Robinson-Blakeney Racing
Jay Robinson has partnered with Troy Blakeney to form Robinson-Blakeney Racing, LLC. There are currently 4 cars in their stable. 3 of the 4 are being converted from Ford, Dodge, & Chevy to the make they’ll be running once the season starts. There’s no mention of any support from the car manufacturer or their racing division. Based on the cutbacks and shift of engine support to JGR, you have to wonder who will be supplying their engines.
HOF Ceremony on Tape Delay
Knowing full well in advance when the Bondo-Jackson show was going to be on and scheduling around it, NA$CAR decided to go with a tape delay of the official induction ceremonies to the France Hall of Fantasies, that wonderful place that‘s caused a nation-wide shortage of red ink.
By going with a tape delay, it gave the NA$CAR Media Group a chance to edit out such things as Faux King Brian mumbling, stumbling, and bumbling through his speeches and not showing Cale trying to shut Jabber Jaws up once and for all with some 200 MPH Tape for the benefit of the fans at home.
Monster Pulls the Plug on Ricky Carmichael
It seems that after a long-time relationship with Ricky Carmichael, Monster Energy Drink pulled the plug on him in favor of the most disliked drivers in NA$CAR. Neither Robby Gordon nor Carmichael really fit the image of the demographics that Monster is going after. Foul-mouthed, disrespectful, whiny, spoiled punks. Looks like Monster finally got a match made in hell, I mean heaven for their sponsorship. Or is it a personal services contract such as they had with Robby Gordon? Guess we’ll find out when they start whining about not getting sponsorship money from Monster.
New Manufacturer Joining NA$CAR in 2013?
The word I’m hearing from my open wheel and road racing sources are saying that either VW or Hyundai will be joining Brian’s Big Top Circus in 2013, thus part of the reason for running the obsolete throttle body injection (TBI) system. VW has previously stated that they weren’t interested in NA$CAR because they wanted to be able to show off their technology. This means we might see yet another change to the fuel injection system being run if VW shows up. Hyundai, the owner of Kia, is a Korean owned company and as far as I can find out doesn’t make a V-8 of any sort for their cars. This would put them in the same boat as the foreign owned manufacturer currently competing under Brian’s Big Top. Special, purpose-designed engines that they don‘t make for their street cars. But then, all the manufacturers are doing that now for NA$CAR. Maybe the manufacturers need to push for production-based engines while they’re pushing for identifiable bodylines?
Either manufacturer would be showing up at the perfect time when the TV contract talks would be under way (2013) and could use the same tactics used by the current foreign-owned manufacturer to buy their way in to help clinch the TV contracts by coughing up a ton of commercial & advertising money like their predecessor did. This would put the Motormouth Brothers in a pickle as they are already “owned” and would be forced to shill for a brand that doesn’t own them. Such a dilemma.
Lotus to Use Internet to Introduce New F-1 Car
In sort of a first, Lotus will be using the internet to roll out their new F-1 car on February 5th at 6 PM Eastern Time. After a 2 year hiatus from F-1, Kimi Raikkonen will be joining Lotus and doing the 2 days of testing at Jerez on February 7th. You can see the new car roll out at
Peugeot Pulls the Plug on Racing
Because of the decline in worldwide sales, Peugeot is pulling the plug on their racing efforts. They will not be competing in Le Mans, WEC Championship, or other events. In the case of the WEC, it leaves Audi to run unmolested in that series. And with no LMP1 cars being run, that leaves the field wide open there. Originally, they had announced they would furnish cars for “privateers” but even that seems to have gone to the wayside.
Austin Track to be Completed in August
It looks like the Course of the Americas (COTA) will be finished in August which should allow it to be on the FIA's World Motor Sport Council 2012 calendar. Right now, Current cost estimates put the cost of the track at $350 million and a capacity of 120,000. So it looks like F-1 will be racing there this season.
