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NASCAR's Battle at the Back

2010-10-18T21:06:00.007-05:00

~You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. ~ Margaret Thatcher

At the front of the field lies fame and fortune. At the back lies heartbreak and broken dreams.

The last 10 races of the NASCAR season are called "The Chase." The top 12 drivers are put into a special points segment and race for the coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. With that Championship comes trophies, accolades, and the bragging rights of the drivers, the teams, the sponsors and their fans.

There is another race happening at the back of the field. Several team owners are competing for the goal of Top 35 in Owner's Points. The Top 35 is required if an owner wants to insure that their cars will make the race, even if they have issues during qualifying. Those teams are not racing just for that guaranteed spot, but are also racing for their futures.

On the back side of the garage, away from the media spotlight, there is an air of desperation for four teams trying to end the year on a positive note. A top 35 spot gives a team something to present to potential sponsors, to sell the primary advertising on their cars. A potential sponsor wants to know their dollars will give a return, and a guaranteed spot in the race is valued. The teams that are the 'contenders' for the Top 35 all appear to walk a very narrow path, one that may provide a reward at the end, but where one misstep can lead to a disastrous fall.

Latitude 43 Motorsports - Bill Jenkins purchased the #26 team from Roush Fenway Racing, when that organization was forced to drop one team by NASCAR. With that purchase came Top 35 owners points, and a 'technical alliance.' For a first year team, Latitude 43 showed moderate results, with finishes that SHOULD have kept them in the Top 35. Their Achilles Heel has been in qualifying, as the team failed to make the field in 8 races. There have been multiple driver changes: Boris Said, David Stremme, Jeff Green, Patrick Carpentier. Kenny Schrader is set to drive at Martinsville. At 177 points away from the Top 35, their hopes are diminishing for a recovery.

Front Row Motorsports - Bob Jenkins (not related to the above Bill Jenkins) is a restaurant entrepreneur who first brought teams to NASCAR in 2005. While never a front runner, he has shown a commitment to the sport by not resorting to the dreaded 'Start and Park' practice, even though it would be less costly than running full races. In 2010, Jenkins had a commitment with driver Travis Kvapil when he was approached by Kevin Conway and sponsor Biotab Nutraceuticals. Conway and the Biotab product ExtenZe wanted to make a run for Rookie of the Year, and according to sources, required that Conway remain in the Top 35. Front Row Motorsports agreed, and hired David Gilliland to be driver of the 3rd team, an arrangement made solely to support the Rookie title run by Conway.

After Bristol, Conway's points dropped within 9 points of falling out of the Top 35, and he changed to another FRM car. His car number was changed two more times to keep him as a locked-in driver. Disaster struck for the team after the first Pocono race, when the 38 team was assessed a fine of 150 points for illegal parts. This fine dropped them from the Top 35 into 37th. After Michigan, the team severed their contract with Kevin Conway, citing a lack of money owed, resulting in a lawsuit that has yet to be resolved.

Front Row has since brought in Tony Raines and Dave Blaney to drive the third car, while having primary drivers Gilliland and Kvapil take part in qualifying the 38. Several steady finishes have closed the gap considerably. The 38 has gained 139 points on the Top 35 since Bristol, and is now only 5 points away from the #7 car of Robby Gordon Motorsports.

Robby Gordon Motorsports - Robby Gordon has been cited as being one of the last of the owners/drivers in NASCAR. Known for his fiery temper, Robby has divided his passions into running a variety of races in both Off-road, Indy and NASCAR, and hoped to compete in Monster trucks. At the beginning of the year, Robby spoke with pride on how his team was building some of the finest of cars. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, mainly at road courses, that pride has not shown equal results on the track, with Robby's season needing his Top 35 spot to be able to race in 2 of the first 3 races. As the year progresses, Robby was outspoken on how Front Row Motorsports was moving their drivers around to help Kevin Conway, and he allowed his sponsor, Speedfactorytv.com, to post an unflattering video of the (then) RGM crew chief Gene Nead's opinion of the "Stiffiemobile" efforts. Robby has other commitments for certain races, and brought in PJ Jones and Bobby Labonte to fill the seat.

When Conway was released from FRM, Robby and Kevin partnered, and Conway proceeded to drive the 7 car. In six races, Conway had four "Start & Parks" and a blown engine. Robby stepped back into the 7, but was unable to catch or pass the 38. There has been a free-fall of 139 points to FRM since Bristol. There were hopes that RGM would catch the 34th place spot from TRG Motorsports, but has only gained a spot each in the last few races. The 7 is now 5 points ahead of FRM in the 35th spot, and 15 points behind TRG.

TRG Motorsports - Owner Kevin Buckler is in his second year of NASCAR Cup ownership. Placing hope that popular past champion Bobby Labonte would be able to pull in the sponsors, Buckler committed to running full races with Labonte. By Dover, the funding was getting sparse, and Buckler had to renege on the promise, starting the "Start and Park" dance. Labonte has since moved to the 09 car of James Finch for the majority of the races, with the 71 being filled in by Mike Bliss, Landon Cassill, Tony Raines and Andy Lally. Hermie Sadler is slated to drive for TRG at Martinsville. The 71 is currently 15 points ahead of the 7, and 20 points ahead of the 38.

With few exceptions, there is very little media coverage for these teams. (One notable exception is Brock Beard's weekly Bubble Breakdown from The Frontstretch.com) Both MRN & PRN radio reduced their qualifying coverage for races, a point where most drivers were interviewed. A television interview with any of the so called Bubble Teams is rare, and quite often their qualifying runs are reduced to a mention after a commercial break. Most of these cars get few mentions during a race, leaving their fans to surf the internet to discover information.

Every week, these underfunded teams plan their battles, hoping to end the year with a Top 35 banner. When they complete one battle, the plans for the next start immediately. For them, it IS war. It is also survival.

Back to Racing at Fontana!

2010-10-11T15:37:00.001-05:00

I have received emails asking why I am no longer blogging. For the last few years, I have been primary caretaker for my mother, an Alzheimer's patient. In the last year, we were forced to make several decisions to help her during her final days, and my priority was to take care of her. She passed last May, and while my interest in NASCAR has never faltered, it has taken me some time to get the energy to blog again.

This has been a good week for my return to the Blogoshere! The Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana California, was a bit of a shocker! It was quite simply fantastic racing! This race was shortened from 500 to 400 miles, and it appears to have created race strategy that involved hustling for position, rather than riding around until the final parts of the race. With the advent of the Speedway losing one race in 2011, it is hopeful that the improved racing will help the fans return to the stands in March.

Sophomore team Stewart Hass Racing owner/driver Tony Stewart celebrated his return to Victory Lane! Jumping from 10th to 5th in the Chase, and team mate Ryan Newman's fifth place finish, is happening at a fabulous time for SHR, as they will be having an announcement this week, with rumors stating that it might be a sponsor deal with Mobil One.

Roush Fenway Racing had a very tough race. Greg Biffle's run ended early with a blown engine, and Carl Edward's car suffered from a malfunctioning distributor. Matt Kenseth had an engine trying to blow up, and David Ragan was involved in a crash with Kurt Busch.

Hendrick Motor Sports still has the 48 team with Jimmie Johnson leading the pack. When Jimmie and his Crew Chief Chad Knause get going, it is virtually impossible to stop the Juggernaut.

Richard Childress Racing watched as the beleaguered Clint Bowyer team finished second. In addition to the strong point penalty, Bowyer's team had a scare when Crew Chief Todd Berrier went to the hospital to be checked out for dizziness. Todd did make it back to the race in time to take over on the pit box.

Team mates Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya had strong qualfying efforts, but Montoya scraped the wall early, and Jamie fell back during the race. They still both finished Top 20.

Down at the bottom of the field, Front Row Motorsports made very strong gains towards regaining a Top 35 Owner's points spot. Chasing Robby Gordon Motorsports, who is using the 2010 lone ROTY contender Kevin Conway in the #7 car, David Gilliland piloted the #38 Taco Bell car to a 20th place finish. Using old generation chassis, and underpowered engines, FRM was heard to be hustling and scrounging tires from other teams to give David a chance to gain spots on the last 2 laps bonzai run.

On a sad note, USAC driver Shane Hmiel suffered life-threatening injuries while qualifying in Terra Haute, Indiana. Our thoughts and prayers go to him, and to his family and friends as Shane goes through surgery and recovery. To follow his progress, use the Shane Hmiel - Road to Recovery Facebook page.

Post Atlanta Observations, with a Dash of Unintended Consequences

2010-03-08T17:01:00.001-06:00

It has been a long off-season from NASCAR for me! I spent the majority of it moving my family from Vegas to Iowa, and trying to acclimate myself to a new environment. Yes, there was indeed some 'culture shock' in the move. I am not loving the snow, but I am loving the countryside and the pace of life here!

I found some highlights during the off season though! The most exciting for me was that David Gilliland found a ride with Front Row Motorsports. While he is once again with a team that is underfunded, I feel confident that David will continue to provide value for his efforts.

Apparently, Charter Air Transport also found value in David, as they were once again an associate sponsor on David's #38 car at Atlanta. Paul Kahalley from Charter 'has a past' in NASCAR, and it is great to see a driver who makes enough of an impression with a sponsor to bring them back into a sport.

Since I already had purchased my 2010 tickets for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, my family and I returned to Vegas to attend the race, this time as tourists. I have photos and observations in blogs later this week. We had a marvelous time, but I haven't been able to catch up to the world of NASCAR until this week.

Just when we thought NASCAR was going to shape up into another boring season, we have some great material. The NASCAR race at Atlanta, the Kobalt Tools 500, is one with enough fuel to "light up" NASCAR fans through a long off-week.

For me, the race brought excitement in seeing David Gilliland running so well with many fully funded teams, and after only the third race with his new organization. Sadly he was caught up in a wreck when Jamie McMurray got loose, and indeed was hit by Jamie. The damage to the right front of the car also knocked out 'the toe' and left them having to return to the track on their last set of tires, which were scuffs. He was going for a top 15 finish, but ended at 26th. This is a true case of racing not being a reflected in the finishing position.

It seems that tires were an issue, but not for everyone. It appeared that cars that were impacted were mostly from the Hendrick stable. My bet is that they had something in their set-up that caused the tires to blow. However, it did make it pretty predictable, that around 30 to 35 laps would be the point where a new caution would come out.

Chad Knause, from the #48 Championship team, thought life was going to be good for them on pit road, when he found out Gilliland was pitting in front of him. Sadly for Knause, Gilly did not fall off the lead lap, and Chad was vocal in his complaints that David was in their way. The #9 team of Kasey Kahne was also giving the #48 fits, as they were pitting too close to the front of the pit box, thereby making the 48 challenges even more difficult. David and his crew chief, Randy Seals, did everything they could to stay out of their way, and went so far as to stay out several times while the other cars where on the lead lap, and still could not satisfy the Champ's team. Finally, according to the scanner chatter, Randy basically said that the 48 team was going to have to live with it. They had already pulled so far to the front of their pit box that David had to be backed up. It was no longer worth the effort of keeping the other team quiet.

The incident creating the most noise from Atlanta, however, was the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski wreck.

The internet/twitter buzz on the evening of the incident was mostly from those who wanted to hang Carl for his transgressions, or at least suspend him for a year. Some blame the wing for the flying car, but we have to remember that cars with spoilers also 'took air.' Others think that the 'have at it' policy is to blame. But when NASCAR announced the 'have at it' policy, Mike Helton also said "It doesn't mean these guys have a get-out-of-jail-free card." I would expect that there will be some sanctions against Edwards, but not enough to take him out of the car.

I do have to note that David Gilliland's wreck probably would not have happened if it had not been for the CE/BK wreck. But I also have to keep in mind that Brad has made some enemies in the past, and I also have sympathy for Carl, as fans of Gilliland are all too aware of this type of situation.

And finally, I have to note that I had a 'discussion' with another blogger/tweeter last night, that left the other blogger requesting that I unfollow him. I did so, but was surprised this morning to receive several notes from friends that the other blogger had posted selective parts of our conversation on his blog. The result was that I received a profanity-laced comment on a press release I wrote for a sponsor. That was not the proper place to post the response, but if that same 'anonymous' person would care to post the same response here, I will be glad to publish it, to show the quality of fans who jumped to defense of the other blogger. Finally, I do have to thank that other blogger. Just like Carl Edwards did not anticipate the unintended consequences of his actions, the other blogger drove more traffic to my site, along with many positive emails. I am pretty sure that was not his intent! Thank you, JD!

David Gilliland: Welcome Back, Charter!

2010-03-03T10:11:00.000-06:00

NASCAR fans are notorious for the zeal and dedication in following their drivers and their sport. One fan of David Gilliland, though, has combined his passion for the sport with his business. Paul Kahalley, director of Jet Charter Sales for Charter Air Transport, has networked his business and sports relationships into a viable business entity.

I first wrote about Paul last year, when Charter Air Transport agreed to fly David and Michelle Gilliland to Dover for the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Since then, the relationship continued to grow. Front Row Motorsports with Doug Yates Racing was researching travel costs for the 2010 season, having added two new cars and teams to their operation. Gilliland was able to personally vouch for the quality of Charter Air Transport. Front Row Motorsports and Charter Air Transport reached an agreement, making C.A.T the Official Air Carrier of FRM. The FRM team will use Charter Air for 23 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010.

Kahalley states "All of us at Charter Air Transport are excited about our partnership with Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing. We have been flying NASCAR teams for the last few years, and it is such a perfect fit for our 30 passenger aircraft. At the same time, we are moving these large groups in a safe and cost effective way. FRM recognized this, and reached out to us, and we are very appreciative of the opportunity. We had the pleasure of flying David Gilliland last season, and it is truly an honor to have our logo on the side of the #38 Charter Air Transport/Taco Bell Ford at Atlanta."

Paul reports that Charter Air Transport's fleet of EMB-120 turbo props are configured for 30 passengers and boast an environmentally friendly mode of transportation by only burning 150 gallons of fuel per hour, compared to 450 gallons per hour on other aircraft configured for 30-50 passenger lifts. Their services include charters for various sports teams, casino junkets, vacations, and managed aircraft revenue opportunities. They are very proud of their safe, reliable, outstanding service with an impeccable 'on-time' performance.

David Gilliland welcomes the return of Charter Air Transport. " It's nice to see Charter Air Transport on the car this weekend. I've flown on their planes in the past and they are a great way to travel. They have helped us out already in the early going. It's always nice not to have to worry about travel and how you are getting from one track to the next. They do a great job."

FRM will display the Charter Air Transport logo on the #38 Sprint cup car, on the rear quarter panels and front of the hood, This paint scheme will be used March 7, 2010 at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speeway.

Welcome back, Charter!

David and Michelle Gilliland: Making it Real for their Fans!

2010-01-14T16:10:00.000-06:00

Over the years, many NASCAR fans have picked drivers to follow. The internet has made it even easier for fans to connect with their drivers. In earlier times, websites were created, and some drivers added message boards and forums. Those forums became a place for their fans to meet each other, and chat about their driver and the racing world.

Today, many drivers have moved on to new internet media. Facebook and Twitter are both used extensively to inform the fans and media of activities. Sadly, many of the NASCAR world moved away from message boards and towards using the social media sites. Many fans enjoy the social media fun, but also mention missing the friendliness of the forums. Driver message boards used to be the first place to go for information.

One driver who still connects well with his fans is David Gilliland. Twice last year, he and his wife Michelle held an online chat with their fans at DavidGilliland.com. Last night, the Gillilands held their first chat of 2010.

In these chats, topics range from David's driving season, opinions on racing action and rules, family activities and vacation plans. In previous chats, we learned who David idolizes, how he and Michelle met, and how their family is doing. This week, we learned of possible plans for David's 2010 ride, and what the family did over the holiday season. Each chat leaves his fans exhilarated and excited! After much research on the 'net, I am unable to find any driver who responds at such a personal level.

If you wish to join in, go to DavidGilliland.com and register for the Fan Circuit. (Registration is free!) Gilly's Gang will welcome you with open arms. Clicking here will lead you to the transcript of last night's chats! There is some interesting information there! You REALLY should check it out!

Chasing Twelve of NASCAR's NeverEnding Stories

2010-01-09T16:34:00.000-06:00

A new year, and technically, a new decade! It is time to look at those persistent NASCAR stories that we suffered through last year, and that we will be digesting this year, too! Twelve stories, representing a Chase-full!

The Economy. Yes, it is still looming it's nasty head over the world in general, and NASCAR specifically. Off season conversation still talks about the need for teams to merge or form alliances. Team members are still losing their jobs. Start up teams are succeeding or dying. Sadly, this is a truism all through the country, in all sectors. While there are glimmers of hope, we will still have to listen to this story for several months.

Jeremy Mayfield. *Sigh* (That sigh is exactly what I did when I typed his name.) The Great Drug Testing Debate will continue, at least, until September. In the meantime, we will be subjected to dribbles of information whenever NASCAR and Mayfield attorneys go to court. One has to wonder if Mayfield's wallet will be depleted before September.

The COT. It looks as if the furor and angst over the COT will be renewed for a few months, as NASCAR is reported to be considering a return to the spoiler, replacing the despised wing. I doubt though, that it will ensure that drivers at Talladega will always drive side by side.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This debate has been years in the making, and it is a no-win situation. If Dale Jr continues to struggle this year, we will hear that either he is not talented, or he is not getting the right equipment. If he succeeds, his detractors will claim it IS the equipment. The Jr Nation is getting tired of Jr being blamed for lack of attendance at races, and yet we will continue to see stands empty out if Jr does not complete a race. No winners predicted!

Jimmy Johnson. It is astonishing that such a mild mannered Clark Kent of a man turns into Superman on the track, much to the ire of any non-JJ fans. All 2009, we heard how horrible it would be for him to make history and win a 4th championship. Now, in 2010, we will hear the speculation of how the impending baby arrival will ensure that there will not be 5 championships in a row.

Race broadcasts. NASCAR has a huge problem. None of the three (four, counting Speed, even though it is technically FOX) broadcast partners are popular with the fans. Each have good and bad issues, but none are universally popular. And yet, the NASCAR franchise appears to be strong enough for Showtime to want an exclusive show.

Danica Patrick. Can she? Will she? And the marketing machine that is part of her image will still raise the hackles of many fans. Many are tired of Danica Mania, yet few dispute that she will bring some much needed attention on the stock car side of the motorsports industry.

Nationwide series: Is it a driver development series? Is it fair of Cup drivers to usurp the money and the fame from the lower tier? It depends on if you are a sponsor of one of those big names who bring fame to their brand, or if you are a struggling team trying to cover your tire bill.

Start and Parks. See #1, blame the economy. Yet some of those teams will be back in 2010, with a few of them expanding and having sponsors. Perhaps the Start and Parks have a few good ideas on basic survival.

Social media. Facebook and Twitter are being used extensively by NASCAR, journalists, bloggers, teams, and drivers. Sadly, some of the best journalists in the industry lost their jobs when NASCAR Scene planned huge cutbacks. Curiously, they may be victims of their social media skills, as the printed media is going away since the internet provides instant gratification to the fans.

Credibility. Many fans of NASCAR are loudly protesting that NASCAR is not credible, and is indeed turning the sport into a clone of professional wrestling. Debris cautions, inspection penalties, driver penalties and drug testing are among the most discussed and contested subjects. NASCAR has a huge job to do, but it appears that fixing their reputation may be at the top of the list.

The Chase. The debate continues on the 'fairness' of the Chase, with particular emphasis on the resetting of points at the beginning of the Chase for the Cup. Listeners to SiriusXM128 know that it brings a constant stream of commentary. Will it end? The complaints will be around as long as there is a Chase.

As I review the list, I am convinced that the vast majority of these stories will survive well into next year. Good, bad or ugly, these topics will continue to be at the forefront of our sport.

Petty Blue and the Blue Oval to team up!

2009-09-10T14:34:00.000-05:00

It has been a quiet Thursday, with little to no NASCAR news, except for the non-news of anything pertaining to Jeremy Mayfield.

Watching Twitter, I noticed Marty Smith of ESPN comment he was working on a big story. Less than an hour later, the news broke on Twitter, Facebook and SiriusXM radio 128. The press releases states:

Today at 11:54am

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced today they have signed a letter of intent to merge operations in time for the 2010 season. The four-car team will race Fords under the Richard Petty Motorsports banner.

Richard Petty: “This is a pretty big deal for us. We’re thrilled to partner with Ford. We’ve talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing. Right now this deal is real new. There are lots of details still left to be ironed out so we don’t have a lot of answers for anyone right now. We’ll be working on all that in the coming days, weeks and months, but we do intend to have everything in place before the start of next season. I’ve won races with Ford and plan to again.”

Team Managing Partner Foster Gillett: “Richard and Kasey (Kahne) showed us Sunday night in Atlanta that they like winning quite a bit and Ford is going to provide the support that we need to go to victory lane more often. If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport you need a lot of support. We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We’ve won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate America.”

Yates Racing Co-owner Max Jones: “This is certainly a great opportunity for both Yates Racing as well as Ford Racing. I have had a long-term relationship with Ford and look forward to continuing that relationship at Richard Petty Motorsports. Over the coming weeks we will continue to work with Ford and Richard Petty to lay out the best plan for Paul Menard and all of the employees at Yates Racing. We will continue to field both the No. 98 and No. 96 Ford Fusions for the remainder of the season and look forward to continued success on the track with Paul, Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell.”

Yates Racing Co-owner Doug Yates: “This plan is clearly in the best interest of the Ford Racing community. On a personal level, I am excited about the opportunity to focus my full energy on building Ford horsepower. We look forward to working with Richard Petty Motorsports to produce power second to none. There are many details to be worked out with Richard Petty Motorsports and as we finalize those details we will keep everyone informed.”

Director of Ford North America Motorsports Brian Wolfe: "I am very pleased that Richard Petty Motorsports has made the decision to switch to Ford for the 2010 season. They had choices to consider other than Ford and it's gratifying to us that they have enough faith in the Ford Motor Company and what we're doing to make the switch. We believe we can provide them with superior analytical tools and powertrain, and we will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are. What's also really cool to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford. Combine that with the chance to work with the Gillett family, who we have great respect for, and add some great drivers to the Ford camp, well, it's hard not to be excited about this opportunity."

Notes:

• Paul Menard will be one of the drivers in the Petty team joining Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger.

This is a huge shock, mainly because no one was expecting this. Some questions remain. What happens to the 26 from Roush-Fenway Racing. What happens to the relationship with RFR. And what happens to Reed Sorenson?

According to Reed on Sirius today, at 3:37 PM, he declared that he has known for a few weeks that he would be looking for another job. He won't be the only one to experience job loss, as a merger will certainly mean that others in the two organizations will be drawing unemployment.

This news is still shaking up the internet and the NASCAR world. More to come!

Blind Faith or Being a NASCAR Fan?

2009-09-06T14:13:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I blogged a scathing commentary about David Gilliland losing his seat for a few races this year. While this was the most prominent of my printed feelings, I also sent a private email to TRG CEO, Kevin Buckler. Many members of David Gilliland's fans wrote to various principles of TRG, all expressing our shock and displeasure over the actions of the team.

I am going to give major credit to Kevin Buckler, as he and his wife Debra have been responding, one by one, to all of our emails. As he pointed out, there are not many team owners who would do that.

I agree. Kevin's responses are very unusual among team owners. But, TRG and David's fans, aka Gilly's Gang, have had a special relationship this year. We embraced Kevin as part of our family. We had some very special communications with members of his organization coming to our forum, and talking about some of the inner scenes. Indeed, one of our members became an associate sponsor of the #71 car.

In his email, Kevin gave some background information of the decision, which I don't feel privileged to reveal. Much of what he said, though, was already mentioned on his interview on Friday's Sirius NASCAR show, Trading Paint. He expressed that he has a family, employees,and a very large group of investors that he needs to keep paramount in his decisions. He considers David to be a likable friend, and hopes to have him back in the car for about three more races.

We had a discussion about how the fans blindly lashed out at his decision. I took quite a bit of time to think about that, and responded with some thoughts about how we as fans DO react blindly. After all, we can only react to what we see and hear, as we are not privy to the background information.

Our sport is really an anathema for the idols and the fans. We seem to have much more access to our stars than many other sports fans. Our driver autograph signings are usually free. Some drivers, with extreme popularity, have such a vocal group of fans that they can often help sway the decisions of team owners. (Tony Eury, Jr at Hendrick, for example!)

Yet, really, what do we know about the drivers and the others who make this sport work? We rarely hear details about their personal lives, and what we do know is just brushed across the surface. Press Releases are cleaned and sanitized to prevent negative comments. Few drivers want to create negative vibes with fans, and therefor watch everything they say carefully. Sponsors will send their drivers through carefully crafted media-training sessions. Most sponsors also have a brand manager at the driver's side to keep anything negative from falling on the brand.

Because of that, we do react blindly to situations that involve our favorite drivers. It is the only way we CAN react, because we don't have access to the intricacies of how these decisions are made. Nor should we, yet we will still react.

We will follow our driver from team to team. We will defend that driver and the team with the best of our abilities. We trust that the media releases we hear are true. We will line up hours ahead of time to get a chance to meet our driver. We embrace team owners, since they have the excellent taste to hire our driver. And when we perceive something is not right, and it is a negative for our idol, we will 'blindly lash out.'

This is called being a fan.

Bobby Labonte's fans have experienced some pretty big ups and downs. They were upset with Yates, and thrilled with TRG. Gilly's fans are upset with TRG, and thrilled with Wood Brothers, Joe Gibbs, and Robby Gordon. Erik Darnell's fans are just plain thrilled! But each of those drivers does have a fan base, and the fans ultimately are the ones who make the loudest noise! And with the internet, Twitter, blogging and Facebook, fans have even more noise than ever before.

And if any of the above mentioned teams have problems? The fans will blame the team, the owner, the crew chief, the car, the tires, the weather....anything but our driver. I for one, hate to think of the fans 'blindly lashing out' if Labonte has to do a start and park!

I would like to thank Kevin Buckler for taking the time to respond to me and to the other fans of Gilliland. While we are not cured of our hurt, the wound has a makeshift bandage. Many of us are feeling better. For now!

A Black Letter Day for Gilliland Fans...AGAIN!

2009-09-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Sometimes my favorite sport, NASCAR, is brutal. Today was especially harsh!

Fans of David Gilliland have been upset over the Watkins Glen incident where David was given a second car to drive, so that TRGMotorsports could showcase Andy Lally in the #71 car. There was a certain level of fan understanding on this deal, as Lally had a much longer relationship with TRG than David. The execution of owner Kevin Buckler's two car plan was a huge fail! There was only one crew chief, as the person assigned to CC David's car had never had that experience. Crew Chief Slugger Labbe admitted, during a Sirius interview on the Monday following The Glen, that he was supposed to work on both cars, and got stuck on working on Lally's car for the whole practice session. The result was that David's car received little attention, and he went out to qualify in a 'scary loose' car, and barely avoided wrecking on each turn. David went home, and his sponsor was transferred to the car driven by Lally.

David has continue to remain faithful to TRG. A recent online chat with his fans showed David to be very supportive of the efforts of TRG and their driver:

"I think everyone needs to know that everyone at TRG works day and night to be able to race every week. We go to the track with the cars ready to race. Whether we get to or not comes down to if we have the money."

This support is laudable, but appears to be misplaced. An owner is truly allowed to do what he pleases. However, the owner needs to be prepared for the fallout. A press release early on Thursday, September 3rd loudly declares how exciting it is for Team TRG and David to be going to Atlanta, and a few short hours later, the news leaks out that David is out, and Bobby is in. I heard about it as a breaking news item while half awake, listening to it at 745 AM Pacific. Things moved very fast.

Fans of David Gilliland were already feeling burned. Now, they are upset in defense of their driver. First, early this year, they endured the last minute decision at Yates Racing, to replace David with Bobby Labonte. Now, it is happening again. A different owner, but the same drivers.

I understand that money is needed to drive those bright billboards in circles. I understand that Labonte had a long streak of NASCAR starts going, and it would be a shame to break that statistic. I understand that Bobby is a great guy. (I have met him twice, and he is a gentleman!) I understand the nasty necessities of this sport.

But do I have to like it? No, I don't. As a fan, I am taking my prerogative to display my anger towards the team owner, towards the 'new' driver, and towards the sponsor that seems to believe the hype from the owner.

A good guy is getting the shaft. Again.

I only hope that Labonte understands that if he couldn't equal Gilliland's results at Yates, he certainly won't be happy at TRG. Their cars are three generations old. The parts on the 71 have been used all season long, with the stress and wear showing up at the worst times, like Bristol. As bad as Yates looks, it is certainly worse at TRG.

David will take the high road when interviewed this weekend. He IS that kind of person. Fortunately, I don't have to answer to a sponsor.
Therefor, I will be taking a different road.

I was proud to be a part of Gilly's Gang when we presented Kevin Buckler with our hard earned cash to buy a set of tires for one of David's races. I think I want my money back! And judging from the temperment at DavidGilliland.com, I do believe that most of David's fans feel the same way.

