I fell asleep during Sunday's race. Somewhere around the 3/4 mark my brain lost the video feed from Dover. Probably for just a few more minutes I absorbed the commentary from Mike, Larry and Darrell. That was enough to plant a seed for a dream.
In the dream those same guys were calling a race from a dumpy little short track somewhere next to nowhere. Their little press box had chicken wire in place of glass. Only Mike Joy had a microphone. One of those big, old fashioned ones. Larry MacReynolds was red in the face, screaming to be heard above the roar of .... nothing. The race hadn't started yet. And DW sat quietly, selling even-split tickets to fans lined up on the other side of the chicken wire.
Apparently I didn't miss much. I woke up in time to see Jimmie Johnson, in all his gloriously talented dullness, race his way back to the front. If Jimmie had cussed a little in years gone by, if he had been born of poor, working-class Southerners, if only he had something of the apparent arrogance of a Kyle Busch, if only he was half as flashy out of the car as he is in the car, the stock car racing world would take no notice of a certain son of a 7-time champion.
That Jimmie Johnson (and his crew chief and his team and his owner) is talented is obvious. Three times obvious. So he'll keep piling up the wins and stats and no doubt has already earned himself a place in the hall of fame. But 'colourful legend' he will never be.
From my side of the fence stock car racing is pure entertainment. Without a piece of the pie I could not care less about the financial aspects. I want a show. I want personalities. Real personalities. I want my villains. I want my heroes. I want my underdogs. I want my dark horses. I want my also-rans. I want my losers. I want my braggarts.
It isn't Jimmie Johnson's fault. Perhaps he consciously withholds his true self from public view as a means of keeping sane. Not a bad plan considering the scrutiny these fellows live with. But Muhammad Ali he isn't.
Legends are like pearls. They start with a grain of truth. And it's with a grain of salt that you must compare the heroes of yesteryear with the drivers of today. Time has a way of distorting truth. Were the old heroes better than today's lot?
I predict NASCAR is headed for a fall. Just as the stock market will crash and correct itself periodically so to will NASCAR. I pray we're nearing the end of the corporate racing era. Sanitized. Homogenized. It is only fitting that Jimmie Johnson shall represent this time.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
- George Orwell, 'Animal Farm'
Who is putting the pressure on NASCAR these days? Is it an external or internal force? Money makes the world go 'round and it'll make you or me or just about anyone else dance to whatever tune is being played at least most of the time. I'm not proud to admit that but there it is.
And so it is with the France family and those that have a financial stake in NASCAR. Racing at this level is obviously a big business. And business owners are keen to see their business not only continue but grow. Money is good. And more money is even better.
So is it from within that the NASCAR ownership is being pressured to make the decisions they make these days? Or is it the bigger owners? The sponsors? The cynical fan says it surely cannot be him. NASCAR is the ruler of the garage. Let there be no doubt of that and rightly so. But even the ownership of NASCAR is beholden to someone and to the something that those someones bring to the table.
My take on this is NASCAR has had a problem with rule breaking, rule bending, grey areas, etc from Day 1. With the huge amount of money on the line in the top tier, owner's money, sponsor's money, etc, it is understandable that the NASCAR ownership will take rules and the application of rules to the n-th degree. America is the land of lawsuits after all. So of course they will do everything in their power to keep all involved happy and not in the suing frame of mind. The stakes are too high now to risk being seen as biased or sloppy. Being seen as running a crooked game is not good for business.
So NASCAR must be seen to be the absolute authority. Every fair-minded race fan loves the idea of a true level playing field as well. Ideally it should come down to the skill of the driver, the team and the crew chief. Cheaters will be punished. Winners will never be doubted.
Alas, alas. If only the world was such a naive place. See my earlier money comment.
So what is NASCAR's ulterior motive here? Maybe this is NASCAR's way of dissuading the 'Start and Park' teams from showing up? This is NASCAR's new dress code. A Hendrick or a Roush has deep pockets (not that either wants to lose $200,000, mind you) and has the people in place to check the little things (the 0.0007" things) that can and obviously will bite you. The Carl Long's of the world, however, are trying to get into this party wearing brown lofers with a rented tux. You get the distinct impression they ain't welcome this year.
For a sport that has built itself up by the efforts and support of working class people and, up until recently perhaps, has billed itself as the working man's sport, the recent cold shoulder that NASCAR has shown, in my opinion at least, to its supposed core fan is just a shockingly bad business decision. It had something once, this sport. It was a certain hick-ish, common man charm. It set it apart. Perhaps it was all an illusion. Anyway, that didn't really matter so long as the racing was good. Whether it is true or not, the masses have decided the competition lately isn't up to par. But this Carl Long thing will not play well with the core. Doesn't it follow that a fan base made up of "little guys" will react negatively to seeing another "little guy" get his neck stomped on? I can't agree with those that say this is a simple matter of rule breaking being punished.
One quote that I've noticed being used to defend or justify NASCAR's decision this week to fine (cripple?) Carl Long's race team for exceeding the maximum allowable displacement for an engine used during this past "All-Star" weekend has been: "NASCAR has drawn a line and said 'Do not cross it'."
Fair enough. Setting aside conspiracy theories and looking at the incident from a strictly engineering point of view however, how thick is that line? The numbers I've been reading on the 'net (admittedly hardly a great bastion of truth..... ) are tiny. 0.0007" over in the bore of one cylinder and 0.0004" over in the stroke. Can I get a calibration certificate on that there ruler, Mr. France, sir? Is there such a thing as an allowance in these measurements? There is a bit of forgiveness in the pit road speed limit even and that is a safety issue which trumps a supposed performance enhancing issue.
I hope for Carl Long's sake that common sense will prevail in this matter. NASCAR, at least for now, is going with the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law. I'm not saying he should get off scot free but there must be some wiggle room in these rules. If Carl Long's penalty stands then surely Michael Waltrip's jet funny car attempt should have resulted in him being run out of town permanently. Where is the consistency here?
But I still smell a rat in so far as their motives are concerned. They felt they needed to send a message, a brutal, no-nonsense message, to both big team and small on the subject of rules infractions (and so too I suspect on the subject of drug use). In this silly, absurd case, they saw their chance to get the message across but not ruffle any big-time feathers. They squashed a little guy to get a point across. There is no way in hell that this same fine would be levied against a top team if all the facts were the same.
They slammed the door in the face of the small potatoes teams and warned the big boys with a big time wag of the finger.
I wonder if Jeremy and Carl have compared notes?
- George Orwell, 'Animal Farm'
Who is putting the pressure on NASCAR these days? Is it an external or internal force? Money makes the world go 'round and it'll make you or me or just about anyone else dance to whatever tune is being played at least most of the time. I'm not proud to admit that but there it is.
And so it is with the France family and those that have a financial stake in NASCAR. Racing at this level is obviously a big business. And business owners are keen to see their business not only continue but grow. Money is good. And more money is even better.
So is it from within that the NASCAR ownership is being pressured to make the decisions they make these days? Or is it the bigger owners? The sponsors? The cynical fan says it surely cannot be him. NASCAR is the ruler of the garage. Let there be no doubt of that and rightly so. But even the ownership of NASCAR is beholden to someone and to the something that those someones bring to the table.
My take on this is NASCAR has had a problem with rule breaking, rule bending, grey areas, etc from Day 1. With the huge amount of money on the line in the top tier, owner's money, sponsor's money, etc, it is understandable that the NASCAR ownership will take rules and the application of rules to the n-th degree. America is the land of lawsuits after all. So of course they will do everything in their power to keep all involved happy and not in the suing frame of mind. The stakes are too high now to risk being seen as biased or sloppy. Being seen as running a crooked game is not good for business.
So NASCAR must be seen to be the absolute authority. Every fair-minded race fan loves the idea of a true level playing field as well. Ideally it should come down to the skill of the driver, the team and the crew chief. Cheaters will be punished. Winners will never be doubted.
Alas, alas. If only the world was such a naive place. See my earlier money comment.
So what is NASCAR's ulterior motive here? Maybe this is NASCAR's way of dissuading the 'Start and Park' teams from showing up? This is NASCAR's new dress code. A Hendrick or a Roush has deep pockets (not that either wants to lose $200,000, mind you) and has the people in place to check the little things (the 0.0007" things) that can and obviously will bite you. The Carl Long's of the world, however, are trying to get into this party wearing brown lofers with a rented tux. You get the distinct impression they ain't welcome this year.
For a sport that has built itself up by the efforts and support of working class people and, up until recently perhaps, has billed itself as the working man's sport, the recent cold shoulder that NASCAR has shown, in my opinion at least, to its supposed core fan is just a shockingly bad business decision. It had something once, this sport. It was a certain hick-ish, common man charm. It set it apart. Perhaps it was all an illusion. Anyway, that didn't really matter so long as the racing was good. Whether it is true or not, the masses have decided the competition lately isn't up to par. But this Carl Long thing will not play well with the core. Doesn't it follow that a fan base made up of "little guys" will react negatively to seeing another "little guy" get his neck stomped on? I can't agree with those that say this is a simple matter of rule breaking being punished.
One quote that I've noticed being used to defend or justify NASCAR's decision this week to fine (cripple?) Carl Long's race team for exceeding the maximum allowable displacement for an engine used during this past "All-Star" weekend has been: "NASCAR has drawn a line and said 'Do not cross it'."
Fair enough. Setting aside conspiracy theories and looking at the incident from a strictly engineering point of view however, how thick is that line? The numbers I've been reading on the 'net (admittedly hardly a great bastion of truth..... ) are tiny. 0.0007" over in the bore of one cylinder and 0.0004" over in the stroke. Can I get a calibration certificate on that there ruler, Mr. France, sir? Is there such a thing as an allowance in these measurements? There is a bit of forgiveness in the pit road speed limit even and that is a safety issue which trumps a supposed performance enhancing issue.
I hope for Carl Long's sake that common sense will prevail in this matter. NASCAR, at least for now, is going with the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law. I'm not saying he should get off scot free but there must be some wiggle room in these rules. If Carl Long's penalty stands then surely Michael Waltrip's jet funny car attempt should have resulted in him being run out of town permanently. Where is the consistency here?
But I still smell a rat in so far as their motives are concerned. They felt they needed to send a message, a brutal, no-nonsense message, to both big team and small on the subject of rules infractions (and so too I suspect on the subject of drug use). In this silly, absurd case, they saw their chance to get the message across but not ruffle any big-time feathers. They squashed a little guy to get a point across. There is no way in hell that this same fine would be levied against a top team if all the facts were the same.
They slammed the door in the face of the small potatoes teams and warned the big boys with a big time wag of the finger.
I wonder if Jeremy and Carl have compared notes?
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
NASCAR Must Die
Forget all that I've been telling you. Re: last Saturday night's 'All-Star' race. Ordinarily I'd counsel the uninitiated that as it is suggested in upscale how-to sex books so it is in the NASCAR world. That is to say, more often than not is it worth the time to take the long way 'round.
Not so Saturday night. For this one night it is better to take that shortcut. Mortgage your future. Live in the moment. Be selfish, roll over and fall asleep. Tell me the butler did it. Fast forward to the good bits. Skip the main course and bring me dessert.
Four hours - 10 laps = a busy week ahead as I struggle to make up for lost time. I've said before that the actual excitement level of a NASCAR event relates inversely to the hyped, to-be-expected excitement level. And yet I dutifully sat through the evenings proceedings. Jeff Hammond's exhortion to "strap down your television sets" is the perfect example. I'm pretty sure you could have balanced your tv set (I love quaint references to bygone technology) on a wine glass, tied a cat and a dog together, and retired to the couch only turning the volume down slightly over those final ten laps without too much worry. It was the best infomercial I've seen all week.
