I just wanted to thank each and every one of you who have taken time out of your busy day to read my blog. The hits are up, both here and on my web site, which is somewhat surprising, because those of you who have visited my site know that I am much more a writer than I am a web designer. I continue to work on the site, and am coming up with some ideas to re do parts of it, and hopefully make it a more entertaining place.
My blog is my passion, and it's hopefully getting better as time goes by. I'm somewhat overwhelmed by the range of locations represented by the readers of this blog. My recent visitors have ranged from California to Maine, from Miami to Alberta, Canada, and even Spain, Poland, Germany, and Korea. I'm still trying to get a hit from North Dakota, or Idaho, but I'm not going to give up until I've got a few! I've had several readers from the U.K., and I know one or two of them are transplanted Yankees, but at least a couple are natives to England. It's exciting to know that people who have never smelled the fumes of a Nascar race are still fans and read something as insignificant as my blog. I hope one day Nascar will run an exhibition race in the U.K., as they did years ago in Japan. For some strange reason, I would pay money to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Elliot Sadler wear a traditional 'Bobby' helmet. (For those of you who haven't heard that term, that's a policeman's helmet)
While giving thanks, I'd also like to say thank you to Mike Helton. Mike has had a tough job over the years, but he is basically the guy that keeps the wheels on Nascar. Mike has been a friend and mentor to many drivers over the years, has always been there to pray with a friend, or to give a little much needed stern advice. I don't know how much Nascar pays Mike Helton, but it's probably not enough. Mike has seen this sport go through a lot of changes, some of them very tough changes. I'll never forget the moment, back in the evening of February 18, 2001, when Mike had to do the toughest job he's ever done, which was announce to the world the death of a good friend and hero to many, Dale Earnhardt. God Bless you, Mike Helton.
There are so many others within the Nascar organization who deserve our praise, and also frequently our scorn. Racing fans are a tough crowd to please, but these people do their best.
April 29th would have been Dale Earnhardt's 57th birthday. DEI will be having it's annual Dale Earnhardt Day, and I went to the first one, in 2002. As a Dale Earnhardt Jr. fan, I've certainly got my differences with DEI, but I'm willing to put them aside and go up that day and celebrate the life of a man that has made an impact upon my life. DEI was started by Dale Earnhardt, and whether or not we agree on how Teresa Earnhardt has run the place since then, I'm going to go and pay my respects to the man I consider to be the greatest race car driver ever.
Thank you, the readers of this site. I will try to improve my skills and hopefully provide more interesting columns as time goes by. I'm flattered that you are willing to visit this site, and I hope to give you much more as time goes by. I originally started this blog with some advertising, but I removed it, because I didn't like they way the ads fit with what I was doing. This site, as will my website, will remain ad free.
If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or just want to rip me a new one, go ahead. This is a work in progress, and all comments will be read. You folks are great, but I warn you! If you keep reading, I'll keep writing!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Is Nascar facing a drug problem?
The recent news that Craftsman Trucks Series and Nationwide Series driver Aaron Fike had been arrested for heroin use and his confession that he had injected himself with the drug prior to racing is very disturbing news for the world of Nascar. Aaron's problems raise questions about just how wide spread is drug use in Nascar. As disturbing as Aaron's confession is, I'm guessing that illegal drug use in Nascar is not that big of a problem, but it is certainly a concern.
Nascar instituted a policy that allows random drug testing of basically any driver, at any time. We will never know just how often Nascar implements this policy, but the supposition would be that Nascar does random drug testing. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, a couple of years ago, that he had never been tested for anything. I've worked for companies before that also had random drug testing policies, and I was never tested either, except for preemployment screening. Once, I sustained an injury on the job, and had to take a drug test prior to a visit to the doctor, but that was a Workman's Comp case, and from what I understand, that is standard procedure. I'm fortunate in that I've never had a problem with using illegal drugs, and the random testing policy was always enough to keep me from wanting to experiment.