When Driver and Fans meet! Gilliland Chats with Gilly's Gang!

2009-08-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

Many fans of NASCAR drivers crave the chance to meet their driver. They spend hours in line waiting for autographs, they will spend huge amounts of money for fan events, and will find the most strategic locations at the track to catch a glimpse of their idol. For many fans, they rarely get a chance to see past the corporate-babble that comes from race time interviews. But sometimes, drivers remember who their fans are, and want to interact with them!

Something pretty special happened at DavidGilliland.com on Wednesday evening. David made room in his schedule, and agreed to spend an hour with his fans in a chat room! A full chat room saw David busy typing for an hour, responding to 45 of the 65+ fan-submitted questions!

Post-chat, fans were raving over the experience. "Tonight's chat was the best ever!" "Tonight was the best I have felt about NASCAR all year! THANKS DAVID FOR BEING OUR DRIVER!" "I am just amazed at what a terrific guy David is. What a breath of fresh air to have someone who is so appreciative of his fans. That was just the coolest chat ever -- and I am so grateful that David took the time out of his schedule to do that with us."

Gilliland's fans, self-proclaimed as Gilly's Gang, earlier this year banded together to donate enough money for a set of tires, amassing the needed amount in less than 48 hours. As a reward, Kevin Buckler of TRG Motorsports, used the rear deck to sport a fan-designed sticker for the car for a race. Gilly's Gang showed up in force for several races this year, peppering the background of the SpeedTV broadcasts with Gilly related signs. David also sends periodic messages to his fans via his message board, and is very aware that every race has a race chat in progress, with fans watching every step of David's cars on the track!

The chat provided enough information for a few days worth of blogs, but here are some of the highlights!

David talked about his current season. He had nothing but raves for his crew chief Slugger Labbe! "Slugger has a ton of experience. He is a great guy, and we get along well. He is very competitive just like me. We want to do well. I think he is a great crew chief." David was asked a few questions about the Start and Park situation that has been occurring with TRG Motorsports. "Start and Parking SUCKS (excuse my French) I would never do it full time. Remember, we do it to race, 1 or 2 start and parks so we can race. (It is) the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I am a very competitive person" When asked "David, I saw how fast the car was at Dover in practice. Is there ever a time when the owners might say 'Man, we are fast, we better go ahead and race?'" David responded "I think everyone needs to know that everyone at TRG works day and night to be able to race every week. We go to the track with the cars ready to race. Whether we get to or not comes down to if we have the money. (But) there is a possibility that it could happen."

Fans tried to pin David down on his future. He responded to questions about the rumor of being in a 4th Joe Gibbs Racing car for three races with "(I'm) working very hard on lots of things. But that would be awesome though, wouldn't it?" He also said that if he gets something with Gibbs, it would be one of the most competitive rides, as they are on top of their game. When pressed about next year, he stated his goals for 2010 were to be in a competitive car where he has a chance to win.

David continued to answer questions for the rest of the hour, visiting with family and friends alike, many of those friends coming from his early racing days.

In a future blog, I will reveal more information about this driver, one who tells us he appreciates his fans as much as they appreciate their driver.

Gilliland and TRG Motorsports Ready for Home Track

2009-06-15T21:47:00.000-05:00

Monday June 15, 2009

Gilliland Second at Infineon Last Year

Mooresville, North Carolina (June 15, 2009) – David Gilliland and TRG Motorsports are ready for the Toyota SaveMart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The track is the home circuit for TRG Motorsports and driver David Gilliland returns to the site of his best NASCAR finish to date, second place last year.

TRG’s corporate offices are headquartered just over the hill in Turn Three a few miles away from the track in Petaluma. Team principals Kevin and Debra Buckler live in Marin, County so this is very much a home event for the entire team.

Gilliland, of Riverside, California, is looking forward to racing the 10-turn, 1.99 mile undulating road course located in the heart of wine country. Last year he qualified 32nd and was able to improve the car and finish second.

“I can’t wait for this weekend,” Gilliland said. “Last year with qualifying on Friday, we fought being loose with the car. On Saturday in the final practice we got the car really good and were third in practice. That gave us a lot of confidence going into the race. We took our time and got to the front. We played the fuel mileage game right, half-way through the race we got into the top five and stayed there and made a run at the end. I have won there in two other series and ran second last year in the Cup race. I’m going to Infineon with a lot of confidence. It is a lot of fun for me to go there, I really enjoy it.”

The team tested at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) with TRG veteran sports car driver Andy Lally.

“The car drove well at VIR. VIR is not Infineon, but we were able to test brakes and made some changes that will make us that much closer when we unload on Friday. We came back and changed the car and we feel we have a better car as a result of the test. The TRG sports car ace, Andy Lally, was there as well and definitely added value to the test.”

Crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe will have to be on his game with strategy, fuel mileage and track position.

“At any road race, strategy and fuel mileage play a big role. We will work very hard on making sure we are maximizing the fuel mileage. You also need a good handling car of course. In road racing there are so many opportunities to make mistakes. You have to have a car with brakes on it at the end and four fenders to be in a position to win at the end.”

Car setup is key to having a good day on a road course.

“The car has to be balanced everywhere. You have to be able to get off of Turn Seven and Turn 11. Getting off of those corners in low gear is a challenge. We have to get forward traction off those corners to make the run the down the straights.”

Double wide restarts will play a factor in the race this weekend.

“It will work fine as long as you are on the inside. If you are on the outside it will be a challenge. Almost every Cup race at Infineon there is an accident on the first lap in Turn Two it just gets so tight. Even though you are on the outside going across the line, which should put you on the inside into Turn Two, I would prefer the inside. It is all part of having the four fenders on the car at the end.”

Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is excited to be running at his home track. He will also be a key element in strategy with his years of driving road courses as a driver.

“It will be great to compete with our new NASCAR team in front of our home town crowd,” Buckler said. “We have been planning for this weekend for most of the year. We will have an event pretty much every night leading up to the race and a large contingent of supporters at the top of Turn Two. David is really excited to come back here and try to improve one more position from his best ever NASCAR finish. The team has witnessed a ground swell of support from local businesses and we are proud to be the home town team. We have tested the road course car and we are very confident in our driver and our approach to the weekend. I can’t wait! We will have our brain trust of road racing veterans to help in any way they can so we can have the best day possible. My career as a driver for TRG was launched with a big upset win here in 1995. Let’s see if we can try to do the same with our NASCAR program.”

Gilliland will also be in the No. 89 car of the Camping World West Series on Saturday driving for Daryl Wong. The last time Gilliland drove the 89 was at Phoenix where he put it on the pole.

The SaveMart 350 from Infineon Raceway will be televised live on TNT starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The team would like to thank the Fairfield in Vacaville for their support.

TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG’s Porsche sports car program is run out of the company’s headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 28, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For more information please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com. Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.com and www.theracersgroup.com.

The Death Knell for Two NASCAR Series?

2009-06-11T22:26:00.001-05:00

For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

On the eve of the spring pilgrimage to Michigan International Speedway, a link is gleaned from the chaff of Twitter Tweets. Reports are surfacing that one of the car manufacturers investing heavily in NASCAR, General Motors, will be cutting back sponsorship, and both the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series will feel the greatest pinch. From the article by Reid Spencer, it appears that it will impact the larger teams, such as Kevin Harvick, Inc., Rusty Wallace, Inc., and JR Motorsports. If true, GM will not be supporting any teams except at the Cup level.

Full details should be revealed on Friday, in an article written by Michael Smith, of Sports Business Journal. From Spencer's article "As Smith points out, support from manufacturers typically comes in the forms of engines, parts and cash. In most cases, factory support goes to larger, more substantial organizations, while smaller teams receive little assistance, if any?"

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

There have been many complaints over the last few years that the NASCAR Cup drivers/teams are taking over the two lower series. While some will say that the upper tier drivers "raise the competition level" and 'bring bigger crowds,' it is true that the cars from Cup mega-teams have dominated both series. Swimming upstream are the teams that are independently owned, unaffiliated with the big teams, who don't have access to the biggest, best and latest gizmo that costs money and yet gives a competitive advantage.

The smaller teams have received very little in the way of resources. Left out of the mainstream of technology, the little guys have watched the purses erode and the competition get overwhelmingly hard. Working at a grass roots level, they are scrabbling to stay in a sport they live, eat, drink, and breath. They dreamed of getting as big as a Hendrick, Roush or Gibbs organization but cannot see their way to climb past the first hurdles, money and support.

The best of sponsorship deals in the lower series will not even cover the C-post on a Cup car. Bobby Hamilton, Jr, today on Sirius "The Morning Drive" lamented that if they get a chance at a sponsor, that sponsor wants a Cup driver in a Nationwide car. No problem? Sure. except the sponsor is not paying enough to compensate that Cup driver!

If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.

Consequently, regular watchers of the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series, over the years, have seen an erosion of the "little guy." The worst example came last weekend. The Truck race had 33 starters (not a full field) with 10 being start-and-park entries. The Nationwide race had 43 entries, with 11 out of the race by Lap 80. (There were some accidents in here, so all were not S&P cars.)

As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.

An immediate thought is that the races may become more competitive without the big teams, and that those grassroots teams may be able to make inroads into the standings. Yet, some of those big teams bring in fans of those big name drivers and with their loss ...who is left to watch?

If the big teams decide to abandon the two lower tier series, where does that leave the teams that run exclusively in the lower series? And where will it leave the Cup teams, especially those that are struggling against the tide of the big team wealth. Hopefully, not washed out to sea.

Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
John Donne

NASCAR Media all A-Twitter!

2009-06-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

I am finding it increasingly more interesting to follow the NASCAR media in the last few weeks. As an 'older generation' fan, and most certainly an older generation 'blogger.' I find that I am not on the same side of many of the bloggers and even some of the media who write about NASCAR.

But what the heck! This is the new age, and I have just as much right to express an opinion as anyone. As an observer, I found the recent Kyle Busch 'Guitar Gate' event to be an astounding mass of misinformation!

I recently discovered Twitter, and Lo! The media is all a-twitter!!!! The media was Aghast at the Smash of the Axe! (So was I!) Immediately after the guitar smash, I sent a 'tweet' to the Gibbs media representative who reports during the race. (Yes, I sent my displeasure, and I am sure many other Tweeps did the same! ) Within minutes, there was a steady stream of "Sam Bass loved it" and "The Sponsors Loved It!" I could see the spin happening! In fact, the spin happened for several hours into the next day.

Monday morning, listening to Sirius Radio's The Morning Drive, I heard NASCAR writer Nate Ryan as a guest host, declare the party line: "Sam approved of this a year in advance." After Sam came on the air on the later broadcast, Sirius Speedway, we found the whole story, as Sam did not know about the future trophy destruction at any time before the event. When it happened, Sam was stunned, heartbroken, and disheartened. He declared that Kyle told him LATER that he did not mean disrespect, but Sam was still upset. Sam, for those of you who have yet to meet him, is a humble and private man. He will do anything to help anyone, but even he said that the smashed guitar was not replaceable, it was one of a kind.

At that point, the Twittering Media was responding with..."What?!! Sam was not happy!!!???" Until Sam appeared on a few select shows, no one had asked Sam Bass how he felt, and no one asked the venue operator, and no one asked Federated Auto Parts. RESEARCH is important!

I woke up this morning with Sirius in my ear, and heard Nate Ryan continue with his philosophy. He and Mike Bagley decided that anyone who disagreed with their opinion would be discounted. I have to wonder, how would David Poole react? Encountered with evidence that what they had espoused the previous day was not true, they continue blindly in the same incorrect direction, picking apart any argument that did not agree with them. Indeed, Bagley went through a mass deletion of detractors on his Facebook page.

To take it to the other side of journalistic integrity, I had an encounter with an individual who writes for the blog compiler "The Bleacher Report" who made some statements about what he thinks should happen in a particular NASCAR ride. He had several facts wrong, and after several dialogues back and forth, where I, and others, presented facts, he finally gave up and deleted his blog. For someone who claims they are planning on a career in "Mass Communications" perhaps they should be prepared to RESEARCH and RESPOND with FACTS! If one has the courage of convictions, one should not need to delete the blog when overwhelmed with facts.

Hubris is not permanently attached, it can be pulled from your psyche to reveal humility and the desire to find out the truth.

Meandering among the Marbles! Pocono Weekend

2009-06-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

Notes and Observations from Pocono Weekend

ESPN is up to their shenanigans from last year, by not starting the Nationwide Qualifying on time. This time, it was a regional baseball tourney. It would not have been so bad, if they had considered moving the qualifying to another channel. Even the watchers most ignorant of baseball will see that when the team is at the top of the 8th with one out, that the Qualifying will not be coming up soon, unlike the scroll at the bottom of the screen kept proclaiming. I gave up after 40 minutes, and went about my life. When ESPN takes over the Cup season, we will have more of the same.

A requirement of the contract to sing our Anthem for a NASCAR race is that it MUST be sung properly. This is not an audition for American Idol or America's Got Talent!

In pre-race, Kyle Busch told of his last Dover Nationwide race, where he was 'moved' out of the way by his team mate. He admitted that he had a tire going down, and then dropped a bombshell by saying he didn't tell anyone, because he wanted to drag out the start and hope there was a wreck behind him.

"I have no issues with Joey at all," Busch said Friday at Pocono Raceway. "I must have punctured a tire I because I felt it in the last two corners before the caution came out that the right-front was getting soft. I didn't call it over the radio because I didn't want to give everybody Christmas and say that I had a tire going down.

"If I could have jacked up the restart enough and caused a wreck then I would have been fine, I would have been golden — it was a green-white-checkered so I would have won the race. That didn't happen.

"I went off into turn one and Joey was going to follow me and that's why I was as high as I was because I wasn't expecting him to follow. He got in the back of me a little bit (but) it was no fault whatsoever of Joey." (From USA Today)

Rusty Wallace called him out for it, and Kyle deserved everything that Rusty said, and all that he didn't say. Brad Daugherty even called Kyle out for not stopping to talk to the media. If Joe Gibbs Racing and M&M's haven't listened to the fans comment on Kyle's behavior, perhaps they will hear the commentary from the booth, and act on it. It is one thing to be a polarizing player in the sport, it is another to try and deliberately wreck the field. And the worst part, is that he didn't wait to talk to the media, and left his young team mate, Joey Logano thinking that he was totally at fault for the messed up restart.

Kyle further stunned the fans by smashing his guitar in Victory Lane. Forty-eight hours later, there are mixed stories on how much of this was planned, and how much was spur-of-the-moment. Sam Bass admitted that the act stunned him, but that he and Kyle talked in VL, and Sam is OK with it since Kyle has ordered two replacements. It is indeed Kyle's trophy, and he can do what he wishes with it. However, combined with the above tire issue, the guitar smashing, the refusing to talk to the press, and the general attitude that whatever he does is ok do not endear him to me, or to many fans of the sport. He may think he is a rock star, but this is racing, not rock 'n' roll!

The new restart procedures did help to jazz up the middle of the race. The long green flag runs, however, were still there, and the restarts did not counter the boredom that ensues for the hours and hours of cars all strung out.

There has been a tremendous amount of time given to the trials and tribulations of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the crew chief changes. There has been little discussion on the crew changes for Kevin Harvick. Both will take time for changes to make an impact. Hopefully, the fans of both drivers show patience.

John Daly's blog, The Daly Planet, spent the weekend dissecting the three races. Much talk in all three events centered on Start and Parks. I am sensitive to this subject, since one of my favorite drivers and teams recently had to resort to this practice. I do not like it, and I am sure the driver and crew don't like it either. But, the economy has hit, and hit hard, among the teams on the lower echelon of each series. It is a hard decision to make, but my team is picking their races, and hope to make a showing in markets that are important to them. Frankly, I don't see many cars standing in the wings that will be able to move up to full-time racing, to replace the start and park cars.

On the Michigan!

NASCAR Sponsor Takes Over!

2009-06-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

NASCAR sponsors have a way of becoming a focus of NASCAR fans. We generally support the sponsors of both the teams and the sport.

As a fan of Yates Racing, there was initial excitement at the beginning of 2009 when it was announced that Bobby Labonte had signed with Yates, and brought Ask.com to the table as a sponsor. That excitement quickly turned to dismay when I discovered that Bobby was 'in', and David Gilliland was 'out' of his ride. While I entirely understand the financial side of the deal, it left me feeling disgruntled.

Ask.com, formerly known as Ask Jeeves, has made a huge mark in the NASCAR world. Not only are they sponsoring the 96, they have become the Official Search Engine of NASCAR. They are the 'go-to' source for trivia questions on television broadcasts. They have a browser toolbar that is configured for NASCAR fans. They were at each track I attended this year (California, Vegas, and Texas) handing out CD's with a contest opportunity and most likely, their toolbar.

I never loaded that CD, in part because of the YR deal with David Gilliland losing his ride. And because of a recent experience, I am glad that I left that CD sitting in my track backpack.

About two weeks ago, I downloaded a game from Facebook. It was a game from a company I had used several times, and indeed a company whose games are good enough that I have purchased three of their selections. This download, however, had a special little add-on....an opportunity to download ask.com. In a hurry, I did not take the time to read what I was installing, and therefor neglected to un-check the box.

Suddenly, my Firefox browser directed me to Ask.com. Internet Explorer did the same. Both had the toolbar loaded. And both had the search engine default switched from google to ask.com. Arrrgggg!

That hurried and totally stupid download has reminded me that I need to slow down. I managed to remove the toolbar, and I managed to changed the default search engines back to google. I have, however, been wrestling with one last vestige of this pesky software, as everytime I mistyped something in my url box, it redirected me to ask.com.

After two weeks, I found that removing that redirect from Firefox is an exercise in itself. You have to use the "about:config" function in a tab, to change the strings. Very scary for an Internet Apprentice (which is way below Internet Wizard on the Savvy Scale) and one that helped to increase my high-blood pressure. I stressed at the moment I saw how changing those settings could upset the stability of my machine. My MACHINE? What about MY stability?

Sadly, the easiest way to remove it is to go to Ask.com, and beg them for help. There have apparently been so many problems, that they developed a special removal tool. Since it was an executable file, I was worried about downloading that one, too. But quite a bit of research gave me some courage to try it, and it seems to have worked.

While I like Bobby Labonte, I am still peeved over the Yates Racing Deal. Now I am just as peeved over the sponsor taking over my computer. For me, DON'T Ask.com!

Meandering among the Marbles! Coca-cola 600!

2009-05-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

The Coca-Cola 600 may be remembered as one with sadness, jubilation, reverence, and of course, controversy.

Sadness? I still find myself reading articles critically, and comparing them to the articles by recently departed David Poole. Lowes Motorspeedway dedicated the Media Deadline room to the memory of Poole, a very fitting tribute. Poole continues to be missed by fans and peers alike.

Jubilation? The look on Buzzy Ruetimann's face while his son David was being interviewed after being announced as race winner. Our parents are always proud of us, but Buzzy was so proud to be sharing this moment-in-time with his boy!

Reverence? NASCAR decided to take part in the National Moment of Remembrance. Stopping the cars on the front-stretch, and asking pit crew members to stand on the wall, and the fans to stand for a full minute was very touching. Sadly, I have seen many complaints on the internet that it 'robbed' the fans of 25 laps of racing. When so many of our service members have fallen, perhaps some of the fans in our sport need to realize there are far more important things in life than a moment taken away of our enjoyment.

Controversy? Check it out!

Rainy Daze? Fans have short memories. When the 2008 race in California went late before being called, we complained that NASCAR waited too long. When the Daytona race was cut short, we complained it was called too soon. And now, fans are making both of those complaints about the 600! Apparently, it depended on where you driver was finishing if it was called too soon, too late, or just right.

Looming Lawsuit? The Jeremy Mayfield drug testing scandal still looms over the NASCAR Nation. Mayfield's attorney, Bill Diehl hinted that he was prepared to file a law suit on Friday. However, it is likely that he thought better of it, as the holiday and the race weekend would over shadow the suit. In the meantime, NASCAR tested ten crew members for substance abuse, which would never have been newsworthy if it hadn't been for the Mayfield case. And one can't help but ponder....if Mayfields test was invalid, does that make all of the 'clean' tests of the other drivers invalid also?

No emotions? Tony Stewart and David Reutimann had a discussion on pit road, with Tony once again expressing displease with drivers who don't move out of his way. A crewman,Dwayne Bigger, from the #00 team interjected, and we saw him genuflect and bow to Tony, as if he were worshiping Tony's footsteps. Tony's response was to call the team member Big Bad Butt, which is a name that will always stay with that crewman! Look for it on the back of his uniform at Dover!

Start and Park to make money? The Start and Park controversy continues, as Scott Riggs announced that he was parting ways with Tommy Baldwins team. "It kills my soul to know that we go to the race track and we’re not going to be competitive. Even if the car is competitive, we’re not going to be there around at the end to be competitive." We watch as race after race, the same cars will run a few laps and then exit the track. Even the 'grass roots' team of TRG Motorsports had to resort to a couple of races where they 'developed problems' and left the race early.

Today, we saw the 09 entry of James Finch leave the race after 42 laps. It was noted by at least one crew member that they were packed up to leave before the end of the first red flag. Finch has qualified successfully for 8 of the 12 races this season. His car has been running at the end for two of those eight. Granted, one of those was a win, but the truth of it is the vast majority of his entries have been Start & Park. Then, when you look at the prize money for this race, you discover that a car that finished the whole race, and finished 15 spots ahead brought home less than $1400 more in prize money for all of that extra racing. Since the #71 entry used up five sets of tires that were not even purchased by the 09 entry, it doesn't make sense for a team to run the whole race! NASCAR promised they would research this, but no action has been taken. At this point, they really show that it is not important to them.

Ad naseum? Don't forget! We still have the great debate about the two Jr's of the 99 team. Also, will Jeff Gordon retire early? Is a rain finish or a fuel finish a true finish? And, there are plenty more stories where those came from!

On to Dover! The one thing about NASCAR fans, is that we are resilient. We will find something new to discuss after the race next week! Thank heavens! Because once we look at these few items, there really was not much exciting about this race. It will remain largely forgettable!

Gilliland Finishes Rain Shortened Coke 600 in 27th

2009-05-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

Press Release
May 25, 2009

David Gilliland

Charlotte, North Carolina, (May 25, 2009) - David Gilliland finished the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS, carrying the CompUSA.com colors, in 27th at a rained shortened Coca-Cola 600 today at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Gilliland, who also qualified 29th, had the “best race car of the year” in the 600 today, running as high as 14th. He was a fixture in the top 20 and moving toward the front. Crew chief, Slugger Labbe, made a call for two tires early to help with track position, but Gilliland did the rest on the track. On lap 180 during a restart Gilliland had transmission problems which dropped him back in the running order, which later manifested itself into a broken second and third gear. The team kept Gilliland out during the last caution, low on fuel, to eventually take 27th position.

“We had the best car of the year here today,” Gilliland said. “The car could turn really well and it was fun to drive. We were making very small adjustments on the pit stops setting ourselves up for the end of the race. The guys were doing great pit stops and it was looking like a great run for the team. The rain cautions were helping us because we took two tires early and things were falling into place.”

The team pitted on lap 131 and Gilliland was on a charge and had a small amount of wheel hop under braking which caused him to speed on pit lane, resulting in a drive-thru penalty.

“That was my mistake. I came in too hot and got some wheel hop in the car and it jumped out of gear. We had ourselves positioned to make up the lap when NASCAR decided to call the race. Ending the race early really was a blessing for us, as I had only high gear left and I would have been a sitting duck on restarts and out of the pits.”

Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is happy with the team’s performance today.

“We showed, once again, that with our limited resources that we can field a very competitive car and run with most of the top teams, which is fantastic,” Buckler said. “We were flat-out better than a lot of big names today. The team did a great job working through the struggles in practice and getting the car right for race day, which is what counts. David was running strong at the beginning and had a lot of confidence in the car. We had the drive-thru penalty, which was a real bummer, but Slugger had us on course to make the lap back. The transmission was going, so we will take our 27th place and go onto Dover. We are still looking for that sponsor partner to help carry this team forward into the future. It is a great group and we showed a little of what the future holds for this team today running so strong.”

Up next on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule is the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway to be run on Sunday, May 31.

TRG Motorsports would like to thank associate sponsor Charter Air Transport.

TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG’s Porsche sports car program is run out of the company’s headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 27, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

- TRG Motorsports, Press Release

The Wheels in the Sky Keep on Turning

2009-05-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

The recent announcement of Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor of David Gilliland's #71 TRG Motorsports NASCAR entry is exciting for David's fans, but for one of the partners of the company, it is the closing of a circle that started in 1990.

For Paul Kahalley, the summer day at Pensacola Air Center was like any other Florida day, hot and humid, air feeling thick under a blue sky that beckoned pilots to go for a spin in a flying machine. Paul was introduced to a young 29 year old who was at PAC to purchase an airplane. When hearing the name and occupation of the young man, Paul asked him if he was related to Bobby Allison. Laughing, Davey laughingly replied "Yeah, I am related to him a bit." Paul had no knowledge of NASCAR, but meeting Davey Allison was the catalyst for a new career.

Kahalley talks fondly of his early flight experiences. As a teenager, he took flight lessons at every opportunity. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Paul holds a degree in PR, but being young and hyper, hated the thought of flying a desk. After graduation, he took a job with a produce company. "My first job out of college was flying a Cessna Caravan, loaded with bananas, five times daily from St. Croix to a produce hangar in St. Thomas...I had no idea how good I had it! I was done at 1:00 PM everyday, and spent the rest of the day either fishing, or on the beach!"

Paul remembers meeting Davey in 1990. "I was there doing some training, he was there buying an airplane. Sam Manz worked for Pensacola Air Center and handled all of Davey's airplane stuff, and flew for him. Davey and I shared the same flight instructor at PAC, Craig Osburn. I had no idea who Davey was really, as I was not a NASCAR fan." Paul, Davey and Sam would all fly together, working as a team, switching off on piloting and radio duties.

Paul's first race was at Indianapolis Raceway Park, where Davey was entered in the (then) Busch Series for the 1990 Kroger 200. Davey finished 19th at the race, but Paul was fascinated by the sights, the sounds, and the speed! "For a pilot, speed is intriguing. The impact of seeing the speed of the cars on track cannot be reproduced on television." Before Paul knew it, he was recruited into his first pit crew experience as a catch can man. "I was scared to death!" Entranced, Paul became addicted to racing, and claims the aroma of fuel and tires to be better than any cologne!

When Davey died in 1993, Paul drifted away from NASCAR. Continuing to fly random corporate charters, he started to fly PGA Golf players. Eventually, he built enough of a base of clients, aircraft, and destinations to strike out on his own in 1996. Recently, his company merged with Charter Air Transport, owned by Mike Hoyle of Cleveland, Ohio. This merger brought him full circle back to NASCAR.

Charter Air Transport is the contracted charter company for Rusty Wallace, Inc, flying the RWI Nationwide series teams from track to track. The company has a solid business model to offer to race teams. Rather than exclusively using their jets that burn 450 gallons of fuel per hour, they quite often use the more efficient Embraer Brasilia. While this aircraft may need to make an extra stop to pick up fuel, it uses 150 gallons an hour. This savings to the client's bottom line makes up for the extra stop on some of the trips. The business model is one that works for both the client and CAT. "We do it in a way that works for them and for us, and we won't put either of us in debt!" says Kahalley.

While not active in the industry, Paul maintained his interest in NASCAR, watching races on television for years. Because of Davey, Paul followed Robert Yates Racing and his drivers. And because of RYR, Paul started following David Gilliland, and keeps up with David's career on the fan forum at DavidGilliland.com.

As an associate sponsor of the TRG #71 entry at the Dover International Speedway, Paul will personally be flying David and Michelle Gilliland to Dover. This will be the first time he has flown a NASCAR Cup driver since the passing of Davey Allison. "There will be some great memories of a great friend that will enter my mind when we fly David, and his wife to Dover" reflects Kahalley. "When Davey died, part of my love for racing died also. Now it is re-kindled with David, and TRG!"

Paul is excited to have his company sponsor David Gilliland. He is also looking forward to returning to the sights, the sounds, and the speed of racing.

TRG Motorsports Signs Charter Air Transport on 71

2009-05-21T15:58:00.000-05:00

Mooresville, North Carolina, (May 21, 2009) - TRG Motorsports has signed Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor on the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS starting this weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Charter Air Transport will help the team get the next races at Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway.
The Cleveland, Ohio based Charter Air Transport operates a fleet of fuel efficient Embraer 120 Brasilia turboprop planes as well as Citation private jet air craft, offering an affordable solution to team transport.

