Curtis Turner for 2016 HOF

Curtis Turner for 2016 HOF

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Get Well, Congrats, Blurry Lines, Old Tracks, & Other Stuff

Get Well Soon
 
Donnie Allison was unable to make the Legends Helping Legends event due to having the flu because he didn’t want to get fans and other legends sick. And Bobby Allison called from an emergency room where he had taken his wife to let folks know he wouldn’t be attending. I hope everyone is well.
 
Congratulations To Tiger Tom Pistone & Fred Lorenzen
 
Tiger Tom Pistone, former stock car racer and inventive genius behind a lot of racing parts and safety innovations still being used today, will be inducted into the Illinois Stock Car Hall of Fame as part of their inaugural induction class. The induction ceremony will take place on April 14th. Also included in the induction group will be the original Golden Boy, Fred Lorenzen and Andy Granatelli of STP Indy car fame. They’ve included 15 folks in their inaugural induction class. Something the NA$CAR Hall of Fame should’ve done.
 
Winning Hearts & Minds…NOT!
 
It seems that at the fall Richmond race, a young driver was on his way to the media center while walking in the Cup garage when he was suddenly shoved from behind not once but twice. And who did the shoving? Why none other than NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel having one of her petulant frenzies and her accompanying bag, I mean PR lady.
 
Despite the lamestream media refusing to show the darker side of NA$CAR’s latest messiah, reports of her misbehavior and poor interactions with fans and other drivers still are making their way out of the garage area. As are reports that the lamestream media is receiving “suggestions” to spend lots of time singing her praises from the mountain tops. Or atop the scoring towers at the tracks. You don’t win people over by being rude or uncouth. Especially when you’ve already got a bull’s eye painted on you for being rude to fans and having a potty mouth. You do realize who the fans are? You know, the ones who buy or use your sponsors products & services. The ones who directly or indirectly pay your paycheck.
 
The Lines Grow Blurrier
 
“I guess NASCAR thinks ’Hey, wrestling worked, and it was for the most part staged, so I guess it’s going to work in racing, too’. I can’t understand how long the fans are going to let NASCAR treat them like they’re stupid before the fans finally turn on NASCAR”. “I don’t know that they’ve run a fair race all year.” - Tony Stewart, 2007. 
 

On WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” show, it was announced that WWE wrestler John Cena would be the starter for the Daytona 500. Obviously somebody down in the Ivory Towers hasn’t been paying attention to what the fans have been saying regarding how the races are manipulated and NA$CAR’s taking on the appearance of pro wrestling. Don’t get me wrong here. I like John Cena because of his support for the troops. I watch the WWE from time to time. It’s like a soap opera for men & boys. But when you’ve already got lots of fans suspecting the sanctioning body of using the same sort of behind the scenes manipulation that’s used in pro wrestling to affect the outcome of races, the last thing you want to do is add fuel to the fire. Add this to last week’s points buying so that NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel can make an appearance at the Daytona 500 and it really goes from racin‘ to motorasslin‘.
 

What can we expect next? Good ole JR (John Ross) and Jerry “The King” Lawler to bump Jabber Jaws and his parrot from the announcing booth? Cousin Carl & John Cena to administer some pre-race body slams to the Busch brothers? The Big Show giving Mafia Mike Helton a choke slam in Race Control? Maybe a TLC match between Vince McMahon and Faux King Brian? How about a post-race Diva’s Lumberjack Match with NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel versus The Glamazon? Or will an announcement be made that Vince McMahon purchased NA$CAR back in 2004 and Faux King Brian has been merely a puppet running things? Maybe a change to what NA$CAR actually means? Instead of the National Association for Stock Car Automobile Racing, it will stand for National Association for Spec Cars and Rasslin’? Or maybe they’ll adopt the rasslin’ moniker of NWO? NA$CAR World Order with Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash replacing Faux King Brian and Mafia Mike?
 
Maybe at this point Vince McMahon should furnish some real writers to develop more believable storylines than what’s been coming out of the Ivory Towers week after week since 2004.
 

I did see one suggestion that makes sense. Have John Cena wave the yellow flag for the mystery debris cautions. It’s a “perfect marriage” of both sports entertainment organizations.
 
