Opinions on racing.

GETTING SCALPED: Of all the stuff I wrote about in my August 31 column, I figured the most "controversial" item was the testing of soft walls. Boy, was I wrong. Seems people feel pretty strongly about scalping and doing something about it (e.g.. making it illegal). Most people seemed to think that the reason I […]

THEY’RE MY TICKETS: Bristol Motor Speedway doesn’t like free enterprise…at least for their customers. I can hear you say "What’s he talking about?". Well, let me explain. If I buy tickets to the Bristol races, and for some reason I can’t go, I’ve got to sell them at face value. I can’t auction them off […]

Two items bring back to the fore the seemingly endless debate over testing in NASCAR. First, there was the implementation of what should be known as the Rahal Rule. Named for the presumably soon-to-be-official chairman of CART, Bobby Rahal, this rule for CART eliminates testing during the season, with 24 test days per team during […]

1997 was not the first time Petty Enterprises had fielded multiple cars, but it was the first time since the costly 1983 season that it had done so fulltime. The circumstances in the sport were a lot different now, so they pretty much had no choice. Kyle’s satellite outfit was named pe2 and operated out […]

BIG BROTHER, NASCAR STYLE: Mike Mulhern says that there will be NASCAR officials posted in the broadcast control rooms next to the producers. Folks, say goodbye to any journalistic freedom for the TV networks covering NASCAR events. I still don’t necessarily buy the fact that NASCAR owns the broadcast rights to any race. I think […]

THERE’S A LOOSE NUT IN THE PITS: So the NASCAR official tells you that you only put 4 lug nuts on the car. What do you do? Do you think of the driver’s safety and bring him in like NASCAR has instructed you to do? If you’re Tommy Baldwin, you don’t. NASCAR was extremely lenient […]

Note: This interview was conducted several days prior to Steve Park winning his 1st ever Winston Cup race at Watkins Glen. Park becomes the 13th different driver to win in the NASCAR 2000 season. CONGRATULATIONS to Steve and the entire #1Pennzoil Chevy crew! TB: You look like you’re having fun in your 3rd year in […]

A fundamental change in the sport occurred at the end of 1991, and it was more than just Gary Nelson’s hiring by NASCAR as its competition director. There was also General Motors’ approach to the sport. The individual divisions ran their own programs, and through this Pontiac worked with the Brodix company and in 1988 […]

The sky was a perfect shade of blue. The air was abuzz with pre-race excitement. The crowds were immense. The sounds were deafening. The traffic stretched as far as the eyes could see. But, off in a little grassy field, across from the racetrack, was a small, subdued ceremony. The ceremony, which consisted of releasing […]

Sterling Marlin, not one to strut comfortably in the limelight, was suddenly thrust center stage recently with the horrific accident that claimed the life of his SABCO teammate, Kenny Irwin. Attending two separate funerals in as many months, which included the untimely death of young Adam Petty, is nearly too much for even the most […]