RacinDeals: Playing Catch Up
CATCHING UP: I did get a chance to watch the Rockingham race, then that
Sunday night, we headed for Florida. From then until I wrote this paragraph (Tuesday, Nov. 13),
the only racing news I was aware of is that Bill Elliott won at Homestead,
and some over-the-wall crew and a NASCAR official were hurt during the wreck.
Oh, I did get to see about 5 or 6 laps of the Homestead race, even though we
were halfway between Cozumel and Miami. The ship, Carnival’s Imagination,
did manage to pick up network TV off the satellite a few times, but it was in
and out. The part I saw was about 30 laps into the race, and Bill Elliott had
already built up a 2 or 3 second lead.
LAME DUCK JOE: It looks like the only way Joe Nemechek can win a race is to
announce that he’ll not be back with the same team next year. After it was
announced that he’d be leaving Sabates a few years ago, he got his first career
win. So, he announces that he’s leaving Petree, and bam, he gets another win.
How about a head start for next year by announcing he’ll be leaving Carter at
the end of the year, that way he can have a chance at winning all the
races?
AWESOME BILL: It was front page news in Atlanta, at least until the airliner
went down: Bill Elliott wins. After hearing that he’d won, and based on the few
laps I’d seen, I figured he’d stunk up the show. But apparently it was Tony
Stewart who stunk up the show, then lost it. He beats himself more than the
competitors beat him.
JUST A PAWN: Speaking of Evernham
Motorsports, it looks like Casey Atwood is getting the shaft. When Atwood got
the ride last year, he was basically given the choice of organizations: Evernham
or Rick Hendrick. Ironically, instead of ultimately becoming Jeff Gordon’s
teammate, he chose Evernham because of how he’d brought Gordon along when they
first got into Winston Cup.
So now through some crazy scheme, Ray
Evernham is part owner of the #7 car, and Atwood will be driving that car, while
Jeremy Mayfield has been given Atwood’s ride.
I don’t like it, not one little bit. Casey
deserves to be treated better than that. He gave up a LOT to join the Evernham
organization, and this is how he gets repaid?
A MOVING TARGET: So, Sterling
Marlin is getting a new teammate next year in Jimmy Spencer. I can’t imagine two
drivers that are more different in personality. That should be interesting.
STOP THE PRESSES: Some people have
just realized that auto racing is a dangerous, and sometimes deadly, sport!
People not only get killed, but they get hurt while participating in the sport.
So, now we must protect the participants better, since they’re too stupid to
protect themselves. We make the over-the-wall crew wear helmets, we make the
drivers wear a head restraint device, we make the pit road speed measurement
area longer.
I guess it doesn’t really matter that none
of the safety changes made would have prevented any fatalities or injuries, but
the "do something, even if it’s wrong" mentality of the press has
forced NASCAR to make these changes.
NO CHANGES TO THE POINTS SYSTEM:
The annual debate has kicked in again, where some people complain about the
points system, and how a driver who wins more races should get more points.
NASCAR has already said they’re not going to change anything, which is as it
should be. It’s not really broke, so it doesn’t need fixing. The points system
as it is now not only reflects how good a driver performs, but how bad he
performs. Would a driver who won 15 races and DNF’d in 15 truly deserve to be
champion?
DEVELOP THIS: Willy T. Ribbs was hired as
part of Dodge’s "diversity" program which was designed to
"enhance" the careers of non-white guys.
So, is part of that enhancement figuring
out what to do when you’re fired? Ribbs was released from the ride and another
non-white guy, Bill Lester, has been hired for the ride.
Since skill really doesn’t seem to be in
the criteria, why did they fire Ribbs?
HELMET "LAWS": So, if
there’s no rule regarding whether or not an open-faced helmet versus a
full-faced helmet is used, why did NASCAR (i.e. Gary Nelson) pressure Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. to start wearing a full-faced helmet? Especially since Dale Sr.
was so adamant about not wearing one?
NASCAR either needs to mandate the
full-faced helmet, or let the drivers make the choice themselves. They can’t
have it both ways, as much as they’re trying.
As far as the over-the-wall pit crew
members go, I can’t believe how goofy they looked wearing hockey helmets and
bicycle helmets. Yeah, those are gonna come in real handy when you’re run over
by a ton and a half vehicle.
PIT ROAD SAFETY: I wonder how much
safer pit road would be, at least under caution, if teams could not advance
under pit stops? Think about it: you come in the pits running in 5th, and that’s
where you’ll line up before the restart. The stops could then be made without
the rush, which is the ONLY reason accidents happen.
ATLANTA: The Atlanta race was,
overall, a much better race than most we’ve seen this year. With three grooves,
there was a lot of passing. Most of the lead changes were actually green-flag
changes, not "fake" lead changes under caution.