Ad people have just stopped trying. Subtlety? Bah. Nuance? Please. Subliminal messaging at least!? NO!! The mantra the established advertising ilk teach their heartless spawn these days is to stuff it down our throats like you're taking the plunger to a clogged toilet. That nauseating image fits so well alongside the current sponsor saturation of present day NASCAR.
NASCAR as we have come to know it must die. If ever there was a case for assisted suicide, it is present-day big league stock car racing. I suspect we've find ourselves at the bedside of this morbidly obese, gluttonous, gaudy reflection of society after following a predictable path. An arc. A gently rising arc that everything must follow. A humble birth, rising from next to nothing to the highest of highs. A child destined for greatness. Strong legs to carry it far and wide, broad shoulders to bear an ever-increasing burden. But never more than a bastard child, bred of the seed of evil - money. From the high we must decline. All things must pass. And in these end days the pace quickens. This king has been overfed.
This bloated carcass that stretches out before us is only the shell of what once was and what was once great. Pass me the pillow. I'll do it myself.
And yet their are those that will allow this to drag out, clinging to some silly notion of a miracle. The die is cast.
Elvis. The Catholic Church. NASCAR. What the hell, I'm feeling cynical today: Western Society. Good things gone bad. I pray the end comes soon. The sooner we pull these rotten walls down, the sooner we can start to rebuild. If anybody needs me I'll be at my local track.
Not so Saturday night. For this one night it is better to take that shortcut. Mortgage your future. Live in the moment. Be selfish, roll over and fall asleep. Tell me the butler did it. Fast forward to the good bits. Skip the main course and bring me dessert.
Four hours - 10 laps = a busy week ahead as I struggle to make up for lost time. I've said before that the actual excitement level of a NASCAR event relates inversely to the hyped, to-be-expected excitement level. And yet I dutifully sat through the evenings proceedings. Jeff Hammond's exhortion to "strap down your television sets" is the perfect example. I'm pretty sure you could have balanced your tv set (I love quaint references to bygone technology) on a wine glass, tied a cat and a dog together, and retired to the couch only turning the volume down slightly over those final ten laps without too much worry. It was the best infomercial I've seen all week.
Ad people have just stopped trying. Subtlety? Bah. Nuance? Please. Subliminal messaging at least!? NO!! The mantra the established advertising ilk teach their heartless spawn these days is to stuff it down our throats like you're taking the plunger to a clogged toilet. That nauseating image fits so well alongside the current sponsor saturation of present day NASCAR.
NASCAR as we have come to know it must die. If ever there was a case for assisted suicide, it is present-day big league stock car racing. I suspect we've find ourselves at the bedside of this morbidly obese, gluttonous, gaudy reflection of society after following a predictable path. An arc. A gently rising arc that everything must follow. A humble birth, rising from next to nothing to the highest of highs. A child destined for greatness. Strong legs to carry it far and wide, broad shoulders to bear an ever-increasing burden. But never more than a bastard child, bred of the seed of evil - money. From the high we must decline. All things must pass. And in these end days the pace quickens. This king has been overfed.
This bloated carcass that stretches out before us is only the shell of what once was and what was once great. Pass me the pillow. I'll do it myself.
And yet their are those that will allow this to drag out, clinging to some silly notion of a miracle. The die is cast.
Elvis. The Catholic Church. NASCAR. What the hell, I'm feeling cynical today: Western Society. Good things gone bad. I pray the end comes soon. The sooner we pull these rotten walls down, the sooner we can start to rebuild. If anybody needs me I'll be at my local track.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Where Are Our Petty and Pearson?
There are, at best, the bare-bones makings of two rivalries in the Cup series this year. The first 'rivalry', and it's tenuous at best, is between Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. The Hendrick monster is running at full song now so I expect to see much more of what concluded the race on Sunday. Any racing series benefits from good rivalries but the thought of these two particular drivers and teams being the best NASCAR can produce doesn't exactly thrill me. (By "produce" I don't mean to imply that the fix is in.) I'll accept Rick Hendrick's statement that there are no team orders among his group. But I can't help but envision the struggle between these two teams playing itself out as a chess match rather than a bar fight. My tastes in stock car racing lean tend slightly toward the latter.
The most loved driver and the most hated driver come together in a lopsided fight in the other 'rivalry'. Unfortunately Dale Earnhardt Jr. has brought a knife, and a dull one at that, to a gun fight. His astronomical t-shirt sales numbers, his folksy good nature and his father's legacy are really no match for Kyle Busch's racing stats. Had the PR machine been cranked up before the season started and if Busch and Earnhardt were performing at a more equal level we'd be witnessing some incredible races.
For those Busch haters out there I counsel patience. Cocky driver after cocky driver has been tamed in this series over the years. No driver, not Earnhardt, not Waltrip, not Gordon nor even Petty, is bigger than the sport. While I'm unable to deny his driving skill I'm inclined to believe that to work with him would be a tremendous pain in the ass.
The most loved driver and the most hated driver come together in a lopsided fight in the other 'rivalry'. Unfortunately Dale Earnhardt Jr. has brought a knife, and a dull one at that, to a gun fight. His astronomical t-shirt sales numbers, his folksy good nature and his father's legacy are really no match for Kyle Busch's racing stats. Had the PR machine been cranked up before the season started and if Busch and Earnhardt were performing at a more equal level we'd be witnessing some incredible races.
For those Busch haters out there I counsel patience. Cocky driver after cocky driver has been tamed in this series over the years. No driver, not Earnhardt, not Waltrip, not Gordon nor even Petty, is bigger than the sport. While I'm unable to deny his driving skill I'm inclined to believe that to work with him would be a tremendous pain in the ass.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Oh oh...Gordon Is Winning Again...
And so the torch has officially been passed. The massed boos that used to rain down on Jeff Gordon (as well as half-empty beer cans) are now the sole possession of young Master Busch. Gordon (Wonderboy of yesteryear..... some nicknames don't age well) has suffered enough in the eyes of the NASCAR fan. He has served his sentence and paid his debt to society and now has been welcomed back into the fold. The winless streak is over. Let the smattering of applause begin.
There is something familiar about this story for it has played out before in the Cup series. Ol'DW gradually evolved from despised to an official Most Popular Driver during his racing career. (His close association with a certain animated rodent of late might be undoing some of that however.) Discounting the Elvis-like worship since his death, Dale Earnhardt Sr traveled a similar path.
The unofficial role of NASCAR's Most Despised Driver is now being played by Kyle Busch. While Gordon's only sin was winning and winning (too) often, Busch, while also filling that requirement, willingly accepts the mantle of Villain. And he seems to like it. NASCAR's answer to the Iron Sheik.
Don't expect to see Busch (younger) make the same mistake again that he made in Sunday's race. His little bumping fit only worsened his day. I think the same mechanism in his brain that remembers which racing lines don't work, allowing him to adjust accordingly, will come into play with regards to his ill-timed run-ins with other drivers. This fellow's desire to win will eventually trump all his other emotions and he'll at least become slicker in how he gets his point across to a fellow driver during a race.
Though you could have hung a sign that read "Caution - Wet Paint" on the Nationwide race on Saturday (read David Poole's comments on his blog) the Cup race on Sunday was actually pretty good by this season's standards. Though there was limited passing there were enough pit road goofs, on-track goofs, comers and goers and story lines to keep me awake and involved.
Quick-un's:
Carl Edwards:
Monday morning pit stop practice for this crew. Ouch.
Pit Road Mistakes:
Mistakes on pit road, by both driver and crew, have replaced mechanical failure as the unknown that lurks waiting to ruin a good day for a team. On the topic of pit road I second David Poole's comments lamenting the role pit stops have played in deciding races. Pit stops are important but the should not be a substitute for on-track action.
Ambrose Watch:
He was holding his own until another engine let go for this group. Still pulling for him.
Double file restarts:
Lead lap cars have to moved to the back of the pack for restarts. That inside line of cars is ruining the race for the lead. NASCAR needs any help they can get to improve racing at the head of the field. The Lucky Dog rule negates any need for a double-file lapped cars/lead lap cars restart.
There is something familiar about this story for it has played out before in the Cup series. Ol'DW gradually evolved from despised to an official Most Popular Driver during his racing career. (His close association with a certain animated rodent of late might be undoing some of that however.) Discounting the Elvis-like worship since his death, Dale Earnhardt Sr traveled a similar path.
The unofficial role of NASCAR's Most Despised Driver is now being played by Kyle Busch. While Gordon's only sin was winning and winning (too) often, Busch, while also filling that requirement, willingly accepts the mantle of Villain. And he seems to like it. NASCAR's answer to the Iron Sheik.
Don't expect to see Busch (younger) make the same mistake again that he made in Sunday's race. His little bumping fit only worsened his day. I think the same mechanism in his brain that remembers which racing lines don't work, allowing him to adjust accordingly, will come into play with regards to his ill-timed run-ins with other drivers. This fellow's desire to win will eventually trump all his other emotions and he'll at least become slicker in how he gets his point across to a fellow driver during a race.
Though you could have hung a sign that read "Caution - Wet Paint" on the Nationwide race on Saturday (read David Poole's comments on his blog) the Cup race on Sunday was actually pretty good by this season's standards. Though there was limited passing there were enough pit road goofs, on-track goofs, comers and goers and story lines to keep me awake and involved.
Quick-un's:
Carl Edwards:
Monday morning pit stop practice for this crew. Ouch.
Pit Road Mistakes:
Mistakes on pit road, by both driver and crew, have replaced mechanical failure as the unknown that lurks waiting to ruin a good day for a team. On the topic of pit road I second David Poole's comments lamenting the role pit stops have played in deciding races. Pit stops are important but the should not be a substitute for on-track action.
Ambrose Watch:
He was holding his own until another engine let go for this group. Still pulling for him.
Double file restarts:
Lead lap cars have to moved to the back of the pack for restarts. That inside line of cars is ruining the race for the lead. NASCAR needs any help they can get to improve racing at the head of the field. The Lucky Dog rule negates any need for a double-file lapped cars/lead lap cars restart.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thoughts After Martinsville
The Cup race at Martinsville was a step in the right direction. Had Denny Hamlin caught Jimmy Johnson after Johnson's final.... ahem, pass, and we had a closer finish I think this race would have gone down in history as great instead of good. That said I'm content enough with what I saw on Sunday to not look a gift horse in the mouth.
Something seemed different on Sunday as the laps wound down. Has it really been that long since we've had a race that built towards a dramatic conclusion?
Despite the loss Denny Hamlin invested a little in his racing credibility. He no doubt picked up a few fans to go along with those second place points. Don't feel too sorry for him then. The most valuable lessons in life are learned the hard way so don't expect to see him play bridesmaid at a short track again.
An indication that NASCAR has indeed changed, for good or ill I will not say, was on display for a second week. It seems as if the only dispenser of justice these days is NASCAR. The children don't necessarily play nice all the time but most drivers seem unwilling to take it upon themselves to exact on-track revenge. Juan Pablo Montoya might just be the rowdiest driver on the circuit today but even he seems to rein in his aggression quickly. (Despite his silly 'nom de vroom' Kyle "Rowdy" Busch only gives evidence of his young lack of taste. 'Days of Thunder' is a terrible racing movie.)
If Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch ever have a race where all three have race-winning cars, look out. It seems as if one driver is not just a little better than his nearest competitor but a lot better. Product of the new car?
Something seemed different on Sunday as the laps wound down. Has it really been that long since we've had a race that built towards a dramatic conclusion?
Despite the loss Denny Hamlin invested a little in his racing credibility. He no doubt picked up a few fans to go along with those second place points. Don't feel too sorry for him then. The most valuable lessons in life are learned the hard way so don't expect to see him play bridesmaid at a short track again.
An indication that NASCAR has indeed changed, for good or ill I will not say, was on display for a second week. It seems as if the only dispenser of justice these days is NASCAR. The children don't necessarily play nice all the time but most drivers seem unwilling to take it upon themselves to exact on-track revenge. Juan Pablo Montoya might just be the rowdiest driver on the circuit today but even he seems to rein in his aggression quickly. (Despite his silly 'nom de vroom' Kyle "Rowdy" Busch only gives evidence of his young lack of taste. 'Days of Thunder' is a terrible racing movie.)
If Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch ever have a race where all three have race-winning cars, look out. It seems as if one driver is not just a little better than his nearest competitor but a lot better. Product of the new car?
Sunday, March 29, 2009
If I Were King........No more artificial Christmas trees
If I were king of the NASCAR Cup world things would be different. The very name 'NASCAR' is an anachronism. Truly 'stock' car racing probably only existed for about as long as it took for a driver to break a stock front end suspension piece and clobber a wall. In the interests of safety, first and foremost, and a decent racing product 'stock cars' are an ever-evolving toy. All very well and good. Drivers have died as the years rolled on but perhaps, hopefully, we'll have witnessed the last. In a seemingly divided racing world I think it safe to assume that all are in agreement on the safety improvements found in the new style car.
Gone too are the days of mass attrition in races. We take reliability for granted in NASCAR now. Having 43 cars on hand at the finish of each race only increases the odds of having a great finish. Since this is my perfect racing land that would mean 43 lead lap competitive cars. ...fantasy still but it would be cool.
The talking heads and NASCAR spokespersons claim that as the teams gain a better understanding of the new car the on-track product will improve and the hoped-for side-by-side racing will appear. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I don't have a handle on the aerodynamic problems that seem to plague the new car on those oft-hated mile and a half tracks. (Spit with me now: ptooey) I'm sure NASCAR has someone on that. But so long as the current setup is not working now is the time to implement my suggestion. Keeping everything the same under the skin of the cars, return to your roots NASCAR! Bring back stock appearing bodies! Make each brand identifiable.....
without the aid of stickers!!
I'm guessing a stock Camry body will not fit on the COT chasis with them big ol' racing slicks on there. That's fine. Scale the bodies up. But put back all those nuances that make each particular brand identifiable. It can be done. The wizards that build these cars can mold sheet metal (sheet metal!) as a sculptor molds clay. Add those door seams. Lift those side skirts. Round out those doors. Dirty the car up, aerodynamically speaking. By most accounts the car doesn't drive worth a damn anyway. NASCAR, now is the time to do this. The old school fan (the core fan...NASCAR, are you listening?) is angry. Extend the olive branch. And make it a good impression of an olive branch and not the cheap plastic ones you're using now.
Gone too are the days of mass attrition in races. We take reliability for granted in NASCAR now. Having 43 cars on hand at the finish of each race only increases the odds of having a great finish. Since this is my perfect racing land that would mean 43 lead lap competitive cars. ...fantasy still but it would be cool.
The talking heads and NASCAR spokespersons claim that as the teams gain a better understanding of the new car the on-track product will improve and the hoped-for side-by-side racing will appear. Perhaps. Perhaps not. I don't have a handle on the aerodynamic problems that seem to plague the new car on those oft-hated mile and a half tracks. (Spit with me now: ptooey) I'm sure NASCAR has someone on that. But so long as the current setup is not working now is the time to implement my suggestion. Keeping everything the same under the skin of the cars, return to your roots NASCAR! Bring back stock appearing bodies! Make each brand identifiable.....
without the aid of stickers!!
I'm guessing a stock Camry body will not fit on the COT chasis with them big ol' racing slicks on there. That's fine. Scale the bodies up. But put back all those nuances that make each particular brand identifiable. It can be done. The wizards that build these cars can mold sheet metal (sheet metal!) as a sculptor molds clay. Add those door seams. Lift those side skirts. Round out those doors. Dirty the car up, aerodynamically speaking. By most accounts the car doesn't drive worth a damn anyway. NASCAR, now is the time to do this. The old school fan (the core fan...NASCAR, are you listening?) is angry. Extend the olive branch. And make it a good impression of an olive branch and not the cheap plastic ones you're using now.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Bristol: Help Control the Excitement - Have Your Track Spayed or Neutered
I think we'll need one more race to definitively prove that 'They' have ruined Bristol. Kyle Busch is just so annoyingly good these days that I'm inclined to believe that even if the race on Sunday had taken place on any of the previous Bristol racing surfaces the outcome would be the same. Little or no evidence for or against the charge can then be gleaned from his performance. The same can't be said for what unfolded in his wake.
It was an almighty bore.
Busch spent so little time in contact with 2nd place on back Fox naturally focused on the rest of the field. I didn't see much action back there. I don't blame the designers or builders of the new, progressively-banked surface. They were tasked with creating a second racing line. Mission accomplished. Who I do question is the person or person's who requested said work be undertaken. I ask, from a fan's point of view, what was wrong with Bristol? The driver's love it but I doubt highly that you can sell 160,000 tickets to see more of what was (wasn't?) on display on Sunday. The great season of zzzz saunters on.
For once the Green, White, Checkers rule might actually have guaranteed the 'rightful' winner his win. Lap traffic might have come into play had the last caution flag not come out when it did. Denny Hamlin might, might, have caught Busch. As it was, he had no chance of catching Busch on that last restart. My heart rate actually slowed as the green flew that last time so sure was I of the outcome.
Hooray for Marcos Ambrose. A little street cred earned. It's a shame his engine developed a case of the hiccups late in the race but given how relatively little time he's spent in NASCAR and how thoroughly out of reach from everyone Busch put the win, I think it safe to assume that team and that driver are more than a little proud of their effort. For the first time in my life I think I'm right to say you read it here first: this cat can run with the so-called big boys.
"Phew", says Mark Martin. The accepted take on Martin is that he's a very smart racer. Given that, given his team's ability to build exploding engines and end up saddled with exploding tires coming into Sunday's race and given how well in-hand Busch appeared to have the race as it rolled on, I doubt Martin pushed things very much. I think that team was quite happy to bring it home where they did and start salvaging their season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr's excuse list grows. He points to a poor qualifying effort for his poor finish, qualifying 34th, starting at the back and coming home 14th. That doesn't really cut it as Jeff Burton had a poor qualifying run, starting 40th but still managed to come home in 8th position. This poor devil couldn't be feeling more pressure if he was sitting at the bottom of the ocean. I think if his name wasn't Earnhardt and his mug wasn't plastered on a million t-shirts (number one is sales....) he would be winning or at least running better. His folksy demeanor and pedigree obviously appeal to a lot, nay most, NASCAR fans, but if commercial work counted towards championships Michael Waltrip would be the Richard Petty of his time. Earnhardt Jr's halting manner of speech of late is either indicative of a distracted nature or a brain injury. I don't say that lightly or in jest. The man appears too ill-at-ease and fidgety during interviews these days. He doesn't look well.
It was an almighty bore.
Busch spent so little time in contact with 2nd place on back Fox naturally focused on the rest of the field. I didn't see much action back there. I don't blame the designers or builders of the new, progressively-banked surface. They were tasked with creating a second racing line. Mission accomplished. Who I do question is the person or person's who requested said work be undertaken. I ask, from a fan's point of view, what was wrong with Bristol? The driver's love it but I doubt highly that you can sell 160,000 tickets to see more of what was (wasn't?) on display on Sunday. The great season of zzzz saunters on.
For once the Green, White, Checkers rule might actually have guaranteed the 'rightful' winner his win. Lap traffic might have come into play had the last caution flag not come out when it did. Denny Hamlin might, might, have caught Busch. As it was, he had no chance of catching Busch on that last restart. My heart rate actually slowed as the green flew that last time so sure was I of the outcome.
Hooray for Marcos Ambrose. A little street cred earned. It's a shame his engine developed a case of the hiccups late in the race but given how relatively little time he's spent in NASCAR and how thoroughly out of reach from everyone Busch put the win, I think it safe to assume that team and that driver are more than a little proud of their effort. For the first time in my life I think I'm right to say you read it here first: this cat can run with the so-called big boys.
"Phew", says Mark Martin. The accepted take on Martin is that he's a very smart racer. Given that, given his team's ability to build exploding engines and end up saddled with exploding tires coming into Sunday's race and given how well in-hand Busch appeared to have the race as it rolled on, I doubt Martin pushed things very much. I think that team was quite happy to bring it home where they did and start salvaging their season.
Dale Earnhardt Jr's excuse list grows. He points to a poor qualifying effort for his poor finish, qualifying 34th, starting at the back and coming home 14th. That doesn't really cut it as Jeff Burton had a poor qualifying run, starting 40th but still managed to come home in 8th position. This poor devil couldn't be feeling more pressure if he was sitting at the bottom of the ocean. I think if his name wasn't Earnhardt and his mug wasn't plastered on a million t-shirts (number one is sales....) he would be winning or at least running better. His folksy demeanor and pedigree obviously appeal to a lot, nay most, NASCAR fans, but if commercial work counted towards championships Michael Waltrip would be the Richard Petty of his time. Earnhardt Jr's halting manner of speech of late is either indicative of a distracted nature or a brain injury. I don't say that lightly or in jest. The man appears too ill-at-ease and fidgety during interviews these days. He doesn't look well.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
My NASCAR Tummy Ache
I'm falling out of love with NASCAR.
Not with stock car racing, mind you. Just with NASCAR. Stock car racing, fear not, I still love you, in more ways than I can count. Those three words, 'stock car racing', still excite me. But NASCAR, you've given me a tummy ache.
I can pinpoint the start of my love affair with this sport to two instances. The first is the still-unbelievable sight of Ricky Rudd making an early case for roof flaps in the Busch Clash in 1984. I had no idea who Ricky Rudd was. I had no idea where Daytona was. I did know that my weekend television would never be the same. As it was explained to me, this, or at least what the drivers had been doing up until the moment Rudd's Ford tried out for the gymnastics team, was stock car racing.
The other moment is seeing my uncle return home from the local quarter mile track one Sunday afternoon with his tales of that day's racing, wiping the dirt and rubber from his face. My uncle was never a racer. He just liked to sit close. His filth and my parent's insistence that the racetrack was "too rough" were enough for my 8 year old brain to conclude that this stock car racing thing was probably the greatest thing ever. I wasn't far off.
But the relationship today is not what it was. Admittedly I'm hardly floating a novel idea here. The griping and complaining, legitimate or otherwise, with all things NASCAR has reached a din of late only just drown out by the beloved roar of the engines.
North Americans are a gluttonous lot. I should know. I'm one. My 'treat' each week is to devour a large pizza while watching the Cup race. Our appetites extend beyond simply food however. Someone, somewhere, after witnessing Jeff Gordon descend from the racing heavens in the early 90's, saw a delicious, deep-fried racing product before them and, some distance away, an immense pile of salivating race fans. In between was a weedy, narrow little foot path. This had to change.