FIA Bans Reactive Suspension
Even though the FIA originally approved the reactive suspension that Lotus developed, they now have done an ASO and disapproved it after Ferrari couldn’t figure out how to make theirs work and complained to current FIA President Todt (German word for dead) and former Ferrari Team Leader. Doesn’t take an Einstein to figure this one out.
More Changes Coming for Daytona 500
One of the changes in place is a lowering of the rear bumper and there will probably a change to the pressure on the radiator and the grill opening yet again making it even smaller than it currently is all in an effort to force teams to pack race again and not race Brokeback style.
Bristol Green Promotion
Honestly? It smacks of desperation as they try to ride the coat tails of NA$CAR’s Celebrity Spokesmodel in the hopes that some folks will be gullible enough to buy tickets to help fill the ever emptier grandstands at the track which has been experiencing declining ticket sales ever since the introduction of NA$CAR’s generic race car and the reconfiguration of the track. Before the introduction of the generic race vehicles and the reconfiguration of the track, Bristol had a waiting list for tickets for the Cup race and never really sold out for any of the lower tier races. Since the reconfiguration and use of generic race vehicles, fans has disappeared in droves for all the races there. So is NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel really going to put butts in the seats? I don’t think so.
Congrats to Jerry Bonkowski
Jerry has been voted onto the Board of Directors of the National Motorsports Press Association. When I congratulated Jerry on Twitter he wrote back: “Thanks, Mike. I have some big shoes to fill ... but I have big feet already, so that helps LOL”. Glad Jerry still has his sense of humor. I’m sure he’ll do a great job.
www.lotusf1team.com
Curtis Turner for 2016 HOF
Showing posts with label Kimi Raikkonen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kimi Raikkonen. Show all posts
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Friday, April 1, 2011
Improving Racing At Fontana And Other Stuff
How to Improve Racing at Fontana
I know, the usual suggests have been tear it down and turn it into a shopping mall that looks like it’s under some grandstands or to put in a smaller track like Richmond and maybe get some action going on.
After watching this past weekend’s snooze-fest, Race Mama came up with this solution:
man I gotta say I am glad I was in church for most of that.....the first 95% were a borefest...but it did pick up for the last ten...since they only want to race hard for 10-30 laps I say they start doing heat races...a 100 miler and the bottom 10 are parked at the end, then another 100 miler with the next 10 knocked out then maybe two 50 milers and again more are knocked out then a 30 miler dash for the win with about 15 cars!
This is a worthwhile idea and I’m not just saying that because it’s Race Mama. Breaking the race up like this and doing eliminations would definitely keep folks interested. Of course, the home viewing audience might only get to see 57% of each segment due to the current commercial coverage on Focks being briefly interrupted with a few scenes from the track. But maybe if they restructured the commercial programming to run during the breaks between segments they might get a larger viewing audience. However, as I have previously written, NA$CAR does not take unsolicited suggestions plus as it makes sense, they won’t implement it. But hey, maybe it’ll give them something to think about instead of which sponsor to take away from which team.
Real Racing Story
You never get to hear about what really goes on with a race team when you’re watching at home because you never get to hear what’s going on over the team radios except when it fits a part of the storyline, it causes controversy, or it’s humorous. Here’s some things from last weekend at Fontana between team owner Jay Robinson and driver Derrike Cope.
Fontana... practice... Derrike on radio to Jay..." WOE! She's loose as a goose Jaybird!" says DC. Jay's reply... "Going in, the middle or driving off?" DC says... "mmm... all the above, plus the front stretch... mmm and the back stretch. Woe... I'm coming in!"
Fontana... qualifying... Derrike on radio to Jay... " We're smoking Jay... there's a fire inside the car!... We're burning down Jaybird!" Jay's reply... shut her down DC... we're already in the show!" “Hey DC, you OK?” Derrike: " What else can happen to us this weekend?” “OMG! I think we have an electrical short in the wiring harness!" Jay's reply: "Nice job DC... that was your fastest lap of the weekend!" Derrike simply keyed the mike!