But what about people who do have drug problems, for one reason or another? Apparently, Aaron Fike started taking pain killers following a racing accident, and became addicted. That addiction eventually led to heroin use. I don't think anyone reading this would dispute that Aaron should not be allowed on the race track after taking a pop of heroin. One of my best friends is on a narcotics squad for a state law enforcement agency, and his take on heroin is this: Give a guy a little heroin, and he'll go to sleep. Give him a little more, and he'll die. Obviously, Aaron wasn't taking enough heroin to put him to sleep, but the thought of him on the track with other drivers, racing at high speeds, with heroin in his system is enough to make me shudder. In a way, I'm glad Aaron got arrested. I'm also glad he confessed to the pre race drug use. The first step in recovering from an addiction is admitting you have a problem. I think Aaron's got a long road ahead of him, and his racing career is certainly in danger. But I'd rather see Aaron live a long healthy life off the track than I would to see him kill himself with heroin.
Shane Hmiel is currently under a lifetime ban by Nascar, after being suspended for failing a drug test in 2003, testing positive for marijuana. Shane was reinstated in 2004, but failed a drug tests again in 2005 and 2006, this time showing positive not only for marijuana, but also cocaine. It is not known if Shane was actually under the influence of either of these drugs while racing, but the residue can be picked up weeks later after use by most drug testing methods. Nascar apparently has a 2 strikes policy for drugs, at least it did in Shane Hmiel's case. Will Nascar give Aaron Fike another chance, since Shane had another chance? Who can say, since this is Nascar we're talking about.
To me, there is a big difference between smoking a joint on your day off or showing up at the race track and puffing away in the hauler before the race. I don't know that Shane was doing either the first, or the latter, or both. Virtually everyone knows somebody that smokes pot on a casual basis. If you don't think you do, then you're most likely wrong. I'm not talking about everyday use, but maybe a little hit on the weekend, or maybe just a few puffs while on vacation. Personally, I don't have much of a problem with that. I don't use marijuana, but when I was about 18 or 19 years old, I tried it. It made me paranoid, so I quit, and I haven't used it in well over 20 years now. Back in those days, I would smoke a little, and suddenly feel like the SWAT team was about to take down the door and take me away in shackles. For me, that was all the reason I needed to quit. I've had good friends who have smoked a little though, and most of them have led perfectly normal lives. I certainly would not want to see a race car driver take a couple of last tokes and then climb into the race car though. I know of a few drivers that could probably benefit by mellowing out a little, but that's probably not the best way to do it.
I'm going to make some dangerous assumptions here, and I know, it's always dangerous to assume. I have no idea how Nascar implements it's random drug testing policy, but let's assume that roughly half of the drivers have been tested at least once since the policy came into existence back in the late 1980's. If only 2 drivers have had problems in all that time, I'm guessing that Nascar does not have a drug problem. Think about it. I'm only talking half here. Or if it was only a quarter of all drivers since the late 1980's. That's a lot of drivers. That's not much drug abuse found. Compare that with virtually any other major sport, and Nascar looks pretty good.
Nobody gets into any of Nascar's top 3 series without racing a lot of hard races to get there. Every one of these drivers have had crashes, some of them very painful, and have been administered drugs to help with the pain. Most of them eventually heal, and stop having to use the painkillers. But as happens in life, a few get addicted and continue to take the drug, often acquiring it illegally. It's a shame, because promising careers can be ruined, but it happens in every occupation, every day.
Nascar does need to step up it's testing policies though. I think all the drivers should be tested at least once in a while, if not for fairness, then at least for safety.
I don't believe Nascar has a drug problem, but they need to be sure they catch anyone who does before he or she causes big problems on the track, and ultimately, for the sport itself.
As for Aaron Fike, I hope he can beat the drugs and will race again. I hope the same for Shane Hmiel.
Nascar instituted a policy that allows random drug testing of basically any driver, at any time. We will never know just how often Nascar implements this policy, but the supposition would be that Nascar does random drug testing. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, a couple of years ago, that he had never been tested for anything. I've worked for companies before that also had random drug testing policies, and I was never tested either, except for preemployment screening. Once, I sustained an injury on the job, and had to take a drug test prior to a visit to the doctor, but that was a Workman's Comp case, and from what I understand, that is standard procedure. I'm fortunate in that I've never had a problem with using illegal drugs, and the random testing policy was always enough to keep me from wanting to experiment.
