What a PR embarrassment this week has turned into for NASCAR.
First they changed the rules in the middle of the season on the Nationwide Series in an effort to reduce Toyota dominance in NASCAR’s second series, then they suffered through one of the worst races in the history of stock car racing on one of the biggest stages of the year.
First the Toyota situation. On Tuesday, NASCAR issued a technical bulletin requiring all engines with a cylinder bore spacing more than 4.470 inches to use tapered spacers with smaller holes. The change is expected to reduce the Toyota engine of about 15 horsepower. The intent, of course, is to ‘level the playing field’ in the Nationwide Series, one where Toyota had won 14 of 21 races. Problem is, this mid season rules change is patently unfair to Toyota, especially in a situation in which they were following the rules to the letter of the law. Fan feedback on Sirius NASCAR radio was running overwhelmingly on the side of Toyota. In this day and age where the rules seem to constantly change and teams have a hard enough time following the ones they know exist, changing the rules in mid season is not only unfair, but sends a bad message about the sanctity of the rules. If you want to make a change for next season, fine, but to ‘dumb down’ the competition in mid season is wrong from every standpoint of fair competition.
Next nightmare for NASCAR was yesterdays running of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. I’ll spare any description of just how bad this race was, but suffice to say it was a debacle that we haven’t seen on the track since 2005 in Charlotte. One can point fingers all you want, but it’s fair to say that both Goodyear and NASCAR share in this nightmare. Both organizations should have been more diligent in assuring there was a tire that would have held up. Of course, calls for Goodyear’s ouster from the sport have already started, or should I say have gotten louder since Atlanta this past spring. As I have stated before, I have no problem with bringing in another manufacturer, however I still fee strongly that whoever makes tires for NASCAR needs to be the only one making tires for NASCAR. Having 2 or more manufacturers during a single season or single race will do nothing other than cause a dangerous level of competition, where safety is compromised in the name of a softer, faster tire.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sucks wearing the black hat...
I spent the day reflecting on yesterdays Lenox Industrial Tools 284 yesterday, and while drying out in traffic, found myself with plenty of time to ponder.I keep thinking back to the start of the season when we were told that NASCAR was getting ‘back to basics’. Despite what seemed like genuine enthusiasm that drivers would be able to express themselves, I have heard a ton of criticism about the Juan Pablo Montoya/Kyle Busch incident in the closing laps of the race. In case you missed, it, Montoya and Busch were racing for position for a solid 50 laps, and with that comes the requisite banging and bumping. Rough racing, sure, but evidently just before the final caution brought out by the Bowyer/Hornish wreck the two had kicked it up a notch on the backstretch. As they entered turns 3 and 4 just behind the wreck, the yellow flew but it wasn’t over yet. Coming down the frontstretch under caution, Montoya turned into Busch and spun him sideways. In a twist of fate, while trying to avoid the wall, Busch turned Montoya forcing both to pit road and effectively preventing Kyle from a shot at winning the race. At the time, Kyle was running in the high teens, while Montoya was a lap down.
After the race, Montoya, in a refreshing display of brute honesty (and the delight of Dale Jr fans), admitted to purposely spinning Busch because of how he was being raced.
"On the restart, I got around the outside of [Busch] in Turn 2 and he just went wide like I wasn't even there -- he crowded me towards the wall," Montoya said. "Down the backstraight he hit me on braking for Turn 3 like he was trying to wreck me.
"I thought we had a decent car and I don
"I have no idea, I got a run on him earlier and I got on the outside and he kind of kept coming up a little bit. I didn
"We came to that caution flag and he thought he beat me to the caution flag and I was just trying to get around the 40 car, who was in front of us there. I touched him on the door and he just turned left and spun me down the front straightaway. I don't know what his beef is."
So who's right and who's wrong? In listening to the post race show on Sirius as well as reading multiple blogs, it seems pretty split down the middle. Obviously, the Busch fans and Montoya haters will tell you one thing, while the Busch haters, Montoya fans, and certainly the Dale Jr fans will tell you another.
So here's my two cents… done under caution, it was wrong. Also painfully stupid. But under green, then its what makes racing as great as it is. We were all happy to see NASCAR get back to basics, and that includes letting the boys do a bit of rubbing to settle their differences. And NASCAR was correct in their two lap penalty for rough driving. There's no need for anything else, be it probation, points, money or anything else. This is good PR for NASCAR and helps generate interest, it seems as though it has become a bigger headline than the race itself.
So here's my two cents… done under caution, it was wrong. Also painfully stupid. But under green, then its what makes racing as great as it is. We were all happy to see NASCAR get back to basics, and that includes letting the boys do a bit of rubbing to settle their differences. And NASCAR was correct in their two lap penalty for rough driving. There's no need for anything else, be it probation, points, money or anything else. This is good PR for NASCAR and helps generate interest, it seems as though it has become a bigger headline than the race itself.
