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.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
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.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
More Problems Ahead for DEI?
The rumors that have been circulating in the garage areas at tracks for the last couple of months are apparently true: Paul Menard, who drives the 15 Menard's Chevrolet, will leave Dale Earnhardt Inc. after the 2008 season and will drive, with Menard's sponsorship, for Yates Racing in 2009.
For Dale Earnhardt Inc, this presents more of a problem than the loss of a so-so driver. Though Paul has won in the Nationwide series, he has yet to post a win in the Sprint Cup series. The main problem for DEI is that Paul Menard came to the company with a built in sponsor. When Paul leaves DEI after the end of the season, the company run by his father John will leave as well.
Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s struggle to find sponsorship in 2009 and beyond is not unique among Sprint Cup teams. Yates Racing has not had a full time sponsor for either of its cars in 2008. If full time sponsorship cannot be found before the beginning of the 2009 season, it's likely that either Travis Kvapil or David Gilliland will be looking for a new ride next year. It is also apparent that DEI will likely be dropping at least one team next year unless sponsorship is found and signed quickly.
The 01 car currently driven by Regan Smith, the 8 car that will be driven by Aric Almirola, and the 15 car currently driven by Paul Menard will all need sponsorship that has either not been secured or at least not announced at this point. Only the 1 Chevrolet driven by Martin Truex Jr. appears to have secure full time sponsorship for 2009. Whether or not the 15 team folds completely would appear to be contingent upon whether a driver can be found for the team that will attract sponsors. DEI does not appear to have a popular driver waiting in the wings for that Cup ride at this point.
It has been reported that Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, has taken a personal interest in helping the company started by his former championship driver and close friend started. When Dale Earnhardt died in 2001, many questioned whether DEI would survive. In fact, the company did survive, at least up to this point. With the loss of Dale Earnhardt Jr., last year, who left the team his father started after the 2007 season, many considered this event to be the beginning of the end for DEI. With the loss of a driver with a built-in sponsorship such as Paul Menard, it would appear that there are indeed tough times ahead for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
For Dale Earnhardt Inc, this presents more of a problem than the loss of a so-so driver. Though Paul has won in the Nationwide series, he has yet to post a win in the Sprint Cup series. The main problem for DEI is that Paul Menard came to the company with a built in sponsor. When Paul leaves DEI after the end of the season, the company run by his father John will leave as well.
Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s struggle to find sponsorship in 2009 and beyond is not unique among Sprint Cup teams. Yates Racing has not had a full time sponsor for either of its cars in 2008. If full time sponsorship cannot be found before the beginning of the 2009 season, it's likely that either Travis Kvapil or David Gilliland will be looking for a new ride next year. It is also apparent that DEI will likely be dropping at least one team next year unless sponsorship is found and signed quickly.
The 01 car currently driven by Regan Smith, the 8 car that will be driven by Aric Almirola, and the 15 car currently driven by Paul Menard will all need sponsorship that has either not been secured or at least not announced at this point. Only the 1 Chevrolet driven by Martin Truex Jr. appears to have secure full time sponsorship for 2009. Whether or not the 15 team folds completely would appear to be contingent upon whether a driver can be found for the team that will attract sponsors. DEI does not appear to have a popular driver waiting in the wings for that Cup ride at this point.
It has been reported that Richard Childress, owner of Richard Childress Racing, has taken a personal interest in helping the company started by his former championship driver and close friend started. When Dale Earnhardt died in 2001, many questioned whether DEI would survive. In fact, the company did survive, at least up to this point. With the loss of Dale Earnhardt Jr., last year, who left the team his father started after the 2007 season, many considered this event to be the beginning of the end for DEI. With the loss of a driver with a built-in sponsorship such as Paul Menard, it would appear that there are indeed tough times ahead for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Danger: Message Boards May be Dangerous to your Health
I'm not kidding, folks. I had a near death experience on a certain NASCAR related message board recently. I will not name the message board, because legal details are involved, but I can say that recently, I was threatened with death by deletion on a message board.
