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Happy Thursday!
Today In Nascar History
03/09/1969-David Pearson wins at Rockingham, win #2 of the season, and #48 of his career.
03/09/1980-Cale Yarborough wins at Rockingham, win #1 of the season, and #64 of his career.
03/09/1997-Dale Jarrett wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #9 of his career.
03/09/1998-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #6 of his career.
03/09/2003-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #20 of his career.
"I think we're on our way to getting back in the game. And if we get through this race, we'll be looking pretty good, because we've won at eight of the next nine."
-Dale Earnhardt Junior, previewing Las Vegas~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
from Sylvia
I always enjoy your articles very much! You do a super job for all of us to enjoy, Thank YOU!
Have I been asleep and missed something? Are we voting for the most popular driver again, this year? I have used this same address for two years but see nothing for 2006. mostpopulardriver.com/brand.asp Enlightenment would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Sylvia
From what I understand it will be up and running in a month or so. Keep reading, and I'll let you know when the website is up and running!
from Jackie
"Enshrine" Darrell Waltrip ?? Running for pope??? Why not send him to Mars instead, then we won`t have to listen to that BIG MOUTH of his !! He is the worst blabber mouth I have ever heard. Oh for the good old days of Ned Jarrett !!! Jackie.
LOL....have to agree with you there. Although, I will say, my husband runs a close second with his complaining about 'ol DW....he about just as bad as DW....no joke!
from Shareen
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
Jack.....Take a chill pill. It's fun & the fans love it. The day I have to grow up & not have fun, is the day they put me in the ground. Lighten up and enjoy yourself..
Shareen in California..
PS. IN THE INFIELD AT DAYTONA I HAD SO MUCH FUN AT TIMES I WAS GIGGLING LIKE A CHILD AND ALMOST PEED MY PANTS.
Snap-on Makes Multi-Year Commitment to Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Kenosha, Wis. (March 9, 2006) – Snap-on is proud to announce they have extended their sponsorship commitment with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. - one of NASCAR's premier teams. With this multi-year contract renewal, Snap-on will serve as an associate sponsor to DEI.
"Snap-on has played an important role in our team's success through the years," said Teresa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. "This long-term renewal reaffirms the strong relationship that Snap-on and DEI enjoy. We look forward to our continued partnership with Snap-on and its quality tools."
"Snap-on Tools has been a part of the DEI family since my father began racing," said Dale Earnhardt, Jr. "Their products have been in our shops for decades and we rely on them to help us win races. They've been a solid partner through the years, and it's great we can continue working with them well into the future."
DEI is currently comprised of four teams – the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops, No. 8 Budweiser and the No. 15 Menard's Chevrolet teams which compete in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. They also field the No. 11 Menard's Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series.
In 2005, DEI celebrated 25 years of intimidation with its 100th NASCAR win (No 8 Busch Series win at Indianapolis Raceway Park). Through 2005, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has won 16 Nextel Cup Series in DEI-built racecars. Dale Jr. was named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver for the third consecutive year, making him one of only four drivers to win the award that many years in-a-row.
DEI's Busch Series program is coming off a banner season repeating as the NASCAR Busch Series Champion for the second consecutive year with Martin Truex, Jr. He also qualified for all seven Nextel Cup races he attempted in 2005 with DEI equipment. Menard, the team's Busch Series regular in 2006, is on the edge of racing greatness, winning a Bud Pole Award at Talladega Superspeedway last year en route to earning six top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes to finish sixth in points.
"While DEI racing is synonymous with winning, so is Snap-on with innovation," said Al Biland, president of Snap-on Tools. "Our partnership with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has been part of both organizations' storied traditions and is something we're proud to associate ourselves with into the future."
For almost its entire history, Snap-on has been involved in racing and using its experience at the track to develop innovative new products for the vehicle service industry. In fact, some of the most innovative automotive systems were created at racetracks – disc brakes, hydraulic shock absorbers, turbo-chargers, fuel injection – and, consequently, so were the Snap-on professional tools used to service those systems.
"In our 85 years, Snap-on has consistently supported racers and their teams; the DEI racing teams are some of the most important to us," said Carl Johanson, Snap-on Tools' motorsports marketing manager. "We show pride in our teams and our commitment to build the highest quality tools acting as a total-solutions provider for professional technicians and racing teams."
Snap-on franchisees build relationships and distribute products directly to technicians via the Snap-on van, which has remained an icon for the company since the mid 1940s. In addition, products are sold directly to consumers via snapon.com.
Snap-on Tools Company, LLC is a subsidiary of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of tool and equipment solutions for professional tool users. Product lines include hand and power tools, diagnostics and shop equipment, tool storage products, diagnostics software and other solutions for the transportation service, industrial, government, education, agricultural, and other commercial applications, including construction and electrical. Products are sold through its franchised dealer van, company-direct sales and distributor channels, as well as over the Internet at snapon.com. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2.4 billion, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wis., and employs approximately 11,300 people worldwide.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. is based in Mooresville, NC and was founded in 1980 by Dale and Teresa Earnhardt. DEI's on-track performance in recent years is unmatched. The team has amassed 100 wins, including three Daytona 500 victories, four NASCAR Busch Series championships and two NASCAR Truck Series championships.
Ice Age II on the #5 at Vegas: Kyle Busch's #5 Chevy will sport an "Ice Age: The Meltdown" paint scheme in this weekend's NEXTEL Cup event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Disney/Pixar Animation film will premiere March 31 in theaters across the country.(Hendrick Motorsports PR)
A new television package and concerns over attendance and TV ratings for some events could lead to a change in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule, with changes coming as early as 2007, some in the sport believe.
NASCAR typically doesn't begin the process of signing sanctioning agreements and putting its schedule together for the following year until it has visited tracks on the current schedule. However, with a new eight-year agreement that includes Fox, Speed, TNT and ABC/ESPN partners beginning in 2007, NASCAR may consider shuffling some dates to improve both ratings and attendance figures.
"I haven't heard anything yet," car owner Richard Childress said March 4, "but I wouldn't be surprised.
"I think with the new TV package, you better be prepared for what may have to happen. I think that [the TV package] will dictate not only the time of the race [on the schedule] but where we may even go as well."
The season-opening Daytona 500, which was broadcast on NBC, pulled in 37.2 million viewers and a record 11.3 household rating according to the network, making it the highest-rated NASCAR event in the sport's history. The following week's race in Fontana, Calif., however, registered a 7.4 rating, down from a 7.9 rating the previous year.
Attendance for the California race, as well, appeared to be down.
For more in-depth coverage, see the March 9 issue of NASCAR Scene
NASCAR Scene
The president of the Central Atlanta Progress sent a letter Wednesday to NASCAR team co-owner Felix Sabates disputing comments Sabates made about the city in reference to why Charlotte got the NASCAR Hall of Fame over Atlanta.
Sabates insinuated that Atlanta was not safe at night and that he wouldn't want his wife and kids walking the streets near the proposed site of the hall of fame in downtown Atlanta.
"Think about this, would you want to go to Atlanta at 8 o'clock at night and walk around downtown Atlanta by yourself?" Sabates said March 4. "No. And that's what I told Mike Helton one day, or Brian, 'Would you want to take your wife, and your kid and walk on the streets, park two blocks away and walk to the hall of fame in Atlanta? He said, 'Why?' I said, 'Just try it one time and see what you think.'"
The letter detailed that only 5 percent of downtown Atlanta's total crime was violent crime, and crime has decreased over the last three years. Downtown Atlanta has almost half of the city's population and only 8 percent of its overall crime, said Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson.
"The inaccuracy of your comment about crime in Downtown Atlanta was met with great concern in our Downtown community, and thus I wanted to provide you with actual facts that present the reality rather than perception," Robinson wrote in his letter to Sabates.