And change it did. That footpath is no more. The space between has been removed and has been replaced with moving sidewalks, conveying race fans around the clock to the biggest racing-related smorgasbord that has ever been. The hungry mob was then free to indulge itself. And indulge we did.
There was a time in the 50's and 60's when the 'Cup' season routinely encompassed 700-plus events. The '68 season is actually just coming to an end. Seriously, there were a lot of races in a season. But how many of those races were televised? I'd be very surprised to learn that any of them were. Perhaps the last few laps of the Daytona 500 were televised here and there. Those fantastic Bud Lindemann "Car and Track" race recap programs are just awesome to watch now (stock-appearing 'stock' cars...how novel) and they give you an indication of how big league stock car racing was meted out sparingly in the past. For those not lucky enough to attend a race it must have been a thrill to have seen that much. In light of today's safe-wall to safe-wall coverage only reading about a race doesn't sound like much fun. But I'm sure fans pored over whatever they could get their hands on "back in the day".
Then along came network and cable television and the sport got some much needed and deserved attention. Even so, I remember in the 80's and even early 90's that it wasn't unusual for me to see a half dozen races or fewer on television.
And now today we have a fully-televised 36 race schedule, plus the whatever-they-are-calling-it-now pre-season race at Daytona and the all-star race, topped with interminable pre-race and pre-pre-race shows, dozens of legitimate Cup-devoted webpages and an animated rodent.
Burp.
It's all too much. We've long since hit the saturation point. There have been and will continue to be some great races at the Cup level. But also in the mix are a few mediocre races and some down right awful races. 500 miles at California twice a year, business interests aside, are not necessary. Unfortunately, the toothpaste is out of the tube.
Aside from naive suggestions of paring down the schedule by a half dozen or so races or shortening most Cup events to 300 to 400 miles, I don't know how to restore the level of excitement to NASCAR Cup racing that I remember from the past. The arguments put forth from the television talking heads of "growing the sport" ring as hollow now as they did when they first appeared in the mid 90's. What's growing when you start getting away from what made the sport the delicious deep-fried product you wanted everyone to try in the first place? We've been back and forth to the great All-You-Can-Eat buffet that is NASCAR Cup racing too many times and now we've gone and eaten ourselves sick.
Not with stock car racing, mind you. Just with NASCAR. Stock car racing, fear not, I still love you, in more ways than I can count. Those three words, 'stock car racing', still excite me. But NASCAR, you've given me a tummy ache.
I can pinpoint the start of my love affair with this sport to two instances. The first is the still-unbelievable sight of Ricky Rudd making an early case for roof flaps in the Busch Clash in 1984. I had no idea who Ricky Rudd was. I had no idea where Daytona was. I did know that my weekend television would never be the same. As it was explained to me, this, or at least what the drivers had been doing up until the moment Rudd's Ford tried out for the gymnastics team, was stock car racing.
The other moment is seeing my uncle return home from the local quarter mile track one Sunday afternoon with his tales of that day's racing, wiping the dirt and rubber from his face. My uncle was never a racer. He just liked to sit close. His filth and my parent's insistence that the racetrack was "too rough" were enough for my 8 year old brain to conclude that this stock car racing thing was probably the greatest thing ever. I wasn't far off.
But the relationship today is not what it was. Admittedly I'm hardly floating a novel idea here. The griping and complaining, legitimate or otherwise, with all things NASCAR has reached a din of late only just drown out by the beloved roar of the engines.
North Americans are a gluttonous lot. I should know. I'm one. My 'treat' each week is to devour a large pizza while watching the Cup race. Our appetites extend beyond simply food however. Someone, somewhere, after witnessing Jeff Gordon descend from the racing heavens in the early 90's, saw a delicious, deep-fried racing product before them and, some distance away, an immense pile of salivating race fans. In between was a weedy, narrow little foot path. This had to change.
And change it did. That footpath is no more. The space between has been removed and has been replaced with moving sidewalks, conveying race fans around the clock to the biggest racing-related smorgasbord that has ever been. The hungry mob was then free to indulge itself. And indulge we did.
There was a time in the 50's and 60's when the 'Cup' season routinely encompassed 700-plus events. The '68 season is actually just coming to an end. Seriously, there were a lot of races in a season. But how many of those races were televised? I'd be very surprised to learn that any of them were. Perhaps the last few laps of the Daytona 500 were televised here and there. Those fantastic Bud Lindemann "Car and Track" race recap programs are just awesome to watch now (stock-appearing 'stock' cars...how novel) and they give you an indication of how big league stock car racing was meted out sparingly in the past. For those not lucky enough to attend a race it must have been a thrill to have seen that much. In light of today's safe-wall to safe-wall coverage only reading about a race doesn't sound like much fun. But I'm sure fans pored over whatever they could get their hands on "back in the day".
Then along came network and cable television and the sport got some much needed and deserved attention. Even so, I remember in the 80's and even early 90's that it wasn't unusual for me to see a half dozen races or fewer on television.
And now today we have a fully-televised 36 race schedule, plus the whatever-they-are-calling-it-now pre-season race at Daytona and the all-star race, topped with interminable pre-race and pre-pre-race shows, dozens of legitimate Cup-devoted webpages and an animated rodent.
Burp.
It's all too much. We've long since hit the saturation point. There have been and will continue to be some great races at the Cup level. But also in the mix are a few mediocre races and some down right awful races. 500 miles at California twice a year, business interests aside, are not necessary. Unfortunately, the toothpaste is out of the tube.
Aside from naive suggestions of paring down the schedule by a half dozen or so races or shortening most Cup events to 300 to 400 miles, I don't know how to restore the level of excitement to NASCAR Cup racing that I remember from the past. The arguments put forth from the television talking heads of "growing the sport" ring as hollow now as they did when they first appeared in the mid 90's. What's growing when you start getting away from what made the sport the delicious deep-fried product you wanted everyone to try in the first place? We've been back and forth to the great All-You-Can-Eat buffet that is NASCAR Cup racing too many times and now we've gone and eaten ourselves sick.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
March Atlanta Race - Busch Whoops Field
It's getting more and more difficult to defend NASCAR to the uninitiated let alone entertain questions about the sport. And it's not as if there are long lines of the NASCAR-curious. I get the feeling NASCAR management has wrung just about every new fan out of the big wet towel that is the North American sports-minded audience. Perhaps I'm being swept along in the seeming flood of "What's wrong with NASCAR?/What can we do to fix NASCAR?"-themed articles, blogs and comments but I'm more inclined to list my gripes with the Cup series these days than rave about how fantastic the racing has been this year.
It hasn't.
The race at Atlanta wasn't a bad race but it wasn't a great race. No doubt about it, Kurt Busch and his boys put a whoopin' on the field and on his own car. Did you see the right side of the #2 after the race? That much should appeal to the grassroots. By Kurt's own admission the run-in's with the wall came at moments in the race when he abandoned his strategy of racing the track instead of racing his competitors. Maybe Kurt bought into the weekend's theme that the Atlanta track has become the "new" Darlington with its reported lack of grip and worn surface? I think he deserves all the more credit for winning if the conditions were that bad.
What a shame then that he had to diminish his win with that silly reverse victory lap. This I expect of someone like Michael Waltrip but not a past Champion. In a series that now rivals professional wrestling for shtick, gimmicks and cringe moments this was a new low. On one hand the broadcasters present a picture of the drivers as fearless warriors, risking life and limb in the quest for glory. On the other hand they come across as mindless corporate shills mugging for the camera awkwardly playing "Garage Band". I'll forgive Kurt Busch this episode as a misguided attempt at originality in a homogenous sea of bland.
One positive thing to say about the teams performance is the point that a driver or a team or a car does not have to be 'off' by much to be really off. Aside from a strategy call win last year the #2 team had very little to show for their efforts at the end of the year. There 43 teams each week all clambering over each other to get to somewhere. Not all of them are striving to get to the top judging from the start and parker's. (Overheating? Really? I think the Bliss team's first item to work on is their imagination.) In a sport measured in terms hundredths and thousandths of seconds there are an enormous number of cracks to fall into. And it doesn't take too much to fall out of sight. My point being is it very difficult to succeed at this level of racing. Kurt Busch didn't forget how to drive. They were just a little off. And no knock on the skill and determination of any driver or team that becomes entirely dominant but it is much more interesting and exciting to see teams rise and fall over the course of weeks and months and seasons. Seems the Busch (elder) team is on the rise.
Lastly, I've developed a new rule of thumb for anticipating the level of excitement to expect during a race, restart, etc. It's an inverse rule. The more the broadcasters (Yes, Fox, I'm looking at you) go bananas and claim the proceedings are "fixin' to get good", the less likely it is something exciting will happen. On matters other than technical I regard the opinions of Mike, Larry and Darrell on par with those of politicians. Luckily they still maintain a chemistry which is enjoyable.
It hasn't.
The race at Atlanta wasn't a bad race but it wasn't a great race. No doubt about it, Kurt Busch and his boys put a whoopin' on the field and on his own car. Did you see the right side of the #2 after the race? That much should appeal to the grassroots. By Kurt's own admission the run-in's with the wall came at moments in the race when he abandoned his strategy of racing the track instead of racing his competitors. Maybe Kurt bought into the weekend's theme that the Atlanta track has become the "new" Darlington with its reported lack of grip and worn surface? I think he deserves all the more credit for winning if the conditions were that bad.
What a shame then that he had to diminish his win with that silly reverse victory lap. This I expect of someone like Michael Waltrip but not a past Champion. In a series that now rivals professional wrestling for shtick, gimmicks and cringe moments this was a new low. On one hand the broadcasters present a picture of the drivers as fearless warriors, risking life and limb in the quest for glory. On the other hand they come across as mindless corporate shills mugging for the camera awkwardly playing "Garage Band". I'll forgive Kurt Busch this episode as a misguided attempt at originality in a homogenous sea of bland.
One positive thing to say about the teams performance is the point that a driver or a team or a car does not have to be 'off' by much to be really off. Aside from a strategy call win last year the #2 team had very little to show for their efforts at the end of the year. There 43 teams each week all clambering over each other to get to somewhere. Not all of them are striving to get to the top judging from the start and parker's. (Overheating? Really? I think the Bliss team's first item to work on is their imagination.) In a sport measured in terms hundredths and thousandths of seconds there are an enormous number of cracks to fall into. And it doesn't take too much to fall out of sight. My point being is it very difficult to succeed at this level of racing. Kurt Busch didn't forget how to drive. They were just a little off. And no knock on the skill and determination of any driver or team that becomes entirely dominant but it is much more interesting and exciting to see teams rise and fall over the course of weeks and months and seasons. Seems the Busch (elder) team is on the rise.
Lastly, I've developed a new rule of thumb for anticipating the level of excitement to expect during a race, restart, etc. It's an inverse rule. The more the broadcasters (Yes, Fox, I'm looking at you) go bananas and claim the proceedings are "fixin' to get good", the less likely it is something exciting will happen. On matters other than technical I regard the opinions of Mike, Larry and Darrell on par with those of politicians. Luckily they still maintain a chemistry which is enjoyable.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Las Vegas Recap - no gambling metaphors here.....
Well, that was a little more like it, wasn't it? Coming on the heels of the California race, which we all can't let up on until they change the track, anything would look exciting.
