but after that let the men race. I drove in local races in my younger days (I'm 70 now) and we had rules on the engine bore and stroke and the safety features and that was about it. I can't recall the last time I saw the blue flag with the yellow stripe (move over) used in a NASCAR race. It would appear that the driver in front has the right to block, but if the driver behind tries to push him out of the way, it may or may not be called aggressive driving. I thought that's how you won races. By being more aggressive than the rest of the drivers. Not dirty, just aggressive. What NASCAR seems to have done is take most of the incentive out of racing and things won't get better until they put it back.
Lou Elliott
from Jack
Real happy that Charlotte got the HOF. Darrel Waltrip says he can't wait until he is "enshrined". My search of definitions reads: Enshrine; hold as sacred. OMG, is he running for Pope now?
Burnouts: How do you classify yourself as a professional race car driver and then, if you come in first, light up the tires and burn them until they blow? Especially the new trick of nosing up to the outside wall and flogging it. Hell, any of us could do that! I dread the day that something comes flying off a car during a burnout and ends up in the stands. Just grow up and stop acting like children or at most do a couple of didos in the grass.
Smilin' Jack
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Bits and Pieces
Commission backs NASCAR on Hall of Fame team's Daytona penalties
The National Stock Car Racing Commission has rejected Hall of Fame Racing's appeal of NASCAR penalties from Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.
A formal statement from the commission is expected Wednesday.
At Daytona, the No. 96 Chevrolet team founded by former NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach failed post-qualifying inspection the week before the Daytona 500. An unapproved carburetor was cited by NASCAR officials.
Crew chief Phillippe Lopez was fined $25,000, driver Terry Labonte was docked 25 driver points and team managing partner Bill Saunders was penalized 25 car owner points.
Joe Gibbs Racing, which supplies the team's engines, joined the appeal, challenging the severity of the penalty and saying the Gibbs organization was responsible for any issues that arose with the carburetor.
Hall of Fame Racing is not expected to appeal further, to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.
Commission backs NASCAR on Hall of Fame team's Daytona penalties
The National Stock Car Racing Commission has rejected Hall of Fame Racing's appeal of NASCAR penalties from Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway.
A formal statement from the commission is expected Wednesday.
At Daytona, the No. 96 Chevrolet team founded by former NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach failed post-qualifying inspection the week before the Daytona 500. An unapproved carburetor was cited by NASCAR officials.
Crew chief Phillippe Lopez was fined $25,000, driver Terry Labonte was docked 25 driver points and team managing partner Bill Saunders was penalized 25 car owner points.
Joe Gibbs Racing, which supplies the team's engines, joined the appeal, challenging the severity of the penalty and saying the Gibbs organization was responsible for any issues that arose with the carburetor.
Hall of Fame Racing is not expected to appeal further, to the National Stock Car Racing Commissioner.
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Pay more for rent, speedway is advisedA long-term lease beats short-term savings, experts say.
Ken Ma | Sentinel Staff Writer
DAYTONA BEACH -- If speedway officials want a new, longer lease, their rent should rise with inflation and they must help promote and maintain local race-related events, two consultants said Tuesday.
The consultants were hired to analyze an offer from International Speedway Corp. to increase its annual rent to $500,000 in exchange for a land contract that would run until 2054.
The company owns and operates Daytona International Speedway, but the track sits on land owned by the public.
Asking speedway officials to pay their taxpayer landlords $500,000 a year is a fair amount, but it has to be adjusted over the years to keep up with inflation, consultants from The Leib Group LLC said during a Tuesday afternoon meeting in Daytona Beach.
"What we are saying to ISC is that this is our concerns," consultant Michael O'Sullivan said after the meeting.
"Come back with a better proposal."
The group presented its analysis to members of ISC and the Daytona Beach Racing and Recreational Facilities District, which governs the land on which the speedway was built.
To get a new lease, the consultants suggested ISC guarantee the racing district will be able to continue operating two car shows at the speedway or that equivalent revenue from the shows be offered if they were stopped. ISC would also need to help the district promote its activities such as the car shows.
ISC officials did not comment on the suggestions, except to say they will respond and negotiate with the district Monday.
"I want us to come out of this with a win-win situation," said racing district board member Baron H. "Bud" Asher, who is a former Daytona Beach mayor.
