Many commentators proclaimed this 2008 season the year of Dale Earnhardt Jr. How has that worked out? So far, it has and it hasn't.
Dale Jr. and the 88 team set some goals for themselves which they have largely achieved. They won, not only a points race at Michigan, but also the Budweiser Shootout in February. They made the Chase for the Cup. Up until the last few races, the 88 team was a very viable contender to win a championship. Much of the disappointments which have occurred since the Chase began have been the result of plain bad luck.
Have there been miscues by the team? Surely there have been. Some of the miscues this season were made by the driver himself. Some were made by crew chief Tony Eury Jr. Much blame has been heaped upon Eury Jr., and though some of it may well be deserved, much of it is not. Two tires or four? Are we good on fuel? Up or down on the air pressures or track bar? These are questions that few but the most expert fans of the sport can answer. Most of those experts are already on top of pit boxes. As is the case with any driver and crew chief combination, the comfort level must be there, especially for the driver. Dale Jr. trusts his crew chief, and it appears that he has the final say on that matter.
Problems with pit stops have been the cause for some missed opportunities this well. Even the most well oiled pit crew can and does occasionally make mistakes. A missed lug nut here, a snarled air hose there, and positions are lost on the track, and this season, more than other, track position is important.
Overall, this season has been a success for the 88 team. Goals have been achieved, and hopes and expectations will undoubtedly be even higher next season. Is there room for improvement? Of course there is. The more time this team spends together, I feel the better they will be. Is Dale Jr.'s first season with Hendrick Motorsports the best first season with a new team this year? Critics point at the driver whom Dale Jr. replaced at Hendrick, Kyle Busch. Kyle has 8 wins to Dale Jr.'s 1 win, that's true, but here's one important fact that many are willing to overlook: After 31 of 36 races, there are only 28 points separating the two drivers. It's very possible that Dale Jr. will finish ahead in the points standings at the end of the season.
Are wins more important than championships? That's debatable. Wins are important, but the ultimate goal of any driver is to be holding the Cup trophy at the end of the year. It is unlikely that either Dale Jr. or Kyle Busch will be holding that trophy in November, but it's possible that Dale Jr. finishes higher in the standings than 2008's golden boy.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Want to make NASCAR better?
Sure you do. We all do. One way to do it is to support your local short track. The future driver of the Truck series, the Nationwide series, and even the Cup series are on display this week at your local race track.
Of course, not many of your local drivers will ever make it to the big show. Some of them have no interest in racing for a living. Many of them do it for fun, or for a few extra bucks. Many of them just love doing it, and don't care if they go broke trying to do it. For what ever reason, they show up every week to provide us with some of the best entertainment you can get for 10 bucks.
At most tracks I've been to, yes, $10.00 is the admission price for adults. That's not too bad when you consider that you can watch a bad movie for not much less. Short track racing is what this sport was built on and really, when you dig way down deep, what it still is all about. Local short track drivers don't travel in jets, nor do they sleep in huge motor homes at the track. Most of them do double duty, as in hauling their race cars to the track behind their pickup trucks. These folks are our friends and neighbors. They deserve our support.
Here at our local short track, you can often party after the race with the drivers and their families on the track grounds, or at a local restaurant only a mile or so down the road. Around here, the drivers will have a beer after a Friday night ruckus on the track and tell you all about why they ran into Billy, and why Tommy was stupid enough to run into Joey, or why the car hit the wall on the pace lap. It's all fun, and even though tempers get hot at the track, usually the combatants are seen a couple hours later with their arms around each other at the local watering hole.
10 bucks isn't too much to spend to see some great racing, on a track small enough to see each and every detail. Kids under 12 are often admitted for free, so an evening at the track can be a great family event. You can bring your own food, or try a hot dog from the snack stand. Most tracks allow tailgating, so you can come early and do your own thing. Consider a night at the races a huge block party. You can meet new people and have fun with people you know or maybe never have met in the past.
Local race tracks have been around since nearly the invention of the automobile. They will continue to abound as long as people love to compete.
Do yourself and racing a favor. Go support your local short track!
Of course, not many of your local drivers will ever make it to the big show. Some of them have no interest in racing for a living. Many of them do it for fun, or for a few extra bucks. Many of them just love doing it, and don't care if they go broke trying to do it. For what ever reason, they show up every week to provide us with some of the best entertainment you can get for 10 bucks.