"Charter Air Transport, Inc. is thrilled to be a sponsor for TRG Motorsports and David Gilliland" Mike Hoyle, president and CEO said. "We are pleased that our 30-passenger aircraft are the right solution for the No. 71 team's travel to and from the Dover, Pocono, and Michigan Sprint Cup races. We are excited to have the CharterAirTransport.com logo on the car and look forward to flying everyone from TRG Motorsports safely and efficiently in the coming weeks."
Charter Air Transport familiarized themselves with the team through David Gilliland's web site.
"It is nice that my web site was a conduit for Charter Air Transport to form a relationship with the team," Gilliland said. "Having the right flight service in NASCAR makes life so much easier. I am looking forward to our first ride to Dover."
Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is proud to have Charter Air Transport onboard.
"The movement of the team is one of the most important aspects of NASCAR racing," Buckler said. "The wear-and-tear on the human aspect of the team is very grueling when you are running 38 weekends a year. The availability of the Charter Air Transport fleet makes working in the series that much easier. We are looking forward to our first ride to Dover in one week and to our new partnership."
Founded in 1997, Charter Air Transport, Inc., a subsidiary of Business Aircraft Group, Inc., which provides aircraft management and charter on our fleet of 30-seat airliners and 9-seat business jets. With a "Gold" rating from ARG/US, our team of aviation and travel experts supports the private air travel needs of individuals and groups in the United States and throughout the world. Visit us on the web at www.charterairtransport.com.
TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer's Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG's Porsche sports car program is run out of the company's headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 27, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For more information please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com. Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.comand www.theracersgroup.com.

David Poole: The Passing of a Voice of NASCAR!

2009-04-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

There are certain people in my beloved world of NASCAR who have impacted me on a personal level, without ever meeting one on one. David Poole, Charlotte Observer beat writer and Sirius The Morning Drive co-host, is one such person.

I listened, stunned and in shock, when I tuned into Sirius Speedway, and heard a grieving Mike Bagley discussing the sudden passing of his partner and good friend, David Poole. Mr. Poole died today from a massive heart attack shortly after the conclusion of his morning radio show. Becoming very emotional myself, I listened to the memories and tributes to Mr. Poole for the rest of the afternoon, quietly wiping away tears in the midst of my spreadsheets and reports for work.

David Poole was a media man who was known for being a grumpy ole curmudgeon. Once you got past his gruff exterior, and really studied his arguments, you realized that not only could he turn a pretty phrase, he came to work armed with the research to back up his arguments. Quite frequently, I would disagree with what he wrote, and would go and do my own research, only to find that Poole's points were logical and well made. Indeed, he frequently changed my mind on individual subjects, but even more importantly, I changed the way I viewed NASCAR because of his influence.

That same curmudgeon had a heart of gold. He adored his grandson Eli, and he went out of his way to create the Pennies for Wesa charity. Today, we heard stories from fans who told David of their own challenges, and how David went out of his way to help them. And those who knew David best, his peers, would claim that David would be mortified to know that he was being revealed to be a soft touch.

Mr. Gruff also had a subtle yet devilish sense of humor. It came out the most during his weekly 'Dramatic Reads' where David would take pop music and read the lyrics with the attempted flair of a Shakespearean actor. His attempts would be enhanced by the outbursts of laughter and wheezing from his co-host, Mike Bagley. Listeners knew with certainty that he was planning his reads with Mr. Bagley's reaction in mind.

David will be missed, not only for his holding NASCAR accountable for their decisions, but for providing so many thought-provoking subjects, and for making me laugh. It will be sad tomorrow, to listen to his show, and to the many members of NASCAR who will be giving tribute to a great writer, a great critic, and a great man.

Service information, charity information, and family information.
The Best of David's articles.
David's blog, Life in the Turnlane
Post your condolences.

(photo and links courtesy of ThatsRacin.com)

Meandering among the Marbles!

2009-04-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Random thoughts and mutterings from Saturday afternoon of Talledage weekend!

NASCAR Nextel Sprint Cup-Talladega

My driver David Gilliland made it into the race. Watching the Non-top 35 qualifications as a fan is almost as stressful as it has to be for the driver, crew chief and team owners.

I enjoyed hearing MRN radio interview both David and his crew chief, Slugger Labbe, prior to the qualification run by the #71 TRG Chevy. MRN did a fabulous job on interviewing everyone on pit road, prior to each car hitting the track for their runs.

There is no excuse, though, for the Fox/SpeedTV announcers to NOT interview ANY of the Go or Go Home drivers prior to their runs. When it takes a car almost a full minute to make their warm-up run, there is plenty of time to have a few words. Even worse, there was quite a bit of time for track clean-up, and the talking heads just kept yammering on about other tidbits that had already been mentioned. Is it any wonder why the cars in the back have trouble finding sponsors?

Juan Pablo Montoya won the pole! One cannot help but wonder, with the Target Bulls-eye on that car, and with JPM's reputation with many of the drivers on the track, how that Bulls-eye will provide a 'Target' of Opportunity for those drivers!

Dodge engines have been blowing up this weekend. Five Dodge cars will have to go to the back of the field on Sunday. With the advent of Chrysler's demise at the hands of the economy, it looks like this weekend is a sobering omen of 'what is to come.'

Having my favorite driver outside of the Top 35, and struggling for sponsorship puts me in an uncomfortable spot. I am now having to hope for the bad runs, bad luck, or parts failure of several other cars or drivers or teams. My discomfort comes from being pretty sure that wishing bad luck on someone else gets returned to you!

After watching Matt Kenseth rolling and bouncing around the track in the Nationwide race, I find myself thankful for the COT. There has been no car rolling, flipping and tumbling at a plate track since the COT first rolled out on those tracks in 2007. Indeed the only time a COT has tumbled was Michael McDowell, making a rookie mistake during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Nationwide Race-Talladega

Matt Kenseth joined the long list of drivers who have taken the Talledega Tumble. Always bad to see by fans and by family members, it seems that much worse when you know that Katie Kenseth is pregnant.

Many fans want to point fingers at David Ragan for causing Kenseth's wreck. Even more fans point even longer digits in the direction of Kyle Busch for tapping Jason Allgeier. As a fan, I find it hard to judge those situations. The NASCAR drivers in the top series are driving 180+ mph, inches apart! I sometimes make errors in judgement going 55 mph, with car lengths between me and the cars around. While I don't wreck, I come danged close. At those speeds, the wreck is done before one can even form the thought that there is something happening, let alone reacting to it. Of course, the driver doing the tapping usually does not have any damage from this type of wreck.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series-Kansas Speedway

I find amusement in the Race Analysis SpeedTV pop-up being sponsored by World of Warcraft, and the Todd Bodine truck being sponsored by Ventrilo, a chat application used by WoW players! WoW has gone redneck? Who knew? (My WoW'ing spouse commented on how often the Ventrilo application crashes right before Bodine's Ventrilo entry crashed at lap 10. Amazing, he says!)

Friday listeners to Sirius Speedway heard many callers berating the Kansas Speedway ticket office, refusing to sell any tickets to anyone wanting to view truck practice on Friday. They had customers with money in hand being turned away, with the claim, as heard on Sirius, that race fans MUST buy tickets for the whole weekend. While that is certainly their right, it certainly does not appear to be smart to alienate fans who MIGHT end up buying tickets for the rest of the weekend if allowed in on the slowest day, gate-wise, of the whole weekend. Perhaps the economy in Kansas is just fine! Or perhaps they are resting on their laurels, knowing they have an 'in' to a second date with the building of the new casino, sponsored in part by ISC.

Have a good evening, and let's hope the racing at Talladega is great on Sunday. And, let's hope for a safe race!

2009-04-18T15:51:00.001-05:00

David Gilliland, in his NASCAR career, has often been referred to as a David slaying Goliath! Now, it appears David becomes a Monster, as he and TRG Motorsports have announced sponsorship from American Monster, a new television show coming in Fall of 2009.

TRG, known also as The Racer's Group, has been lauded for their NASCAR on a Dime program. They have few employees, fewer cars, and yet still make an impact every week at the highest level of NASCAR, the Nextel Sprint Cup series. Kevin Buckler and his small marketing and public relations team have been busier than most teams in making sure the word gets out about being sponsor-worthy. They have been creative in bringing their message to the media.

David Gilliland brings along a large fan contingent, some recent, some who have raced with David over the years, and even some who competed against David and his father, Butch Gilliland. The fans however, all have united into a strong support network for their driver and his endeavors. The racecar at Martinsville had the back deck proudly emblazoned with a "Gilly's Gang" sticker.

This sticker was paid for by the members of Gilly's Gang, who raised nearly $3000 in just a few days. When the cashiers check was delivered in Texas, the Marketing Director arranged for Kevin Buckler and David Gilliland to meet with two representatives of the Gang.

Speaking as a member of Gilly's Gang, it is only fitting that we are glad to show our pride in our driver. We are all thrilled with this new partnership.

TRG's owner, Kevin Buckler, emphasized the perfect fit for American Monster and TRG.

"The very definition of an American Monster is what we portray in our team. What we have been able to do, with 11 Monsters on the crew, against the large well funded teams has earned us a place in this sport. It was a huge risk to get involved when we did, but that risk is now rewarded with a great looking blue and silver No. 71 American Monster Chevrolet."

Gilliland, on NASCAR's Raceday Real Deal show, hosted by Wendy Venturini, states "...really, this is the way I have raced all my life...all of the racing I have ever done has been two guys in the shop, myself building on my own racecars and another guy."

American Monster PR has stated "To be an American Monster is to defy the odds and compete at the highest levels relying on little more than your tools, natural talent, and pure determination"

It appears that this is a marriage made in heaven, a perfect fit all around!

(photo credits and quotes from Americanmonstertv.com, TRGMotorsports.com, SpeedTV, and Snafam!)

TRG, David Gilliland & Gilly's Gang: A Kind of Magic!

2009-03-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

Proposed sticker for #71 TRG car at Martinsville.

Its a kind of magic
Its a kind of magic
A kind of magic
One dream one soul one prize one goal
One golden glance of what should be
Its a kind of magic
One shaft of light that shows the way!

(from A Kind of Magic, by Queen, movie Highlander)

Yesterday, I blogged a comparison of Yates Racing and TRG (The Racer's Group)! I discussed the magic that appears to be brewing at TRG, with wonderful chemistry between Driver, Crew Chief and Owner. Today, I want the NASCAR world to know that the magic continues. A special Kind of Magic.

Last year, the fans of David Gilliland, calling ourselves Gilly's Gang, attempted to contribute financially to David's team. We knew that it took a lot of money, but the dollar figure we were given was daunting. Frankly, we gave up!

This year, David has a new ride and a new owner. We wanted to reach out, but after the reaction to our attempts last year, we expected nothing different from TRG. One member pressed forward anyway, and on Monday of this week, received a response from Lloyd Wideman, TRG Marketing Director! His response:

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

My name is Lloyd Wideman, I am the Director of Marketing for TRG Motorsports. I spoke with Daniela just before getting out and on the road to Bristol about getting the Fan Club on the race car for one or more events... How could I turn down a fellow Missourian???

I ran some concepts past the ownership and spoke to David about the ideas... Here is what we have to work with:

What ever the amount of money you raise, $5 or $5000... we will provide you with the Deck Lid (trunk) for a race. The entire space is yours to do whatever you want with it.

We can put Martinsville together pretty quickly if ya'll would like to do it there!

If you need help developing a concept, please let me know.
Lloyd

As we speak, Gilly's Gang is in the process of gathering funds. There is an amazing amount of interest, and members are contributing whatever they can, and the Gang is accepting ANY amount!

Marketing folks are the unsung heroes of most businesses, and most especially in NASCAR. This sport does not run entirely on good looks, good faith, and good results. It takes real money to get those rolling billboards on the track. The marketing department of any race team is busy finding ways to persuade sponsors that their team is a good deal. Deals can be on the verge of a signature, and then get hijacked by other teams and THEIR marketing departments. The marketing teams are the ones chasing the leads, following up, and helping to negotiate the deals, while the owners and drivers get all of the attention during the announcements.

It is understandable that some of the larger teams might be reluctant to have a 'fan sticker' on a car. Accepting a less-than-market-value amount might cause a reaction similar to Retail Sale Syndrome (where buyers will hold off purchasing because they know it will be cheaper in the future) and cause other potential sponsors to balk at paying the amount that is really needed. This is probably the reason for the response from Yates last year, and is totally understandable.

The other part of being a Marketing Guru is in knowing that there are opportunities with any idea. And sometimes, the simplest idea can turn into a huge opportunity to sell a story, or a concept, or a sponsorship. It is always challenging for Marketing folks who have to prove to the owners that there is 'value' in any idea. But savvy marketers will at least try the idea, and see if it works. Taking chances is part of any NASCAR driver's race, but the marketing team finds it harder to present those dangerous chances to the owners, as they are never sure how ANY deal will work out. TRG is taking a chance with this concept, but the fan response has been energetic and exciting to watch!

David's fans know that it may be challenging to come up with the amount of money that TRG REALLY needs for the whole deck lid, or even the stickers on the wing mounts. But, we do know that we are being heard as fans, and we are excited to know that we indeed have an opportunity to contribute. Racing would not exist without it's fans, and TRG seems to understand that fans want to participate on a grass roots level.

Kevin Buckler of TRG told SpeedTV's Dave Despain that he has no problems with tweaking the angle of a team and driver in the middle of a Cinderella Story. However, Cinderella did not find her Prince without the help of Magic! And the fans, in this case, are providing Magic to help their driver, and his team! A Kind of Magic, indeed!

If you wish to be a part of the magic, go to www.davidgilliland.com, and sign up for the Fan Circuit. On that message board, you will see instructions on how to contribute. If you wish to not join but want to contribute, please feel free to email me, and I will give you all of the needed information! Join in the magic!

David Gilliland: Another Cinderella Story?

2009-03-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Photo by Snafam

Bristol has taken its toll on many of the competitors. The #82 Red Bull car, driven by Scott Speed, is below the Go or Go Home bubble, tied with the #8 car of the Ganassi/DEI stable, driven by Aric Almirola. Two of the 3 Yates Racing entries, the 28 of Travis Kvapil and the 98 of Paul Menard, are still solidly below the bubble. More on that subject coming up!

We have good news this week, and we have bad news! First the bad news!

Travis Kvapil will most likely not be in the 28 car at Martinsville. Multiple sources on the web report that Yates Racing will suspend operations for the 28, unless a miracle happens and a sponsor shows up with dollars in hand, by Wednesday of this week.

This has been a source of frustration for many on the web, especially long-time fans of the storied #28 of Robert Yates Racing fame. Last year, David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil performed exactly to their instructions, to get the most out of the car and to do everything they could to grab the attention of sponsors. Both drivers had their cars solidly in the Top 35. For this year, due to a reported lack of sponsorship, David Gilliland was given his walking papers, and his points were given to the #96 car of Bobby Labonte. Travis was given a 5 race bye to perform and find a sponsor, but his points were transferred to the #98 car of Paul Menard.

After the first 5 races, Travis suffered from not qualifying for the Vegas race and a blown engine at Atlanta. He had, however, a splendid run at Bristol, with a 10 to 15 lap battle with Kyle Busch, to try and maintain his lead lap. Finishing 18th, it may be too little, too late. And after the first five races, team mate Paul Menard now joins the ranks of those who have to qualify on merit, rather than inheriting the efforts of someone else. (To be fair, he would have been 'in' the race if he could have used his points from DEI, but he also stated on Sirius, over the off-season, his contract required that he would have Top 35 points available to him for the first five races of 2009.

Many feel that Travis is getting the short end of the stick, when it is obvious that he can get the job done, and when it is widely felt that Paul Menard has squandered away the points, and the opportunity that was provided to him from other than his own efforts.

As a David Gilliland fan, I too should be feeling the same way. However, David opted out of his contract with Yates Racing, missing the Daytona 500. By the time that the Auto Club Speedway race rolled around, David had a 4 race deal with start-up team TRG, The Racers Group, led by motorsports enthusiast Kevin Buckler. And that, leads to the good news! TRG team 71 left Bristol in the top 35 in owner's points, thereby insuring that they have a qualifying spot reserved for them at Martinsville!

Start up, or upstart?

Is TRG a start up team, or an upstart team? A bit of both, it appears! Buckler has a solid racing history, dating back to 1988, and most recently in the Grand-Am series, with his GT cars winning 1st and 2nd at the 2009 24 hours of Daytona. Started from a garage operation in 1994, Kevin and wife Debra built their businesses to success in many areas, including the TRG enterprise, and the Adobe Road Wines. Kevin dangled his toes in the NASCAR pool last year, with 1 win in the (then) Craftsman Truck Series, by driver Donny Lia.

The 'bad' economy, which has so negatively impacted many both in and out of racing, gave Buckler the opportunity to jump into Cup racing. Starting with a single car, the team failed to qualify for the Daytona 500. Buckler then hired David Gilliland, and brought in crew chief Slugger Labbe. Both Gilliland and Labbe have proven to be a cohesive force, and dropping the cars firmly into the Top 35 after Bristol. They now have 4 cars, and ten employees!

It's a kind of magic!

There appears to be a certain magic with this team. Even though they did not have the best of runs at Bristol, (a lugnut penalty and two green flag flat tire changes were to blame!) they stuck it out and still finished in the Top 35. The chemistry between Gilliland and Labbe is amazing! Many reports have statements from Driver, Crew Chief and Owner, all saying how much fun they are having. This team is the epitome of grass roots racing. Gilliland's first three races were in the same car. And the first two races were on the same transmission. The team left California, headed to Vegas, and spent a few days in a casino parking lot preparing and painting the car for the Las Vegas event. Very old school! Their pit crew is rented, and they have been know to hustle for tires on pit road, from competitors who have fallen out of the race early. They are bare bones, with a plain pit box. However, it is apparent that they are not scrimping on parts, as their runs have been good, but tied up with misfortune not of their making!

Magic, or a hunger to succeed?

Perhaps it is not all magic! TRG recently took the time to send out a press release in an off week. The whole purpose of the release was to remind the media that there was a Cinderella story brewing. Since the NASCAR teams were on an off-week, this placed the TRG firmly in the middle of the mind of the media, resulting in multiple articles and interviews, leading up to race day. Even late last night, after the race, TRG was busy making sure that all of the media outlets had their post-race reports in their email boxes by the start of today's business day.

Evidently, it takes work to make magic! Perhaps the Yates Racing team needs to look at what is happening with The Racers Group, as they are doing better than two of the Yates cars, with even less funding. They are most certainly working to make that magic! As for Slugger Labbe, David Gilliland and TRG, magic indeed! And as for the fans of the 71 team, we are all completely enchanted!

Loyalty in NASCAR

2009-03-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I am a fan of David Gilliland, and a downright proud fan, too! We have reason to be proud right now, as David has performed especially well in his new ride, the TRG #71 car, which has the audacity to be in the Top 35 in points after 3 out of 4 races, with David at the helm! I must admit, this has created a quandary, as I started following the drivers for Robert Yates Racing a few years, and when David opted out of his ride, I had to put my allegiance to Yates on hold! (And I put it on hold just before Yates Racing put out a kick*** black jacket!)

I found myself wanting to talk about it, but never could quite find the words to express how I feel. Today, someone found the words I have been unable to find. The following post was found on David Gilliland's Fan Circuit message board. I have received permission from the member David H who is also known as 'azzkickin68." Here, in his unedited words, are his emotions over trying to be a loyal fan to a team, and to a driver.

***********

Loyalty in Nascar

As a fan of Nascar throughout the years there has been one team and only one team that I have watched on Sunday and that is those of Yates Racing formally Robert Yates Racing. I have known about Yates before it was even a race team in Nascar. I knew of the great mastermind behind the engines while working at my grandfather’s shop in the early 80’s I was a very young child and loved racing.

I started watching Nascar off and on in the early 90’s. The first race I watched from flag to flag was the 1998 Daytona 500. I know some of you may have seen that one. I fell in love with the box like cars and fell out of love with the Indy Cars that I grew up watching as a kid.

I followed every driver that went through the RYR organization. I was a fan of all them. It didn’t matter who they were or what team they came from, I knew that in those cars were the best the drivers on the track driving the cars with the best engines in Nascar.

One day in June I watched the Nationwide race(formally Busch) and sat there stunned that a little team with no Cup affiliation, no big name driver or budget at all was about to upset the world of Nascar as we know it. Remember we know the teams that will win and be contenders but on this night a guy from Riverside, Ca broke the rules and won which to me and the fans of racing will know as the greatest upset in Nascar history. Some might say otherwise but in this era with mega teams it is.

When David Gilliland got the call to drive the 38 car I was thrilled. I said hey this guy is good. I watched every race till the checkered flag regardless if the 88(28) or 38 was in contention or not. It didn’t matter to me because I was loyal to Yates. Those were my guys. When anyone asked who my favorite driver was I said Kvapil, Gilliland, Rudd, Jarrett, or whoever was with Yates at the time. I would get two different responses. Either it was “Why?” Or it was “Who is Kvapil?” It didn’t matter to me, but like life things change.

I have always been the guy that followed the underdogs. I always want the underdog to win. They are there to prove something. Prove that they belong. Prove to the naysayers that they can be just as good as the other guy. For some reason watching the Daytona 500 this year I followed one guy around on the Pit Command program and that was Kvapil. Don’t get me wrong I was happy that Labonte was with Hall of Fame racing which is more than less a Yates car. Menard, well he’s probably good at some racing but in Cup he has proved nothing. This is when I noticed that my Loyalty for Yates has gone to the wayside. The driver I wanted to watch was David Gilliland. The underdog. The guy who upset big time teams in Kentucky a few years prior. That was the guy that should have been given a chance to run the 28 car or at least a 4th Yates car.

The news came that David Gilliland was going to run the 71 car for TRG. I was thrilled yet again but at the same time I had my doubts. Here is a team that is underfunded and borrowing equipment. They are running RCR engines but I still was worried about Gilliland making races. After 3 weeks I am amazed. The team is doing something other teams in the garage don’t do. Run the same car every week. Run a transmission for 1400 miles. Doing more with less. But I noticed something. I was watching a guy run a car that wasn’t a Yates car and on top of all that he is running a Chevy. I am a diehard Ford fan. I have had nothing but Ford’s my entire life. My grandfather worked at the Milpitas, Ca Ford plant for 30 years. That is all we drove in the family. Loyalty shifted. It went from a team to a driver for the first time in my life.

David Gilliland is a driver that can go around and say “Hey not only can I drive the car but if I have to I can build it, set it up, and if I can’t drive it I can sit on the pit box and make the calls as a crew chief. There might be a handful of drivers that can do that. It takes talent my friend to do all that.

I will never lose heart for Yates. I still wear my RYR shirts that I got years ago. I still cherish my sheet metal off an old 88 car that I have signed by Dale Jarrett, Todd Parrott, and Robert Yates. I consider it my most prized Nascar piece of memorabilia. I am disappointed with Yates that they let go a talented driver but in Nascar money is top priority. They got a so-so driver but they got the $20 million sponsor to go with it. I am also disappointed that after a long struggling year building owner points that Kvapil and Gilliland lost them all.

After a year of getting hammered by the media and being questioned about his driving ability the media is now saying. “Hey look at this guy. Single underfunded car doing what they can and not only are they making races but they are finishing them in the Top 25.” The same media that blamed David Gilliland for wrecking cars and other people is now telling us this? What a shame. Maybe someone should send them the clip of him winning in Kentucky. Maybe someone should show him his stats when he ran out here in California. Ignorance is bliss when you’re in the media isn’t it?

I usually don’t write and go off on a rant but there it is. A true hardcore Ford racing Yates fan that is following a guy in a Chevy, but it’s kind of hard not to follow a guy with talent. I wish nothing but the best of luck for David Gilliland and the 71 team this year.

Shelby 427 Predictions

2009-03-01T10:16:00.001-06:00

I have time for a quick blog before leaving for the track to attend the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Here are some quick predictions:

There will not be as many cautions as yesterday's race. However, the majority of those cautions will happen in the first and last parts of the race, with long stretches in the middle. Those long stretches are typical at this track, both before and after the track was changed.

There will be a near capacity crowd in the stands. Yesterday's Nationwide race was already far better attended than the big event, the Cup race, at Fontana. Drivers on the radio were very aware of how large the crowd was, and were commenting on the difference between the two facilities attendance.

There will be multiple speeding violations. Those cars were coming in very hot in the Sam's Town 330, and I predict more of the same today.

The weather will be beautiful, requiring both sun-screen, and jackets, all in the same race.

The traffic will be horrendous! The highway construction project will hopefully be done in time for the race next year!

The race will show the "Haves" vs the "Have Nots" The top funded teams will come in with the best finishes. For drivers like David Gilliland, finishing in one piece will be great, and a Top 25 will be nearly a win!

Roush will continue to dominate in this race, in spite of the miserable qualifying and practice speeds.

One house guest claims that Jeff Gordon will win. Another member of our group would be thrilled to see Elliott Sadler finish much better than his practice speeds would show. Of course, I just want David Gilliland to have a safe race, and bring that car home in one piece!

Look for me in the stands! I will be the one waving!

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Day 2

2009-03-01T00:32:00.000-06:00

Early this morning, I blogged about my home track of Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and expressed some dismay at the way they handled helping the handicapped.

Today, I feared the situation would be even worse, as we took a cart with the expectation that we would be able to get closer to the Neon Garage. Our first driver dropped us at a location that was even further away from the garage than where we parked, and I frankly blew my stack! After reassuring the volunteer driver that I was not angry with him, I went in search of a supervisor. Said supervisor gave us and our cart driver another set of instructions, which then had us dropped at a shuttle line.

While preparing to board a shuttle, we asked the attendant about how to get to the garage, and discovered that the regular shuttles went nowhere near the garage. But the attendant immediately called for a handicapped van, and gave us clear instructions on how to call for a van to pick us up for our trip to the grandstands. From that point forward, everything went smoothly, both to the Neon Garage, and on the return trip to the Earnhardt Terrace.

My guest used the elevator to get to a higher level in the stands to enable her to walk down to our row. (Climbing is the challenge for her, in this situation.) She reported the elevators were large and numerous, unlike the single elevator at Fontana. Indeed she made it to her seat before I did, after I took a short detour to visit the women's facilities, where it was clean, well-stocked, and with plenty of 'seating.'

After yesterday's mess, it was refreshing to have a better day today. And the race was pretty good, too!

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Day 1

2009-02-28T10:54:00.001-06:00

Last week, I blogged about Auto Club Speedway's track experience. This week, my home track comes under scrutiny.

The Neon Garage is fabulous! I still love the way we have access to the drivers, although I imagine that many of them feel like they are the exhibits in a zoo!

Traffic was a bit of a nightmare, but that is to be expected with the massive construction project on the I-15 highway.

For some reason, the fan access to the head of pit road was blocked. One of the greatest pleasures of having a pit pass is to see the drivers walk with their cars. That was sharply curtailed this time.

The greatest problem we had is that of handicapped access. While the Neon Garage and the stands have ways for one with special needs to move around, the track had a major issue with the handicapped parking area. For some reason, they had their tram pickup point based at the back of the parking lot, with no ability to enter the lot until you reached the end of the lot. People who had parked in that lot to get as close to the entrance as possible, now needed to travel several yards more distant to then walk back to their cars.

I have had a friend visiting who has a need to rest after walking short distances. I have indeed become more aware of handicap access, and the LVMS staff could not explain why this happened. One could hope that the numbers of fans who complained,and who called the special assistance line, will pay attention.

Auto Club 500-Track Facilities Review-Good, Bad, and Ugly!

2009-02-25T23:39:00.000-06:00

California Speedway, also known as Auto Club Speedway, is a track that tends to polarize the NASCAR Nation. Many feel the track gets away from the Southern roots of the sport, despite the fact that Riverside was an early race in the NASCAR circuit. While not perfect, there are many aspects to this track that are Good, Bad, and Ugly!

Every fan that goes to a track walk away with an array of impressions. It had been a 3 year absence from visiting this track, but I have a friend visiting from Canada, and it made sense for us to visit both Fontana and Vegas in a short trip. Here is our assessment of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

The Good!

Pit Passes-these were free to those who took advantage of a specific AAA offer. And worth it! While it is not the most accessible of pit roads, it is still a 4 on a scale of 5. Great job on the improvements, yet there is room for more.

Bench seating had more butt room. It may have been because of the smaller attendance, but it was great having plenty of elbow room!

Want to take a quick mid-race break for the restrooms, and come out hearing a cheer from the crowd? No problem! You can catch up to what happened on the tv monitors that are liberally distributed around the underside of the grandstand.

Also, Sprint Fanview has a great deal going. If you are a Sprint customer, you can get a wonderful price on their FanView scanner accessory. It is well worth it, for a weekend rental of $29.99, a huge savings from last year.

The TV watchers could not see what we saw. There were more people in the stands this year than had been seen in years. Even drivers in their cars commented on the difference. Perhaps the track dodged another rain bullet, but with the cloudy drizzly rain in the morning, the attendance at the track was the best seen in years. The first drizzle hit during the driver introductions, and the stand starting thinning.

There were no dolphins on site, at least not those of the seafaring mammal types. Thank heavens! I could never see the connection. There was just something wrong about bringing dolphins to the track.

Extremely helpful staff! When asked, they helped! The best of the best, Cory, took our ticket order and I felt like he was a buddy afterwords! He worked to give us the best ticket package possible.