Robinson spearheaded the Atlanta bid for the Central Atlanta Progress. Charlotte was awarded the hall of fame on Monday.
"Mr. Sabates' off-handed comment impacts an existing tourist industry that goes far beyond any level of discussion about the hall of fame," Robinson said in a statement. "Tourism and hospitality is our city's second largest industry, and that's very serious in our book. There's an old adage, 'Never mess with how someone makes a living.' Sabates has done just that by spreading false rumor that impacts one of our largest industries, and one that we continue to carefully grow and nurture."
Atlanta hosts an estimated 2.8 million conventioneers annually. The new Georgia Aquarium has hosted 1 million visitors in its first three months of operation.
"Charlotte was an admirable and honorable competitor throughout the bid process," Robinson said. "It's a shame that one of their highest profile executives had to end the competition by taking cheap shots that were inaccurate and completely out of line."
Driver Herb Thomas (left) poses after a win with
Smokey Yunick in 1956.
A pitch for NASCAR's pioneers
By TOM HIGGINS
ThatsRacin.com Contributor
So it's settled.
The NASCAR Hall Of Fame has been won by Charlotte, which is as it should be.
For decades the true heart of the sport has been the Queen City and the surrounding area, particularly Mooresville, where many teams are based and drivers make their homes on the shores of Lake Norman.
Now the intrigue shifts from the locale of the multimillion-dollar hall to who will be chosen for the inaugural class of inductees.
There's no doubt about some who'll be selected for the honor:
Big Bill France Sr., the NASCAR founder. Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, both seven-time champions. David Pearson, whose 105 victories are second only to Petty's 200. Junior Johnson, who won 50 races as a driver and 136 more as a team owner who once captured six championships in a 10-year span.
Who else should be among the first enshrined?
Dozens are deserving of eventual induction into the hall that's scheduled to open in about three years in downtown Charlotte.
Although no eligibility rules or selection format have been announced, permit me to make a pitch for the sport's pioneers to make up the bulk of the inaugural group of inductees.
Without them, who knows if stock car racing would have become a billion-dollar business that's now followed by fans worldwide.
Charter membership in the hall should go to Herb Thomas, Buck Baker, Tim Flock and Lee Petty, the biggest stars of the 1950s.
All won multiple championships in that decade. The colorful Curtis Turner is another possibility.
Thomas, especially, deserves early induction. Through the years Baker, Flock and Lee Petty have become more familiar to modern-era fans, but Thomas was the sport's first big star.
A North Carolina farmboy who worked at a sawmill during World War II, Thomas was in the field for NASCAR's first "Strictly Stock" race in Charlotte in 1949. He won his first race in 1950 and in '51 was the series champion.
Thomas' racing career continued to only 1956, when serious injuries in a crash forced him from the cockpit. But in his relatively brief time at the wheel he posted 48 victories overall, including three triumphs in the sport's toughest event, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
He also won the championship again in 1953 and was runnerup in the point standings three times.
Drivers from the 1960s deserving of membership in the hall include Ned Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, Rex White, Fred Lorenzen, Joe Weatherly and Jim Paschal.
Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison lead the 1970s contingent that also includes Bobby Isaac, Benny Parsons and Buddy Baker.
Top candidates for the hall from the 1980s are Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace.
All these drivers I've mentioned undoubtedly will be inducted into the Charlotte hall at some point, along with such current stars as Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Bobby and Terry Labonte, recent retiree Ricky Rudd and the late Davey Allison.
Great crew chiefs such as Dale Inman, Leonard Wood and Smokey Yunick deserve eventual induction, too, along with team owners like Bud Moore, Glen Wood and Rick Hendrick, plus track founders Bruton Smith and Harold Brasington.
But along with NASCAR founder France, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson and Junior Johnson, it's my hope that pioneers such as Herb Thomas and his peers are remembered and honored first.
It's All In Who You're Rooting For -- the Readers Speak
Racing, not surprisingly, is like any other sport. The "call" is judged by being either good or bad, depending on who you're rooting for. It doesn't get any simpler than that. A close play at second if your team is at bat, then the runner is safe. If your team is in the field then, of course, the guy is out. Simple!
Watch the players when a basketball gets knocked out of bounds. The guys wearing white uniforms point one way while at the same time the guys in the black jerseys are pointing the other. Just once I'd like to see a guy in white pointing the same way as the guys in black because he knew he knocked the ball out of bounds. That, of course, isn't going to happen.
With that in mind, here's some of the fan mail I received after my piece on Chad Knaus and the 48 team not losing points last week.
Steve wrote in response to my comment about adjusting the car "after" tech. I, in fact, knew they went across the scales after the heights were checked. Is it time NASCAR changed that order?
He wrote, "I understand where you are coming from with the Chad Knaus ruling but I know how the procedure goes before qualifying inspection. I am in no way bashing or ripping your column."
"First, the cars have their engines checked out, like for carb and air filter container. Then the next step in the room of doom is the templates for the body of the car. So the officials put the template on the rear window and saw no problem because at that point in time the rear window was at the correct height.
"The next stop in the inspection room is ride height. They look at front valence height and spoiler angle. After that is complete the final step is rolling up onto the scales to weigh the car. This is where Chad made his move, and I believe this is quite clever." (I'm guessing a 48 lover or at least not a hater.)
"The officials allow you typically two minutes at the scales for adjustments, which is very common. So when the car rolled on the scales and the percents of weight were not what either Chad or NASCAR wanted, he would put the wedge wrench in the rear window to change the amount of weight on that side of the car. So probably a crew member or Chad took a round or two of wedge out of the car.
"There is a piece of fabricated aluminum that is on the under side of the window that guides the wedge wrench to the bolt used to adjust the wedge, and usually (I'm guessing NEVER) they are mounted to the window but are not attached to the rear spring bolt. But this time it was. (And why was it -- I ask?) So when the round of wedge was taken out it proceeded to lift the rear window. You would only be able to notice it if you were to look at the sides of the window and see the black silicone, used to seal the Lexan window to the sheet metal cracking.
"I give Chad all of the credit in the world, because if you are not cheating you are not going to win. The teams that routinely finish in the top 20 are cheating in some way but the are not getting caught."
Terri wrote, "Adjustments during/after tech? Duh! Have you not paid any attention? The templates were put on the 48 car in tech, and then they were allowed to adjust the wedge, which is perfectly legal in that phase of tech inspection. So please don't make any insinuating statement until you've checked out your facts. True NASCAR fans, whether 48 fans or not, make it a point to know what the facts are." He said "insinuating" -- so he wasn't cheating?
Terri and I exchanged a couple of e-mails after this first one and after later accusing me of, among other things, "throwing Chad under the bus" and telling me Chad hasn't been "cheating" all seven times he's been fined and telling me I should be mad at NASCAR and not the 48. I told him it's hard not to talk about NASCAR's goofy way of either taking or not taking points without talking about Knaus and the 48 team. After a few e-mails we have decided to agree to disagree.
Tonya wrote, "Thanks for being an honest reporter! I have forwarded your article to all the NASCAR fans I know!"
Danny wrote, "Regarding your article 'The more they explain it the less I understand'. Great article! That was a well-written story. You showed how 'subjective' NASCAR officials tend to be."
Billy says, "If you thought what Chad did was cheating you know nothing about racing and you should cover the dog shows." I wrote back, "NASCAR kicked him out of Daytona and then the next three races because he WASN'T cheating???" I'm guessing Billy's having computer troubles because he never wrote back.
Mike wrote, "You were right on the money in your 'I must be dense' article. I agree with every point you have made. Everyone that I know does as well. Thank you for saying what needs to be said."
Scott tells me, "You Hendrick/Chevy haters are all the same. Twist the facts so Jimmy and his team look bad. Chad was 'bending' the rule so why would they take 25 points. NASCAR never used the word CHEATING so why do you and a bunch of other reporters have to say cheating?"