Fontana... race... Derrike: "Jaybird, we're way loose out here! NO WAY... we got a tire down! The tire is shredded Jay... we're killing the car on the way in Jay! Everything’s flapping back there!" Jay... real calm like... "that's why she was loose DC... that tire had a nail in it. Not your fault... we're ok... lots of racing to go... and that should answer your earlier question?" DC: "?, what ?" Jay..." You asked what else could happen to us today".... silence on the radio.... mike keyed. DC..."that I did".
Later in race... crash panel has been removed. DC: "Jay, there stuff flying around in the cockpit... this is ridiculous!" Jay: " Sorry DC, without that panel...you're vacuuming the track!"... Benny's thought... "I'm calling HOOVER, RED DEVIL, ORIK, Electrolux for sponsorship opportunities!"
Hat Trick in Hand?
Racer Joey Hand could be on his way to the ultimate hat trick in endurance racing. He’s already won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The hat trick comes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If he can do that, that will be the ultimate for an American driver. Back in the old days of NASCAR, there use to be a hat trick but with the loss of Rockingham plus Darlington and Atlanta being cut back to a single race each, and the schedule being changed around, the old NASCAR hat trick is long gone.
Other Racing Series Ratings Up
The ratings for IndyCar & ALMS are up for the first time in quite a while. The IndyCar broadcast of St. Pete recorded the highest overnight numbers since 2007 race at Mid-Ohio. While the 1.7 is not close NA$CAR’s 4.1, the increase shows that people are beginning to find an alternative. ALMS is reporting that they set an all time viewership record for Sebring. The number of households and viewers on ABC, ESPN2, and ESPN3.com was more than 3 times the next highest total which occurred during the 2009 season. So is this a fluke or the real deal? I guess we’ll know in a few more races.
While it’s too early to tell for sure, these numbers could be an indication that folks are ready to expand their need for speed outside the ovals of NA$CAR. I watched some of the 12 Hours of Sebring on a webcast and it was pretty exciting. Good camera work, good commentary, and the best part of all, none of the constant cheerleading and shilling we’re stuck with week after week with Focks and the best part of all? No commercials.
3-Time Indy 500 Winner Weighs In
During the IndyCar race at St Petersburg, 3-time Indy 500 winner Scott Goodyear weighed in on the Queen of Hype’s running in both NA$CAR and IndyCar and it wasn’t pretty. Goodyear stated that while she might qualify and finish OK, by doing both there is no way that QoH will win in either racing series. He stressed the need to maintain the necessary discipline in one series or the other and he sited the example of Sam Hornish Jr. During the year that Sam ran in both racing series, his overall performance suffered. His IndyCar performance suffered and his NA$CAR skills didn’t improve. But by the end of this season, we’ll know for sure where she’ll be racing next season and it probably won’t be in IndyCar as she’s burned too many bridges there and has managed to P.O. just about every driver and team owner in the garage area. That should make it easy for her to decide to go full-time in NA$CAR when she‘s told there‘s no room on any team for her.
Imagine This in Cup Racing
Nebraska Racecar Driver Gets Probation After Crash
A racecar driver has been given 18 months' probation for an intentional crash at a Nebraska track.
Court records show 21-year-old Cory Dumpert, of York, was sentenced Monday in Cass County District Court for third-degree assault and criminal mischief. He earlier pleaded no contest.
The charges stem from a June crash at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood. Dumpert sped into the infield pits and rammed another driver's car.
Dumpert races street stock cars. After the crash, NASCAR suspended him from racing for the rest of 2010.
The track gave him a one-year suspension and a $500 fine.
Think about the impact this would’ve had on the Edwards-Keselowski incidents. Or even Iron Head‘s career? Or some of the other incidents we’ve seen over the years. So while it’s not acceptable at a lower level of NA$CAR racing it’s OK with the big boys? Once again, the infamous double standard in action.
Something to Ponder
The lamestream media made a lot out of the finish at Fontucky and how wild it was. Compared to the rest of the race it was wild. But was it really wild when compared to the 1976 Daytona 500 finish when Petty and Pearson battled right to the end? Or the 2003 Darlington finish between Ricky Craven and Busch the Elder? Did the finish at Fontucky really match those in wildness? Think about it.