What struck me about the race in Las Vegas on Sunday was how old timey it was, at least for the majority of the race. Attrition, wrecks and mistakes had more to do with the outcome than lead lap passes. A record number of cautions (14) and more engine fireworks than I can remember. People talk of the good old days in NASCAR and this race gave us a little glimpse into the past. There was a time when even the best teams learned how to change tires, calculate gas mileage and drive with fingers crossed, praying their engines held together long enough. Raise your hand all those that take reliability into consideration when making picks pre race these days. Me neither. Although less so, mechanical pride goeth before a fall still.
Jack Roush offered up a reasonable explanation as to at least his team's engine woes claiming a better-than-expected tire combined with what turned out to be the wrong rear-end gear choice lead to the failures. No doubt there'll be some scrambling and figuring before these cats in their hats get to Atlanta. The surface there is worn but it's still high, sustained rpm country that makes valve springs wish they had gone into the Slinky business instead. Hammond and Co. pointed to common suppliers of engine parts for the relatively widespread failures. Are there that few suppliers of top end engine parts out there? Then again isn't it the way things go in this sport and in life that variety is an endangered species? It would be interesting to see who gets what pieces from where.
Still others point to the economy (mostly the types that love buzz words and point to the economy as the reason it rained today). The theory is that corners are being cut and the double-, triple-, quadruple- checking system that insured bulletproof cars in the past is suffering because of it. I don't know. Maybe. Time will tell.
Kyle Busch is just the best natural driver that NASCAR has ever seen. Of course I base that on my deep knowledge of NASCAR history dating to about 1989. If you don't believe me, and you'd be wise not to, would you believe Jeff Gordon? Busch, as annoying as he can be and as limited as his knowledge of television history appears to be, is just that much better than anyone else out there today. There were a few instances during the race, shown in slow-mo replay so that us mortals could actually see it, of drivers getting the wiggles, correcting, the car taking a bite and then heading off in any direction other than straight ahead. Except Busch. To my eye he has this knack for car control that puts him above all others. If his car gets loose coming off a corner, he just seems to be able to coax it back in line with minimal over-correction. The thing just settles back in line. Much as I'd like to see close finishes it was pretty obvious that Busch was going to walk away from everyone else on the final restart.
Jeff Gordon is just lucky. Of course he's talented. You don't win 81 times just because you have good gear. But he is a lucky man. Who else shreds a fender and still comes home sixth AND leads the points at the end of the day? Grrr. This is shades of the luck of Wonder Boy Gordon. And that might not be a bad thing actually. It might be good if two superstars get hot and invincible at the same time (Busch and Gordon, for instance). Any competition would be wonderful to see. It is these stretches of single car dominance that bore me.
Could he have done so with the car of old? The slightest ding on a fender a few years back would have sent Gordon behind the wall. The new car does seem to be much tougher. I'm still not sold on the 'better racing' however.
Bobby Labonte must be feeling alright today. A nice solid 5th. I remember how DW reacted when he finished 5th at Pocono when subbing for Steve Park. It had been so long since he'd finished that close to the head of the field that the man was in tears. It wasn't quite so with Bobby Labonte (although I was surprised to see how long it has been since he's won a race) but he's been away from the performance-oriented limelight for a while.
What racing gods have it in for Mark Martin? What could he have possibly done in this life or a previous to have such crushingly bad luck. Two weeks, two engine failures. There were many, me included, who said/say this is the year that Martin has the keys to the kingdom and is being provided with all that he needs. .....except reliable engines. It still pains me that someone of Martin's standing and street cred gets out of the car after such rotten racing luck and leaves us with the impression that his sole disappointment that day was his failure to give the mighty fine folks at Kellogs a thrill. Where is the selfishness in NASCAR? There are people out there that respect a driver that puts his desire to win and compete above all other considerations. You're risking your life Martin! Stop caring what Tony the Tiger thinks!
Oh Mikey. You're on track to become a respectable driver and owner of a respectable just-outside-the-top-ten team. And then you go and try to pretend you're Harry Gant. When you do well, I cheer. When you do poorly, I join in the chorus of "Retire! Retire!" My clue that the team is doing alright is that young master Reutimann came home with a career-best 4th yesterday. Good stuff.
Talent is key. Patience for sure. But Pride can never be too far away. Jeff Burton, who had a very un-Jeff Burton run last week, lands back in the top 5 this week. I don't think it'll be long before he finds himself in a similar points position. LIkewise, look for Jimmie Johnson and his gang to remind us all of just how annoyingly good they are next week in Atlanta. Johnson will win.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., as a driver, leaves me very unimpressed. I'm beginning to side with the boo birds and say that he is where he is, financially and team-wise, because of his last name. 29th? One engine failure, yes, but not much else to justify his position among fans this year. Not a well-rounded driver. But neither was his father for that matter. If he was as aggressive as his father (Daytona not withstanding) he'd have more wins and maybe more fans, if that's possible.
I'm still pulling for Marcos Ambrose. I just like the guy. And a professional racing champion is a professional racing champion. Besides, he has more claim to being a stock car driver than most anyone else on the tour.
Tony is probably a much tamer fellow these days even after a disappointing run for his cars. Wheel trouble? Bugs to be ironed out. You associate quality and performance with Tony Stewart so I'll doubt we'll see this again. Despite Vegas I get the impression Tony read my early blog and is now intent on proving me wrong in my prediction that the title of owner/driver would drag him down. I think if I were Ryan Newman I wouldn't sleep well at night.
What struck me about the race in Las Vegas on Sunday was how old timey it was, at least for the majority of the race. Attrition, wrecks and mistakes had more to do with the outcome than lead lap passes. A record number of cautions (14) and more engine fireworks than I can remember. People talk of the good old days in NASCAR and this race gave us a little glimpse into the past. There was a time when even the best teams learned how to change tires, calculate gas mileage and drive with fingers crossed, praying their engines held together long enough. Raise your hand all those that take reliability into consideration when making picks pre race these days. Me neither. Although less so, mechanical pride goeth before a fall still.
Jack Roush offered up a reasonable explanation as to at least his team's engine woes claiming a better-than-expected tire combined with what turned out to be the wrong rear-end gear choice lead to the failures. No doubt there'll be some scrambling and figuring before these cats in their hats get to Atlanta. The surface there is worn but it's still high, sustained rpm country that makes valve springs wish they had gone into the Slinky business instead. Hammond and Co. pointed to common suppliers of engine parts for the relatively widespread failures. Are there that few suppliers of top end engine parts out there? Then again isn't it the way things go in this sport and in life that variety is an endangered species? It would be interesting to see who gets what pieces from where.
Still others point to the economy (mostly the types that love buzz words and point to the economy as the reason it rained today). The theory is that corners are being cut and the double-, triple-, quadruple- checking system that insured bulletproof cars in the past is suffering because of it. I don't know. Maybe. Time will tell.
Kyle Busch is just the best natural driver that NASCAR has ever seen. Of course I base that on my deep knowledge of NASCAR history dating to about 1989. If you don't believe me, and you'd be wise not to, would you believe Jeff Gordon? Busch, as annoying as he can be and as limited as his knowledge of television history appears to be, is just that much better than anyone else out there today. There were a few instances during the race, shown in slow-mo replay so that us mortals could actually see it, of drivers getting the wiggles, correcting, the car taking a bite and then heading off in any direction other than straight ahead. Except Busch. To my eye he has this knack for car control that puts him above all others. If his car gets loose coming off a corner, he just seems to be able to coax it back in line with minimal over-correction. The thing just settles back in line. Much as I'd like to see close finishes it was pretty obvious that Busch was going to walk away from everyone else on the final restart.
Jeff Gordon is just lucky. Of course he's talented. You don't win 81 times just because you have good gear. But he is a lucky man. Who else shreds a fender and still comes home sixth AND leads the points at the end of the day? Grrr. This is shades of the luck of Wonder Boy Gordon. And that might not be a bad thing actually. It might be good if two superstars get hot and invincible at the same time (Busch and Gordon, for instance). Any competition would be wonderful to see. It is these stretches of single car dominance that bore me.
Could he have done so with the car of old? The slightest ding on a fender a few years back would have sent Gordon behind the wall. The new car does seem to be much tougher. I'm still not sold on the 'better racing' however.
Bobby Labonte must be feeling alright today. A nice solid 5th. I remember how DW reacted when he finished 5th at Pocono when subbing for Steve Park. It had been so long since he'd finished that close to the head of the field that the man was in tears. It wasn't quite so with Bobby Labonte (although I was surprised to see how long it has been since he's won a race) but he's been away from the performance-oriented limelight for a while.
What racing gods have it in for Mark Martin? What could he have possibly done in this life or a previous to have such crushingly bad luck. Two weeks, two engine failures. There were many, me included, who said/say this is the year that Martin has the keys to the kingdom and is being provided with all that he needs. .....except reliable engines. It still pains me that someone of Martin's standing and street cred gets out of the car after such rotten racing luck and leaves us with the impression that his sole disappointment that day was his failure to give the mighty fine folks at Kellogs a thrill. Where is the selfishness in NASCAR? There are people out there that respect a driver that puts his desire to win and compete above all other considerations. You're risking your life Martin! Stop caring what Tony the Tiger thinks!
Oh Mikey. You're on track to become a respectable driver and owner of a respectable just-outside-the-top-ten team. And then you go and try to pretend you're Harry Gant. When you do well, I cheer. When you do poorly, I join in the chorus of "Retire! Retire!" My clue that the team is doing alright is that young master Reutimann came home with a career-best 4th yesterday. Good stuff.
Talent is key. Patience for sure. But Pride can never be too far away. Jeff Burton, who had a very un-Jeff Burton run last week, lands back in the top 5 this week. I don't think it'll be long before he finds himself in a similar points position. LIkewise, look for Jimmie Johnson and his gang to remind us all of just how annoyingly good they are next week in Atlanta. Johnson will win.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr., as a driver, leaves me very unimpressed. I'm beginning to side with the boo birds and say that he is where he is, financially and team-wise, because of his last name. 29th? One engine failure, yes, but not much else to justify his position among fans this year. Not a well-rounded driver. But neither was his father for that matter. If he was as aggressive as his father (Daytona not withstanding) he'd have more wins and maybe more fans, if that's possible.
I'm still pulling for Marcos Ambrose. I just like the guy. And a professional racing champion is a professional racing champion. Besides, he has more claim to being a stock car driver than most anyone else on the tour.
Tony is probably a much tamer fellow these days even after a disappointing run for his cars. Wheel trouble? Bugs to be ironed out. You associate quality and performance with Tony Stewart so I'll doubt we'll see this again. Despite Vegas I get the impression Tony read my early blog and is now intent on proving me wrong in my prediction that the title of owner/driver would drag him down. I think if I were Ryan Newman I wouldn't sleep well at night.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
California Dreaming.....Because I'm Asleep!!
I was so uninspired by the Cup race from California on Sunday that it's taken me until Tuesday evening to bother to put something together about it. The faults of this track are obvious and have been written of many times over. For big, heavy stock cars to put on a good show at a big track they need banking. Apparently the new fangled thing is progressive banking. Fine. Throw that in there too. Something. Anything. And I think it's time we cut the California fans some slack. I couldn't see myself returning to this track for one of the big shows after more than one visit to satisfy my curiosity.
How much of Matt Kenseth and team's effort was in response to the boo-birds (me included) who minimized their Daytona 500 win* last weekend? Only they know I suppose but that had to egg them on somewhat. Anyway, it shut a lot of us up.
It looked like early on that the Hendrick boys were going to walk away with it. Just to beat a dead horse the leader at this track is just set. He can walk away and leave the rest. Even the guys in the booth thought that Gordon was going to pass Kenseth. Passing? Not here.
