Note: This was originally posted on February 23, 2001.
Let's get one thing straight. I don't think they should have thrown the yellow flag at Daytona. Why? Well, I'll tell you why!
First of all, the finishers were way too close to the start/finish line. Second of all, I hate Mark Martin. Actually I'm just kidding about that. I love Mark. I wish he'd adopt me, as a matter of fact.
Second of all, Uh, I don't know. It's up for discussion, I guess. I really don't hate Mark Martin, but I admire Nascar for doing what they did, which is just let a race end.
Let's face it. Back in the days before the death of people like Dale Earnhardt, Kenny Irwin, and Adam Petty, we used to see some better racing than we see now. If you don't agree, look at some old racing tapes from the 80's or the 90's. If that racing wasn't better, I'll eat my Dale Earnhardt hat.
What I'm saying is that racing is safer, which is good. It's not as good though. I don't want racing to be more dangerous, I just want it to be more fun to watch.
Nascar has taken a lot of measures to make races safer than they ever were. First we got HANS devices, next SAFer walls. All these have contributed to making Nascar driver's safer, and I'm all for that.
What I hate to see is less racing, and more politics. Let's go racing!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Six Years have passed, but I don't miss him any less.
Note: This was originally posted February 18, 2007.
This is one of the most joyous days and one of the saddest days for me. Six years ago today we lost the pillar of our sport, Dale Earnhardt. Today we celebrate the official beginning of the Nextel Cup season with the 48th (maybe 49th? I don't know, I understand that the Daytona track opened in 1959, which was 4 (or 5?) years before my birth) running of the Daytona 500.
On this day 6 years ago, we lost possibly the greatest driver in the history of stock car racing. In my opinion, he was the greatest. For me, the world turned upside down when I heard the news that Dale Earnhardt had died after his crash in the 4th turn at Daytona. I was basically speechless for about 2 days afterwards. Words still do not express the shock and sadness I felt that day. Did I know Dale Earnhardt personally? No. I never even shook his hand. I saw him in person maybe 4 times in my life, the closest I actually ever was to him was back in the early 90's at the South Carolina Upper State Fair, next to Greenville-Pickens Speedway, where his father, Ralph Earnhardt raced many, many times. I stood for about an hour as he signed autographs under a tent on a hot South Carolina fall day. I didn't have anything for him to sign, so I just stood there, about 20 feet away, and watched him sign and sign and sign.
I noticed that he had a smile for everyone that walked by. He was wearing his trademark sunglasses, but every once in a while, he'd remove them and wipe the sweat from his eyes. At one point, near the end of his session, he actually stood up, walked around in a circle, just to stretch his legs, I suppose, and then sat down again. While he was turning that brief circle, with his sunglasses off, his eyes fixed on mine, for just a brief second. I smiled, and he smiled back. It happened in just a fraction of a second. But it happened. For just a moment, I experienced that Earnhardt stare first hand. But it was friendly. I wasn't scared.
At the time I was a sorta fan of his. You know what a sorta fan is. I admired his driving ability, but didn't like how he sometimes spun out other drivers I liked. I had a lot of respect for him though, and I suppose that's why I stood there in the hot sun for nearly an hour, just watching him.
Every move he made, even just sitting there in that chair was with quiet purpose. There was never a wasted motion, not even one. I thought at the time that this was a deliberate man, and man on a mission, even just sitting there signing autographs. He would sign mostly pictures of himself, and sometimes a piece of sheet metal, and sometimes a shirt or a hat. Sometimes he spoke to the fan presenting the object to be signed, and a few times I even heard him laugh. At one point, he stood up, clasped a man's hand, and I heard him say "You know I love you, man." I assumed that this must have been an old time fan that he recognized. This was nearly a decade before Fox, NBC, and TNT. This was back in what some of us old timers call the good old days of Nascar, when drivers were there to meet and greet, and before a lot of drivers achieved what is not common: superstar status.