I asked Scott if Chad was removed from Daytona and since suspended for another three races because he was that week's lucky raffle winner? And if it was a Jack Roush Ford would they be CHEATING or bending the rules? He was quite vague when he wrote back "NASCAR was trying to prove a point." I asked what point and what about Roush and he never wrote back.
Ken wrote, "You have asked the six million dollar question. I have more or less quit following NASCAR for the very reason you so aptly pointed out. There is no consistency of enforcement and the rule book is rubber. As long as the product sells they'll leave it the way it is. Another columnist has suggested that if you get caught 'cheating' you go onto the hauler and go home. His comment is that it will only take one or two instances of this and bending the rules will end quickly. Great Article!!!"
Todd has an interesting idea. He says, "Don't send Knaus home. For the next six weeks make him the crew chief for the team with the slowest time trials that still makes the race in each of those races and don't allow him anywhere near the 48."
NASCAR Hall Of Fame: NASCAR earlier this week announced that Charlotte, NC will be the home of its Hall of Fame. The building will be located in Charlotte's Center City and will be developed, designed, and operated by the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. The total cost is estimated at $107.5 million. They are to have it up and running no later than spring of 2010.
Charlotte is the hub of the NASCAR industry. Currently 82 percent of Cup teams, 72 percent of Busch Series teams and 55 percent of Craftsman Truck teams are based in the Charlotte region. The industry's current annual statewide economic impact is estimated to be $5 billion.
Team owner Felix Sabates said NASCAR made the right decision. "The most important factor was all the drivers are there," said Sabates, who along with Rick Hendrick, led Charlotte's effort. Dale Earnhardt Jr. went to NASCAR to argue on Charlotte's behalf. He's reported to have told them if they call him to come do something he'd get in his car and go to downtown, but he wouldn't be going to Atlanta. Sabates said. "That had a lot of influence on the decision." Atlanta and Daytona were also in the running.
Quote Of The Week: Kyle Busch was involved in another on-track incident. This time it was in the Busch race last Sunday. It looked to me like a "racing" deal, two drivers fighting hard for the same pavement. He and Michel Jourdain Jr. both ended up spinning (they were racing for the lead) and it ended Jourdain's day. The race was in Mexico and Jourdain was a crowd favorite. The crowd showed Busch their displeasure.
Jourdain's day was over and after pitting and restarting 34th Busch finished seventh. Like I said it looked to be no one's fault. Busch could've/should've lifted but it appeared Jourdain chopped the 5.
After climbing from his car Busch was asked about the spin and he said, "I'm sure there were a few bad words out there. It's all good. I get it everywhere I go, so it doesn't much matter to me, it doesn't much bother me." ... And he wonders why so many fans dislike him.
Loose Lug Nuts: Will someone please tell Brian France to stop saying NASCAR has 75 million fans? He used that wildly inflated number again at the Hall of Fame announcement.
It's my understanding, that if you've heard of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty by NASCAR's standards you're considered a NASCAR fan. It doesn't matter that you don't know the Daytona 500 is 500 miles and not 500 laps on a half-mile track.
Thirty-seven million watched the Daytona 500 on TV. Were the other MORE THAN HALF of NASCAR's fans out of the country? In countries without TV's in fact.
• I believe I've asked this before but I still don't know. Why is it in NASCAR the guy (or guys) who bring out the yellow don't restart in the rear?
In the Busch race last weekend Kyle Busch and Michel Jourdain Jr. got together while leading, with them both spinning. The yellow came out as Busch was spinning completely around and he got to restart in sixth. Remember the field gets "frozen" when the yellow comes out. He did pit and restarted in back, but only because he pitted.
For as long as I've been going to the races the guys who start the wreck and are involved in the wreck restart in the rear. Why not in NASCAR?
• Not that I care, but there are some "car" fans out there who root for certain car brands. Did you know when Matt Kenseth won two weeks ago in a Ford it was the seventh different make of Ford to win? He was driving a Fusion. The other models are the Taurus, Thunderbird, Torino, Galaxie, Fairlane and the original Ford.
Vegas Quickies: Twelve drivers have competed in every Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That number will drop by two because of Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace.
• No driver qualifying in the top five has ever won a Cup race there. Mark Martin won from seventh in 1998.
• Jack Roush Racing has wins with three different drivers: Martin, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth.
• Rookies have qualified on the front row in three of the last six races. They are Scott Pruett in 2000, Ryan Newman in 2002 and Kasey Kahne in 2004.
• The record for most rookies in the starting field is six back in 2000. This year there'll be at least seven with provisionals. They are Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Brent Sherman, and David Stremme.
• Joe Nemechek is the only driver who has started every Cup and Busch race at LVMS.
• Jeff Burton (2000) is the only driver to sweep both the Cup and Busch races there.
• Following this race, LVMS will raise the banking in the turns from 12 degrees to 20 degrees.
We Have Lost Jim Clothey: Jim Clothey, 60, from Whitefield, NH, passed away March 1. For the past 15 years his voice could be heard on Littleton, NH's radio station WLTN.
Those of us in racing fondly remember him as the announcer at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH. Jim's career as a broadcaster encompassed areas of auto racing and motocross, radio stations and some television announcing. At a young age, Jim worked alongside Ken Squier, announcing at race tracks including Thunder Road, Catamount and Airborne Speedway. He began broadcasting on radio at WDOT, then a popular radio station in Burlington. He also worked at WSKI radio in Montpelier.
I remember back in 1986 when Jim came over to my car on the day of the car show in 1986. We talked about my Dad Jerry and brother Bob and he thought it was neat that I was going to give driving a try.
After that he asked about my race car. He jotted down a few notes as we spoke but I didn't give it a lot of thought until later in the day when I got to the "pit stop" (the pull off by Miles Pond where a bunch of us stopped on the way back home). Someone came up to me there and asked if I was good friends of the announcer and I said I know him a little -- why?
He said it sounded like Jim had spent the winter in my garage. He told the crowd Fred Priest built the car and I had bought it from Fred Bugbee who was going to race it but changed his mind. He also knew Bobby Shores decided to go with a straight six 250 instead of a V-6. I chuckled and said that's Jim Clothey.
Jim was great at getting to know the drivers and their crews so he could keep the fans up to date with what was going on. He knew who built what car and what motor. Each week in the program he did a piece called "The Announcers Point Of View." He told it like it was and I felt honored the few times I got to read about myself.
Jim was born in St. Johnsbury 60 years ago and grew up in South Burlington. He helped his wife Terri set up her business -- A Different Path -- on Main Street in Littleton. The store sells a variety of Native American products, reaching to Terri's Eastern Abenaki heritage.
Grab your racing scrapbooks and head to the Littleton Elks (on Route 302) tomorrow night (March 10) from 6 p.m. on to celebrate the life of Jim Clothey with some of his great friends.
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.
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
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
Today In Nascar History
03/09/1969-David Pearson wins at Rockingham, win #2 of the season, and #48 of his career.
03/09/1980-Cale Yarborough wins at Rockingham, win #1 of the season, and #64 of his career.
03/09/1997-Dale Jarrett wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #9 of his career.
03/09/1998-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #6 of his career.
03/09/2003-Bobby Labonte wins at Atlanta, win #1 of the season, and #20 of his career.
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Quote of the Day"I think we're on our way to getting back in the game. And if we get through this race, we'll be looking pretty good, because we've won at eight of the next nine."
-Dale Earnhardt Junior, previewing Las Vegas
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 Galleryfrom Sylvia
I always enjoy your articles very much! You do a super job for all of us to enjoy, Thank YOU!
Have I been asleep and missed something? Are we voting for the most popular driver again, this year? I have used this same address for two years but see nothing for 2006. mostpopulardriver.com/brand.asp Enlightenment would be appreciated.
