Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Exclusive Post Race Comments from Infineon!

A lot of people don't know this, but this week, the Jimmy C's Nascar Blog had hidden microphones in various haulers and press rooms at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Some of the comments were surprising, to say the least.

Kyle Busch, current points leader and race winner: "I love Northern California! They really know how to appreciate a good bow here! Hey, I just found out I'm an accomplished road course ringer!"

Juan Pablo Montoya: (in a radio conversation with his crew chief) "But Brian, the gas gauge reads full! What? That's the temperature gauge? Now you tell me!"

Tony Stewart: "I just wanted to dispel any more rumors that I'm going to be Richard Childress' 4th driver."

Kevin Harvick: "I just wanted to prove to the world that I'm just as good as any Joe Gibbs Racing driver!"

Jamie McMurray: "Wow! I finally got on TV! And during a race!"

Jeff Gordon, in a radio conversation with owner Rick Hendrick: "Rick, I've got a plan. Nascar and TNT need the ratings, so why don't we just let the bad boy win another one?"

Casey Mears, singing softly to himself: "I ain't got nobody, nobody cares for me, nobody, nobody..."

Jimmie Johnson: " I think Greg (Biffle) saw a right hand corner, when I know I clearly saw a left hand corner. It's like.... Greg was just in another dimension, and he was right behind me! He was in the mirror universe, where right is left and left is right. I'm telling you, it was scary!"

Greg Biffle who during the race mysteriously sprouted a mustache and goatee: "All of a sudden, the light shimmered, and it's like everything was backwards. I could have sworn that was the 84 car in front of me, not the 48!"

Kasey Kahne: "I'm going to petition Nascar to award as many points for winning the pole as the race winner gets!"

David Reutimann: "Man, where did that straightaway go? Now they call it Turn 8?"

Kyle Petty, who was in the TNT booth during this year's event: "At least the entire world didn't hear me say a particularly bad word during the race this year!"

Brian France, Nascar's ultimate ruler: "Next year, I think we're going to run the race here the other way around. Let's make Turn 11 into Turn 1. We'll also award extra points for synchronized spinning."

Casey Mears, again, but this time to an empty press room: "The Kelloggs Chevrolet was..... Hello, anybody hear me? Anyone there?"

Elliot Sadler: "I don't see why a car can't win a race with 3 tires. Dale Jr. did it with no gas. Jeff Gordon did it with no water in the radiator! Next week, I'm going to show up in my blond wig and mustache, and change my luck a little."

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: "Man, if it weren't for the fact that I hate this place, I'd love it. I think me, Tony and Kenny need to buy this track, and then I'm going to get my daddy's old bulldozer and doze it to the ground. We'll put in a 2.75 mile, 36 degree banked wide oval. Then we'll buy Nascar and change the rules and do away with restrictor plates. You want to see open wheel speeds out of cars with fenders? Heck yeah, man!"

In case you can't tell, all the above comments and quotes are quite fictitious and are are solely for fun. We never mean to offend here. Well, almost never.

In memoriam: NHRA's Scott Kalitta died tragically on Saturday during a race in New Jersey. Scott Kalitta. May you rest in peace, and may the good Lord watch over your family.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

A Great Young Man, who Never really had a Chance.

On the day that Dale Earnhardt Jr won his first Winston Cup race, on April 2, 2000, I was very excited. I'd liked the young man since he first started driving in the Busch Series. Dale Jr. managed to win 2 Busch Series championships in 1998 and 1999. In 2000, he won just in his 7th Cup race of the season. It was a major accomplishment, and watching Dale hugging Dale Jr. in victory lane was a moment that I'll probably never forget.

There was another young driver in that race, his very first race in Winston Cup, Nascar's most elite series. His name was Adam Petty, the great-grandson of Nascar pioneer Lee Petty, the grandson of the King, Richard Petty, and the son of Kyle Petty. This was his first Winston Cup race, and sadly enough, it turned out to be his only race in the Cup Series. A little over a month later, Adam Petty died in an accident at New Hampshire Speedway during practice, on May 12, 2000. Adam was only 19 years old, and suddenly he was gone forever.