The real question is whether the message Montoya was trying to deliver to Shrubby was heard by Busch, that his driving style isnt appreciated by his counterparts. And lets hope that if the message was heard, that it will be ignored.
Postrace Thoughts:
Does anyone know if the metal bleachers are somehow grounded against lightning strikes? I shudder to think what would have happened had one of the many bolts that were cracking around us struck the stands. I may be a dedicated fan, but when the red flag came out, we left before knowing if they would attempt a restart when it cleared. It took hours to dry out once we got back to the car.
Like him or hate him, you have to feel bad for the bad luck that Tony Stewart has had this year. And on a related note, it was nice to see some of the guys who have had bad years take a chance and have the luck come their way for once. I’m specifically thinking about Elliot Sadler who managed a 5th place finish, which is about where he would have finished last week at Sonoma had he not ended up with a flat tire while the race was red flagged. Kurt Busch, Michael Waltrip, JJ Yeley, Martin Truex Jr and Reed Sorenson also needed and got big points days.
Casey Mears ended up with a 5th place finish last week and topped it off with a 7th place yesterday. Sadly for Mears, its coming a few weeks too late since he was given notice that he was going to be released by HMS at the end of the season after a disappointing start.
New England fans received some good news from Bruton Smith yesterday when it was announced that he had no immediate intention of moving a race date to Kentucky or Las Vegas. This of course makes one wonder where he intends on getting two dates. Speculation is that he still intends to try to purchase and shut down Pocono Raceway, thus moving the two dates to the two tracks, but that doesn’t seem likely. For starters, track owner Dr Joe Mattioli has insisted that the track is not for sale, and unlike the publicly traded Dover International Speedway, no may simply mean no. Further, its unlikely that NASCAR will suddenly approve moving a date to Kentucky since they have insisted all along that it just wont happen. Additionally, Pocono Raceway is just 80 miles west of New York City, the largest media market in the world. I can not imagine a scenario that NASCAR would allow a race to move from that market to Kentucky or anywhere else, at least without an alternative track in place which has proven to be an impossible task so far. So until this all shakes out, I remain very cautious about the intents that Bruton has for NHMS.
As far as the speedway, I do need to compliment Smith on his first NH race date. I spent the entire weekend there and my experience went off without a hitch, as pleasant as it ever was under the Bahre family. New signage and fresh paint has certainly given the track a new look and may be a sign of good things to come. According to Smith, he is going to concentrate on improved fan amenities, such as more seating, more restrooms (thank God!), more camper parking, and best of all, lights! There is also a very serious talk about bringing an IRL date to NH as early as next year (I’m in!).
As far as reconfiguring the track, such as adding banking, increasing or decreasing the size or shape of the track, or even building a brand new track next to the existing one, no decisions have been made. Whatever is done, lets hope a second or even third groove is created. The lack of passing in yesterdays race was nothing new and really cant be attributed to the new car, its been an issue in New Hampshire since they started racing there in 1993.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Computer Crashes and Random Thoughts...
Here we are, 2008, and despite how much technology has improved our lives, we are still at the very mercy of it. Almost two months ago, my laptop computer – proudly equipped with Windows Vista – crashed. So here I am, two months later and over $400 poorer, finally back online. I had limited internet access at work, but was unable to get down to the business of blogging. So with that said, here we go… you might imagine that I have a lot to say. Let me summarize my random thoughts to date…
For starters, I hate road courses. Infineon was the epitome of boring. The whole idea of stockcar racing is drive fast and turn left… not drive slow and turn right and left. I also don’t like these ‘road course ringers’ driving in place of the full time guys who deserve the start. If they want to qualify their way in like Boris Said, great, go for it. But to replace a young guy like Reed Sorenson or Regan Smith after they have been busting their behinds all year? Its not only not fair to the drivers or fans, but one has to wonder if these ‘ringers’ expertise is offset by inexperience in a stock car as well as not having chemistry with the crew chief or pit crew. And what happens to the confidence of the driver who is replaced? And how is he supposed to gain road course experience if he isn’t allowed to participate? Yes, bad idea all around. Finally, I don’t like that these races turn into a fuel mileage race before they even throw the checkered flag. Yesterday on Sirius Speedway, Ray Evernham suggested adding 10-15 laps in order to take fuel mileage that out of the equation. I say good idea, but a better idea is to dump the road courses all together. As I suggested in my last post in April, these two dates are extremely valuable and could be used to add a second date to Las Vegas and possibly bring a second date back to Darlington.
