Well, it's official, and one more driver and open ride are now off the market. Yesterday, Mark Martin and Rick Hendrick made the announcement that Mark will be in the 5 Chevy in 2009 and possibly beyond, and on a full time basis for 2009.
Many people have been critical of both Mark and Rick Hendrick for this decision, but I think it opens up some interesting possibilities. Mark wants to make one more championship run, and even though he has been retiring for years now, I suppose the opportunity to drive for one of Nascar's most successful owners was overriding in his decision. Having the opportunity to drive for Hendrick would be incentive for practically any driver. But one has to wonder about Rick's wishes or motives.
Rick could have had anyone jump at the offer to take over the 5 ride, within reason of course. Tony Stewart was rumored to be heading for Hendrick. Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman have been rumored. Some have thought that Brad Keselowski might be in that ride. A part time deal with Mark Martin and Brad was talked about. Why Mark, many would ask.
I'm guessing that Rick and Mark have been friends for years, as many who have been in the garage together for over two decades might be. A few short years ago, Everyone thought Mark Martin would end his driving career in the ride for which he was most famous, the 6 Ford owned by longtime friend Jack Roush. Mark agreed to drive part time and mentor young David Ragan. Then Mark went to Ginn racing to mentor a young Aric Almirola and Ricky Carmichael. Ginn gets swallowed by Dale Earnhardt Inc., and Mark found himself replacing Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the 8 car, along with Almirola. DEI decides they want Aric in a full time ride next year, and Mark's options are open. Rick has a ride available, Kelloggs and other sponsors want a driver they can get behind, and if nothing else, sponsors like Mark Martin. 35 wins and almost winning the Cup 2 times probably doesn't hurt either.
I don't know the exact reasons for all this earth shattering news, but Rick Hendrick didn't get to where he is as an owner or as a businessman by making hasty decisions or for that matter, foolish ones. And as for Mark Martin, I'm not really a fan of his, but I can understand wanting one more shot at winning that elusive championship. If I had a chance to possibly get Tony Stewart on my team, I'd probably go for it. But surprisingly enough, Neither Mark nor Rick Hendrick asked for my advice or input on this subject.
I'm guessing what it comes down to is sponsorship and relationships. Mark has driven the JRM/ Hendrick 5 Nationwide car, so he's driven for Rick before. If nothing else, Mark has a reputation for being a clean driver on the track, and a good teammate. He's still competitive as a driver, and he's certainly got the experience and is a proven race winner.
Only time will tell how this new deal will work out, but as a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan, I'll welcome Martin to the Hendrick fold, and wish him well.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Revenge is best served cold
In virtually every automobile race ever run, one driver or more as done something that irked other drivers. Somebody got a little too high coming out of the corner. Somebody bumped someone from behind for no apparent reason. The reasons for these incidents are as infinite as the stars in the sky, but the excuses given by drivers apparently is even more infinite.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch got in a bit of a tiff with each other at Loudon, New Hampshire on Sunday. According to eyewitness accounts, Kyle and Juan had been battling each other for several laps. From at least one eyewitness, Kyle repeatedly banged his 18 Toyota into the side of the side of the 42 Dodge. Apparently, under caution, Juan had enough of that and took a drastic left turn and hit the 18 and spun him, and subsequently got taken out by the 18 car.
In post race interviews, Juan Pablo Montoya admitted that he had indeed hit the 18 car intentionally. Nascar decided that they had to step in and administer some harsh punishment. Juan was penalized 2 laps. Kyle acted mystified by the 42 car's driver's actions. Kyle obviously was a victim of a reckless driver's ineptitude.
There's an old saying that goes something like people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I've watched every single race in which Kyle Busch has participated this season, in all three Nascar series. I've seen Kyle wreck a lot of cars, and I've seen Kyle ruin a lot of other driver's chances to win or to even have a good finish. Kyle hasn't been penalized even once for his idiotic driving style, and remains in the lead in Sprint Cup points. Nascar seems to enjoy having a new villain in the sport, and is likely to let Kyle get away with his destructive driving style.
Nascar has always had it's villains and it's good guys. It's the black hats versus the white hats. There are varying degrees of black hats, but Kyle Busch's hat most assuredly is the blackest of all. I'm not squeamish when it comes to rough driving. I was an Earnhardt fan after all. But Dale drove with a purpose and a set of specialized skills that sometimes meant roughing up another driver to achieve his ultimate purpose, which of course was winning. Kyle just looks like he takes it very personally when another driver races him hard on the track. If he gets bumped, he slams the other car, just on principle, apparently. He would be making more ground up by just ignoring it and going by, but apparently the kid in the glass house thinks he will earn more respect by roughing up everyone on the track.
If that is what Kyle is thinking, he's wrong. Drivers, crew chiefs, and owners become easily offended when their expensive sheet metal is bent by a kid with a chip on his shoulder. Is Kyle really a kid, you might ask? I can call him one. Kyle is 23 years old. I'm 44 years old. This is not my first rodeo, so to speak. Kyle reminds me of a genuine spoiled brat. When caught in some transgression or other, Kyle always has an excuse. He never did it. He has no idea why that other car spun when he hit him. Apparently it's not ok to race hard with certain other drivers.
The truth is, Kyle takes very much offense when ANY other driver races him hard. He doesn't seem to realize that his false accusations fall on deaf ears most of the time. Nascar may be enjoying the bonanza of stories and TV ratings right now, but sooner or later, someone will blatantly put the golden boy from Las Vegas into the wall. It will happen with what used to be called 'extreme prejudice'. It won't be pretty either. Kyle's arrogance and attitude will eventually be his downfall. If he were smart, he'd take a lesson in humility from his older brother Kurt. Kurt had to learn his lessons the hard way, and the hard way seems to be the destiny for the younger Busch to learn his lessons too.
Revenge is a fact in Nascar. Kyle Busch, you'd better watch your back.
Juan Pablo Montoya and Kyle Busch got in a bit of a tiff with each other at Loudon, New Hampshire on Sunday. According to eyewitness accounts, Kyle and Juan had been battling each other for several laps. From at least one eyewitness, Kyle repeatedly banged his 18 Toyota into the side of the side of the 42 Dodge. Apparently, under caution, Juan had enough of that and took a drastic left turn and hit the 18 and spun him, and subsequently got taken out by the 18 car.