At most tracks I've been to, yes, $10.00 is the admission price for adults. That's not too bad when you consider that you can watch a bad movie for not much less. Short track racing is what this sport was built on and really, when you dig way down deep, what it still is all about. Local short track drivers don't travel in jets, nor do they sleep in huge motor homes at the track. Most of them do double duty, as in hauling their race cars to the track behind their pickup trucks. These folks are our friends and neighbors. They deserve our support.
Here at our local short track, you can often party after the race with the drivers and their families on the track grounds, or at a local restaurant only a mile or so down the road. Around here, the drivers will have a beer after a Friday night ruckus on the track and tell you all about why they ran into Billy, and why Tommy was stupid enough to run into Joey, or why the car hit the wall on the pace lap. It's all fun, and even though tempers get hot at the track, usually the combatants are seen a couple hours later with their arms around each other at the local watering hole.
10 bucks isn't too much to spend to see some great racing, on a track small enough to see each and every detail. Kids under 12 are often admitted for free, so an evening at the track can be a great family event. You can bring your own food, or try a hot dog from the snack stand. Most tracks allow tailgating, so you can come early and do your own thing. Consider a night at the races a huge block party. You can meet new people and have fun with people you know or maybe never have met in the past.
Local race tracks have been around since nearly the invention of the automobile. They will continue to abound as long as people love to compete.
Do yourself and racing a favor. Go support your local short track!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Take out the Fork. DEI's Not Done Yet
Dale Earnhardt Inc. made a very strong showing at the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega on Sunday.
Regan Smith basically won the race, by outrunning the leader. He got penalized for it though and finished on the tail end of the lead lap, in 18th place.
Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard, along with Aric Almirola also had good cars too. Truex got wrecked while running in the front, but DEI cars were always contenders to win, all day long.
Truex was probably at least as frustrated as was Regan Smith on Sunday. A blown tire on the car of Brian Vickers ended his day early, when clearly, Truex had a car that was capable of running up front.
DEI's day will come, and probably soon, if they can keep up the kind of performance they showed at Talladega.
DEI has definitely shown some muscle in at least their super speedway program this past week, after it was announced that Paul Menard was leaving the team after the 2008 season for Yates.
I was among those who thought DEI was headed for trouble, but I stand here, totally reprimanded. DEI is still a factor, and even though the have no drivers in the Chase for the Cup, they still can upset the apple cart by putting a driver in Victory Lane.
Races are still won by drivers who have the ability to become, how shall we say, 'creative'. What Regan Smith did certainly wasn't a sin, at least to me. My NASCAR's standards, I suppose it was. To me, it meant doing what ever it takes to win, and that's what Regan did. If the guy ahead of you blocks you low, go lower. On any other track on the circuit, except Daytona, of course, this move would have been totally legal.
DEI is not out of the game yet. They still have some cards to play.
Regan Smith basically won the race, by outrunning the leader. He got penalized for it though and finished on the tail end of the lead lap, in 18th place.
Martin Truex Jr. and Paul Menard, along with Aric Almirola also had good cars too. Truex got wrecked while running in the front, but DEI cars were always contenders to win, all day long.
Truex was probably at least as frustrated as was Regan Smith on Sunday. A blown tire on the car of Brian Vickers ended his day early, when clearly, Truex had a car that was capable of running up front.
DEI's day will come, and probably soon, if they can keep up the kind of performance they showed at Talladega.
DEI has definitely shown some muscle in at least their super speedway program this past week, after it was announced that Paul Menard was leaving the team after the 2008 season for Yates.
I was among those who thought DEI was headed for trouble, but I stand here, totally reprimanded. DEI is still a factor, and even though the have no drivers in the Chase for the Cup, they still can upset the apple cart by putting a driver in Victory Lane.
Races are still won by drivers who have the ability to become, how shall we say, 'creative'. What Regan Smith did certainly wasn't a sin, at least to me. My NASCAR's standards, I suppose it was. To me, it meant doing what ever it takes to win, and that's what Regan did. If the guy ahead of you blocks you low, go lower. On any other track on the circuit, except Daytona, of course, this move would have been totally legal.
DEI is not out of the game yet. They still have some cards to play.
The Best Driver in NASCAR? It's Easy to Figure Out
Who is it? We'll wait until the end to show you. But I have to ask you, who else has won 38 races out of 249 starts, and also has 98 top five finishes and 152 top ten finishes?
Who also has 18 poles out of his 249 starts? Who also has never finished worse than 5th in the points standings since he started driving all the races in Cup?
This driver's ability to cultivate wins astounds me. He has a fantastic crew chief as well, about as nerdy as Mr. Spock on Star Trek, but the combination has produced fantastic results.