This was probably one of the better finishes to a California race but still it was rather meh.
What happened to Jeff Burton? He's usually there at the end. It's tough to pass on that track but I don't think they're blaming that. Others moved up but they didn't. Even Michael Waltrip moved on up all day and his man Reutimann was right in front of him at the finish.
The crab car made its return to the sport on Sunday. I know the crews are doing it to to create a little extra downforce but I find it distracting.
I see a silly article on NASCAR.com about how some top teams are in trouble. One example they cite is Jimmie Johnson being way back in the points after a crummy Daytona finish and a ninth at Cali. Yes, he faded late but you can't really hold any to their Daytona finish. Plate tracks are such a crap shoot and when you add weather into the mix I think it's foolish to be drawing conclusions about the competitive health of a Cup team.
I just can't get excited about this entry. California, you bore me to tears.
How much of Matt Kenseth and team's effort was in response to the boo-birds (me included) who minimized their Daytona 500 win* last weekend? Only they know I suppose but that had to egg them on somewhat. Anyway, it shut a lot of us up.
It looked like early on that the Hendrick boys were going to walk away with it. Just to beat a dead horse the leader at this track is just set. He can walk away and leave the rest. Even the guys in the booth thought that Gordon was going to pass Kenseth. Passing? Not here.
This was probably one of the better finishes to a California race but still it was rather meh.
What happened to Jeff Burton? He's usually there at the end. It's tough to pass on that track but I don't think they're blaming that. Others moved up but they didn't. Even Michael Waltrip moved on up all day and his man Reutimann was right in front of him at the finish.
The crab car made its return to the sport on Sunday. I know the crews are doing it to to create a little extra downforce but I find it distracting.
I see a silly article on NASCAR.com about how some top teams are in trouble. One example they cite is Jimmie Johnson being way back in the points after a crummy Daytona finish and a ninth at Cali. Yes, he faded late but you can't really hold any to their Daytona finish. Plate tracks are such a crap shoot and when you add weather into the mix I think it's foolish to be drawing conclusions about the competitive health of a Cup team.
I just can't get excited about this entry. California, you bore me to tears.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
If I were King.....
I love stock car racing. I like NASCAR and enjoy watching it. But there is room for improvement. As the season rolls on I'll add to my list of things that I'd change in the NASCAR world if I had the power to change things.
This weeks beef has to do with the late start times that we now have to contend with. Aside from the Earnhardt, Jr. incident (.....has he accepted some degree of blame yet?) this is the big topic of debate among NASCAR fans following last Sunday's Daytona 500. It could be argued either way whether (weather?) NASCAR made the decision to declare the race official too soon or just right or even if they should have done so at all. What can't be argued, and I'm far from the first to write this, is that, at the very least, had the race been started at 1:00 Eastern as it has been up until recently, there would have been a much better chance of us all seeing the event go the scheduled distance.
David Poole, so many NASCAR fans columnist whipping boy, had it right in a recent piece. Earlier on this week it looked like Mr. Poole was throwing his hands up and declaring the chances of NASCAR returning race start times to the traditional time to be nonexistent. Today it looks like he's taken up the charge to revert back to the way it was in the good old days.
I'm not a fan of that phrase. I'm not a fan of the song either but it does represent what I believe. These are the good old days. Without getting too deep I mean that the latest is the greatest. ...or should be. Classic races are fun to re-watch but tomorrow's exciting finish is all that more exciting. But obviously I don't discount the past. There is so much from the racing past I'd love to have exist these days. More on that as the blog continues.
Plain and simple, return the start times to the old time 1:00 Eastern start time. I know the big push has been on in the past decade or so with NASCAR to mine the California hills for new fans. But at what expense? Long time fans are cheesed off that they don't see complete races or that there are tortuously long pre-race shows to endure. And what is the logic behind starting the race in California at 6:00 Eastern? Someone, please.
There are my permitted exceptions to the early start rule. The Coke 600, fine as is. And Daytona in July, also permitted. The Firecracker 400 becomes the Fireworks 400. Bristol at night is cool but hasn't it always been so. Even if it did rain, both the July Daytona race and the August Bristol race fall on Saturdays so the Sunday is there as a just-in-case.
If I were king......
This weeks beef has to do with the late start times that we now have to contend with. Aside from the Earnhardt, Jr. incident (.....has he accepted some degree of blame yet?) this is the big topic of debate among NASCAR fans following last Sunday's Daytona 500. It could be argued either way whether (weather?) NASCAR made the decision to declare the race official too soon or just right or even if they should have done so at all. What can't be argued, and I'm far from the first to write this, is that, at the very least, had the race been started at 1:00 Eastern as it has been up until recently, there would have been a much better chance of us all seeing the event go the scheduled distance.
David Poole, so many NASCAR fans columnist whipping boy, had it right in a recent piece. Earlier on this week it looked like Mr. Poole was throwing his hands up and declaring the chances of NASCAR returning race start times to the traditional time to be nonexistent. Today it looks like he's taken up the charge to revert back to the way it was in the good old days.
I'm not a fan of that phrase. I'm not a fan of the song either but it does represent what I believe. These are the good old days. Without getting too deep I mean that the latest is the greatest. ...or should be. Classic races are fun to re-watch but tomorrow's exciting finish is all that more exciting. But obviously I don't discount the past. There is so much from the racing past I'd love to have exist these days. More on that as the blog continues.
Plain and simple, return the start times to the old time 1:00 Eastern start time. I know the big push has been on in the past decade or so with NASCAR to mine the California hills for new fans. But at what expense? Long time fans are cheesed off that they don't see complete races or that there are tortuously long pre-race shows to endure. And what is the logic behind starting the race in California at 6:00 Eastern? Someone, please.
There are my permitted exceptions to the early start rule. The Coke 600, fine as is. And Daytona in July, also permitted. The Firecracker 400 becomes the Fireworks 400. Bristol at night is cool but hasn't it always been so. Even if it did rain, both the July Daytona race and the August Bristol race fall on Saturdays so the Sunday is there as a just-in-case.
If I were king......
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Daytona 500 Recap..
NASCAR, NASCAR, NASCAR.....why do you make it so hard for me to love you? I try. I really try. A few things to discuss post-Daytona '500'.........'380'?...someone check my math.
Show-itus Interruptus
Aside from the Kennseth fans I suspect most of us are grumbling right now. Someone please compile some stats and get back to me. Has NASCAR always upset fans this much/have fans always been this suspicious of NASCAR or is this just a new trend growing since NASCAR's big growth spurt? Admittedly without any kind of fact or stat or study, I think the grumblings are growing louder. A quick scan of a few comment sections show some angry people out there tonight. However a lot of the people commenting state they have been fans of NASCAR for less than 5 years. That begs the question for me has NASCAR now not only alienated its original fan base but also the new fans?
No one likes a rain-shortened race. After huge hype it is just a colossal let down. Some amount of pouting is expected. I'm guilty. I think it shows we care. And there does come a point where it's time to throw in the soggy towel and call it a day. But I've seen Coca-Cola 600's go on way into the night after rain delays (...I think Kenseth won that too). Other less prestigious races have resumed after lengthy rain delays as well. Why call this one so early? I didn't look like it was raining in Victory Circle. The commentators were downplaying the rain for the longest time. You want a legitimate rain-shortened race and undercover victory celebration? Ron Fellows in Montreal last summer. Why not go back to starting these races earlier? I'm parroting a line here from a few writers this week but the West Coast business push plateaued. And I'll forgive this one because it's the 500 but these pre-race shows go on forever. The drivers allow themselves to look foolish as well.
The cynic in me points to network pressure to call it a day and not run afoul of sponsors who bought time for shows later on in the evening on FOX. I'm trying my best not to listen too much to the Conspiracists but I really, really don't get a good feeling from Brian France, Jr. I think his appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show was less than sincere. In the pecking order fans are not number one. Anytime they make this much of saying they love you, it's business. And that is fine. Big time racing has always been a business. What bothers me is that the scene is so far removed from what drew me to the sport to begin with. They have succeeded in many ways but at what cost? NASCAR has lost that certain charm that is once had. That hokey, quirky, sometimes awkward but ultimately entertaining friend of ours won the lottery and despite what they promised before they moved out of the old neighbourhood, they've changed. Trying not to fall into an easy "oh, those stupid Americans" trap, NASCAR represents what is great about the US and, sadly, what can go wrong. Of course, greed is universal. They say that's progress but I liked the old version better.
They've fiddled with rules over lapped cars and brought forth the Lucky Dog. (Discuss) They've fiddled with races ending under caution and brought forth the Green-White-Checkers finish. (Discuss) Is the half-distance/official race rule written in stone or can we expect a change?
Ultimately it's NASCAR's sandbox and we have it easy as critics. Brian France made a less-than sincere appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show.
The Winner*
Congratulations Matt Kenseth. You have officially won the 2009 Daytona '500'. (I hope I didn't jinx this race when I started writing the 500 in old timey quotations.) You kept your nose clean and were ahead of everyone else when the race was called official according to, and this seems odd for present-day NASCAR, time-honoured tradition. But I think you'll look at that big ol'trophy in the years to come with mixed feelings. You will always be a junior member of the Daytona 500 winners club. Equal but not quite equal. Still, 185 points and lots of cash. The season rolls on.
Another Big-Time First-Time Car Owner Winner
Jack Roush wins* his first Daytona 500 title. Odd. Two years in a row a major owner wins their first 500. Last year Penske. This year the Cat in the Hat. No doubt he complained that the race should have been called sooner.
FOX
DW and Larry Mac and the rest get slagged for being Hendrick/Earnhardt sycophants. Normally I say 'malarkey' but even if, who cares? But they came off looking foolish condemning Earnhardt, Jr. in one breath and then giving him a pass in the next. And they were quick and emphatic when the wreck first happened. Score one for the Conspiracists.
Still, the best team at it these days. Enjoyable chemistry.
Earnhardt, Jr.
Wow. Ok. So assume he didn't do it intentionally. It still is poor driving from a professional driver. I think Kyle Busch said it best: "Some guys having a bad day made their bad day our bad day," Pretty calm considering he looked like he was going to walk away with it all. My take is that Earnhardt was off his game because of those two boo-boos in the pits and it showed on the track. You could view it as a bit of karmic retribution for Vickers. It wasn't exactly the same thing but he clipped Johnson at Talledega a few years back. I think Earnhardt will admit to this incident not being a shining moment for him.
Kyle Busch
Tooting my own horn I did say yesterday that Busch was a more mature driver. He hung on to that lead tenaciously all day. No wonder he didn't want to fall back in the back. Bad things happen there.
I was expecting a lap penalty or something. The conspiracists will have a field day.
Tony Stewart
Tony looked strong. Had the race continued he would have been right there. He's an owner now, he'll take the points and start thinking about California.
Michael Waltrip
The man that made the unfortunate decision to put himself forth as the unofficial clown of NASCAR can run plate tracks. Too bad it's all downhill from here until Talledega.
Elliot Sadler
Hissy fit. Shut up and drive. I don't see you up at the front that often. And when you do you cry? I'd be the most miserable excuse for a driver but if you don't want to do it, I'll have a go.
Jeff Gordon
I'd be interested to hear the explanation for the apparent camber issue with the 24 car. That could have been nasty for him.
Marcos Ambrose
Feel good story, no? He was out there and got experience. Did alright for himself.
Carl Edwards
It's not really fair to be ranking these guys. The full story never got to play out. Crummy points day for this lot.