The Petty family's grief was evident, but subdued. Kyle had been in England with one of his daughters when the accident happened. Richard was quiet. But the grief they endured had to be monumental. No family, especially the Petty family, with such proud traditions, could have felt more grief than Kyle, Pattie, Richard, and all the rest of the family felt when Adam passed away at such a tragically young age.

After Adam's death, Kyle and his wife Pattie started the Victory Junction Gang Camp. This is a very special place where kids with all ailments and sicknesses get to live out their dreams. Kyle has told us that this was Adam's dream, even at only the tender age of 19. Adam wanted to help kids that are hurting, especially those in terminal conditions. The Victory Junction Gang Camp has fulfilled a ton of dreams since it's inception, and Kyle, Pattie, Richard, and untold how many drivers and friends have helped make Adam's dream a reality. There are kids that have been at the camp that have had their dreams realized, no matter how short their time is to realize any of their dreams.

I've got a friend, and he's a nice guy, and he's willing to donate his talent and time to this excellent charity. We call him TireDawg, and he posts regularly on the Pit Board, especially early in the morning. This man has his own business, but also does a remarkable thing on his own. He makes custom diecast replicas of Nascar race cars. My friend, TireDawg, will also be making these available on E-bay, and the total buyer's winning bid will be given to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. I hope to be working in conjunction with TireDawg, and will be posting links on this site. This is a worthy cause, folks. The Petty's are giving back from their success, and making kids very happy. Some of these kids won't live long, but Kyle and his family give them their dreams in memory of the son they lost.

We only live once. Get a custom made diecast that will contribute to a special cause. Our friend TireDawg makes some very good 'casts, and let's contribute to the Victory Junction Gang Camp. Let's do our part and help kids that need help.

Nascar and road course racing

I have to admit it, but I'm actually only a recent convert to road course racing. I used to feel that cars having to slow down to speeds of 35 miles per hour under race conditions was atrocious. Recently, however, I've changed my tune on that opinion.

Road courses provide fans to see the all around driving skills that our favorite drivers possess. Thirty six weeks a year, we get to see how they drive on various circle tracks around the country, but the road courses allow us to see the cars turning right once in a while.

Many new fans to Nascar are or once were fans of other series, such as IRL or Champ, or Formula One. Many of the races run in those series are on various road courses, at Infineon and Watkins Glen, the fans get to see cars racing on tracks they're more used to seeing. These two tracks offer a little break from what some might consider the monotony of circle track racing.

Even being what I would consider to be a Nascar purist, road courses are nothing new to Nascar. Years ago, the first race of the year wasn't the Daytona 500, as it is now. The drivers used to head to the old Riverside Speedway in California in January for the years first points event.

For the drivers, many who came up through the ranks on the circle tracks find the road courses to be a special challenge. Some don't like them, and have performed well on the courses. Others love them, but have never had much success. In the Busch Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr. once won a race at Watkins Glen, and claimed that he learned how to drive the track by playing a video game version of the race!

Love them or hate them, road courses are here to stay, and I have to admit, I'm not so sorry to see it. I've never been to a Nascar road course race, and I'm not likely to ever go to one, but I'm glad that the true fans of the road courses have their venues as well.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A Win is a win is a win is a win.

I've read on various forums this week that somehow Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win at Michigan Sunday was "not legitimate", or "should have an asterisk beside it." Excuse my language, and I'm going to try to keep this as close to G rated as I can, but those assumptions by a few of the talking heads and some of the fans are complete bull squeeze. I just have to laugh when I read people who should know better, and indeed do know better, that a win under a yellow flag is somehow not a legitimate win.