This driver also lacks, or so it would seem, in personality. He is one of those "I want to thank my sponsor" kind of guys in interviews. He never seems to have a hair out of place, and never says the wrong thing on camera. In other words, he's a sponsor's dream.
This driver overcomes adversity at all costs. He never sounds tired or overly frustrated on the radio during the longest of races. I know. I spent a lot of time listening to his radio during Sunday's Talladega race, and he had more reasons than I have the space to list here to be frustrated. His crew chief kept him in line very well.
Who am I talking about? Of course it's Jimmie Johnson. Since his first Cup race in 2001, he's managed to win 38 times and has 2 championships. He never gives up, as was evident on Sunday during the Talladega race. He salvaged a 9th place finish after losing a lap early. He is the current points leader in Cup, and appears to be on his way to a 3rd consecutive championship. What he lacks in on camera personality, he makes up for on the track.
Performance is what counts, and Jimmie Johnson has proven that he's one of the best.
Who also has 18 poles out of his 249 starts? Who also has never finished worse than 5th in the points standings since he started driving all the races in Cup?
This driver's ability to cultivate wins astounds me. He has a fantastic crew chief as well, about as nerdy as Mr. Spock on Star Trek, but the combination has produced fantastic results.
This driver also lacks, or so it would seem, in personality. He is one of those "I want to thank my sponsor" kind of guys in interviews. He never seems to have a hair out of place, and never says the wrong thing on camera. In other words, he's a sponsor's dream.
This driver overcomes adversity at all costs. He never sounds tired or overly frustrated on the radio during the longest of races. I know. I spent a lot of time listening to his radio during Sunday's Talladega race, and he had more reasons than I have the space to list here to be frustrated. His crew chief kept him in line very well.
Who am I talking about? Of course it's Jimmie Johnson. Since his first Cup race in 2001, he's managed to win 38 times and has 2 championships. He never gives up, as was evident on Sunday during the Talladega race. He salvaged a 9th place finish after losing a lap early. He is the current points leader in Cup, and appears to be on his way to a 3rd consecutive championship. What he lacks in on camera personality, he makes up for on the track.
Performance is what counts, and Jimmie Johnson has proven that he's one of the best.
Want to change NASCAR?
You can do it, as is a catch phrase in most Adam Sandler films. All you need to do is convince about 12 drivers not to show up. All you have to do is convince Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Jeff Burton, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin not to show up at Charlotte. That's all you need to do.
You think I'm crazy? Ok, so maybe I am. But think about it. If you get the 12 chasers to quit right now out of protest for NASCAR's rules, or because whales are still be slaughtered by certain countries, or because wolves are being hunted and shot down by helicopters, then you will get NASCAR to change it's rules.
There is a quote that comes from somewhere which basically says of drivers who buck NASCAR's rules: "You need NASCAR more than NASCAR needs you." That's certainly true for individual drivers. When many current drivers boycotted Talladega for it's inaugural race in 1969, NASCAR put out the news that there would be a full field there. There was, mostly. Drivers such as Richard Childress got their start there. A guy named Richard Brickhouse won the very first race at Talladega. Have you ever heard of him? Not many have.
Richard Brickhouse ran 39 races total in Cup. He only won one time. His winnings from the first Talladega race were $45,637.00 That was real money back in those days. Richard Childress finished 23rd and earned a whopping $1,175.00. That was big money to Richard in those days.
NASCAR owns this sport. NACAR makes the rules. NASCAR changes the rules. NASCAR owns the rights to do just about anything they want to as far as the sport goes. You could change that. NASCAR makes its money from the people who buy tickets, who watch on TV, who support the sport. If you can convince 12 drivers to stay at home, NASCAR might understand that they need to change things around.
If the top 12 drivers just didn't show up at a track, for just one race, what would NASCAR do? Sure, it would allow drivers who normally don't have a shot at Cup racing get in. But do the drivers themselves, whom I've mentioned above really need NASCAR?
Probably not as much as NASCAR needs them.
You think I'm crazy? Ok, so maybe I am. But think about it. If you get the 12 chasers to quit right now out of protest for NASCAR's rules, or because whales are still be slaughtered by certain countries, or because wolves are being hunted and shot down by helicopters, then you will get NASCAR to change it's rules.