My heart melted a bit that day, but not because I was standing in the hot sun. I realized that one of Nascar's most hated was actually a nice guy, and he really was just a pretty average guy at that. If not for the famous mustache and sunglasses, he could have easily fit into the crowd at the fair that day. When you looked at Dale Earnhardt, you didn't think celebrity, or famous, you just thought "working man".
And literally a working man he was. Ralph Dale Earnhardt came up hard, as we say in the south. He had practically nothing given to him, he had to work for everything he ever had. He suffered a lot of the common man's woes; poverty, divorce, hunger, and failure early in his career.
Within a couple of years of this event, I was fully a Dale Earnhardt fan. It's hard not to like seeing a guy penalized a lap for rough driving and come back and win (remember this is way before the free or lucky dog pass) at any race track. The man just never gave up. Another quaint southern saying is "he had no 'quit' in him".
Today, there's no surprise that even 6 long years after his death, Dale Earnhardt is still loved and cherished by millions of Nascar fans. Dale Earnhardt was every person's dream come true in a way. He went from starving to becoming an executive who owned his own land, his own lakes, his own jets, and had what most of us would consider a wonderful life at the time of his death. I'm guessing that even with the drive that he always had, Dale Earnhardt died a happy man.
Today I pray that all of the drivers survive this, one of the more dangerous races of the season. I'm not going to pray for a winner, but I'll pray that all are survivors.
This is one of the most joyous days and one of the saddest days for me. Six years ago today we lost the pillar of our sport, Dale Earnhardt. Today we celebrate the official beginning of the Nextel Cup season with the 48th (maybe 49th? I don't know, I understand that the Daytona track opened in 1959, which was 4 (or 5?) years before my birth) running of the Daytona 500.
On this day 6 years ago, we lost possibly the greatest driver in the history of stock car racing. In my opinion, he was the greatest. For me, the world turned upside down when I heard the news that Dale Earnhardt had died after his crash in the 4th turn at Daytona. I was basically speechless for about 2 days afterwards. Words still do not express the shock and sadness I felt that day. Did I know Dale Earnhardt personally? No. I never even shook his hand. I saw him in person maybe 4 times in my life, the closest I actually ever was to him was back in the early 90's at the South Carolina Upper State Fair, next to Greenville-Pickens Speedway, where his father, Ralph Earnhardt raced many, many times. I stood for about an hour as he signed autographs under a tent on a hot South Carolina fall day. I didn't have anything for him to sign, so I just stood there, about 20 feet away, and watched him sign and sign and sign.
I noticed that he had a smile for everyone that walked by. He was wearing his trademark sunglasses, but every once in a while, he'd remove them and wipe the sweat from his eyes. At one point, near the end of his session, he actually stood up, walked around in a circle, just to stretch his legs, I suppose, and then sat down again. While he was turning that brief circle, with his sunglasses off, his eyes fixed on mine, for just a brief second. I smiled, and he smiled back. It happened in just a fraction of a second. But it happened. For just a moment, I experienced that Earnhardt stare first hand. But it was friendly. I wasn't scared.
At the time I was a sorta fan of his. You know what a sorta fan is. I admired his driving ability, but didn't like how he sometimes spun out other drivers I liked. I had a lot of respect for him though, and I suppose that's why I stood there in the hot sun for nearly an hour, just watching him.
Every move he made, even just sitting there in that chair was with quiet purpose. There was never a wasted motion, not even one. I thought at the time that this was a deliberate man, and man on a mission, even just sitting there signing autographs. He would sign mostly pictures of himself, and sometimes a piece of sheet metal, and sometimes a shirt or a hat. Sometimes he spoke to the fan presenting the object to be signed, and a few times I even heard him laugh. At one point, he stood up, clasped a man's hand, and I heard him say "You know I love you, man." I assumed that this must have been an old time fan that he recognized. This was nearly a decade before Fox, NBC, and TNT. This was back in what some of us old timers call the good old days of Nascar, when drivers were there to meet and greet, and before a lot of drivers achieved what is not common: superstar status.