In post race interviews, Juan Pablo Montoya admitted that he had indeed hit the 18 car intentionally. Nascar decided that they had to step in and administer some harsh punishment. Juan was penalized 2 laps. Kyle acted mystified by the 42 car's driver's actions. Kyle obviously was a victim of a reckless driver's ineptitude.
There's an old saying that goes something like people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I've watched every single race in which Kyle Busch has participated this season, in all three Nascar series. I've seen Kyle wreck a lot of cars, and I've seen Kyle ruin a lot of other driver's chances to win or to even have a good finish. Kyle hasn't been penalized even once for his idiotic driving style, and remains in the lead in Sprint Cup points. Nascar seems to enjoy having a new villain in the sport, and is likely to let Kyle get away with his destructive driving style.
Nascar has always had it's villains and it's good guys. It's the black hats versus the white hats. There are varying degrees of black hats, but Kyle Busch's hat most assuredly is the blackest of all. I'm not squeamish when it comes to rough driving. I was an Earnhardt fan after all. But Dale drove with a purpose and a set of specialized skills that sometimes meant roughing up another driver to achieve his ultimate purpose, which of course was winning. Kyle just looks like he takes it very personally when another driver races him hard on the track. If he gets bumped, he slams the other car, just on principle, apparently. He would be making more ground up by just ignoring it and going by, but apparently the kid in the glass house thinks he will earn more respect by roughing up everyone on the track.
If that is what Kyle is thinking, he's wrong. Drivers, crew chiefs, and owners become easily offended when their expensive sheet metal is bent by a kid with a chip on his shoulder. Is Kyle really a kid, you might ask? I can call him one. Kyle is 23 years old. I'm 44 years old. This is not my first rodeo, so to speak. Kyle reminds me of a genuine spoiled brat. When caught in some transgression or other, Kyle always has an excuse. He never did it. He has no idea why that other car spun when he hit him. Apparently it's not ok to race hard with certain other drivers.
The truth is, Kyle takes very much offense when ANY other driver races him hard. He doesn't seem to realize that his false accusations fall on deaf ears most of the time. Nascar may be enjoying the bonanza of stories and TV ratings right now, but sooner or later, someone will blatantly put the golden boy from Las Vegas into the wall. It will happen with what used to be called 'extreme prejudice'. It won't be pretty either. Kyle's arrogance and attitude will eventually be his downfall. If he were smart, he'd take a lesson in humility from his older brother Kurt. Kurt had to learn his lessons the hard way, and the hard way seems to be the destiny for the younger Busch to learn his lessons too.
Revenge is a fact in Nascar. Kyle Busch, you'd better watch your back.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Drivers and Privacy
Just how much do Nascar drivers deserve privacy? After all, they do make millions of dollars, and put their faces on TV every week. They go to events and sign autographs, and appear in commercials for their sponsors. Should drivers be accessible to everyone, all the time?
Years ago, it was common for drivers and fans to intermingle in the infield before and after races. Richard Petty is famous for signing autographs, sometimes for hours, until the last fan had left with the King's signature on something. Those days obviously are long gone, but Nascar remains the only major sport in the world that gives fans major access to their favorite drivers.
I watched something interesting on Sunday's TNT broadcast of the race at New Hampshire. Patrick Carpentier was walking through the infield, and he passed several fans. Some of the fans looked at Patrick with a faint flicker of recognition, but walked on by. Patrick was looking into almost every face he passed, with a big smile on his face. Patrick had his Sharpie pen in his hand, like virtually every driver does, but no one was asking for his autograph. I imagine a lot of other drivers would envy Patrick's relative anonymity.
Imagine Dale Earnhardt Jr., walking through any place, especially at a race track, and the people walking by ignoring him. Imagine that happening for Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, or even Jason Keller. People recognize their faces, and they react with excitement. Often it's not even a driver that they like, but just the fact that they drive for Nascar often creates chaos in public places. Nascar is a very public forum. We see drivers succeed and we see them fail. It's like one giant soap opera played out weekly on TV and in the news.
I had an interesting experience a couple of years ago. I happened to be in Charlotte in December. In other words, it was the off season in Nascar. I was sitting in a restaurant enjoying dinner, and I looked up and saw Jeff Burton and his wife Kim walk by. I heard a few people say "Hey, Jeff!" I watched with fascination while the pair were seated at a table near me. Jeff smiled and waved, but no one rushed over to ask for his autograph. During his meal, Jeff talked to a few people casually at the tables around him, but there was no swarm for autographs, nor was there a crush of fans that gathered around the table. I found this fascinating. Jeff Burton is a major driver in the Cup series, and has won a lot of races. At first, I kept thinking he would be swarmed, but then it dawned on me that there was no race in Charlotte that weekend, and mostly it was just locals in the restaurant. They accepted Jeff as a local celebrity, but they left him alone to enjoy dinner with his wife. Jeff was in his adopted home town, and Charlotte, being a fairly urban place these days, apparently is willing to give some of the home town stars some space.
Had that have been Dale Jr. and a date, I doubt the same restraint would have been shown by the other diners. That's the price of super stardom, I suppose. I personally don't think that Dale Jr. ever set out to be a super star. Part of his stardom is his easy going personality, his laid back way of talking, and his good looks. Part of it is because of his name and who his daddy was. One of Dale Jr.'s first jobs was changing oil in the service department at his father's dealership, Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, in Newton, NC. Dale Jr. has since said that he has more than once been afraid that the racing thing just wouldn't work. The most recent time was probably after his father died. Dale Jr. thought his sponsors would leave him, and that he would forever be a nobody without his dad. How wrong that self degradation turned out to be!
Dale Jr. seems to be a rather shy person, but he's learned to handle the media with grace and class. He now understands that it's part of his job. I was once at an autograph signing at the Greenville-Pickens Upstate fair, near Easley, South Carolina Within view was the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, where Ralph and Dale once raced. Dale Jr. was scheduled to be there that day for about and hour and a half, followed by Kevin Harvick. I didn't actually get anything signed that day, but a close friend of mine did. When Dale Jr. arrived, he walked by me, about 2 feet away. He was smiling, nodding to everyone, saying things like "Hey, good to see you."
I watched him his entire autograph session, from about 20 feet away. He had a smile for every fan, but he had learned to sign autographs quickly and keep the line moving. To a few, he spoke a word or two. I saw him shake a 4 year old's hand when it was offered to him.