Historic Cleveland County Speedway Re-Opening
 

I don’t know how many folks have visited this historic old track in Shelby NC but thanks to renown racing artist Michael W. Smith, the track is getting new life breathed into it. On April 20-21, the First Annual NC Vintage Championship Exhibition and RacersReunion will be held at the track. Plans currently call for a vintage racing exhibition, a racing celebrity autograph session, family fun, food, & vendors. As soon as I find out who all will be signing autographs and other plans, I’ll let folks know.
 
Southern National Motorsports Park Added to Rolling Thunder Modified Schedule
 

Southern National Motorsports Park has been added to the Rolling Thunder Modified 2012 schedule and is slated for SNMP's final weekend of their 2012 season on September 29, 2012.
 
IndyCar Testing


IndyCar will be having an open test at Texas Motor Speedway on March 13th and March 8-9 at Sebring along with a private test session on March 5-6 at Sebring International Raceway.
 
 
Some Worried About Ugly F-1 Cars
 

There seems to be a growing concern about the new front end design on the F-1 cars by manufacturers and other companies involved with F-1 because, quite honestly, they’re so damned ugly. Even if you understand the reasons behind it, it's like a face that only a mother could love. Obviously F-1 didn’t bother checking out the fan reaction to the Camry of Today (COT) and how fans have reacted to that. Fan reaction to the new DW-12 for IndyCar seems to be getting a more positive  response. Maybe the leadership at F-1 should’ve looked at what IndyCar was doing before coming up with their new design for the 2012 season?
 
 
Nissan Returning to Australian Touring Car Championship
 

Nissan, which has been absent from the Australian Touring Car Championship for 20 years, will return in 2013. Kelly Racing will be fielding 4 cars under the name Nissan Motorsports and will be a factory team.
 
I haven’t quite figured out how they’ll be competing in the V-8 Supercar Series as Nissan doesn’t have a V-8 in any of their street models. It’s supposed to be a part of their Car of the Future (COTF) program (sound familiar?) which is supposed to help reduce the cost of racing (also sound familiar?).
 

Unlike NA$CAR’s failed and highly disliked Camry of Today, the COTF will maintain the manufacturer’s bodylines and identification, 4 doors, rear wheel drive, and V-8 engines. Which leads me to ask again, where will Nissan get their V-8 from for their cars?
 
Interesting Stats
 

Based on stats used during an interview by Neil Cavuto with Faux King Brian, NA$CAR estimates 30% of the US population is a NA$CAR fan. That means approximately 90 million people as the US population is about 300 million. This is up from the previous estimates of 75 million. And yet with the poor TV ratings and attendance, I don’t see how there can be more than maybe 15 million and that’s being overly generous.
 
Kyle Lockrow Live
 

Seems like young Kyle Lockrow is becoming popular. Kyle will be a guest on MotorWeek show with Patrick Reynolds on Feb 27th @ 7:15 PM. I expect you’ll be seeing more of and about Kyle over the next few weeks and months.

Bet You Didn’t Hear About This
 
(AFNS)
Air National Guardsmen from the 129th Rescue Wing here performed a rescue mission 200 miles off the coast of California on Feb. 4.

Responding to a call from the Eleventh District Coast Guard at Alameda, Calif., pararescuemen, two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and one MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft departed here mid-morning and were on scene by noon.

The team provided medical assistance to a 54-year-old male who had suffered stroke-like symptoms aboard the cargo ship MSC Beijing. Guardsmen performed a medical evacuation, taking the patient to the San Jose Regional Medical Center in San Jose, Calif.

"This is a prime example of how the 129th and California National Guard is ready to support civilian authorities at a moment's notice," said Col. Steven J. Butow, the 129th RQW commander. "The Coast Guard knew they could depend on our specialized capability as one of the premier rescue units in the nation."

Great job folks. From one old war horse to our citizen soldiers.

 

26 comments:

  1. Sad to see that Cavuto had to endure BZF to assist Fox with the Nascar ratings.

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    1. Cavuto admitted he doesn't know much about NASCAR. Otherwise, he'd probably have had a lot of questions to ask about how BZF and friends arrived at their numbers. I remember reading how they came up with the original 75 million figure and it was pure poppycock. Basically, anyone who happened to pass by a TV and a race or race related program was on was considered to be a fan. If you look at the declining attendance, ratings, concession sales, and souvenir sales, there is no way there's 75 million fans much less 90 million.