My heart melted a bit that day, but not because I was standing in the hot sun. I realized that one of Nascar's most hated was actually a nice guy, and he really was just a pretty average guy at that. If not for the famous mustache and sunglasses, he could have easily fit into the crowd at the fair that day. When you looked at Dale Earnhardt, you didn't think celebrity, or famous, you just thought "working man".
And literally a working man he was. Ralph Dale Earnhardt came up hard, as we say in the south. He had practically nothing given to him, he had to work for everything he ever had. He suffered a lot of the common man's woes; poverty, divorce, hunger, and failure early in his career.
Within a couple of years of this event, I was fully a Dale Earnhardt fan. It's hard not to like seeing a guy penalized a lap for rough driving and come back and win (remember this is way before the free or lucky dog pass) at any race track. The man just never gave up. Another quaint southern saying is "he had no 'quit' in him".
Today, there's no surprise that even 6 long years after his death, Dale Earnhardt is still loved and cherished by millions of Nascar fans. Dale Earnhardt was every person's dream come true in a way. He went from starving to becoming an executive who owned his own land, his own lakes, his own jets, and had what most of us would consider a wonderful life at the time of his death. I'm guessing that even with the drive that he always had, Dale Earnhardt died a happy man.
Today I pray that all of the drivers survive this, one of the more dangerous races of the season. I'm not going to pray for a winner, but I'll pray that all are survivors.
Parity in Penalties in NASCAR?
Note: This was originally posted February 16, 2007.
It was a very interesting afternoon. First, Mikey races for his life and wrecks Dale Earnhardt Jr., but Dale Jr. fights back and finishes 2nd to Tony Stewart. Then on the last lap of the 2nd qualifier, Jeff Gordon passes everyone and wins.
Or did he?
Post race inspection found that the 24 Chevy of Gordon was an inch too low. An inch? Is that all?
If I were Michael Waltrip, which I'm not, I'd be questioning Nascars decision to penalize me 100 owners and drivers points and run off my crew chief and my competition director. Jeff Gordon won the race, but his car was an inch too low? What difference does it make to follow or break the rules when Nascar is so blatantly selective in how it dishes out it's punishment?
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson lost his crew chief for 4 races, but that did not stop him from winning the Daytona 500. Jimmie was penalized no drivers points. This year, Jeff Gordon must start in 42nd spot in the Daytona 500 for having incorrectly installed suspension parts on his car, but Michael get's fined 100 points for having a suspicious substance in his intake manifold?
If I'm Mikey, I'm asking the same question his brother, Darrell asked in the commercials:
"Where's the love, man?"
It was a very interesting afternoon. First, Mikey races for his life and wrecks Dale Earnhardt Jr., but Dale Jr. fights back and finishes 2nd to Tony Stewart. Then on the last lap of the 2nd qualifier, Jeff Gordon passes everyone and wins.
Or did he?
Post race inspection found that the 24 Chevy of Gordon was an inch too low. An inch? Is that all?
If I were Michael Waltrip, which I'm not, I'd be questioning Nascars decision to penalize me 100 owners and drivers points and run off my crew chief and my competition director. Jeff Gordon won the race, but his car was an inch too low? What difference does it make to follow or break the rules when Nascar is so blatantly selective in how it dishes out it's punishment?
In 2006, Jimmie Johnson lost his crew chief for 4 races, but that did not stop him from winning the Daytona 500. Jimmie was penalized no drivers points. This year, Jeff Gordon must start in 42nd spot in the Daytona 500 for having incorrectly installed suspension parts on his car, but Michael get's fined 100 points for having a suspicious substance in his intake manifold?
If I'm Mikey, I'm asking the same question his brother, Darrell asked in the commercials:
"Where's the love, man?"