In that case, following that logic, I suppose the late Dale Earnhardt should have his 1998 Daytona 500 victory stripped and deleted from the record books. Dale finished that race under caution, but what some people forget is the fact that in Nascar, the driver who crosses the start-finish line first, whether it be under caution or green, whether he's driving straight ahead or backwards, or upside down, is determined to be the winner. The win Sunday was legitimate. If indeed Dale Jr. passed the pace car, he did not do it to the point that Nascar felt like it was a foul. Dale Jr. was indeed warned to keep his position, but that's not the first time this has happened. Nascar declared the 88 car to be the winner, and that's that.

Fans of Nascar, and members of the media that cover the race, I've got a message for you. Deal with it. When the green flag drops, anything can happen. Engines blow. Tires blow. Ignition boxes fail. Belts break. Cars hit a patch of oil or some other slick substance and spin. Drivers make mistakes. If you think Nascar can orchestrate the events that unfold on a track, lap after lap, for 400 or 500 miles, you are deluding yourself. More importantly, and more obviously, If you think that all the people involved can keep such trickery a secret, then you are indeed delusional. It's simply not possible. Nascar, for all it's faults, has to play this game straight up. If it didn't, people in the garage would all be running for the nearest microphone to voice their complaints. Sometimes we do hear complaints, but most of the time those are addressed and dealt with, not always to the complainer's satisfaction, but they are dealt with all the same.

Nascar is not in the business of providing staged performances. They provide the basics needed for racing, and the drivers and the teams put on the show. Does Nascar like it when Dale Jr. wins a race? Of course it does. But then again, they don't seem to care much if he gets spun while leading a race either. Nascar has told drivers in the past that "You need Nascar more than Nascar needs you." Dale Jr. has been frustrated when he's been knocked out of what looks a sure win, but he's also been gracious about it. He doesn't point fingers, and he usually goes overboard to take blame when in all actuality, he deserves none.

For a driver with no apparent talent, according to some, Dale Jr. has accomplished a lot in his career. He's won a lot of non points races, such as the Bud Shootout, and the Winston. He won two Busch Series championships, and has now won 18 Cup races. A lot of other drivers, who some say are much more talented, have struggled to accomplish half as much in their careers as Dale Jr. has. I have to laugh sometimes when I read on message boards something to the effect of "I know my driver is the best in the field, but wish he could finish better than 15th." Hey, fans? I've felt that way before too, when it was my driver. I knew my driver was capable of better finishes, but the equipment or some other gremlin was keeping him from winning or finishing in the top 5 or so.

When it gets right down to it, it's racing. Every week, there are 42 drivers that don't win. It doesn't mean they aren't great drivers. Nobody that can't drive a race car gets to this level. Every single driver in this field is there because they are the best of the best when it comes to stock car racing. Did Dale Earnhardt help Dale Jr. get his start in racing? Of course he did. Dale Jr. is not the only kid in the sport to be helped by benefit of what their name was. Kyle Petty knows what I'm talking about. Dale Jarrett knows what I'm talking about. John Andretti and Casey Mears know what I'm talking about. Talent basically doesn't care about names though, and none of these drivers would have ever made it as far as they did without talent of their own.

You cannot win two Busch Series championships and 18 Cup races just because your daddy was Dale Earnhardt. Some people forget that most of Dale Jr.'s Cup wins came after his father died. Probably somewhere, there are people that question the validity of every one of those wins. I know people still question his 2004 Daytona 500 win, and his 2001 Pepsi 400 win. I just have to laugh at these people, because lunacy is fun to read sometimes.

Dale Jr., you finally got the big W! Congratulations to you, and I hope you enjoy this week. Your talent as a race car driver first drew me to you, and made me watch you, but your character and personality have made me a fan.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

California Heat!

This week, the Sprint Cup series heads back out to California, specifically to the road course at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. Once again, we'll be treated to road course ringers, and chances are a regular Cup driver will win the race.

The statistics are very clear, and quite frankly, Jeff Gordon practically owns Infineon. He's won there 5 times in his career. Tony Stewart has won twice, and Juan Pablo Montoya, Mark Martin, and Robby Gordon have each won once at this track. Ernie Irvan won here twice, as has Rusty Wallace and Ricky Rudd. But let's face it, 5 wins is impressive, so Jeff Gordon has to be the odds favorite in this race.