Right now, speedway officials are paying $10,000 annually, as part of a 50-year land contract negotiated by NASCAR founder Bill France. However, that agreement expires next year.
Written into the contract was an option to extend the lease for another 25 years at $20,000 a year.
But rather than continue paying cheap rent, speedway officials decided to renegotiate the deal in order to secure a long-term lease that will protect their planned $75 million retail development on the other side of International Speedway Boulevard.
Although $500,000 is a gigantic rent increase, it's still a drop in the bucket compared with the millions ISC takes each year from races at the track -- and the $2.2 million a year ISC pays to lease the Homestead-Miami Speedway. Unlike Daytona, Homestead taxpayers invested millions to build that track. Once the city's investment is paid off, ISC will still pay $1 million a year.
But the consultants said the Daytona rent proposal is a good deal because speedway events help boost the local economy by as much as $1.7 billion a year.
"If you said to any community across the country whether they would do it," O'Sullivan said of ISC's lease proposal, "they would not only charge no rent, but they would offer to pay half for the [construction of the] speedway itself to get all the benefits from people coming from out of state."
Asher said the district and ISC officials will meet again Monday, during which the district hopes to vote on an offer to speedway officials.
The 3 p.m. public meeting will be at the law offices of Cobb & Cole, 150 Magnolia Ave.
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Bristol Motor Speedway postpones resurfacing until 2007
By JEFF BOBO
Times-News
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Bristol Motor Speedway will require the undivided attention of its paving engineer and contractors when it installs a new concrete racing surface on the World's Fastest Half Mile, and that's why the project has been put off until 2007.
The project was very close to being scheduled for this summer.
Wayne Estes, BMS vice president of communications and events, said Tuesday that Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith left it up to track President Jeff Byrd whether or not to proceed with the resurfacing in 2006 or wait until 2007.
Speedway Motorsports also owns Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both of which will receive a new surface in 2006.
Ultimately it was decided that spreading the attention of Speedway Motorsports' preferred engineer, construction company and developers three ways might not produce the optimum results.
"We wanted to be sure that they were going to have our undivided attention here," Estes said. "It reached a critical point where we had to say go or don't go. We all felt like we'd be a whole lot more comfortable if when they tamper with the most popular racing surface in all of NASCAR that they get it right the first time."
As it stands now, BMS will receive its new concrete racing surface following the 2007 spring NASCAR races, with the project to be completed by the time NASCAR returns to BMS for the August night races.
The existing concrete surface was constructed in 1992, and at that time technology was not as advanced as it is now with regard to race track paving, Estes said. He said the existing surface has served the facility well, but time is beginning to take its toll.
"It's reaching the end of its term, and I don't think anybody really wants to do this, but it's not a matter of what we want but what we must do," Estes said. "I think over time the competitors have become accustomed to the surface. Are there things that can be done to make it better? Yes, and that's tempting, but you also don't want to mess up what's working really well here.
"When this is completed we're going to continue to have 36 degree high-banked concrete corners. Everybody wants to get it back to the same place so that we can have high-speed half-mile Nextel Cup racing here and have it be the best racing it can be."
Indecision on whether or not to repave this year ultimately cost BMS one of its events for 2006.
In 2004 BMS scheduled a 150-lap race for the Late Model stock cars, which compete nationwide at the local short tracks. The race was sanctioned by the UARA-Stars Late Model touring series, which brought an abundance of race cars and fans to the track for the past two years.
The UARA events were scheduled for September in 2004 and 2005, but the series was seeking a BMS race for July 4 this year.
Until recently, that was the time BMS officials anticipated that the track surface would be under construction.
By the time the decision was made to postpone resurfacing until 2007, it was too late for the UARA race to be placed on the 2006 schedule, Estes said.
"Due to uncertainty about construction, the season schedule was set at such a late date that we just couldn't get together with the UARA on what our dates were going to be," Estes said. "We are not closing the door on Late Model racing here, and in fact we're probably going to have more than one race here next year. It's a good product, and we think people like it.
"We got some positive feedback about the Late Models, so we're not done with them."
Estes said there's a good possibility that a Late Model race could be scheduled at BMS in the spring prior to the NASCAR weekend, and then again sometime following the August night races.