Late in the session, the announcement came that Kevin Harvick was not going to be able to make it to the event, because weather in North Carolina had his plane grounded. A few minutes later, it was announced that Dale Jr. had graciously agreed to stay and sign more autographs since Kevin couldn't be there.
I don't know how many times Dale Jr. signed his name that day, but he made thousands of fans very, very happy. There were a lot of people decked out in 29 gear, and they were obviously disappointed when Kevin couldn't make it, but they lined up and got some Harvick diecasts and tee-shirts and hats autographed by Dale Jr. To this day, I wonder how many of those Harvick fans are now Dale Jr. fans.
Today, Dale Jr. lives on a large parcel of land, a little ways outside of Mooresville, NC. He's got his toys, his go-cart track, his mini golf course, even his own replica western town. Does he live like that because he's arrogant? No. He lives like that because that's the only way he can have anything approaching a normal life. Let's face it. If Dale Jr. lived on 109 Elm Lane, the press would be camped out in his yard every day and night, just waiting to report on whether he emptied the garbage or not, whether he raked leaves or cut his grass, whether or not he went to bed or not. The price of celebrity, wanted or unwanted, has not made life easy for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon maintains an apartment in Manhattan, and probably uses it often, because New York City is probably one of the few places on earth that he can walk up and down the street without being mobbed by adoring fans.
Think about it. Most of us wish to achieve fame, fortune, or maybe both. If you were swarmed with autograph seekers one time for some feat you had accomplished, you'd probably be both flattered and very happy. Maybe even twice or even three times.
But imagine every time you went out in public you got swarmed by adoring fans. You love your fans, but maybe you just want to sit down and have a quiet dinner with your spouse or your family. Maybe you want to walk into a 7-11 and buy a soft drink. Would you really want to spend and hour in a convenience store signing autographs every time you wanted a Mountain Dew?
How would you like to have people in the news reporting your choice of meals in a restaurant or even your bathroom habits and schedule? I'm not kidding. If you read any news at all about Nascar, you know it pretty much gets this detailed.
Drivers are people just like you and me. We all have our wants and desires. Drivers with families naturally don't want reporters talking to their kids, and for the most part, that desire is met with respect from the media. Wives seem to be somewhat fair game, but I doubt that a lot of them enjoy all the media attention as well. With a growing sport like Nascar, it seems to be a necessary evil though. As the sport grows, so does the celebrity status of the drivers and their families.
I say give them their space. When drivers agree to sign autographs, then show up, stand in line, wait your turn, and then get out of the way. If a driver has to leave before he's signed an autograph for you, don't jump on the Internet and say what a jerk that guy is. Drivers make a lot of appearances and sometimes more fans show up than they have time for. Don't blame the driver for that. Drivers often have very tight schedules.
Nascar fans, with the advent of new technology on the Internet, it's become easier than ever to find out where your driver is at any particular moment. Please, don't climb fences, attempt to embrace your favorite driver, or anything else out of the rules of polite society. Drivers are people too, and please, give them your respect, even when you meet them personally.
Years ago, it was common for drivers and fans to intermingle in the infield before and after races. Richard Petty is famous for signing autographs, sometimes for hours, until the last fan had left with the King's signature on something. Those days obviously are long gone, but Nascar remains the only major sport in the world that gives fans major access to their favorite drivers.
I watched something interesting on Sunday's TNT broadcast of the race at New Hampshire. Patrick Carpentier was walking through the infield, and he passed several fans. Some of the fans looked at Patrick with a faint flicker of recognition, but walked on by. Patrick was looking into almost every face he passed, with a big smile on his face. Patrick had his Sharpie pen in his hand, like virtually every driver does, but no one was asking for his autograph. I imagine a lot of other drivers would envy Patrick's relative anonymity.
Imagine Dale Earnhardt Jr., walking through any place, especially at a race track, and the people walking by ignoring him. Imagine that happening for Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, or even Jason Keller. People recognize their faces, and they react with excitement. Often it's not even a driver that they like, but just the fact that they drive for Nascar often creates chaos in public places. Nascar is a very public forum. We see drivers succeed and we see them fail. It's like one giant soap opera played out weekly on TV and in the news.
I had an interesting experience a couple of years ago. I happened to be in Charlotte in December. In other words, it was the off season in Nascar. I was sitting in a restaurant enjoying dinner, and I looked up and saw Jeff Burton and his wife Kim walk by. I heard a few people say "Hey, Jeff!" I watched with fascination while the pair were seated at a table near me. Jeff smiled and waved, but no one rushed over to ask for his autograph. During his meal, Jeff talked to a few people casually at the tables around him, but there was no swarm for autographs, nor was there a crush of fans that gathered around the table. I found this fascinating. Jeff Burton is a major driver in the Cup series, and has won a lot of races. At first, I kept thinking he would be swarmed, but then it dawned on me that there was no race in Charlotte that weekend, and mostly it was just locals in the restaurant. They accepted Jeff as a local celebrity, but they left him alone to enjoy dinner with his wife. Jeff was in his adopted home town, and Charlotte, being a fairly urban place these days, apparently is willing to give some of the home town stars some space.
Had that have been Dale Jr. and a date, I doubt the same restraint would have been shown by the other diners. That's the price of super stardom, I suppose. I personally don't think that Dale Jr. ever set out to be a super star. Part of his stardom is his easy going personality, his laid back way of talking, and his good looks. Part of it is because of his name and who his daddy was. One of Dale Jr.'s first jobs was changing oil in the service department at his father's dealership, Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, in Newton, NC. Dale Jr. has since said that he has more than once been afraid that the racing thing just wouldn't work. The most recent time was probably after his father died. Dale Jr. thought his sponsors would leave him, and that he would forever be a nobody without his dad. How wrong that self degradation turned out to be!
Dale Jr. seems to be a rather shy person, but he's learned to handle the media with grace and class. He now understands that it's part of his job. I was once at an autograph signing at the Greenville-Pickens Upstate fair, near Easley, South Carolina Within view was the Greenville-Pickens Speedway, where Ralph and Dale once raced. Dale Jr. was scheduled to be there that day for about and hour and a half, followed by Kevin Harvick. I didn't actually get anything signed that day, but a close friend of mine did. When Dale Jr. arrived, he walked by me, about 2 feet away. He was smiling, nodding to everyone, saying things like "Hey, good to see you."