But what about people who do have drug problems, for one reason or another? Apparently, Aaron Fike started taking pain killers following a racing accident, and became addicted. That addiction eventually led to heroin use. I don't think anyone reading this would dispute that Aaron should not be allowed on the race track after taking a pop of heroin. One of my best friends is on a narcotics squad for a state law enforcement agency, and his take on heroin is this: Give a guy a little heroin, and he'll go to sleep. Give him a little more, and he'll die. Obviously, Aaron wasn't taking enough heroin to put him to sleep, but the thought of him on the track with other drivers, racing at high speeds, with heroin in his system is enough to make me shudder. In a way, I'm glad Aaron got arrested. I'm also glad he confessed to the pre race drug use. The first step in recovering from an addiction is admitting you have a problem. I think Aaron's got a long road ahead of him, and his racing career is certainly in danger. But I'd rather see Aaron live a long healthy life off the track than I would to see him kill himself with heroin.
Shane Hmiel is currently under a lifetime ban by Nascar, after being suspended for failing a drug test in 2003, testing positive for marijuana. Shane was reinstated in 2004, but failed a drug tests again in 2005 and 2006, this time showing positive not only for marijuana, but also cocaine. It is not known if Shane was actually under the influence of either of these drugs while racing, but the residue can be picked up weeks later after use by most drug testing methods. Nascar apparently has a 2 strikes policy for drugs, at least it did in Shane Hmiel's case. Will Nascar give Aaron Fike another chance, since Shane had another chance? Who can say, since this is Nascar we're talking about.
To me, there is a big difference between smoking a joint on your day off or showing up at the race track and puffing away in the hauler before the race. I don't know that Shane was doing either the first, or the latter, or both. Virtually everyone knows somebody that smokes pot on a casual basis. If you don't think you do, then you're most likely wrong. I'm not talking about everyday use, but maybe a little hit on the weekend, or maybe just a few puffs while on vacation. Personally, I don't have much of a problem with that. I don't use marijuana, but when I was about 18 or 19 years old, I tried it. It made me paranoid, so I quit, and I haven't used it in well over 20 years now. Back in those days, I would smoke a little, and suddenly feel like the SWAT team was about to take down the door and take me away in shackles. For me, that was all the reason I needed to quit. I've had good friends who have smoked a little though, and most of them have led perfectly normal lives. I certainly would not want to see a race car driver take a couple of last tokes and then climb into the race car though. I know of a few drivers that could probably benefit by mellowing out a little, but that's probably not the best way to do it.
I'm going to make some dangerous assumptions here, and I know, it's always dangerous to assume. I have no idea how Nascar implements it's random drug testing policy, but let's assume that roughly half of the drivers have been tested at least once since the policy came into existence back in the late 1980's. If only 2 drivers have had problems in all that time, I'm guessing that Nascar does not have a drug problem. Think about it. I'm only talking half here. Or if it was only a quarter of all drivers since the late 1980's. That's a lot of drivers. That's not much drug abuse found. Compare that with virtually any other major sport, and Nascar looks pretty good.
Nobody gets into any of Nascar's top 3 series without racing a lot of hard races to get there. Every one of these drivers have had crashes, some of them very painful, and have been administered drugs to help with the pain. Most of them eventually heal, and stop having to use the painkillers. But as happens in life, a few get addicted and continue to take the drug, often acquiring it illegally. It's a shame, because promising careers can be ruined, but it happens in every occupation, every day.
Nascar does need to step up it's testing policies though. I think all the drivers should be tested at least once in a while, if not for fairness, then at least for safety.
I don't believe Nascar has a drug problem, but they need to be sure they catch anyone who does before he or she causes big problems on the track, and ultimately, for the sport itself.
As for Aaron Fike, I hope he can beat the drugs and will race again. I hope the same for Shane Hmiel.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Finally, a win for Hendrick
Jimmie Johnson basically coasted to his first win Saturday, after a wild gas mileage race at Phoenix. Dale Earnhardt Jr. led many laps, but finally just couldn't come up with the late speeds he needed to stay in front during the long green flag runs. All in all, it was a very good day for Team Hendrick.
The early dominance of the Toyotas and Dodges and even Fords was not in evidence at Phoenix. Chevrolet led by far the most laps, and produced the eventual winner. Phoenix is a 1 mile track, however, and it will be interesting to see if Chevrolet can keep up the speed at tracks like Charlotte in May.