Speaking of moving dates around, I haven’t had the chance to comment on Bruton Smith’s latest purchase, that of Kentucky Speedway. We are left with a bunch of new questions, such as the status of the lawsuit against NASCAR, as well as where he proposes to get a cup date. Will NASCAR even allow a date to be moved to Kentucky? So far, Brian France says no, so this could turn very interesting over the next year or so. Personally, I agree with NASCAR as far as the need for another cup date in an area that is already saturated.
Silly Season is well underway, with rumors that Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, and Reed Sorenson on their way out as well as Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr still undecided. This is all normal stuff around this time of year, but what’s interesting is that several teams are talking about adding teams to their stable of cars over the next year or two. JGR, RCR, Penske, GEM, and Petty have all talked seriously about it, with RCR already confirmed for a 4th car for 2009. Jr Motorsports is also talking about fielding Cup cars (Brad Keselowski?) next year as opposed to Nationwide as well. Lets do the math here… every given week, we have between 2 and 5 ‘go or go homers’, and now we are possibly adding 7 more regulars? But that’s not the real issue at hand. You can add as many cars as you want, but there are still only so many major sponsorships to go around, just ask the folks at Yates Racing. How many smaller 1 and 2 car teams will lose sponsorship next year as these corporations feel that their money will be better spent with the larger, more competitive teams? General Mills evidently felt that their dollars were better spent on a new, 4th RCR team rather than the flagship, legendary 43 car at Petty Enterprises. I have a huge fear that we may see the last of these smaller teams as sponsorship dollars dry up.
Speaking of smaller teams, it was nice to see Marcos Ambrose, driving for the Wood Brothers this past weekend, do so well before finishing 42nd after a mechanical problem ended his day. Being a road course, one would have expected him to hold his own; but I’m really excited to see what he will do this weekend on his first cup start on an oval track. Marcos has been one of my favorites since joining NASCAR, and a strong showing may keep him in that ride for a while. Of course there is the matter of qualifying, but with only 45 entries this weekend and a possibility of showers Friday, I would say Ambrose stands a pretty decent shot. Wood Brothers is currently 43rd in owner points, meaning they would get the last slot if qualifying is rained out.
Driver notes: Last time I posted, Matt Kenseth was having a dismal season, in the 20s in driver points. But in typical Kenseth fashion, he has creped right back into Chase contention, and is currently 12th, bumping Kevin Harvick out (for now). I’m glad Dale Jr finally won a race, if for the only reason that it illustrates that he is having his best season ever and is a strong contender for the championship this year. Is there anyone second guessing his move to Hendrick? What a momentum killer for Kasey Kahne. 3 wins in 4 weeks (including the All Star race), then a second place finish in Michigan, then a pole at Infineon, and then… a 33rd place finish. Kahne seemed to struggle all day, and his poor showing dropped him 2 spots in the standings, from 7th to 9th but he is still 68 points ahead of 13th place Harvick. My daughter, as (in her mind) the future Mrs Kahne, is hoping for him to return to recent form and pick up a win this weekend in Loudon.
On the Nationwide side of things, I have to say – and it takes a LOT to impress me – that Joey ‘Sliced Bread’ Logano is the real deal. It’s no wonder that JGR allowed Aric Almirola to leave for DEI last year; it has been clear all along that they have been holding a ride for Logano once he is ready. Assuming Tony Stewart remains with the team,that would make for one very powerful team indeed. With all the press that Logano is getting, one of the best stories of the year has been overlooked. Brad Keselowski has a win and is second in the standings, and if it wasn’t for a couple of on track incidents that were not his fault, could be leading the championship points race. If you recall, it was after the Busch race at New Hampshire last year that Dale Earnhardt Jr fired driver Shane Huffman and replaced him with Keselowski. If JR Motorsports decides to field a cup team (or two) next year, look for Keselowski to be the driver, and he has certainly earned it.
Finally, kudos for NASCAR telling the drivers to cool it with their criticisms of the sport and the new car. Ok, we get it. You don’t like the new car. But here’s what bugs me. These drivers are getting paid millions of dollars to do one thing… drive! Nobody ever said it was easy. Hell, if it were easy, I would do it. The last thing I want to hear is a professional athlete crying on national television about how bad things are just before getting on his private jet and flying home to his multi million dollar mansion. Yes, we all can see that the new car isn’t where it needs to be. But did anybody expect it to be perfect at this juncture? Like any other time a new model is rolled out by an auto manufacturer, you never want to buy a car from the first 1 or 2 years… it takes time to work out the bugs. Lets be honest – for all the criticism that NASCAR and Brian France receive, one thing they are not is stupid. Stubborn? Maybe. But stupid? No. They, like everyone else, recognize that there are still issues to be worked out, and that this project is a work in progress. But bitching about it non-stop on national television not only wont help the situation, it will only drive fans – and eventually sponsors – away. Yeah, there are a core group of fans – the NASCAR/Brian France haters - who love every bit of it as they look for reasons to validate their opinions. But there are also fans who are tired – VERY tired – of the constant whining by multimillionaires in all sports. Bottom line is if anyone else were to get on television and bad mouth the organization that puts food in their mouth – while on the clock for that matter – would be fired on the spot. Drivers need to remember one of the fundamental rules of the workplace – never, ever bite the hand that feeds you.