Tentatively scheduled to follow construction of the new concrete racing surface is a redesign of the infield, which would make room for more haulers to park and improve their maneuverability. Estes noted that the new infield design is in the earliest planning stages, but the concept at this time is for all the buildings to be placed in the corners.
Most notably the infield media center, which faces the frontstretch grandstands, would be torn down and a new one constructed at one end of the infield.
Estes said the media center was in need of a technological upgrade anyway. Also to be improved would be the Wellmont Infield Care Center.
By JEFF BOBO
Times-News
BRISTOL, Tenn. - Bristol Motor Speedway will require the undivided attention of its paving engineer and contractors when it installs a new concrete racing surface on the World's Fastest Half Mile, and that's why the project has been put off until 2007.
The project was very close to being scheduled for this summer.
Wayne Estes, BMS vice president of communications and events, said Tuesday that Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith left it up to track President Jeff Byrd whether or not to proceed with the resurfacing in 2006 or wait until 2007.
Speedway Motorsports also owns Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C., and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both of which will receive a new surface in 2006.
Ultimately it was decided that spreading the attention of Speedway Motorsports' preferred engineer, construction company and developers three ways might not produce the optimum results.
"We wanted to be sure that they were going to have our undivided attention here," Estes said. "It reached a critical point where we had to say go or don't go. We all felt like we'd be a whole lot more comfortable if when they tamper with the most popular racing surface in all of NASCAR that they get it right the first time."
As it stands now, BMS will receive its new concrete racing surface following the 2007 spring NASCAR races, with the project to be completed by the time NASCAR returns to BMS for the August night races.
The existing concrete surface was constructed in 1992, and at that time technology was not as advanced as it is now with regard to race track paving, Estes said. He said the existing surface has served the facility well, but time is beginning to take its toll.
"It's reaching the end of its term, and I don't think anybody really wants to do this, but it's not a matter of what we want but what we must do," Estes said. "I think over time the competitors have become accustomed to the surface. Are there things that can be done to make it better? Yes, and that's tempting, but you also don't want to mess up what's working really well here.
"When this is completed we're going to continue to have 36 degree high-banked concrete corners. Everybody wants to get it back to the same place so that we can have high-speed half-mile Nextel Cup racing here and have it be the best racing it can be."
Indecision on whether or not to repave this year ultimately cost BMS one of its events for 2006.
In 2004 BMS scheduled a 150-lap race for the Late Model stock cars, which compete nationwide at the local short tracks. The race was sanctioned by the UARA-Stars Late Model touring series, which brought an abundance of race cars and fans to the track for the past two years.
The UARA events were scheduled for September in 2004 and 2005, but the series was seeking a BMS race for July 4 this year.
Until recently, that was the time BMS officials anticipated that the track surface would be under construction.
By the time the decision was made to postpone resurfacing until 2007, it was too late for the UARA race to be placed on the 2006 schedule, Estes said.
"Due to uncertainty about construction, the season schedule was set at such a late date that we just couldn't get together with the UARA on what our dates were going to be," Estes said. "We are not closing the door on Late Model racing here, and in fact we're probably going to have more than one race here next year. It's a good product, and we think people like it.
"We got some positive feedback about the Late Models, so we're not done with them."
Estes said there's a good possibility that a Late Model race could be scheduled at BMS in the spring prior to the NASCAR weekend, and then again sometime following the August night races.
Tentatively scheduled to follow construction of the new concrete racing surface is a redesign of the infield, which would make room for more haulers to park and improve their maneuverability. Estes noted that the new infield design is in the earliest planning stages, but the concept at this time is for all the buildings to be placed in the corners.
Most notably the infield media center, which faces the frontstretch grandstands, would be torn down and a new one constructed at one end of the infield.
Estes said the media center was in need of a technological upgrade anyway. Also to be improved would be the Wellmont Infield Care Center.