Note: This was originally posted on February 15, 2007.
It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing: it's time to kick off the real racing in the Gatorade Duel 150's. This is a moment we've been waiting for all winter long.
So many teams have a ton riding on these two races, it's impossible to overstate. Michael Waltrip has been given a reprieve of sorts from Nascar in that he will be allowed to race today. Most of the Toyota teams are going to have to race their way into the 500. With a total of 61 cars trying to make the Big Show, a lot of people are going to be frustrated and disappointed today, while a lucky few will be on top of the world.
I'll have more after the last checkered flag today.
It's Thursday and that can only mean one thing: it's time to kick off the real racing in the Gatorade Duel 150's. This is a moment we've been waiting for all winter long.
So many teams have a ton riding on these two races, it's impossible to overstate. Michael Waltrip has been given a reprieve of sorts from Nascar in that he will be allowed to race today. Most of the Toyota teams are going to have to race their way into the 500. With a total of 61 cars trying to make the Big Show, a lot of people are going to be frustrated and disappointed today, while a lucky few will be on top of the world.
I'll have more after the last checkered flag today.
A Happy Beginning for Toyota?
Note: This was originally posted February 12, 2007.
Since it's Daytona Speed Weeks time again, the subject of cheating invariably comes up. After yesterday's qualifying for the Daytona 500, it was announced that the 55 of Michael Waltrip, the 9 of Kasey Kahne, and the 17 of Matt Kenseth had problems passing inspection. This seems to be shades of last year, when Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson was suspended for a few races. Of course, as we all remember, Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 anyway, so this might not be such a bad thing for any of the teams involved here.
Today the news comes out that not only has Michael Waltrip's intake manifold been confiscated, but the whole blamed car! Seems an oily substance was found in his intake manifold, twice according to Mikey himself.
A few years ago on a camping trip, I found at a very inopportune time that I had misplaced all of my Sterno, which is used for fuel for the camp stove. Turns out Mikey had it all along! Imagine that! He could have had it if he'd just asked for it.
Mikey is a nice guy, and I certainly wish him no ill will. He was after all a 2 time Daytona 500 winner, so it's not entirely possible that this will be a major setback for him in the long run. Heck, like I say, just look at Jimmie Johnson last year! I won't be surprised if the 55 wins the Daytona 500 by 5 laps, with a back up car, a back up crew chief, and even a back up driver!
What I do wonder about, though, is how Toyota feels about this. Since it was announced that Toyota was joining the ranks of Nascar's top series, Micheal Waltrip has been the leading spokesman for the effort to get the Japanese car maker up to speed on America's top stock car racing series. Apparently no problems were found with the cars of the other Toyota teams, namely Red Bull and Bill Davis Racing. The fact that not just engine parts but the entire car have been impounded (with penalties yet to come) has to be making Toyota Racing officials scramble for the tall grass today.
Even if the 55 car is released back to Michael before the Duel Qualifiers on Thursday, Michael is still not guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500. He is not in the top 35 in points, and therefore must race his way in on Thursday, since he did not qualify fast enough on Sunday to be locked in. I'm guessing the Napa team is working overtime on the backup car as I write this.
But fear not, because the biggest story of last February was how the 48 team of Jimmie Johnson overcame all adversity and won Nascar's biggest race without it's crew chief, the venerable Chad Knaus. As they say, everybody cheats, it's just unfortunate for those who get caught. That's what they say, isn't it?
Since Michael Waltrip has become the biggest alleged cheater during this Speed Week, at least so far, it seems reasonable that Michael will do well in the actual race, if not win it. Toyota will be happy, cheating or otherwise, as long as they get a win.
Won't they?
Since it's Daytona Speed Weeks time again, the subject of cheating invariably comes up. After yesterday's qualifying for the Daytona 500, it was announced that the 55 of Michael Waltrip, the 9 of Kasey Kahne, and the 17 of Matt Kenseth had problems passing inspection. This seems to be shades of last year, when Chad Knaus, crew chief for Jimmie Johnson was suspended for a few races. Of course, as we all remember, Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500 anyway, so this might not be such a bad thing for any of the teams involved here.