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    2. Mike, I love your reports!!! You are spot on with the circus that NA$CAR has become.Too bad you can't get on the Sirus XM Channel for an interview but I'll bet that won't happen. All I keep thinking is The Emperor's New Clothes

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    3. This isn't the first time somebody has suggested I be on Sirius XM. Several have been folks saying I should be on for interviews and one suggestion was to have a show. As I don't have the mandatory lobotmy or drink gallons of Kool Aid, I don't think they'd let me on.


      The Emperor's New Clothes definitely applies when it comes to the "royal entoruage" ruining what was once a great sport.

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  2. 75 million fans my ass. Define "fans". BF's definition must be any person that has heard of NASCAR.

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    1. Or maybe walked down the aisle where sponsor's products are displayed or into a sponsor's store. Or maybe past a newstands where they have a magazine which has a Cup driver on the cover.

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  3. Mikie - Nissan's Infinity division has a 5.6L V-8 option available for the latest "M56"sedan.

    The overview engine specs are: "The VK56VD is a 5.6 L (5552 cc) 32-valve, DOHC, Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) aluminum-alloy V8 and features Nissan's advanced VVEL (Variable Valve Event & Lift System). In the Infiniti M56, it is rated at 420 hp (310 kW) and 417 ft·lbf (565 N·m) of torque."

    However, the Aussie Supercar Series currently specs 5.0L V-8, 2-valves per cylinder, push rods and fuel injection. So it looks like Nissan will have to develop a series-specific motor similar to what Toyota did in order when they entered NASCAR.

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    1. Thanks JT. I was unaware of the Infinty engine. Good point about the series-specific engine too. Since it appears that the COTF is based on what currently plagues NASCAR to a certain degree, you're probably right about the engine they'll be running. I'll have to keep an eye on this over the next year to see what pans out.

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  4. Mike, can you please explain to me why you hate Danica so much? Honestly, if you want to blame someone for all of her hype, blame the media, because they are the ones that started it, and they are certainly milking it for all its worth.

    From the start, she has never boasted that she is the best. All I heard from her is that she is trying to learn and get better. Will Travis Pastrana get crucified the same by you if he is not successful. He is bringing in just as much hype if not more to Nascar and hasn't even ran a race yet.

    Or is the fact that Danica is female and you don't like females in racing? Or is it that she needs to win every race to satisfy you. Somehow I think that wouldn't either.

    Trust me, if Danica is not competitive in a stock car, she will fade away like every other overly hyped race car driver.

    Seriously, man. Take a breath.

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    1. I don't have anything against female racers or drivers. I was all for Tammy Jo Kirk, Patty Moise, and Shawna Robinson. I even belonged to Shawna's fan club. I use to get a kick out of Shirley Muldowney beating some of the big named guys in drag racing. I like Simone Di Silvestro in the IndyCar series. I liked Janet Guthrie back in the day. I'm probably one of the few folks who will admit to liking Milka Duno. And it has everything to do with their abilities behind the wheel.


      Danica on the other hand came into NASCAR worried about branding & marketing. Not about being competitive. That only came afterwards. As to the hype surrounding her, it's being directed from the Ivory Towers. She's the latest gimmick in a series of gimmicks in a vain attempt to get folks to the tracks. I don't hate her. Dislike how she treats fans, fellow competitors, dislike that she's allowing herself to be used as a circus attraction, definitely. But hate? Nah.


      Travis Pastrana is another one of these alledged drivers being used as a circus attraction to try to draw in a younger crowd. If he screws the pooch, I'll be calling him on it.

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    2. I'll add that I dislike her because of her proclivity for blaming wrecks and problems on others when the issue was clearly at least partly her fault. Haven't watched her that much in NASCAR, but in IndyCar she was constantly calling other drivers "idiot" for wrecks that she caused.

      She also blamed the car for lack of competetiveness, but she was never part of setting up the car because she was never able to provide the feedback needed to set up the car and was usually out doing photoshoots and "fan appreciation" while her crew was in the shop busting butt to build the car. The she runs out of the pack and complains about the car not handling or not running well.