I watched him his entire autograph session, from about 20 feet away. He had a smile for every fan, but he had learned to sign autographs quickly and keep the line moving. To a few, he spoke a word or two. I saw him shake a 4 year old's hand when it was offered to him.
Late in the session, the announcement came that Kevin Harvick was not going to be able to make it to the event, because weather in North Carolina had his plane grounded. A few minutes later, it was announced that Dale Jr. had graciously agreed to stay and sign more autographs since Kevin couldn't be there.
I don't know how many times Dale Jr. signed his name that day, but he made thousands of fans very, very happy. There were a lot of people decked out in 29 gear, and they were obviously disappointed when Kevin couldn't make it, but they lined up and got some Harvick diecasts and tee-shirts and hats autographed by Dale Jr. To this day, I wonder how many of those Harvick fans are now Dale Jr. fans.
Today, Dale Jr. lives on a large parcel of land, a little ways outside of Mooresville, NC. He's got his toys, his go-cart track, his mini golf course, even his own replica western town. Does he live like that because he's arrogant? No. He lives like that because that's the only way he can have anything approaching a normal life. Let's face it. If Dale Jr. lived on 109 Elm Lane, the press would be camped out in his yard every day and night, just waiting to report on whether he emptied the garbage or not, whether he raked leaves or cut his grass, whether or not he went to bed or not. The price of celebrity, wanted or unwanted, has not made life easy for Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Jeff Gordon maintains an apartment in Manhattan, and probably uses it often, because New York City is probably one of the few places on earth that he can walk up and down the street without being mobbed by adoring fans.
Think about it. Most of us wish to achieve fame, fortune, or maybe both. If you were swarmed with autograph seekers one time for some feat you had accomplished, you'd probably be both flattered and very happy. Maybe even twice or even three times.
But imagine every time you went out in public you got swarmed by adoring fans. You love your fans, but maybe you just want to sit down and have a quiet dinner with your spouse or your family. Maybe you want to walk into a 7-11 and buy a soft drink. Would you really want to spend and hour in a convenience store signing autographs every time you wanted a Mountain Dew?
How would you like to have people in the news reporting your choice of meals in a restaurant or even your bathroom habits and schedule? I'm not kidding. If you read any news at all about Nascar, you know it pretty much gets this detailed.
Drivers are people just like you and me. We all have our wants and desires. Drivers with families naturally don't want reporters talking to their kids, and for the most part, that desire is met with respect from the media. Wives seem to be somewhat fair game, but I doubt that a lot of them enjoy all the media attention as well. With a growing sport like Nascar, it seems to be a necessary evil though. As the sport grows, so does the celebrity status of the drivers and their families.
I say give them their space. When drivers agree to sign autographs, then show up, stand in line, wait your turn, and then get out of the way. If a driver has to leave before he's signed an autograph for you, don't jump on the Internet and say what a jerk that guy is. Drivers make a lot of appearances and sometimes more fans show up than they have time for. Don't blame the driver for that. Drivers often have very tight schedules.
Nascar fans, with the advent of new technology on the Internet, it's become easier than ever to find out where your driver is at any particular moment. Please, don't climb fences, attempt to embrace your favorite driver, or anything else out of the rules of polite society. Drivers are people too, and please, give them your respect, even when you meet them personally.
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Silliness Never Stops
First of all, congratulations to Kurt Busch for winning a rain shortened New Hampshire race. A win is a win, and great strategy by his crew chief once again puts a driver in a position for a win. Although I'm not exactly a fan of Kurt's, if any Busch brother is going to win, I'd much rather see the older and more mature Kurt be the one to do it.
In the closing caution laps of the race yesterday, we saw the younger Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya get into a tiff. It appeared that Senor Montoya was expressing his displeasure about something he felt that the younger Busch had done to him earlier in the race, and spun the 18 car under caution. Nascar expressed their displeasure of the incident by penalizing Senor Montoya 2 laps. While I'm not exactly a fan of either driver, and I'm sorry to say to Senor that spinning another car under caution is not how we generally do things here in Nascar, I wish I could have seen all the events that lead to this action in their entirety. I feel that it's possible that Montoya's anger possibly could be justified.
A late caution came out when the 88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. was spun while attempting to enter the pits. He was hit rather hard from behind by the 26 car of Jamie McMurray. I still don't know if this was a sudden decision to pit by Dale Jr., because it appeared that he came down rather suddenly from the middle of the track coming out of turns 3 and 4, and McMurray claimed that he just didn't see the 88 car. I feel inclined to believe Jamie's claim, because the hit totally knocked his 26 car out of the race, which was obviously not in his best interests. I have seen no interviews with Dale Jr. to determine exactly what happened in his opinion, but the incident meant that the 88 was reduced from being and obvious top 10 car to a 24th place finish. Earnhardt Jr. did lead laps early in the race, and appeared to have a dominant car before handling problems and a couple of slow pit stops put them back in the field a bit.
Tony Stewart had a very dominant car later in the race, but the series of cautions and fuel stops put him out of contention to win, with the rain coming ever closer.
Speaking of Tony Stewart, it was announced last week that Casey Mears and Hendrick Motorsports will part ways after the 2008 season, sparking rumors that Tony might possibly be in the 5 car next year. It's an interesting rumor, and we will just have to wait and see on that one. Tony is arguably the biggest mover to be rumored to be changing rides this year, and a few weeks ago, was talking that he would like to explore ownership options as well as driving for Chevrolet again. I could see Tony driving the 5 for Hendrick, and possibly still buying into Gene Haas' 66 and 70 teams. Stranger things have happened.
I guess I feel worse for Casey Mears than anyone else that's being talked about switching rides. He is doing so involuntarily, and that's never the way a driver wants to leave his ride. I think there might be some excellent opportunities out there for Casey though. He did win at Charlotte last year, and I imagine a lot of teams would like to get their hands on a Sprint Cup winning driver. I wish Casey very much luck, where ever he goes.
This week it's back to restrictor plates and Daytona. This has long been one of my favorite races of the year, because there's just something about Daytona under the lights.
More about Daytona later this week!
In the closing caution laps of the race yesterday, we saw the younger Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya get into a tiff. It appeared that Senor Montoya was expressing his displeasure about something he felt that the younger Busch had done to him earlier in the race, and spun the 18 car under caution. Nascar expressed their displeasure of the incident by penalizing Senor Montoya 2 laps. While I'm not exactly a fan of either driver, and I'm sorry to say to Senor that spinning another car under caution is not how we generally do things here in Nascar, I wish I could have seen all the events that lead to this action in their entirety. I feel that it's possible that Montoya's anger possibly could be justified.