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DIRECTV Revs Up NASCAR Partnership as Lead Sponsor of DIRECTV 500 at Martinsville Speedway - Leading Digital TV Service Also Will Debut the No. 07 DIRECTV Chevrolet With Clint Bowyer Behind the Wheel at the April 2 Race: NASCAR partner DIRECTV, the nation’s leading digital TV service, announced today that it will be the title sponsor of the upcoming NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race in Martinsville, VA on April 2, 2006 (FOX, 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time). In addition to sponsoring the DIRECTV 500, DIRECTV will also be the primary sponsor of Richard Childress Racing’s (RCR) No. 07 Chevrolet in the race with rookie Clint Bowyer in the driver’s seat. “We are thrilled to be the title sponsor of the DIRECTV 500 and watch the DIRECTV Chevrolet make its Nextel Cup Series debut,” said, Jon Gieselman, senior vice president of Advertising and Public Relations, DIRECTV, Inc. “We hope the race fans in Martinsville and the millions of NASCAR fans watching FOX on Sunday enjoy this special event.” Through the years, DIRECTV service has become an integral part of the sport by providing millions of fans the opportunity for the most enhanced, unique NASCAR viewing experience at home and trackside. DIRECTV has also become a critical piece of racing equipment for crew chiefs, as teams up and down pit road rely on the digital picture and sound to aid spotters and monitor car performance throughout the entire race. "It’s an honor to be working with DIRECTV in their first Nextel Cup Series race sponsorship," said Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway. "The company has strong ties to NASCAR and we’re excited for DIRECTV to bring race fans a memorable experience at our track." - Martinsville Speedway PR
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Pepsi 400 in Nov 2007? error or cat out of the bag? UPDATE error: on a Catrol GTX sweepstakes page, the grand prize is listed as: (1) Grand Prize: 4-day/3-night trip for two (2) to the 2007 Pepsi 400 race currently scheduled for November 2007 in Daytona, FL. Sooo, is that an error [oops] in the contest rules/prizes or did they slip and let the 'cat out of the bag' telling us that the Pepsi 400, held on the July 4th weekend for years, is gonna be moved in 2007 to be part of the chase and end the season where it began? See the contest and links on my Racing Contest page, it is towards the bottom as it ends 12/31/06.(3-7-2006) UPDATE: been told by Daytona International Speedway reps that the Pepsi 400 will be run on July 7th, 2007 and NOT moved to November in 2007. The contest info has not been changed.
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Hooter's scheme for #61 UPDATE: The #61 Peak Performance Motorsports Ford with Kevin Lepage driving, will sport the orange colors of Hooter's at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend. The scheme is to promote the new Hooter's Casino. See images of the scheme on my #61 Team Schemes page.(3-7-2006) UPDATE: Hooters Casino Hotel will join forces with Peak Performance Motorsports and sponsor #61-Kevin Lepage, at the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 on March 12, 2006. With a deep affection for NASCAR racing, dating back to its triumphant sponsorship of late driver Alan Kulwicki beginning in 1991, Hooters Casino Hotel hopes lightning will strike once again with Lepage behind the wheel. The world's first Hooters Casino Hotel features 696-Hooterized Florida-casual rooms and suites fully equipped with the latest amenities. The hotel is conveniently located one block from the famous Las Vegas Strip. The 30,000 square foot "Hooters"-themed casino floor offers approximately 670 state-of-the-art slot and video poker machines and 32 table games - including the Hooters Girl Party Pit - for 24-hour fun. For more information call 1.866.LVHOOTS or visit hooterscasinohotel.com. (Peak Performance Motorsports/Kirvin Doak Communications).
