Opinions on Racing
Ah, Robin Miller. The commentator/columnist/reporter for The Indianapolis Star is at it again.. In his January 1 column, he takes another cheap shot at stock car racing. To wit: “If ESPN’s expert panel hadn’t put Richard Petty ahead of Mario Andretti in driver of the century rankings, or the fans hadn’t selected the 1998 Daytona […]
The year 2000 will see the introduction of two new bodystyles to NASCAR competition. Chevrolet has undertaken a major overhaul of the Monte Carlo body, creating what is quasi-officially known as the MC Intimidator. As for Ford, its overhaul of the Taurus racecar is less radical, more of a minor facelift. Pontiac, meanwhile, remains […]
One of the sport’s unresolved controversies has been the utility of the Latford point system. The controversy stems from the system’s emphasis on a team’s average finish as opposed to general performance. Defenders of the system note that driver and team consistency should matter in a points race and that the Latford system has […]
So 1999’s NASCAR season has finally come to an end. Within the season were many events worthy of comment and worthy of "awards." So, the envelope, please: 1999 NASCAR DRIVER OF THE YEAR – Tony Stewart. The winningest rookie in 35 seasons, Stewart rewrote NASCAR’s modern era record books for rookies. IDIOCY […]
It’s official. NASCAR has abandoned the two TV networks that are primarily responsible for NASCAR’s popularity. ESPN/ABC and TNN/CBS have been shut out by NBC/TBS (TBS!) and Fox. Let’s see…after this year, the total number of Winston Cup races broadcast by NBC and Fox will be…. one. TBS does have some experience with NASCAR. They […]
There is no parity in NASCAR. Now you might think this an inaccurate assumption. NASCAR has obsessed itself with achieving parity, and by many standards it has never seen greater parity than it has today. By November 1999 NASCAR had seen eleven different winners – Jeff Gordon with seven wins, Jeff Burton with […]
I disagree with Mr. Harness on the NASCAR point system. I dislike the NASCAR point system. It’s possible for a driver to never win a race but win the championship. I know, it’s consistency. No other sport decides it’s champion this way. Not baseball, football, basketball, or even boxing. They would never put a […]
In response to comments by Jeff Gordon about the NASCAR point system, Glen Harness authored a defense of the present point system. It is worth examining. A little history is in order, first, for controversy about NASCAR’s point system has raged for several decades. One of the first controversies came around 1968, when Bobby Isaac […]
If Bill France Jr. had appointed me to run the day-to-day operation of NASCAR instead of Mike Helton, things would be a whole lot different. For one thing, Mr. France would be undergoing psychiatric evaluation to determine his competency, since I’m a computer programmer with no significant experience either in racing or running a business. […]
We haven’t heard this in a couple of years, but it’s popped up again. What am I talking about? The fact that the Winston Cup points system doesn’t reward the winner with more points. You heard it a few years ago when Rusty Wallace was winning 10 races a year but not the championship. Now, […]