Shelby 427 Predictions

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!

Elliott Sadler Talks about the Turmoil!

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!

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

Elliott Sadler Gets Fired: Debunking Rumors and Myths!

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?

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!

With friends like these.....

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.

Marketing Magic!

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

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!

Meandering Amongst the Marbles!

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!

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!

• 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!

Musings from the Marbles: Bristol Rain Delay Version

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!

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!

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!

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?

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?

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!

More Miscellanea from the Marbles

Penalty's Painful Penance:

Tony Eury, Jr, Crew Chief for the DEI #8 Budweiser team, was said to have been parked in the motorcoach lot during NHIS weekend, in spite of still serving a 6-week suspension. While on the top of the motorcoach watching practice, he was said to have removed his shirt due to heat. At the end of the day, he discovered he was sunburned to the point of blistering. Ouch!

That may be the most pain any member of the 8 team felt while Tony was serving his sentence. In fact, that may be the most pain felt by ANY of the Suspended Chiefs. It has been noticed by many that the teams with Probational Crew Chiefs have not failed as much as expected. The truth has come out, that the crew chiefs have been violating the spirit of the suspension, and are still at the track, and participating in team decisions during the weekend.

Look for NASCAR to restrict those shenanigans! Brian France, during a teleconference stated
that NASCAR was looking into it. My personal suggestion is to send those crew chiefs out into Short-Track Land, and have them join the inspection team. Then on Cup day, they should be joining David Hoots in Race Control, unable to use cell phones or any other device to contact their teams. Keep them busy on race weekend, far too busy to get into trouble. After all, it works for many teen-agers that are grounded!

Grace Under Pressure

There is a certain cachet to winning races. It is easy to be gracious with fans, media, and other drivers when one is on top of the world. It takes an extra amount of maturity to show grace when your world has turned upside down.

Kasey Kahne? Went from winning 6 races last year, and this year has been struggling to get past his single Top 10. When he is frustrated, he blames the other drivers around the track, complete with cheap shots. (David Gilliland and David Stremme were targets, for example.)

Tony Stewart? Well, I have already been vocal about him. He will occasionaly admit to being in the wrong, rarely. It is sad that he is a two-time champ.

Juan Montoya? The instances of his arrogance are too numerous to mention. Great driver, but lacking in social skills.

Denny Hamlin? Thank heavens he finally got a win! The look on his face was rapidly assuming the same dark thunderous expressions worn by his Two-Time Champ team mate!

Kyle Busch? He leaves the Texas race while his team is still trying to fix his car. At Atlanta. after clashing on track with his brother Kurt, refuses to address the media. Word in the garage is that it was rather 'frosty' in the Busch family for quite awhile. And let us not forget how he dissed his car while standing in Victory Lane.

How many times have we heard bad things about Jeff Burton over-reacting under pressure? Bobby Labonte? Terry Labonte? And for heaven's sake, even Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Dale Jr have not expressed such extreme lack of class. And on the rare occasions they have been wrong, they are the first to acknowledge they were wrong.

Brad Keselowski is this week's winner of Grace under Pressure, How to Be Bigger Than The Situation. After having the race of his life, and being spun out on the final lap, he only expressed disappointment for himself, without casting blame. During radio interviews in the week after, he told us he knows that it does no good to get angry. Good for you, Brad!

Silly Season in Full Swing!

So far, we have seen the high-profile driver switch-abouts from the high profile Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch. Other rumors abound with David Reutimann and Ryan Newman. The whole set of drivers from Evernham Motorsports have been the subject of rampant rumors. Those rumors persist, even though Ray declared, due to the pending merger with Canadiens owner Gillett Jr., that all of his drivers have committed to EMS. And yet, the rumors persist as the teams continue to struggle.

In addition, Sadler's Team Director has stepped off of the pit box, and Ray has committed to being on the box with his interim TD for the next race.

Drivers in Need of Parking?