Will this be the break out weekend for Jeff Gordon? He's been winless in 2008, and though he has had some great performances, he's not sealed the deal and put the car in victory lane. Jimmie Johnson has won, and now so has Dale Jr., so the pressure on Jeff is even more than normal this week, at a track at which he has dominated in the past.

Any former open wheel driver, such as Montoya or Hornish has a shot at winning a race this weekend. These kinds of tracks are their former bread and butter, and they know how to wheel a car around a road course. A ringer might win as well, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Kevin Harvick drives well on road courses, and has won on them. Robby Gordon is a road course specialist. There is a great possibility that we will see a first time winner this weekend at Sonoma.

This week, Nascar turns right, as well as left.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Finally!

Well, the drought is over. After 76 races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is finally back in victory lane. The Earnhardt Nation rejoices, Dale Jr. has a genuine smile on his face again. Today, all seems right in the world once again.

There are detractors of course. There always are. During the closing laps, before the green-white-checker finish, Dale Jr. was using an old racer's trick to save fuel, by gunning the throttle, and then shutting off the engine. At times he nearly passed the pace car, and Nascar was warning him not to do that. Some fans said that Dale Jr. did pass the pace car and should have been black flagged. I can say that I never saw that happen, but we all see what we want to see sometimes. Nascar did not black flag Dale Jr. and he got the checkered flag, once again under caution. Dale Jr. did not have enough fuel to do a burnout, much less even get to victory lane without a push. Some have said that he has to have enough fuel to drive to victory lane under his own power, but I do know that this particular theory is complete hogwash. Nascar only requires that the winner coast across the start-finish line under his own power. That's exactly what Dale Jr. did.

It appeared that on the final stages of that last lap, 2nd place car Kasey Kahne was prepared to give the 88 car a push, and had he done so, that would have probably given Kasey the win, instead of Dale Jr. Kasey never touched Dale Jr.'s car though, so no harm, no foul. I don't think Kasey's intent, if indeed there was any, was to prevent Dale Jr. from winning. I think he thought possibly he might help out a buddy. I don't know what was going through Kasey's mind, but thankfully he never touched the 88 car, even if he was probably thinking he might be helping. Kasey was obviously not in a position to pass the 88 car had it slowed dramatically. He was right behind Dale Jr. the entire last part of the lap, and I'm guessing his intention was to help, not hurt.

But enough of the haters and the grousers. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has finally got rid of the curse, got the monkey off his back, finally broken the streak, or whatever phrase you'd like to use. It was an emotional time for Dale Jr. fans, as we saw crew chief Tony Eury Jr. with tears in his eyes, and maybe even a few in owner Rick Hendrick's eyes after the checkered flag. Teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson were gracious enough to come give the new guy a hug and congratulations in victory lane. I imagine Casey Mears did so as well, but if he did, TV failed to show me that.

Dale Jr. was obviously the big winner yesterday, but having watched Dale Jr. for so many years now, as happy as he is for the win, he's probably happier for his fans. Several times in his post race interviews, he referenced his fans, basically saying that he was happy because he knew his fans were happy. This is one of the reasons I am a Dale Jr. fan. He gives back to the fans, and he worries about whether they are happy or not. Most drivers are glad to have their fans, but they don't really show the concern that Dale Jr. has in the past. Dale Jr. has done various DVD and TV projects, and when asked why, he said "It's for the fans. It's to say thank you."

A lot of people realized one of the strange statistics from yesterday's race. Dale Jr. won, after a 76 race winless drought. Dale's father won 76 Cup races in his career. Dale Jr. broke the drought on Father's Day. In a touching post race moment, Dale Jr. mentioned that he wished he could tell his dad Happy Father's Day, but of course he can't, but Dale Jr. said it anyway by winning. I can't imagine a Father's Day present that Dale would have been more proud of.