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    3. I can remember several of her IRL/IndyCar teammates complaining off the record about having to set the cars up for her because of the fact that she didn't know how. More recently, I think a number of folks who watched her in the NNS races last season remember her comments about "they're racing me to hard". Not to mention plowing into wrecked cars on at least one occasion where she could've easily cut down into the infield to avoid them. I hope SHR enjoys paying for her cars, even if they are being run out of Baldwin's garage.

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  5. Hey Mikie,
    Any truth to the rumor that BZF is considering Jerry Springer for 2013?

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    1. It's either Jerry or his former sidekick/bodyguard Steve.

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  6. Hey Mad...I'm over hearing about the points purchase made between SHR and TBR for Ms. Patrick. If the exchange had been between Joe Blow Racing and Bobby Dimwits Racing for the driver Petey Rabbit...no one would give a flying flip! We ALL get it ! I'm actually surprised at your attitude....there's not much smaller teams have that has a big dollar value..points are a hot commodity and belong to the team who EARNED them! If they want to cash 'em in..it's their business...period. You're leaning towards " Big Brother"...don't lose your edge! Lydia

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    1. I've never been one for the points buying to get into a race. I thought it was disgusting when DW did it back when he was racing. Get rid of the Top 35 and you get rid of the problem.

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  7. Hey there Mikie,

    90 million NASCAR fans in the U.S., huh? Well, a WHOLE lot of them aren't attending races or even watching races on TV. If you can't even take the time to plop down in front of the boob tube (an appropriate moniker now that the bimbo is a full-time NASCAR driver) for even a few minutes to check out the race that week, you're not a fan. I'd put the number at closer to 30 million, and even that may be generous. Oh well...meet you at Laidback Racing. Heh.

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    1. Hey Mike. One of my sources took all the available info for attendance, ratings, souvenir sales, concession sales, etc. and ran them buy a marketing guy who figures these sorts of things out and came up with a figure of 7 million fans. So the true figure could be somewhere between 7-30 million. But 90 million? No way. Only in somebody's dreams.

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  8. Mike.....truly amazing how similar, in appearance, Darby and Mr. Magoo happen to be. I have even seen better photos of Darby, which depict him with even looking more like Mr. Magoo. No wonder why he cannot see those ever-so-slight "cheats" by....."Cheater-Chad"!

    Really enjoyed looking at the photos of your cats, from your past. I never realized you enjoyed felines. I'll have to email you some of our latest cat we rescued, Little "Lilly"!

    Thanks for the great and informative writing.

    Denny

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    1. Hey Denny. Yeah, the resemblance is sometimes scary. Like the one between Magoo and Darby or Faux King Brian and Droopy the dog. Maybe Darby is who the Magoo character was based off of? There's something to ponder.


      I actually like dogs and cats but with the trips we've had to take the last few years helping take care of my dad, cats are a lot easier to take care of. All of our cats have been rescue animals. (Hint there for people looking for pets). And they've all been good companions and friends. Plus around here during the fall & winter, they earn their keep when the mice try coming in. I look forward to seeing the pics of Lilly.

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  9. On another site I read they are having "stoogemania" at Daytona? Something to do with an upcoming movie poorly based on the old comics. Anyway the "stooges" will deliver the green flag to the starters stand, manned by the WWE & shown by 2 Waltrips on tv. I might watch submarine races instead!

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    1. I've got a graphic about the Three Stooges around here somewhere only it's the stooges in charge of NASCAR.


      I saw a clip of the remake of the original Stooges and wasn't impressed. It's yet another remake in along line of remakes coming out of LalaLand. I'm begining to think the great storytellers and scriptwriters who once occupied the film industry have dried up and blown away leaving us with a deluge of movie remakes.


      We've already got the Three Stooges without the WWE. The Motormouth Brothers & Larry Mac. Where are they running the submarine races this year? I might want to watch them myself.

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  10. Oh me....I just love it when Mad Mikie gets to raging.......I've been LMAO since I've read the article....I say he deserves a THE GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY AWARD!!
    He just "tells it like it is"!!
    The real "Stooges" from NASCAR ought to be included!!

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    1. Thanks. My luck is I'll get a Peabody Award from Mr Peabody and Sherman. "To the Wayback Machine, Sherman" LOL


      I'll have to dig up my 3 Stooges graphic and post that. It's been 5 or 6 years since that one was originally run over at Laidbackracing.com.

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