Thank you.
Sylvia
From what I understand it will be up and running in a month or so. Keep reading, and I'll let you know when the website is up and running!
from Jackie
"Enshrine" Darrell Waltrip ?? Running for pope??? Why not send him to Mars instead, then we won`t have to listen to that BIG MOUTH of his !! He is the worst blabber mouth I have ever heard. Oh for the good old days of Ned Jarrett !!! Jackie.
LOL....have to agree with you there. Although, I will say, my husband runs a close second with his complaining about 'ol DW....he about just as bad as DW....no joke!
from Shareen
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
Jack.....Take a chill pill. It's fun & the fans love it. The day I have to grow up & not have fun, is the day they put me in the ground. Lighten up and enjoy yourself..
Shareen in California..
PS. IN THE INFIELD AT DAYTONA I HAD SO MUCH FUN AT TIMES I WAS GIGGLING LIKE A CHILD AND ALMOST PEED MY PANTS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bits and PiecesSnap-on Makes Multi-Year Commitment to Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
Kenosha, Wis. (March 9, 2006) – Snap-on is proud to announce they have extended their sponsorship commitment with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. - one of NASCAR's premier teams. With this multi-year contract renewal, Snap-on will serve as an associate sponsor to DEI.
"Snap-on has played an important role in our team's success through the years," said Teresa Earnhardt, president and CEO of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. "This long-term renewal reaffirms the strong relationship that Snap-on and DEI enjoy. We look forward to our continued partnership with Snap-on and its quality tools."
"Snap-on Tools has been a part of the DEI family since my father began racing," said Dale Earnhardt, Jr. "Their products have been in our shops for decades and we rely on them to help us win races. They've been a solid partner through the years, and it's great we can continue working with them well into the future."
DEI is currently comprised of four teams – the No. 1 Bass Pro Shops, No. 8 Budweiser and the No. 15 Menard's Chevrolet teams which compete in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. They also field the No. 11 Menard's Chevrolet in the NASCAR Busch Series.
In 2005, DEI celebrated 25 years of intimidation with its 100th NASCAR win (No 8 Busch Series win at Indianapolis Raceway Park). Through 2005, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has won 16 Nextel Cup Series in DEI-built racecars. Dale Jr. was named NASCAR's Most Popular Driver for the third consecutive year, making him one of only four drivers to win the award that many years in-a-row.
DEI's Busch Series program is coming off a banner season repeating as the NASCAR Busch Series Champion for the second consecutive year with Martin Truex, Jr. He also qualified for all seven Nextel Cup races he attempted in 2005 with DEI equipment. Menard, the team's Busch Series regular in 2006, is on the edge of racing greatness, winning a Bud Pole Award at Talladega Superspeedway last year en route to earning six top-fives and 15 top-10 finishes to finish sixth in points.
"While DEI racing is synonymous with winning, so is Snap-on with innovation," said Al Biland, president of Snap-on Tools. "Our partnership with Dale Earnhardt, Inc. has been part of both organizations' storied traditions and is something we're proud to associate ourselves with into the future."
For almost its entire history, Snap-on has been involved in racing and using its experience at the track to develop innovative new products for the vehicle service industry. In fact, some of the most innovative automotive systems were created at racetracks – disc brakes, hydraulic shock absorbers, turbo-chargers, fuel injection – and, consequently, so were the Snap-on professional tools used to service those systems.
"In our 85 years, Snap-on has consistently supported racers and their teams; the DEI racing teams are some of the most important to us," said Carl Johanson, Snap-on Tools' motorsports marketing manager. "We show pride in our teams and our commitment to build the highest quality tools acting as a total-solutions provider for professional technicians and racing teams."
Snap-on franchisees build relationships and distribute products directly to technicians via the Snap-on van, which has remained an icon for the company since the mid 1940s. In addition, products are sold directly to consumers via snapon.com.
Snap-on Tools Company, LLC is a subsidiary of Snap-on Incorporated, a leading global developer, manufacturer and marketer of tool and equipment solutions for professional tool users. Product lines include hand and power tools, diagnostics and shop equipment, tool storage products, diagnostics software and other solutions for the transportation service, industrial, government, education, agricultural, and other commercial applications, including construction and electrical. Products are sold through its franchised dealer van, company-direct sales and distributor channels, as well as over the Internet at snapon.com. Founded in 1920, Snap-on is a $2.4 billion, S&P 500 company headquartered in Kenosha, Wis., and employs approximately 11,300 people worldwide.
Dale Earnhardt, Inc. is based in Mooresville, NC and was founded in 1980 by Dale and Teresa Earnhardt. DEI's on-track performance in recent years is unmatched. The team has amassed 100 wins, including three Daytona 500 victories, four NASCAR Busch Series championships and two NASCAR Truck Series championships.
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It's A Baby Girl For MRN Reporter And MB2 Motorsports CEO/GM Danielle & Jay Frye: Danielle Frye, MRN reporter and wife of MB2 Motorsports CEO and general manager Jay Frye, gave birth today (March 8) to daughter Emerson Daye at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. Emerson weighed in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 19.5 inches long. Emerson joins 2-year-old sister Addison Rece in the Frye household. - DMF Communications ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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ESPN following Kurt Busch: Kurt Busch will take an ESPN film crew around his hometown of Las Vegas this week. "It won't be what you might think," says ESPN feature producer, Jeremy Louwerse. "You probably won't see a single clip of The Strip or what Las Vegas is most famous for. Our intent is to go back and take a look at Kurt's roots - the neighborhood where the 2004 NASCAR champ grew up, his high school, his favorite fast food joint - all the local color he experienced growing up in Las Vegas before making it big time in racing." The feature is set to first air on Friday morning's popular ESPN2 program, Cold Pizza. The two-hour, weekday morning show airs live from New York City between 10 a.m. -12 noon. The program is hosted by Jay Crawford and Dana Jacobson.(Tom Roberts PR)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR OK with Roush's 6th team: Jack Roush says he had no problems asking NASCAR for a part-time sixth team to run Todd Kluever [#06 3M Ford] in seven races in 2006 in preparation for his rookie season in 2007. When NASCAR announced its four-car cap for every owner last November, NASCAR President Mike Helton indicated an owner could field a fifth part-time car for a rookie. Roush has five full-time teams, and NASCAR has said it would not force him to break any contracts to get down to four. Roush didn't have to lobby for approval for the extra races for Kluever, since NASCAR had already indicated that a part-time rookie would not count against the cap. "Our five cars are OK for the time being, and with Todd being a rookie deal, we got the same considerations [others would]," Roush says. "They offered me to start with that I was good if I needed to do that."(SceneDaily.com)
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Fisher may run Indy 500: Sarah Fisher, the first female racer to win an Indy-car pole position and the IRL's most popular driver from 2000-2003 who was basically abandoned by the series, is supposedly also in line to get an Indy drive in May. "I'm still working on a Busch East ride with Richard Childress for this season but the month of May is open," replied Fisher with a chuckle when asked about the rumor. "I don't know at this point because I haven't had any conversations with any teams. But if the right opportunity came along, sure I'd love to run Indy again and I hope it happens."(Speed Channel) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NASCAR schedule changing? A new television package and concerns over attendance and TV ratings for some events could lead to a change in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series schedule, with changes coming as early as 2007, some in the sport believe.
NASCAR typically doesn't begin the process of signing sanctioning agreements and putting its schedule together for the following year until it has visited tracks on the current schedule. However, with a new eight-year agreement that includes Fox, Speed, TNT and ABC/ESPN partners beginning in 2007, NASCAR may consider shuffling some dates to improve both ratings and attendance figures.
"I haven't heard anything yet," car owner Richard Childress said March 4, "but I wouldn't be surprised.