The night races at West Coast tracks such as Phoenix can be a real challenge for those of us here in the East. For night owls like me, it's not such a problem, but I feel sorry for the folks that are used to going to bed at 9:00 pm Eastern time. I'm a big fan of night races, but maybe if we had more of them in the Central time zone, more people could actually watch the races without losing sleep.
Fox has received much harsh criticism this weekend from Nascar fans, as well as I'm sure, a lot of baseball fans. Nascar fans missed nearly all of the pre race festivities, and were about half way through the first lap when Fox decided to dump the Red Sox - Yankees game for the "start" of the race. Baseball fans that only could watch Fox, missed the last out of the game, which occurred about a minute after Fox cut away. Until Fox switched to the race, they were simulcasting the race on Fox's sister network, FX. My question is why couldn't Fox have had the pre race on one network, and the baseball game on the other? FX would have been better than nothing at all. I understand Fox' commitment to broadcast both events, and Fox certainly couldn't be blamed for the weather causing a 2 plus hour rain delay in Boston, but showing only the baseball game on both networks seems a little foolish.
We've got an off weekend in the Cup series this week, and then it's back to restrictor plate racing at Talladega. I will be very interested to see how the various teams and manufacturers have progressed with their plate programs since Daytona in February.
The early dominance of the Toyotas and Dodges and even Fords was not in evidence at Phoenix. Chevrolet led by far the most laps, and produced the eventual winner. Phoenix is a 1 mile track, however, and it will be interesting to see if Chevrolet can keep up the speed at tracks like Charlotte in May.
The night races at West Coast tracks such as Phoenix can be a real challenge for those of us here in the East. For night owls like me, it's not such a problem, but I feel sorry for the folks that are used to going to bed at 9:00 pm Eastern time. I'm a big fan of night races, but maybe if we had more of them in the Central time zone, more people could actually watch the races without losing sleep.
Fox has received much harsh criticism this weekend from Nascar fans, as well as I'm sure, a lot of baseball fans. Nascar fans missed nearly all of the pre race festivities, and were about half way through the first lap when Fox decided to dump the Red Sox - Yankees game for the "start" of the race. Baseball fans that only could watch Fox, missed the last out of the game, which occurred about a minute after Fox cut away. Until Fox switched to the race, they were simulcasting the race on Fox's sister network, FX. My question is why couldn't Fox have had the pre race on one network, and the baseball game on the other? FX would have been better than nothing at all. I understand Fox' commitment to broadcast both events, and Fox certainly couldn't be blamed for the weather causing a 2 plus hour rain delay in Boston, but showing only the baseball game on both networks seems a little foolish.
We've got an off weekend in the Cup series this week, and then it's back to restrictor plate racing at Talladega. I will be very interested to see how the various teams and manufacturers have progressed with their plate programs since Daytona in February.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Should Tony Eury Jr. be shot at dawn?
I recently ran a poll on a Dale Earnhardt Jr. friendly message board. I mean VERY Dale Earnhardt Jr. friendly. I asked the following questions: Dale Jr. will not do well, Dale Jr. will win the race, Dale Jr. will get a top 5, Dale Jr. will get a top 10, Dale Jr. will get another top 15, and Dale Jr. will never with with Tony Jr. as crew chief. The results are not scientific. People can vote more than once, and surely, some of them do. This poll was posted about the upcoming Phoenix race.
The answers went this way: Dale Jr. will not do well. - 2 voted that way.
Dale Jr. will win the race. - 23 voted for that.
Dale Jr. will get at top 5. - 46 voted that way.
Dale Jr. will get a top 10. - 9 votes.
Dale Jr. will get a top 15. - 3 votes.
Dale Jr. will never win with with Tony Eury Jr. as crew chief. - 7 votes.
I was a bit intrigued by the last response. I know it could be one person who voted 7 time, or 7 different people, or any combination. Tony Eury Jr. was there for every single Cup, Busch, and non points win. He wasn't always in the capacity of crew chief, but he was there in some capacity. I'm guessing there are possibly better crew chiefs out there, but there are some that are a lot worse. So far, in 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 3 top 5's, 5 top 10's and a pole. He's 4th overall in points, and in this season of uncertainty, that's not totally by accident, or because a crew chief is screwing up.