There is a quote that comes from somewhere which basically says of drivers who buck NASCAR's rules: "You need NASCAR more than NASCAR needs you." That's certainly true for individual drivers. When many current drivers boycotted Talladega for it's inaugural race in 1969, NASCAR put out the news that there would be a full field there. There was, mostly. Drivers such as Richard Childress got their start there. A guy named Richard Brickhouse won the very first race at Talladega. Have you ever heard of him? Not many have.
Richard Brickhouse ran 39 races total in Cup. He only won one time. His winnings from the first Talladega race were $45,637.00 That was real money back in those days. Richard Childress finished 23rd and earned a whopping $1,175.00. That was big money to Richard in those days.
NASCAR owns this sport. NACAR makes the rules. NASCAR changes the rules. NASCAR owns the rights to do just about anything they want to as far as the sport goes. You could change that. NASCAR makes its money from the people who buy tickets, who watch on TV, who support the sport. If you can convince 12 drivers to stay at home, NASCAR might understand that they need to change things around.
If the top 12 drivers just didn't show up at a track, for just one race, what would NASCAR do? Sure, it would allow drivers who normally don't have a shot at Cup racing get in. But do the drivers themselves, whom I've mentioned above really need NASCAR?
Probably not as much as NASCAR needs them.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Tire Problems, Bad Decisions Mar Exciting Talladega Race
Photo by AP.
Tony Stewart was scored his first victory of the 2008 season on Sunday, after crossing the finish line in second place at the Amp Energy 500 at Talladega, Alabama. The picture above speaks for itself.
Regan Smith, driver of the 01 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet passed Stewart just before crossing the finish line. There was one problem though. Part of that pass occurred while Smith was below the yellow line, which is considered a no-no by NASCAR. It would appear that Stewart, driver of the 20 Home Depot Chevrolet had actually forced Smith below the yellow line. NASCAR, in it's infinite wisdom, said it didn't matter. Tony Stewart went to Victory Lane and Regan Smith was penalized and finished a very disappointing 18th.
Yellow line passes on restrictor plate tracks have been controversial in the past, but none is likely to be as controversial as the one that occurred in Sunday's race. NASCAR seemingly changes the rules from incident to incident, and that makes for a lot of angry drivers, crew chiefs, owners, and especially fans. Right or wrong, Tony Stewart was awarded the trophy, and as always, what NASCAR says goes. Only NASCAR makes the rules in NASCAR, and if they want to change them, it's their option. I personally feel it makes the sport look bad, and gives it a certain WWE feel. If that's what NASCAR wants to do, neither you, nor I, not Regan Smith can change that. There will be no asterisk in the record book.
Goodyear tires once again led to some unnecessary danger in Sunday's race. Blown tires caused at least what could have been one very serious injury when Denny Hamlin blew a right front tire while leading the race, shooting him hard into the wall. Denny was taken to an ambulance on a stretcher and transported to a nearby hospital and kept overnight for observation. Brian Vickers, Mike Wallace were among others who experienced catastrophic tire failures as well. Talladega, even with restrictor plates produces speeds of up to and even exceeding 200 mph. This track is dangerous enough without Goodyear once again providing an inferior and unsafe product. Harsh words, you say? I think perhaps not harsh enough. Several of the drivers expressed their concerns about their safety after Sunday's race. Talladega is nerve racking enough for the drivers without having to wonder if the next blown tire could end their race. Permanently.
Another bad decision was made by Carl Edwards, driver of the 99 Office Depot Ford, who in attempting to push teammate Greg Biffle to the lead, caused a spectacular wreck, not only taking himself out, but also teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was caught up in that crash, which ended his day as well. Edwards did take responsibility for his mistake, but that was small consolation to the drivers who's championship runs were effectively ended by one bone headed mistake. Aggressive is one thing, but stupid is another.
One true high point of the race, from this fan's perspective, was the 13th place finish by Kenny Wallace, who apparently drove a one race deal in the Michael Waltrip owned 00 Toyota. Kenny was penalized a lap early in the competition for speeding in excess of 100 mph on pit road, but was able to recover for a very good finish. Kenny, who is a well liked personality, showed yesterday that he's also a pretty good race car driver. I hope to see this open up the opportunity for Kenny Wallace to drive more Cup races in the near future.
Regan Smith, driver of the 01 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet passed Stewart just before crossing the finish line. There was one problem though. Part of that pass occurred while Smith was below the yellow line, which is considered a no-no by NASCAR. It would appear that Stewart, driver of the 20 Home Depot Chevrolet had actually forced Smith below the yellow line. NASCAR, in it's infinite wisdom, said it didn't matter. Tony Stewart went to Victory Lane and Regan Smith was penalized and finished a very disappointing 18th.