Oh, and one last note, completely unrelated to NASCAR. Congratulations to the Boston Celtics on winning their 17th World Championship. Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe had the quote of the year when he wrote that this was the first ‘6 game sweep in the history of the NBA’. Well said, and at the expense of Kobe Bryant and the dreaded Lakers, it was that much sweeter.
For starters, I hate road courses. Infineon was the epitome of boring. The whole idea of stockcar racing is drive fast and turn left… not drive slow and turn right and left. I also don’t like these ‘road course ringers’ driving in place of the full time guys who deserve the start. If they want to qualify their way in like Boris Said, great, go for it. But to replace a young guy like Reed Sorenson or Regan Smith after they have been busting their behinds all year? Its not only not fair to the drivers or fans, but one has to wonder if these ‘ringers’ expertise is offset by inexperience in a stock car as well as not having chemistry with the crew chief or pit crew. And what happens to the confidence of the driver who is replaced? And how is he supposed to gain road course experience if he isn’t allowed to participate? Yes, bad idea all around. Finally, I don’t like that these races turn into a fuel mileage race before they even throw the checkered flag. Yesterday on Sirius Speedway, Ray Evernham suggested adding 10-15 laps in order to take fuel mileage that out of the equation. I say good idea, but a better idea is to dump the road courses all together. As I suggested in my last post in April, these two dates are extremely valuable and could be used to add a second date to Las Vegas and possibly bring a second date back to Darlington.
Speaking of moving dates around, I haven’t had the chance to comment on Bruton Smith’s latest purchase, that of Kentucky Speedway. We are left with a bunch of new questions, such as the status of the lawsuit against NASCAR, as well as where he proposes to get a cup date. Will NASCAR even allow a date to be moved to Kentucky? So far, Brian France says no, so this could turn very interesting over the next year or so. Personally, I agree with NASCAR as far as the need for another cup date in an area that is already saturated.
Silly Season is well underway, with rumors that Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, and Reed Sorenson on their way out as well as Tony Stewart and Martin Truex Jr still undecided. This is all normal stuff around this time of year, but what’s interesting is that several teams are talking about adding teams to their stable of cars over the next year or two. JGR, RCR, Penske, GEM, and Petty have all talked seriously about it, with RCR already confirmed for a 4th car for 2009. Jr Motorsports is also talking about fielding Cup cars (Brad Keselowski?) next year as opposed to Nationwide as well. Lets do the math here… every given week, we have between 2 and 5 ‘go or go homers’, and now we are possibly adding 7 more regulars? But that’s not the real issue at hand. You can add as many cars as you want, but there are still only so many major sponsorships to go around, just ask the folks at Yates Racing. How many smaller 1 and 2 car teams will lose sponsorship next year as these corporations feel that their money will be better spent with the larger, more competitive teams? General Mills evidently felt that their dollars were better spent on a new, 4th RCR team rather than the flagship, legendary 43 car at Petty Enterprises. I have a huge fear that we may see the last of these smaller teams as sponsorship dollars dry up.
Speaking of smaller teams, it was nice to see Marcos Ambrose, driving for the Wood Brothers this past weekend, do so well before finishing 42nd after a mechanical problem ended his day. Being a road course, one would have expected him to hold his own; but I’m really excited to see what he will do this weekend on his first cup start on an oval track. Marcos has been one of my favorites since joining NASCAR, and a strong showing may keep him in that ride for a while. Of course there is the matter of qualifying, but with only 45 entries this weekend and a possibility of showers Friday, I would say Ambrose stands a pretty decent shot. Wood Brothers is currently 43rd in owner points, meaning they would get the last slot if qualifying is rained out.