The Bad

The passenger carts were great, but when one has accessibility issues, having a tram or cart take you to the edge of the parking lot will not help those who cannot walk distances, if your car is parked on the other side of that same lot. We ended up leaving both the Cup and Nationwide races early, due to needing help to get to the parking lot. There are ways it can be done better. For instance, Texas Motor Speedway has constant movement of trams moving around the parking lot,giving passengers a ride when needed. Rarely, a fan had to wait more than 5 minutes. Fontana should take a good look at how TMS runs it's operations, as moving people to and from the parking lots is intrinsic to fan satisfaction. And after attending TMS twice, I can see where it really works!

Elevators in the grandstand area were not up to snuff. It was great to have them, but to have them break down on the busiest day was challenging for some, including television camera carriers heading up to the spotters stand to film the race.

There is a 'parking pass' that is distributed to fans who purchase tickets early. We did not have a parking pass, yet we managed to park with others who did have parking passes. And on the other side of our parking area, we saw a party of 20 who were partying when we left for the race, and they were still there when we returned. If one limits access to the souvie area, should one also limit access to the parking areas....one ticket equals one parking place? Hmmm....maybe, maybe not!

Souvenir trailers find themselves in an unusual situation at this track. Listening to Gillian Zucker on Sirius NASCAR Radio on Friday morning, she claimed that she fenced off the Souvenir area from non-ticket holders because "we are not a shopping mall." In non-formal interviews with several of the trailer operators, we heard that Zucker's reasoning was flawed. The operators were telling us that business dropped drastically when the area was fenced off, and many operators don't even want to make the trip. However, they had no problems with attending the race in Las Vegas the following weekend.

Zucker also told the Sirius listening audience that there were some wonderful garlic fries available. We never found them. We really wanted to find them. But, there was not even a trace of a garlic aroma in the air to lead us there. I suspect ther were in a specific food area, but there was nothing to point me there.

The 'napkin in the grill' situation in 2004 still looms over the track. The internet message boards still think the California fans are sloppy, yet there were several cars at Daytona who had paper attached to their grills. At any rate, Fontana had done a great job of reducing the availability of items to clog a grill, to the point of being ridiculous. You can't have a napkin with your hotdog, but it is served with a waxed paper sheet. However, the track was spotless with no paper debris before the race.

The ugly!

Getting in and out of the track on Friday and Saturday was amazingly easy. However, the traffic on Sunday was unacceptable! It took two hours to traverse 3 miles. I discussed the situation with a member of the San Bernadino County Sheriff department, who said that there were four law enforcement jurisdictions who were trying to coordinate all of the actions. When I reported that a fellow traveler on the same stretch (one makes friends when it takes two hours to travel....the windows roll down and you talk at the others in the lane next to you, and you become BFF's!) said it was worse this year, the response was that they had no idea how slow the traffic was (in spite of the motorcyle cops patrolling the road!)

There is no excuse to have bad restroom facilities. By Lap 26 of the Camping World (Truck) race on Saturday showed that there were restroom facilities that were out of toilet tissue. (And this was the FIRST race of two races, preceding the Nationwide race that same day.) Depending on the restroom visited, a fan would find varying degrees of water pressure for hand washing. The troughs in the women's room's either had a trickle, or a dribble. The soap dispensers were hard to find, and the water to rinse the soap took multiple presses of buttons. Someone needs to call a plumber!

All in all, as one of my guests stated...it was not horrible to the point of refusing to return, but there was not anything to cause a claim of "oh yeah, I wanna go back there!"

Personally, I will wait before deciding on going back. I gave myself a 4 hour window to arrive at the track, and barely made it to driver introductions. I know that there will be traffic problems, but this was the worst seen in years.

In the past, I have been the first to say the racing was better in the stands, as opposed to what was seen on TV. I can't say that this time. Frankly, I was embarrassed to take friends to this track. It was a typical race with one leader pulling away from the rest, and observers could not even see any racing back in the pack.

Bring on Vegas! Let is see what they offer!

Cutting Ties! Gilliland, Kvapil and Yates Racing.

2009-02-05T23:03:00.000-06:00

When the 2008 race season ended, it was a time for many NASCAR drivers to sit back on their laurels and enjoy their past successes. It was time to take off, have fun, frolic, and for a couple of drivers, get married. Other drivers, though, would have loved to be able to enjoy the off-season, but were unable to do so. They were the ones whose jobs were in jeopardy.

Many of the mid-pack and back-marker teams were also reflecting on their past, and planning for their futures. One team in particular, Yates Racing, made some dramatic changes, and made them with such speed it left the media spinning and the drivers' fans reeling.

Fans of David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil spent a watchful season, waiting for news of sponsors or a show of driver support from the owners. After all, things were looking positive, as Paul Menard was slated to be a third team mate, along with the cash infusion from Paul's family business run by his father, John. As December rolled closer to Christmas, we were thrilled to hear David on Sirius radio, talking about the need for sponsorship, but that he would indeed be in a car at the Daytona 500. We also heard from various sources that Travis also had sponsorship for 5 races, and he too would not only be in the 500, but was qualified for the Budweiser Shootout.

The bottom fell out of the hopes of the fans on January 13th. The announcement of Hall of Fame's 'alliance' with Yates Racing was a bombshell, surprising the media, and leaving many shocked. One of those shocked was David Gilliland, as he had heard via the internet that he was out of a ride. By the next day, he had talked with Max Jones, and appeared on Claire B Lang's show "Dialed In" on Sirius. David admitted he had heard the initial news from the internet, and David did a notably good job of being positive.

In the last three weeks, fans of both Yates drivers have heard that the owners points earned by Travis would be sent to Paul's car, and the points earned by David would be passed to Bobby, thereby enabling both newly installed car numbers/drivers to be entered in the Shoot-out.

We have also heard Doug and Max proclaim that David was a good guy, and they were trying to find something for him. Discerning fans immediately saw that there was nothing available for a Ford driver in Cup, Nationwide or Camping World Truck series. It was extremely noticeable that Yates would not do anything to support David, or try to find sponsorship for David, when they announced the new Business Development team. The announcement specifically mentioned the 28, the 96, and the 98. Neither the 38 or David Gilliland was mentioned anywhere in the announcement, a clear statement that they were not going to be working towards any sponsorship for David.

Travis also lost his sponsor to Bobby Labonte, and will be running his five races with 'catch as you can' sponsors, or with a blank car. At this point, David continues to be under contract, and it is hopeful that he is being paid due to that contract. David was also not invited to the Charlotte media tour, and he is also not part of the Media 'cattle call' at Daytona. And one wonders why, if Travis will run five races, why they can't use David for a few races? David would most certainly be a great ringer for the road course events.

It is painfully obvious that David is on the team in name only, and there will be no effort to support him. I understand that Max and Doug certainly have the need to run profitable businesses. Having sponsored cars is great. Having a driver the likes of Bobby Labonte is equally great. But both Bobby and Paul need to be grateful that Travis and David paved the way for them. If not for the efforts of Gilliland and Kvapil, there would not be teams there waiting for them to step into.

The two Yates cars will probably do much better in 2009. But, it will be because Yates is running with sponsorship funds, not due to lack of effort from either of the 2008 drivers. In fact, Max Jones and Doug Yates owe huge debts to both Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland. One hopes that Doug and Max keep that in mind. David, for one, is remaining very generous in his relationships with Doug and Max. It is much more challenging for the fans to remain as generous.

Elliott Sadler Talks about the Turmoil!

2009-01-14T16:35:00.000-06:00

Elliott Sadler finally came out of the woods of Virginia to answer the questions plaguing the world of NASCAR. (He may also be escaping from wedding plans!)

Elliott was interviewed on Sirius Speedway, by host Dave Moody. He discussed, at length, what transpired during late December and early January with his job at Gillett Evernham Motorsports. It was an interview filled with revelations.

First, Elliott was not given the information of his impending employment termination on Christmas Eve. He claims that he had discussions with the folks at GEM before that, and had indeed had been given permission to search for new opportunities long before Christmas. The GEM people were very upfront with him about this whole process.

It was discussed as a possibility during a year end meeting, and he and the GEM folks were trying to come up with ideas to get the 19 more competitive. Any type of ideas were being thrown out and there was conversation was that there was a chance there would be a driver change. Again, he was given permission to search for new opportunities. However, he was never told outright that another driver was being signed to replace him.

Elliott felt that sponsors were indeed pressuring GEM to get a car into the top ten. Sadler specifically said he still has a good relationship with Best Buy and Stanley. (McDonald’s was not mentioned.)

Second, AJ Allmendiger’s business manager was negotiating in good faith. Elliott even said that AJ was told that Elliott’s contract was being bought out and the seat was open. Elliott says that he and AJ will work well together, and he can’t be made at AJ for wanting to be competitive. He does not for see any problems at all, and thinks AJ will be an asset to the team.

Moody asked a tough question. Public perception was that Sadler was being replaced, he was angry, and he went to a lawyer. Elliott said that he realized that the situation was bigger than just his car, as he had to take care of his personal service contracts and sponsors. Elliott wanted to make sure that someone else was over-seeing his interests that were not directly related to racing.

Moody also relayed that fans were saying “Why would you want to stay with a team when they don’t appear to want you.” Elliott softballs this, saying that there was so much going on, that there is more to the story than just that statement. He seemed to think it is unfair to even ask the question, as there is so much more to the issue.

And finally, this has been a huge wake up call for Elliott, this is ‘the greatest motivation,’ as he says, to get him more in tune and more focused on what he needs to do to run well. Many have felt that Sadler has been ‘mailing it in’ for a long time, and that statement may well say that Sadler will have more motivation now.

As a former avid fan of Sadler, (and one who still wishes the best for him) I am glad that he seems to be optimistic. I am hoping that he has a wonderful wedding, and that he does indeed look forward to the future with greater motivation and drive to succeed.

The King: The Legacy Ends Here!

2009-01-01T14:01:00.000-06:00

Photo property of Snafam, 2009

The news that the world of NASCAR has been fearing has finally happened. It now appears that, after 60 years of the Petty name in our sport, the only remnant of that legacy will be Richard's name. According to many sources, there will be an announcement next week. Lee Spencer, of FoxSports writes:

"Multiple sources have confirmed that after 60 seasons of stock car racing and 10 championships, America's first family of stock car racing will shut its doors and merge with the team currently known as Gillett Evernham Motorsports."

Rumor has it that the new organization will be named Richard Petty Racing. Richard will be the icon, but sadly after seeing the way that Gillett Evernham Motorsports has handled their relationships with Robby Gordon, Ray Evernham, and Elliott Sadler, I know in my heart that the Petty Family Legacy is now done.

We knew this was coming, but we are none the less saddened.

Photo property of Snafam, 2009

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sweep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing:
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

Lyrics from "Viva La Vida"
by Coldplay

The Emporian's New Clothes

2008-12-31T20:15:00.001-06:00

Elliott Sadler Gets Fired: Debunking Rumors and Myths!

2008-12-30T19:16:00.000-06:00

For two days, listeners of Sirius radio have been inundated with callers expressing their own opinions on the 'firing' of Elliott Sadler. Searching the internet forums and message boards finds the same widely ranging opinions, with several based on incorrect facts.

The initial reports of the 'firing' of Elliott Sadler from Gillett-Evernham Motorsports reported that at the same time Sadler was fired, Ray Evernham was also cleaning out his office. Many jumped to the conclusion that Ray was leaving because Elliott was fired. It now appears that the joint Elliott Fired-Ray Packs Up rumors were more of a coincidence.

Ray Evernham was on Sirius, not once, but twice, this week. On Monday, Ray joined Sirius Speedway host Dave Moody. Joining Dave for the interview was Pit Reporter Danielle Frye. Ray was asked some of Dave Moody's typical soft-ball questions, where Ray claimed he was 'caught by surprise' by the news. Ray also claimed he did not have knowledge of what decisions were made. Later in the interview, Moody started to ask Ray a broad question about Ray's participation in the driver change, and Danielle interrupted, and asked point blank....if Ray knew about AJ replacing Sadler. Ray admitted Tom (Reddin?, GEM CEO? ) had asked him the question, quite a while ago. So much for being 'surprised!'

Ray also was interviewed by David Poole, on Sirius's show, The Morning Drive, on Tuesday of this week. Ray came on to specifically address Poole's assertion that perhaps Ray was 'burned out.' Ray quickly stated that was not the case, and he was preparing for his new career. As regular listeners to Moody's show know, Ray has been steadily methodically removing himself from GEM, and has created a new office for his new career as a track owner/promoter. Ray said the timing of cleaning his office out was always in this time frame, hence it was a coincidence that he left, and Sadler being let go were revealed to the press at the same time.

Many bloggers and forum members have made an assumption that Sadler was informed of the decision to 'let him go' on Christmas Eve, or right before the holiday. Apparently, after hearing from some Sirius guests (people 'in the business,') this rumor had been floating around among race team members for a few weeks. This certainly ties in with the flight time line of Elliott's personal aircraft's trips, as mentioned in blogger One Lugnut Short's blog entry titled "Elliott Sadler, You're Fired!" (Take the time to read Lugnut's take on Andrew Lloyd Weber and Elliott Sadler, it is a gem!)

Jayski reported that Sadler's contract will be bought out by George Gillett. This makes sense, and is indeed part of most driver contracts. (i.e. if someone wants out early, that same someone has to pay a fee to break the contract. Sadler indeed forfeited all of his future prize monies with Wood Brothers so that he could leave for Yates Racing, way back in 2002.) Ray discussed that there were a lot of things he could not say, not only for sensitivity of the subject, but because of 'disparagement clauses!' Many have complained that Sadler has not come out of the Virginia woods to talk about this, but due to the disparagement clause, Sadler will likely not discuss this at all, or at the least, it will be softened up with the typical 'side step' that Sadler does so well. Some believe that Sadler and GEM have not yet finalized what those 'out clause' payments will detail, and there will be nothing to hear from Sadler until that is settled. This also explains why there has been no comment from Brett Griffin, Sadler's business manager, and spotter, aka Spotter Dude and Bird Man, even though Spotter Dude has been lurking on the Sadler message forum for a few days!

At some point, Sadler will have to speak on this. I am sure, though, he will refrain from commentary until he has a new ride in place. He usually does a noticeable job of not throwing his former teams 'under the bus' so I am expecting nothing less than politically correct biz-babble from Sadler.

This situation has to be a blessing to the majority of the NASCAR media regulars. Normally, this time is very difficult for the media. They are still working, but there is very little noise coming from the team shops. Adding in the fact that many teams are on furlough or on extended vacations, the news coming out of the shops is spotty. Sirius hosts are thrilled to have something, indeed anything, to talk about this time of year!

Merry Christmas, Elliott Sadler! Santa Claus, or Out Clause?

2008-12-27T18:51:00.000-06:00

There are times when humor and irony are so overwhelming, that one cannot help but laugh. So it was today, for me, as I returned from a day of shopping, to discover an article by Marty Smith at ESPN.com, blaring out the title of "Sources: Gillett Evernham putting Allmendinger in Sadler's No. 19 Dodge" In this article, Smith reports that multiple sources have reported that Sadler was given notice before Christmas that he was being replaced by AJ Allmendinger, in the #19 Dodge at Gillett-Evernham Motorsports.

There were many, who after seeing AJ's performance in the last few races of 2008, commented that AJ was doing better than both Sadler, and the latest Budweiser poster boy, Kasey Kahne. Out of five races at the end of the year, "The Dinger" scored 3 Top 15's, with a 4th finish at 16th. Sadler, in the same 5 races, in equipment that was considered to be better than the 10 car, and with a familiar crew and team, scored his highest position at 25th!

Now really, it is easy to see that GEM would be courting AJ with everything up to and including Roses and Chocolate! AJ took a car, crew and equipment that have had a history of spotty finishes, and started giving CONSISTENT results. AND he was finishing better than the supposed stars of the GEM stable!

Where does the humor and irony come in? Check it out, and decide for yourself!

May 2008, AJ and Sadler had an on-track incident at the All-Star Race at Lowes Motor Speedway, leaving a frustrated Sadler to refuse to use AJ's name and referred to him as "Whatever his name is!" (Later, after Elliott and AJ supposedly made up, AJ's puppy bit Sadler. Smart Puppy!)

Sadler's Technical Director Rodney Childers, has scampered away to join Micheal Waltrip Racing, joining former Sadler TD Josh Brown!Sadler, over the last few years, has run through several TDs/Crew Chiefs. Regular listeners to the Sadler Scanner report consistent whining about the car, with the TD always placating Sadler to make him feel better. This has been a pattern stretching back into the Pre-Yates days, when Michael McSwain reportedly left Yates after his first test with Sadler, saying they would never get along. (Check out 'Witch Hunt' by fellow blogger One Lugnut Short, for the 'Sadler Crew Chief Report!)

Sadler himself invoked an 'out clause' from his contract to leave Robert Yates Racing mid-season 2006. He left for the 'greener pastures' of Ray Evernham's team, leaving Yates scrambling. When it became known at about the same time that Dale Jarrett was leaving Yates also, taking his UPS sponsorship with him, it left RYR in disarray, with Robert never able to recover and retiring at the end of 2007.

The above linked article states that some of Sadler's sponsors were reported to being shocked and wanting to leave with Sadler. Really now...how tiresome! We heard the same thing when Sadler abandoned M&M's! For some reason, Sadler has a reputation of being a "Sponsor Favorite!" Yet in 2006, M&Ms/Mars, who was widely reported to being ready to leave with Sadler, exhibited great loyalty in staying with Yates, and indeed sponsoring both Yates cars in 2007. M&M's likely never regretted that, not only because of poor results from Sadler in 2007, but because it left them open to sponsoring the 18 car of Kyle Busch, who won 8 times for the Mars company in 2008. I don't really think any of Sadler's current sponsors, once over the shock, will regret this move anymore than M&M's/Mars.

Sadler is reported to be a 'fan favorite' also. Yet, during 2006 and 2007, his fan club members were reporting heavy-handed restrictions on his fan forum, a sparse fan pack that included expired Tylenol, and very little of the promised Driver interaction on the payed fan club forum. It didn't get much better in 2008, at there have been no updates to the site since the off-season. Indeed, it is a few short days away from the New Year, and there is yet any information on Fan Club membership for 2009. Many former fans are still feeling disgust over previous shenanigans of Sadler and his entourage.

And one more irony on this whole 'rumor?' Marty Smith, the writer of the 'sources said' article is the same one that released the information early in the 2006 season, that Sadler was bolting to Ray's team. Marty knew about it months before Sadler made his proclamation of I am leaving Yates, but I have not personally talked to anyone about a job' (paraphrased) and yet a week later he was driving the 19. Marty seems to have an 'in' with Sadler.

AND, for regular listeners of Sirius radio, we know that Sadler has been a no-show quite often for his weekly radio interview slot. AJ makes it on time, every time! And, he is far more enjoyable to listen to, in my humble opinion!

With all that I type, I find that I still have to remind myself that this is still a rumor only. However, Marty Smith has a lot of 'Credibility Points' and I think this will be interesting to watch as it unfolds. But with every sober reminder, I then find myself giggling hysterically, as I mutter about grass being greener, and 'Out Clause is the cousin of Santa Claus!'

Jeremy Mayfield is probably giggling hysterically, too!

Gillland:Forever Branded as a NASCAR Bad Boy!

2008-12-08T20:39:00.000-06:00

When one action overwhelms perception!

NASCAR is filled with personalities, ranging from drivers through the owners, NASCAR officials, and indeed, the track owners. Sometimes, one instance can make an impact on how that person will be perceived forever. At Texas Motor Speedway, during the fall Sprint Cup race, we saw an event of pure payback that still is discussed in the media, and has indeed become a label for all actions both previous and future. David Gilliland suddenly became a Bad Boy!

David Gilliland was 2 laps down in 23rd position, and had been told by his crew chief to keep his spot, as they were racing for points position with many of the cars behind them. They also needed to maintain position with an eye on several cars that were only a lap down, as one of them having problems could mean the difference in points and in money for the beleaguered Yates Racing organization.

Many of David's fans, and a few fans of other drivers, were privy to the actions on the track that day. Apparently, ABC was not as informed, as they did not show any of the events leading up to David's 'moment'. Through the 3-D View of NASCAR.com's Raceview, we saw David get punted several times by Juan Pablo Montoya. And those stalwart fans also know that this is not the first time that JPM has punted David. David 'lost it' and for many of his fans, it was about danged time! Would it have been better at a short track? Yes. Would it have been better for David to just loosen JPM? Yes. But it did not happen that way and it appears that David will now be defined by that act for the rest of his career in NASCAR.

To quote David, “Juan and I had been going back and forth for a few laps. Juan got into my left rear and actually lifted my car. I hate that both cars were torn up. I was out there racing. I meant to get him loose but I didn't mean to wreck him and ruin both of our days. I feel real bad for my team and Yates Racing."

Those who know David know that he is one of the nicest men on the track. Somewhat shy and a plain speaker, he usually does not give the practiced and polished persona that many NASCAR drivers ooze publicly. However his fans hear David on the scanner, and they understand that he is passionate and forthright in his communication, and yet the communication is clear of profanity and disrespect to his team members. There are many drivers in NASCAR's top series who cannot make that claim. I have always marveled that the Public Persona of some of NASCAR's top drivers can be at total odds with their persona in private, and the scanner chatter is one of the first places to hear the difference. And yet, many of the media will continue to discuss David's transgression as if he were the worst of Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, and Kevin Harvick rolled into one!

For instance, we have a writer for Foxsports, Kristin Valus, who proclaims that David should go to Anger Management class! Huh? While she mentions the obvious issue at TMS, she also cites David Gilliland at Watkins Glen, as having issues with Michael McDowell. The situation there is widely accepted by the vast majority of NASCAR media not named Kristin, that the WG incident was not David's fault. In fact, the only person who proclaimed otherwise, was McD's team owner, Michael Waltrip, who has since dumped the same driver he so staunchly defended. (And yes, Mikey is totally believable, after Jet-Fuel-Gate, and Track-Bar-Gate!)

Many drivers in NASCAR become defined by specific acts. Those actions become a benchmark for all actions past and future. What is important to understand, is that one act does not define the personality for ever and ever. If it did, then we would see many of NASCAR's top drivers being defined only by their bad parts, and not by their 'good parts.' For instance, Tony Stewart would not be forgiven for many of his on track antics even though he is widely known as a very kind and generous man.

There is so much good about David Gilliland, and I am still a staunch fan! I know that he is not perfect, and yet what David IS, is something that anyone who takes the time to know David will find out, there is a good man under all of that negative perception. Given a half a chance, and a full sponsor, I have no doubts that David will show the world what he can do! And even if he doesn't shed the mantle of 'the dastardly deed' he will make his way into respect by most of NASCAR's drivers, especially those that have already felt the wrath of the JPM bumper!

NASCAR Ennui!

2008-11-28T08:15:00.000-06:00

ennui

Main Entry: en·nui
Pronunciation: än-ˈwē\
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Old French enui annoyance, from enuier to vex, from Late Latin inodiare to make loathsome — more at annoy
Date: 1732

: a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction : boredom

Ennui is the most appropriate word for my feelings as the NASCAR season wound down. I found myself feeling apathetic and tired while watching the last race of the year.

Is it from the suspicion that my favorite driver, David Gilliland, may be looking for a ride soon?

Could it be from watching races that are becoming cookie cutters of each other?

Or, am I suffering from the same feelings that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. proclaimed, of the season being just too long?

Or, am I worn out from watching the same few drivers be the point of discussion all season long?

Or, could I possibly be finding the racing to be not as exciting?

Or, are the Television broadcasters not keeping me riveted to the screen?

Or, am I over-saturated with information, from 6 hours of TV on race day, to internet news, to Sirius radio?

Or, is the economy starting to impress me with the fact that I may not be able to afford to attend as many races as I had scheduled. I had solid plans to attend 4 races next year, but I will be fortunate to actually make it to two races in 2009.

I suspect, all of the above!

NASCAR is Done! Bring on Black Friday!

2008-11-24T22:50:00.000-06:00

As a participant in several NASCAR related message boards over the last few years, it has become traditional for me to have an Annual Rant on how to be a customer on Black Friday.

As someone who has worked in retail for years, I find that working on Black Friday can be fun, and exhilarating, or it can by tiring and rage-inducing.

Please check out my non-NASCAR blog, at My Rants/My Raves. I discuss ways to make Black Friday shopping a better experience!

And may all of my NASCAR friends (and those of you who may not be friends, but who take the time to view my blogs anyway) have a wonderful Holiday Season!

The Rough Times Continue

2008-11-22T13:19:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the challenges of being a fan of David Gilliland. When I started following David, I knew that it would be a struggle. It would have been so easy to follow the "names" of the sport, the Jimmie Johnsons, Jeff Gordons, Dale Earnhardt, Jrs, etc. Yet, I chose to follow the underdog, and I don't regret it for a bit.

Last year, fans of Yates Racing and David Gilliland were deeply focused on the sponsor search. As time marched closer to Daytona testing, we felt surely there would be a sponsor announcement. Yet the two cars from Yates arrived with "SponsorYates.com" on their hoods. Fans kept hearing that there were possibilities, and as we watched testing in Vegas and Fontana, there were still no announcements.

By Daytona Speedweeks, David had a 5 race sponsorship with FreeCreditReport.com. That sponsorship extended through the season to Indy, and was followed by small sponsorhips from 5 other companies. Travis Kvapil, David's team mate, had 16 sponsors in a 36 race season.

Now, as discussed heavily in this informative article from Scene Daily, we see that NASCAR is reeling from the economy, in much the same way the rest of our country and our world is reeling. Rumors abound that Yates Racing will not be expanding from two to three cars, and since Paul Menard brings his family money with him, that David or Travis may be left out in the cold. Most say that David will be the first to go, but I truly believe that it could be either one, and it will depend on who gets the sponsor.

So, once again, David's fans are feeling lost and insecure. We have not lost faith in our driver, but we may have lost faith in the stability of NASCAR's current system. Franchises, anyone?

A Rough 24 Hours for a Gilliland Fan!

2008-11-03T20:50:00.000-06:00

It has indeed been pretty rough to be a fan of David Gilliland during the last 24 hours. As the whole of the NASCAR world knows, there was an altercation between David and Juan Pablo Montoya that resulted in David turning Montoya into the wall.

During the Dickies 500, I was deeply engrossed in the Raceview rendition of NASCAR.com's Trackpass, listening to David's scanner and watching the graphic cars as they moved around the track. I was also in a chat room, and since the ABC broadcast was in a commercial break at the time, I was fully focused on Raceview.

I was shocked to see the 42 approach David, and hit David in the rear several times. Gilliland tried moving out of the way, and JPM kept hammering on him. I 'saw' the wreck. Shocked, I relayed the information to the others in the chat room, and we waited for the return of the broadcast, completely stunned.

The broadcast confirmed what I saw, with an exception. They only showed David taking his shot, not what led up to it.

At this point, I MUST make a statement. David's reaction to JPM may have been over the top. I had already cautioned some of the chat room members, earlier in the race, to not wish anyone to be wrecked, as this track has such high speeds, it could be disastrous.

It is very hard to admit that a favorite driver may have made an error in judgment. It was even harder to listen to the post-race shows on Sirius, as David was being viciously hammered by the fans who were calling in. I finally did something I never do, I turned the receiver off, as I could not bear to listen to it any longer. I woke up this morning, still heart-sick, hearing almost non-stop negative comments on The Morning Drive. Again, very hard!

The next show, Tradin Paint, suddenly seemed like a breath of fresh air. It went 90 minutes without caller comment on the situation, and when the first one called in expressing displeasure with David, Steve Post and Chocolate Myers were steadfast in the statement that David had served his penalty. They felt that if there were to be further sanctions, then JPM deserved to be sanctioned too, as JPM admitted to contacting David. They also said that this action was totally unlike David, and they really like him. I heard similar comments from Moody and Gang on the Sirius Speedway. I also discovered that Carl Edwards jumped to David's defense! Thank you, Carl!

Then, this evening, Tony Stewart Live really shocked me. I mentally had to prepare myself that Tony could roast David. Tony did not do so! He commented that David would not have turned JPM without cause. He illustrated some of the issues that Tony himself has experience with JPM, which were surprisingly similar to the incident in Texas. In fact, when Kyle Petty joined Tony, they talked about the fact that JPM has been so fired up after being in incidents with Kevin Harvick, and others....that the fact that JPM's post race rant was so calm, it could indicate that JPM knew exactly why he was turned.

So far, it appears that an equally great crime may be that David made it look too blatant. So many drivers can turn another, and then with a glint in their eye, declare "Gosh, I hate it that it happened!" Some fans of drivers who have ironically had their own sessions in the "Oval Office" have been the first to jump on the Dump on David bandwagon. Even Jimmy Spencer jumped all over David on his Victory Lane show on Speed. The man who 'never forgets' apparently forgot that he turned Kurt Busch at Indy in 2003.