"I think with the new TV package, you better be prepared for what may have to happen. I think that [the TV package] will dictate not only the time of the race [on the schedule] but where we may even go as well."
The season-opening Daytona 500, which was broadcast on NBC, pulled in 37.2 million viewers and a record 11.3 household rating according to the network, making it the highest-rated NASCAR event in the sport's history. The following week's race in Fontana, Calif., however, registered a 7.4 rating, down from a 7.9 rating the previous year.
Attendance for the California race, as well, appeared to be down.
For more in-depth coverage, see the March 9 issue of NASCAR Scene
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Atlanta disputes Sabates claim NASCAR Scene
The president of the Central Atlanta Progress sent a letter Wednesday to NASCAR team co-owner Felix Sabates disputing comments Sabates made about the city in reference to why Charlotte got the NASCAR Hall of Fame over Atlanta.
Sabates insinuated that Atlanta was not safe at night and that he wouldn't want his wife and kids walking the streets near the proposed site of the hall of fame in downtown Atlanta.
"Think about this, would you want to go to Atlanta at 8 o'clock at night and walk around downtown Atlanta by yourself?" Sabates said March 4. "No. And that's what I told Mike Helton one day, or Brian, 'Would you want to take your wife, and your kid and walk on the streets, park two blocks away and walk to the hall of fame in Atlanta? He said, 'Why?' I said, 'Just try it one time and see what you think.'"
The letter detailed that only 5 percent of downtown Atlanta's total crime was violent crime, and crime has decreased over the last three years. Downtown Atlanta has almost half of the city's population and only 8 percent of its overall crime, said Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson.
"The inaccuracy of your comment about crime in Downtown Atlanta was met with great concern in our Downtown community, and thus I wanted to provide you with actual facts that present the reality rather than perception," Robinson wrote in his letter to Sabates.
Robinson spearheaded the Atlanta bid for the Central Atlanta Progress. Charlotte was awarded the hall of fame on Monday.
"Mr. Sabates' off-handed comment impacts an existing tourist industry that goes far beyond any level of discussion about the hall of fame," Robinson said in a statement. "Tourism and hospitality is our city's second largest industry, and that's very serious in our book. There's an old adage, 'Never mess with how someone makes a living.' Sabates has done just that by spreading false rumor that impacts one of our largest industries, and one that we continue to carefully grow and nurture."
Atlanta hosts an estimated 2.8 million conventioneers annually. The new Georgia Aquarium has hosted 1 million visitors in its first three months of operation.
"Charlotte was an admirable and honorable competitor throughout the bid process," Robinson said. "It's a shame that one of their highest profile executives had to end the competition by taking cheap shots that were inaccurate and completely out of line."
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Air Force to Fly NASCAR Stars at Las Vegas: Kenny Schrader and Jon Wood will receive U.S. Air Force fighter orientation flights at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada on Thursday March 9. Schrader, current driver of the NEXTEL Cup #21 Wood Brothers Racing Team, will fly with the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, Thunderbirds. Wood, this year's Busch series #47 driver for JTG Racing, will fly with the 57th Wing.(Air Force PR)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ward Receives State Conservation Award: The A. Willis Robertson Award was first established in the year 2000 and is awarded annually to the Virginia citizen who has exercised outstanding conservation practices on his/her own land or who has made significant contributions to conservation activities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. This year’s recipient was Ward Burton, 2002 Daytona Winner and Halifax County conservationist. The award was granted by the state biologist professional organization, known as the Wildlife Society, Virginia Chapter. Its members are 10,000 strong nationally. Ward Burton is the founder and President of the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. See full story at wardburton.com.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Higgins' Scuffs
Driver Herb Thomas (left) poses after a win with
Smokey Yunick in 1956.
A pitch for NASCAR's pioneers
By TOM HIGGINS
ThatsRacin.com Contributor
So it's settled.
The NASCAR Hall Of Fame has been won by Charlotte, which is as it should be.
For decades the true heart of the sport has been the Queen City and the surrounding area, particularly Mooresville, where many teams are based and drivers make their homes on the shores of Lake Norman.
Now the intrigue shifts from the locale of the multimillion-dollar hall to who will be chosen for the inaugural class of inductees.
There's no doubt about some who'll be selected for the honor:
Big Bill France Sr., the NASCAR founder. Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, both seven-time champions. David Pearson, whose 105 victories are second only to Petty's 200. Junior Johnson, who won 50 races as a driver and 136 more as a team owner who once captured six championships in a 10-year span.
Who else should be among the first enshrined?
Dozens are deserving of eventual induction into the hall that's scheduled to open in about three years in downtown Charlotte.
Although no eligibility rules or selection format have been announced, permit me to make a pitch for the sport's pioneers to make up the bulk of the inaugural group of inductees.
Without them, who knows if stock car racing would have become a billion-dollar business that's now followed by fans worldwide.
Charter membership in the hall should go to Herb Thomas, Buck Baker, Tim Flock and Lee Petty, the biggest stars of the 1950s.
All won multiple championships in that decade. The colorful Curtis Turner is another possibility.
Thomas, especially, deserves early induction. Through the years Baker, Flock and Lee Petty have become more familiar to modern-era fans, but Thomas was the sport's first big star.
A North Carolina farmboy who worked at a sawmill during World War II, Thomas was in the field for NASCAR's first "Strictly Stock" race in Charlotte in 1949. He won his first race in 1950 and in '51 was the series champion.
Thomas' racing career continued to only 1956, when serious injuries in a crash forced him from the cockpit. But in his relatively brief time at the wheel he posted 48 victories overall, including three triumphs in the sport's toughest event, the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
He also won the championship again in 1953 and was runnerup in the point standings three times.
Drivers from the 1960s deserving of membership in the hall include Ned Jarrett, Fireball Roberts, Rex White, Fred Lorenzen, Joe Weatherly and Jim Paschal.
Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison lead the 1970s contingent that also includes Bobby Isaac, Benny Parsons and Buddy Baker.
Top candidates for the hall from the 1980s are Darrell Waltrip, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace.
All these drivers I've mentioned undoubtedly will be inducted into the Charlotte hall at some point, along with such current stars as Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Dale Jarrett, Bobby and Terry Labonte, recent retiree Ricky Rudd and the late Davey Allison.
Great crew chiefs such as Dale Inman, Leonard Wood and Smokey Yunick deserve eventual induction, too, along with team owners like Bud Moore, Glen Wood and Rick Hendrick, plus track founders Bruton Smith and Harold Brasington.
But along with NASCAR founder France, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, David Pearson and Junior Johnson, it's my hope that pioneers such as Herb Thomas and his peers are remembered and honored first.
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NASCAR needs rule to limit Nextel drivers in Busch
By MIKE FINNEY
The News Journal
NASCAR's Busch Series is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season.
But one has to wonder if there will be many more years left to celebrate for the Busch circuit, which has served as the top developmental league for the Nextel Cup Series for the past quarter century.
Nowadays, the Busch Series has very little of its own identity and its races are inundated by Nextel Cup stars on a weekly basis. These drivers, known as Buschwhackers, used to just show up occasionally and win a couple of races while taking the money and running.
NASCAR needs to pass a rule that limits the amount of times a Nextel Cup driver can compete in a Busch Series race, which should fall between five and seven races a season.
If NASCAR does not do this, it will merely choke the development of its very future by counting the money made by the ticket sales of today.
Brian France, NASCAR's chairman, likes to point out the stories of the underdogs, such as Alan Kulwicki, who won the 1992 Cup championship on a limited budget.
"That's exactly what NASCAR was built on: somebody with ingenuity, determination and talent against some tall odds," France said. "I always go back to Alan Kulwicki. I think that was one of the best NASCAR stories ever because of what he accomplished, winning the championship on a third of the budget that those guys had at the time.
