Different schools of thought

Last year during the fall Bristol race I found myself in a house divided. My stepfather and a few others seemed uneasy with the race. It wasn’t the “old Bristol” and they weren’t happy. However, I was excited with what I was seeing. It wasn’t the “old Bristol”, but it was great racing.

I loved the beating and banging that Bristol had always given us. Sheet metal peeled back, panels crushed in, and cars looking like they’d tried speeding through a concrete forest. Rusty and Jeff, Dale and Terry, and countless other bump’n’run/beat’n’bang type races captivated me. I won’t lie, I missed some of that. However, I didn’t miss watching cars ride around for a third of the race under caution.

We also got something from the new surface that we’d never seen to this new extent. Passing. Bristol has always been a 1 ½ lane track at best, but this surface has made for legitimate 3 wide passing in the turns. No longer do you have to tune your car to 1 groove. A driver can search the track for the line that fits his current setup. Not only that, but as opposed to nearly wrecking the car in front of you in order to get around them you can pass. You can pass high. You can pass low. You can finally work the track.

Maybe there’s a happy medium. Maybe once the new surface gets a bit more seasoned we’ll see a compromise between passing and bumping that will please everyone. For now however, I’m just excited that we’ve got great short track racing to watch this Sunday.

Oil lids, tires, and the burning Busch

So much has happened since my last entry and I'm not sure where to start. First things first, I've got to say how happy I am that Robby Gordon's Daytona penalty has been rescinded. Sure, he's out another $50k, but if teams could buy 100 points for $150k then you'd see points races in the 10's of thousands.

Speaking of penalties, the oil lid just "came off" did it Jack? Sure it did. And the passenger window clips came loose just enough to let some of that extra heat and possible fumes get out. When you're caught, you're caught boys. The thing that has blown my mind on this whole situation is that the garage has turned into the media's dream. Every single place you can turn there is someone ready to call out the Roush Fenway team. I've never seen anything like it. Last year when the 48 and 24 had their little incident with the body I never heard anything from other teams. Even the team members with their own tv/radio shows skirted the topic. Things are changing in the garage and I'm anxious to see where this is all headed. Obviously the Toyota official that made the initial comments about Jack had his own agenda. He'd previously worked for Rousch as well as currently working for Toyota, a company that Jack Roush likened to the Japanese Kamikaze bombers from Pearl Harbor just over a year ago. However, Elliot Sadler didn't have a real subversive agenda in calling out the Cat in the Hat, nor did Dale Jr. That didn't stop them though.

Speaking of Toyota, Kyle Busch is doing work right now. I think people are making a little too much of the truck, Nationwide, & Cup trifecta. I could name about 10 drivers right now that could do something close to the same. If you can be a solid contender in Cup, you can do the same in all 3 I believe. However, regardless of the type of car Shrub is wheeling his car like nearly no one else. He's the definition of checkers or wreckers. He's so close to the edge that I think he'll go ever several times this year and catch some dnf's, but the risk/reward will pay off in points. The #18 is a contender and there's no other way to put it.

Finally, the big topic of the race was TIRES and the reactions to them. In a tactful way Jr., Gordon, and several other drivers crushed Goodyear with their comments. If that wasn't bad enough Tony Stewart did the equivelent of smacking Goodyear's mother in the mouth and kicking their dog. NASCAR said they wanted the personalities back in the sport and they've got it. We'll have to see how they react to one of their top tier drivers dog cussing one of their top sponsors.

As for the tire itself, I can see the drivers point. No one, and I mean no one, had a handle on their cars. All I've ever heard is how tight the COT is and Sunday it looked like they were driving on snow. Teams saw minimal tire wear at best and nearly everyone tapped the wall once. I understand Goodyear didn't want drivers hauling off into turn 1 at 200mph and popping a right front, but I'm gueesing teams didn't want to be sides ways at 170mph exiting 4 either. Goodyear missed it and they'll fix it, but it'll take more than a week. I heard Jeff Hammond say that Goodyear should start up a full Cup test team that runs year round. When he said it I thought, "That's a great idea." Then after a while I couldn't figure why this hadn't been something already in the works. If they're a non-competitive team they could tire test every track with all 4 makes if they like.

Now for the good news...Here comes Bristol!