I do find it comforting that after 24 hours, some of David's peers are stating they understand why it happened, and have declared that this is totally out of character for David. Those of us who have met David know that he is a bit shy, not the least arrogant, and really wants to succeed. His temperament is usually calm, and I think in the whole of the season, I have only heard him curse once, which was immediately followed by an apology to his team. He works side by side with his team at the shop, and his scanner chatter with his team is usually clear and concise.

Again, I am not condoning what David did. But I do appreciate that it took a lot to have David snap like that. And I can't help but believe, that if it was a rough 24 hours for David's fans, then it had to be hell for him. I only hope that Doug Yates and Max Jones stand by David, as he has stood by them during their struggle to rebuild the Yates Racing teams.

Myriad Mutterings from the Marbles!

2008-10-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

I have finally completed several work-related projects, and now have time to breath and blog! Whew!

Fracturing the Yellow Line: Yes, I am going to add to the already overly rampant beating of a dead horse. However, MY problem is that I cannot make a decision about the right and wrong of the Talledega Line Debacle! Tony Stewart and Regan Smith are both adamant on what was right or wrong with the judgment handed down by NASCAR. The confusion was made even more considerable by inconsistent enforcement of the rules over the last few years. The opinions are sharply polarizing between segments of fans, journalists, television and radio personalities, and any one else who has an opinion. The good news is that NASCAR has decreed that they have tightened up the rule and will enforce it as such, maybe, kinda...well, we will see!

GEM dumps Carpentier: Patrick Carpentier learned a very valuable lesson about NASCAR team politics. While it was indeed wrong for his Technical Director (aka crew chief, for all of the non-GEM fans), Mike Shiplett, to serve up a royal butt-chewing in the garage area, and even if it was in the hearing of many in the garage area, it is NOT considered appropriate to air the dirty linen in the news. Non! Non! Non! Perhaps Mr. Carpentier made an erroneous assumption that NASCAR fans could not read French?

Missing Figurehead? One has to wonder what is REALLY going on at Gillette Evernham Motorsports. Ray Evernham is not around very much, even admitting on Sirius Speedway that he has other 'projects' that take him away from the track. One might get a glimpse of what his 'buy-out' deal really looks like, when one examines the failed buy out of Robby Gordon Motorsports. It is worth speculating that Ray was given an honorary position on The Board of Directors for a short time, as his duties are noticeably being curtailed. Mr. Small Time Former Crew Chief (TD?) meets Big Time Corporate Conglomerate!

Former GEM Diamonds now in the Rough! And speaking of Patrick Carpentier, he has joined the ranks of Jeremy Mayfield and Scott Riggs! It appears that any driver of the #10 car is fated to leave early. And at this point, two of the three have left under a cloud of discord. It is a shame that GEM can't see their way to working with Patrick, as I believe he was one of the 'open-wheelers' who had a chance to make it in our world. I don't foresee it getting any better for Reed Sorenson. Pity!

Sour Sabates? Speaking of Reed, Felix Sabates may have a burr under his saddle. Felix recently slammed Reed's driving capabilities, and also slammed a long-term sponsor of the sport (Texaco) for being cheap and chintzy. Wow, Felix, did you know that it is considered tacky to use napalm when 'burning bridges?' Chip Ganassi has been the polar opposite, mum is the word from him! Is Felix the Designated Slammer, leaving Chip looking pure and pristine? So sorry, but we are not believing it, Chip!

One more 'Who?': So, ironically, AJ Allmendinger is going to drive the 10 car for the last five races of the year. This is a laughable twist for GEM driver Elliott Sadler. First, it took Sadler all year to learn how to pronounce Patrick Carpentier (no, Elliott...really, his name was NOT Patty Carpenter!) and now Elliott is a team mate to a driver who is also known as 'What's his name?' In fact, 'What's his name?' is still being called 'What's his name?' by Sadler while on the track, even though Sadler and 'What's his name?' have supposedly cleared the air after a wreck earlier in the year. Sadler is supposedly beloved by women, children and dogs, yet AJ's puppy tried to take a chunk out of Sadler. Good doggie! Smart Doggie!

'Dega Dump? And if Sadler is so well beloved by all, and is one of the most popular drivers in the garage...(I didn't say that, but a whole bunch of media types do say that!) why is it that he has not ever been able to rally his fellow drivers around him at a plate track? He had a top three run locked up at 'Dega, and yet when he pulled out, not one of the following ten drivers chose to go with him! Perhaps, the conversation heard last year at 'dega on another driver's channel will make a difference...."The spotter for the 19 says he will go with you if you pull out! (silence, then reply): "Yeah, RIGHT!" "I know, I am just relaying the message!" "(laughter heard from spotter, driver, and crew chief)" (Ironically, people who were listening to Mr. 19 Spotter Dude and Mr. Popular Driver never heard that conversation on the scanner! Mr. Spotter Dude shining the other driver on? Hmmmmm....it is getting so deep, readers may want to invest in 'hip waders!') Perhaps Mr. Popular if being given a dose of his own medicine! One can only hope!

Don't Blame the Blimp!: Goodyear is under fire again, for the 'exploding tires' at Talladega. Yet, even the most 'major' of NASCAR news outlets, such as ESPN, has articles that are great at roasting Goodyear, while neglecting to comment on the ARCA race at Talladega. Yes, ARCA had exploding tires causing all but one of the multiple wrecks, indeed impacting the first two places in the points standings. However, the tires were a different brand, by the name of Hoosier! We can't blame this one on Goodyear, folks!

Yates Rockets? Both drivers for Yates Racing have surprised the NASCAR world, in that they are doing far better than anyone expected. Severely underfunded, it appears that Doug Yates and Max Jones have found a lean, yet workable business model. The addition of Paul Menard and his family sponsorship can only add credibility that this team is planning on being around for quite a while! Rockets? Not yet! But soon!

Here is to a good race at Lowes on Saturday night! I will most certainly be tuned in!

Yates Racing and Silly Season

2008-09-30T08:50:00.000-05:00

Whoever came up with the term Silly Season should be shot! It really is a Season of Misery and Angst. And this season is no different. And for fans of Yates Racing, David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil, the Season of Misery and Angst has been one lasting for two seasons.

Many in the media have acknowledged that Yates Racing has been amazing at putting together sponsorship deals to keep afloat. Running a very lean operation has also been noted as a factor for keeping some success going. Fans of both drivers gave up on asking for permanent sponsors, and it became a game to see who would be the next sponsor for the next race. Indeed, Travis Kvapil has had a parade of sponsors, with several one-offs. David has been fortunate to have a single sponsor for the first half of the season, FreeCreditReport.com.

Last night, the message boards for both David and Travis were abuzz with the news of an impending announcement that Paul Menard was coming to Yates Racing, and bringing his father's sponsorship with him. The story appeared first at ThatsRacin.com, but the fans of David and Travis both focused on the article at Foxsports.com. One pair of sentences had both sets of fans excited!

FOXSports.com's Lee Spencer has learned that Menard will drive a third car at Yates. No announcement has been made regarding the crew chief for the new team.

Jubilation then turned to worry when that same story was updated with the official Associated Press version by Jenna Fryer, and the above statement was no longer included. Fans scurried all over the net, finding anything that stated the likelihood of a three car team for 2009.

Today, the fans awoke to see Jayski.com linking to an article on Frontstretch.com, written by Tom Bowles. While hard to tell if it is from knowledge or speculation, it is still disquieting for both sets of fans to try to digest.

Yates Racing has struggled to find sponsorship funding this season, and has utilized the resources of both Roush Fenway Racing and Ford in order to keep their team afloat. Menard's presence secures them funding for at least one full-time team in 2009, but will mean the axe for either Travis Kvapil or David Gilliland if enough sponsorship isn't found to expand to three cars.

At this point, both sets of fans are sitting on pins and needles. We know the logic of how devastating the economy has become. We know there are struggles, and that Doug Yates and Max Jones are committed to making their operation work. While we know there is a need for steady income, it will be heartbreaking for the fans of either driver, if one should be cut.

Indeed, we may know why, but we won't like it. And frankly, if David is let go, it will be the last straw for me as a fan of Yates Racing, Ford and quite probably NASCAR.

Lest we forget...

2008-09-11T08:23:00.001-05:00

Magnets and Marble Musings

2008-08-21T10:40:00.000-05:00

Some more Random Thoughts just keep popping up. This week's Magnet-Gate is still seething and roiling on the NASCAR airwaves! Talk about a storm!

Just because Jack seems to whine a lot, it does not mean that he is wrong!

As the engine dyno was revving in the background at Michigan, Nationwide race-winning owner Jack Roush gave a detailed account of the initial advantages Toyota was given to help the Camrys get up to speed when the manufacturer entered the sport in 2007.

"(NASCAR) gave them a bunch of considerations from a parameter point of view, a dimension point of view that was outside the box in terms of what the Ford engine was," Roush said. "The pushrods are straighter. The camshaft is higher. The pushrods are shorter. The valve train is stiffer. The cooling system works better. All of those things were things that NASCAR uses discretion to approve that obsoleted the Ford engine and we can't make as much power as they do with the parts we have and right now we can't afford to obsolete all the parts that we have.

"So NASCAR, in the interest of fairness and balance in the competition from a potential point of view, after they went to great lengths to be able to check the engines to find out what they were doing, decided that they needed to rein Toyota in and that's what they did. There's crying and complaining about it, but the problem was when they submitted the engine, Toyota had approved things that obsoleted, really, everybody else, and now we've all got the necessity to come back and re-design and obsolete our current engines in order to get competitive.

"The error wasn't ours for getting behind. The error was in what Toyota offered and what NASCAR approved."

Joe Gibbs claims he is taking the hard line:

Team owner Joe Gibbs issued a statement saying the orgnanization would impose its own penalties with "the minimum being suspension for the remainder of the season for those involved, including our two Nationwide Series crew chiefs."

One would think from Joe's statement, that the "Magnet Seven" are all gone from the shop. Someone might want to give Kyle Busch the news!

“They’re still going to be at the shop putting together some race cars and doing all the work that they need to do to keep the stuff up to par. We’re just going to have different guys here at the race track to crew-chief during the race.

This situation has certainly shattered trust in NASCAR and in the workings of the Gibbs organization. The last time news of this magnitude rocked our NASCAR world is when Michael Waltrip was accused in the "Sterno-Gate" disaster last year in Daytona. One has to wonder how this impacts all of the sponsors at JGR. It certainly taints our sport.

Musings from the Marbles

2008-08-19T21:05:00.001-05:00

NASCAR's constant ritual known as Silly Season is in full swing, with new news almost every day!

Texaco will be leaving the sport at the end of the year. It will be sad for a large group of Robert Yates fans, who associate Texaco-Havoline with Davey Allison. I can certainly understand, that in these economic times, Texaco may not have received great value for their money in recent years. However, the exit of this iconic brand may have great impact on the future of Ganassi racing. The OTHER sponsor of the 42, Wrigley, is facing an acquisition by Mars, who happens to be the primary sponsor for the Joe Gibbs #18 car. While Mars, last year, helped out Yates Racing by sponsoring two cars, I think it is far too much to expect them to continue the Wrigley sponsorship after this year, and certainly not with another organization.

Carl Edwards seems to be one of the hottest properties in the garage. It appears that not only will he have the primary deal with Aflac, he may well have partial sponsorship from Subway and the US Army. It appears that part of the reported $26 million a year from Aflac will be sold off to other sponsors.

Yates Racing is listed on ESPN as making a play for Paul Menard. I am sure that the Menard's sponsorship is very attractive. I am hoping this is part of a three team plan, as I feel very strongly that David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil both deserve to continue with Yates Racing.

Much of the racing world was stunned to hear about Magnet-Gate at Joe Gibbs Racing. Many times, we hear the perpetrators of scandals in this sport deny and swear they will follow through with in-house punishment. I don't believe most of them, however, I do believe Joe and JD Gibbs when they say they will take care of the issue in-house, above and beyond whatever penalties NASCAR will hand out on Wednesday.

A three-way schedule change for the Sprint series gives a Chase date to the Auto Club Speedway, also known as California Speedway. However, this has to be the 'make or break' deal for the Fontana race. They have been suffering from incremental declines in ticket sales for the last few years. Gillian Zucker has declared the hot weather over a California Labor Day weekend to be keeping fans away. Indeed, it has kept me away for a few years. But now, it will be 'Step Up or Step Away' time for the track, its fans, and for NASCAR to make a decision on retaining two races at that venue. While Atlanta, another track in this swap, also suffers from lagging attendance, its figures are still very high when compared to Fontana.

This week is Bristol week! Look for some switching around in the points as teams try to take advantage of the side by side racing provided by the new track surface!

NAPA needs a new driver, Waltrip is not fit!

2008-08-12T20:05:00.000-05:00

Something is very, very wrong with Michael Waltrip. The friendly, likable guy that I used to think was a pretty cool dude has left the building. His angry diatribe attacking David Gilliland on his show Monday night was another example of how far off the diving board he has fallen. His rant makes me think he has hit his head one too many times on the bottom of the pool. The anger was made even worse as David was not there to respond, and placed fellow panel member, Greg Biffle, into an uncomfortable position of not being given an opportunity to defend a fellow Ford driver.

I will give Mikey a bit of consideration. He left Watkins Glen with his car wrecked, another car a lap down, and his rookie being called to the NASCAR 'Oval Office' to discuss a horrific accident that took NINE cars out of the race. They have one car barely in the Top 35 and one that is NOT in the top 35. It is entirely possible that the stress of his car ownership has pushed his stress level to the max.

But, I think that he is showing that he is an angry, angry man. He has problems in his personal life. His business is struggling. He has lost one major sponsor, and only has a one year renewal on his long time sponsor, NAPA. It appears he only has enough sponsors for two cars next year.

It looks like he is deflecting his anger away from his own problems and redirecting them at the target known as David Gilliland. He is probably angry and jealous that he is failing in his business model and he is seeing that Doug is having success with the new team and with a lean business model, especially after Mikey was so gleeful after wrestling UPS and Dale Jarrett away from Robert Yates Racing. I think that Mikey's shop and fan experience has turned into a financial drain. I think he is still smarting from the NASCAR sanctions of cheating from early in 2006.

I need to remember to chalk it all up to a buffoon who has made his living on being a class clown. That show of his is the only thing he has left where he has a voice. He uses it to rant and rail against the supposed injustices of the World Against Mikey. However, he should realize that the court of NASCAR Opinion is firmly on David's side, judging from what I am reading all across the internet.

Forgive me if I take a moment to respond with a few rants of my own:

David Gilliland did not have a scratch on his car until he was shoved out of the way in Turn 11. He did not have any issues with McDowell before the accident happened. It only happened because the 00 needed to catch the 84 car.
David Gilliland is NOT worried about his ride, unlike Mikey worried about his company or the MWR drivers. (How interesting that McDowell is out of his ride for more than one race!)
David Gilliland, a class act over this whole deal, responded to Mikey's allegations by saying (on Sirius Speedway Tuesday afternoon) " Even when we were in the trailer with NASCAR, and we were watching the replay, (McDowell) said 'Oh , I didn’t even realize he was out there!' I don’t know if Michael Waltrip needed to be in the NASCAR trailer to hear his driver say that."
McDowell spent the remaining laps fretting over the finish of AJ Allmendingers car, which is ahead of them in owner's points. In hindsight, it certainly appears that he had orders to get through as much traffic as he could, to get as high as he could.
If it weren't for the safety of the COT, there could have been some very hurt drivers! It is time to put to rest the fact that the drivers are not 100% happy with the way the car handles. Because today, we have several drivers who are 100% alive after bad wrecks.

I sincerely hope that Michal Waltrip can find his way back to being an affable fun-loving guy. However I have no hopes for it, as he has already run into a brick wall, one made from several brick built on his own idiocy.

Or, he could just be showing that he is, after all, a huge ass!

out

Yes, I am still proud of David Gilliland!

2008-08-03T18:03:00.001-05:00

After today's finish at Pocono, where David Gilliland finished approximately 34th (at this writing, as I am not sure how the finish actually shuffled out) one would think that I would be embarrassed about my late night post about the upcoming success for David Gilliland!

Not at all! In fact, I am even more hopeful for the future! Listening in on the scanner conversations for the 38 team, I heard that the car was pretty darned good. I also heard adjustments that were very tiny, with no drastic changes at all. It looked like David had a car for the long runs, as he was shortening the distance to the leaders on several of the first runs.

My stress level went up when crew chief Cully Barraclough called David in to pit early. When the race was red flagged, I was fidgeting and nervous the whole time. And I was thankful that the race started back up again.

As the post-red flag laps continued, it looked as if Cully's strategy was going to turn him into a hero. David was in the top ten, and preparing to come in on the next lap, when he ran out of gas. The slow trip to pit road dropped him a lap down. Those of us in race chat were dumb-founded. David reported to the crew how sick he was, and Cully agreed that the whole team was feeling abit ill too.

The final tire stop for the car had David leaving the pits with his best handling car of the day. What is very noteworthy, is that David never once swore at his team. I am sure that the team feels bad enough. It is a pleasure knowing that David's radio is G-rated!

At any rate, David did everything he could, but a failed pit strategy gamble will show up as a bad day. I know that David did want to have a good finish for the last race with Freecreditreport.com on the car.

I would also like to take the time to thank the sponsor Freecreditreport.com. They have been a stalwart sponsor. Thank you very much for your support!

And now, on to Watkins Glen! We know that David can drive road courses. I am sure our team's success will come soon! And I am sure that David will find his way to Victory Lane, especially if these cars keep getting better.

A Fan Shouts "Way to Go, David Gilliland!"

2008-08-02T21:08:00.000-05:00

As a raving NASCAR fan, I have found myself to be on The Ups and The Downs in my obsession! I lucked into NASCAR, when my employer introduced me to a driver. I then formed a fan following for a particular driver who was showing some degree of success, and became a full-bore, all-out fan. After my driver (of the time) exhibited some behavior that I could not, personally or morally tolerate, I felt it was time to move on.

And move on I did! It took a bit, but I found an upcoming driver who did not come with all of the glory and instant success of the Denny Hamlins, Kyle Busches, and Joey Loganos of the world. It is easy to follow a driver that wins right out of the box. And yet, I chose the more challenging path. I became a fan of David Gilliland.

David had a surprise win in a Busch race that brought him to a Cup level ride at Robert Yates Racing. Sadly, RYR was in the process of burying itself into a huge hole, and David struggled in his first year and a half in equipment that appeared to be demon-inspired. Now that Robert's son, Doug, has reformed the company, and is now an affiliate of Roush Racing, there is a marked improvement in both equipment and in solid finishes.

The first year of Yates Racing has presented the world with the perseverance of "The Little Train That Could!" Faced with a patchwork of sponsorship, both Yates teams have continued to show the world that better equipment produces better results. David and his team mate, Travis Kvapil, who was also afflicted with poor running cars early in his Cup career, are showing consistent improvement when in consistently prepared cars.

A little over a month ago, David drove to a steady and solid 2nd place finish at Infineon. Yesterday, he qualified his freecreditreport.com Ford Fusion to a 3rd place start. Each of these milestones have been hard fought, but they are harbingers of the future, in my opinion. These starts and finishes will become more of a norm, and I am boldly predicting both a pole and a win this year!

Following a driver who struggles is character building. It is always a challenge to come to a race, as a fan, and proudly wear the colors of a driver who is not popular. Some of the teasing and comments are good natured, others not so fun to hear. But, when a fan is convinced that a particular driver is worth it, then there is no shaking of that faith.

Viewing message boards of some of those struggling drivers shows true grit and true character on the part of the fans. Most of those drivers' fans are positive, and sure that things will get better. Why? Faith! Faith that our judgment is right. Faith that the others on the forum feel the same. Faith that WE are the ones who will lead the rest of NASCAR fans to finding the truth about our driver.

But we are still generous with our fandom! We welcome others to join us on our band-wagon. There is always room for more!

At this time, I have to say hello to a fellow blogger, Valli, from The Fast and the Fabulous! She gave a special shout-out to Gilly's Gang, a group of those intrepid fanatic followers, who are proud of being affiliated with David Gilliland. She knows us well, and is another of those proud followers of Drivers Not (Yet) Famous!

And David? Go get 'em tomorrow! Gilly's Gang has faith! And as for potential sponsors? WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? This WILL be one of the 'feel good stories' of NASCAR, trust me! (photocredit Getty)

With friends like these.....

2008-07-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

With friends like these, who need enemies?

Jack Roush and Jamie McMurray

Jack apparently can't count to 5, as he has claimed to only have 4 teams that are important to him.

Roush discussed the value of drivers in the garage and listed four of his drivers -- Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth and David Ragan -- when talking about working to keep competitors from being taken by other teams. Asked later if he'd intentionally left McMurray off the list, Roush admitted that the driver has not performed up to the standard of the others.

Fortunately, Jack's other drivers came to his defense.

"Jack's like that -- I'm surprised he remembered four of us," Biffle said. "He introduces us at the Christmas party and forgets Matt [laughing]. I think it's just Jack -- I don't think there was an intention of singling out anybody.

Nicely said by Biffle, but I don't think Jamie feels very comfortable right now!

Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman and Roger Penske

Rusty Wallace, for some reason, felt that it was important to go out on a limb, and throw Ryan Newman under the proverbial bus. Yes, Rusty and Ryan were never friends while team mates at Penske Racing. Yes, Ryan is leaving Penske. One has to wonder how much talking was actually done between Rusty and Roger. And if Roger did 'fire' Ryan, why does Rusty feel a need to divulge the conversation? Roger went to work quickly to attack the statements with the alacrity of a HazMat Cleanup Crew.

"(Newman) made a decision, we made it together that he'd move on," Penske said. "There was no issue between the two of us. There's some reports that there was and that's not the case."

Ryan however, had the best responses, as widely reported.

"Was he conscious when he said it?" Newman asked. "It doesn't matter to me. I know Rusty and his personalities - plural - and everybody is different."

As I think about this, the motivation for Rusty's commentary may well be hidden within this situation. Stremme going to work for Roger may have ramifications all the way down the line to Rusty's Busch team. One wonders if Rusty was hoping that his son Steven could step into the 12 after Ryan leaves.

The potential damage to both Roger and Ryan's credibility might be the biggest issue here. Sadly, by attacking Ryan, Rusty may well have put a wedge in his friendship with Roger Penske. And he may have harmed Ryan's chances for a new ride, and indeed even Roger's ability to get a new driver!

Elliott Sadler, Doug Yates and Jack Roush.

And this is by far the most bizarre of all the 'what in the heck did he just say?' scenarios involving Elliott Sadler. And this time, his accent has nothing to do with it!

Elliott Sadler said Yates Racing does more with less than any team in Sprint Cup. But Sadler also believes the two Yates Fords don't receive the support they deserve in the partnership with Roush Fenway Racing. "When I was there, they never helped us," said Sadler, who drove for the Yates organization from 2003 until the middle of the 2006 season. "And [RFR] still doesn't help them. I really feel for those guys [at Yates Racing]. "I hate to see what they're going through. I would love to see them get with a manufacturer and team that actually supports them." ... Roush and Yates began building engines together while Sadler was there, but the two teams formed a more direct partnership at the end of last season when Yates Racing was in danger of going out of business. ... RFR president Geoff Smith and the RFR marketing team have been actively involved in helping co-owner Doug Yates find sponsorship for the No. 28 and No. 38 Fords. ... Sadler believes his old teammates at Yates still need more help, but he also is impressed with what the organization has accomplished this season. ..."I think it's phenomenal what they've done this year," Sadler said. "For Travis to come in and do what he's done on his first year with that team has been really impressive. I know how hard all those guys work there and I want to see them do well."

Why in the world would Elliott decide that now is the time for him to comment? He makes a point to claim that Jack is not supporting the Yates team, and indeed insists that Jack essentially 'takes' and never gives back. Long time fans of Sadler claim he bears a grudge with Roush that starts back to the days of driving for the Wood Brothers. One likely explanation is that he is using the media as a forum to slam Jack, after Jack's comments about Jamie McMurray (see above) who also happens to be close friends with Salder, and indeed are next-door neighbors. One other possible explanation is that Sadler is setting the stage for GEM to acquire Yates, but frankly, I don't see Robby Gordon getting great benefits from the affiliation with GEM. And the commentary about Travis Kvapil, with no mention of David Gilliland by Sadler, leaves no doubts as to how Sadler feels about his replacement. Of course, anyone listening to Sadler's scanner would have already realized that there is animosity towards the driver of the 38 car..

At any rate, the timing of Sadler's commentary could prove to be damaging to the efforts of his 'friends' at Yates Racing. If there is any doubt cast on the relationship of Yates and Roush, it could well shred any potential relationship with interested sponsors. Thanks, Elliott, for all of your help!

Again, having friends like the above suggest that it may better to consort with your enemies. But then again, it might be getting difficult to make that distinction in the NASCAR garage.

Allstate Pit Crew Competition 400

2008-07-27T19:29:00.000-05:00

All I can say is..."I am TIRED! Tired of hearing about TIRES!" (And for the first time, my header picture allows me to not use any other image from anywhere else! How appropriate for the subject!)

Today's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard has been wildly flamed among the world of NASCAR fans who live on the internet. There were immediate concerns while we watched the tire cords springing into view yesterday during the final practice sessions. Little did we know that the issue was going to explode faster than a right rear tire on a diamond-cut track.

NASCAR did not notice a problem Friday during practice, as most of those cars were making 3 lap runs, in preparation for qualification runs. Saturday's post qual practices are when the problems first arrived, due to the longer runs being made by teams. Many teams curtailed the last practice, in fears that there would be an extreme shortage of tires for Sunday's race.

Early risers on Sunday discovered that Goodyear had sent out orders to bring in 800 right side tires originally designated for Pocono next week. NASCAR made contingency plans on how to use the extra tires, and buckled down for a long race.

Announcing that there would be a competition yellow at 10 laps, the early part of the race saw several tire issues. The first caution was on lap one, and was caused by Michael Waltrip getting loose, and was probably NOT a product of the tires. The next caution at Lap 14 was also from a loose car, but there may be more of a tire issue on this one. As the cars continued through the race, it became apparant that the first signal that a tire was going south was a loose feeling. Many drivers did not react fast enough to get into the pits. Matt Kenseth had the most dramatic explosive tire rupture, with the tire even blowing into the cockpit, and dislodging the right side window.

After that, the race was made up of Competition Yellows every ten to 12 laps. Many drivers started taking care of their tires, with some improvement in cording. My driver, David Gilliland, observed that the restarts were where the cars were burning up the right front, but that the right rear was also impacted from a loose car. Keeping the car tightened up, and playing it safe on the restart helped him finish in 20th. Not flashy, but certainly safe and indeed a good finish under the circumstances. Jimmie Johnson ran a race to finish, and had flawless pit strategy coming from Chad Knause and his pit crew.

The internet fan-dom pundits are loudly blaming NASCAR and Goodyear, with outraged opinions that this was the worst race in the history of the sport. I am totally unable to disagree, and yet, I can see that there were really not a lot of options left.

The most dramatic suggestion of the day was that the race should never have been run. The fall-out of canceling the race would have been something that would deal such a strong blow to the sport that there would be no recovery.

It is hopeful that NASCAR and Goodyear learn from this, and are better prepared next year for the trip to Indy. Surely the open testing next year will help bring better knowledge for NASCAR, Goodyear, and for the teams. At least, today, the pit crews all had extra practice!

SHOCK! Tony Stewart's Very Bad Night!

2008-07-25T08:43:00.001-05:00

The NASCAR world has been all abuzz with the news that Tony Stewart is expanding his future in NASCAR to take on the ownership role. Handing away a reported $35 million in equity, jailed car owner Gene Haas has given up 50% ownership in his team, enabling Tony Stewart to bring his own name and sponsors to the struggling organization. Indeed, today is the day he introduces his car number and his sponsors to the media and to the fans.

When Tony first entered the NASCAR scene as a driver, he carried a tremendous amount of stress and anger into his relationships with media and with the people he has had to deal with daily. He has had shoving matches with reporters, he frequently has on-track altercations with drivers, has been sanctioned and fined by his own sponsor, and lately has been using his Sirius program, Tony Stewart Live, to lambaste other drivers, reporters, and even NASCAR.

The media and fans have been speculating about Tony and his ownership skills. Many fans do not realize that Tony has already been a car owner, in the USAC world. In fact, he owns the midget cars driven by Tracy Hines and Levi Jones.

Tony attended a USAC race at O’Reilly Raceway Park last night. And as reported by The Herald Bulletin Tony had another display of temper.

Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion, owns the midget cars of Tracy Hines and Levi Jones. Hines entered Thursday’s race as the points leader and was running in the top four when he brushed the outside wall on a restart on the eighth circuit

Hines’ crew attempted to change a right rear flat tire and get Hines back into the race before another restart. As the crew pushed the car to the front of the straightaway, a USAC official indicated they were too late.

That brought Stewart down pit lane to voice his displeasure with the decision. Stewart’s actions first knocked the headset from the official’s head, and he then shoved the official.