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Harvick/RCR up in the air: Whether #29-Kevin Harvick returns to Richard Childress Racing next season will not be totally up to the 2001 Nextel Cup rookie of the year. A source close to the organization said there is concern over whether Harvick is focused enough on his Cup career to be given a long-term contract. Harvick already owns teams in the Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series, and is believed to be a target of Toyota as a driver and perhaps owner when the Japanese-based manufacturer enters NASCAR's top series in 2007. Harvick and team owner Richard Childress have set an April deadline for determining whether they will remain together past this season. Childress has maintained he would like Harvick back. He also admitted the decision is not one-sided. "It's got to be right for both of us,'' said Childress, who attended Sunday's race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. "It can't be right for just one. It has to be a deal that both of us believe we can win races and win championships.(NASCAR.com) AND The Ltn Hour ( Let's Talk Nascar ) Radio Show reported on this weeks show that Robert Yates Racing is also looking at Kevin Harvick to take over the #88 UPS Ford in 2007 as current driver Dale Jarrett's contract ends at the end of 2006. Jarrett has said he would like to driver at least thru 2007. UPS is signed thru 2007.(LTN Radio Show)
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Newman puts out fire: #12-Ryan Newman and a Leatherman helped control a fire that threatened to engulf Sledgehammer Charlie's in downtown Lenoir [NC] Monday afternoon. Chris Barlowe and Jeffrey Rocks with Gateway Grading were having lunch with NASCAR driver Ryan Newman at Sledgehammer Charlie's discussing a business venture, according to Barlowe and Rocks, when the fire started. “Our lunch had just arrived when the restaurant filled with smoke,” Rocks said. Barlowe, who used to work with Lenoir Fire Department, asked where the roof access was, and Barlowe, Rocks and Newman climbed up to the roof. Once on top, they saw a vent system cover. If not for Newman's Leatherman, a knife-like tool, the men still may have been trying to get to the fire when Lenoir arrived. However, Barlowe said Newman used the Leatherman to remove the bolts to the ventilator cover while he used a fire extinguisher on the flames. “Once they got the top off, Ryan and Chris expended every fire extinguisher (they had),” Rocks said. “Instead of running away (Newman) ran to the fire."
“Ryan saved the day,” Barlowe said. Fire Chief Ken Briscoe said he saw Barlowe on the roof, but he didn't know a NASCAR driver was working reserves for the department as well. “When (Barlowe) came down he was telling me he and this other guy took fire extinguishers to knock this fire down,” Briscoe said. “I thanked him and said ya'll did a great job.” Then Barlowe told the chief he may want to thank the man that helped him. “I walked over there and said, ‘Gosh! Ryan Newman,'” Briscoe said. “He said, ‘Yeah.'” Briscoe said he thanked Newman again for helping knock the fire down until Lenoir's firefighters arrived on the scene, and Newman told him not to worry about it. “He was very personable and polite,” Briscoe said. “He did a great job up there knocking the fire down.” By Monday evening, the entire report wasn't complete, but Briscoe estimated around $12,000 to 15,000 in damages. A Sledgehammer Charlie's employee said the restaurant may be open this weekend, but more than likely will be closed until next week.(News-Topic)
“Ryan saved the day,” Barlowe said. Fire Chief Ken Briscoe said he saw Barlowe on the roof, but he didn't know a NASCAR driver was working reserves for the department as well. “When (Barlowe) came down he was telling me he and this other guy took fire extinguishers to knock this fire down,” Briscoe said. “I thanked him and said ya'll did a great job.” Then Barlowe told the chief he may want to thank the man that helped him. “I walked over there and said, ‘Gosh! Ryan Newman,'” Briscoe said. “He said, ‘Yeah.'” Briscoe said he thanked Newman again for helping knock the fire down until Lenoir's firefighters arrived on the scene, and Newman told him not to worry about it. “He was very personable and polite,” Briscoe said. “He did a great job up there knocking the fire down.” By Monday evening, the entire report wasn't complete, but Briscoe estimated around $12,000 to 15,000 in damages. A Sledgehammer Charlie's employee said the restaurant may be open this weekend, but more than likely will be closed until next week.(News-Topic)
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Last Lap
Chasing 11th?
By Marty Smith, NASCAR.COM
The goings-on surrounding Monday's NASCAR Hall of Fame announcement rewrote the week's schedule, so time is short. And in turn so is this week's mailbag.
Charlotte's victory, and the reasoning thereof, speaks easily for itself. It's a matter of prominence: In Charlotte, the Hall of Fame won't get lost in the shuffle. And the $137 mil ain't bad, either.
A thought-provoking fan response garners top billing this week.
I have to admit that I have been interested in the Chase after being quite a skeptic in the beginning. I do believe it does need some refining. I look at the PBR (Pro Bull Riders) -- their finals has a great incentive for all 45 riders.
The Chase needs a similar adjustment so there is more for those outside the top 10 in the final 10 races. Just a handful going for 11th and it's million doesn't do much for anyone. How about resetting the points of the final 33 or at least back to 25th and let them all race for the million and 11th.
And maybe some kind of bonus if you win a Chase race and you are not a Chaser. Some things could be done to provide some more incentive, other than all the BS about building for next year. Let some of that building have the opportunity to pay off this year. -- Mikey D.