Yellow line passes on restrictor plate tracks have been controversial in the past, but none is likely to be as controversial as the one that occurred in Sunday's race. NASCAR seemingly changes the rules from incident to incident, and that makes for a lot of angry drivers, crew chiefs, owners, and especially fans. Right or wrong, Tony Stewart was awarded the trophy, and as always, what NASCAR says goes. Only NASCAR makes the rules in NASCAR, and if they want to change them, it's their option. I personally feel it makes the sport look bad, and gives it a certain WWE feel. If that's what NASCAR wants to do, neither you, nor I, not Regan Smith can change that. There will be no asterisk in the record book.
Goodyear tires once again led to some unnecessary danger in Sunday's race. Blown tires caused at least what could have been one very serious injury when Denny Hamlin blew a right front tire while leading the race, shooting him hard into the wall. Denny was taken to an ambulance on a stretcher and transported to a nearby hospital and kept overnight for observation. Brian Vickers, Mike Wallace were among others who experienced catastrophic tire failures as well. Talladega, even with restrictor plates produces speeds of up to and even exceeding 200 mph. This track is dangerous enough without Goodyear once again providing an inferior and unsafe product. Harsh words, you say? I think perhaps not harsh enough. Several of the drivers expressed their concerns about their safety after Sunday's race. Talladega is nerve racking enough for the drivers without having to wonder if the next blown tire could end their race. Permanently.
Another bad decision was made by Carl Edwards, driver of the 99 Office Depot Ford, who in attempting to push teammate Greg Biffle to the lead, caused a spectacular wreck, not only taking himself out, but also teammates Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was caught up in that crash, which ended his day as well. Edwards did take responsibility for his mistake, but that was small consolation to the drivers who's championship runs were effectively ended by one bone headed mistake. Aggressive is one thing, but stupid is another.
One true high point of the race, from this fan's perspective, was the 13th place finish by Kenny Wallace, who apparently drove a one race deal in the Michael Waltrip owned 00 Toyota. Kenny was penalized a lap early in the competition for speeding in excess of 100 mph on pit road, but was able to recover for a very good finish. Kenny, who is a well liked personality, showed yesterday that he's also a pretty good race car driver. I hope to see this open up the opportunity for Kenny Wallace to drive more Cup races in the near future.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Why Paul Menard is a great addition to Yates Racing
It's very simple. Paul Menard brings to Yates what all NASCAR teams need, in order to survive. $. Yep that's it.
It doesn't matter that Menard has not won a race in the Sprint Cup series. He did win one in the Nationwide series, back when it was still called the Busch series. In the Cup series, he has exactly one top 10 finish, which came as a 7th place finish at Atlanta in 2006. That's out of a total of 68 races thus far in the Cup series.
I'm not saying that Paul Menard is not a good race car driver. I'm just saying that a driver without a built in sponsor, which is what Paul brings to the game, would not even be in the series at all. Paul's father, John Menard, is the owner of Menards, a major mid western home improvement chain. John Menard is the richest person in the state of Wisconsin, as of 2007, according to an online encyclopedia.
Having a rich father certainly helps a young race car driver succeed. Many people attribute Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s success to the fact that his father was a successful race car driver, and not that Dale Jr. could possibly have any talent of his own. That point of view is foolish at best, and ridiculous at worst, because drivers with no talent who win the Busch series championship 2 years in a row and 18 Cup races by the time they are 33 years old are rare indeed.
Paul Menard is not among the top tier of drivers in NASCAR, and never has been. However, as long as Menard's keeps doing business, and as long as his father believes in his son, Paul Menard will have a sponsor. Is this a trend that will become more prevelant in NASCAR in the future? It's difficult to say.
As long as money is the life blood of all NASCAR teams, any driver with a built in sponsor will be poplular. Race wins or championships will not make any difference, as long as the bucks keep pouring in. Yates Racing, now run by Doug Yates, has done what his organization needed to do to keep the doors open for next year. They hired a guy with a rich dad. Does this cheapen the sport in any way? I say yes, it does.
There are drivers out there that cannot get a job anymore. They have won races in the past. Steve Park comes to mind. Though he's had some terrible accidents, Steve is a proven Cup winner. He drove for DEI, basically as the company's first Cup driver. His dad doesn't own a multimillion dollar business though.
Once again, I have no beef with Paul Menard. If racing is what he wants to do, then so be it. I find it somewhat of a shame when Paul gets a ride with Yates Racing, and Steve Park is still on the outside, looking in.
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