It was unknown if USAC officials would issue any penalties against Stewart.

Once again, Tony will be facing potential sanctions by racing officials, and he must be wondering if there will be a lawsuit springing up from the person who was shoved. Tony is quite familiar with this type of lawsuit, having been the subject of several. While many of those lawsuits were considered frivolous, a few were based in fact.

Tony as a NASCAR owner/driver will be under even more stress. NASCAR media will be hoping to see Tony in those pressure-cooker situations, and will be poised with pen in hand ready to write about the latest antics of Mr. Stewart. He is always good for a story, whether good or bad!

Three David's Battling NASCAR's Goliath

2008-07-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

Three David's, all battling the Goliath of racing at NASCAR's pinnacle. David Ragan, David Reutimann, and David Gilliland. In their first year, they were all vilified by their more experienced peers, but are now earning respect in the garage. They all have some very strong similarities, going far beyond the common first names.

Family Legacy - Each David comes from a family rich in racing heritage.

David Ragan's father, Ken, had 50 Cup race starts over a career spanning 8 years. His best finish was 11th at Talladega in 1984. He also managed 600 Racing, the Harrisburg plant that produces Legends, Bandoleros and Thunder Roadsters.

David Gilliland's father Butch is also well-known on the short track, but his history is primarily West Coast. Winner of the 1997 Winston West Championship, Butch also raced 12 Craftsman Truck races and 10 Races at the Winston Cup level.

David Reutimann's father is known to the world as Buzzie. Buzzie is shown as having only raced in one 'Grand National' race back in 1963, but that was a top ten finish! He is best known for his hard-charging style on the short tracks. There are four generations of racers in the Reutimann family.

The history of the David's:

Ragan worked in the shop of Dash series driver Cam Strader, and also prepared the late model cars that he was to drive in 2002. Ragan worked countless hours preparing the cars that Strader would race to the 2001 series Championship.

Gilliland grew up working on the cars owned by his father. Indeed, at the age of 20, Gilliland was awarded the Champion Crew Chief of the Year award after his father became the 1997 NASCAR Winston West Champion.

Reutimann's whole family history is nothing but working on cars. Generations have raced out of the Zephryhills Florida garage, where the 4th generation is now hitting the tracks.

As much as they are similar, there are also some noticeable differences.

Age
Ragan is the youngster of the group. Born in 1985, he is certainly the youngest when stacked up to Reutimann' age of 38 and Gilliland's 32 years.

How they got started:

After a handful of races in the upper levels, Ragan was able to snag a ride through Jack Roush's driver tests.

After spending several competitive years in the late model series on the West Coast, Gilliland entered just a couple of truck races, and a limited Busch schedule, before he snatched the checkered flag at Kentucky, thereby catapulting him into the Robert Yates ride.

Reutimann worked his way up from Late models, then drove a handful of Busch series races before driving for Darrell Waltrip in the Truck series. That most certainly opened the door into his ride for Darrell's brother Michael, where he is currently driving both the Nationwide and the Sprint Cup series.

Their current Cup rides:

Ragan is driving the #6 car for Roush-Fenway Racing. He sits 17th in the points.

Gilliland is driving in the newly rebuilt Yates Racing #38 ride, and is sitting 22nd in the points.

Reutimann is driving the #44 car for Michael Waltrip Racing. He is currently at 27th in the points.

Crew Chiefs

Ragan - 20 year veteran Jimmy Fennig

Gilliland - 1st year Cup CC, one year in Busch as a Crew Chief, Cully Barraclough

Reutimann - 11 year Cup veteran Ryan Pemberton

Equipment

Ragan- state of the art from Roush-Fenway Racing

Gilliland-struggled last year in equipment that was not drivable by even the likes of team mate Ricky Rudd. Now working the the equivalent of a start-up organization, running partly unsponsored. Yates Racing is buying cars and services from Roush-Fenway.

Reutimann-struggling last year, not only in a start up team, but the first year for the Toyota first year attempt in NASCAR.

All three drivers are talented. All three are being noted as up and coming drivers. And all three have shown marked improvement in the last year. All three, eventually, will show that they can compete on equal footing with the Goliath's of NASCAR. It will be worth watching how their careers progress.

Meandering among the Loudon Marbles.

2008-06-29T22:24:00.000-05:00

This year's first race at Loudon is over. Finally!

I fully understand that the enjoyment of watching a race goes hand in hand with the results of my particular driver, For instance, I thoroughly enjoyed watching Sonoma, and I hated watching today's race at Loudon. And yes, it depended totally on how my driver fared.

Major belated props to David Gilliland for last week's podium finish at Infineion Raceway. He impressed fans and peers alike, receiving accolades from the likes of Kyle Busch, Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon, along with a host of media writers and broadcasters. He deserved every bit of the praise.

This week was not so good for either Yates Racing team! The COT proves that it is very fickle, and if the set-up is slightly off, the driver and crew chief will spend the entire race chasing the track, and chasing the set up.

Add Jamie McMurray to the Hate List for the Junior Nation. While the rear-ending of Jr seems to have been pointless, many fans forget there is a tremendous amount of things that drivers have to react to, including suddenly closing in on a car that comes down to try and pit. I firmly believe that McMurray would never have purposely taken his own car out of the race in that manner.

The 4th of July Fireworks happened a week early, when Kyle Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya had their little tiff on track. Kyle was quite amusing in his post-race interview, with his air of injured dignity. Juan Pablo, however, boldly admitted he wrecked Kyle on purpose. After visiting with his new friends in the NASCAR hauler, he left with a 2 lap penalty. (David Gilliland's fans thank you for that JPM! It gave us an extra sorely needed finishing spot!)

Sadly, the shenanigans of the above two wrecks will take away from the win of Kurt Busch. In fact, I am sure there will be discussion that the top 6 cars did not deserve their finishes, as they never ran up front during the race. However, each of those cars played their strategy brilliantly, and therefor deserve their finishes just as ANY other fuel race. ALL races are, to a degree, fuel management races. Sadly, the controversies of the two wrecks will over-shadow any joy for the fans of those drivers.

Oh, and major props to Casey Mears. He got the word last week that he was the odd man out at Hendrick Motorsports. And of course, this week he runs the best race of the season.

Silly Season has turned into a huge merry-go-round. The NASCAR World is watching for Tony Stewart to declare his intentions, so that we can watch all of the other dominoes fall in place. The only true domino I wish to see would be the ones of sponsors declaring their faith in Yates Racing, to ensure the continuation of the organization in the sport.

Marketing Magic!

2008-06-05T20:43:00.000-05:00

NASCAR is a brand name that has its foundation built on the backs of sponsors. NASCAR has their official sponsors, the tracks have their sponsors, each series has a sponsor, and of course the drivers have their sponsors.

Every week, from the first interview at the first practice session, (between the sponsoring advertising in commercials) to the very last shot in Victory Lane, the drivers recite the list all of the sponsor decals residing on their cars.

Fortune 500 firms employ teams of marketing experts to determine the right fit for their company, and usually have at least one corporate representative in attendance at every race. However, brilliant marketing is all about timing. A few examples are shown here!

The simplest example is the announcement that the #31 AT&T Chevrolet will carry a special paint scheme for the American athletes participating in the Beijing Olympics. While 100% honorable in their intent and the focus they are putting on the Olympics, one has to remember that AT&T is also an official sponsor for the Olympics. And the timing? The car will race on Sunday at Pocono, and on Monday, Steve Jobs is expected to announce the latest and greatest version of the iphone! And the exclusive carrier for the iphone would be....yes, AT&T!

Another example from the recent past is couched within the announcement that Gordon, DuPont re-up through 2010. While a reader who only catches headlines or the first few paragraphs may assume that Gordon had his contract extended, along with Dupont, the truth is, Jeff Gordon has a lifetime contract with Rick Hendrick. The truth is that Dupont is the only entity signing an extension. The timing? The announcement was timed for the Dover race, as the headquarters for Dupont reside in Wilmingon Delaware! This is a wonderful announcement to present to all of the VIP's that are sitting in the cushy Dupont Bridge hovering over the track.

Major headlines were made recently, when it was revealed that Elliott Sadler agreed to a two year extension with Gillette Evernham Motorsports. This announcement was brought out just in time for the Best Buy 400 at Dover. Sadler's sponsor, Best Buy, also jumped on board to support the special charity that is close to Sadler's heart, Autism Speaks.org. The planets all aligned to have Sadler sign that contract just in the nick of time for the race! Or did they? If one goes back to April of 2008, you could read that Lee Spencer broke the story of Sadler's contract extension hidden in this article prior to the Phoenix race.
(Sadly, the planets did not align to give the Best Buy sponsors more than 19 laps of their car racing at the race!)

There is nothing wrong in marketing. In fact, the marketing that is performed in the name of NASCAR is what keeps our sport moving. It is fun,however, to look behind the actual press release to see where the marketing is hidden. Sometimes, you will find some jewels of knowledge! Or, should I say GEMs? At any rate, Brilliant!

Mostly Moronic Media Members

2008-06-01T20:22:00.000-05:00

It is no secret to many of the readers of this blog, that I am formerly a fan of Elliott Sadler, and have moved my allegiance to David Gilliland. The main reason I have made this move, is that David exhibits the off-track behavior that always seemed missing from the Southern Gentleman driver of the #19. ( You can check out blogger One Lugnut Short for more info on Sadler's shenanigans. But be prepared with a pot of coffee and snacks, as there is a lot to read within the history of that blog!) While Gilliland has had some struggles from bad equipment, he is persevering, in his second full year, with a rookie crew chief, an essentially brand new team, and is beating all expectations.

Yes, I follow a driver that does not have the experience of many of the so-called veterans of the series. I find it fun to root for the underdog, and I take pleasure over small increases in progress. (I am constantly amazed at fans of drivers who consistently run in the top ten, complaining that their driver has a bad car, bad team, bad cc, etc etc etc! The pain of not having a driver finish in the top five...oh my, how horrible!)

Thus, it was interesting to be a spectator, albeit via TV and online, of the wreck caused today at the Best Buy sponsored race at Dover. I keep busy during races by running an online race chat, watching TV, and running Pit Command and Race View on two computers. I listen to Sirius radio during the race, in one ear, and the scanner for my driver in the other ear. I watched the 3-D pictures of Race View as the 19 and the 38 came together, spawning a huge wreck.

That 'Big One Wreck' had me holding my breath, waiting to see the replay, and I was relieved to see that my driver, while involved, was not at fault in the accident. Multiple replays later, the talking heads in the booth agreed that the 19 carried the greater fault in the altercation. My relief that Sadler and the other drivers involved in the horrible melee were all physically ok was punctuated by Tony Stewart's sly comments about 'If I'm within half a lap of (Sadler), I expect that to happen."

I then discovered there were a few Members of the Media that seem to carry a bit of a grudge. Take for instance, Bob Margolis, of Yahoo.com, during their weekly RaceFlash.

Here is the transcript, a race-time conversation with Margolis, Jay Hart, and Jerry Bonkowsi (the latter who I have respected for years) :

Bob Margolis: David Gilliland made a lot of enemies today. He'll not be invited to any driver parties (as if he was before) in the future.

Jerry Bonkowski: I disagree with you, Bob. TV replay looks like Sadler came down on Gilliland and Gilliland had nowhere to go.

Jay Hart: I agree with Jerry. Sadler caused it, not Gilliland.

Bob Margolis: You're both wrong.

Jay Hart: What was Gilliland supposed to do, Bob? Sadler moved down right in front of him. He had nowhere to go.

Jerry Bonkowski: Sadler says he got loose and came down on Gilliland - there ya go, Bob.

Bob Margolis: I still blame Gilliland. He's over his head.

I find it amazing that the Margolis argument stems from total illogic. You can almost hear the childish "No I don't wanna believe that!" However, if you go back into many of Bob's articles, you will find many negative comments about Gilliland. I have to wonder if Bob has any deeper connection to other drivers who may have an issue with Gilliland, because that kind of illogic is not befitting of a journalist.

Once I reduced my blood pressure over Bob's commentary, I made the mistake of watching Victory Lane on Speed TV. Early into the broadcast, Jimmy Spencer, who never forgets, seems to be forgetting that he should be a bit impartial. He immediately and with great anger proclaimed the wreck to be Gilliland's fault, and that he 'should have his butt parked for the rest of the race.' He participated in conversation proclaiming that the other Big Name drivers could not stop in time (some of them having ten or twenty car lengths to make the stop), yet says that Gilliland could have braked fast enough to keep from hitting a car coming down on him. This concept was made even more ironic when the earlier broadcast of the Race Day show said that 'things happen fast' at this track!

Spencer has carried an issue with Gilliland for quite a while. He has managed to butcher the pronunciation of David's last name for a year and a half, yet was able to pronounce it perfectly this evening.

Many folks proclaim that Jimmy is one of the last of the old school drivers. Thank heavens that I have listened to Buddy Baker on Sirius, or I would be convinced that Jimmy was a (poor) example of the 'back in the day' drivers. (Egad, it makes me like Kurt Busch even more, for his 'decrepit has-been' comments a few years ago!)

I can forgive Jimmy just a bit, since he is not a journalist. He plays the buffoon on the SpeedTV shows, and therefor cannot be given much credit for being impartial. However, I will be boycotting whatever show he is on from now on. I find that I get far better race information from the Sirius broadcasts. Margolis, however, should be ashamed of his bias. I think that Hart and Bonkowski, along with Ricky Craven, are awesome, but Margolis should think twice before tapping on the keyboards.

Both of them need to sit down and read that even fans of Elliott Sadler proclaim that Sadler caused this wreck. And they need to be prepared for the backlash, because NASCAR fans are not stupid. We know when Mostly Moronic Members of the Media are trying at Manipulating our Minds!

Bob and Jimmy-consider yourselves FLAMED!

Sliced Bread and Bitter Pills

2008-05-29T09:31:00.000-05:00

"The greatest thing since.... Sliced Bread"

Joey Logano turned 18 years old, and now officially joins the ranks of drivers in NASCAR's upper levels. The young racing sensation makes his first NASCAR Nationwide series appearance this weekend at Dover International Speedway.

Nicknamed "Sliced Bread" by Randy LaJoie, Joey has been signed with Joe Gibbs Racing for a few years as a development driver. Once he reached his majority, he re-signed with Gibbs. The young phenom already has a very lucrative Motorsports Authentics contract. It is hopeful that Joey lives up to his hype. It would be a shame to see him suffer the fate of other promising young stars that were unable to live up to early expectations. (photo from Daylife)

Bitter Pills #1

There has been much discussion on the air waves, and on the 'net, that Kyle Busch's incredible Joe Gibbs wins are being fueled, in part, by his bitterness from being cast-off by Hendricks Motorsports to be replaced by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. And now, it appears that Jeff Gordon agrees with that assessment. (photo credit AP, Jim Cole)

Gordon said during a break from Tuesday’s Sprint Cup test at Pocono Raceway that he believes Busch may harbor some bitterness toward his former organization, which let Busch go to make room for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to join the team in 2008.

Well, duh! Jeff! Ya think?

Bitter Pills #2
(Photo credit, NASCAR Scene Daily)

NASCAR warned us. They told us and told us they were going to escalate their penalties if the new car was 'messed with.' I am sure that the owners, the crew chiefs, and the car chiefs of Haas/CNC Racing are all smarting from the latest round of penalties. The rules were clear. What next? Drivers sitting a race in front of the TV, instead of beyond the wheel? At this point, NASCAR's message is loud and clear!

I think Sliced Bread is far more palatable than Bitter Pills!

Wide Awake Racing Attitude!

2008-05-26T08:29:00.000-05:00

The Coca-cola 600 was a race that was predicted by media and fans to be long, boring and a snoozer. I am sure there are fans out there who are on that bandwagon, but there is a field of NASCAR drivers who have a different attitude.

In fact, the racing in the NASCAR's top three racing series can be summed up in one word - ATTITUDE!

The Ohio 250 race at Mansfield was such a typical mess. For some reason the half mile tracks and the trucks seem to mix it more than the Cup drivers at Martinsville. Rookie Donny Lia smacked David Starr out of the way to steal the win. His jubilant attitude was evident in his post-race, however the final comment shows a different attitude.

You know, I got into (David) Starr right there a little bit and hey, that's last lap racing and I'm sure he owes me one now but that's cool. You know if it’s the last lap and I'm in his position then I'm going to anticipate him hitting me anyway whether I did it today or not. That's just short track racing and you know, I just can't believe we are here right now it’s just really unbelievable."

David Starr gave an impressive interview after the race, marked by the amazing amount of restraint in his comments. The 'read' certainly does not show how David was struggling to control his emotions. That struggle said far more than any angry outburst could have.

Can you talk about the last lap?

"It was just good short-track racing. He (Donny Lia) got a run underneath us, I guess. I left a hole open, and he got into me in the left-rear, as you can see. It's all beat up back there. It was just enough to break my momentum. Once we broke the momentum, we broke traction in the rear. We just drove into turn three on a prayer. He had the preferred line. It was a great race. I just feel bad this Red Horse Racing team. They did a heck of a job. Jamie Jones (crew chief) did a heck of a job. We had a good truck the whole race, we just didn't finish it off. Not a bad finish, but we're disappointed. We thought we should've won the race. That's just good short-track action. You just never know what's going to happen until the end."

Saturday’s Nationwide event at Lowes Motorspeedway, the Carquest 300 had more attitude than a bar full of retired Air Force pilots. Kyle Busch, in a non-Gibbs car, vowed to break the Gibb’s winning streak, and he succeeded!

"I said before the race that hopefully we could bring this Dollar General Toyota home in first, and the Joe Gibbs Toyota could be second. And fortunately, tonight it worked out that way……"That JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) team has been pretty stout this year and I've been fortunate enough to drive their cars a couple times and it's really been nice to see how fast those things are. But we had our Braun Racing car pretty fast tonight too. It sucked that we brought the streak to an end, but I'm glad that at least it's a JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) driver streak.

Amazingly, the attitudinal happenings were all taking place behind Kyle this time, involving the next three cars in the finishing order. Brad Keselowski, during a caution period, place his front bumper under the rear bumper of the car of Denny Hamlin, lifting the rear wheels a tad, or maybe it was a shove. Denny pulled back even with Brad, and then made a move into Brad’s car, damaging the left front of Brad’s car. Dale Jr, in 4th place, moved forward to give Hamlin another shove to the rear.

The emotions of that on-track episode spilled over into the pits, in the form a melee between the crew members of JR Motorsports and Denny Hamlin’s crew. (image courtesy of Getty Images)

Even more tense, were the two drivers, during the post-race press room interview. Watch for yourself!

In my opinion, Denny came off looking a bit worse than Brad. Hamlin fans will probably disagree. The real shame though, both of those boys? men? used to race with each other in Dale Jr’s DMP sim league. I would think that at one time they were friends. It does not appear that there is any friendship left between Denny and the Jr Motorsports drivers.

The Big Show on Sunday, Humpy’s Last Hurrah, the Salute to the Troops, had many salutes of other kinds! Mostly digits on hands wedge between A-posts and window nets.

Jeff Gordon:
YOU JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH KYLE BUSCH. WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT? “I don’t know. I guess he doesn’t like people to race him. You know, Kyle and I never had any issues. But I raced him hard tonight just like I did everybody. And when track position is as important as it is here, you’ve got to race every single car for every single position. And I wasn’t going to give anybody an inch and I was racing for position. He’s got an issue because he gave me the finger and you know what? That’s not necessary for a guy he just didn’t like racing him the way I did.”

Really Jeff? Then talk to your buddy, Jimmie Johnson. I heard he was displaying the same finger to at least one other driver during the race! Was it necessary then?

Tony Stewart, on his radio, was wondering what was going on with Juan Pablo Montoya, saying he had ‘gotten’ bad again. Patrick Carpentier should realize that he doesn’t get points for every pinball hit he makes.

David Gilliland was the recipient of the ‘What in the HECK was THAT award.” He suddenly went from a 20th place car in the lucky dog position, to having his hood bashed in by the loose wheel from Brian Vickers machine. Fortunately, David was not physically hurt, nor were the fans in the infield. It is always a scary moment when a 75 pound wheel goes flying in the air. Hmmmmm! I wonder what happened to the tether those wheels are supposed to use? And Brian said he was going to send some 'stuff' over to the camper site. I wonder what he would give David?

And, as America spends this Memorial Day Monday relaxing and visiting with friends, remember the real reason for this holiday. Thank a member of the military today. The ones that survived can be thanked verbally. The ones that didn’t, please send a prayer of thanks for them. And remember, we wanted out drivers to show emotion. We have it, but we must accept it from all drivers, whether or not we like that driver. Thank the military for giving us the freedom to speak our minds!

Humpy: The Legend Retires!

2008-05-21T00:07:00.000-05:00

"Great events people create the illusion that something is going to happen at an event that’s so great and unique that you’ve got to be there. Then they make that illusion become reality."

During the late evening scanning of the NASCAR web-sites, I was stunned and surprised to discover that Humpy Wheeler is retiring. Considered to be the P. T. Barnum of NASCAR promotions, Humpy will be missed by many. However, there is a book deal in the future. I will be one of the first to read it!

"We’d had a great event and we were sitting there talking one day," said Ed Clark, another former employee who now is track president at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "He looked at me and said, ‘Don’t start feeling too satisfied. If you do, put on some old clothes and walk down the street to see how many people will pick you up. You’ll quickly realize you’re no different from anybody else. Don’t get too proud of what you’ve done.’"

Sliding through the Marbles!

2008-05-20T06:43:00.000-05:00

Three days later, there is, amazingly, still more fall-out from the Sprint Fan Vote, which allows a driver to be voted into the All-Star race.
Fans of Dale Earnhardt, Jr, were tasked, by no less than Jr himself, to vote for Elliott Sadler. And now that it has been reported on NASCAR.com that Sadler finished third in the fan vote, the Jr. Nation is concerned that they are not quite as powerful as they believed.

Claims have ranged from voting bots and macros being used, to Budweiser 'buying' the vote. Even this morning's discussion on The Morning Drive (Sirius) has David Poole and Mike Bagley speculating on reasons for the actual voting stats not being revealed.

Fans of Elliott Sadler are claiming that Sadler really should have been the one winning the vote (if he had not crashed), as they are sure that Robby Gordon does not have enough of a fan base. (Oh, how wrong they are! Robby has a large and passionate group of followers. Anyone who was around back in the day of the Trackpass '11th man' voting will remember how it was impossible to go against the tide of their voting!)

It would be awesome if Sprint would release those numbers. However, I will not hold my breath waiting for the results to be published. After all, this was a vote sponsored by the series sponsor, and as such, they can make the rules.

Speaking of Sadler fans, there is a large contingent claiming that AJ Allmendinger never apologized for the accident with Sadler. It amazes me that they are still complaining, even after AJ's post-race comments have been widely published. In fact, AJ's comments post-wreck were broadcast. However, if one does not want to hear anything, it is a simple thing to keep the fingers firmly plugged into the ears while shouting 'LA LA LA LA LA!'

Great news for fans (and unofficial students) of Diandra Leslie-Pelecky! She will be a guest on Sirius Speedway this week, and it appears she will be a regular guest. If you haven't found her Stock Car Science blog, check it out. Her book, The Physics of NASCAR, is a must read.

More great news! If we can judge the entry list correctly, it appears that Travis Kvapil will have Lumber Liquidators on their #28 Ford Fusion for the Coca-Cola 600. According to an interview from Travis on "Trading Paint" (Sirius) last week, Travis said there was a sponsor for this race in the works, as well as a few in the future.

I also neglected to bid a fond farewell to Dale Jarrett. While it is sad that he will not be behind the wheel any longer, it will be wonderful to have him in the ESPN broadcast booth.

And don't forget, this week qualifying will be on THURSDAY! Get your fantasy picks in soon!

Meandering Amongst the Marbles!

2008-05-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

There were some surprises coming out of the NASCAR All-Star event at Lowes Motor Speedway, but the few surprises were buried in a heap of boredom.

Congrats to AJ Allmendinger and Sam Hornish, Jr. Both former open-wheel stars raced to the top 2 spots in the Sprint Showdown, thereby transferring to the All-Star Race. Both started from the rear of the field. While AJ finished 17th in the All-star, Hornish was able to push his way to 7th.

Additional congratulations go to Kasey Kahne, the winner of the Fan Vote and then the All-Star race. As much as I hate the All-Star voting, this time it worked well! I did note, though, that Elliott Sadler finished 3rd in the voting, so evidently even the JR Nation could not make Sadler any closer to winning the popularity contest.

Let us not forget Matt Crafton finally finding his way to Victory Lane in the Craftsman Truck series. During his interview on Sirius this week, he claimed that he and his crew chief felt they were on the verge of grabbing the checkers. They were right!

Kasey will not have to worry about the whole 'Vote thing' for the next ten years, due to his win. So, will Jr endorse Sadler again next year? I wonder how Chevy felt about JR throwing support to a driver of a competing manufacturer! Hmmmm! Enquiring minds want to know!

How ironic that the first two cautions in the Showdown were caused by two of the three GEM cars. The 10 and the 19 were out early. I am most thankful that we will not be subjected to Carpentier running nude down the front strecth. The vision of the double-tracking gaited driver wrapped in a checkered flag diaper is forever seared into my mind.

Internet buzz still is of the opinion that Sadler was out of line when he was slamming AJ Allmendinger, post wreck. It will be interesting to see if Elliott actually shows up for his weekly appearance on Sirius Speedway. And if he does show, what will he say? Sadly, there is no way to retract ugly-talk. I can't help but remember the interview with Miss Bell Sadler, as she discussed that Elliott was a bit spoiled. Perhaps he has never out-grown that attitude.

The latest Tony Stewart rumor has him buying into JR Motorsports. Many wonder how well he and Jr. would do as business partners, but many forget they are already partners with each other in the VLP club.

There are quite a few cars that will have to go back to the drawing board, if NASCAR has their way. Ironically, some of the cars at issue include the 77 of Sam Hornish, Jr. Carl Edwards claims that his car never had any problem getting on the scales, in spite of being called out by Jeff Gordon.

The two Yates Racing entries had a good showing in the Sprint Showdown. David Gilliland finished 7th in his FreeCreditReport.com Ford Fusion, followed by team mate Travis Kvapil in the unsponsored 28 Ford.

Engine problems seemed to plague the Gibbs teams this weekend. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin both had to retire early due to power plant failure. And Tony Stewart started from the back due to changing an engine prior to the race. This little blurb on Jayski.com sums up the issue.

Joe Gibbs Racing used its engines in the all-star race as opposed to the engines it receives from Toyota Racing Development. The team plans to go back to TRD motors for the Coca-Cola 600. Since the all-star race is a non-points race, it provides teams a chance to test equipment without fear that a failure will hurt them in the points.(Roanoke Times), #20-Stewart had to change engines before the race, #11-Hamlin and #18-Busch both lost engines during the All-Star race, all three had rocker-arm problems.(5-19-2008)

Speaking again of the Fan Vote, there are many internet boards that claim "something is wrong with the vote process." Apparently some fans used 'voting macros' or 'voting bots' to try and sway the votes in the favor of their own driver. One wonders if ALL of the fans were using the voting bots, thereby canceling each other out.

The next few days may include some interesting revelations! There are rumors that there may be some more sponsorship for one or both of the Yates cars. Awesome!

Elliott Sadler: Double Standards = Double Speak!

2008-05-18T18:54:00.000-05:00

Elliott Sadler was on top of his world after qualifying fastest for the Sprint Showdown. The green flag fell, and 6 laps later, Sadler was out of the race. His demise came at the hands of 2nd year driver AJ Allmendinger.

Sadler's wreck was surprisingly similar to the way Tony Stewart was wrecked during the opening laps at the Darlington race by no less than Sadler himself.

How ironic that Sadler 'manned up' and admitted his 'rookie mistake' during his post-crash Darlington interview. He spent the week, when interviewed on Sirius, as saying he sure did not 'do the family name proud.' In the meantime, while Tony Stewart was broadcasting his TSLive show from Graceland, Tony loudly exclaimed that he harbored no ill will towards Elliott. They were pals, and Tony knew that Elliott had no intentions of causing that wreck. Tony was admired by many for his attitude towards Sadler.

Then, Sadler during his post-wreck interview at the All-star race decides he is going to display his anger by childishly commenting on 'what's his name?', and that there was a reason why AJ was 'in and out of that car.' Sadler apologists will claim he was angry and disappointed. Yes, he was, but his reaction was much less gracious than that of the volatile Stewart.

AJ did humble himself in his interview:

What happened between you and Elliott Sadler during the race?
"I don't know if I can really defend myself. It was my fault -- I slid up in to him. I didn't mean to do it. We'd been loose throughout the whole race to start. I was tucked under Brian (Vickers) to try to get him by and get around Elliott (Sadler) clean. I basically passed him right as that yellow came out. I was so close to Brian that the nose just took off on me and I was out of throttle the whole time just trying to miss him. I don't want to race like that. I don't want to be known to race like that. There's no defense. I messed up. I'll apologize to him but I know right now that doesn't mean anything. I don't want to be known for that. We'll talk later. There's no defense there that was my fault."