A lot of arm chair crew chiefs watch the races on Sundays, and it's easy to second guess when you're watching on TV. 2 tires or 4? Gas only? Wedge in or out? Up or down on the tire pressure? There are a lot of things that can happen in the pits, and some of them aren't good. Does that happen only to mediocre teams? Not at all. Jeff Gordon has won 4 Cup championships, and 81 Cup races. He finished dead last at Texas last week. Dead last. Jeff didn't blow an engine. He got in a spin that caused some damage, but mostly Steve Letart, Jeff's crew chief just could not figure out how to get the handling right on the car. Neither could Jeff. Even championship teams have bad days.
Dale Jr. finished 12th in the Samsung 500 at Texas. He started on the pole, and eventually finished in 12th, one lap down. As bad as that sounds, there were 30 other cars out there having worse problems than Dale Jr.
There are no really easy answers for how to win races. If the car is a piece of crap when it comes off the hauler, it either remains a piece of crap all weekend or the crew gets it fixed. If the 24 crew of Jeff Gordon can't turn crap into diamonds, then I don't know who can. None of the Hendrick Motorsports cars have won a points race this year, but so far, Dale Jr. is the best of the Hendrick drivers in points.
A large part of a successful relationship between a driver and his crew chief is trust. Dale Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. are cousins, and they grew up together. The are basically like brothers, and always have been. Dale Jr. trusts Tony Jr. with his life, every week, and it was his decision to have his cousin and friend on the pit box every week.
If Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Tony Jr. on the pit box, that's good enough for me.
The answers went this way: Dale Jr. will not do well. - 2 voted that way.
Dale Jr. will win the race. - 23 voted for that.
Dale Jr. will get at top 5. - 46 voted that way.
Dale Jr. will get a top 10. - 9 votes.
Dale Jr. will get a top 15. - 3 votes.
Dale Jr. will never win with with Tony Eury Jr. as crew chief. - 7 votes.
I was a bit intrigued by the last response. I know it could be one person who voted 7 time, or 7 different people, or any combination. Tony Eury Jr. was there for every single Cup, Busch, and non points win. He wasn't always in the capacity of crew chief, but he was there in some capacity. I'm guessing there are possibly better crew chiefs out there, but there are some that are a lot worse. So far, in 2008, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 3 top 5's, 5 top 10's and a pole. He's 4th overall in points, and in this season of uncertainty, that's not totally by accident, or because a crew chief is screwing up.
A lot of arm chair crew chiefs watch the races on Sundays, and it's easy to second guess when you're watching on TV. 2 tires or 4? Gas only? Wedge in or out? Up or down on the tire pressure? There are a lot of things that can happen in the pits, and some of them aren't good. Does that happen only to mediocre teams? Not at all. Jeff Gordon has won 4 Cup championships, and 81 Cup races. He finished dead last at Texas last week. Dead last. Jeff didn't blow an engine. He got in a spin that caused some damage, but mostly Steve Letart, Jeff's crew chief just could not figure out how to get the handling right on the car. Neither could Jeff. Even championship teams have bad days.
Dale Jr. finished 12th in the Samsung 500 at Texas. He started on the pole, and eventually finished in 12th, one lap down. As bad as that sounds, there were 30 other cars out there having worse problems than Dale Jr.
There are no really easy answers for how to win races. If the car is a piece of crap when it comes off the hauler, it either remains a piece of crap all weekend or the crew gets it fixed. If the 24 crew of Jeff Gordon can't turn crap into diamonds, then I don't know who can. None of the Hendrick Motorsports cars have won a points race this year, but so far, Dale Jr. is the best of the Hendrick drivers in points.
A large part of a successful relationship between a driver and his crew chief is trust. Dale Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. are cousins, and they grew up together. The are basically like brothers, and always have been. Dale Jr. trusts Tony Jr. with his life, every week, and it was his decision to have his cousin and friend on the pit box every week.
If Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Tony Jr. on the pit box, that's good enough for me.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Can Kyle Petty dig himself out of the hole?
Kyle Petty, who drives the 45 Wells Fargo Dodge has a new crew chief, Stewart Cooper, formerly of the 38 Ford team. Billy Wilburn, Kyle's former crew chief will now head up the test team for Petty Enterprises.