I'm familiar with message boards. Heck, I even have one myself. We've got 4 members pumping out information with all their might. Recently, on a board dealing with not only politics, but religion, I was threatened with removal because I committed the greatest sin of all: I told the truth. I said to the board, and I quote here: "George W. Busch has not been the greatest president in history."
I backed up my facts there. I did my research before I made such an audacious post. I did my homework, in other words. I based my reasoning upon the fact that none of us, here in the USA, the land of the brave and the home of the free, have yet to acquire space cars. Yeah, I said it. Space cars.
I once watched a film, back when they had film, about the future. In the future, we would all have space cars. I'm in a midlife crises here. I want a Corvette, but should I wait for my space car instead?
I watch guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr, and he makes life fun by being a guy that makes me think that he lives like a rock star. I imagine being Dale Jr, because being him must be so much fun, right?
The fact is, if Dale Jr. wanted a space car, he'd probably already have one. That's just how cool that guy is. Everything he touches seems to turn to gold. He's got his own racing teams. He's got his own production company. He rocks, he rolls, he's like so totally cool.
I wish I had my space car, but I'm probably not going to get one anytime soon. The prices seems to be very high, the registration costs seem to be very not so nice either. I'd hate to think about the insurance on one of those things.
Getting back to my original topic, I have to report that I once had a message board contact offer to shoot me in the face. I was talking about Kyle Busch at the time. This kind board contact offered to shoot me in the face, free of charge. With the price of ammunition these days, that was indeed a kind offer. I declined, however, because I'm apparently too sissy to take on an armed racing fan. What a shame.
I find it refreshing to know that so many fans out there feel passionate enough about their drivers to kill someone. I'm also a bit disturbed by it. But that's just me.
Don't mind me. If I offend you, why don't you just shoot me in the face?
I'm familiar with message boards. Heck, I even have one myself. We've got 4 members pumping out information with all their might. Recently, on a board dealing with not only politics, but religion, I was threatened with removal because I committed the greatest sin of all: I told the truth. I said to the board, and I quote here: "George W. Busch has not been the greatest president in history."
I backed up my facts there. I did my research before I made such an audacious post. I did my homework, in other words. I based my reasoning upon the fact that none of us, here in the USA, the land of the brave and the home of the free, have yet to acquire space cars. Yeah, I said it. Space cars.
I once watched a film, back when they had film, about the future. In the future, we would all have space cars. I'm in a midlife crises here. I want a Corvette, but should I wait for my space car instead?
I watch guys like Dale Earnhardt Jr, and he makes life fun by being a guy that makes me think that he lives like a rock star. I imagine being Dale Jr, because being him must be so much fun, right?
The fact is, if Dale Jr. wanted a space car, he'd probably already have one. That's just how cool that guy is. Everything he touches seems to turn to gold. He's got his own racing teams. He's got his own production company. He rocks, he rolls, he's like so totally cool.
I wish I had my space car, but I'm probably not going to get one anytime soon. The prices seems to be very high, the registration costs seem to be very not so nice either. I'd hate to think about the insurance on one of those things.
Getting back to my original topic, I have to report that I once had a message board contact offer to shoot me in the face. I was talking about Kyle Busch at the time. This kind board contact offered to shoot me in the face, free of charge. With the price of ammunition these days, that was indeed a kind offer. I declined, however, because I'm apparently too sissy to take on an armed racing fan. What a shame.
I find it refreshing to know that so many fans out there feel passionate enough about their drivers to kill someone. I'm also a bit disturbed by it. But that's just me.
Don't mind me. If I offend you, why don't you just shoot me in the face?
Monday, September 22, 2008
Filling Some Very Big Shoes
It's just not the same anymore. In 2001, NASCAR lost one of it's largest personalities ever on February 18th. That was the day that the flame of Dale Earnhardt was snuffed out, the flame that had burned like a road flare among birthday candles for so long. NASCAR indeed lost a hero and one of its greatest drivers that day. But yet a son remained.