Even more surprising, the internet and the radio commentators on Sirius are pointing out that there is a double standard when comparing these two incidents. Many feel that Sadler handled the Lowe's incident poorly.

More irony comes when one remembers that Sadler was fined several thousands of dollars for a helmet throw while he was driving the 21 car for the Wood Brothers. His post-wreck quotes come off as a verbal helmet toss!

The man dubbed as a Southern Gentleman came out of this looking like he should be re-named ... as the Southern Brat.

Mutterings while Meandering through the Marbles!

2008-05-15T00:11:00.000-05:00

Humpy Wheeler has declared Carl Edwards to be his pick for the All-Star. I am fine with that. However, he also declared Tony Stewart to be the Dark Horse pick. What? In what universe would Tony ever be a dark horse? Sheesh!

The All-star Fan Vote is driving me nuts! We saw, a few years ago, Martin Truex, Jr win the vote, and at the time, he was not a regular cup driver. He made it in purely on the strength of his relationship to his team mate and friend, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. We saw Kyle Petty be voted in, due to a sponsor offering a 'bribe' to the driver's charity. (A worthy charity! Yet, the sponsor received a ton of collateral publicity from this effort, including the several hundred of thousands of dollars worth of extra television impressions from having the car in both of the event's races.) We saw SpeedTV hawking votes for their own 'talking head', Kenny Wallace.

And NOW, we have Dale Earnhardt, JR giving his personal endorsement to Elliott Sadler. Most prefer to think that he is doing this out of pure friendship for that funny talking Virginian. However, one has to wonder if the business association of the VLPClub is more of a factor. I also have to wonder why Tony Stewart has not endorsed Elliott. Surely those fans would vote in Sadler too?

(BUT, what if Sadler does not make it in on the voting? Would that mean that not even the power of JR can get him in the race?)

My main gripe is that drivers who are hovering in the bottom of the points are making it into the All STAR race. And frankly, they do not deserve to be there! While I would love to see my favorites, David Gilliland or Travis Kvapil, make it in, there is another deserving driver...David Ragan, who is certainly one of the most improved drivers of the season. Will any of those three have a chance when the Junior Nation follows the directions of their idol? I keep thinking that the drivers should EARN their way in, by driving their way in. I guess we will see!

Boos! Kyle Bush has certainly polarized NASCAR fans into a Love-Hate relationship. There are not many who actually seem to reside in the middle. Fans appear to either adore him or despise him! At best, you will hear the statements that start out with "I think he is a great, talented driver, BUT......" followed by all of the reasons to NOT like him. I don't think we have had this kind of response to a driver since Darrell Waltrip first arrived on the NASCAR scene.

Booze! Richmond and Darlington both resulted in a rain of beer cans being lobbed onto the track. At Darlinton, a whole cooler actually was tossed out. If fans keep this up, then all of the tracks will become the same as Las Vegas Motor Speedway...no coolers, no beer brought in!

Speaking of David Ragan...How about that kid, eh? The driver formerly known as a 'dart without feathers' is now in the Chase points. Good job David!

And speaking of surprises to the points....David Gilliland is sitting at 21st, and look at Travis Kvapil in 18th! Those Yates drivers are still showing the world how to get it done without major sponsors. There are quite a few Big Dollar sponsors (Best Buy) who are on cars (McDonald's) that are much further down the points scale ( Stanley). Hmmmm! That is a GEM of a thought! I might have to grab a Bud to think about it some more! Of course, I will only grab that Bud after I get home from visiting my local Napa store after shipping my package via UPS!

And what in the world is THIS about? Jon Wood is not eligible for the Sprint Showdown, and yet Chat McCumbee is eligible? As badly as NASCAR gets 'dissed' for its lack of consistency, this one is just astonishing!

Until the next post...tune in to the Burn-out Challenge on Speed, before the All-star! I predict that Kevin Harvick will win!

M&M's, Pedigree, and Weapons of Mass Disgust, Oh My!

2008-05-04T18:11:00.001-05:00

Richmond International Raceway - a race track that inspires drivers to claim it is the penultimate racing experience. Fans claim the same, and I must say I would be included in that claim. I visited RIR 4 years ago, and reminisce fondly on the whole experience.
The fans attending the race on May 3rd received a more exciting show than the value of their tickets implied. This race will compare to the most memorable races in the annals of NASCAR history, only because of the quirkiest of events.

First, Kudos to my favorite driver, David Gilliland! While Freecreditreport.com has extended their agreement with Yates, it is widely speculated that the car decorations are 'gratis' until the next big-time sponsor can be found. "Gratis or not, I am grateful for the logo's and I will be wearing purple and black as long as the FCR pirate hat continues to adorn the quarter panels.David had a marvelous run, starting from the 40's (when will the Yates cars start qualifying better?) and ran as high as 14th. Sadly, he was involved in the lap 230 fiasco that sent several cars to the garage. David's car was one of three that never returned to the track. His team mate, Travis Kvapil, finished 16th, and is now 19th in driver points with David sitting 20th. Not bad for two teams that are sorely underfunded! I am sure there are some big dollar sponsors out there who want some exposure! At any rate, this driver will continue to show the promise that came from his Cinderella-like win in the Busch series a few years ago.

Denny Hamlin certainly appeared to be the class of the field. Every restart had the hometown hero charging away from the pack, and he seemed to be unstoppable. Disaster struck for the 11 team when a tire was going down, and Denny stopped the car on the track, forcing a caution. Parked two laps by NASCAR for the infraction, he would certainly have gone down as many laps, if not more, with a green flag stop or a tire blow-out.

Denny's forced caution set the scene for one of the most talked about events of the last two days. Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. were racing side by side, when a 'racing deal' caused Jr. to spin, backing into the outside wall. The anger from the fans was evident in single digit gestures, booing, and the traditional "Jr got dumped" rain of beer cans, aka Weapons of Mass Disgust.

A Sunday afternoon spent browsing the internet shows there are three sharply divided camps on the Jr. vs Kyle subject.

Group one is made up mostly of media, and a few fans who 'have no dog in that hunt.' The opinion's seem to agree that a racing deal happened. The members of this group are pretty sure that Kyle did not intend for it to happen, and should not be penalized by the Jr. Nation.

Group two is the "I hate Jr and will now love Kyle" faction. Any driver that is involved in a battle with the scion of the man called Senior is automatically moved to the top of their list! They dismiss 17 Cup wins as a fluke in their sureness that Jr. is over-rated.

And the third group is the one that will cause this event to never, ever be forgotten. Fans of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will not forgive this one easily. Already nicknamed Vile Kyle on more than one message forum, an arrogant attitude will force this driver to endure boo's and catcalls during driver intros for years in the future.

Many fans are already busy writing a plethora of emails and letters to every media venue available, to Gibbs racing, and are busy creating a hate-mail campaign to Mars, Inc., the sponsor of Kyle Busch. The anger directed to Kyle Busch will overflow to Mars being instructed on the sanity of sponsoring such a controversial driver, with threats to never ever purchase any of the products ever.

Kyle's attitude reared it's head in the Richmond Nationwide race on Friday. A post-race scuffle with Steven Wallace caused Kyle to mouth some pretty self-damning statements. Kyle is showing the world his attitude with statements such as

...he's probably not even driving Ritchie Wauter's Super Late Models anymore either.

and

We've got a lot of things that go on, but this is just a little piece of the pie. I race in the Sprint Cup Series...

The most amusing quote though, was

"That's Rusty Wallace's kid so I'm not sure you're going to be able to talk to him much and get through his head...

One cannot help but reflect "Mr. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle!"

One also wonders if Mars got more than they expected. With the announced intent to acquire Wrigley, they may well have two of the most despised drivers on the NASCAR series driving cars under their banner. Oh my! Kyle Busch and Juan Pablo Montoya as 'mates! Who would have thought! And oh, by the way....congratulations to Clint Bowyer, the forgotten winner!

ROCKINGHAM: Show Up or Shush Up

2008-04-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

North Carolina Speedway, also known as "Rockingham" and "The Rock" is a storied racetrack that held some of the most exciting stock-car races for decades. Holding its first Winston Cup race in October of 1965, it saw its last NASCAR Cup-level race in February of 2004.

Despite it's storied history in the annals of racing, The Rock suffered from lagging attendance. The last race was short by 10,000 fans, a huge loss when the stands are filled at capacity with 60, 000! Logistically, it made sense to move the dates to other tracks that have greater attendance figures for Busch or Truck series races that for the Cup level attendance at Rockingham. Emotionally, the loss of that track to the NASCAR circuit has grated on fans and drivers both. The track remained dormant until it was auctioned in 2007 to racer Andy Hillenburg.

Now, the fans of the Rock have racing appearing again in May of this year. The Carolina 500 ARCA race is scheduled for May 4th, the day after the Richmond Sprint-Nextel Cup race. Hillenburg has been working hard to rebuild parts of the facility that suffered from disrepair. He knows he won't have it all done, but he is hoping to have the most important parts completed in time for racing.

A recent Press Release shows that Hillenburg is pulling in all connections to bring fans to this race. NASCAR two-time Cup champ Tony Stewart will wave the green flag. Other announcements have country singer-heartthrob Josh Gracin performing the Anthem. Racers Bobby Hamilton Jr and Kenny Schrader have entered the race itself.

The race will have a large field and will sport old-school style of double qualifying. The ticket prices are very reasonable, and there is plenty of campground parking available.

For all of the fans who have persistently lamented the loss of the Rockingham from racing, it is time to put your money, time, and energy where your mouth is. The Rock will once again be alive with the sounds of roaring engines. But it will only continue to live if you the fans continue to support it. Remember, it died it's first death due to lack of attendance. Don't send this track back to it's coffin by your apathy.

Show up or Shush up! I mean it!

For more information, go to Rockingham Raceway Park

Sponsor for Yates and Gilliland?

2008-04-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

NASCAR fans of Yates Racing today received a jolt of excitement, all due to one Mr. Dave Moody, kingpin of the Sirius Speedway show. Those who were listening today heard a fan call in, waxing poetic over the attributes of both Yates Racing drivers, David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil. Then Mr. Moody dropped some information that had me all agog!

As many know, Yates Racing has been a study of perseverance and tenacity. With next to nothing in the way of sponsorship, both Gilliland and Kvapil have carefully driven their cars into the midpack of the points. Many times, the cars were bare white, with numbers and 'SponsorYates.com' on their quarter panels. Many in the NASCAR world have marveled that these 'plain white wrapper' cars are outperforming many cars that have big name, and presumably big buck sponsorship.

Meanwhile, back to Sirius Speedway. The fan who called in talked about how great the two cars are driving. Dave Moody piped up with commentary that, while he was unable to pin down Doug Yates at last week's race, he had heard some interesting rumors that Yates may have sponsor decals on the quarter panels in the near future. He did emphasize that there was nothing finished, and no guarantees until the check had been received and cashed!

While I won't be holding my breath waiting for confirmation of this news, I will be keeping an eye on Jayski, and the other rumor sites. I will now be sure to listen to ALL Sirius shows, to hopefully hear trickles of news.

And if a sponsor deal is indeed around the corner, I applaud the sponsor. I want that 'mythical' sponsor to KNOW that fans of David and Travis will be thrilled to throw their support behind that sponsor! A sponsor will get an outstanding deal with those two!

And if there is no truth to this rumor, then I am sure that there are sponsors out there who would be a perfect fit with Yates Racing. And if you are a sponsor in the process of looking, then what the heck are you waiting for?

NASCAR Sponsor Roulette!

2008-04-06T21:19:00.000-05:00

What do all of these NASCAR sponsors have in common?

Caterpillar
Target
Red Bull
Valvoline
United States Air Force
Motorcraft
UPS
Microsoft

And what do the above teams have, when combined with the following NASCAR sponsored teams?

Menards
Napa
State Water Heaters
DLP
Mobil One
Aarons Rentals

Both groups are behind the two UNSPONSORED Yates Racing cars in points. And even worse, the first group of sponsors are on cars that are not locked into the Top 35 in points, and have a chance of not even being seen in a race.

photo credit Snafam

photo credit MMSMama via DavidGilliland.com

What is wrong with that picture? Either picture?

Potential Sponsors..... please go to SponsorYates.com. This is your perfect chance to get in at the entry level.

All of the above listed sponsors need to take a long look at their own programs right now. As witnessed by General Mills moving to Richard Childress Racing, it is not too early to start your plans for next year.

After all, today at Texas Motor Speedway, those Yates cars finished 15th and 18th, and outran over half of the field. They will produce for you, too!

Musings from the Marbles: Bristol Rain Delay Version

2008-03-15T23:08:00.000-05:00

Sadler is Sadder?

Has Elliott Sadler stepped on his own flapping tongue when it comes to disparaging Jack Roush’s issues with so-called cheating? I received a couple of 'instantly deleted' comments from fans of Sadler, that tried to use profanity and threats to tell me to stop what I was writing in my Snafam Blog. In the last week, I have since discovered that I am not alone in my feelings about this subject. Various message boards have multipe posts that called Sadler a variety of names. Other blogs, including Jennifer St.Antoine, Matt McLauglin, and Phil, aka One Lugnut Short show that not all of NASCAR fandom believe that Sadler actually had the intelligence to be insulted. For those that believe in Kharma (or is that "Carma?") it appears that Sadler suffered for his own sins of disclosure, by being the cause of no less than three cautions at Atlanta. Then again, perhaps there was thought that it would be better to not have a car in decent shape for post-race tech inspection, as Sadler admitted to being party to cheating in his previous rides. I'm just sayin!

Top 35 points switching?

During the off season, it was discovered that Roger Penske had been granted permission from NASCAR to swap the points of Kurt Busch's car with Sam Hornish's car. It was thought that, with qualifying out of the way, that Sam would be able to be solidly in the top 35 points. And if there were issues, Kurt could use his past Champion's provisional to get into the race.

Now we have a whole new mess, at least from Kurt's perspective. After 4 races, according to the Owners points list from Motorsportsone.net shows, Sam is in 36 and Kurt is in 10th. Several articles tell of Kurt's paling face when told of the possibility of points switching again, as he is tired of getting the scraps of the bottom 35. (Last choice on tires, transporter out in the boonies, late inspection before practice, etc.) Other's that COULD switch points would be Kyle Petty and Bobby Labonte, Patrick Carpentier with either Kasey Kahne or Elliott Sadler, and the does Michael McDowell really deserve to reap the rewards of the Jarrett/Reutiman dance? I am betting that if a widespread points-swap happens next week, NASCAR is going to step in and stop it.

In my opinion, if the point swap continues, NASCAR should allow it, but assess a penalty, say 100 points, to allow it to happen. That would probably take care of the situation.

Tires and Tony, another Retread!

I admit it. I am not a Tony Stewart fan. In the past, I was a very fervent fan of his. But the more he spoke, the more I was embarassed to even mention his name. While he is an amazingly talented driver, he is his own worst enemy.

Last week, he dumped his anger at Goodyear into the waiting microphones of the NASCAR media. My first inclination including muttering 'crybaby' under my breath. Then, other drivers chimed in, and backed up many of Tony's claims, while disagreeing with the way the message was delivered. I listened, I read, and I formulated my own opinion that perhaps Tony was right, for THIS issue.

And then, Goodyear, as reported by the Associated Press writer, Jenna Fryer, is not ammenable to inviting Tony for any further tire tests. It seems he was angry for having to attend one during his off season, and was uncommunicative during the test. So, Tony, instead of being part of the solution, became part of the problem.

Retiring Drivers, how loyal to the sport is the younger generation?

Bristol will be the last points race for Dale Jarrett. We have watched many of sports veteran's start to migrate away from the driver's seat. Rusty left, and is in the booth. Mark Martin is driving a reduced schedule. Terry Labonte is gone. Bill Elliott is on his last run, Kenny Schrader is finding it harder to get rides in the Cup series. In my opinion, those drivers are the last of a dying breed. They came into the sport older than our current drivers. They did not get top rides immediately, but had to work hard and prove their worth. I honestly do not see many of our current crop of drivers lasting into their late forties and early fifties.

Drivers Union

Suddenly, the dreaded words "Drivers Union" is rearing its ugly head. Again. It amazes me that number of fans who WANT to see a union formed. Have we learned nothing from the strikes in the baseball industry? With that said, I think it is time for Brian France and Mike Helton to create a better way for drivers to voice their opinion, and to help shape the future of the sport. When I hear that drivers do not feel that their opinions are being heard, I can't help but think of the questions used by the Gallup business consulting division, where an important Q12 question would be (for the workplace) "My Opinions Count!" Increasing driver engagement for the future of the sport, rather than for 'what is in it for the driver' can only be beneficial.

Chrissy Wallace debut

Chrissy Wallace, daughter of Mike Wallace, appears to have had a successful test at Martinsville in the truck series. It also appears that she will be in a truck soon, driving for Germain Racing. In the past, it has been noticed that many of the female drivers tend to get 'spun' out early in a race. The unspoken word has been that it is still hard for a female to 'make it' in this 'man's sport.'

I would advise, however, that the Good Ole Boys think twice about spinning out Chrissy. I hear she has inherited an extremely agressive Wallace gene, one that comes with back-up from a Daddy and Two Uncles. And possibly a cousin.

Wax On, Wax Off!

On Monday, March 17, 2008, Sirius listeners of Channel 128 will be given an exclusive look into the makings of classic radio. Again, I am not a Tony Stewart fan. But, Tony has invited all of his haters to join in with the Operation Wax Smoke culmination. After a challenge by Kevin Harvick, whose fans raised nearly $50K, Kevin added in the rest to total $100,000 for charity. The sounds you will hear on the radio program will be Tony getting his back hair ripped off, waxed strip by waxed strip. I admit it, I contributed to it,in the midst of my ire following one of Tony's idiotic moments of blaming David Gilliland for 'brake checking during practice'.

I now will get to hear the rewards of my donation. I will enjoy it!

Jump on the Hate Jack Bandwagon!

2008-03-08T13:15:00.000-06:00

The first three race weekends of the 2008 NASCAR season have already been rife with controversy.

Daytona Speedweeks saw 5 Busch teams get nailed for infractions involving an oil tank lid.An unapproved nose tarnished Robby Gordon’s brand new Dodge affiliation.
California saw empty stands, with nasty weather only partly to blame. A feeble attempt by NASCAR to run the race late at night was met with derision and anger by NASCAR fans.
Vegas saw, for the first time, some really outstanding racing, but the post race discussion was focused on Jeff Gordon’s comments stemming from a particularly bad wreck. And then, the famous Carl Edwards Victory Backflip showed to the world, what the NASCAR inspectors had already found: An illegally unfastened oil compartment cover.

On Wednesday, NASCAR handed out penalties for the #99 team owned by Jack Roush.

NASCAR has issued penalties and fines to the #99 team that competes in the Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rule infractions found last Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The #99 car driven by Carl Edwards was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.1J (any device or duct work that permits air to pass from one area of the interior of the car to another, or to the outside of the car, will not be permitted. This includes, but is not limited to, the inside of the car to the trunk area, or the floors, firewalls, crush panels and wheel wells passing air into or out of the car) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book. The violations were found during post-race inspection at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 2. As a result, Edwards and car owner Jack Roush have been penalized 100 championship driver and 100 championship owner points, respectively. In the event the #99 team qualifies for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, the team will not receive the 10 bonus points for the UAW-Dodge 400 victory used for determining the Chase seeding order. Crew chief Bob Osborne has been fined $100,000, suspended from the next six Sprint Cup Series events, suspended from NASCAR until April 30 and placed on probation until Dec. 31.(NASCAR PR)

Jack issued a brief statement that was PR speak on the penalties, and that they were considering an appeal.

(If you are new to the sport, and don’t understand why this is an issue, take a moment to read Diandra Leslie-Pelecky’s blog The Science of….Missing Oil Tank Covers . Her book is on it’s way to my house, I can’t wait to see what other information about the Science of NASCAR will help to fill out my knowledge base.)

Suddenly, the first salvo was fired over the bow of Jack Roush’s good ship Integrity. The shooter? No less than former Roush employee Lee White, now working for Toyota. In an ESPN article , White claimed that Jack did this intentionally. The battle between Jack and Lee has escalated. Jack gave very detailed explanations of what happened, and fired a few salvo’s back at Lee White. White is now recanting his statements, but admits he probably will wait to personally apologize, as Jack might still be a bit too angry.

Amazing to several people is the number of drivers that so willingly jumped on the “Jack did it intentionally” bandwagon. Laudable voices from the garage include Dale Earnhardt, Jr, Jeff Burton, Jimmie Johnson and what? who? Elliott Sadler?

My Friday afternoon group of NASCAR fans all hooted and howled when hearing of Sadler’s statement:

“I think that it insults my intelligence as a race car driver when you try and tell me that you accidentally left the oil tank lid off. If you go to any owner, any engineer, any driver any crew chief and ask them is that an advantage, ‘heck yeah it’s an advantage’. I’ve been doing that half of my career. When driving the 21 and 38 car, we pulled the shifter boot off and the oil tank lid off until NASCAR started to tech it.

First, even Sadler fans had a giggle over the ‘intelligence’ comment. This is a driver who has made a career of being a likeable doofus, one that proved it by making an ill-conceived jump off a stage and landing firmly on a rail, instead of into the waiting arms of burly security guards. He beaned one of his Trackside cohosts during a softball toss. He joyfully jumped into wet towel contests during a rain delay ‘pool party’ on Speed channel. His Myspace page, for the short time that it was public and not private, showed pictures of his partying behavior. Indeed Sadler's commercials for Nextel, Tylenol, and Speed TV show that Sadler allows himself to be placed in the role of a clown. Fellow blogger One Lugnut Short, has even created a hilarious Elliott Sadler Drinking Game , since Sadler’s race comments are predictable and unoriginal. Never once would I, or many of my race friends, have considered Sadler to be a serious spokesperson for NASCAR.

Second, many in the NASCAR Net World are pretty sure that Sadler was willing to jump on the Jack Bash Wagon because of an incident dating back to several years ago in a Busch race, where Carl Edwards punted Sadler for the win. There does appear to be continuing animosity towards Carl. Sadler’s business manager and spotter, Brett Griffin, even slammed Carl on the private Sadler Fan Club message board last year, after Carl and team mate Matt Kenseth had a confrontation that was very nearly physical in nature. Griffin claimed that the Sadler fans were now seeing what everyone in the garage knew about Carl.

Third, after Sadler made essentially the same statements (as above) on Sirius Speedway Friday afternoon, host Dave Moody pointed out that hopefully GEM’s gig was a good one, because he was probably not going to get hired by Roush Fenway, if Sadler was ever looking for a ride. Sadler’s commentary at that point, turned into effusive gushing praise of Carl and his driving skill, but it came off as a huge ‘whoops, gotta backtrack now!’ moment. I saw a huge amount of irony in Sadler making the statements, after his own Team Owner was caught at Daytona in 2007 using bolts that did not meet 2007 inspection, and for an wheel well violation on the #9 car. Come to think of it, he also admitted to being a cheater, and also shoved the Yates and Wood Brothers teams firmly into the path of a moving bus. Way to go, Esad!

I don’t think this issue is over. I will be looking for more news releases over the next few days.

Miscellanea from the Marbles!

2008-03-03T23:55:00.000-06:00

Notes from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

The Neon Garage is the best of experiences. It is also the worst of experiences.

LVMS needs to work on the escalator in the tunnel, as it kept overheating, forcing folks to walk up the escalator. That was the equivalent of around 6 flights of stairs, or more.

The line for folks trying to get into their seats from the Neon Garage on Cup day was insane. We planned on it taking two hours, and even with that focus, we almost did not make the start of the race. The problems? The track oversold the Neon Garage, and the line was not controlled. There were three separate, extremely long lines that merged, with folks cutting in at any point, with again…no control.

Seeing the drivers and the crew working so hard is wonderful. I realize the drivers are feeling like they are the main entertainment at the zoo, but this is such a wonderful way for fans to connect with their favorite drivers. However, there are a few fans of Junior that typified the worst of fans. Banging on the glass with their beer cans, screaming at the top of their lungs, ”Junior!!! Look At Me You ***Hole” is sure to make Junior want to run and get away from the idiots. I sure ran from them!

Some drivers react well to the increased exposure from the Neon Garage. One driver, David Gilliland, would be in the midst of a serious discussion about his car, with one of his crew …and would look up suddenly and see fans with cameras snapping away. Instead of getting angry, he smiled, waved, and kept talking.

Other drivers were downright spooked, they would run and hide if any fans called their names. It was also interesting to see how drivers handled themselves with the fans who had the ‘hot passes.’

I saw Kyle Petty take the time to sign autographs after being involved in a crash during practice.

Kasey Kahne, very ill from the flu, took the time to wave at fans, and sign.

I saw one ‘Affable Virginian’ come unglued at one fan, or should I say…former fan, who had the unmitigated gall to wait patiently nearby with pen in hand, only to have him shriek ‘NOT NOW’! using a voice loud enough to be heard over the sound of an nearby engine being revved.

Racing Notes

I was fully prepared to have some drivers complain about this track. I was right! Thank you Tony, you started the trend! After Tony and David Reutimann tangled during the Nationwide race, Tony complained about David being an ass. Then, after he obviously had time to review what REALLY happened, he revised his hate list to gripe about the track! One wonders about the length of the Hate List, as opposed to the Like List. I am thinking the former is getting longer, and the latter much shorter! I will say, though, that I am thankful he was not seriously injured this weekend. I am hoping he gets his back checked by his own doc, as the 'leg tingling' is not a good sign, and my personal experience of this wants me to yell over the ethernet....GET IT CHECKED OUT NOW! Please, Tony...as much as I think you are forty kinds of an idiot, I want you to stay racing.

Then on Sunday, Jeff Gordon had a rant about the gaps in the inner wall, and the lack of SAFER barriers on the inner walls. Jeffy, Jeffy, Jeffy….how many other tracks have you raced at that do not have SAFER barriers on the inner walls? It only becomes an issue with you when YOU are involved? My suggestion, Jeff, is to use your influence to work with NASCAR on fixing these things when they affect other drivers, and to not wait until you are affected before complaining. I too am thankful that Hendrick built a wonderfully safe car, but I am equally thankful that the NASCAR's new car is doing its job of protecting the driver, by design.

The Man on a Mission? Kyle Busch is on a roll, trying to prove to the world and Mr. Hendrick that he is a better driver than Dale, Jr. M&M’s has already recieved their money’s worth with Kyle. However, the M&M’s transporter was a no-show for the Transporter Parade on the Las Vegas Strip. What a shame! There was a fabulous photo opportunity to have the Candy Hauler driving in front of the flagship store, M&M’s World! Especially when the CandyBoy earned the Pole Award the next day.

Speaking of the Candy Boy, I was surprised at the number and strength of Boo’s from the stands. Kyle appears to have more of a Boo-Bird contingent than Jeff Gordon! Grandstand Experts sitting near me were calling him Candy Brat, and talking about how the ‘home town crowd’ even seems to dislike him! Some of the locals had some very interesting stories about Kyle and some of his altercations at the Bullring.

Listening to the Sirius programming for a few hours this morning, I was fully prepared to hear callers repeating the lament of previous years “What a Boring Race!’ I am not hearing that this year. The track is now two grooves wide. During the race, I saw a lot of three-wide racing, with a few scary moments of four- wide! By this time next year, the track will have aged enough to be a full-tilt extravaganza!

Kudoes to the Yates Racing #28 driven by Travis Kvapil, with a top ten finish. And, the finish by David Gilliland in spite of a tranny repair is noteworthy.

LVMS deserves a second race! They were filled to capacity on Sunday. Even the Nationwide race had over 100,000 seats sold! The City of Las Vegas caters to the NASCAR fans, and provides off-track entertainment unparalleled to any other venue. However, LVMS dodged a bullet this weekend, with having fairly favorable weather! This time of year is always chancy, and I well remember at least two race weekends in the last 5 years that experience snow or sleet.

Repercussions from LVMS

2008-01-30T21:14:00.000-06:00

Attending the NASCAR testing sessions at LVMS was a greatly anticipated event for many Las Vegas NASCAR fans. Those hardy souls that attended this year had many challenges.

The weather was a huge issue for both drivers and fans. Near hurricane force winds played havoc with drivers on the track, and fans in the stands. As a fan, trying to take pictures in 47 mph winds ended up being an exercise in frustration.

The second day had relief from the wind, but the temperatures were miserable up in the grandstands. For two brief periods, the sun beat strong enough for the heavy duty jacket to be unzipped, but the rest of the time was spent with the jacket zipped, muffler wrapped and blanket covering the legs.

The greatest challenge came from the track operators themselves. For some inexplicable reason, the operators first released PR that claimed the Neon Garage would be open to fans. Then, on January 3rd, a newsletter to 'insiders' claimed that was information was wrong, and the Neon Garage would be closed to fans. To add to the confusion, the website at LVMS.com showed a public info release dated on January 9th with a photo caption stating that the Neon Garage WOULD be open to the public.