A late caution came out when the 88 car of Dale Earnhardt Jr. was spun while attempting to enter the pits. He was hit rather hard from behind by the 26 car of Jamie McMurray. I still don't know if this was a sudden decision to pit by Dale Jr., because it appeared that he came down rather suddenly from the middle of the track coming out of turns 3 and 4, and McMurray claimed that he just didn't see the 88 car. I feel inclined to believe Jamie's claim, because the hit totally knocked his 26 car out of the race, which was obviously not in his best interests. I have seen no interviews with Dale Jr. to determine exactly what happened in his opinion, but the incident meant that the 88 was reduced from being and obvious top 10 car to a 24th place finish. Earnhardt Jr. did lead laps early in the race, and appeared to have a dominant car before handling problems and a couple of slow pit stops put them back in the field a bit.
Tony Stewart had a very dominant car later in the race, but the series of cautions and fuel stops put him out of contention to win, with the rain coming ever closer.
Speaking of Tony Stewart, it was announced last week that Casey Mears and Hendrick Motorsports will part ways after the 2008 season, sparking rumors that Tony might possibly be in the 5 car next year. It's an interesting rumor, and we will just have to wait and see on that one. Tony is arguably the biggest mover to be rumored to be changing rides this year, and a few weeks ago, was talking that he would like to explore ownership options as well as driving for Chevrolet again. I could see Tony driving the 5 for Hendrick, and possibly still buying into Gene Haas' 66 and 70 teams. Stranger things have happened.
I guess I feel worse for Casey Mears than anyone else that's being talked about switching rides. He is doing so involuntarily, and that's never the way a driver wants to leave his ride. I think there might be some excellent opportunities out there for Casey though. He did win at Charlotte last year, and I imagine a lot of teams would like to get their hands on a Sprint Cup winning driver. I wish Casey very much luck, where ever he goes.
This week it's back to restrictor plates and Daytona. This has long been one of my favorite races of the year, because there's just something about Daytona under the lights.
More about Daytona later this week!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
An Earnhardt fan's musings
I like a lot of drivers. I like Tony Stewart. I like Kevin Harvick. I like Bobby and Terry Labonte. I like Kenny Schrader. I like Kasey Kahne. I even like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson and Casey Mears. I like Martin Truex Jr. But there's something about the name Earnhardt that really gets my blood flowing.
I'm a fan of the son, Dale Jr. He's my favorite driver, and I will never say I'm sorry for that. But it was the old man that captured my heart as a racing fan. Dale was literally larger than life, but he was for the most part very humble about it. Dale was the man that could leap tall buildings in a single bound, or seemed so at the time. Dale was unstoppable. Dale would never give up. Dale was Nascar.
The famous number 3 Chevy flips over during a race. Dale gets out and goes to the infield care center. When he comes out, he sees the car upright again, and all 4 tires seem to be holding air. He yells at a crew member to see if it will start. The car does start, and Dale climbs back in and goes out to salvage what kind of finish he can, in a car that has flipped. Dale was that kind of man.
In another race, Dale gets penalized for rough driving. His penalty is one lap. Dale gets mad. He proceeds to not only get his lap back by racing hard (These were the days before the Lucky Dog Pass) but he nearly laps the field and wins the race anyway. Message to Nascar: Don't make Dale mad!
This man started several successful businesses. For a man that tried the 9th grade twice, and gave up, he turned out to be a remarkable businessman. He bought a burgeoning race marketing business for 6 million dollars, and a few years later sold it for 30 million. Not bad for a man with an 8th grade education.
Dale was always true to his heritage. He grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and lived his entire life within a short drive of there. Kannapolis was a mill town, possibly the largest mill town in the world. Early in his life, he worked in the mill, worked in the tire store, did what ever he could do to get by, sometimes nearly starving to death just to race. He lost two wives and 3 children before he finally found his place with Rod Osterlund. Later he partnered with Richard Childress, and of course, the rest is history.
A lot of people called him a redneck, but that was a heritage he was proud of. He was largely uneducated, but he educated himself on the road of hard knocks. There are a lot of people in the world with multiple degrees in all forms of education that would envy Dale's success. Eventually, Dale was reunited with all of his children, and he and his third wife, Teresa Houston, had a daughter together, whom they named Taylor. Finally life was good. Dale was the master of millions of dollars, and many successful enterprises. He loved his family, and was delighted in his kids' success.
Just when it seemed like almost all his dreams were realized, Dale's life was snuffed out in a mere moment. On February 18, 2001, Dale was watching his two cars, the 15 of Michael Waltrip and the 8 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing for the win at the Daytona 500. Dale ran 3rd, and started doing something he had never done before. He was blocking. Not going for the win, as he had always done, but blocking, to protect his son and his good friend. His car bobbled, and suddenly he went nearly head on into the Turn 4 wall, on the last lap. A basal skull fracture ended my hero's life in an instant.
Words cannot describe the anguish that I, and millions of other fans felt that evening and in the days that followed. A lot of people, including me get choked up just thinking about that day.
In retrospect, I think Dale's death pretty much sealed the deal when it comes to Nascar. The sport's popularity has exploded. Even in death, Dale gave to the sport. Nascar suddenly became a national sport, and people from other countries began paying more attention. Tragically, Dale was Nascar's driving force, even after his own life was over.
In recent years, we've seen what many call the demise of Dale Earnhardt Inc. Teresa has control over the venture now, and Dale Jr. decided to leave, to pursue racing for the pure joy and rewards of racing. While many of us may disagree with the direction DEI has taken, I for one respect the institution that Dale built.
Dale Jr. seems to be happy now. He's competitive. He's not blown one single engine so far this year. He's 3rd in points, and competing for a championship. He has won a points race. He's doing very well, actually. I like the smile on his face these days. I'm happy to see him smile so widely again.
As Mike Helton said all those years ago, Dale Earnhardt was much more than just a race car driver. He was a proud father and husband, a loving grandfather, and a hero to millions. I think a lot of people have tried to pattern their lives after Dale. I know I have, and no matter how bad times get, I don't give up. I keep trying to move forward. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail. but I try to learn from the failures and go on.