It's not been all celebrity and fun and games and drinking beer for Dale Earnhardt Jr. since then. Dale Jr. has built a reputation as a business man, beginning with JR Motorsports which fields 2 Nationwide series teams. Dale Jr. later created his own TV production company and his own popular Charlotte night spot called Whisky River. He still drives a race car, the 88 Chevrolet Impala SS for owner Rick Hendrick. Dale Jr. is in the Chase for the Cup, and he's a proven winner.
But at the age of 33, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has no Sprint Cup championships to his name yet. As a two time winner of the Busch series, which is now called the Nationwide series, Dale Jr. is indeed a champion, and a proven race winner. 18 wins in Cup since 2000 is a record that many veteran NASCAR drivers would love to have. He's won the Bud Shootout. He's won the All Star race. He's won the Daytona 500. He's basically done it all but win a championship, and for many of his critics, nothing means anything at all unless he wins at least several championships.
Critics of Dale Earnhardt Jr. are many and varied, but most follow one common theme, which is that he would not even be racing were his name not Earnhardt. According to his critics, Dale Jr. is highly over rated, and basically has a driving talent quotient of exactly zero. If you read many of the message boards and comments to articles posted from all over this land, you will get a taste for the abject hatred that many people feel for NASCAR's most popular driver. Many feel that the MPD title is undeserved, and then eventually they say they don't care because he hasn't won a championship. It is true that any driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. included, would rather have the title of Sprint Cup Champion added to their list of achievments rather than being the sports most popular driver.
I'm sorry to report to the many Dale Jr. detractors that his 18 wins and Daytona 500 victory put Dale Jr. in a class that very few drivers, past or present can boast much about. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won exactly as many races as has Kurt Busch, who is the 2004 champion. He's also won exactly as many races as Geoffrey Bodine, Harry Gant and Neil Bonnett. If you don't recognize what an achievement that is for a guy that's been racing for 9 years in Cup for full time, you don't know your NASCAR history. With one more win, Dale Jr. will tie Buddy Baker and Davey Allison. With two more wins, Dale will tie Jeff Burton's current win record. Jeff's been around a lot longer than Dale Jr. In other words, for a grossly over rated driver, Dale Jr. seems to have a pretty impressive record.
It's probably not as much fun anymore for Dale Jr. as it used to be. The tiring ordeal with leaving his father's company, Dale Earnhardt Inc. to make the move to Hendrick Motorsports must have made for a lot of sleepless nights. Many of his critics call him a traitor for ever leaving DEI. I beg to differ, however. Anyone with the name Earnhardt has to know that it's better to go with a winning team, with better equipment and more resources as far as engineering and technical support than it would be to stay with a team that served up a whopping 10 engines that failed to finish races last season. An Earnhardt will always go to where the racing is. This Earnhardt did just that, and I seriously doubt that Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have had any problem understanding that.
Tony Eury Jr., Dale Jr.'s cousin and crew chief has spoken of the switch from DEI to Hendrick. He left DEI early last year to get a head start on learning the Hendrick equipment and personnel. Tony Jr. has mentioned that he has had to work harder at HMS than he had to work at DEI. He has more resources available to him, and he's finding that he's spending more time in the shop than he ever did at DEI. Tony Jr. doesn't mind though, as long as it all adds up to better performance. Though many will criticize Tony Jr.'s decisions from on top of the pit box, his peers at HMS feel that there is a good reason for him to be where he is. General manager Marshall Carlson said. "Tony Jr. is one of the smartest guys we've got at that whole place. He's as sly as a fox, …He made friends with everyone through that place, front to back, so that when the season started, it was pretty neat to see everyone through the organization, all these channels of support they have, they were all pulling for Tony and Dale."
Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Jr. have the opportunity to do great things together, and for those who discount Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a driver with little or no talent, I would advise you to remember one thing. This is only the first year out of a multi year contract, and Dale Jr. is performing. He's not where he wants to be, but he's getting there, slowly, race by race, lap by lap. Beware, detractors: Before you disparage a man you don't understand, make sure he's not kicking your driver's tail out on the track. Regardless of what you might think of him, I'll bet that his old man would be proud. I am.