Tony Eury Jr. made a gutsy call by not pitting Dale Jr. in the closing laps of the race. They all knew they would be very close to running out of fuel, but he made the gamble, and it paid off. Tony Jr. has been the subject of much criticism over the last year or so, and many say that Dale Jr. would be better off with a different crew chief. But Dale Jr. has been adamant that Tony Jr. stay with him. They are cousins, and grew up together. They often fight, just like all brothers do, but they are very close. Dale Jr. is very comfortable with his cousin and close friend on top of the pit box, and yesterday showed they they can be a winning combination. I never heard Darien Grubb's name mentioned last night, but I imagine his input was crucial in the fuel mileage decision as well. Well done, Darien, Tony Jr. and all the Dew Crew! You finally got the win, and you did so in splendid fashion.

A lot of the grousers out there conveniently forget that Dale Jr. won the first two races he ever ran in his new 88 Chevrolet. He won the Bud Shootout and his qualifying race at Daytona in February. Those weren't points races, but they were races. A race is a race, and a win is a win. Now that Dale Jr.'s finally won a points race, hopefully people will get off his back, at least a little. Some people, who should know better, also overlook the fact that Dale Jr. has been in 3rd place overall in points for sometime now. They also conveniently overlook the fact that he has been the most consistent of all the Hendrick cars. Up until yesterday, Dale Jr.'s numbers were very impressive in 2008, and the only thing missing was a win. Well, he's got it now, and a win is a win, and it will always be scored in the record books that way.

Win number 18 puts Dale Jr. in some fine company on the list of all time wins. 18 wins puts him in a tie with Geoffrey Bodine, Harry Gant, and Neil Bonnett. One more win will put him in a tie with Buddy Baker, Davey Allison, and Fonty Flock. I know most of you have never heard of Fonty, but that will be a subject of this blog in the future. This first win of the season is crucial for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s career, and it's just one more mountain that he's climbed. Dale Jr. is in a good position to compete for his first championship, and if he keeps up the consistency he's shown so far this year, he will definitely be in the running to get championship number one.

Earnhardt fans! Celebrate this week. Dale Jr. finally got the win, and now we can concentrate on following our driver on to hopefully more victories and maybe even a championship. Today, all is good in the Earnhardt Nation.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Nascar and Racism

Most people that read this blog already read a lot of other sites, and I don't really report news here. I'll simply quote a headline and a few bits of the story that appeared on Jayski's site a few days ago. This is what Jayski quoted:

"Former official sues NASCAR over harassment claims UPDATE: A former racing official is suing NASCAR, alleging racial and sexual discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. Mauricia Grant worked as a technical inspector responsible for certifying cars in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series from January 2005 until she was fired last October. Grant, who is black, alleges she was referred to as "Nappy Headed Mo" and "Queen Sheba," by white co-workers. She also claims she often was told she worked on "colored people time," and was frightened by one official who routinely made references to the Ku Klux Klan. The lawsuit, which seeks $250 million, was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.(ESPN.com/Associated Press) and see a copy of the lawsuit at FoxSports (pdf format)(6-10-2008)
UPDATE: NASCAR chairman Brian France says a former official who's suing the organization never reported discrimination or harassment claims to her supervisors. Mauricia Grant filed a $225 million suit against NASCAR on Tuesday, alleging racial discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliatory termination. France said Wednesday the detailed filing was the first NASCAR learned of her claims. "The disappointing thing is she makes a lot of claims, none of them reported," he said.(Associated Press)(6-11-2008)"

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I'm not going to comment on any particular details of the case, but if even one-tenth of Ms. Grant's claims are true, Nascar needs to fire a lot of people, and they need to take steps to make sure that anything like this never happens again. I'm not saying that any of this is true, but if any of it is, Nascar's got a serious problem.

Nascar began largely in the Southeast in the late 1940's Our part of the country has long been ridiculed, and sometimes for good reason, for being racist. Some of us remember the debacle that was George Wallace in the 1970's. Some of us remember David Duke and his fortunately unsuccessful run for public office. The South in general has a very large image problem when it comes to racism.