I hope everyone out there that reads this learns just one lesson from Dale Earnhardt. Go for your dreams. Never give up. Never, ever give up.
I'm a fan of the son, Dale Jr. He's my favorite driver, and I will never say I'm sorry for that. But it was the old man that captured my heart as a racing fan. Dale was literally larger than life, but he was for the most part very humble about it. Dale was the man that could leap tall buildings in a single bound, or seemed so at the time. Dale was unstoppable. Dale would never give up. Dale was Nascar.
The famous number 3 Chevy flips over during a race. Dale gets out and goes to the infield care center. When he comes out, he sees the car upright again, and all 4 tires seem to be holding air. He yells at a crew member to see if it will start. The car does start, and Dale climbs back in and goes out to salvage what kind of finish he can, in a car that has flipped. Dale was that kind of man.
In another race, Dale gets penalized for rough driving. His penalty is one lap. Dale gets mad. He proceeds to not only get his lap back by racing hard (These were the days before the Lucky Dog Pass) but he nearly laps the field and wins the race anyway. Message to Nascar: Don't make Dale mad!
This man started several successful businesses. For a man that tried the 9th grade twice, and gave up, he turned out to be a remarkable businessman. He bought a burgeoning race marketing business for 6 million dollars, and a few years later sold it for 30 million. Not bad for a man with an 8th grade education.
Dale was always true to his heritage. He grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, and lived his entire life within a short drive of there. Kannapolis was a mill town, possibly the largest mill town in the world. Early in his life, he worked in the mill, worked in the tire store, did what ever he could do to get by, sometimes nearly starving to death just to race. He lost two wives and 3 children before he finally found his place with Rod Osterlund. Later he partnered with Richard Childress, and of course, the rest is history.
A lot of people called him a redneck, but that was a heritage he was proud of. He was largely uneducated, but he educated himself on the road of hard knocks. There are a lot of people in the world with multiple degrees in all forms of education that would envy Dale's success. Eventually, Dale was reunited with all of his children, and he and his third wife, Teresa Houston, had a daughter together, whom they named Taylor. Finally life was good. Dale was the master of millions of dollars, and many successful enterprises. He loved his family, and was delighted in his kids' success.
Just when it seemed like almost all his dreams were realized, Dale's life was snuffed out in a mere moment. On February 18, 2001, Dale was watching his two cars, the 15 of Michael Waltrip and the 8 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing for the win at the Daytona 500. Dale ran 3rd, and started doing something he had never done before. He was blocking. Not going for the win, as he had always done, but blocking, to protect his son and his good friend. His car bobbled, and suddenly he went nearly head on into the Turn 4 wall, on the last lap. A basal skull fracture ended my hero's life in an instant.
Words cannot describe the anguish that I, and millions of other fans felt that evening and in the days that followed. A lot of people, including me get choked up just thinking about that day.
In retrospect, I think Dale's death pretty much sealed the deal when it comes to Nascar. The sport's popularity has exploded. Even in death, Dale gave to the sport. Nascar suddenly became a national sport, and people from other countries began paying more attention. Tragically, Dale was Nascar's driving force, even after his own life was over.
In recent years, we've seen what many call the demise of Dale Earnhardt Inc. Teresa has control over the venture now, and Dale Jr. decided to leave, to pursue racing for the pure joy and rewards of racing. While many of us may disagree with the direction DEI has taken, I for one respect the institution that Dale built.
Dale Jr. seems to be happy now. He's competitive. He's not blown one single engine so far this year. He's 3rd in points, and competing for a championship. He has won a points race. He's doing very well, actually. I like the smile on his face these days. I'm happy to see him smile so widely again.
As Mike Helton said all those years ago, Dale Earnhardt was much more than just a race car driver. He was a proud father and husband, a loving grandfather, and a hero to millions. I think a lot of people have tried to pattern their lives after Dale. I know I have, and no matter how bad times get, I don't give up. I keep trying to move forward. Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I fail. but I try to learn from the failures and go on.
I hope everyone out there that reads this learns just one lesson from Dale Earnhardt. Go for your dreams. Never give up. Never, ever give up.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
The Evolution of Jeff Gordon
Most of my life, I've not been a Gordon fan. I was always an Earnhardt fan, but times are changing, just like Nascar is. Jeff Gordon is a current driver, and still very competitive. Jeff Gordon has won 81 Cup races and has won 4 championships. Let's face it folks. Like him or hate him, Jeff Gordon is now the grand old man of Nascar.
Jeff's career started in 1992, and he has won an incredible 81 races! I'm guessing that he's going to win more too. Darrell Waltrip? Bobby Allison? Kiss your records goodbye, because this guy is going to beat you.
I have been an Earnhart fan all of my adult life. I graduated high school in 1981, the year after Dale Earnhardt won his first championship. I've been an Earnhardt fan since before I was out of high school. I grew up near a town called Greer, South Carolina. Greer is about 85 or so miles southwest of Charlotte on Interstate 85. Nascar was something my friends in school talked about. It was something we all watched, whenever we had a chance to watch it.
In 1992, Jeff Gordon started his first Winston Cup race, and as it turned out, the only race he ever ran with Richard Petty. This was the Hooters 500, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in beautiful Hampton, Georgia. The King was done, but nobody knew back then that a new era in Nascar racing was about to start.
In that race, Bill Elliot won. Richard finished 35th, and the young kid named Jeff Gordon finished 31st. Dale Earnhardt finished 26th. Imagine if that were Dale Jr. today? Poor finishes happen, and that's life in racing.
The point of this is that Jeff was on the track with the King, Richard Petty, in 1992. It was Richard's last race. It was Jeff's first.
When the era took hold, it took hold by storm. In the 1990's Jeff Gordon dominated the series. He didn't win all the championships, but he won a ton of races. Jeff didn't actually start winning until 1994, but he won 2 races that year. In 1995, he won 7 races. The next two years, he won 10 races each. In 1998, he won an incredible 13 races. Along the way, up until 2001, he managed to win 4 Cup championships as well.
Jeff Gordon has been booed by Earnhardt fans, and by Southern fans in general. Jeff was born in California, and grew up in Indiana. He looks like a Hollywood actor, and he speaks in obviously carefully prepared scripts, or so it would seem.