Driver notes: Last time I posted, Matt Kenseth was having a dismal season, in the 20s in driver points. But in typical Kenseth fashion, he has creped right back into Chase contention, and is currently 12th, bumping Kevin Harvick out (for now). I’m glad Dale Jr finally won a race, if for the only reason that it illustrates that he is having his best season ever and is a strong contender for the championship this year. Is there anyone second guessing his move to Hendrick? What a momentum killer for Kasey Kahne. 3 wins in 4 weeks (including the All Star race), then a second place finish in Michigan, then a pole at Infineon, and then… a 33rd place finish. Kahne seemed to struggle all day, and his poor showing dropped him 2 spots in the standings, from 7th to 9th but he is still 68 points ahead of 13th place Harvick. My daughter, as (in her mind) the future Mrs Kahne, is hoping for him to return to recent form and pick up a win this weekend in Loudon.
On the Nationwide side of things, I have to say – and it takes a LOT to impress me – that Joey ‘Sliced Bread’ Logano is the real deal. It’s no wonder that JGR allowed Aric Almirola to leave for DEI last year; it has been clear all along that they have been holding a ride for Logano once he is ready. Assuming Tony Stewart remains with the team,that would make for one very powerful team indeed. With all the press that Logano is getting, one of the best stories of the year has been overlooked. Brad Keselowski has a win and is second in the standings, and if it wasn’t for a couple of on track incidents that were not his fault, could be leading the championship points race. If you recall, it was after the Busch race at New Hampshire last year that Dale Earnhardt Jr fired driver Shane Huffman and replaced him with Keselowski. If JR Motorsports decides to field a cup team (or two) next year, look for Keselowski to be the driver, and he has certainly earned it.
Finally, kudos for NASCAR telling the drivers to cool it with their criticisms of the sport and the new car. Ok, we get it. You don’t like the new car. But here’s what bugs me. These drivers are getting paid millions of dollars to do one thing… drive! Nobody ever said it was easy. Hell, if it were easy, I would do it. The last thing I want to hear is a professional athlete crying on national television about how bad things are just before getting on his private jet and flying home to his multi million dollar mansion. Yes, we all can see that the new car isn’t where it needs to be. But did anybody expect it to be perfect at this juncture? Like any other time a new model is rolled out by an auto manufacturer, you never want to buy a car from the first 1 or 2 years… it takes time to work out the bugs. Lets be honest – for all the criticism that NASCAR and Brian France receive, one thing they are not is stupid. Stubborn? Maybe. But stupid? No. They, like everyone else, recognize that there are still issues to be worked out, and that this project is a work in progress. But bitching about it non-stop on national television not only wont help the situation, it will only drive fans – and eventually sponsors – away. Yeah, there are a core group of fans – the NASCAR/Brian France haters - who love every bit of it as they look for reasons to validate their opinions. But there are also fans who are tired – VERY tired – of the constant whining by multimillionaires in all sports. Bottom line is if anyone else were to get on television and bad mouth the organization that puts food in their mouth – while on the clock for that matter – would be fired on the spot. Drivers need to remember one of the fundamental rules of the workplace – never, ever bite the hand that feeds you.
Oh, and one last note, completely unrelated to NASCAR. Congratulations to the Boston Celtics on winning their 17th World Championship. Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe had the quote of the year when he wrote that this was the first ‘6 game sweep in the history of the NBA’. Well said, and at the expense of Kobe Bryant and the dreaded Lakers, it was that much sweeter.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Messin' around...
Here it is 8 races into the 2008 season and we already have a pretty good idea of which teams are looking good and which teams aren’t. Of course, in the middle of our second weekend off out of three this season (or 4 if you count the All Star race), there isn’t a whole lot of stuff to write about. The time off has got me thinking about how messed up the NASCAR schedule happens to be. Like many things in life, it just sort of evolved into one gigantic mess over the years. What may have made sense a decade or so ago suddenly seems to have no logic whatsoever. For example, why do we currently have 2 weekends off during the first 10 weeks of the season, and then only one more between now and November?
With that being said, your humble blogger will attempt to fix the schedule. Before we go on though, here are my rules:
1. I am the blogger therefore what I say goes. Remember that this is my opinion and if it were ever put into practice, it may make no practical sense whatsoever.
2. Since this is a blog, feel free to mock me as much as you want and offer up your suggestions.
3. I am a New Hampshire guy, so guess what… the two New Hampshire races are not only staying right where they are, but I was tempted to add a third.
4. I was also tempted to add a third Daytona race to end the season, but instead settled on giving Bruton Smith his second cup date. I was also tempted to add another Talladega date.
5. Giving Bruton Smith his second date was at the expense of Infineon. I hate road courses. Sorry if that offends anyone out there.
6. Based on my not liking road courses, Watkins Glen is now no more. See #5.
So here we go… my logic – if you wish to call it that – is below.
The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule according to Mark
With that being said, your humble blogger will attempt to fix the schedule. Before we go on though, here are my rules:
1. I am the blogger therefore what I say goes. Remember that this is my opinion and if it were ever put into practice, it may make no practical sense whatsoever.
