Texas Practice Notes

You’re never going to believe this, but one driver was in the top three of both practice sessions today. I know what you’re thinking, but, no, it wasn’t Dave Blaney. Nor was it Ken Schrader, Elliott Sadler or Michael Waltrip. Carl Edwards was second fastest in the early practice session and led all comers in the later session. While Jimmie Johnson and Greg Biffle were ranked right up there with him for session number one, they fell off the pace a little bit for the session number two. Clint Bowyer, David Ragan, Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick were also ranked in the top ten of both sessions. I'm saying it again, keep your eye on the 17.

~Cutler

• 1 Comment
• Texas Motor Speedway, Dickies 500, Carl Edwards

Qualifying Actually Takes Place!

Qualifying. Remember that? It’s how we used to decide the starting grid for NASCAR races. They brought it back for this weekend’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway and an unlikely source took advantage.

It’s odd to call Jeff Gordon an unlikely source. After all, the winner of this weekend’s pole has a total of four this season and 67 over the course of his storied career. This most recent top starting spot, however, is Jeff’s first at Texas Motor Speedway. Now, let’s see if he can parlay it into his first win at this track.

Martin Truex, Jr., Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. round out the top five. It is the sixth starter, however, that I find intriguing. To say that Matt Kenseth is not a strong qualifier is a bit of an understatement. As a matter of fact, conventional wisdom rationalizes this weakness by saying that when he qualifies poorly he does well in the race. So, a sixth place start for him is really good… at track at which he is really good… after an Atlanta race at which he was really good. Keep your eye on the 17. (By the way, some guy named Jimmie will be starting right behind Matt in 7th. Jimmie’s buddy Carl was not as fast and will be in the 16th position.) I’m interested to see how the 17 and 24 fare in Saturday practice.

~Cutler

• 4 Comments
• Texas Motor Speedway, Dickies 500, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth

Toyota, the Source of All Evil

Mike Finney, a columnist for Delaware Online is suggesting that one of the ways NASCAR needs to address its “uncertain” future is to get rid of Toyota. Here’s what he wrote:

“In this troubled economy, NASCAR could probably cure more than half of its troubles by racing strictly American-made cars as it has done for most of its history.

That would bring the patriotic race fan back and might help stimulate car sales for the products coming out of Detroit.”

First of all, for the sake of argument, I am willing to concede that NASCAR’s future is “uncertain”, though I remain unsure of what that means.

Second of all, I will put aside my incredulity that we are still having this conversation.

I do have several questions for Mr. Finney, however.

1. How do you think the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” mantra is going to work, when the racecars bear no resemblance to their production counterparts?

2. By suggesting that NASCAR can cure “half of its troubles” do you mean that 50% of their current challenges have been brought about by the inclusion of Toyota in the Cup series?

3. I’m interested in your assertion that the “patriotic race fan” left the sport when Toyota came on board. Can you please provide me with the source from which you culled this information so I can read more about it?

~Cutler

• 11 Comments
• Mike Finney, Delaware Online, Toyota, Xenophobia, Jingoism

Even Junior Feels the Pinch

You know things are bad when even an Earnhardt can’t get enough sponsor love. Here’s what Kelley Earnhardt Elledge had to say about JR Motorsports 2009 prospects:

"We've been working aggressively to secure funding to continue with two teams in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The economic climate is difficult, as everyone is aware, and that is affecting every company's ability to spend. The 2008 season will be ending in less than three weeks, and preparations for next season are already underway. We do not anticipate getting the funding required to field two teams after the end of this season, and we need to make adjustments now to prepare JR Motorsports accordingly. We are reducing our workforce and budgets to comply with a new plan for 2009, which at the present time is to field the #88 team full-time with driver Brad Keselowski, and the #5 team on a limited basis with a select group of drivers."

Any JR Motorsports sponsor knows that Junior comes with the package. We’ve seen him sporting Navy gear almost as much as Keselowski this season. Yet, the biggest, most marketable name in the sport can’t find a second sponsor.

Additionally, CBS Sportsline is reporting that “…as many as 750 to 1,000 employees from various Sprint Cup, Nationwide and truck series teams will be released the Monday after the Homestead weekend season finales.”

Obviously, the dismal economic outlook has a lot to do with this. Let’s be honest, though, it’s also just the final nail of many. We can cite R & D costs, driver salaries, private jets, etc., but the bottom line is that this all started several years ago. Bass Masters coined the phrase “Great Wave of Consolidation” long before the sub-prime mortgage collapse heralded the onset of the country’s current financial woes. Perhaps, NASCAR’s economic pendulum has reached its apex and we’re seeing the beginning of a natural correction. The correction could go a couple of different ways. We could end up with a few mega-teams, or we could swing back to the simplicity and affordability of small shops being competitive. While the former seems more likely, the latter would definitely be more entertaining.