Bandages keep being applied, but will the bleeding stop? Last week, Kyle Petty stepped aside for Craftsman Truck series regular Chad McCumbee to step into the 45 and try to qualify for the race at Texas. Chad wasn't any more successful at Texas at getting the 45 Dodge into the race than Kyle Petty was at Martinsville.
Changing crew chiefs during a season is always a risky task, but it would appear that Kyle Petty has little to lose at this point. So far, Kyle is on the entry list for Phoenix, and with his new crew chief, who knows? Miracles can happen, and frequently do in Nascar.
As far as I have been able to determine, Chad McCumbee will return later in the season when Kyle steps aside to perform his TNT broadcast duties. Regardless of whether he qualified or not at Texas, Chad got some very valuable time behind the wheel of a Nascar Sprint Cup car. Chad practiced and attempted to qualify the car, but as it turned out, the car didn't perform any etter for Chad than it has for Kyle.
The pressures for any Nascar team is tremendous. Not only do they have to qualify, they have to perform on the track in order to keep and attract sponsors. In a lot of cases the driver is crucial to team performance, but he or she is only one cog in the wheel. The team has to perform well, both in the shop and in the garage to prepare the car for competition. The engine tuner has to adjust the engine to it's maximum performance, riding a razor's edge between maximum horsepower and torque and destruction of the engine itself. The crew chief is a crucial cog, as he or she makes all the important decisions as to how the car itself is set up. Too much wedge or too little? Harder springs or softer? Tire pressures.... what about tire pressures? Tire pressure in today's Nascar can make the difference between a winning car and a losing car. It can also make the difference between a car that makes the race and a car that goes home. A car that goes home means a team goes home. Money is lost, and the pressure just builds more for the next race.
While I'm not a huge fan of the new Cup car, it does provide some interesting challenges for the drivers and the teams. Jeff Gordon had an absolutely awful day at Texas, with a very ill handling car causing an early crash. Jeff basically said after the race that he's never driven anything quite that bad, and this is the guy who's won 4 Cup championships and 81 Cup races. That's saying something. When Jeff Gordon has this many problems during a race weekend, what do smaller teams experience? In some cases, such as Kyle Petty's team, they experience grief.
A lot of other small teams know the feeling. John Carter's 08 team has not made a race yet this year. How much longer the small teams can stay competitive is a question I'm not willing to speculate upon, because the stakes for all of these people are just too high to contemplate.
Nascar's new car was supposed to make racing more equal, and in a way it has. The new car has basically made racing more equal among the big teams, but has left many of the smaller teams out in the cold. I don't see this as a solution, but just an added problem to teams like Petty.
Bandages keep being applied, but will the bleeding stop? Last week, Kyle Petty stepped aside for Craftsman Truck series regular Chad McCumbee to step into the 45 and try to qualify for the race at Texas. Chad wasn't any more successful at Texas at getting the 45 Dodge into the race than Kyle Petty was at Martinsville.
Changing crew chiefs during a season is always a risky task, but it would appear that Kyle Petty has little to lose at this point. So far, Kyle is on the entry list for Phoenix, and with his new crew chief, who knows? Miracles can happen, and frequently do in Nascar.
As far as I have been able to determine, Chad McCumbee will return later in the season when Kyle steps aside to perform his TNT broadcast duties. Regardless of whether he qualified or not at Texas, Chad got some very valuable time behind the wheel of a Nascar Sprint Cup car. Chad practiced and attempted to qualify the car, but as it turned out, the car didn't perform any etter for Chad than it has for Kyle.
The pressures for any Nascar team is tremendous. Not only do they have to qualify, they have to perform on the track in order to keep and attract sponsors. In a lot of cases the driver is crucial to team performance, but he or she is only one cog in the wheel. The team has to perform well, both in the shop and in the garage to prepare the car for competition. The engine tuner has to adjust the engine to it's maximum performance, riding a razor's edge between maximum horsepower and torque and destruction of the engine itself. The crew chief is a crucial cog, as he or she makes all the important decisions as to how the car itself is set up. Too much wedge or too little? Harder springs or softer? Tire pressures.... what about tire pressures? Tire pressure in today's Nascar can make the difference between a winning car and a losing car. It can also make the difference between a car that makes the race and a car that goes home. A car that goes home means a team goes home. Money is lost, and the pressure just builds more for the next race.