Today the news comes out that not only has Michael Waltrip's intake manifold been confiscated, but the whole blamed car! Seems an oily substance was found in his intake manifold, twice according to Mikey himself.
A few years ago on a camping trip, I found at a very inopportune time that I had misplaced all of my Sterno, which is used for fuel for the camp stove. Turns out Mikey had it all along! Imagine that! He could have had it if he'd just asked for it.
Mikey is a nice guy, and I certainly wish him no ill will. He was after all a 2 time Daytona 500 winner, so it's not entirely possible that this will be a major setback for him in the long run. Heck, like I say, just look at Jimmie Johnson last year! I won't be surprised if the 55 wins the Daytona 500 by 5 laps, with a back up car, a back up crew chief, and even a back up driver!
What I do wonder about, though, is how Toyota feels about this. Since it was announced that Toyota was joining the ranks of Nascar's top series, Micheal Waltrip has been the leading spokesman for the effort to get the Japanese car maker up to speed on America's top stock car racing series. Apparently no problems were found with the cars of the other Toyota teams, namely Red Bull and Bill Davis Racing. The fact that not just engine parts but the entire car have been impounded (with penalties yet to come) has to be making Toyota Racing officials scramble for the tall grass today.
Even if the 55 car is released back to Michael before the Duel Qualifiers on Thursday, Michael is still not guaranteed a spot in the Daytona 500. He is not in the top 35 in points, and therefore must race his way in on Thursday, since he did not qualify fast enough on Sunday to be locked in. I'm guessing the Napa team is working overtime on the backup car as I write this.
But fear not, because the biggest story of last February was how the 48 team of Jimmie Johnson overcame all adversity and won Nascar's biggest race without it's crew chief, the venerable Chad Knaus. As they say, everybody cheats, it's just unfortunate for those who get caught. That's what they say, isn't it?
Since Michael Waltrip has become the biggest alleged cheater during this Speed Week, at least so far, it seems reasonable that Michael will do well in the actual race, if not win it. Toyota will be happy, cheating or otherwise, as long as they get a win.
Won't they?
Happy 2007 Season, Everyone!
Note: This was originally posted February 11, 2007.
Wow! It's been a really long off season for me! I hope you've all enjoyed your own off season and are ready to go racing again. I know I am!
First of all, Congratulations to Tony Stewart for winning the 2007 Budweiser Shootout! I found the race to be exciting, but then again, I find them all to be exciting, except when some driver I don't like is winning and nobody can catch him. That little move (tap?) he put on Kyle Busch was what I consider racing to be all about. Kyle Busch might not agree, but I think he made a great save, anyway.
One of the biggest stories of the off season and of this racing season so far has been Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s contract dispute with his step-mother, Teresa Earnhardt. The contract dispute itself is nothing new, but Dale Jr. really threw in a new twist this past week when he boldly stated that he wants a majority ownership in the team.
I'm guessing that Dale Jr. is no dummy. I doubt that Nascar's most popular driver was simply running off at the mouth. If nothing else, Dale Jr. is aware of how the media hangs on his every word, and I think it's safe to say that he would not make a rookie mistake and make a claim he's not willing to back up.
After a meeting this week with Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s President of Global Operations Max Siegel (does this company sound like it's getting a little top heavy?) Earnhardt Jr. made his bold claim, adding that he would not sign a contract for 2008 and beyond if his conditions were not met. President Siegel commented later that he was happy with how negotiations were going. Max Siegel should be the US Ambassador to the UN if he can say that and keep a straight face.