"He was a car owner himself. At that point, that was very rare. He came from Wisconsin. He had an engineering background. In that day, all those circumstances ... that's what NASCAR is all about."
The trouble is, if a Busch Series driver is not a part of a development contract with a NASCAR mega-team such as Roush Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., or Hendrick Motorsports, he or she is probably out of luck.
Kertus Davis qualified for all but five of the Busch races last year driving for a team owned by his family. Now, they will have to close their doors due to the difficulty of just qualifying for a race since so many Nextel Cup drivers are competing.
So, even though NASCAR insists it needs underdog heroes such as a Kirk Shelmerdine or a Davis, it is doing very little to help them stay afloat.
Now there are seven Nextel Cup regulars who plan to compete in all 35 of the Busch races this season -- including Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.
Nextel Cup rookie contenders Denny Hamlin, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley and Clint Bowyer also will attempt the Nextel Cup-Busch Series double in an effort to get more seat time and accelerate their learning curves.
"For the most part, running both series is all about gaining experience with seat time," said Sorenson. "I still have a lot to learn, and I believe running in both series will help shorten the learning curve and keep me focused. It's going to be an extremely busy year, but I'm looking forward to the challenge."
It all leaves very little room for young drivers and smaller teams to gain a foothold in NASCAR in the Busch Series.
It is a problem that gets a little bit worse every year.
Last season, Nextel Cup regulars combined to win 23 of the 35 Busch races. That left 12 wins for the Busch drivers, and Martin Truex Jr. claimed half of them in a car fielded by Dale Earnhardt Inc.
It all came to a head at California Speedway two weeks ago, when the top 11 finishers in the Busch race were all Nextel Cup regulars.
Bowyer, just getting his rookie season kicked off in Nextel Cup, has no problem with NASCAR's biggest stars racing in the Busch Series.
"Every year, we're seeing more and more [Nextel] Cup drivers drive in these Busch races to get more experience," Bowyer said. "What that's done is given us experience racing against those guys and a chance to earn their respect.
"Now, when we get over on the other side of the fence, on their ball field, I think for the most part I've gained some of their respect, and hopefully I can keep it."
The reasons the Nextel Cup drivers have taken to racing in the Busch Series is simple -- it gives them extra time on the race track each weekend, allowing them to test tires, shock absorbers, springs and setups in the Busch race before the main Nextel Cup race.
Believe me, they are not out there taking notes as to who the up-and-coming Busch drivers are. They are out there trying to improve their odds for Sunday.
The time has come to whack them from the Busch races.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By MIKE FINNEY
The News Journal
NASCAR's Busch Series is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season.
But one has to wonder if there will be many more years left to celebrate for the Busch circuit, which has served as the top developmental league for the Nextel Cup Series for the past quarter century.
Nowadays, the Busch Series has very little of its own identity and its races are inundated by Nextel Cup stars on a weekly basis. These drivers, known as Buschwhackers, used to just show up occasionally and win a couple of races while taking the money and running.
NASCAR needs to pass a rule that limits the amount of times a Nextel Cup driver can compete in a Busch Series race, which should fall between five and seven races a season.
If NASCAR does not do this, it will merely choke the development of its very future by counting the money made by the ticket sales of today.
Brian France, NASCAR's chairman, likes to point out the stories of the underdogs, such as Alan Kulwicki, who won the 1992 Cup championship on a limited budget.
"That's exactly what NASCAR was built on: somebody with ingenuity, determination and talent against some tall odds," France said. "I always go back to Alan Kulwicki. I think that was one of the best NASCAR stories ever because of what he accomplished, winning the championship on a third of the budget that those guys had at the time.
"He was a car owner himself. At that point, that was very rare. He came from Wisconsin. He had an engineering background. In that day, all those circumstances ... that's what NASCAR is all about."
The trouble is, if a Busch Series driver is not a part of a development contract with a NASCAR mega-team such as Roush Racing, Dale Earnhardt Inc., or Hendrick Motorsports, he or she is probably out of luck.
Kertus Davis qualified for all but five of the Busch races last year driving for a team owned by his family. Now, they will have to close their doors due to the difficulty of just qualifying for a race since so many Nextel Cup drivers are competing.
So, even though NASCAR insists it needs underdog heroes such as a Kirk Shelmerdine or a Davis, it is doing very little to help them stay afloat.
Now there are seven Nextel Cup regulars who plan to compete in all 35 of the Busch races this season -- including Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.
Nextel Cup rookie contenders Denny Hamlin, Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley and Clint Bowyer also will attempt the Nextel Cup-Busch Series double in an effort to get more seat time and accelerate their learning curves.
"For the most part, running both series is all about gaining experience with seat time," said Sorenson. "I still have a lot to learn, and I believe running in both series will help shorten the learning curve and keep me focused. It's going to be an extremely busy year, but I'm looking forward to the challenge."
It all leaves very little room for young drivers and smaller teams to gain a foothold in NASCAR in the Busch Series.
It is a problem that gets a little bit worse every year.
Last season, Nextel Cup regulars combined to win 23 of the 35 Busch races. That left 12 wins for the Busch drivers, and Martin Truex Jr. claimed half of them in a car fielded by Dale Earnhardt Inc.
It all came to a head at California Speedway two weeks ago, when the top 11 finishers in the Busch race were all Nextel Cup regulars.
Bowyer, just getting his rookie season kicked off in Nextel Cup, has no problem with NASCAR's biggest stars racing in the Busch Series.
"Every year, we're seeing more and more [Nextel] Cup drivers drive in these Busch races to get more experience," Bowyer said. "What that's done is given us experience racing against those guys and a chance to earn their respect.
"Now, when we get over on the other side of the fence, on their ball field, I think for the most part I've gained some of their respect, and hopefully I can keep it."
The reasons the Nextel Cup drivers have taken to racing in the Busch Series is simple -- it gives them extra time on the race track each weekend, allowing them to test tires, shock absorbers, springs and setups in the Busch race before the main Nextel Cup race.
Believe me, they are not out there taking notes as to who the up-and-coming Busch drivers are. They are out there trying to improve their odds for Sunday.
The time has come to whack them from the Busch races.
Shadow attached to Johnson
Crew chief's cheating suspension puts cloud on team
By MIKE FINNEY
The News Journal
Jimmie Johnson has only completed 1,000 miles and two races so far this Nextel Cup season.
However, with crew chief and close friend Chad Knaus suspended by NASCAR for the first four races of the year, it seems like the road has already been about six months long to Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team.
Johnson earned his first victory in the season-opening Daytona 500, then backed that up with a second-place finish at California.
Even though Johnson enters Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 39-point lead over Matt Kenseth in the standings, the stigma of cheating still follows his race team around.
"It's just disappointing," fellow driver Ryan Newman said after Daytona. "I mean, I think a lot of Jimmie Johnson and his talent and stuff, but I'm pretty sure at least three out of his last four wins -- if not three out of his last three -- have had conflictions with the cars being illegal.
"You know, it's not necessarily good for the sport."
Johnson thinks other drivers such as Newman should be the last ones pointing fingers. He thinks Newman should check his facts more closely before spouting off.
"With Ryan mentioning how my wins were tainted, look at the Las Vegas win [last March] where we had a car that had some issues in tech and a few days later the ruling was overturned -- which never happens in our sport," Johnson said. "But now we have a black cloud follow us.
"Then we go to the Dover race [last September], pass inspection, but [NASCAR] says, 'You guys designed some really great shocks in the back of your car, we're not going to allow them any more, we're going to make a rule against this type of shock.' Then that is spun in a negative way."
The calendar has turned to 2006, but Johnson's team is still finding itself in trouble. His Chevrolet was found to have an illegal rear window during post-race qualifying inspection for this year's Daytona 500, costing Knaus $25,000 and putting him on the sideline until March 22.