2. Since this is a blog, feel free to mock me as much as you want and offer up your suggestions.
3. I am a New Hampshire guy, so guess what… the two New Hampshire races are not only staying right where they are, but I was tempted to add a third.
4. I was also tempted to add a third Daytona race to end the season, but instead settled on giving Bruton Smith his second cup date. I was also tempted to add another Talladega date.
5. Giving Bruton Smith his second date was at the expense of Infineon. I hate road courses. Sorry if that offends anyone out there.
6. Based on my not liking road courses, Watkins Glen is now no more. See #5.
So here we go… my logic – if you wish to call it that – is below.
The 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule according to Mark
Week #......2008 Race......................................2009 Schedule
1..................Feb 17 Daytona.............................Daytona
2..................Feb 24 California...........................California
3..................Mar 2 Las Vegas...........................Las Vegas
4..................Mar 9 Atlanta..................................Phoenix
5..................Mar 16 Bristol.................................Texas
6..................Off....................................................Off
7..................Mar 30 Martinsville.........................Homestead
8..................Apr 6 Texas....................................Atlanta
9..................Apr 12 Phoenix..............................Bristol
10................Off...................................................Martinsville
11................Apr 27 Talladega..........................Talladega
12................May 3 Richmond...........................Richmond
13................May 10 Darlington........ ................Darlington
14................May 17 All-Star Challenge...........All Star Race
15................May 25 Charlotte..........................Charlotte
16................Jun 1 Dover...................................Dover
17................Jun 8 Pocono................................Pocono
18................Jun 15 Michigan...........................Michigan
19................Jun 22 Infineon..............................Off
20................Jun 29 New Hampshire...............New Hampshire
21................Jul 5 Daytona................................Daytona
22................Jul 12 Chicagoland......................Chicagoland
23................Off..................................................Kansas
24................Jul 27 Indianapolis.......................Indianapolis
25................Aug 3 Pocono..............................Pocono
26................Aug 10 Watkins Glen..................Rockingham
27................Aug 17 Michigan.........................Michigan
28................Aug 23 Bristol..............................Bristol
29................Aug 31 California........................Darlington
30................Sep 6 Richmond.........................Off
Chase for the Cup Begins
31................Sep 14 New Hampshire.............New Hampshire
32................Sep 21 Dover..............................Richmond
33................Sep 28 Kansas...........................Dover
34................Oct 5 Talladega...........................Martinsville
35................Oct 11 Charlotte..........................Charlotte
36................Oct 19 Martinsville.......................Talladega
37................Oct 26 Atlanta..............................Texas
38................Nov 2 Texas.................................Atlanta
39................Nov 9 Phoenix..............................Phoenix
40................Nov 16 Homestead.....................Las Vegas
Ok, heres how I came up with this...
Week 1-3 remained the same. I like the idea of keeping the races in warmer climates this time of year. If I can find a substitute for California for 2010 though, I would certainly consider it.
Weeks 4 & 5 were my first major moves, moving both Phoenix and Texas up into the schedule. It’s warmer in these places in March than it is in Atlanta and Bristol.
Week 6 is the first week off which makes sense as the first five races teams use the previous season’s owner points. This is traditionally a time when teams start making driver and crew chief changes if they aren’t where they wanted to be in the standings and the week off allows some extra time to make those changes. After this week off, the next two weekends off are about every 10 to 11 races, including taking a week off before the start of the Chase.
Week 7/Race 6 may anger those in South Florida, but I moved the Homestead race from November to here. My logic is twofold. First is weather. Yeah, it’s beautiful in South Florida in November, but it’s also beautiful in late March/early April when that can’t necessarily be said for most other parts of the country, including Bristol and Atlanta. More importantly is that NASCAR needs to go out with a bang with its last race, and I just don’t get that warm fuzzy feeling with what could be the championship deciding race being in Homestead.
Week 8, 9, 10: Atlanta, Bristol and Martinsville – these were moved a few weeks later into the season, as the weather situation in mid March for these current dates is sketchy at best (I can say that – I sat through the NCTS and Sprint Cup Races this year in 40 degree drizzle).
Weeks 11-18 stayed the same. I won’t comment on whether the All Star race should be moved around to different tracks each year, because to be honest, I don’t really care. I use it as a week off; but if anyone were to ask me, there is a lot of room for improvement in this event. In a word – it’s BORING.
Week 19 – Infineon. Sorry, Bruton, here’s your second Las Vegas date. But don’t worry, I have been to Las Vegas in late June and I wouldn’t do that to the drivers, crews and fans. 120 degree heat is too much for anyone to take. Besides, I gave you the last race of the year. Week 19 is now a week off.