I sent an email to the motor-sports writer at the Las Vegas Review Journal, Jeff Wolfe, with the above information. He checked into it, and discovered that the Neon Garage was indeed closed, and expressed thanks to me, as he had heard it would be open.

This misinformation coming from the Las Vegas Motor Speedway media office is deplorable. If a mistake was made in the original PR, it should have been loudly corrected with all available outlets. When the local writers are surprised by it, that tells me that the media department is either falling down on the job, or does not care what kind of fallout may happen.

LVMS, and Bruton Smith, have enjoyed sell outs at this venue for years. Rising ticket prices, hugely overpriced food items (at a track where no coolers are allowed), handicap parking that is routed out of the track in a direction that takes 5 hours to arrive back at the strip are issues that will irritate customers enough to not come back, and may cause failing box office returns in the near future. Adding this irritant will not help the cause.

(Let us not even discuss how much warmer fans would have been down in the Neon Garage, as opposed to the grandstand.)

But the real victim in this bad communication? Not only the angry fan, but the person in the gift shop who had to endure the anger of customers who arrived at the track, expecting entry into the Neon Garage. I heard one VERY peeved fan taking it out on the sales shop associate. While the associate was right in claiming to not be the one who made the decision, she was the only person available, and became the target. As a retail manager, I think she did an admirable job of deflecting anger, even when the anger was misplaced!

While the media folks and the track operators sit in their warm ivory towers, the front line in the gift shop took the ire of the customer. Shame on Bruton and Chris Powell! Shame! They did not bother to answer fan inquiries, and they let the gift shop sales person take the flack. And if they don't have a sell out this year, or next...they might want to reexamine some of their not-so-fan-friendly practices.

And for what it is worth, I am driving to Fontana tomorrow, for two days of testing. There, for a five dollar charity donation, I will be allowed in the infield bleacher area. Are you listening, SMI?

NASCAR testing begins on the West Coast!

2008-01-25T09:19:00.000-06:00

Daytona testing is complete. The media tour is done, the media members are checking in with stories after being feted, wined and dined, and by now, all of the buffet tables are cleared, packed up, and the shops are back to business as usual.

Business as usual also for the transporter drivers heading out for a long trip to the West Coast. Reports had them leaving Wednesday and Thursday, so we should see them rolling into Vegas this weekend.

This year, there are two test sessions, one at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and one at California Speedway. Both should be very important to finding the right set-up for the COT on the intermediate tracks.

First up, Vegas! After a predicted round of storms, the weather should be cool and clear for the testing session on Monday and Tuesday.

Second, Thursday and Friday will find the SoCal fans flocking to testing at California Speedway. There will be a test session that extends into night on Thursday. The original idea was that the track in Fontana has a night race, but I am unsure of how testing in January in temperatures in the 40's will give any information for cars running in September with temps in the 90's to 100's.

Fans will have access to both testing sessions. For once, Cali will have a better deal for fans, as they will be allowing access to the infield bleachers for a pittance of a charitable donation.

LVMS has missed the mark on not allowing fans into the Neon Garage for testing. In addition, they have been ineffective in communicating that to the fans. One caption posted on their site on January 9th claimed fans WOULD be allowed in, while other articles, and an 'insiders' newsletter claimed no access allowed. It took an email to a writer for the local newspaper to get clarification on this.

And, California Speedway has even scheduled some Driver/Fan interactions. Gillian Zucker was on Sirius this morning, and she claims that she is thrilled with the way fan participation has increased over the years, for testing sessions at California. See, California Speedway CAN get it right, and do something better than Bruton Smith's Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kasey Kahne. Bad Boy Bad Boy Whatcha gonna do?

2007-12-19T09:49:00.000-06:00

Kasey Kahne, the current Bad Boy of NASCAR?

When Kasey Kahne started the year in 2007, he was looking forward to the success that comes after a season of 6 wins. Sadly, Kasey was looking forward to the wrong future, as the success never happened. The entirety of Ray Evernham’s organization failed miserably, for reasons that are still somewhat elusive.

Kasey's frustrations revealed themselves by showing some fits of temper this year. He took part in some name calling of other drivers, up to and including his claims that one driver was overweight and out of shape. Then, at Homestead, while trying to enter his own motorcoach lot, he suddenly found himself in handcuffs.

The story is making the rounds of the media, the blogs and the message boards. Most opinions appear to have no middle ground…either Kasey is a Punk, or Kasey is a Saint. The details of the police report certainly do not paint a picture of Sainthood.

A few points…

Kole Kahne, being supportive of his brother, claimed that the guard grabbed Kasey first. Four, count them, FOUR Law Enforcement Officers' statements told the opposite, that Kasey shoved the guard.

Kasey may have been unaware that the security had been stepped up. However, there was one statement that members in the garage had been informed that hard cards were going to be required, after some fans managed to get by a guard earlier.

The fact that Kasey was wearing a driver's suit as proof he was allowed into the lot is amazing. Any given day, I can go to ebay and find a used driver's suit. Anyone could don a suit, and then appear to be a driver.

If Kasey had been shoved first by the security guard, he would have lost his job. The security guard had been ordered to not allow anyone to pass with credentials, even if they said they were a driver. The guard was following the orders given to him a half hour before. If the guard let Kahne by, he would have been fired. If he physically tried to stop Khane, he could have been fired. He was in a no-win situation.

There has been much joking about Kasey’s size vs that of a security guard. The security guard is 62 years old, indeed old enough to be Kasey’s grandfather. Just because a security guard has that title, does not mean that all of them are big bruisers. Many Law Enforcement Officers would fall in the same height and weight category of Kasey, particularly if they are female. Most would be insulted to think that they could not 'take down' a 62 year old man. Would Kasey have shoved someone younger and bigger? I doubt it. Kasey may be small, but he is an athlete who weekly drives under g-forces for 400 to 500 miles. He shoved someone who is old enough to collect Social security.

An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans has struck again. According to the attorney speaking for the guard, they have been inundated with ‘hate mail.’ If the tone of those emails equals what I have read on some pro-Kasey message boards, then it is indeed embarrassing to claim NASCAR fandom at this time.

The TV station, Channel 10 WPLG, displayed an amazing lack of sense on the posting of the police report. The original posting included Kahne’s personal address, phone number, driver’s license and social security number. The posting was up for 12 to 24 hours, before those items were redacted. Shame on them! I know it is legal to publish the police report, but in this day and age, posting personal information that can lead to personal safety issues is irresponsible and lowers them to the level of tabloid writers, and not journalists.

I normally enjoy catching Ray Evernham on Tuesdays for his weekly call into Dave Moody’s Sirius Speedway show. I was especially eager to hear it due to the Kahne case. I knew Ray would defend Kasey. I was surprised however at the continual jokes by Ray and Moody, over Kahne being such a lightweight. He did not say Kasey had not done it, but there was a lot of hilarity at the expense of the security guard.

Ray also claimed that Kasey was being ‘preyed’ upon. Yep, for $15,000. Many statements also claimed that Kasey has shown no remorse. At this point, I am pretty positive no one would believe statements of remorse, except perhaps that Kahne is sorry to be going to court! And the more that Ray continues to joke around about this, the higher the punitive damages will climb.

I will agree that Kahne’s actions are not what we have lead to believe are normal for him. However, I find it amusing that Kahne is a saint for actually physically assaulting someone, and Carl Edwards was vilified for coming close to punching Matt Kenseth, but never actually following through.

Perhaps Kasey should get his checkbook ready. And perhaps Mr. Evernham should follow the advice of his media reps, and not be so bold on the radio, to make light of his driver’s actions….actions that led to handcuffs, court dates, and law suits.

Miscellanea from the Marbles!

2007-10-15T09:48:00.000-05:00

Post Lowes!

Bruton does not Gamble! (much!)

Is there anyone who doubted that Bruton Smith would hold the trump card in the face-off with the City of Concord? One does not become a billionaire unless one is ruthless, hard-charging, and can 'deal from the bottom of the deck.' I for one, cannot understand the mentality of people who buy houses within a stone's throw of a racetrack, an airport, or a military base, and then have the gall to complain about the noise.

Talented but in bad equipment-a Tale of Two Drivers.

Elliott Sadler migrated last year into a new car, new sponsor and new owner. He is currently sitting 26th in points, by far the worst status of his career since the year 2000, when he finished 29th in points. His average finish is 25.4. His worst average finish is 26.7, again in the year 2000. The year 2000 was Sadler's second year in Cup.

David Gilliland is currently sitting 3 spots behind Sadler, in 29th. His average finish is..... 26.7. David is in his .... second year. 29th, 26.7, second year....hmmm...some similarities there! Ahh, but David did not have a full year in year one, where Sadler appears to have missed a race in his second year.

What is the difference between the two? Sadler has 7 years experience in a Cup car, Gilliland has 1 year. One is a veteran driver in bad equipment, the other is a newbie driver in bad equipment. I find it curious that the veteran driver gets sympathy and support, while the new driver gets slammed repeatedly on various boards. Interesting indeed! And this is the same equipment that the veteran driver refused to drive anymore!

Speaking of David Gilliland

... and his team mate Ricky Rudd. (Welcome back, Ricky!) Those of us listening to the scanners for both of RYR's drivers heard a huge difference in the tone of conversation. For the first time all season, I heard what sounded like a love-fest between David and his crew chief, Todd Parrot! Todd was taking David's suggestions, and implementing them. David was giving good feedback, free from hearing the abrupt 10-4 in response. Todd even complimented David on his driving, more on Saturday than I have heard all season long. From what I have read from Rudd fans, they were experiencing something very similar on the #88 scanner.

I would like to think that both drivers, both crew chiefs, and both teams 'found something' in the way the cars were built, and the way they communicated. However, I heard David, during a red flag, comment that HE needed to talk to Jack about his top ten car. Hmmmm....Did Jack have a surplus of Car of Yesterday chassis left over? Has Doug already brought Jack Roush in to help? Or did the 'pink slips' sent to each RYR employee, with the 'you need to reapply for your job' direction cause a change of heart? Most certainly, both cars ran better today than all year, with DG finishing two laps down due only to a right front flat tire.

It Will Be Coming Around the Corner, When It Comes, When It Comes! (sorry for stealing from the old folk ditty!)

What is coming? How about One Really Huge F-bomb! No, not the one uttered under stress by Kyle Petty, but one with far more letters. FRANCHISING. With all of the big money newly added to NASCAR'S major teams, and some not so major.....Roush Fenway, Gillett Evernham, Waltrip and Robert Kauffman, HOF and the Diamondbacks, with several other teams rumored to be in discussion phases, all I can see for the future is Franchising. Add in the alliances being built, Roush-Yates, Hendrick-Haas, RCR-DEI, & Gibbs-HOF and you can see that the future will be with mega-teams. I get the feeling alot of today's big $$$ players want to get in before the price goes up!

With that, who says that NASCAR is failing! Ratings-schmatings!

NASCAR and the Political Movement:

It appears members of Congress underestimated the power of NASCAR fans. Or at least, they underestimated that the NASCAR fans, nor their representatives, do not take perceived slights well. The story showed that irritated NASCAR fans can be quite rabid. Perhaps rabies shots would have been in order. At this point, the posturing has turned into back-tracking!

Ginn a deadbeat?

Several months ago, I posted the above title on a message board, as soon as the first rumors started circulating about creditors not being paid. I was immediately flamed with "Ginn has plenty of money, he can afford his race teams." A week or two later, the bottom fell out of the Ginn operation, with drivers being released, and the "Fastest Merger of the Year." (substitute the term 'buy-out' for 'merger'), plus a whole bunch of folks who lost their jobs.

Apparantly, there is someone who is a bit peeved at the way Bobby Ginn has exited the sport. In this article it appears that an aircraft flew above the Lowes Motor Speedway with a sign trailing. The sign stated: ""How much does Bobby Ginn owe you?

Have a great week!

A "Clash" of Open-Wheel Drivers!

2007-10-14T10:28:00.000-05:00

Several weeks ago, I discussed collective nouns, in relationship to the behaviors of NASCAR Fans. For the last few weeks, I have been watching the news, and the racing by the latest influx into NASCAR by open-wheel drivers. Judging from the reactions I have found on the internet, the only appropriate collective noun would be a "Clash."

Open-wheel drivers have been coming in to NASCAR since the 1960's. If we look back in our history, we will see names like Foyt and Andretti who competed a few times each year. Many of our current, most popular drivers have an open wheel background! Stewart, Gordon, Kahne, Mears, Allmendinger, Yeley, and so on! In recent years, we have also seen Andretti's and Foyt's competing! Even some of our team owners have an open wheel background, as in Ganassi and Penske.

There has been an attitude 'clash' between F-1 and NASCAR for years. They have been battling for popularity with fans. F-1 drivers have called the stock cars boring. NASCAR fans have felt that that Schumacher's comments were reflective of many, that NASCAR was to be largely ignored.

Then, Juan Pablo Montoya entered the scene! While Schmacher was disdainful, Jacques Villeneuve was applauding the move by JPM, but including the following:

However the Canadian doubted many more Grand Prix racers, most of them groomed from infancy in go-karts and European open-wheeled single-seater series, had the requisite skills to follow the Colombian.

"Juan Pablo raced in the States, he raced in ovals so I think it's quite different," said Villeneuve.

Once JPM was deep into NASCAR racing, he discovered that there was a much steeper learning curve. While he won a single race at Sonoma, he even admitted on a Sirius radio interview that he should be expected to win that, but thinks his first oval win will give him credibility. It certainly has not been a cakewalk for him!

My Blog-Buddy, fondly called Lugnut, has quoted many fans on their complaints about the new drivers coming in. Many fans of Elliott Sadler are most upset with Jacques, as the only real issue from JV at Talledega came at the expense of Sadler. On Ray's weekly inteview, JV was verbally lashed, with Ray being just as unhappy about JV's actions as was Sadler.

Then a few short days later, Ray's business partner, George Gillett announces the signing of Patrick Carpentier. Whoopsie, now even Sadler is ok with the influx of the drivers.

IS IT SURPRISING HOW FAST THE INTERNATIONAL DRIVERS ARE COMING IN TO NASCAR? “It is. Seems like they’re all here in one shot, but it’s like that in NASCAR. A couple years ago you had to have a World of Outlaw guy. A couple years before that you had to have a guy that had Busch experience. Now the guys are trying the IRL, CART, Formula One kinda background; it just kind of runs in cycles. I think it’s great for our sport; these guys are all coming over here to be a part of it. They’re coming to the best sport in the world. I think that says a lot for our fans, our sponsors and our teams. So, we’ll have to sit back and see how each one does.”

IS THE MIGRATION OF DRIVERS A RESPONSE TO THE WEAKNESS OF OPEN WHEEL RACING? “I think so and I hope we don’t ever get to that point. If we stay strong, we’ll be fine. Right now we have the highest TV ratings of any other motorsports in the United States. We have the most fans. We have the biggest sponsors. Right here is where you want to be if you want to race in America. Right here is where it’s at and I think these guys know that and they want to come be a part of it, test their feet and see how it is.

HOW DO YOU THINK THE TRADITIONAL NASCAR FAN IS GOING TO REACT TO THE FOREIGN DRIVERS? “That is a good question and I don’t have an answer to that. I know Juan Pablo gets a few boos here and there. That’s cool we have NASCAR fans that protect our NASCAR heritage. But, I also think it’s great for international guys to come into our sport. They’re bringing new fans to our sport, their bringing new sponsor and new people that would maybe were close minded about it before.”

So, now one of the popular drivers at GEM has decided it is great for the sport for the "Clash" to enter NASCAR. I agree with the reasons Sadler has given for them crossing the bridge, but there may a be a few more reason. Perhaps the open-wheelers want to enter our sport because it IS a challenge. Perhaps they are looking forward to interacting with fans. Perhaps, they are wanting to race with the best. Perhaps, they are looking to getting back to driving, rather than pointing a technological marvel. Perhaps, they want to be competitive, rather than following team orders.

And finally, I keep reading how the "Clash" is preventing able drivers from our own sport from progressing and getting rides. Well, let's see, we do have some interesting drivers looking....Mayfield, Nemechek, Marlin, Kenny Wallace, Mike Wallace, Stremme. Of that list, the only one who really should be given another chance is Stremme, as he was in equipment that may not have been up to par! The other drivers have been looking for rides in the past, long before the "Clash" arrived.

In my opinion, the Cup drivers who are Busch-wacking are a far greater detriment to the progress of our stock car drivers. When 6 of the Top Ten in the Busch series are Cup drivers, you can be sure that there are many able drivers in the Busch series who are being shut out of rides. In fact, Stephen Leicht, who is losing his job through no fault of his, currently is only able to find a partial ride for next year. And, he is 8th in the points. THAT is a shame!

Also, forcing the new drivers to run a set number of races in other series is patently unfair to the regulars in those other series. The competition in those series is tough enough, without turning them into the playground or training camp of the 'Clash."

I am sure the debate over the 'Clash' entering our sport will indeed continue to see a 'Clash" of opinions.

Does Candy grow on Shrubs? Mars to Kyle Busch?

2007-09-21T09:06:00.000-05:00

Silly Season continues to shock and amaze us! This week saw Kahne wearing the Bud crown, and JR getting AMPed with the National Guard.

Last night, a surprise hit the internet, with it all but confirmed that Mars will sponsor Kyle Busch!

I have known for some time that the Mars company had decided to leave Robert Yates Racing. The teams have not performed this year. Yates has been struggling with below standard equipment, and lack of engineering, and a lack of clear direction. Yates has made so many plans for the future, and we have watched them swimming in circles.

Yates and Mars apparently had a 3 year contract. Last year, after Yates lost both drivers, and one sponsor, Mars stepped up to sponsor a second car with Ricky Rudd in the seat. Mars has indeed paid for three years of sponsorship, two years on the 38 and one year on the 88. They have fulfilled their end of the deal, as far as I can tell.

I will be sad to see them leave Yates. From comments I have read, Robert will always respect the Mars family, and he is grateful for the support they have shown in the last year.

I had a deep and gnawing fear that my favorite candy company was going to take a step backwards and return to sponsoring Elliott Sadler. Elliott may still be popular, but his performance since transferring to Ray Evernham's stable has been less than spectacular. One Mars associate summed it up recently...."That guy didn't stay with us, why should we follow him?" I agree with that person.

That leads us back to Kyle Busch. I am still reeling in shock! Logic dictates that Kyle will provide Mars with some potential to win. Even with the change to Toyota, the Gibbs stable cannot be discounted on its quality of cars, drivers, and operations. Kyle is a helluva driver, one hungry to be on top, and he has the talent to get there.

However, the emotional side of me wants to shriek "Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!" I just can't see the Shrub wearing the Candy colors. I don't want the Candy driver to have ANY association with Tony Stewart. Hamlin I can handle, but Tony the Terrible is not an ideal team mate! Kyle is adored by the media, mainly because they can ALWAYS get a sound byte from him that makes headlines. Kyle will be giving his media handlers a headache, instead of a sugar high!

So, Mars, if this is true, I send congratulations! You have an awesome driver in your future, and I am sure there will be lots of wins! I hope the headaches will disappear as Kyle matures.

But, in the meantime, I will continue to support the current bearer of the Candy M. Next year, I am still going to be a Gilliland fan, and very proud of it!

Elliott Sadler, Were You Watching Trackside on Speed?

2007-09-08T12:30:00.001-05:00

One of the most enjoyable, fan-interactive shows on Speed TV is the Friday night "Trackside." During the second half of the year, Good-Old-Boy Elliott Sadler is one of four hosts, along with Steve Byrnes, Larry MacReynolds and Jeff Hammond. The tall Virginian brings a sense of fun to the show.

Many Sadler fans tune in to the show specifically to see him. Many other fans travel to Sadler's version of Mecca, known as Richmond International Raceway, to specifically see him. As the show opened, Steve informed the audience that Sadler was not going to be on the show. It is a pity, because Elliott may have been required to explain a VERY prominent sign in the background audience.

The sign stated: Sadler 19 We Miss the Barn Party. It was viewable during a majority of the program.

For those who are unaware, last year the Sadlers threw a hellacious party on their property, known as The Barn Party. Over a thousand fans were reported to be there, and Sadler brought in his buddy Blake Shelton for extra entertainment. This was actually the second event of the year for Sadler Fan Club fans, as there was a Karting event earlier in May.

This year, the Sadlers are hosting a bowling event in October, in conjunction with the Charlotte race. According to various message boards, this event has caused a bit of ill will with many of the fan club members. It was announced with such late notice, that many of the fans will be unable to attend. Those who will already be in the Charlotte area have already made their flight arrangements, and won't be able to change them without financial pentalties to the airlines.

If you go to Sadler Foundation Webpage you will discover a list of events from the past.

There are many issues hidden amongst those listings. For years, the Sadler boys held a Fan Appreciation Day the week before the Spring Richmond race. Many fans were planning to join the Day in 2004. Plans were made, airplane tickets were purchased, race tickets were purchased, and suddenly it was announced there would be NO Fan Appreciation Day, and there would be a different event in May. There had been repeated requests for more information from the Sadlers, from Elliott's business manager, his PR person, and indeed even from the SFC office. By the time it was announced, the Richmond bound fans could not change their plans. There were no appearances planned by Sadler during the whole weekend. Those fans put a brave face on it, had a wonderful time meeting with each other, but it still rankled. Those fans, myself included, have not forgotten that they did not feel in the least Appreciated.

Look carefully at the list at the Sadler Foundation site, there was NO event in 2005. Nope, none, nada, zip, zilch!

Here comes 2006. Elliott is struggling at Yates. He already knows he is going to leave for Evernham, and plans two events to bolster his popularity. Both events in 2006 were by all reports, awesome!

Then, 2007, there is no announced event until the end of August. Again, it left fans scrambling, as many fans plans were already formulated for the rest of the season.

One wonders how long the Sadler fans will tolerate this total lack of caring. When you look at the opposite extreme, the fans of Kevin Harvick can look forward to an awesome event every fall. The date for the fall event is always announced very early in the year. Fans of Kevin prepare for it, plan around it and talk it up even before the event is announced.

Another comparison is due here, also. Kevin's fan club event attendees take part in a meet n greet, and a signing. EVERY Fan Club member gets this. They do not pay for the event, nor the autograph. Sadler, long ago, abandoned the free events along with his Fan Appreciation day. Now, the events require payment to enter. For some of them, he even requires more money to have the privilege of getting an autograph. It is couched in Fund-raising, but at the same time, why must all events be fund-raisers?

If you step away from the fan events, and look at the treatment of his fans as a whole, it is apparent that his fan base is not quite as large as he would like. He has been signing souvenirs in closed haulers. I have reports of at least three signings this year where his fans were able to go through his line at various appearances 2 to 3 times. Three years ago, if you did not arrive 3 or 4 hours before and stake out your spot in line, you were not even assured of being able to see him. In addition, his fans are now being asked to participate in his on-line poker venture (currently free, but payment requirement is expected soon), and his online football/racing fantasy betting venture.

One hopes that Sadler will reevaluate his priorities. His fans are becoming more aware of how he feels about them. I am sure that the fans who spent an hour holding the sign at Speed TV's Trackside show are certainly more aware!

ESPN - It Was Pretty Ugly!

2007-09-02T12:47:00.000-05:00

ESPN has stepped on my last nerve!

A few weeks ago, August 18th, 2007, I was sitting in my local Goodyear store while my car was being prepared. (Yes, I am a NASCAR fan, and choose to use NASCAR sponsors whenever possible. Fortunately, I find this particular Goodyear store to be excellent!) This Goodyear store happens to have a flat screen tv set up, and I was able to watch the Busch race while work commenced on my car!

Watching that race was challenging. I had to change channels several times to follow the channel switches, while ESPN was waiting for the tennis match to finish. Trying to follow the directions on the scroll bar was a struggle, as I had to figure out what channel was where. Thankfully, the other Goodyear patrons were patient! I was willing to forgive it happening once. I do remember at least one time in the past, with the former broadcast package, where it happened and the start of the race was held up. So, I shrugged it off, and resigned myself to not having a TiVo recording of that race.

But then last night, it happened again! This time the scroller directed the watcher to ESPN360. I searched my channel guide frantically to find that channel. When I could not find it,I 'googled' it, and discovered it was internet content only! I clicked on it, and received the message:

Sorry, your internet service provider does not carry ESPN360.com. Please contact your service provider to add ESPN360.com as part of your service.

At this point, I was pounding my keyboard in frustration! I quickly went over to NASCAR.com, and started up their pre-race coverage. Well now, I received more content from TURNER than I received from ESPN. Then to add insult to injury, I instant-messaged a friend in Canada, to vent about the situation. She had no idea that there were any problems. You see, TSN had the whole feed! She even got to see OUR Anthem sung!

Last night was a travesty. I can forgive quite a few of the perceived errors with broadcasting. I understand the need for commercials. I understand that we can't predict when the cautions will happen, and that they can happen during commercials. I do understand that it is especially challenging to get the commercials done during a caution period at a short track. I even understand that sometimes some one pushes a wrong button. I can even forgive that I don't like the folks in the booth. I get ALL of that, and forgive it, as long as it looks like a effort is being made to improve the product. I don't see that effort being made here!

I see this as being a huge negative for the Busch series. In fact, it is probably it's death knell! There are commercial purchasers who did not get their value of having commercials during the countdown. NASCAR is already stressed about finding a series sponsor, and they are running a 'blue-light special' to try and attract one. With constant snafu's from ESPN, what potential series sponsor would want their name attached to something so negative? If the broadcaster does not care enough about the series to schedule it properly, why would any sponsor care?

In fact, if ESPN does not care enough about the Busch series, why should I care?

NASCAR, you have a problem here!

An EMBARASSMENT of NASCAR Fans!

2007-08-18T20:28:00.000-05:00

I have always been amused by collective nouns for animals. Some of those nouns are amazing in how descriptive they are for groups of animals, and go far beyond the nouns of “herd” “pack” and “litter.” Those nouns, while somewhat anthropomorphic, appear to reflect the appearance, behavior and antics of the animal group. For instance:

A Shrewdness of Apes

An Intrusion of Cockroaches

A Quiver of Cobra

A Charm of Finches

A Murder of Crows (how Poe-etic!)

A Tower of Giraffe

A Parliament of Owls

A Pride of Lions

Unfortunately, the behavior of NASCAR fans in the recent weeks makes me think we should be labeled as An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans! Sadly, we fans of the Big Oval Sport are being cast in a variety of negative lights, and these stereotypes may never go away, due to our own behaviors.

Sharyn McCrumb, in her recent NASCAR-related novel, tells of one fan that is hopelessly in love with her chosen driver. This character waits for hours in a line for an appearance, only to be heartbroken by an offhand comment by the driver. She continues to defend her driver on a message board, and indeed goes to the length of becoming one of his team members, just so she can be closer to the ‘love of her life.’ While that scenario made me personally uncomfortable (due to some fans I have met), it is a very valuable insight into what some fans feel about their driver.

Recently, I was lurking at a message board, where friends congregate to meet and discuss the career of a favorite unmarried driver. Suddenly there were a few new folks jumping into the group, and they were all taking part in trashing the driver’s girlfriend. For some reason, the new fans decided that it was their duty to tell all of the other fans that a significant other was somehow lowlier than they were. And these same folks have espoused their personal agenda at several message boards, tag-teaming each other to argue with the other fans. An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans!

Also, the recent failure to agree between a Team Owner and a Widow over something as simple as a car number has caused the true ugliness of people to come out. Indeed, these fans remind me of the Quiver of Cobras, as they remain poised to strike out at the Widow, leaving a trail of venom dripping behind with every post. The venom includes pretty vile name-calling and pornographic references. The moderators of message boards involving the current driver of that number have been very busy, trying to delete threads as soon as they are created. How sad, as most of those fans, by this time next year, will not even care about that number. An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans!

A recent verbal and only slightly physical spat between two drivers caused fans of both of those drivers to turn ugly. One group proceeded trash one of the drivers for his nationality (they got it wrong, most of the time) and his background. Fans, RACE should never, ever be called into play here, unless it is a discussion of THE RACE, not the person's heritage. An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans!

That same driver was featured on a Primetime show recently. It broke my heart when I saw his wife and children join him on Pit Road. The camera was squarely on the face of his son, who was listening to the crowd boo his father. An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans!

A new, foreign based manufacturer entered into NASCAR NEXTEL Cup this year. Some callers to Sirius Speedway, and posters on many message boards, have shown an amazing amount of ignorance on global economy. The conversation in some cases disintegrated into calling the manufacturer scatological names, and professing the ‘common knowledge’ that the “Japs” were out to take over our country. An Embarrassment of NASCAR Fans!

I realize that not all fans are this drastic. I know many wonderful NASCAR fans that would be mortified to be included in any of the groups I mentioned. However, these behaviors continue to support the notion that NASCAR fans are red-necked, toothless, uneducated idiots. If we want our sport to grow and be taken seriously, then we as fans have to change our antics. We should aspire to being something more than being An EMBARASSMENT of NASCAR Fans.