Tony Eury Jr.'s comments supplied by Brant James at the St. Petersburg Times
It's not been all celebrity and fun and games and drinking beer for Dale Earnhardt Jr. since then. Dale Jr. has built a reputation as a business man, beginning with JR Motorsports which fields 2 Nationwide series teams. Dale Jr. later created his own TV production company and his own popular Charlotte night spot called Whisky River. He still drives a race car, the 88 Chevrolet Impala SS for owner Rick Hendrick. Dale Jr. is in the Chase for the Cup, and he's a proven winner.
But at the age of 33, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has no Sprint Cup championships to his name yet. As a two time winner of the Busch series, which is now called the Nationwide series, Dale Jr. is indeed a champion, and a proven race winner. 18 wins in Cup since 2000 is a record that many veteran NASCAR drivers would love to have. He's won the Bud Shootout. He's won the All Star race. He's won the Daytona 500. He's basically done it all but win a championship, and for many of his critics, nothing means anything at all unless he wins at least several championships.
Critics of Dale Earnhardt Jr. are many and varied, but most follow one common theme, which is that he would not even be racing were his name not Earnhardt. According to his critics, Dale Jr. is highly over rated, and basically has a driving talent quotient of exactly zero. If you read many of the message boards and comments to articles posted from all over this land, you will get a taste for the abject hatred that many people feel for NASCAR's most popular driver. Many feel that the MPD title is undeserved, and then eventually they say they don't care because he hasn't won a championship. It is true that any driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. included, would rather have the title of Sprint Cup Champion added to their list of achievments rather than being the sports most popular driver.
I'm sorry to report to the many Dale Jr. detractors that his 18 wins and Daytona 500 victory put Dale Jr. in a class that very few drivers, past or present can boast much about. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won exactly as many races as has Kurt Busch, who is the 2004 champion. He's also won exactly as many races as Geoffrey Bodine, Harry Gant and Neil Bonnett. If you don't recognize what an achievement that is for a guy that's been racing for 9 years in Cup for full time, you don't know your NASCAR history. With one more win, Dale Jr. will tie Buddy Baker and Davey Allison. With two more wins, Dale will tie Jeff Burton's current win record. Jeff's been around a lot longer than Dale Jr. In other words, for a grossly over rated driver, Dale Jr. seems to have a pretty impressive record.
It's probably not as much fun anymore for Dale Jr. as it used to be. The tiring ordeal with leaving his father's company, Dale Earnhardt Inc. to make the move to Hendrick Motorsports must have made for a lot of sleepless nights. Many of his critics call him a traitor for ever leaving DEI. I beg to differ, however. Anyone with the name Earnhardt has to know that it's better to go with a winning team, with better equipment and more resources as far as engineering and technical support than it would be to stay with a team that served up a whopping 10 engines that failed to finish races last season. An Earnhardt will always go to where the racing is. This Earnhardt did just that, and I seriously doubt that Dale Earnhardt Sr. would have had any problem understanding that.
Tony Eury Jr., Dale Jr.'s cousin and crew chief has spoken of the switch from DEI to Hendrick. He left DEI early last year to get a head start on learning the Hendrick equipment and personnel. Tony Jr. has mentioned that he has had to work harder at HMS than he had to work at DEI. He has more resources available to him, and he's finding that he's spending more time in the shop than he ever did at DEI. Tony Jr. doesn't mind though, as long as it all adds up to better performance. Though many will criticize Tony Jr.'s decisions from on top of the pit box, his peers at HMS feel that there is a good reason for him to be where he is. General manager Marshall Carlson said. "Tony Jr. is one of the smartest guys we've got at that whole place. He's as sly as a fox, …He made friends with everyone through that place, front to back, so that when the season started, it was pretty neat to see everyone through the organization, all these channels of support they have, they were all pulling for Tony and Dale."
Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Jr. have the opportunity to do great things together, and for those who discount Dale Earnhardt Jr. as a driver with little or no talent, I would advise you to remember one thing. This is only the first year out of a multi year contract, and Dale Jr. is performing. He's not where he wants to be, but he's getting there, slowly, race by race, lap by lap. Beware, detractors: Before you disparage a man you don't understand, make sure he's not kicking your driver's tail out on the track. Regardless of what you might think of him, I'll bet that his old man would be proud. I am.