Week 20 – 22. No changes, New Hampshire has perfect racing weather in late June, while Daytona on or around July 4th is just plain tradition. Chicago at night should offer cooler temperatures and perhaps better racing.
Week 23, formerly a week off, is now Kansas. Yes, Kansas folks are probably not too happy about losing a Chase date, and I struggled with this one, but my deciding factor was that Chase tracks should have a non-Chase race so that those involved in the championship hunt have an opportunity to learn from the earlier date.
Week 24 & 25 Indianapolis and Pocono, remain unchanged.
Week 26 - Sorry Watkins Glen, I know it’s beautiful in upstate New York, but you are a road course. Plus I want to be first in line for tickets to THE ROCK WHEN RACING RETURNS!!!
Week 27 & 28 – Michigan & Bristol. No changes, although I was very tempted to move Bristol into the Chase, but then again realized that may not be such a good idea for those drivers competing for a championship. But then again, maybe it would be… hmmmmmm.
Week 29 – Ok, if I’m not already going to win Blogger of the Year from NASCAR purists, repeat after me – SOUTHERN 500! Sorry California, but a history of boring races, lackluster attendance and bad weather brings another date back to Darlington.
Week 30 – time for the final week off as teams get ready for the Chase for the Cup.
Week 31 has the Chase beginning in New Hampshire as it always has. Besides, New Hampshire in September is even more beautiful than New Hampshire in June. Someone from Virginia might argue that I should have kept Richmond here which would make it the first Chase race, but I am a bit biased as you can tell. (I wouldn’t be overly upset if it were pushed back a week or two because late September in New Hampshire is probably the most beautiful time of the year and I don’t mind showing it off.)
Week 32 Chase race 2. Richmond is now a Chase race, but for teams on the ‘bubble’, isn’t it practically a Chase race now?
Week 33 – Dover is now Chase race 3, replacing Kansas. Again, Kansas, you didn’t do anything wrong, so don’t feel bad. Hey, I still love your BBQ!
Week 34 – Chase race 4 is now Martinsville. Sorry Talladega, late March is a bit on the edge weather wise for Martinsville, so I had to move it up a few weeks.
Week 35 – Charlotte, Chase race 5. No change, just me wishing that Charlotte had better racing.
Week 36 – Chase race 6, Talladega. The weather in Alabama in late October is much more likely to cooperate. Plus I like the idea of this race being closer to the end of the Chase, the probability of the ‘big one’ keeps everyone within striking distance.
Week 37 & 38 – Chase races 7 & 8 - Ok, I flip flopped the Texas – Atlanta dates for no other reason that I am sick of hearing about how attendance during a Chase race in Texas is down because of the start of deer hunting season. Not that the deer will all be gone the following weekend mind you, but if that’s the only excuse they can come up with, I’ll work with it. But boy was it tempting to put a second Rockingham date here.
Week 39 – Phoenix, Chase race 9 – no change here.
Week 40 – Las Vegas. Bruton Smith gets his wish big time, but only because it makes sense. Las Vegas, as one of the top vacation destinations in the country, deserves a second race date and what better date than what NASCAR could market their Championship Weekend. Smith is also correct with his idea that the banquet shouldn’t be held in New York City and that Las Vegas is a better choice. This would allow teams as well as fans to take a long weekend in a great city and enjoy some great racing with all three series then hold the banquet shortly after.
So there it is folks, the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule.
No need to thank me, Brian France… just send me four tickets to the Rock when racing resumes.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
When Common Sense is lost...
When Aaron Fike, former Craftsman Truck Series driver who was arrested for heroin possession last year admitted last week that he had used heroin on race day, members of the NASCAR community were in complete shock. Many respected members of the media were in the same boat, unable to comprehend how someone would be able to inject heroin into their blood stream and then strap into a race truck and compete competitively. Discussion filled the airwaves and internet on mandatory drug testing for NASCAR.
If I may change hats for a moment, from NASCAR blogger to career paramedic (which is what pays my bills), I will say I was not in the least bit surprised to hear the news. For the last twenty years, I have dealt with patients who have both severe drug and alcohol addictions and the one thing that amazes me is just how well some of them function while under the influence. Not only do they function well, but they work very hard to hide their problems, and only when they make a mistake does someone catch on. No, I was not surprised at all, and when Aaron Fike mentioned that there may be others out there with the same problems, I believe him.
Unlike other sports, the majority of drivers have been very supportive of the adoption of random drug testing in NASCAR. They all too well understand the safety impact of racing with someone who is under the influence while doing 190 mph in a 4300 pound racecar can have.