Love it, Beastie. Teams and their sponsors would, too. Fans? They could care less. To them it's just more monetary gibberish, more pocket padding.
The initial concern throughout the industry when the Chase format was introduced centered on how and why sponsors of non-Chase qualifiers would possibly justify a 36-race investment when just 26 events legitimately counted.
The initial concern regarding fans was, 'Well, my driver didn't make the cut, I'm not paying attention until next season.'
Both concerns have since been tempered, and it's safe to say any concern that fans would disengage just because a certain driver failed to make the show is completely eradicated. Dale Jarrett fans are going to cheer like hell for Dale Jarrett in every lap of every race whether he's first or 31st.
But the sponsor concern has legs. As the Chase grows in prominence, everyone wants a chunk of the chocolate, seeks the considerable exposure that coincides with Chase contention.
Eleventh is 11th. It's nice to grace the Waldorf=Astoria stage, sure, but it's still anticlimactic.
Ask Jeff Gordon.
And while 11th would still be 11th, a Chase among the drivers ranked 11th through 20th after the first 26 events would add yet another race-within-the-race dimension. Fun.
Fundamentally, each of those 10 teams would get more exposure at the reset point, and therefore could potentially alleviate any growing concern among non-Chase sponsorship groups.
"It has merit with 11th to 20th, because of merchandising, that those points positions get reconfigured," said SFC John Metzler, spokesman for the National Guard, sponsor of Greg Biffle's No. 16 Ford.
"It has an appeal from a sponsorship standpoint to bring more dollars to the table. For single-car teams like Cal Wells, the Chase may not be a realistic goal, but 20th is.
"So they can go to potential sponsors with that opportunity. That's good for the fans, for the teams and for the entire sport. I like that idea."
Speaking of Wells, he's intrigued by the idea, too.
"I think anything that provides additional excitement to NASCAR is good for NASCAR," Wells said Tuesday morning from a test at Kentucky Speedway.
"Example: the race outside the top 35 to get in the top 35 is a unique story. Now, I'm not happy to be part of that story, but it's a unique one and gets reasonable coverage. An 11th-through-25th Chase? That would be very exciting and really neat."
Wells then cited a mind-blowing statistic that lends credence to an 11-to-20 concept:
In 2002, PPI Motorsports finished 15th in points with Ricky Craven at the wheel. From 15th position, they were just 912 points behind champion Tony Stewart.
Last year, even with the points reset after 26 races, 10th place Jeremy Mayfield finished 559 points behind champ Tony Stewart.
"That's only three years ago!" Wells said. "You look at that and say, 'My gosh! Look at it now!' Whether it's Jeff Gordon or Kasey Kahne -- and Dale Jr. was threatening to fall out of the top-20 -- these are well-funded, well-managed teams with great drivers.
"Sure they make mistakes, we all do. But at the end of the day that's amazing. The playoff format has worked out well. A second Chase? What about a wild card? There could be many unique, fun things that could make it more interesting for the viewer.
"Anything like that makes it interesting for the competitor, too, to be able to throw a long ball and actually connect on it."
Excellent email, Mike D. Your concept in quite intriguing.
Moving along ...
Given the ridiculous (and quite welcome) volume of email that floods my account, I'm subjected to the gamut of fan emotion on a daily basis. Some are heartfelt, some analytical. Most are angry, all passionate. Thousands a week. I truly felt I'd seen it all from a fan frustration/appreciation perspective.
Maybe I have. But until last Friday, I certainly hadn't heard it all.
An unnamed female fan with the handle DeWalt17gurl emailed me an audio clip of her blue front Amazon parrot cheering wildly for Matt Kenseth. With the file was a note:
Hey, Junior might be the most popular driver, but can he say he even has a parrot pulling for him? Haha!
She has a point. But I'd bet Earnhardt gets more undergarments tossed his way.
Point, Junior.
After reading your article about the four friends of Elliott Sadler's winning the $100,000, I began to wonder why it didn't dawn on them to give Elliott a few bucks to get a haircut, since he is to cheap to prove that there really is a human being under that mop. He looks like a true mop-head that needs to be shaved to the scalp. -- CMELTON
Point, CMELTON. Now that's funny.