~Cutler

• 5 Comments
• JR Motorsports, Brad Keselowski, Kelley Earnhardt Elledge, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Roush's Dumb Idea

As if more evidence was needed that Jack Roush is a couple of tacos short of a combination plate, here’s what he said at the post-race press conference after the Pep Boys Auto 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“… [I]t would be my suggestion as NASCAR looks at how to make [the Chase] more exciting, if we had an opportunity, every team had an opportunity, to throw out one race and be able to just count nine of the 10, that means you could have a Mulligan and you could be able to come back from it.”

Exactly how this would make the Chase more exciting, I’m not exactly sure and Jack didn’t really explain. I guess by “more exciting” he might have meant ‘more watered down’ or ‘more amateurish’. By “more exciting” he probably meant ‘more of a chance for my guys to catch Jimmie & Chad.’ As Bass Masters pointed out, however, Jack fails to realize that Jimmie would also get to drop his worst finish so it really wouldn’t close the gap.

Here’s the deal Jack, professional athletes don’t get “mulligans”. Not even in golf. In professional sports, performance counts, even if you sometimes wish it didn’t. I’m sure that the Boston Red Sox would like to have thrown out their worst playoff game. How about the New England Patriots last season? Should they have gotten a “do-over” for the Super Bowl?

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Roush jumped on the ‘what-are-we-going-to-do-about-the-48’s-Chase-dominance’ bandwagon. He’s always quick to point the finger someplace other than Roush Fenway Racing. I’m just surprised he didn’t suggest that Chevy, Dodge and Ford teams get to throw out their worst finish, while Toyota teams have to toss out their best.

~Cutler

• 12 Comments
• Jack Roush, Roush Fenway Racing

We're Talking Practice

Carl Edwards is fast at Atlanta. At least, that's what it looks like from the practice numbers, where he led two out of three sessions, running 4th fastest in the third.

I'm not sure how many laps the guys were running on average, but it looks like speeds are dropping by about 2 seconds as the tires wear.

Rumblings from Larry Mac that Mark Martin might jump on into that number 5 car before the end of the year. The story said the final 4 races, but obviously it would be the last 3. Makes sense to me.

Looks like NASCAR may be rethinking next year's testing policy in light of economic conditions. Originally the idea was to give teams 24 dates at whatever tracks they wanted. Those teams struggling for sponsorship, however, are probably going to have trouble finding the cash for all that.

--BASS

• 1 Comment

Of Raindrops and Scapegoats

What a shock, rain washed out qualifying yesterday in Atlanta. By rule, Jimmie Johnson will start on the pole in Sunday's Pep Boys Auto 500.

By now I'm sure most of you know where Buck, Cutler, and I stand on this. They should have a back-up session for qualifying in case of rain. It's just too important a part of the weekend's competition. But even with a backup session scheduled, there will still be rainouts. And that leaves me with another question. Should points be how we set the field?

As David Poole said to me the other day (I'm paraphrasing:) it's not ideal, but I can't think of a way that's fairer. When asked about it at Martinsville last weekend, Jeff Burton said, remember, Jimmie Johnson's earned it. At first I was inclined to agree. But then I got to thinking. Isn't each weekend's race supposed to be its own event? Should something you've done in previous races help you in this week's race?? I don't think so.

A better way to set the field is by random draw. Now I know the top 35 rule flies in the face of this logic, but I guess I'm separating eligibility for the event from participation in it--by determining who gets in and where they start and pit, qualifying does both. If qualifying is rained out, I guess I'm OK determining eligibility from past performance (although it's not ideal) but I'd rather see a randomly drawn starting grid than one that rewards teams for what they've already done.

And then there's cheating. Following the Martinsville violations for thinning out the sheet metal on the side of the car, Red Bull Racing has fired a supervisor. GM Jay Frye has also asserted that crew chief Kevin Hamlin, and driver Brian Vickers, had no knowledge of the cheat beforehand. It's not hard to believe Vickers was in the dark, but most race fans are probably skeptical of Hamlin's ignorance.

Nobody was more eager to throw Hamlin under the bus than Buck Fever, a bus-thrower-underer from a long time back. So he picked up the phone and called our friend and former Cup driver Rick Mast. Ten years, ago, Rick said, you'd be crazy to think Frank (as Rick calls Hamlin) didn't know. But today, I don't think we can say that. The teams are just so much bigger and roles just so much more specialized, it's not hard to believe that there was work done on the car that the crew chief didn't know the details of. Maybe Hamlin really didn't know. In fact, I might say he probably didn't know because it's just really not worth the risk right now and it's hard to believe he'd be dumb enough to approve something like that.