Johnson then defied the odds and went on to win the Daytona 500 with Knaus back home in Mooresville, N.C. -- prompting Johnson to dedicate the victory "to all the haters of the No. 48 team."
Chip Ganassi, a rival car owner, kept on hating.
"They ought to throw cheaters out," Ganassi said. "If I have to get to the front by being outside the rules, I'm not interested. That's always the excuse. They say, 'There's no rule written for that.'
"Well, there were not a lot of rules written in the Ten Commandments, either, but I think everybody sort of understood the gist of them and what they meant. Every time I turn around, that [No.] 48 car gets caught cheating."
It is all just a part of pushing the envelope, which Knaus says is a part of a long NASCAR tradition in pursuit of victories. However, Knaus does not want to be labeled as a cheater.
"I've developed a reputation of being a person who goes out there and gets everything that he can," Knaus said. "Good, bad, or indifferent, some people like it and some people don't.
"Hopefully, if I can get out of here and time is served and we go on to win this championship and everybody realizes it without any issues, then hopefully that image will change."
For know, Johnson will push on with Darian Grubb as his interim crew chief.
They are doing a pretty good job in their first two races together, with an average finish of 1.5.
Johnson is taking the first four races of this season without Knaus as a personal challenge.
"Hey, we're at a disadvantage, but let's make the most of it," Johnson said. "We all have the ability to win, so let's tap into that, work hard, and make it happen."
And then, hopefully, pass inspection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Crew chief's cheating suspension puts cloud on team
By MIKE FINNEY
The News Journal
Jimmie Johnson has only completed 1,000 miles and two races so far this Nextel Cup season.
However, with crew chief and close friend Chad Knaus suspended by NASCAR for the first four races of the year, it seems like the road has already been about six months long to Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team.
Johnson earned his first victory in the season-opening Daytona 500, then backed that up with a second-place finish at California.
Even though Johnson enters Sunday's UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with a 39-point lead over Matt Kenseth in the standings, the stigma of cheating still follows his race team around.
"It's just disappointing," fellow driver Ryan Newman said after Daytona. "I mean, I think a lot of Jimmie Johnson and his talent and stuff, but I'm pretty sure at least three out of his last four wins -- if not three out of his last three -- have had conflictions with the cars being illegal.
"You know, it's not necessarily good for the sport."
Johnson thinks other drivers such as Newman should be the last ones pointing fingers. He thinks Newman should check his facts more closely before spouting off.
"With Ryan mentioning how my wins were tainted, look at the Las Vegas win [last March] where we had a car that had some issues in tech and a few days later the ruling was overturned -- which never happens in our sport," Johnson said. "But now we have a black cloud follow us.
"Then we go to the Dover race [last September], pass inspection, but [NASCAR] says, 'You guys designed some really great shocks in the back of your car, we're not going to allow them any more, we're going to make a rule against this type of shock.' Then that is spun in a negative way."
The calendar has turned to 2006, but Johnson's team is still finding itself in trouble. His Chevrolet was found to have an illegal rear window during post-race qualifying inspection for this year's Daytona 500, costing Knaus $25,000 and putting him on the sideline until March 22.
Johnson then defied the odds and went on to win the Daytona 500 with Knaus back home in Mooresville, N.C. -- prompting Johnson to dedicate the victory "to all the haters of the No. 48 team."
Chip Ganassi, a rival car owner, kept on hating.
"They ought to throw cheaters out," Ganassi said. "If I have to get to the front by being outside the rules, I'm not interested. That's always the excuse. They say, 'There's no rule written for that.'
"Well, there were not a lot of rules written in the Ten Commandments, either, but I think everybody sort of understood the gist of them and what they meant. Every time I turn around, that [No.] 48 car gets caught cheating."
It is all just a part of pushing the envelope, which Knaus says is a part of a long NASCAR tradition in pursuit of victories. However, Knaus does not want to be labeled as a cheater.
"I've developed a reputation of being a person who goes out there and gets everything that he can," Knaus said. "Good, bad, or indifferent, some people like it and some people don't.
"Hopefully, if I can get out of here and time is served and we go on to win this championship and everybody realizes it without any issues, then hopefully that image will change."
For know, Johnson will push on with Darian Grubb as his interim crew chief.
They are doing a pretty good job in their first two races together, with an average finish of 1.5.
Johnson is taking the first four races of this season without Knaus as a personal challenge.
"Hey, we're at a disadvantage, but let's make the most of it," Johnson said. "We all have the ability to win, so let's tap into that, work hard, and make it happen."
And then, hopefully, pass inspection.
It's All In Who You're Rooting For -- the Readers Speak
Racing, not surprisingly, is like any other sport. The "call" is judged by being either good or bad, depending on who you're rooting for. It doesn't get any simpler than that. A close play at second if your team is at bat, then the runner is safe. If your team is in the field then, of course, the guy is out. Simple!
Watch the players when a basketball gets knocked out of bounds. The guys wearing white uniforms point one way while at the same time the guys in the black jerseys are pointing the other. Just once I'd like to see a guy in white pointing the same way as the guys in black because he knew he knocked the ball out of bounds. That, of course, isn't going to happen.
With that in mind, here's some of the fan mail I received after my piece on Chad Knaus and the 48 team not losing points last week.
Steve wrote in response to my comment about adjusting the car "after" tech. I, in fact, knew they went across the scales after the heights were checked. Is it time NASCAR changed that order?
He wrote, "I understand where you are coming from with the Chad Knaus ruling but I know how the procedure goes before qualifying inspection. I am in no way bashing or ripping your column."
"First, the cars have their engines checked out, like for carb and air filter container. Then the next step in the room of doom is the templates for the body of the car. So the officials put the template on the rear window and saw no problem because at that point in time the rear window was at the correct height.
"The next stop in the inspection room is ride height. They look at front valence height and spoiler angle. After that is complete the final step is rolling up onto the scales to weigh the car. This is where Chad made his move, and I believe this is quite clever." (I'm guessing a 48 lover or at least not a hater.)
"The officials allow you typically two minutes at the scales for adjustments, which is very common. So when the car rolled on the scales and the percents of weight were not what either Chad or NASCAR wanted, he would put the wedge wrench in the rear window to change the amount of weight on that side of the car. So probably a crew member or Chad took a round or two of wedge out of the car.
"There is a piece of fabricated aluminum that is on the under side of the window that guides the wedge wrench to the bolt used to adjust the wedge, and usually (I'm guessing NEVER) they are mounted to the window but are not attached to the rear spring bolt. But this time it was. (And why was it -- I ask?) So when the round of wedge was taken out it proceeded to lift the rear window. You would only be able to notice it if you were to look at the sides of the window and see the black silicone, used to seal the Lexan window to the sheet metal cracking.
"I give Chad all of the credit in the world, because if you are not cheating you are not going to win. The teams that routinely finish in the top 20 are cheating in some way but the are not getting caught."
Terri wrote, "Adjustments during/after tech? Duh! Have you not paid any attention? The templates were put on the 48 car in tech, and then they were allowed to adjust the wedge, which is perfectly legal in that phase of tech inspection. So please don't make any insinuating statement until you've checked out your facts. True NASCAR fans, whether 48 fans or not, make it a point to know what the facts are." He said "insinuating" -- so he wasn't cheating?
Terri and I exchanged a couple of e-mails after this first one and after later accusing me of, among other things, "throwing Chad under the bus" and telling me Chad hasn't been "cheating" all seven times he's been fined and telling me I should be mad at NASCAR and not the 48. I told him it's hard not to talk about NASCAR's goofy way of either taking or not taking points without talking about Knaus and the 48 team. After a few e-mails we have decided to agree to disagree.
Tonya wrote, "Thanks for being an honest reporter! I have forwarded your article to all the NASCAR fans I know!"