That's all the time we have today, folks. Once again, time is short and Vegas beckons. Question: Should I fly Elliott Sadler's buddies out there and put them up, just for luck's sake?
The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.
Hall's location no disrespect to Daytona
By KEN WILLIS
MY TWO CENTS
Hey, cheer up. At least we're not Darlington. Or North Wilkesboro. Or Rockingham.
Business leaders told us what a tremendous boon the NASCAR Hall of Fame would have been to the community, and since their pencils are a lot sharper than ours, we'll take their word for it. But really, it's probably naive to think a NASCAR Hall would entice non-race fans to bring their wallets to the area.
And just as naive to think the hardest of hard-core fans would come other than the times they already come here -- February and July.
Daytona Beach still has a major race weekend in July, and three of them in February. What would the cities atop this column -- areas where the racing history runs deep and the competition once ran hot -- give to still be such a major player? (Sure, Darlington still holds onto one Cup Series date, but they're just one bad-weather weekend away from getting the official stink-eye from NASCAR HQ.)
WHERE IT BELONGED
From those with business or political stakes in the recent Hall-a-baloo, the disappointment is justified. But there shouldn't be too much unnecessary whining from those with a passing interest, especially if their reasoning is, "NASCAR was born here; the Hall belongs here."
Not exactly, bubba. NASCAR was baptized here, though it wasn't exactly holy water adorning the tables in the Streamline lounge over 58 years ago. But it was born in the Carolina hills, birthed by crazy hot-rodders hauling corn liquor from here to there before Johnny Law ever found second gear.
Those blinded by rooting interests might think the birthplace of NASCAR would be a natural home for the Hall of Fame. But a Charlotte snub would've been a true backhand. Its surrounding area isn't just the cradle of stock-car racing, it's a major American city with a corporate Rolodex thicker than a Junior Johnson ham.
Above all, Charlotte is home to most of the race teams and drivers, which means, naturally, an easy tie-in when it comes to promotional opportunities. In modern marketing, the most prized currency remains "driver availability," and it appears to have played a key role.
I like Mike Skinner as much as the next guy, but he ain't Junior.
GET SOME SLEEP
So, along with dealing with the rejection, some will mix in a little worry and/or dread.
They hear the stories of Brian France building a new house in Charlotte. They know NASCAR's pride and joy, its research-and-development center, is in Charlotte. They know NASCAR already has a big front-office presence in Charlotte.
Naturally, some fear this is just a sign of a future main-headquarters move out of Daytona Beach. But NASCAR already has hundreds of employees spread among offices across the land -- and while other offices (Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York) might grow in size, it doesn't necessarily mean the Daytona office will shrink.
But for those who don't trust the motives of big business, there's the assumption that the Hall became one huge bargaining chip -- played here and there in an effort to improve the climate (tax breaks, friendly leases, etc.).
And while there certainly had to be some of that involved, it shouldn't keep you awake at night. If it does, here's a suggestion: Build yourself a billion-dollar organization and go get yourself a piece of that pie.
If you're still upset, call your buddy in Rockingham and see if he cares.
By KEN WILLIS
MY TWO CENTS
Hey, cheer up. At least we're not Darlington. Or North Wilkesboro. Or Rockingham.
Business leaders told us what a tremendous boon the NASCAR Hall of Fame would have been to the community, and since their pencils are a lot sharper than ours, we'll take their word for it. But really, it's probably naive to think a NASCAR Hall would entice non-race fans to bring their wallets to the area.
And just as naive to think the hardest of hard-core fans would come other than the times they already come here -- February and July.
Daytona Beach still has a major race weekend in July, and three of them in February. What would the cities atop this column -- areas where the racing history runs deep and the competition once ran hot -- give to still be such a major player? (Sure, Darlington still holds onto one Cup Series date, but they're just one bad-weather weekend away from getting the official stink-eye from NASCAR HQ.)
WHERE IT BELONGED
From those with business or political stakes in the recent Hall-a-baloo, the disappointment is justified. But there shouldn't be too much unnecessary whining from those with a passing interest, especially if their reasoning is, "NASCAR was born here; the Hall belongs here."
