Please Nascar, Do Something

Another week in the COT, another boring 500 miles at Fontana. Half the cars end up a lap down or more. One driver dominates the entire race, and it wasn't even a Toyota. Passing is pretty much a mid-pack thing, with 7th through 20th being exchanged among a bunch of drivers several times. Cautions are limited to the lights falling from the fences at regular intervals and the occasional bonehead smacking the wall for no apparent reason.

Please Nascar, can't we do something to the COT to improve the racing somehow? Could we stand the spoiler up straighter? Could we take out the bump stops? Maybe allow unlimited caster angles on the axles? Something, anything to stop these boring four hour parades that pass for races in 2008. Please Nascar, just grant me one wish and I swear I won't call your CEO names anymore....for a week.

• 8 Comments
• NASCAR, boredom

What About the Drivers?

Two blog posts today combined to give me a really bad attitude about Nascar. The first was Scott Pruett's wreck in the Rolex series that could have easily cost him his life. The second was RacerX reporting that the Shootout format is changing to highlight the manufacturers, at the expense of the drivers.

The first instance just highlighted again for me the pure and unavoidable risk of being a race car driver. Sometimes I think we forget, until reminded by tragedy (God bless Dale, Sr.), that racing is absurdly dangerous. And the ladies and gentlemen that are willing to do it deserve all of the respect, and the money, that they earn. (Note to Mr. Helton, and Mr. France: The drivers are the only reason that Nascar exists, and the only reason it makes money. We would watch them in Nissans, Hondas, Cooper Minis, or Chrysler Minivans. We don't really care about the manufacturers)

The second instance reminded me that, more and more, Nascar puts money way out in front of people in terms of importance. I know Nascar is a for-profit venture, but pandering to the manufacturers because times are tight at the expense of the drivers and the fans is wrong. Does Nascar think we fans like our drivers being slighted in favor of nameless CEOs at big auto builders? What's next, moving races from exciting tracks that don't draw enough television market to big corporate events with lots of VIP boxes for the corporate weenies to sit in? (oops, already done that.)

The upshot of this rant is this: Nascar needs to respect its drivers more, cater to its fan base (who buy the tickets and the die cast cars), and pander to it manufacturers less. Cause I for one, don't give a rip about 'em.

• 2 Comments
• manufacturers, suck

Driver Tips for Bristol

Dale Jr. - If everybody else is staying in line coming to the green flag, it's probably not because they are stupid or have slow cars. It's a rule.

Juan Pablo Montoya - Driving slow in the fast lane causes road rage. Move the f*** over dude.

Michael Waltrip - Stay in the booth, stay off the track. You're costing people money.

Kasey Kahne - Stay away from Michael Waltrip, far away.

Kyle Busch - Do unto others enough times and you will have others do unto you.

And finally...

Carl Edwards - Be careful. Your manhood is showing. Nascar frowns on that sort of thing.

• 4 Comments
• Bristol, driver, tips

Toyota Still Got More Game

In the wake of the Joe Gibbs Racing fiasco that hit the Nationwide Series after the Michigan race, this little tidbit might have gotten by you. According to Sporting News, NASCAR went ahead and carried out the dyno testing of the selected Nationwide cars after the stops were removed from under the JGR accelerataor pedals. The results? To quote NASCAR:

"After the shims were removed at Michigan, the peak number of the Gibbs' Toyotas (640 horsepower) was still higher than that of the Chevrolets (636), Fords (634) and Dodges (632)."

And remember, this is running the new, smaller spacer under the carb. of the Toyotas. So if you think Toyota got the shaft with the smaller spacer, you might think again.

• 4 Comments
• Nationwide, Toyota, horsepower, testing

2009 Sched Changes at Nascar.com

Here is the complete rundown on the 2009 schedule changes as reported at nascar.com, the official source of all propaganda.

http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/official/08/19/2009.schedules/index.html

• 0 Comments
• 2009, schedule, NASCAR

2009 Schedule Changes Announced

This news article from the associated press showed up on my local news web site today. It appears that the fall Atlanta race will be Labor Day weekend at night. That sounds like fun! Also, Fontana and Talladega fall races will move around to accommodate the change. Here is the complete article.