When I heard that Ted Musgrave had been parked for a race in NCTS, I was astounded, as it seemed so far unreal when compared to past penalties. I especially wondered why the NCTS seemed to have so little trouble with parking a driver, and yet the NEXTEL Cup seemed to be holding back. Then I read the following quote from TMS promoter Eddie Gossage "But the day you park a popular driver is the day I'll be demanding money back from my purse and sanctioning fee from NASCAR because there will be some people not showing up because their favorite driver isn't at the track. It puts NASCAR in a bind. It really does." Enough said! Parking a Cup driver will be one of the last steps that NASCAR will ever take.

We are now approaching the 'crossed-flags' of the 2007 racing season. Look for a report card in the near future!

Them Texans ain't so bad, at TMS!

Texas Motor Speedway! Things ARE Bigger AND Better in Texas! Having returned from my first trip to this raceway, I flew away from the experience totally exhausted and thrilled to have been there.

Texas is famous for its host of friendly outgoing souls. This is so true! We had a loosely planned, last minute weekend, and I met with my buds from Texas, and a few others from the rest of the world. My thanks to Phil, Jenell, David, and Susan...you guys are the best of hosts! The SFCers who also attended provided me with certainty that there are still some good folks left in the world. Thanks Robin, Mel, and Alnee! And to a certain SpotterDude, you may not have remembered who I was, but I appreciate being included in a special presentation. You have ALMOST converted me back.

The other favorite saying about Texas is ....if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes! Over the course of 3 days, I experienced rain, hail, tornadoes, freezing, biting winds, and baking sun. All in three days. Fortunately, the tornado did not come near the RV park at the track, as we had folks who were unable to make a run for safety. While all of the Texans were as reassuring as possible, this writer used to live in Oklahoma, and is very familiar with the damages that can happen from this kind of unusual weather.

I had many opportunities to meet other racing personalities. Once again, I cannot believe how so many drivers, owners, and TV personalities are so open to their fans. And oh...RICHARD PETTY! It is wonderful to meet a hero!

Oh yeah...the racing? WONDERFUL! The Cup race had some long, green flag runs, but the end was amazing. The crowd was on its feet for 20 laps. TWENTY laps!!!! It gives me solid hopes that in just a few years, Vegas will have just as exciting finishes.

Just a few notes about the weekend:

• I am sure that Eddie Gossage was relieved that the tornado did not touch down at the track. The RV park had most of the 'roads' clogged with folks trying to get to the grandstand. By the time we looked to join the 'rush to shelter' the roads were full of pick-ups. We realized that we had some who could not make a run for it, so we elected to stay. I am sure that Eddie will check out that evacuation plan, and in the future, there will be a more comprehensive plan for evacuation.
• The track information has very specific rules about cooler sizes. Unfortunately, the security staff was not enforcing the rules. I saw coolers that were far to large to fit in the rows, and some sitting in the stairways. I have no objection to coolers, but some of the seating areas could have used more leg room, and adding the coolers made it dangerous to try and climb over seats to head for the 'other facilities.' Twice, I stumbled over others' coolers.
  
• What's the Buzz? Where in the heck did all of the bees come from? In the last 60 laps, suddenly there was a group of bees flying around. Smaller than a swarm, it was still enough to make a few allergic folks flee in panic.
  
• Leaving TMS is the same as leaving the Vegas race. Just expect to tailgate, and hang out for a few hours. Traffic will be non-moving for at least an hour.
• Nationwide...thanks for the trolley's and golf carts! They were a life-saver!

There is no sound in the world like the sound of a full field of roaring sports cars passing by on the parade lap, except for the sound of the full field passing by to the green flag!

There is no view like the brightly colored cars zooming by so fast that you can't even focus on who is who, unless you pick them out and stare at them through the turns.

There is no aroma quite like the exhaust and the smoke from the rubber from a burnout!

There is no crowd experience quite like the crowd at TMS...a mere 170 thousand of my closest friends.

There is no experience ever quite like a race. And a race at TMS is just that much more special.