Some that is justified, even today. But I ask you, even if you live in New York, or Minnesota, or California, are there not racial problems there as well sometimes? The South, as a whole, has overcome many of our race problems over the last 50 years. We still have problems, but we have improved very much since the year 1950.

One of my best friends, indeed one of the best friends I've ever had, is a black man. I will use the term 'black' here, because that's what he calls himself, and I will defer to his wishes. My friend is a former collegiate athlete, and is now a law enforcement officer. He is also a loving husband and the father of 3 wonderful children. He is also a Nascar fan, and actually has attended about a handful of races, and 2 with his family. He has been to races at Darlington, Charlotte, and Atlanta. He tells me that neither he nor his family have ever had problems at any of these race tracks. He said the fellow fans were friendly, and no one ever bothered any of his family. I myself once sat next to a black family at Atlanta, and other than the fact that they cheered for a driver I didn't particularly care for, we got along just fine. I saw no one in the stands harass them because of the color of their skin.

My friend was born and grew up in South Carolina. Has he endured racist comments and harassment here in his home state? Of course he has. But when my friend got a scholarship to play football for a major university in the upper Mid West, things changed. He was one of about 7 black players on the team. The black players were ostracized and taunted by the white players and coaches. My friend endured 4 years of abject racism, and though he was cheered on the field, he was the subject of racist taunts and practical jokes in the locker room and in the dorms. My friend will tell you, frankly, that he was treated worse in the Northern part of this country because of his race than he ever was back here in South Carolina. I know that's not the norm, but in this case it's the truth.

Not that has much to do with Nascar's problem. I don't know the background of the Nascar officials that Ms. Grant accused, but I'm guessing these days that a lot of the officials are from all parts of the country. People involved in all areas of the sport are from all areas of the country. I guess the point I'm trying to get to is this: Don't blame Nacar's Southern roots and just assume that racism is common in the sport. I know for a fact it's not, at least among the teams and the fans. Sure, there are exceptions, but those are rare these days, at least the reported incidents are. In my own personal experience as a fan, I've never seen people of other races taunted at the track. One of my best e-mail friends is of Chinese decent, and she lives in Seattle, Washington. Every year, she and several of her friends go to the races in Sonoma and Fontana. They also try to make Phoenix once in a while, and last year they trekked to Kansas and Chicago. She tells me that she's never been taunted because of her race at the track. She's been taunted at work, and in restaurants, but never at a race track. I find that interesting.

Does Nascar itself have a problem? I don't know. To be honest with you, Nascar is somewhat like a castle, on top of a mountain, protected by a moat, and possibly by dragons too. Nobody outside of the corporation knows that much about the inner workings of the organization that governs the sport. Nascar has always ruled the sport with an iron fist, and has always had the mantra to the teams: "Do it our way, or just go away". Nascar basically has no oversight committee, as far as I know. What I'm saying is that if any of what Ms. Grant is accusing Nascar of doing is actually true, then Nascar needs to be taken down a notch or two. In the year 2008, co-workers don't get away with that kind of nonsense. If the courts judge Ms. Grant's claims to be true, she deserves her $225 million dollars. If Nascar officials indeed are guilty of these taunts, then Brian France, himself, needs to clean house and get rid of the offenders.

Nascar is a multi-billion dollar business, and is trying to become the USA's most watched sport. If indeed they have racial problems inside the company, they need to fix it now, or expect to be trashed in the media for years to come. I know that Nascar has tried to get more drivers and teams of different races involved in the sport, and I applaud that. I think the teams are trying to get the best people they can get, regardless of skin color or sex. The bottom line is this: If Nascar has problems within it's organization, they need to fix it, and they need to do it quickly. There is no room for discrimination because of either race or sex in today's America. If Ms. Grant's accusations prove to be false, then shame on her. If any of her claims turn out to be true, shame on Brian France and Nascar.