First of all, let's take a look at Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s (DEI) position. Teresa Earnhardt, widow of racing's great Dale Earnhardt, apparently owns DEI outright. She basically always has, even well before Dale's death in 2001. This is not an uncommon practice among husband and wife race teams, where the husband is also a race car driver. It makes sense, from any point of view. Drivers sometimes die in their pursuit to win races and championships. Theirs is a high risk job. Theresa Earnhardt has proven to be a genius when it comes to marketing racing memorabilia. Many folks new to the sport might not know this, but Dale Earnhardt is basically the driver responsible for all those little trailers that stand in rows outside the race tracks every weekend during the racing season. Earnhardt, advised by Teresa, realized years ago that there was a lot of money to be made by selling tee shirt, hats, and other racing souveniers The merchandising business which is practiced by all racing teams now has turned into a mighty cash cow, the profits of which dwarf race winnings to the point that it makes one wonder why these drivers actually bother getting in the cars anymore at all. Let's face it, if I were a driver who sold $10 million worth of merchandise and only made $1 million off race winnings, I'd pay very special attention to the merchandise sales. Teresa and DEI have proven to be masters at merchandising. There are probably none better in the business than Teresa and DEI.
The problem with that is that in order to sell merchandise, you have to have a product that you can print on shirts and hats that will make people want to buy them. I could have a few Jimmy C. shirts and hats printed up and could set up a table at Daytona and wait for the bucks to roll in, but there's the distinct chance that 100 per cent of the passers-by would not know who Jimmy C was, or in fact understand what a wonderful guy he really is. I say this with full knowledge that I'm likely to need a bandage for my fragile ego, but facts are, as they say, facts. In fact, at last count, the members of my fan club included only 2. One of them was me. The other one was my cat, for which I am eternally grateful. Unfortunately, I have 3 cats, and 2 keep making all kinds of ridiculous excuses not to join, like "Jimmy, sorry, but it's been a lean year for catching mice."
I hope you're starting to get the picture. Since I'm not a race car driver, my chances of selling a hat at Daytona are pretty slim. If I am a race car driver, chances are I'll sell a few. If I've actually won races, I'll sell a lot more. If people actually like me and I win races, then I'll sell a whole lot more. Do you begin to see a pattern here?
Dale Earnhardt sold a ton of merchandise when he was alive, and following his tragic death in 2001, he actually sold a lot more. I know, because I bought a lot of it. DEI has made a lot of money off of Dale Earnhardt merchandise to this very day, and will continue to. The biggest draw they have at this time is clearly Dale Earnhardt Jr., and he's threatening to quit. He now fully owns the rights to his own name, which apparently was a major dispute that was settled within the hallowed halls of DEI last year. If Dale Jr. leaves, he takes his name with him.
Dale Earnhardt is now one of the most respected and posthumously loved drivers in Nascar. His merchandise will probably always sell, even though he'll never win another race or championship. With the hiring of Max Siegel, it would appear that DEI, under Teresa's leadership has taken a very aggressive stand on ensuring that the merchandising side of DEI will continue to be a very major part of the business. What I fear is that DEI has taken merchandising as DEI's primary business goal, rather than producing competitive race cars and drivers. Dale Jr., as popular as he is, will not win races or championships on his looks or personality alone.
Dale Jr.'s life is increasingly more complex. He owns his own race teams now, JR Motorsports. He owns jets, he is the boss to untold numbers of employees including his biological mom and his sister Kelley. He has his own radio show. He does photo shoots for magazines like Rolling Stone. He appeared in a video last year with a popular hip-hop artist. He's living a young man's dream, basically. I too am eagerly awaiting my chance to be on the cover of Rolling Stone, but as each year goes by, my hopes fade a little. In fact, it's looking as if my big show business break will be in a Geritol commercial, if indeed I get that break at all.
Dale Jr. does have a few things in his advantage other than his famous name. He's won 17 Nascar Nextel Cup races, and the All Star race in his rookie year of 2000. He's won the Budweiser Shootout. He's won a lot of Busch series races, including 2 championships in 1998 and 1999. This boy's got talent, and he's got personality. He's also got a lot of money, which helps too. Personally, I just wish I possessed an appliance in which to relieve myself.