Tony Eury Jr.'s comments supplied by Brant James at the St. Petersburg Times
Friday, September 19, 2008
Is NASCAR Sprint Cup as Good as it Used To Be?
We've got the new car. We've got the Chase. We've got the free pass, or the Lucky Dog as some call it. The world of NASCAR has changed much in the past 10 years. Has it all been for the better?
In terms of safety, I heartily applaud NASCAR's efforts to keep the drivers and crews safer. Many did not like the HANS device when it was first mandated, but I'm guessing that the head and neck restraint system has probably saved a few driver's lives since 2001. Though Dale Earnhardt might have fought that rule tooth and nail, he might still be alive today had NASCAR mandated the HANS device before 2001. So might Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin. I also applaud NASCAR mandating the use of helmets for all crew members that climb over the wall to service the race cars on pit road. It just makes sense, just as much as it makes sense to make your children wear head, knee and elbow protection before you turn them loose with a skateboard. Racing is and always will be a dangerous sport, but any measures made to make it safer have to be a good thing in my opinion.
I believe that NASCAR's attempt to even out the playing field with the new car is still a work in progress. True, the teams build fewer cars than they used to, but are they really saving that much money? When an ill handling car seems to be attracted to the fence like a magnet to a refrigerator door, is it really saving the teams money by having to spend endless hours in the shop cutting away twisted metal and fabricating new bodies for banged up race cars? Sure, beating and banging happens in every race, but some drivers find the new cars so ill mannered and bad tempered that it seems that more cars are being wrecked, not just during races, but also during practice and qualifying. Many of the drivers complain that in many cases, it's nearly impossible to set up the race car so that it handles well in traffic. It seems that the new car mostly likes to run at the front, without cars in front of it. A car that grabs the lead on a restart almost automatically becomes the fastest car on the track, and the only way that cars back in the field can catch the leaders is for a caution to occur. To me, that's not racing, at least by old school standards. Sure, there have always been dominant cars and drivers in the field, but the new car seems to be an advantage to those who are in the front, and a disadvantage to many who are in the back.
This phenomenon does not apply to all tracks, obviously. Last week's race at New Hampshire saw very good racing all through the ranks. At other tracks, such as California, it just seems that follow the leader is the game. If you can get to the front for a restart, you might have a chance. If you're mired back in the field all day, there's little chance you will be able to charge to the front in the closing laps, it would appear. Hopefully, the technical folks at NASCAR will find a way to help prevent yawn inducing races, if they insist on racing at tracks that are inherently set up to be boring in the first place.
Again, in the interests of safety, I like the rule that there is not racing back to the yellow flag when a caution comes out. Having cars scattered sideways across the track while other cars try to beat each other back to the flag is often dangerous, and I agree that the field should be frozen at the point that the yellow flag flies. Giving a free pass to a driver who is a lap down is more questionable in my mind however. If the driver got beat on the track, why help him get a lap back that he lost by getting beat? Maybe one free pass per driver per race, or maybe each driver gets so many free passes per season, or some other system would make more sense to me. Drivers can and do make up laps on their own, on the track, and under competition.
The Chase is the most complex change, at least in my opinion, that NASCAR has made in recent years. We have all read about how the last few seasons would have turned out had the Chase not been instituted in 2004. We've read about how past championship races would have shaped up had the Chase been in effect back in the 1990's and early 2000's. All I can say is that the Chase does offer some advantages, mainly by creating something to really race for with 10 races left in the season. Arguments continue, however about whether enough emphasis is placed on wins, or simply driving in a consistent manner is still what matters the most. I agree that the Chase should include 12 drivers instead of 10, so I see that as an improvement. Do we really need the Chase at all though? I'm still having a tough time making up my mind on that.
For whatever all my or anyone else's opinions matter, these and other complaints and arguments are really nothing new in NASCAR. The subjects of the complaints and arguments have changed, but that's about all. When we get right down to it, nothing really matters except what NASCAR itself deems will sell more tickets and improve TV ratings. Our opinions will certainly not fall totally on deaf ears, because there are always other fans that will agree or disagree with us. As far as NASCAR itself goes, however, it is what it is, or more importantly, it will be whatever NASCAR decides it's going to be.