What is odd is the attitude NASCAR has taken about this situation. They have given the drivers the safest car to date, the HANS device, the safest seat possible, and the SAFER barriers installed on most spots of all tracks. The Michael McDowell crash last week in Texas highlighted just how well everything works to keep a driver in one piece. Yet, despite the millions of dollars spent on ‘uncompromised safety’, there is still the possibility that any one of the 43 drivers who was on the track last night in Phoenix could have been under the influence.
It’s time for NASCAR to institute mandatory, random drug testing. Not next season, but now. The drivers want it, the fans want it, and common sense dictates it. Let’s stop sticking our heads in the sand and start dealing with the issue.
If I may change hats for a moment, from NASCAR blogger to career paramedic (which is what pays my bills), I will say I was not in the least bit surprised to hear the news. For the last twenty years, I have dealt with patients who have both severe drug and alcohol addictions and the one thing that amazes me is just how well some of them function while under the influence. Not only do they function well, but they work very hard to hide their problems, and only when they make a mistake does someone catch on. No, I was not surprised at all, and when Aaron Fike mentioned that there may be others out there with the same problems, I believe him.
Unlike other sports, the majority of drivers have been very supportive of the adoption of random drug testing in NASCAR. They all too well understand the safety impact of racing with someone who is under the influence while doing 190 mph in a 4300 pound racecar can have.
What is odd is the attitude NASCAR has taken about this situation. They have given the drivers the safest car to date, the HANS device, the safest seat possible, and the SAFER barriers installed on most spots of all tracks. The Michael McDowell crash last week in Texas highlighted just how well everything works to keep a driver in one piece. Yet, despite the millions of dollars spent on ‘uncompromised safety’, there is still the possibility that any one of the 43 drivers who was on the track last night in Phoenix could have been under the influence.
It’s time for NASCAR to institute mandatory, random drug testing. Not next season, but now. The drivers want it, the fans want it, and common sense dictates it. Let’s stop sticking our heads in the sand and start dealing with the issue.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
A Texas sized crash
My heart skipped a beat or two this past Friday. I’ll admit it, I wasn’t watching qualifying on TV, rather I was in the kitchen cooking for a dinner party we were having later that evening. I had my laptop positioned in the kitchen with music from iTunes playing in the background, and the live leaderboard showing qualifying results was displayed. Every so often, I checked to see what was going on, and when I noticed that rookie Michael McDowell was qualifying for what seemed like an eternity, I hit refresh on my browser, figuring that the system was frozen. No change. I refreshed again, then ‘x’ed out’ of the site and went back in. No change. I went back to the home page to click on the PRN broadcast when I saw it… the headline in the video control room that McDowell ‘takes a tumble’. Naturally, I clicked on it and was horrified to see what came next. As soon as he hit the wall, I felt a pit in my stomach, reminded of the same type of hit that took the life of Dale Earnhardt. Then the flips. Not one or two, but nine! And with each flip, pieces of the car being spread all over the track. My heart rate jumped and I waited anxiously as the car came to rest, on fire and completely destroyed. The few moments it took the window net to come down and for McDowell to emerge seemed like an eternity, and when it finally happened I don’t think there was a person who wasn’t completely shocked to see him do it under his own power. I thought for certain we had lost another driver.
Looking at the replay several times, including the damage done to the SAFER barrier made me realize just how far we had come since the death of Dale Sr. While there is no way to ever say for sure how McDowell would have fared in the old car, even with the HANS device; and no way to know for sure what would have happened had the SAFER barrier not been in place, I think we can all agree that he would not have walked away from the crash waving to the crowd.
NASCAR may be guilty of a lot over its history, and it’s almost criminal that it took the death of Earnhardt to finally take driver safety seriously, but lets give credit where credit is due. Every new safety device, from the new car, to the HANS device, to the SAFER barrier and every other device added over the years played a roll in keeping McDowell safe and inside the car. Something tells me he is the happiest guy in the history of NASCAR to be starting 40th.
Looking at the replay several times, including the damage done to the SAFER barrier made me realize just how far we had come since the death of Dale Sr. While there is no way to ever say for sure how McDowell would have fared in the old car, even with the HANS device; and no way to know for sure what would have happened had the SAFER barrier not been in place, I think we can all agree that he would not have walked away from the crash waving to the crowd.
NASCAR may be guilty of a lot over its history, and it’s almost criminal that it took the death of Earnhardt to finally take driver safety seriously, but lets give credit where credit is due. Every new safety device, from the new car, to the HANS device, to the SAFER barrier and every other device added over the years played a roll in keeping McDowell safe and inside the car. Something tells me he is the happiest guy in the history of NASCAR to be starting 40th.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
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