I doubt that Dale Jr. really wants the big office at DEI right now, because he's too busy staying focused and trying to win races and championships. I think what he does want is a little more input into the racing side of the business. He wants the best mechanics, the best fabricators, the best engine builders. He's a race car driver, isn't he? Of course he wants that. Dale Jr.'s vision appears to be let's just win a lot of races, a lot of championships, and the rest will fall into place. I have to agree with that. Win races while you're young and fit and able to win races, and let the merchandising come later. Jr.'s stuff already flies off the shelves as it it, and it doesn't appear to take a very aggressive marketing campaign to sell his merchandise. My guess is the more races a fellow wins, the better his merchandise will sell.
As a casual fan, and I'm about as casual as they come, I must say that although I appreciate DEI's quest to sell more tee shirts and hats and diecast cars, I appreciate a very friendly and engaging young man winning races even more. Dale Jr.'s got too much talent to waste, in my opinion. I'd rather see him driving for a more racing oriented team now while he's in his prime, than to see him simply driving around the track to sell more tee shirts.
Wow! It's been a really long off season for me! I hope you've all enjoyed your own off season and are ready to go racing again. I know I am!
First of all, Congratulations to Tony Stewart for winning the 2007 Budweiser Shootout! I found the race to be exciting, but then again, I find them all to be exciting, except when some driver I don't like is winning and nobody can catch him. That little move (tap?) he put on Kyle Busch was what I consider racing to be all about. Kyle Busch might not agree, but I think he made a great save, anyway.
One of the biggest stories of the off season and of this racing season so far has been Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s contract dispute with his step-mother, Teresa Earnhardt. The contract dispute itself is nothing new, but Dale Jr. really threw in a new twist this past week when he boldly stated that he wants a majority ownership in the team.
I'm guessing that Dale Jr. is no dummy. I doubt that Nascar's most popular driver was simply running off at the mouth. If nothing else, Dale Jr. is aware of how the media hangs on his every word, and I think it's safe to say that he would not make a rookie mistake and make a claim he's not willing to back up.
After a meeting this week with Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s President of Global Operations Max Siegel (does this company sound like it's getting a little top heavy?) Earnhardt Jr. made his bold claim, adding that he would not sign a contract for 2008 and beyond if his conditions were not met. President Siegel commented later that he was happy with how negotiations were going. Max Siegel should be the US Ambassador to the UN if he can say that and keep a straight face.
First of all, let's take a look at Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s (DEI) position. Teresa Earnhardt, widow of racing's great Dale Earnhardt, apparently owns DEI outright. She basically always has, even well before Dale's death in 2001. This is not an uncommon practice among husband and wife race teams, where the husband is also a race car driver. It makes sense, from any point of view. Drivers sometimes die in their pursuit to win races and championships. Theirs is a high risk job. Theresa Earnhardt has proven to be a genius when it comes to marketing racing memorabilia. Many folks new to the sport might not know this, but Dale Earnhardt is basically the driver responsible for all those little trailers that stand in rows outside the race tracks every weekend during the racing season. Earnhardt, advised by Teresa, realized years ago that there was a lot of money to be made by selling tee shirt, hats, and other racing souveniers The merchandising business which is practiced by all racing teams now has turned into a mighty cash cow, the profits of which dwarf race winnings to the point that it makes one wonder why these drivers actually bother getting in the cars anymore at all. Let's face it, if I were a driver who sold $10 million worth of merchandise and only made $1 million off race winnings, I'd pay very special attention to the merchandise sales. Teresa and DEI have proven to be masters at merchandising. There are probably none better in the business than Teresa and DEI.