Danny wrote, "Regarding your article 'The more they explain it the less I understand'. Great article! That was a well-written story. You showed how 'subjective' NASCAR officials tend to be."
Billy says, "If you thought what Chad did was cheating you know nothing about racing and you should cover the dog shows." I wrote back, "NASCAR kicked him out of Daytona and then the next three races because he WASN'T cheating???" I'm guessing Billy's having computer troubles because he never wrote back.
Mike wrote, "You were right on the money in your 'I must be dense' article. I agree with every point you have made. Everyone that I know does as well. Thank you for saying what needs to be said."
Scott tells me, "You Hendrick/Chevy haters are all the same. Twist the facts so Jimmy and his team look bad. Chad was 'bending' the rule so why would they take 25 points. NASCAR never used the word CHEATING so why do you and a bunch of other reporters have to say cheating?"
I asked Scott if Chad was removed from Daytona and since suspended for another three races because he was that week's lucky raffle winner? And if it was a Jack Roush Ford would they be CHEATING or bending the rules? He was quite vague when he wrote back "NASCAR was trying to prove a point." I asked what point and what about Roush and he never wrote back.
Ken wrote, "You have asked the six million dollar question. I have more or less quit following NASCAR for the very reason you so aptly pointed out. There is no consistency of enforcement and the rule book is rubber. As long as the product sells they'll leave it the way it is. Another columnist has suggested that if you get caught 'cheating' you go onto the hauler and go home. His comment is that it will only take one or two instances of this and bending the rules will end quickly. Great Article!!!"
Todd has an interesting idea. He says, "Don't send Knaus home. For the next six weeks make him the crew chief for the team with the slowest time trials that still makes the race in each of those races and don't allow him anywhere near the 48."
NASCAR Hall Of Fame: NASCAR earlier this week announced that Charlotte, NC will be the home of its Hall of Fame. The building will be located in Charlotte's Center City and will be developed, designed, and operated by the City of Charlotte and the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. The total cost is estimated at $107.5 million. They are to have it up and running no later than spring of 2010.
Charlotte is the hub of the NASCAR industry. Currently 82 percent of Cup teams, 72 percent of Busch Series teams and 55 percent of Craftsman Truck teams are based in the Charlotte region. The industry's current annual statewide economic impact is estimated to be $5 billion.
Team owner Felix Sabates said NASCAR made the right decision. "The most important factor was all the drivers are there," said Sabates, who along with Rick Hendrick, led Charlotte's effort. Dale Earnhardt Jr. went to NASCAR to argue on Charlotte's behalf. He's reported to have told them if they call him to come do something he'd get in his car and go to downtown, but he wouldn't be going to Atlanta. Sabates said. "That had a lot of influence on the decision." Atlanta and Daytona were also in the running.
Quote Of The Week: Kyle Busch was involved in another on-track incident. This time it was in the Busch race last Sunday. It looked to me like a "racing" deal, two drivers fighting hard for the same pavement. He and Michel Jourdain Jr. both ended up spinning (they were racing for the lead) and it ended Jourdain's day. The race was in Mexico and Jourdain was a crowd favorite. The crowd showed Busch their displeasure.
Jourdain's day was over and after pitting and restarting 34th Busch finished seventh. Like I said it looked to be no one's fault. Busch could've/should've lifted but it appeared Jourdain chopped the 5.
After climbing from his car Busch was asked about the spin and he said, "I'm sure there were a few bad words out there. It's all good. I get it everywhere I go, so it doesn't much matter to me, it doesn't much bother me." ... And he wonders why so many fans dislike him.
Loose Lug Nuts: Will someone please tell Brian France to stop saying NASCAR has 75 million fans? He used that wildly inflated number again at the Hall of Fame announcement.
It's my understanding, that if you've heard of Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty by NASCAR's standards you're considered a NASCAR fan. It doesn't matter that you don't know the Daytona 500 is 500 miles and not 500 laps on a half-mile track.
Thirty-seven million watched the Daytona 500 on TV. Were the other MORE THAN HALF of NASCAR's fans out of the country? In countries without TV's in fact.
• I believe I've asked this before but I still don't know. Why is it in NASCAR the guy (or guys) who bring out the yellow don't restart in the rear?
In the Busch race last weekend Kyle Busch and Michel Jourdain Jr. got together while leading, with them both spinning. The yellow came out as Busch was spinning completely around and he got to restart in sixth. Remember the field gets "frozen" when the yellow comes out. He did pit and restarted in back, but only because he pitted.
For as long as I've been going to the races the guys who start the wreck and are involved in the wreck restart in the rear. Why not in NASCAR?
• Not that I care, but there are some "car" fans out there who root for certain car brands. Did you know when Matt Kenseth won two weeks ago in a Ford it was the seventh different make of Ford to win? He was driving a Fusion. The other models are the Taurus, Thunderbird, Torino, Galaxie, Fairlane and the original Ford.
Vegas Quickies: Twelve drivers have competed in every Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That number will drop by two because of Ricky Rudd and Rusty Wallace.
• No driver qualifying in the top five has ever won a Cup race there. Mark Martin won from seventh in 1998.
• Jack Roush Racing has wins with three different drivers: Martin, Jeff Burton and Matt Kenseth.
• Rookies have qualified on the front row in three of the last six races. They are Scott Pruett in 2000, Ryan Newman in 2002 and Kasey Kahne in 2004.
• The record for most rookies in the starting field is six back in 2000. This year there'll be at least seven with provisionals. They are Reed Sorenson, J.J. Yeley, Martin Truex Jr., Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Brent Sherman, and David Stremme.
• Joe Nemechek is the only driver who has started every Cup and Busch race at LVMS.
• Jeff Burton (2000) is the only driver to sweep both the Cup and Busch races there.
• Following this race, LVMS will raise the banking in the turns from 12 degrees to 20 degrees.
We Have Lost Jim Clothey: Jim Clothey, 60, from Whitefield, NH, passed away March 1. For the past 15 years his voice could be heard on Littleton, NH's radio station WLTN.
Those of us in racing fondly remember him as the announcer at Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH. Jim's career as a broadcaster encompassed areas of auto racing and motocross, radio stations and some television announcing. At a young age, Jim worked alongside Ken Squier, announcing at race tracks including Thunder Road, Catamount and Airborne Speedway. He began broadcasting on radio at WDOT, then a popular radio station in Burlington. He also worked at WSKI radio in Montpelier.
I remember back in 1986 when Jim came over to my car on the day of the car show in 1986. We talked about my Dad Jerry and brother Bob and he thought it was neat that I was going to give driving a try.
After that he asked about my race car. He jotted down a few notes as we spoke but I didn't give it a lot of thought until later in the day when I got to the "pit stop" (the pull off by Miles Pond where a bunch of us stopped on the way back home). Someone came up to me there and asked if I was good friends of the announcer and I said I know him a little -- why?
He said it sounded like Jim had spent the winter in my garage. He told the crowd Fred Priest built the car and I had bought it from Fred Bugbee who was going to race it but changed his mind. He also knew Bobby Shores decided to go with a straight six 250 instead of a V-6. I chuckled and said that's Jim Clothey.
Jim was great at getting to know the drivers and their crews so he could keep the fans up to date with what was going on. He knew who built what car and what motor. Each week in the program he did a piece called "The Announcers Point Of View." He told it like it was and I felt honored the few times I got to read about myself.
Jim was born in St. Johnsbury 60 years ago and grew up in South Burlington. He helped his wife Terri set up her business -- A Different Path -- on Main Street in Littleton. The store sells a variety of Native American products, reaching to Terri's Eastern Abenaki heritage.
Grab your racing scrapbooks and head to the Littleton Elks (on Route 302) tomorrow night (March 10) from 6 p.m. on to celebrate the life of Jim Clothey with some of his great friends.
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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
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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.
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Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,Your
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants wins't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt Sr.
This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
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