Awesome RacinDeals

TARGET MARKET: I’ve been chiding NASCAR on their "How Bad Have
You Got It" ad campaign due to the fact that it makes NASCAR fans look
stupid.

But based on some of the feedback I’ve seen regarding the Renshaw/Day
controversy, I’d say NASCAR is overestimating the intelligence of the typical
racing fan. These fans from Bizzaro world want to penalize people who didn’t
break the rules while rewarding people who did (albeit not intentionally).
Crazy.

HENDRICK LESSONS: It seems that Ray Evernham has learned quite a
lesson from his old boss, Rick Hendrick. What’s that you say? It’s where you
have two or three "teams" but all the resources go into making one of
them a winner. After Sunday, is there any doubt that the #19 is Evernham’s #5
and the #7 is his #25?

YOUNG GUNS: You know, it strikes me that the same mentality that Ricky
Rudd exhibited earlier this year when he complained that the "young
guns" were getting all the press coverage is the same mentality that led to
the Renshaw/Day controversy. I still maintain that it had nothing to do with
gender, but that drivers who were winning races and running consistently up
front were not getting the same amount of coverage that a mid-pack driver was.

JUST ANOTHER RACE: Isn’t it curious that the points leader was not
interviewed before the race as to how he felt about racing at Indianapolis?
That’s because they had an agenda of hyping the race more than it deserves. The
only people they interviewed were people who kept up with the Indy 500 when they
were young and who "fantasized" about racing one day at Indy. The fact
is, the race at Indy is just one of 36. It’s certainly not as historic, from a
stock car perspective, as the Daytona track or even the Darlington track. To try
to hype it beyond what ie deserves is just that: hype.

NBC: So, with Elliott making the pass on Wallace in the closing laps,
the only racing taking place was behind them. And what does NBC show after
Elliott crosses the line? Elliott continuing around the track. No shots of the
racing for position on the last lap. That’s inexcusable. Try a split screen next
time.

IT’S [INSERT ADJECTIVE]: If I hear or see the word "awesome"
one more time I’m gonna go tonystewart on someone.

CHEAP SHOTS: I’m not sure which was the cheaper shot, Spencer booting
Busch into the wall, or Busch’s low class way of handling it.

SPONSOR WOES: Someone explain this to me… If you operate a two- or
three-car (or truck) team, and you let one of your drivers go because of lack of
sponsorship, then shouldn’t you end up with a one- or two-car (or truck) team?

I like Bobby Hamilton as a driver, but as a team owner, I’m not sure. Joe
Ruttman is released at the end of the 2001 season because of lack of
sponsorship. But then Robert Pressley is hired to run the unsponsored truck for
the 2002 season. Huh?

Brian Rose comes on board to run a third truck. Last week, he’s let go
because of a lack of sponsorship. But then Hamilton himself drives the truck
(with Square D sponsorship because they wanted to sponsor him in the truck), and
next weekend, his son Bobby Hamilton, Jr. will drive the truck at Gladeville. I
don’t get it. If there’s no money to run the team, then why does it keep
running?

Maybe Brian should get some shoe polish for his face, since Dodge has their
"diversity" program that sets aside rides for people BASED SOLELY ON
THEIR SKIN COLOR.

OUTRAGEOUS BEHAVIOR: Let me get this straight: people were upset,
upset I tell you, that NASCAR would suspend Kevin Harvick from the Winston Cup
Series for a race due to actions he made in totally different series. OK. Now we
hear that people are wanting Tony Stewart suspended because of his altercation
with a photographer. If it’s "wrong" to suspend a Winston Cup driver
for his behavior in a race in a different series, why is it not wrong to suspend
a driver for his behavior that wasn’t in a race? Let’s get consistent, media
folks.

RACERS AND DRIVERS: I heard an interesting statement from AJ Foyt on a
radio interview a few weeks ago. He said that there are a lot of drivers in
Winston Cup, but few racers. I think he’s right. Every time I see a driver in
the lead pull over to let the guy behind him by I cringe. If you’re my driver
and you’re in the lead, it’s your job to stay in the lead. You don’t pull over
and let a "faster" guy around you. If he’s faster, then he can find
his own way to pass.

BACKLASH: I’ve seen some incredible comments regarding Tony Stewart
this week. At first, they were all of the "he should be punished"
variety. Then later they were all of the "it wasn’t his fault, he was
provoked" type. That’s nonsense.

Whatever happened to someone being held responsible for their own actions?
Sure, NASCAR "fined" him and put him on their double secret probation
plan, but so what? If Stewart doesn’t want his picture taken when it’s not the
"time or place" then he needs to find another line of work. Perhaps he
could sell paint at a Home Depot or something.

At least Stewart himself seems to realize
that what he did was stupid and inexcusable. 

A SPONSOR FINE: And now we hear that Home Depot itself has
"fined" Stewart $50,000, and will give the money to charity (albeit a
United Way charity). Let me see if I’ve got the flow: 1 – Home Depot pays a
couple of truck loads of money to Joe Gibbs Racing. 2 – JGR in turn pays Tony
Stewart a salary to drive a car. 3 – Home Depot has levied their $50,000 fine
against Stewart. So in other words, Home Depot will withhold $50,000 from the
money they pay JGR and give it to a charity. Again, what’s $50k to someone who
makes several million a year? What it boils down to is "Stewart hit a
reporter, and we’re donating $50,000 to a charity because of it."

Home Depot has also put Stewart on whatever their version of
"probation" is. So if Stewart slaps around another reporter, are we to
assume that Home Depot will give JGR an ultimatum that says they have to fire
Stewart or lose Home Depot as a sponsor?

Sorry, but I just don’t buy this whole "the sponsor fined a driver and
put him on probation" line. Home Depot isn’t about to let Stewart go, and
this "fine" is just a PR stunt as far as I’m concerned. It’s added a
couple more news cycles to a story that should have been over when Stewart was
fined by NASCAR and subsequenly apologized. Remember, there’s no such thing as
bad publicity.

FENDERLESS GUYS: I just can’t believe that Christian Fittipaldi is
apparently going to start driving stock cars full time. With so many other
drivers out there who have stock car experience, why would you go with someone
who doesn’t?

CAUCASIANS NEED NOT APPLY: Congratulations to the eight people who
were awarded scholarships from Dodge Motorsports Diversity Program. We’re
getting closer and closer to pure equality
in this society.

THEY PUT THE CON IN CONSECO: If you bought life insurance from Conseco,
I hope you’re shopping around for a new policy, since it’s likely that they’ll
be going bankrupt shortly. And if you bought whole life or cash value or
"permanent" insurance from them (which is a mistake no matter who you
buy it from), where’s your cash value going to when they go under?