While I'm not a huge fan of the new Cup car, it does provide some interesting challenges for the drivers and the teams. Jeff Gordon had an absolutely awful day at Texas, with a very ill handling car causing an early crash. Jeff basically said after the race that he's never driven anything quite that bad, and this is the guy who's won 4 Cup championships and 81 Cup races. That's saying something. When Jeff Gordon has this many problems during a race weekend, what do smaller teams experience? In some cases, such as Kyle Petty's team, they experience grief.
A lot of other small teams know the feeling. John Carter's 08 team has not made a race yet this year. How much longer the small teams can stay competitive is a question I'm not willing to speculate upon, because the stakes for all of these people are just too high to contemplate.
Nascar's new car was supposed to make racing more equal, and in a way it has. The new car has basically made racing more equal among the big teams, but has left many of the smaller teams out in the cold. I don't see this as a solution, but just an added problem to teams like Petty.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Just a few thoughts after Texas
Looking ahead toward Phoenix. I notice that the Gene Haas organization has kicked Jeremy Mayfield out of the 70 Chevrolet, in order to bring back Johnny Sauter. I'm thinking that Mayfield probably deserved more of a chance, but that's just me. Jeremy has actually been to Victory Lane in the Cup series, not lately, but he's been there.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't get a top 10 finish this week, but after finishing 12th at the Samsung 500 at Texas, Jr. remains in 4th place in points. Jeff Gordon had a terrible weekend, spinning early and basically using the rest of the race as a test session. Jeff's day didn't get any better, even after trying a lot of different setups. When a 4 time champion and 81 race winner is having problems getting a handle on the new car, I take notice. Something is happening here, and whatever it is, it's not very pretty. Jimmie Johnson finally got a good finish with 2nd place in the race, but only Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are in the top 12 in points after last weeks race for Rick Hendrick Motorsports.
Petty's situation seems to be up in the air still, but at least the rumors have subsided a little. I think Petty is playing to keep Bobby Labonte as the driver in the 43 for not just 2009, but the rest of his driving career. Kyle Petty's name is on the entry list for Phoenix, so I assume that unless some last changes are made, Chad McCumbee is out of the 45 for now. I wish Kyle luck.
2008 bodes not so well for great racing so far. The new car just doesn't seem to competitive, at least in some teams' hands at some track. Better competition has not been a goal that Nascar has realized so far with the new car. So far, Nascar doesn't seem very inclined to change the rules to allow the car to be more competitive. So much for racing, but I guess this is just part of the politics of Nascar.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn't get a top 10 finish this week, but after finishing 12th at the Samsung 500 at Texas, Jr. remains in 4th place in points. Jeff Gordon had a terrible weekend, spinning early and basically using the rest of the race as a test session. Jeff's day didn't get any better, even after trying a lot of different setups. When a 4 time champion and 81 race winner is having problems getting a handle on the new car, I take notice. Something is happening here, and whatever it is, it's not very pretty. Jimmie Johnson finally got a good finish with 2nd place in the race, but only Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson are in the top 12 in points after last weeks race for Rick Hendrick Motorsports.
Petty's situation seems to be up in the air still, but at least the rumors have subsided a little. I think Petty is playing to keep Bobby Labonte as the driver in the 43 for not just 2009, but the rest of his driving career. Kyle Petty's name is on the entry list for Phoenix, so I assume that unless some last changes are made, Chad McCumbee is out of the 45 for now. I wish Kyle luck.
2008 bodes not so well for great racing so far. The new car just doesn't seem to competitive, at least in some teams' hands at some track. Better competition has not been a goal that Nascar has realized so far with the new car. So far, Nascar doesn't seem very inclined to change the rules to allow the car to be more competitive. So much for racing, but I guess this is just part of the politics of Nascar.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Was that a boring race at Texas or was that just Me?
I watched virtually every moment of the Samsung 500 from Texas Motor Speedway today, and I yawned a few times. I got an average night's sleep last night. I wasn't particularly tired. I was actually pretty jacked up about watching the race.
But I yawned a few times.
Edwards and Busch leading by 6 seconds makes for a little bit of a .... excuse me, yawning again... boring race.