The problem with that is that in order to sell merchandise, you have to have a product that you can print on shirts and hats that will make people want to buy them. I could have a few Jimmy C. shirts and hats printed up and could set up a table at Daytona and wait for the bucks to roll in, but there's the distinct chance that 100 per cent of the passers-by would not know who Jimmy C was, or in fact understand what a wonderful guy he really is. I say this with full knowledge that I'm likely to need a bandage for my fragile ego, but facts are, as they say, facts. In fact, at last count, the members of my fan club included only 2. One of them was me. The other one was my cat, for which I am eternally grateful. Unfortunately, I have 3 cats, and 2 keep making all kinds of ridiculous excuses not to join, like "Jimmy, sorry, but it's been a lean year for catching mice."
I hope you're starting to get the picture. Since I'm not a race car driver, my chances of selling a hat at Daytona are pretty slim. If I am a race car driver, chances are I'll sell a few. If I've actually won races, I'll sell a lot more. If people actually like me and I win races, then I'll sell a whole lot more. Do you begin to see a pattern here?
Dale Earnhardt sold a ton of merchandise when he was alive, and following his tragic death in 2001, he actually sold a lot more. I know, because I bought a lot of it. DEI has made a lot of money off of Dale Earnhardt merchandise to this very day, and will continue to. The biggest draw they have at this time is clearly Dale Earnhardt Jr., and he's threatening to quit. He now fully owns the rights to his own name, which apparently was a major dispute that was settled within the hallowed halls of DEI last year. If Dale Jr. leaves, he takes his name with him.
Dale Earnhardt is now one of the most respected and posthumously loved drivers in Nascar. His merchandise will probably always sell, even though he'll never win another race or championship. With the hiring of Max Siegel, it would appear that DEI, under Teresa's leadership has taken a very aggressive stand on ensuring that the merchandising side of DEI will continue to be a very major part of the business. What I fear is that DEI has taken merchandising as DEI's primary business goal, rather than producing competitive race cars and drivers. Dale Jr., as popular as he is, will not win races or championships on his looks or personality alone.
Dale Jr.'s life is increasingly more complex. He owns his own race teams now, JR Motorsports. He owns jets, he is the boss to untold numbers of employees including his biological mom and his sister Kelley. He has his own radio show. He does photo shoots for magazines like Rolling Stone. He appeared in a video last year with a popular hip-hop artist. He's living a young man's dream, basically. I too am eagerly awaiting my chance to be on the cover of Rolling Stone, but as each year goes by, my hopes fade a little. In fact, it's looking as if my big show business break will be in a Geritol commercial, if indeed I get that break at all.
Dale Jr. does have a few things in his advantage other than his famous name. He's won 17 Nascar Nextel Cup races, and the All Star race in his rookie year of 2000. He's won the Budweiser Shootout. He's won a lot of Busch series races, including 2 championships in 1998 and 1999. This boy's got talent, and he's got personality. He's also got a lot of money, which helps too. Personally, I just wish I possessed an appliance in which to relieve myself.
I doubt that Dale Jr. really wants the big office at DEI right now, because he's too busy staying focused and trying to win races and championships. I think what he does want is a little more input into the racing side of the business. He wants the best mechanics, the best fabricators, the best engine builders. He's a race car driver, isn't he? Of course he wants that. Dale Jr.'s vision appears to be let's just win a lot of races, a lot of championships, and the rest will fall into place. I have to agree with that. Win races while you're young and fit and able to win races, and let the merchandising come later. Jr.'s stuff already flies off the shelves as it it, and it doesn't appear to take a very aggressive marketing campaign to sell his merchandise. My guess is the more races a fellow wins, the better his merchandise will sell.
As a casual fan, and I'm about as casual as they come, I must say that although I appreciate DEI's quest to sell more tee shirts and hats and diecast cars, I appreciate a very friendly and engaging young man winning races even more. Dale Jr.'s got too much talent to waste, in my opinion. I'd rather see him driving for a more racing oriented team now while he's in his prime, than to see him simply driving around the track to sell more tee shirts.
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