Is There a Real Rivalry Brewing?
Back when Kimi Raikkonen and JPM were teammates in F-1, there wasn’t much love lost between them. One was always trying to best the other and JPM usually came out on top. Now with Kimi showing up in NA$CAR, could we be seeing a real rivalry between the two happening, especially as they’ll be on different teams? I guess we’ll see once Kimi moves into a Cup ride.
I know, the usual suggests have been tear it down and turn it into a shopping mall that looks like it’s under some grandstands or to put in a smaller track like Richmond and maybe get some action going on.
After watching this past weekend’s snooze-fest, Race Mama came up with this solution:
man I gotta say I am glad I was in church for most of that.....the first 95% were a borefest...but it did pick up for the last ten...since they only want to race hard for 10-30 laps I say they start doing heat races...a 100 miler and the bottom 10 are parked at the end, then another 100 miler with the next 10 knocked out then maybe two 50 milers and again more are knocked out then a 30 miler dash for the win with about 15 cars!
This is a worthwhile idea and I’m not just saying that because it’s Race Mama. Breaking the race up like this and doing eliminations would definitely keep folks interested. Of course, the home viewing audience might only get to see 57% of each segment due to the current commercial coverage on Focks being briefly interrupted with a few scenes from the track. But maybe if they restructured the commercial programming to run during the breaks between segments they might get a larger viewing audience. However, as I have previously written, NA$CAR does not take unsolicited suggestions plus as it makes sense, they won’t implement it. But hey, maybe it’ll give them something to think about instead of which sponsor to take away from which team.
Real Racing Story
You never get to hear about what really goes on with a race team when you’re watching at home because you never get to hear what’s going on over the team radios except when it fits a part of the storyline, it causes controversy, or it’s humorous. Here’s some things from last weekend at Fontana between team owner Jay Robinson and driver Derrike Cope.
Fontana... practice... Derrike on radio to Jay..." WOE! She's loose as a goose Jaybird!" says DC. Jay's reply... "Going in, the middle or driving off?" DC says... "mmm... all the above, plus the front stretch... mmm and the back stretch. Woe... I'm coming in!"
Fontana... qualifying... Derrike on radio to Jay... " We're smoking Jay... there's a fire inside the car!... We're burning down Jaybird!" Jay's reply... shut her down DC... we're already in the show!" “Hey DC, you OK?” Derrike: " What else can happen to us this weekend?” “OMG! I think we have an electrical short in the wiring harness!" Jay's reply: "Nice job DC... that was your fastest lap of the weekend!" Derrike simply keyed the mike!
Fontana... race... Derrike: "Jaybird, we're way loose out here! NO WAY... we got a tire down! The tire is shredded Jay... we're killing the car on the way in Jay! Everything’s flapping back there!" Jay... real calm like... "that's why she was loose DC... that tire had a nail in it. Not your fault... we're ok... lots of racing to go... and that should answer your earlier question?" DC: "?, what ?" Jay..." You asked what else could happen to us today".... silence on the radio.... mike keyed. DC..."that I did".
Later in race... crash panel has been removed. DC: "Jay, there stuff flying around in the cockpit... this is ridiculous!" Jay: " Sorry DC, without that panel...you're vacuuming the track!"... Benny's thought... "I'm calling HOOVER, RED DEVIL, ORIK, Electrolux for sponsorship opportunities!"
Hat Trick in Hand?
Racer Joey Hand could be on his way to the ultimate hat trick in endurance racing. He’s already won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. The hat trick comes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. If he can do that, that will be the ultimate for an American driver. Back in the old days of NASCAR, there use to be a hat trick but with the loss of Rockingham plus Darlington and Atlanta being cut back to a single race each, and the schedule being changed around, the old NASCAR hat trick is long gone.