But it's not going to far to say management is responsible for the actions of the team no matter what. Obviously the supervisor in question didn't understand the risk-reward equation for cheating has changed. In other words, it ain't worth the risk. (Incidentally, I think NASCAR should consider two races worth of points as a deterrent. Something closer to 250-300 points instead of 150). So Hamlin needs to pay the price and the team needs to take responsibility. By firing a dude, they made it pretty clear to everybody on the team what's going to happen if you cheat. What else should they have done??

--BASS

• 5 Comments
• rain outs, Red Bull Racing, qualifying, Cheating

Leave Daytona Alone

On the Orlando Sentinel’s website, Matt Humphrey takes up the clarion call to make the Daytona 500 the last race of the season. At the very least, he says, the Firecracker could be shifted to that final slot. While I freely admit that having the series’ biggest race kick off the season is a little funky, having it end the season is a really bad idea. Having any restrictor plate race end the season is a really bad idea.

Imagine the outcome of the Championship is still in question when we arrive at the season’s final event. Do you really want to see the trophy awarded to whomever managed to avoid the “big one”? Plate racing is just too tricked-out and gimmicky -- it should never be put in the position of deciding NASCAR’s Champion. (The 500’s ridiculous qualifying format is another reason to leave it where it is.) As much as I want to see a road-course in the Chase, I would never advocate that it be the season’s last race for similar reasons.

As for moving the Firecracker, Humphrey cites fan comfort as being a motivating factor. Evidently, Florida is just too hot to watch a race comfortably in July. Are you freakin’ kidding me? Your pit stains are not NASCAR’s problem. Try Bristol in August.

Sorry, Matt Humphrey, but you’re all wet. Clearly, you are a Florida homer and your brain has been fried by an excess of sun and citric acid.

~Cutler

• 7 Comments
• Daytona 500, Firecracker

Company for Cale

As if there weren’t enough ways to declare this season’s Championship a done deal here’s another one: Not only is Jimmie Johnson the defending race winner for the next three weekends, he has the highest career finishing average at the next three tracks.

Atlanta, Texas and Phoenix are the next three tracks on the schedule. Now, you might say that two of those – Atlanta and Texas -- are downforce tracks and Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle should have something for him. That is true. They should. Nobody will be surprised to see a Roushketeer in Victory lane. Carl won at Texas earlier this year and swept Atlanta in 2005. Biffle won at Texas in 2005. They have been superior on 1-½ mile downforce tracks all season long, especially the #99.

Here’s the deal, though. As far as the Championship hunt is concerned it doesn’t matter who wins. Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus will not suffer a string of finishes so poor that they give this championship away. Carl Edwards has to make up an average of 49.5 points per race, and Biffle 37.25, to catch the #48. Good luck in 2009, boys. It doesn’t take too large of a limb to support the notion that Cale Yarborough needs to scoot over and make some room.

~Cutler

• 6 Comments
• Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Texas Motor Speedway, Atalanta Motor Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Cale Yarborough

Martinsville is NASCAR Original

My noble swain, Bass Masters, just pointed our an interesting bit of trivia to me: of the eight racetracks at which NASCAR ran in their inaugural season of 1949, only Martinsville Speedway remains active. The tracks in question are:

Charlotte Speedway
Daytona Beach Road Course
Occoneechee Speedway
Langhorne Speedway
Hamburg Speedway
MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY
Heidelberg Raceway
North Wilkesboro Speedway

Being a southerner the “older is better” view of life is in my DNA. In this case, however, Martinsville supports that notion. It is a track like no other. It produces racing like nowhere else. It’s peripheries – hot dogs, grandfather clocks, lack of tunnel to the infield – provide color to a sport that is becoming more black and white with each passing year. Hell, a race or two ago they had the band director from the local middle school perform the national anthem on his freaking saxophone.

You also have to give credit to the Speedway for their ongoing efforts to improve the track and its amenities. Clay Campbell, track President, told Buck fever that they try to make at least one major improvement a year. This year, they have spent $3 million on a new scoreboard, pit road pavement, new stadium seats and a SAFER barrier in turn 4.

The rumors continue to suggest that in 2010, one of Martinsville’s dates will be given to Kansas. (There is precedent, the track was dropped from the Nationwide schedule for the second time last season.) Now, we can gripe about NASCAR losing touch with its roots and eschewing tradition for bottom line. To me that stuff, is secondary. What I’m more bothered by is supplanting the unique with the ordinary and the different with more of the same.

~Cutler

• 10 Comments
• Martinsville Speedway