In 2003, Jeff broke up with his wife, a former Miss Winston, Brooke. The divorce was messy, and the tabloids had a field day. Gordon haters rejoiced, and Jeff kept winning. A couple of years later, Jeff met his future wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, and they got married. The couple have a baby, named Ella Sophia, and suddenly I was a Jeff Gordon fan. I don't know why, but fatherhood made Jeff Gordon suddenly a human being for the first time in his life, at least to me.
When asked about his daughter or his wife, Jeff smiles, a genuine smile. Not a factory made to order smile. I like to see it, and I'm glad to include myself among the number of Jeff Gordon fans now.
He's not my favorite driver. Don't think that he is, but I'm a fan. For years I felt that Jeff, and his protege, Jimmie Johnson were some kind of factory made race drivers. They never showed any emotion. Their responses to questions in interviews were robot like. I don't like that. I like real people driving race cars.
Something about having a baby made Jeff a little more human. He seems like a likable guy now. He's not the robot he used to be, he's a happy father and husband. He's a family man now. He still drives race cars at very high speeds, but at some level, it seems that Jeff Gordon is finally at home. He's human, and feels the same emotions that all of us do.
I like Jeff Gordon. It took a lot of years for me to say that, but I do. I hope he will be able to hold his grandchildren in his arms, in his rocking chair.
Jeff's career started in 1992, and he has won an incredible 81 races! I'm guessing that he's going to win more too. Darrell Waltrip? Bobby Allison? Kiss your records goodbye, because this guy is going to beat you.
I have been an Earnhart fan all of my adult life. I graduated high school in 1981, the year after Dale Earnhardt won his first championship. I've been an Earnhardt fan since before I was out of high school. I grew up near a town called Greer, South Carolina. Greer is about 85 or so miles southwest of Charlotte on Interstate 85. Nascar was something my friends in school talked about. It was something we all watched, whenever we had a chance to watch it.
In 1992, Jeff Gordon started his first Winston Cup race, and as it turned out, the only race he ever ran with Richard Petty. This was the Hooters 500, at Atlanta Motor Speedway, in beautiful Hampton, Georgia. The King was done, but nobody knew back then that a new era in Nascar racing was about to start.
In that race, Bill Elliot won. Richard finished 35th, and the young kid named Jeff Gordon finished 31st. Dale Earnhardt finished 26th. Imagine if that were Dale Jr. today? Poor finishes happen, and that's life in racing.
The point of this is that Jeff was on the track with the King, Richard Petty, in 1992. It was Richard's last race. It was Jeff's first.
When the era took hold, it took hold by storm. In the 1990's Jeff Gordon dominated the series. He didn't win all the championships, but he won a ton of races. Jeff didn't actually start winning until 1994, but he won 2 races that year. In 1995, he won 7 races. The next two years, he won 10 races each. In 1998, he won an incredible 13 races. Along the way, up until 2001, he managed to win 4 Cup championships as well.
Jeff Gordon has been booed by Earnhardt fans, and by Southern fans in general. Jeff was born in California, and grew up in Indiana. He looks like a Hollywood actor, and he speaks in obviously carefully prepared scripts, or so it would seem.
In 2003, Jeff broke up with his wife, a former Miss Winston, Brooke. The divorce was messy, and the tabloids had a field day. Gordon haters rejoiced, and Jeff kept winning. A couple of years later, Jeff met his future wife, Ingrid Vandebosch, and they got married. The couple have a baby, named Ella Sophia, and suddenly I was a Jeff Gordon fan. I don't know why, but fatherhood made Jeff Gordon suddenly a human being for the first time in his life, at least to me.
When asked about his daughter or his wife, Jeff smiles, a genuine smile. Not a factory made to order smile. I like to see it, and I'm glad to include myself among the number of Jeff Gordon fans now.
He's not my favorite driver. Don't think that he is, but I'm a fan. For years I felt that Jeff, and his protege, Jimmie Johnson were some kind of factory made race drivers. They never showed any emotion. Their responses to questions in interviews were robot like. I don't like that. I like real people driving race cars.
Something about having a baby made Jeff a little more human. He seems like a likable guy now. He's not the robot he used to be, he's a happy father and husband. He's a family man now. He still drives race cars at very high speeds, but at some level, it seems that Jeff Gordon is finally at home. He's human, and feels the same emotions that all of us do.
I like Jeff Gordon. It took a lot of years for me to say that, but I do. I hope he will be able to hold his grandchildren in his arms, in his rocking chair.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Beware of reporters with "interesting" tidings.
Ok, Tony Stewart will buy out Gene Haas, and will work closely with Hendrick to get the team up to speed. Ok, Mark Martin is leaving DEI and will run in the 5 car, possibly with or without Brad Keselowski. Ok, Martin Truex Jr. will leave DEI and possibly drive the 5 car or the new 33 of Richard Childress. Ok, Casey Mears will be looking for a new ride. Ok, Jeff Gordon just had NASA agree to a contract to paint a huge 24 on the full moon.
Ok, maybe that last scenario was a little too crazy for anyone to believe, but we are all currently enduring the usual silly season rumors, and I caution all fans of any driver to wait until the ink is on the paper before celebrating, or having thoughts of suicide.
We see this every year. So-and-so's definitely going to this shop. This driver will be in this car with this sponsor. We see it every year. There's nothing new about it.
Already this year, we heard that Bobby Labonte's move to the new Richard Childress team was a done deal. All that needed doing was to make the announcement. Well, how did that turn out? Bobby Labonte recently announced a 4 year deal with Petty Enterprises. Where's that reporter that broke that story now? he's announcing some other 'done deal'.
The point here is this: Don't believe anything until the driver and the owner both announce it publicly. Last year, we heard that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to Gibbs. We heard he was going to RCR. We heard that he was going to drive for his own team, JRM. We all heard those were 'done deals' from various sources. We also heard that he was driving the 8, or the 81, or the 3 and a few other numbers. None of us knew the details until Dale Jr., Kelley, and Mr. Hendrick himself sat on stage at JR Motorsports.
Sports reporting is competitive by nature, and some of the reporters could give the drivers a lesson in competitiveness. Every reporter in the business is eager to get the scoop, and who knows who their sources are, especially if the sources are only identified as 'undisclosed'?