Other Racing Series Ratings Up
The ratings for IndyCar & ALMS are up for the first time in quite a while. The IndyCar broadcast of St. Pete recorded the highest overnight numbers since 2007 race at Mid-Ohio. While the 1.7 is not close NA$CAR’s 4.1, the increase shows that people are beginning to find an alternative. ALMS is reporting that they set an all time viewership record for Sebring. The number of households and viewers on ABC, ESPN2, and ESPN3.com was more than 3 times the next highest total which occurred during the 2009 season. So is this a fluke or the real deal? I guess we’ll know in a few more races.
While it’s too early to tell for sure, these numbers could be an indication that folks are ready to expand their need for speed outside the ovals of NA$CAR. I watched some of the 12 Hours of Sebring on a webcast and it was pretty exciting. Good camera work, good commentary, and the best part of all, none of the constant cheerleading and shilling we’re stuck with week after week with Focks and the best part of all? No commercials.
3-Time Indy 500 Winner Weighs In
During the IndyCar race at St Petersburg, 3-time Indy 500 winner Scott Goodyear weighed in on the Queen of Hype’s running in both NA$CAR and IndyCar and it wasn’t pretty. Goodyear stated that while she might qualify and finish OK, by doing both there is no way that QoH will win in either racing series. He stressed the need to maintain the necessary discipline in one series or the other and he sited the example of Sam Hornish Jr. During the year that Sam ran in both racing series, his overall performance suffered. His IndyCar performance suffered and his NA$CAR skills didn’t improve. But by the end of this season, we’ll know for sure where she’ll be racing next season and it probably won’t be in IndyCar as she’s burned too many bridges there and has managed to P.O. just about every driver and team owner in the garage area. That should make it easy for her to decide to go full-time in NA$CAR when she‘s told there‘s no room on any team for her.
Imagine This in Cup Racing
Nebraska Racecar Driver Gets Probation After Crash
A racecar driver has been given 18 months' probation for an intentional crash at a Nebraska track.
Court records show 21-year-old Cory Dumpert, of York, was sentenced Monday in Cass County District Court for third-degree assault and criminal mischief. He earlier pleaded no contest.
The charges stem from a June crash at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood. Dumpert sped into the infield pits and rammed another driver's car.
Dumpert races street stock cars. After the crash, NASCAR suspended him from racing for the rest of 2010.
The track gave him a one-year suspension and a $500 fine.
Think about the impact this would’ve had on the Edwards-Keselowski incidents. Or even Iron Head‘s career? Or some of the other incidents we’ve seen over the years. So while it’s not acceptable at a lower level of NA$CAR racing it’s OK with the big boys? Once again, the infamous double standard in action.
Something to Ponder
The lamestream media made a lot out of the finish at Fontucky and how wild it was. Compared to the rest of the race it was wild. But was it really wild when compared to the 1976 Daytona 500 finish when Petty and Pearson battled right to the end? Or the 2003 Darlington finish between Ricky Craven and Busch the Elder? Did the finish at Fontucky really match those in wildness? Think about it.
Is There a Real Rivalry Brewing?
Back when Kimi Raikkonen and JPM were teammates in F-1, there wasn’t much love lost between them. One was always trying to best the other and JPM usually came out on top. Now with Kimi showing up in NA$CAR, could we be seeing a real rivalry between the two happening, especially as they’ll be on different teams? I guess we’ll see once Kimi moves into a Cup ride.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Curmudgeons, Sam Ard Update, Mayfield Documentary, and Racing Tunes
What is a Curmudgeon?
It seems some folks who are looking for happy happy joy joy Kool Aid drinking pabulum from myself and folks like Matt McLaughlin and a couple of others writers are under the mistaken impression that we have to follow the dictates of the Ivory Towers and must fall in line with their dictates. Then they complain to or about us even though they know full well we’re not exactly their cup of Kool Aid. They seem to believe that we must write using the old Star Trek thing of “Resistance is futile. You will be absorbed”. If you’ve read what I write more than once, you pretty well know what to expect. I’m not going to promise you a rose garden, paint pretty pictures, or toe the party line. Fans want their voices hear and that’s what I do. And there’s a lot of fans out there who aren’t happy with the current state of racer-tainment that is NA$CAR.