The COT is The Car

Rarely do I pray during a NASCAR event. With all the issues in the world and in my life in general I think it’s almost selfish to ask God to take time to help Jr.’s “tight in and loose off” condition. On the rare occasion that I do, it is in fear and shock to what I’m seeing. In the past few years I can think of a few times I have done what could almost be considered begging to the Lord during a race. Labonte’s car on fire at Chicago, Mikey on fire at California, Jr. with a neck brace on lying on a back board at California (I think it was there), Reutimann’s hit at California as well. This past week watching Jeff Gordon smack that wall live I felt a deep dark feeling. I leaned forward and almost in a trance started saying, “Please drop the window net. Please drop the window net. Please drop the window net!” I was genuinely afraid we had lost another legend. Come race day I’m liable to shoot several profanities at Kyle Busch and hope he loses a tire, smacks the wall, bends his suspension, but casually walks out of the infield care center for an interview. It’s fun to root for someone and its fun to have a rival to root against. However, there is no circumstance in the world where I would want to see harm befall any of these drivers. That brings me to the Car Of Tomorrow/Today…the current car.

Thank you NASCAR. The hit Gordon took in Las Vegas was ridiculous. If his angle was a little different, I’m not sure any of the safety equipment could have done a bit of good. It’s amazing that after all this time people still find a way to complain or question this car. The number one fact is that this car is safer for our drivers. “Oh, it drives a little tight?” Really? I bet those dirt cars you drove were a little free. I bet those late models didn’t have the best “front end geometry” in the world. The driver’s are adapting and the crews have adapted fairly well. It just seems like the fans can’t adapt.

Why in the world is anyone having an issue adopting this car? It seems like every COT race I can think of ends with a side by side finish or at least with drama in the finish. Yes there are some runaways, but that will always happen. When I think of the current car I think of Jimmie and Jeff at Martinsville, Burton and Busch at Bristol, and tons of other good finishes. Not to mention some great side by side racing and passing. Carl may have ran off at the end of the Las Vegas race, but that was because Jr. and Biffle were locked in a pretty tight battle for 2nd.

The COT is here and more important than anything else it is keeping these drivers much safer. Not only that, it truly is giving us better racing. The drivers and crews may have to adjust, but as long as the product is better then that’s something those healthy paychecks should take care of.

500 thoughts

I’m not sure if I’ll have time to formulate a perfect blog entry for the 500, but I want to jump in and address a few things while they’re fresh on my mind.

The gopher cam is garbage. Shhhheeewwwww, I’ve been dying to get that off my chest. I spent my day with several family members watching the race and the gopher cam became the running joke of the day. If we were drinkers, I’m sure it would have quickly become a drinking game…and speaking of drinking…

AMP is undrinkable swill. I’m a fan, I do my part, I picked up a can, and then proceeded to attempt sips at this medicine like energy drink. I’ll admit, it does cause an increase in energy. If I were paralyzed and bed ridden, I can guarantee that this drink is enough to make me get up, walk over, and drop it in the garbage can.

On to some more positive notes.

I realize that for the most part of the race the 18 and the 11 were stinking up the show, but the rest of the field were all over each other. I thought it was a fairly enjoyable 500 and didn’t find myself bored at all. However, I had been dying for some competitive Cup racing and may have been blinded by finally getting it. We had a great finish and overall I had a great day watching it.

Congratulations to Richard Penske. I’m not a Newman fan and dislike Busch, but I am extremely happy for Penske to finally get a Daytona 500. Roger is a legend in the racing world and it would bother me if his time eventually passed without a 500 win. Just as it bothers me that Mark Martin is winding down and looks to retire without one as well.

I’m waiting for the influx of Hendrick hatred to begin. Jeff had a suspension issue, it happens. Jimmie just seemed off, but looked as though (like usual) they had worked the car to a decent finish before he was wrecked. I truly believed Casey was on his way to a top 3, if not a win, just seconds before he was turned into the wall. As for Jr., a ninth place finish after some questionable (at best) pit strategy is a fairly good save. If people want to read too much into Sunday, that’s fine, but HMS isn’t going away.

Great days for Reed Sorenson, MWR, and GEM. I also have to say that Sam Hornish Jr. really impressed me with how he paced his race out. It’s just one race, but don’t be shocked if he doesn’t walk away with rookie of the year.

Overall it was a very good start to the year and I can’t wait for California. I’m so happy that we don’t have the week off that we’ve had the previous years. Let’s get to racing and stick with it. If any break is needed I would think it would be the week prior to the Chase starting, but that’s a whole other blog all together.