Jimmie Johnson
Rotten luck + restrictor plate + other driver error + rain = 31st. Looked like he had his hands full all day.
Joey Logano
Ouch. Who hasn't had a first day but in front of a bajillion people? For scientific purposes only, I would love to see the in-car footage from these hard crashes. Apparently it's too graphic for us delicate flowers. He walked away didn't he? Show it.
He's going to have a rough go this year. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. At this point he looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
Mark Martin
Alas. On the surface it didn't look as if Martin had anything for the win today but I like to think he was being wily. Either way, 16th. Meh.
A.J. Allmendinger
I thought he'd do alright. It would have been interesting to see how they would have done over the full distance
Ryan Newman
I think he's already in California.....
All in all, a disappointment. I think that NASCAR, had they been unimpeded with broadcast network business commitments, should have held on and tried to get the race going. If it was being carried by a network that could accommodate it it would have made complete sense to try to finish. Don't you pull out all the stops for the biggest event of the year?
I suspect David Poole will go along with the decision. The man isn't a fool like some of the commentors on his blog. I think he just knows when to waste his words and when to not. Me, I'm new.
Next stop:
California. ZZZZZZZ Don't plan to watch it. I hope for the best but so far the races have been awful. Expect the hype machine to be in overdrive.
Show-itus Interruptus
Aside from the Kennseth fans I suspect most of us are grumbling right now. Someone please compile some stats and get back to me. Has NASCAR always upset fans this much/have fans always been this suspicious of NASCAR or is this just a new trend growing since NASCAR's big growth spurt? Admittedly without any kind of fact or stat or study, I think the grumblings are growing louder. A quick scan of a few comment sections show some angry people out there tonight. However a lot of the people commenting state they have been fans of NASCAR for less than 5 years. That begs the question for me has NASCAR now not only alienated its original fan base but also the new fans?
No one likes a rain-shortened race. After huge hype it is just a colossal let down. Some amount of pouting is expected. I'm guilty. I think it shows we care. And there does come a point where it's time to throw in the soggy towel and call it a day. But I've seen Coca-Cola 600's go on way into the night after rain delays (...I think Kenseth won that too). Other less prestigious races have resumed after lengthy rain delays as well. Why call this one so early? I didn't look like it was raining in Victory Circle. The commentators were downplaying the rain for the longest time. You want a legitimate rain-shortened race and undercover victory celebration? Ron Fellows in Montreal last summer. Why not go back to starting these races earlier? I'm parroting a line here from a few writers this week but the West Coast business push plateaued. And I'll forgive this one because it's the 500 but these pre-race shows go on forever. The drivers allow themselves to look foolish as well.
The cynic in me points to network pressure to call it a day and not run afoul of sponsors who bought time for shows later on in the evening on FOX. I'm trying my best not to listen too much to the Conspiracists but I really, really don't get a good feeling from Brian France, Jr. I think his appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show was less than sincere. In the pecking order fans are not number one. Anytime they make this much of saying they love you, it's business. And that is fine. Big time racing has always been a business. What bothers me is that the scene is so far removed from what drew me to the sport to begin with. They have succeeded in many ways but at what cost? NASCAR has lost that certain charm that is once had. That hokey, quirky, sometimes awkward but ultimately entertaining friend of ours won the lottery and despite what they promised before they moved out of the old neighbourhood, they've changed. Trying not to fall into an easy "oh, those stupid Americans" trap, NASCAR represents what is great about the US and, sadly, what can go wrong. Of course, greed is universal. They say that's progress but I liked the old version better.
They've fiddled with rules over lapped cars and brought forth the Lucky Dog. (Discuss) They've fiddled with races ending under caution and brought forth the Green-White-Checkers finish. (Discuss) Is the half-distance/official race rule written in stone or can we expect a change?
Ultimately it's NASCAR's sandbox and we have it easy as critics. Brian France made a less-than sincere appeal to fans during the interminable pre-race show.
The Winner*
Congratulations Matt Kenseth. You have officially won the 2009 Daytona '500'. (I hope I didn't jinx this race when I started writing the 500 in old timey quotations.) You kept your nose clean and were ahead of everyone else when the race was called official according to, and this seems odd for present-day NASCAR, time-honoured tradition. But I think you'll look at that big ol'trophy in the years to come with mixed feelings. You will always be a junior member of the Daytona 500 winners club. Equal but not quite equal. Still, 185 points and lots of cash. The season rolls on.
Another Big-Time First-Time Car Owner Winner
Jack Roush wins* his first Daytona 500 title. Odd. Two years in a row a major owner wins their first 500. Last year Penske. This year the Cat in the Hat. No doubt he complained that the race should have been called sooner.
FOX
DW and Larry Mac and the rest get slagged for being Hendrick/Earnhardt sycophants. Normally I say 'malarkey' but even if, who cares? But they came off looking foolish condemning Earnhardt, Jr. in one breath and then giving him a pass in the next. And they were quick and emphatic when the wreck first happened. Score one for the Conspiracists.
Still, the best team at it these days. Enjoyable chemistry.
Earnhardt, Jr.
Wow. Ok. So assume he didn't do it intentionally. It still is poor driving from a professional driver. I think Kyle Busch said it best: "Some guys having a bad day made their bad day our bad day," Pretty calm considering he looked like he was going to walk away with it all. My take is that Earnhardt was off his game because of those two boo-boos in the pits and it showed on the track. You could view it as a bit of karmic retribution for Vickers. It wasn't exactly the same thing but he clipped Johnson at Talledega a few years back. I think Earnhardt will admit to this incident not being a shining moment for him.
Kyle Busch
Tooting my own horn I did say yesterday that Busch was a more mature driver. He hung on to that lead tenaciously all day. No wonder he didn't want to fall back in the back. Bad things happen there.
I was expecting a lap penalty or something. The conspiracists will have a field day.
Tony Stewart
Tony looked strong. Had the race continued he would have been right there. He's an owner now, he'll take the points and start thinking about California.
Michael Waltrip
The man that made the unfortunate decision to put himself forth as the unofficial clown of NASCAR can run plate tracks. Too bad it's all downhill from here until Talledega.
Elliot Sadler
Hissy fit. Shut up and drive. I don't see you up at the front that often. And when you do you cry? I'd be the most miserable excuse for a driver but if you don't want to do it, I'll have a go.
Jeff Gordon
I'd be interested to hear the explanation for the apparent camber issue with the 24 car. That could have been nasty for him.
Marcos Ambrose
Feel good story, no? He was out there and got experience. Did alright for himself.
Carl Edwards
It's not really fair to be ranking these guys. The full story never got to play out. Crummy points day for this lot.
Jimmie Johnson
Rotten luck + restrictor plate + other driver error + rain = 31st. Looked like he had his hands full all day.
Joey Logano
Ouch. Who hasn't had a first day but in front of a bajillion people? For scientific purposes only, I would love to see the in-car footage from these hard crashes. Apparently it's too graphic for us delicate flowers. He walked away didn't he? Show it.
He's going to have a rough go this year. But whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger. At this point he looks like a deer caught in the headlights.
Mark Martin
Alas. On the surface it didn't look as if Martin had anything for the win today but I like to think he was being wily. Either way, 16th. Meh.
A.J. Allmendinger
I thought he'd do alright. It would have been interesting to see how they would have done over the full distance
Ryan Newman
I think he's already in California.....
All in all, a disappointment. I think that NASCAR, had they been unimpeded with broadcast network business commitments, should have held on and tried to get the race going. If it was being carried by a network that could accommodate it it would have made complete sense to try to finish. Don't you pull out all the stops for the biggest event of the year?
I suspect David Poole will go along with the decision. The man isn't a fool like some of the commentors on his blog. I think he just knows when to waste his words and when to not. Me, I'm new.
Next stop:
California. ZZZZZZZ Don't plan to watch it. I hope for the best but so far the races have been awful. Expect the hype machine to be in overdrive.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Daytona '500' Predictions
And so the big race is upon us. If it seems like the 2008 NASCAR season just ended it's only because it just did. Keeping with the latest trend among NASCAR fans the first point I raise in my new racing blog is a criticism. The Cup racing season is just too long. We've been back and forth to the great racing buffet and now we have a big league stock car racing tummy ache.
More on that in a future blog but now back to THE race. Based on the races of the past few years at the superspeedways we should be in for an entertaining show. Esthetics aside, the criticism that dogs the new car doesn't seem to follow it to Daytona or Talledega. The boxy nature of the car lends itself to tighter packs and tighter packs lend themselves to more blood-thirsty crowds. Or maybe blood-thirsty isn't the right phrase. I mark these races on my calendar and I'm not a happy camper if I miss one. But what makes a good race? Competition. And you can't get more competitive than when you have the entire field under a blanket. I expect to see the field accordion as the race rolls on. Cautions will bring the pack together. Green flag periods or little slips and slides mid-pack will have them strung out. As those green flag periods go on the draft will take over and that long string of bees will become an angry swarm. I don't think we'll have to worry about seeing too much of the passing-free freight train that seemed to be the bane of the superspeedways in the mid- to late-nineties. ...that's my recollection anyway. Remember how ticked off Earnhardt was in 2000 with the lack of passing after the '500'?
Ideally we'll see a slow build toward an exciting finish. That's a broad definition of my perfect race. You'll need some bent sheet metal along the way (but not the Big One.....the very worst drawback to plate racing. I don't go in for what does or doesn't constitute a 'real' fan but something doesn't seem right if you sit there waiting for half the field to be wadded up in one fell swoop). I'm neutral with regards to the Green-White-Checker rule. I can understand the point of view of the traditionalists who argue that races have ended under cautions for years and that's just the way it should be. And the action junky in me wants my Darlington/Busch-Craven finishes each and every time. Ideally, a race ends with exciting, action-filled just-to-the-brink-of-a-yellow-but-not-any-further laps. The trend at the plate tracks is towards chaos but, if the Shootout means anything, they can somehow keep it together.
Speaking of the Shootout, aside from the closing laps, I think last weekend's race shows us what the cars and drivers are capable of but don't expect to see the same pace in the '500'. And neither should you look to the '150's for a preview for Sunday. Those races were so far removed from the Shootout. There were lots of different objectives on display on Thursday. Among the bulk of the teams the idea was not to do anything stupid. For a few those races were their '500's. And for a few more it was a Shootout. So the big one on Sunday will consist of elements of both with the Shootout mentality gradually coming into play around the 450 mile mark. There will then come a point, and don't we all love it, when dreams of dollar signs and glory trump live-and-let-live and points racing.
Predictions
Relying on my many years of dozing in front of the telly on Sunday afternoon's I'll now make my predictions for a handful of drivers on Sunday. In no particular order:
Tony Stewart. Fat Elvis. The man is racing. It should be that whenever anyone looks up race car driver in an encyclopedia (ie, Google it) it would Tony Stewart's name that would come up. As great as he undisputedly is as a driver I fear for him this year with his new team. Recent history has not been kind to owner-drivers in the world of big time stock racing. Ol'DW is a good example. An example of what can happen. Or not happen. As in Darrell did not win much after forming his own team. He points to the choice he made of building his own engines as his downfall. If he had opted to stay put or at least continue leasing engines he probably would have continued his winning ways instead of suffering a rather sad end to a great career. (Earnhardt smashing him into the wall at the Winston didn't help much either. I'll write more on DW later.)