I can’t speak for Matt or the others nor do I intend to. But if you read on the right underneath my picture, it says in very legible letters, “Curmudgeon at Large”. That’s what I am. A curmudgeon. I make no apologies for it and wear it as a badge of honor just like the EOD badge I wore for so many years during my military service.
So just what exactly is a curmudgeon? The best description I’ve found lately to describe what a curmudgeon is, is a quote from Jon Winokur:
A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. . . . . . They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. . . . . . Nature, having failed to equip them with a serviceable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way for at least one quarter of the race schedule, let’s get on to some other things.
Holding His Own
It seems that Sam Ard got a burst of energy recently and was able to get into the shower to clean himself. To the average person that might seem like no big deal but considering Sam’s medical condition, it’s a major accomplishment. A real red letter day. Normally Sam has to be assisted with his bathing or given a sponge bath. So for this to happen is something to celebrate about.
Of course his financial situation hasn’t gotten the same positive energy going. Once again Sam has had to sell off more memorabilia on E-Bay. For those drivers who promised to help out the Ards, it’s time to put your money where your mouths are. To all the fans who have been sending donations to the Ards to help them out, Jo Ard wants you to know that she deeply appreciates your help and that you are truly blessed.
Sponsor for the #75 Car at Martinsville
It looks like MAXelence and All Star Sports Pouch will be sponsoring Jay Robinson Racing’s #75 car at Martinsville this weekend with Derrike Cope at the wheel. They’re a go or go home team and as they’re one of the little guys and a definite underdog, I’m giving them a plug here.
More on the Mayfield Documentary
From what I’m finding out, there are some things in the documentary that NA$CAR definitely won’t be happy about as they’ve done their best to suppress a lot of information surrounding this whole deal with Jeremy Mayfield and the drug testing. The lamestream media didn’t bother following up on Mayfield’s independent drug test claims in which NA$CAR positively stated there were no witnesses to those independent tests. I wrote last year in one of my Laidback Racing articles about the fact that there was a witness to the independent test, I know the individual personally, and got verification from him/her regarding their presence during those tests as a witness. So Faux King Brian and company were caught in a very big “mistruth”. So if they weren’t on the up & up about this, what else have they been lying, excuse me, what have they not been completely honest and forthcoming about when it comes to this whole drug testing deal with Mayfield?
In this documentary, names will be named and truths will be told that may cause the Ivory Tower Gang to go looking for some Boudreaux’s Butt Paste because it’s really going to chap their backsides. Once the public sees the documentary and the information and truths in the documentary gets circulated, you can expect to see some public outcries of disgust with the leadership in Daytona and maybe even some demands for the resignations of those involved for all the good it will do. Maybe a big enough fan backlash could cause this to happen because of the bad publicity it will cause? We’ll have to wait and see.
What’s Up With the JGR Engines?
That seems to be the million dollar question right now for Joe Gibbs. 5 different races and 5 engine failures from 5 different parts. I don’t buy into Jabber Jaws theory about a bad lot of parts. I could see it if all the engine failures were caused by a bad batch of valve springs or rocker arms but they’re not. And as the teams pretty much buy from the same suppliers, why aren’t we seeing the same number of failures among the Fords, Chevies, and Dodges for the same reasons? We’re not. It’s somehow related to one of two things. Either the switch to ethanol because it doesn’t provide the same burning qualities as the unleaded fuel they were running or the double secret probation dyno tests that were run last year whose results were handed over to TRD in a backroom deal so they could try to catch up to Ford and Chevy and their new, cooler running engines. Remember folks, they got over 130 engine concessions and favors to be named later when they bought their way into NA$CAR versus the 90-something the other makes got because they didn’t fork over any payola.
Roush Taurus Chassis For Sale
Anyone interested in a Roush-built Taurus chassis along with a body and spare parts, it’s located in Tennessee. If you're interested call 804-921-0902 for pricing and details. And no, I don't get anything out of this other than helping out a friend.