I'm going to be quite frank with you. As a long time fan of this sport, I've read articles written by supposedly true Nascar 'Insiders' who have no business writing for this sport, or any other, as far as I'm concerned. Their only purpose is to break headlines, and in this new era of the Internet, to get hits on their websites. I have to admit, it's tempting to write puff pieces or hit pieces on this very blog, just to get hits. I don't advertise here, so that does me little in the way of profit, so I don't do it. This blog let's me speak my mind, to have a somewhat collective conversation with those of you who take the time to read what I write. I do not make one single cent from doing this, so even though I will be honest and admit that I do like the hits, it's for my own enjoyment as a writer. This blog will never pay the light bill or buy me a new car. I mostly love reading the stats and seeing what kind of audience I've got.
But then again, I'm not a reporter. I post opinion pieces here. I've got opinions about a sport I've loved for so long, and sometimes those opinions change. I may repeat a recently reported rumor, but I'm only going to offer an opinion on that, not state whether it is true or not. Nascar does not include me in their discussions. Neither do the teams. I've been lucky enough to correspond via e-mail with a couple of drivers, who shall remain nameless, but they don't tell me anything that you don't already know. I'm not in the inner circle of this sport. I'm just a fan, just like you.
I would encourage everyone that reads this blog, or any other blog, or any websites devoted to Nascar, or even politics or whatever, for that matter, to check out the facts before you believe anything. There is an old saying, and it's true for many sites, because they are often right on the money in their predictions. That saying is "Trust, but verify." The next time you read a report on the AP or even the Mothership of all sports, ESPN, think about that. You may trust, but verify before you believe it. Reporters make mistakes, sometimes honest ones, such as getting the wrong impression from what a driver or team owner or crew member says. If a reporter is called for the mistake, he or she should acknowledge it, and admit they made a mistake, in my opinion. Whenever I see or hear a reporter doing that, they pick up a few notches in admiration on my scale. We all make mistakes, and if you can admit to your mistakes, it only makes you a better reporter, and indeed, a better person. Learn from those mistakes, and don't repeat them, and you will be a great reporter, and indeed, a better person.
Every year I've seen some of the same people tell me that a certain scenario is indeed a 'done deal', and it turns out not to be true. To these people, all I can say is "Don't make my boots wet and tell me it's raining." There are a few reporters out there that make wild claims every year, and virtually none of them come true, yet they just move on and keep writing, or talking, and they never take responsibility for their mistakes. I won't name names, but you know who they are. It's the same pretty much every year. The names might change, but the motives don't.
There's another old adage that goes like this: "Don't believe everything you read in the newspapers." That old saying could easily be applied to today's Internet world, especially when it involves Nascar's silly season.
Ok, maybe that last scenario was a little too crazy for anyone to believe, but we are all currently enduring the usual silly season rumors, and I caution all fans of any driver to wait until the ink is on the paper before celebrating, or having thoughts of suicide.
We see this every year. So-and-so's definitely going to this shop. This driver will be in this car with this sponsor. We see it every year. There's nothing new about it.
Already this year, we heard that Bobby Labonte's move to the new Richard Childress team was a done deal. All that needed doing was to make the announcement. Well, how did that turn out? Bobby Labonte recently announced a 4 year deal with Petty Enterprises. Where's that reporter that broke that story now? he's announcing some other 'done deal'.
The point here is this: Don't believe anything until the driver and the owner both announce it publicly. Last year, we heard that Dale Earnhardt Jr. was going to Gibbs. We heard he was going to RCR. We heard that he was going to drive for his own team, JRM. We all heard those were 'done deals' from various sources. We also heard that he was driving the 8, or the 81, or the 3 and a few other numbers. None of us knew the details until Dale Jr., Kelley, and Mr. Hendrick himself sat on stage at JR Motorsports.
Sports reporting is competitive by nature, and some of the reporters could give the drivers a lesson in competitiveness. Every reporter in the business is eager to get the scoop, and who knows who their sources are, especially if the sources are only identified as 'undisclosed'?
I'm going to be quite frank with you. As a long time fan of this sport, I've read articles written by supposedly true Nascar 'Insiders' who have no business writing for this sport, or any other, as far as I'm concerned. Their only purpose is to break headlines, and in this new era of the Internet, to get hits on their websites. I have to admit, it's tempting to write puff pieces or hit pieces on this very blog, just to get hits. I don't advertise here, so that does me little in the way of profit, so I don't do it. This blog let's me speak my mind, to have a somewhat collective conversation with those of you who take the time to read what I write. I do not make one single cent from doing this, so even though I will be honest and admit that I do like the hits, it's for my own enjoyment as a writer. This blog will never pay the light bill or buy me a new car. I mostly love reading the stats and seeing what kind of audience I've got.
But then again, I'm not a reporter. I post opinion pieces here. I've got opinions about a sport I've loved for so long, and sometimes those opinions change. I may repeat a recently reported rumor, but I'm only going to offer an opinion on that, not state whether it is true or not. Nascar does not include me in their discussions. Neither do the teams. I've been lucky enough to correspond via e-mail with a couple of drivers, who shall remain nameless, but they don't tell me anything that you don't already know. I'm not in the inner circle of this sport. I'm just a fan, just like you.
I would encourage everyone that reads this blog, or any other blog, or any websites devoted to Nascar, or even politics or whatever, for that matter, to check out the facts before you believe anything. There is an old saying, and it's true for many sites, because they are often right on the money in their predictions. That saying is "Trust, but verify." The next time you read a report on the AP or even the Mothership of all sports, ESPN, think about that. You may trust, but verify before you believe it. Reporters make mistakes, sometimes honest ones, such as getting the wrong impression from what a driver or team owner or crew member says. If a reporter is called for the mistake, he or she should acknowledge it, and admit they made a mistake, in my opinion. Whenever I see or hear a reporter doing that, they pick up a few notches in admiration on my scale. We all make mistakes, and if you can admit to your mistakes, it only makes you a better reporter, and indeed, a better person. Learn from those mistakes, and don't repeat them, and you will be a great reporter, and indeed, a better person.
Every year I've seen some of the same people tell me that a certain scenario is indeed a 'done deal', and it turns out not to be true. To these people, all I can say is "Don't make my boots wet and tell me it's raining." There are a few reporters out there that make wild claims every year, and virtually none of them come true, yet they just move on and keep writing, or talking, and they never take responsibility for their mistakes. I won't name names, but you know who they are. It's the same pretty much every year. The names might change, but the motives don't.
There's another old adage that goes like this: "Don't believe everything you read in the newspapers." That old saying could easily be applied to today's Internet world, especially when it involves Nascar's silly season.
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