In terms of safety, I heartily applaud NASCAR's efforts to keep the drivers and crews safer. Many did not like the HANS device when it was first mandated, but I'm guessing that the head and neck restraint system has probably saved a few driver's lives since 2001. Though Dale Earnhardt might have fought that rule tooth and nail, he might still be alive today had NASCAR mandated the HANS device before 2001. So might Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin. I also applaud NASCAR mandating the use of helmets for all crew members that climb over the wall to service the race cars on pit road. It just makes sense, just as much as it makes sense to make your children wear head, knee and elbow protection before you turn them loose with a skateboard. Racing is and always will be a dangerous sport, but any measures made to make it safer have to be a good thing in my opinion.
I believe that NASCAR's attempt to even out the playing field with the new car is still a work in progress. True, the teams build fewer cars than they used to, but are they really saving that much money? When an ill handling car seems to be attracted to the fence like a magnet to a refrigerator door, is it really saving the teams money by having to spend endless hours in the shop cutting away twisted metal and fabricating new bodies for banged up race cars? Sure, beating and banging happens in every race, but some drivers find the new cars so ill mannered and bad tempered that it seems that more cars are being wrecked, not just during races, but also during practice and qualifying. Many of the drivers complain that in many cases, it's nearly impossible to set up the race car so that it handles well in traffic. It seems that the new car mostly likes to run at the front, without cars in front of it. A car that grabs the lead on a restart almost automatically becomes the fastest car on the track, and the only way that cars back in the field can catch the leaders is for a caution to occur. To me, that's not racing, at least by old school standards. Sure, there have always been dominant cars and drivers in the field, but the new car seems to be an advantage to those who are in the front, and a disadvantage to many who are in the back.
This phenomenon does not apply to all tracks, obviously. Last week's race at New Hampshire saw very good racing all through the ranks. At other tracks, such as California, it just seems that follow the leader is the game. If you can get to the front for a restart, you might have a chance. If you're mired back in the field all day, there's little chance you will be able to charge to the front in the closing laps, it would appear. Hopefully, the technical folks at NASCAR will find a way to help prevent yawn inducing races, if they insist on racing at tracks that are inherently set up to be boring in the first place.
Again, in the interests of safety, I like the rule that there is not racing back to the yellow flag when a caution comes out. Having cars scattered sideways across the track while other cars try to beat each other back to the flag is often dangerous, and I agree that the field should be frozen at the point that the yellow flag flies. Giving a free pass to a driver who is a lap down is more questionable in my mind however. If the driver got beat on the track, why help him get a lap back that he lost by getting beat? Maybe one free pass per driver per race, or maybe each driver gets so many free passes per season, or some other system would make more sense to me. Drivers can and do make up laps on their own, on the track, and under competition.
The Chase is the most complex change, at least in my opinion, that NASCAR has made in recent years. We have all read about how the last few seasons would have turned out had the Chase not been instituted in 2004. We've read about how past championship races would have shaped up had the Chase been in effect back in the 1990's and early 2000's. All I can say is that the Chase does offer some advantages, mainly by creating something to really race for with 10 races left in the season. Arguments continue, however about whether enough emphasis is placed on wins, or simply driving in a consistent manner is still what matters the most. I agree that the Chase should include 12 drivers instead of 10, so I see that as an improvement. Do we really need the Chase at all though? I'm still having a tough time making up my mind on that.
For whatever all my or anyone else's opinions matter, these and other complaints and arguments are really nothing new in NASCAR. The subjects of the complaints and arguments have changed, but that's about all. When we get right down to it, nothing really matters except what NASCAR itself deems will sell more tickets and improve TV ratings. Our opinions will certainly not fall totally on deaf ears, because there are always other fans that will agree or disagree with us. As far as NASCAR itself goes, however, it is what it is, or more importantly, it will be whatever NASCAR decides it's going to be.
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