Not exactly, bubba. NASCAR was baptized here, though it wasn't exactly holy water adorning the tables in the Streamline lounge over 58 years ago. But it was born in the Carolina hills, birthed by crazy hot-rodders hauling corn liquor from here to there before Johnny Law ever found second gear.
Those blinded by rooting interests might think the birthplace of NASCAR would be a natural home for the Hall of Fame. But a Charlotte snub would've been a true backhand. Its surrounding area isn't just the cradle of stock-car racing, it's a major American city with a corporate Rolodex thicker than a Junior Johnson ham.
Above all, Charlotte is home to most of the race teams and drivers, which means, naturally, an easy tie-in when it comes to promotional opportunities. In modern marketing, the most prized currency remains "driver availability," and it appears to have played a key role.
I like Mike Skinner as much as the next guy, but he ain't Junior.
GET SOME SLEEP
So, along with dealing with the rejection, some will mix in a little worry and/or dread.
They hear the stories of Brian France building a new house in Charlotte. They know NASCAR's pride and joy, its research-and-development center, is in Charlotte. They know NASCAR already has a big front-office presence in Charlotte.
Naturally, some fear this is just a sign of a future main-headquarters move out of Daytona Beach. But NASCAR already has hundreds of employees spread among offices across the land -- and while other offices (Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York) might grow in size, it doesn't necessarily mean the Daytona office will shrink.
But for those who don't trust the motives of big business, there's the assumption that the Hall became one huge bargaining chip -- played here and there in an effort to improve the climate (tax breaks, friendly leases, etc.).
And while there certainly had to be some of that involved, it shouldn't keep you awake at night. If it does, here's a suggestion: Build yourself a billion-dollar organization and go get yourself a piece of that pie.
If you're still upset, call your buddy in Rockingham and see if he cares.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enduring Performance: 1999 Las Vegas 400
Battle of Burton brothers decided winner in the desert
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM
Las Vegas nearly became the city of brotherly shove during the 1999 Las Vegas 400.
With 14 laps remaining, Ward Burton held a good-sized lead over brother Jeff. However, the younger Burton's car was quicker -- and the No. 99 Ford rapidly closed the gap on Ward's No. 22 Pontiac.
The Burtons ran side-by-side for four laps before Jeff made the pass on the high side and pulled away for a 1.074-second victory.
If it had been anyone else, Ward Burton might have been more physical, especially since he hadn't visited Victory Lane since 1995. As it was, he made his brother earn it.
"I wasn't going to give him an inch," Ward said. "I even thought about moving up a little bit higher than I did, but I knew one of us wouldn't have gotten out of the corner if I did.
"I was trying to crowd him as much as I could without wrecking him. I don't want to wreck my brother."
In the other car, Jeff Burton had similar feelings.
"You don't forget he's your brother. No matter what, he's your brother," Jeff said. "I was doing everything I could do to win the race and he was, too."
The Burton brothers combined to lead 182 of the 267 laps.
"We always wanted it to come down to the end like that," Jeff said. "The next time, he'll get me."
Unfortunately for Ward, Jeff's prediction didn't pan out. The Burtons would go on to finish 1-2 on two other occasions, with Jeff coming out on top in the 1999 Southern 500 at Darlington and 1999 Pop Secret 400 at Rockingham.
However, Ward finally did something that Jeff hasn't yet accomplished -- winning the Daytona 500 in 2002.
"I'll apologize to them after they get me to the front!"
-Dale Earnhardt back to pit when warned he was hurting his tires and told to save them during an early race charge
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
Qualifying: Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Friday, March 10 6:30 p.m. Speed Channel
Qualifying: Busch Series Sam's Town 300 Saturday, March 11 4:30 p.m. Speed Channel
Practice: Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Saturday, March 11 5 p.m. FX
Busch Series Sam's Town 300 Saturday, March 11 6 p.m. FX
Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Sunday, March 12 4 p.m. Fox
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
Qualifying: Busch Series Sam's Town 300 Saturday, March 11 4:30 p.m. Speed Channel
Practice: Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Saturday, March 11 5 p.m. FX
Busch Series Sam's Town 300 Saturday, March 11 6 p.m. FX
Nextel Cup UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 Sunday, March 12 4 p.m. Fox
All time Eastern. Times and station subject to change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your
Momma
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
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