Forums, Readers, and Amusement

Message boards are very interesting entities. I almost believe they take on a life of their own. As folks gather to discuss their common interest, sometimes they become either Happy Happy Kumbaya societies, or living, Fire-breathing Monsters. Many are somewhere in between, yet each displays their own unique personality. Many readers of this blog belong to message boards (aka Forums) of different drivers. Some participate in “Official” or not so official boards, and some participate in multiple boards. Some members have a ‘one size fits all’ personality that is the same for all forums, and others choose different personas based on the nature of the board. A great example of this variety lies in the beginning of the NASCAR season.

The first six weeks of the NASCAR season are on the books. So far, we have had restrictor-plate racing, 3 intermediate tracks (all as different as night and day) and two short tracks. The Car of Yesterday and the Car of Today have both been on the track. There is a new manufacturer, and several repeat manufactures. And the NASCAR fans participating in various message boards all have opinions on what is going right and what is not! You can generally judge how the driver is doing by the dialogue. Some boards are giddy with excitement, as their chosen heroes are high on the point scale. Others are filled with fans that seem morose, angry, and negative. And yes, there are some between those two extremes.

The boards of the struggling drivers are the ones with the most to discuss. I have been amazed at the number of fans that feel the need to throw SOME ONE under the bus when bad things happen! (Disclaimer: I have discovered this on more than one forum, so any resemblance to your own forum may, or may not, be a coincidence!) Some target the driver, some target the crew chief, some target the owner, and some target the manufacturer. Some folks call for wholesale firing. Invariably, it turns into a fight between the Realists, and the Kool-aid Drinkers! Each claims to “know” the driver’s, owner’s, crew chief’s or the sponsor’s thoughts. Some even go so far as to need medication to get through the next impending disaster, whether legal or not!

Part of this is enhanced by the technology available. It is no longer a case of enjoying the race from the grandstand or just watching the TV broadcast from the comfort of the couch. At the event, we have access to the entirety of the broadcast on both radio and TV, and the conversations of the drivers and crew members, and access to any communications with NASCAR to the teams. From home, we can see live timing and scoring, and can hear the exact same communications of the driver from our computers or satellite radio. Some drivers also are part of special television packages where the driver’s in-car cameras are available during the entirety of the race. The technology allows the most intense scrutiny of the drivers and the teams.

The slightest inflection from the voices on the scanner gives opportunity for great speculation from the fans. When that speculation hits the message boards, it can cause endless debate on what did the driver really mean….did the Crew Chief really say THAT? Or WTF is THAT supposed to mean! Why does the Crew Chief just say 10-4 when his driver is begging for changes?

Discussion continues, lines are drawn in the sand, and board members form factions. The factions are based on the two or three most prevalent views on the board. However, the factions are fluid, and can shift and reform based on actions of individuals. Don’t forget, it is allowable for the board members to bash away, but don’t let an outsider take part in the same name-calling and bashing, or the outsider will see the board form a united front against the outsider.

Forums will continue to be a source of information for many readers. They will also continue to be a source of amusement for many of the same readers.

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On another note, there were three people with a common link to one particular driver’s message board. At various times, each of these three was opposed to the other two. We are not quite sure how it happened, but we three now all find we have many common views mixed in with the divergence of opinion. We will be attempting a joint blog. A work in progress, we hope to provide discussion, controversy and amusement for the readers! Wish us luck, pray for our safety and check us out at Three Wide.

NASCAR Inspections vs Practice

Why does Dale Jarrett look so concerned? (These pix were taken from the Neon Garage at the Vegas race.)

He was intently watching the action on the track. The track was busy with his fellow competitors who are already out on the track for practice. DJ's car was still in the inspection bay.

I remember a few years ago, Hermie Sadler complained that the 'back burners' (my term, not his) were always struggling to get through inspection while the other cars had a full use of the practice session. It was always ironic that those who needed the practice most were not able to utilize the full session. Most fans did not take notice of that situation when Hermie said it. After all, it was someone who was not a regular to the series, and one who traditionally did not run up front.

This year, we have some name drivers that are now being hampered by the inspection process cutting into practice time. There will soon be a few name drivers who will discover that being at the back of the line is going to hurt them.

To be fair, this situation usually only happens the first few races of the year, as the teams usually get the cars in better shape before heading into inspection later in the season. And this year, due to the Car of Tomorrow, the inspections will be open for a full day before the first practice both for Bristol and for Martinsville. NASCAR says that in this case they want plenty of time to work with the teams on the new car.

Now, should NASCAR create longer or earlier inspection times for the rest of the races? In my opinion, no!

This process has been in place for quite awhile. A few years ago, when we were having problems filling the field, there were no problems getting the cars through tech in plenty of time. The situation this year is made larger due to the huge entry lists. NASCAR should not be adjusting their rules based on something that will cycle out.

And if NASCAR were to make that large of an adjustment, then the howling would begin that it was made to help some of the 'big names' that are low in the points. Send up the black helicopters again!