Congratulations to Carl Edwards for winning yet another race, and this time his oil tank cover was on tight! I enjoy the back flips, but that was one boring race.
Nascar, in creating the car of tomorrow, has the created the car of boredom. The car just won't handle. The drivers hate driving it, for the most part. Kyle Busch won the first COT race last year at Bristol. When asked about the car? "It sucks." Kyle informed us.
Maybe Nascar needs to pay attention to comments such as those. The new car does indeed "suck", as Kyle so eloquently puts it. The drivers don't like them, and they don't handle very well.
Nascar seems to want to play with and tweak the system on a yearly basis. First the Chase, then the Lucky Dog, or the free pass, if you prefer, now the Car of Today, which used to be the Car of Tomorrow. Most of this began when Brian France, the grandson of Bill France Sr., took the reigns of this nations second most popular sport. Brian, the free pass is probably a good idea, if not very fair. I don't like 40 something cars coming at a sitting duck stalled sideways in the backstretch of any track any more than, well, the duck for instance. The Chase? keep tweaking, you're not there yet. The COT? to use Kyle Busch's words, "It sucks."
Take the fenders off these cars if you want to really get people's attention. Put supercharged I-4 engines in the car if you want to make a statement. Why not? Mr. France, with all due respect, you've already made a lot of old time Nascar fans pretty mad.
Mr. France? Quit tampering with a product that your grandfather and your father made great. You've had about 1 good idea out of every 10, that I can see. Just leave the sport alone, and the fans will flock to it.
I would like to add to this post, if I may. Under the Brian France administration, safety has increased exponentially in Nascar. My hat is definitely off to Mr. France for making the sport safer. The Hans device, and safer barriers have made the sport much safer, and I salute Brian France for making sure that these rules are in place now.
One has to wonder though. If Hans devices had been mandated by Nascar in 2000, or even 1999, would Kenny Irwin still be with us? Would Adam Petty? Would Dale Earnhardt be sitting on top of a DEI pit box? I guess we'll never know, but the newest France administration in Nascar has stressed safety, over all else. I applaud Mr. France for that.
But I yawned a few times.
Edwards and Busch leading by 6 seconds makes for a little bit of a .... excuse me, yawning again... boring race.
Congratulations to Carl Edwards for winning yet another race, and this time his oil tank cover was on tight! I enjoy the back flips, but that was one boring race.
Nascar, in creating the car of tomorrow, has the created the car of boredom. The car just won't handle. The drivers hate driving it, for the most part. Kyle Busch won the first COT race last year at Bristol. When asked about the car? "It sucks." Kyle informed us.
Maybe Nascar needs to pay attention to comments such as those. The new car does indeed "suck", as Kyle so eloquently puts it. The drivers don't like them, and they don't handle very well.
Nascar seems to want to play with and tweak the system on a yearly basis. First the Chase, then the Lucky Dog, or the free pass, if you prefer, now the Car of Today, which used to be the Car of Tomorrow. Most of this began when Brian France, the grandson of Bill France Sr., took the reigns of this nations second most popular sport. Brian, the free pass is probably a good idea, if not very fair. I don't like 40 something cars coming at a sitting duck stalled sideways in the backstretch of any track any more than, well, the duck for instance. The Chase? keep tweaking, you're not there yet. The COT? to use Kyle Busch's words, "It sucks."
Take the fenders off these cars if you want to really get people's attention. Put supercharged I-4 engines in the car if you want to make a statement. Why not? Mr. France, with all due respect, you've already made a lot of old time Nascar fans pretty mad.
Mr. France? Quit tampering with a product that your grandfather and your father made great. You've had about 1 good idea out of every 10, that I can see. Just leave the sport alone, and the fans will flock to it.
I would like to add to this post, if I may. Under the Brian France administration, safety has increased exponentially in Nascar. My hat is definitely off to Mr. France for making the sport safer. The Hans device, and safer barriers have made the sport much safer, and I salute Brian France for making sure that these rules are in place now.
One has to wonder though. If Hans devices had been mandated by Nascar in 2000, or even 1999, would Kenny Irwin still be with us? Would Adam Petty? Would Dale Earnhardt be sitting on top of a DEI pit box? I guess we'll never know, but the newest France administration in Nascar has stressed safety, over all else. I applaud Mr. France for that.
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