"The Associated Press has learned that NASCAR will run under the lights in Atlanta next year and the race is expected to be moved to Labor Day weekend."

"It's expected that Atlanta's night race will get its new date in a move that involves two other tracks. Atlanta would get the Labor Weekend date that the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, now how hosts. Fontana would get the fall race now run at Talladega, and Talladega would end up with Atlanta's fall race."

http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=8861846&nav=menu128_4

• 4 Comments
• 2009, schedule

Fox News on Gibbs

Fox News has a good recap of the JGR Cheating incident. Here is the URL: http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/8459898/Report:-JGR-facing-Nationwide-penalties.

Here is best quote of the article, from Jack Roush:

"NASCAR will figure out what they should," Roush said. "If they're going to make decisions based on parity, after they've given (Toyota) what they've given them with regard to parameters on their engine, based on flawed data that a team or the manufacturer, one of the other, had kited or shaved, that certainly is detrimental to my interests."

• 9 Comments
• ROUSH, Gibbs, Nationwide, Cheating

Gibbs Caught Sandbaggin'

I think that most Nationwide fans (outside of the JGR camp) suspected that the last horsepower tests didn't accurately reflect the advantage that JGR appears to have on the track in both Nationwide and Sprint Cup, and now we know why that Nationwide test might have been skewed. Gibbs was caught putting spacers under the throttle stops of their impounded cars to lower the horsepower numbers on the chassis dyno tests ordered by Nascar yesterday.

So you have to wonder, why would an organization working so hard to convince everyone that their cars are not unfairly advantaged feel the need to sandbag on the dyno test? Only one explanation is logical in my mind. Gibbs knows they have an advantage, and they need to hide that fact from the other teams, from Nascar, and from the fans. So you have to wonder, if they are willing to cheat to hide their advantage, are they willing to cheat to gain that advantage?

There is only one way to find out. I would like to see Nascar impound a bunch of Sprint Cup cars this weekend immediately after the race, dyno them and then tear them down to the ground. I know as a fan of the sport, it would make me feel better about Gibb's dominance this season. And who knows what they might find....

• 1 Comment
• Gibbs, Nationwide, cheat

Kyle Busch Rocks, Eh?

Alright, we all know Canadians don't get a lot of the nuance of Nascar racing, so we should be too surprised at this headline at the Winnipeg Sun today: "Busch Clinches Championship". The article clarifies the fact that Kyle actually clinched the lead in the Race for the Chase, but that little detail is probably lost on the editors at the Sun. Or maybe its just a really prescient headline. The Shrub and his JGR Toyota look pretty unbeatable in the horsepower races. And the Chase involves at least 6, if not 7 horsepower races (short or medium track with banking, no restrictor plate). But couldn't we at least wait until its over to declare victory?

• 9 Comments

Nationwide, Rain Or Shine

I just read this interesting tidbit over at PaddockTalk about the upcoming Watkins Glen International race this weekend.

http://www.paddocktalk.com/news/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=91324

It seems that running in the rain on road courses was not some one shot deal for the Nationwide series. Looks like the Zippo 200 race will go, rain or shine. Now you know how I felt about the race last week. But in fairness, it sounds like Watkins Glen keeps more grip in the rain and that might be fun. Here is a quote from the story.

"NASCAR Officials confirmed that the Nationwide Series will continue to race as long as the conditions are safe. Following the same procedures as last weekend, NASCAR will red-flag the race to have everyone switch to wet weather gear. Then they will continue to monitor the condition of the track and only stop the race if it becomes unsafe for the competitors. In the event of a downpour or standing water on the track NASCAR will stop the race. "

• 4 Comments
• Nationwide, rain, tires, Watkins Glen