I can see Darrell taking Tony aside and warning him of the perils. Perhaps Tony would heed his words. Perhaps not. I'm thinking that part of the reason that drivers, or business people or whoever, strike out on their own is to not have to do things the way someone else wants you to do them. Wouldn't he want to call all his own shots? Granted Tony is relying on top-notch Hendrick chassis and engines so that removes those pieces from the equation. I think it comes down to time management. But then again it's not as if he's starting from scratch. Perhaps he's content to rely on or slightly modify the existing command structure, for lack of a better phrase, and focus solely or mostly on driving rather than be a racing pharaoh. I've never been an owner in any capacity but I've pestered many an owner, boss, etc for anything and everything from the critical to the trivial. I wish him well. Prove me wrong, Tony, prove me wrong.
If he does win, it doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to have a great year. He and Newman lost their primary cars on Saturday but I don't think that matters too much. These teams are professionals. They keep meticulous notes and the cars they build must be the next best thing to clones.
Ryan Newman. He did it once. No reason to think he can't do it again. New team, working for Mr. Racing. Lots of easy story lines here.
Jimmie Johnson. I only 'hate' the guy because he wins too darn much. That team is killer. You all know the stats. If he stays out of trouble, keeps his stablemates within sight and the field doesn't turn their backs on him he's a shoe-in. Boo-urns.
Jeff Gordon. Ditto. These cats have the best of everything and the talent to make the most of it. If 'hunger' means anything, Gordon will win. I'm willing to think he's ready to avenge himself to all the critics who finally had a chance last year to lay into him and his team.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This guy is starting to grow on me. I was never a fan of his father but, newsflash to me, he isn't his father. He runs restrictor plate races just as well as his father though. As good a chance as any front runner. His to lose.
Kyle Busch. I thought I saw a bit of over-aggressiveness in the truck race on Friday night. Talent to burn and undoubtedly more mature than last year but I think the potential is there for him to burn bridges. Still, you'd be a fool to count him out.
Carl Edwards. Flipper. On a roll. ...is this getting boring...another guy that could very easily win. The randomness of plate racing plays no favourites. For devilment I'll use Carl as an example of how you can have the driver, the car and the crew to make it a cakewalk but be clobbered by someone else's moment of inattention.
Mark Martin. He came close a few years back and who wouldn't want to see this guy win? Mark and Bill Elliot represent a previous generation and no doubt are cheered on by a segment of NASCAR fans that remember, or think they remember, a time when racing and racers were different. If this is the year Mark Martin has been given all he needs to win that elusive championship then a '500' win would be a good start. Then again, if championship is on his mind, Martin might be points racing in a race that most drivers, up until the drive home after the checkered flag, consider to be a season unto itself.
Kevin Harvick. Sneaky little bugger. Doesn't he have a knack for jumping out and grabbing these things at the very last possible moment? If he does it again on Sunday it'll be a reputation-defining moment.
Joey Lagano. I try not to write what everyone else writes but he looks like a child. Apparently he can drive. I haven't seen much from him in the few Cup races he's run and he didn't get a chance to do much in the Shootout. He did well in the 150's but, as I've said, everyone played nice. The people that call the shots don't just put anyone in their cars. Jeff Gordon tore up many a race car when he started and he did alright in the long run. He might get knocked around but what better way to learn? Let's set aside the report cards (not a knock on his age) and see what the season brings. You just might be bad mouthing a future champion.
The Dark Horses
The vagaries of restrictor plate racing put victory within the reach of some teams that might not otherwise have the chance.
Martin Truex, Jr. Huh? Dark horse? The pole sitter? Yeah. Too many other strong cars and more experienced drivers for me to say it's his to lose. I don't expect him to bust out with this race. No stats or logic behind this one. Just don't know enough about him or hear enough about him.
Bobby Labonte. Dark horse and another sentimental favourite of mine. This guy has paid his dues with Petty the past few years. It's a shame he couldn't resurrect that team but now it's time for him to get back where he belongs. Dark horse though... .
A.J. Allmendinger. As I write this, he's my top dark horse pick. If he doesn't win tomorrow, he'll win before the year is over. A lot of people in the know praise this kid.
This is way too long. I'll add more as the season rolls on but I'll learn to run sprints instead of 600-milers. I'll also be posting a '500' recap. ...no doubt to explain away my wrong predictions.
More on that in a future blog but now back to THE race. Based on the races of the past few years at the superspeedways we should be in for an entertaining show. Esthetics aside, the criticism that dogs the new car doesn't seem to follow it to Daytona or Talledega. The boxy nature of the car lends itself to tighter packs and tighter packs lend themselves to more blood-thirsty crowds. Or maybe blood-thirsty isn't the right phrase. I mark these races on my calendar and I'm not a happy camper if I miss one. But what makes a good race? Competition. And you can't get more competitive than when you have the entire field under a blanket. I expect to see the field accordion as the race rolls on. Cautions will bring the pack together. Green flag periods or little slips and slides mid-pack will have them strung out. As those green flag periods go on the draft will take over and that long string of bees will become an angry swarm. I don't think we'll have to worry about seeing too much of the passing-free freight train that seemed to be the bane of the superspeedways in the mid- to late-nineties. ...that's my recollection anyway. Remember how ticked off Earnhardt was in 2000 with the lack of passing after the '500'?
Ideally we'll see a slow build toward an exciting finish. That's a broad definition of my perfect race. You'll need some bent sheet metal along the way (but not the Big One.....the very worst drawback to plate racing. I don't go in for what does or doesn't constitute a 'real' fan but something doesn't seem right if you sit there waiting for half the field to be wadded up in one fell swoop). I'm neutral with regards to the Green-White-Checker rule. I can understand the point of view of the traditionalists who argue that races have ended under cautions for years and that's just the way it should be. And the action junky in me wants my Darlington/Busch-Craven finishes each and every time. Ideally, a race ends with exciting, action-filled just-to-the-brink-of-a-yellow-but-not-any-further laps. The trend at the plate tracks is towards chaos but, if the Shootout means anything, they can somehow keep it together.
Speaking of the Shootout, aside from the closing laps, I think last weekend's race shows us what the cars and drivers are capable of but don't expect to see the same pace in the '500'. And neither should you look to the '150's for a preview for Sunday. Those races were so far removed from the Shootout. There were lots of different objectives on display on Thursday. Among the bulk of the teams the idea was not to do anything stupid. For a few those races were their '500's. And for a few more it was a Shootout. So the big one on Sunday will consist of elements of both with the Shootout mentality gradually coming into play around the 450 mile mark. There will then come a point, and don't we all love it, when dreams of dollar signs and glory trump live-and-let-live and points racing.
Predictions
Relying on my many years of dozing in front of the telly on Sunday afternoon's I'll now make my predictions for a handful of drivers on Sunday. In no particular order:
Tony Stewart. Fat Elvis. The man is racing. It should be that whenever anyone looks up race car driver in an encyclopedia (ie, Google it) it would Tony Stewart's name that would come up. As great as he undisputedly is as a driver I fear for him this year with his new team. Recent history has not been kind to owner-drivers in the world of big time stock racing. Ol'DW is a good example. An example of what can happen. Or not happen. As in Darrell did not win much after forming his own team. He points to the choice he made of building his own engines as his downfall. If he had opted to stay put or at least continue leasing engines he probably would have continued his winning ways instead of suffering a rather sad end to a great career. (Earnhardt smashing him into the wall at the Winston didn't help much either. I'll write more on DW later.)
I can see Darrell taking Tony aside and warning him of the perils. Perhaps Tony would heed his words. Perhaps not. I'm thinking that part of the reason that drivers, or business people or whoever, strike out on their own is to not have to do things the way someone else wants you to do them. Wouldn't he want to call all his own shots? Granted Tony is relying on top-notch Hendrick chassis and engines so that removes those pieces from the equation. I think it comes down to time management. But then again it's not as if he's starting from scratch. Perhaps he's content to rely on or slightly modify the existing command structure, for lack of a better phrase, and focus solely or mostly on driving rather than be a racing pharaoh. I've never been an owner in any capacity but I've pestered many an owner, boss, etc for anything and everything from the critical to the trivial. I wish him well. Prove me wrong, Tony, prove me wrong.
If he does win, it doesn't necessarily mean that he's going to have a great year. He and Newman lost their primary cars on Saturday but I don't think that matters too much. These teams are professionals. They keep meticulous notes and the cars they build must be the next best thing to clones.
Ryan Newman. He did it once. No reason to think he can't do it again. New team, working for Mr. Racing. Lots of easy story lines here.
Jimmie Johnson. I only 'hate' the guy because he wins too darn much. That team is killer. You all know the stats. If he stays out of trouble, keeps his stablemates within sight and the field doesn't turn their backs on him he's a shoe-in. Boo-urns.
Jeff Gordon. Ditto. These cats have the best of everything and the talent to make the most of it. If 'hunger' means anything, Gordon will win. I'm willing to think he's ready to avenge himself to all the critics who finally had a chance last year to lay into him and his team.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This guy is starting to grow on me. I was never a fan of his father but, newsflash to me, he isn't his father. He runs restrictor plate races just as well as his father though. As good a chance as any front runner. His to lose.
Kyle Busch. I thought I saw a bit of over-aggressiveness in the truck race on Friday night. Talent to burn and undoubtedly more mature than last year but I think the potential is there for him to burn bridges. Still, you'd be a fool to count him out.
Carl Edwards. Flipper. On a roll. ...is this getting boring...another guy that could very easily win. The randomness of plate racing plays no favourites. For devilment I'll use Carl as an example of how you can have the driver, the car and the crew to make it a cakewalk but be clobbered by someone else's moment of inattention.
Mark Martin. He came close a few years back and who wouldn't want to see this guy win? Mark and Bill Elliot represent a previous generation and no doubt are cheered on by a segment of NASCAR fans that remember, or think they remember, a time when racing and racers were different. If this is the year Mark Martin has been given all he needs to win that elusive championship then a '500' win would be a good start. Then again, if championship is on his mind, Martin might be points racing in a race that most drivers, up until the drive home after the checkered flag, consider to be a season unto itself.
Kevin Harvick. Sneaky little bugger. Doesn't he have a knack for jumping out and grabbing these things at the very last possible moment? If he does it again on Sunday it'll be a reputation-defining moment.
Joey Lagano. I try not to write what everyone else writes but he looks like a child. Apparently he can drive. I haven't seen much from him in the few Cup races he's run and he didn't get a chance to do much in the Shootout. He did well in the 150's but, as I've said, everyone played nice. The people that call the shots don't just put anyone in their cars. Jeff Gordon tore up many a race car when he started and he did alright in the long run. He might get knocked around but what better way to learn? Let's set aside the report cards (not a knock on his age) and see what the season brings. You just might be bad mouthing a future champion.
The Dark Horses
The vagaries of restrictor plate racing put victory within the reach of some teams that might not otherwise have the chance.
Martin Truex, Jr. Huh? Dark horse? The pole sitter? Yeah. Too many other strong cars and more experienced drivers for me to say it's his to lose. I don't expect him to bust out with this race. No stats or logic behind this one. Just don't know enough about him or hear enough about him.
Bobby Labonte. Dark horse and another sentimental favourite of mine. This guy has paid his dues with Petty the past few years. It's a shame he couldn't resurrect that team but now it's time for him to get back where he belongs. Dark horse though... .
A.J. Allmendinger. As I write this, he's my top dark horse pick. If he doesn't win tomorrow, he'll win before the year is over. A lot of people in the know praise this kid.
This is way too long. I'll add more as the season rolls on but I'll learn to run sprints instead of 600-milers. I'll also be posting a '500' recap. ...no doubt to explain away my wrong predictions.
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