How to Eliminate the Start & Parks
Russ came up with a solution to eliminate the start & park problem. Expand the Top 35 to a Top 40. This means that the mega-teams and all their satellite organizations get in, the best of the part time teams get in, the real go or go home teams get in, and the start & parks odds of getting in are dramatically decreased.
Kahne’s Replacement
Next season, when Kasey Kahne switches over to the #5 Hendrick car, Red Bull will be replacing him with Kimi Raikkonen. Kimi is coming to NASCAR isn't an April Fool's joke. My sources say he'll be replacing Kasey Kahne next year in the #4 car. I had originally heard about this last year but didn’t put much stock in it then. But now I’m hearing it from more than one source. As to Mark Martin’s fate next season, I’m not hearing anything yet, just the same old rumors of him going to Phoenix Racing but that’s not going to work out as I’ve heard James Finch wants to keep both Landon Cassill and Bill Elliott driving for him. So where Martin’s going to end up is still up in the air.
Old Versus New
You don’t hear any songs being written about Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, or any of the rest of today’s drivers but if you go back to the old racers, you might find a song or two about them. Here’s one about one of my early racing heroes, Fireball Roberts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbOZuUnK3ws
It seems some folks who are looking for happy happy joy joy Kool Aid drinking pabulum from myself and folks like Matt McLaughlin and a couple of others writers are under the mistaken impression that we have to follow the dictates of the Ivory Towers and must fall in line with their dictates. Then they complain to or about us even though they know full well we’re not exactly their cup of Kool Aid. They seem to believe that we must write using the old Star Trek thing of “Resistance is futile. You will be absorbed”. If you’ve read what I write more than once, you pretty well know what to expect. I’m not going to promise you a rose garden, paint pretty pictures, or toe the party line. Fans want their voices hear and that’s what I do. And there’s a lot of fans out there who aren’t happy with the current state of racer-tainment that is NA$CAR.
I can’t speak for Matt or the others nor do I intend to. But if you read on the right underneath my picture, it says in very legible letters, “Curmudgeon at Large”. That’s what I am. A curmudgeon. I make no apologies for it and wear it as a badge of honor just like the EOD badge I wore for so many years during my military service.
So just what exactly is a curmudgeon? The best description I’ve found lately to describe what a curmudgeon is, is a quote from Jon Winokur:
A curmudgeon's reputation for malevolence is undeserved. They're neither warped nor evil at heart. They don't hate mankind, just mankind's absurdities. They're just as sensitive and soft-hearted as the next guy, but they hide their vulnerability beneath a crust of misanthropy. They ease the pain by turning hurt into humor. . . . . . They attack maudlinism because it devalues genuine sentiment. . . . . . Nature, having failed to equip them with a serviceable denial mechanism, has endowed them with astute perception and sly wit.
Curmudgeons are mockers and debunkers whose bitterness is a symptom rather than a disease. They can't compromise their standards and can't manage the suspension of disbelief necessary for feigned cheerfulness. Their awareness is a curse.
Perhaps curmudgeons have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: They have the temerity to comment on the human condition without apology. They not only refuse to applaud mediocrity, they howl it down with morose glee. Their versions of the truth unsettle us, and we hold it against them, even though they soften it with humor.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way for at least one quarter of the race schedule, let’s get on to some other things.
Holding His Own
It seems that Sam Ard got a burst of energy recently and was able to get into the shower to clean himself. To the average person that might seem like no big deal but considering Sam’s medical condition, it’s a major accomplishment. A real red letter day. Normally Sam has to be assisted with his bathing or given a sponge bath. So for this to happen is something to celebrate about.
Of course his financial situation hasn’t gotten the same positive energy going. Once again Sam has had to sell off more memorabilia on E-Bay. For those drivers who promised to help out the Ards, it’s time to put your money where your mouths are. To all the fans who have been sending donations to the Ards to help them out, Jo Ard wants you to know that she deeply appreciates your help and that you are truly blessed.
Sponsor for the #75 Car at Martinsville
It looks like MAXelence and All Star Sports Pouch will be sponsoring Jay Robinson Racing’s #75 car at Martinsville this weekend with Derrike Cope at the wheel. They’re a go or go home team and as they’re one of the little guys and a definite underdog, I’m giving them a plug here.
More on the Mayfield Documentary
From what I’m finding out, there are some things in the documentary that NA$CAR definitely won’t be happy about as they’ve done their best to suppress a lot of information surrounding this whole deal with Jeremy Mayfield and the drug testing. The lamestream media didn’t bother following up on Mayfield’s independent drug test claims in which NA$CAR positively stated there were no witnesses to those independent tests. I wrote last year in one of my Laidback Racing articles about the fact that there was a witness to the independent test, I know the individual personally, and got verification from him/her regarding their presence during those tests as a witness. So Faux King Brian and company were caught in a very big “mistruth”. So if they weren’t on the up & up about this, what else have they been lying, excuse me, what have they not been completely honest and forthcoming about when it comes to this whole drug testing deal with Mayfield?
In this documentary, names will be named and truths will be told that may cause the Ivory Tower Gang to go looking for some Boudreaux’s Butt Paste because it’s really going to chap their backsides. Once the public sees the documentary and the information and truths in the documentary gets circulated, you can expect to see some public outcries of disgust with the leadership in Daytona and maybe even some demands for the resignations of those involved for all the good it will do. Maybe a big enough fan backlash could cause this to happen because of the bad publicity it will cause? We’ll have to wait and see.
What’s Up With the JGR Engines?
That seems to be the million dollar question right now for Joe Gibbs. 5 different races and 5 engine failures from 5 different parts. I don’t buy into Jabber Jaws theory about a bad lot of parts. I could see it if all the engine failures were caused by a bad batch of valve springs or rocker arms but they’re not. And as the teams pretty much buy from the same suppliers, why aren’t we seeing the same number of failures among the Fords, Chevies, and Dodges for the same reasons? We’re not. It’s somehow related to one of two things. Either the switch to ethanol because it doesn’t provide the same burning qualities as the unleaded fuel they were running or the double secret probation dyno tests that were run last year whose results were handed over to TRD in a backroom deal so they could try to catch up to Ford and Chevy and their new, cooler running engines. Remember folks, they got over 130 engine concessions and favors to be named later when they bought their way into NA$CAR versus the 90-something the other makes got because they didn’t fork over any payola.
Roush Taurus Chassis For Sale
Anyone interested in a Roush-built Taurus chassis along with a body and spare parts, it’s located in Tennessee. If you're interested call 804-921-0902 for pricing and details. And no, I don't get anything out of this other than helping out a friend.
How to Eliminate the Start & Parks
Russ came up with a solution to eliminate the start & park problem. Expand the Top 35 to a Top 40. This means that the mega-teams and all their satellite organizations get in, the best of the part time teams get in, the real go or go home teams get in, and the start & parks odds of getting in are dramatically decreased.
Kahne’s Replacement
Next season, when Kasey Kahne switches over to the #5 Hendrick car, Red Bull will be replacing him with Kimi Raikkonen. Kimi is coming to NASCAR isn't an April Fool's joke. My sources say he'll be replacing Kasey Kahne next year in the #4 car. I had originally heard about this last year but didn’t put much stock in it then. But now I’m hearing it from more than one source. As to Mark Martin’s fate next season, I’m not hearing anything yet, just the same old rumors of him going to Phoenix Racing but that’s not going to work out as I’ve heard James Finch wants to keep both Landon Cassill and Bill Elliott driving for him. So where Martin’s going to end up is still up in the air.
Old Versus New
You don’t hear any songs being written about Dale Jr, Jeff Gordon, or any of the rest of today’s drivers but if you go back to the old racers, you might find a song or two about them. Here’s one about one of my early racing heroes, Fireball Roberts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbOZuUnK3ws
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