Random Ramblings

By John "Dawg" Chapman


Random Ramblings

Denny Hamlin wins his first race with new Crew Chef Darien Grubb. We
get a spate of stories about who'll be the winner of the CC battle
between Darien, & Tony's  new CC Steve Addington.  Then Tony, &
Steve answer with one of their own. More stories, Tony, & Steve pull
ahead, & we get even more stories, then Denny, & Darien, even things
up at 2 all. Oh well, I guess this gives all of us something pretty
mindless to write about.

It seems to me that no one has really asked the right question.
That would seem to be, who was the real loser in this deal. It seems
pretty evident, that would be Roger Penske, AJ Allmendinger, & the
entire 22 crew. Not that I blame Steve for leaving. Given the
information he had at the time, I agree with it. I only wonder if he
could have known about Kurt getting the heave ho, would he still have
left. Dinger may not be the driver Kurt is…yet, but I watched
him drive the final stint in the 24 Hours of Daytona, this guy can
wheel a car, & he doesn't rattle easily under pressure. He's a lot
better than the car he's been given, to date.

I've been reading stories for weeks now, about the Indy 500 going on
without Danica. What no one, (until now) has seen fit to mention is
that it's going to go on without Sam Hornish also. I mean Sam's not
only a former winner, but an Indy Car Champion as well. He just doesn't
have as good a press agent, or look as good in a bathing suit.

While I'm thinking about Danica, after watching most of the NNW
races, it's pretty evident that she's in over her head in the
Nationwide cars. A season in the ARCA series probably would have been
much better for her development. It just wouldn't have been nearly as
good exposure for her sponsor. If she's over her head in Nationwide,
she'd need an extension ladder to see out of the hole she's in, with
Cup.  I guess she's not too worried about damaging her "brand," as
it doesn't seem to be performance based anyway.

I don't know about you but I've heard about all I want to from the
talking heads trying to spin her various laps down runs. No she's not
wrecking her car. That doesn't happen when you run at 75%. I just
finished a 444mi. bike ride. I'm about as ready for the Tour De
France, as Danica is for Cup next year. But to quote one of my
favorites, JJ Cale, "money talks, It says strange things."

Contrary to what you might think, I'm not anti Danica; I am however
very anti the hype, & the sense of entitlement that surrounds her.
I said in the pre-season that Chip Ganassi, had lots of work to do
this year. Chip must have agreed with me. I think he called last
season's results pathetic. The organization made sweeping changes.
Only problem is, they don't seem to be working. Currently his cars
stand 19th, & 22nd, in owner points. I don't know when his contract
with Bass Pro Shops, is up, but if it were me. I don't think I'd feel
too confident seeing the PBS logo all over Tony's  stuff, both Cup &
Sprint Cars. Winning a race, didn't save the 6 car, I'm not sure it
would save the 1 either. My suspicion is that it needs to make the
chase. At this point, it's going to have to be a wild card. It would
be a real shame to see this team that used to field a combined total
of 7 cars, shrink to a single entry. But it could happen.

Congratulations to Chip on his Indy 500 victory, but he's got lots
of work to do in Cup.

Think about this, how many stories have you read about Jr.
winning?  Kasey Khane's  600 victory, kind of puts a period on this
story. Jr's having a very good points season, he will make the Chase,
but he's not really contending for wins. That door doesn't always
swing open on its own. Sometimes you have to batter it down. JJ gave
Rick his 200th Kasey, his 201st. If Jr. wants to join the party this
team needs to step it up.

Speaking about stepping it up, how about the King's cars locking up
the front row for the 600. I think they made a very good move picking
up Mike Ford. Their speed was blazing in qualifying, but it fell off
precipitously in race trim. Marcos was running like the 9 used to
run, before the hub problem took him out of contention. Maybe not
this year, but Marcus will win on an oval if they can secure
sufficient funding to keep things going.   

I hated to see Erich fade, but I thought he did pretty well for
someone learning on the job. Kyle Busch's stated purpose was
to have fun this year. I wonder if he's having fun yet?

His recent meltdown at Darlington, probably didn't help his chances
any too much. He's really lucky he was able to hide from Newman's
irate tire carrier. Man, that guy was way bigger than Jimmy Spencer,
& just as mad. 

One thing I've noticed is that James still hasn't been able to
attract a paying sponsor. His wallet must be getting thinner by the
week 

Talking about stepping it up, what's the deal with Jeff, & the 24
crew. It's like the Rainbow Warriors, have been struck by lightning.
This is so uncharacteristic for this team. Maybe Jeff needs a jolt.
He should talk to Bobby Labonte, about what it's like when you fall
from the mountain top.

Last season we had the most first time winners that I can remember.
This season, it's another story. Three multiple winners already, & I
doubt any of them are finished, with wins clustered like this. I
expect the Wild Card entry this year may be very different. We could
see 3 or 4 teams with single wins. Two wins, will be pretty much a
lock, but with 1 they better have the points to back them up.

Speaking of first time winners, my money's still on the Dinger. But
the Captain's going to have to get the team up to speed.
To sum this up, a friend of mine owns a music store. I recently
purchased a CD by an artist that I really like. Next time I say him,
he asked me how I liked it. I told him that "if I wasn't already a
fan, it wouldn't make me one."That statement pretty much sums up my
feelings on the Cup season so far, as well.

As this was finished on Memorial Day, My hat is off to all the
Veterans. As the red necks like to say on the back window of their pickups:

"Hell No We Ain't Forgettin' ". 

Thank You.

No Truth To The Rumor That...

No truth to the rumor that….

Mike Helton and Jacque Debris are the same person
　
Faux King Brian declares Johnny Walker as a dependent on his income taxes
　
Santa delivered a tanker truck full of Scotch to a certain condo in Daytona Beach
　
KyBu and KuBu will be having a whine-fest at KyBu’s place on New Year’s Eve 2012
　
Santa was subpoenaed regarding a paternity test to prove he wasn’t the father of Faux King Brian’s off-spring
　
Larry Mac’s head will be sponsored by Turtle Wax for the 2012 race season
　
Motormouth Mikey received a pink tutu to wear on South Beach after the 2012 Homestead race.
　
NA$CAR will follow the WWE by having their own network.
　
The Motormouth Brothers signed a contract with ESPN-8, The Ocho, to cover tiddly winks with manhole cover tournaments instead of covering NA$CAR in 2012.
　
Zippy will be the crew chief to NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel Danican’t 6 times in the same season after being fired by her 6 times.
　
John Darby bought stock in the Hair Club for Men
　
KyBu was blocked in his room Christmas morning because Santa overfilled his stocking with coal
　
JPM finally got the computer print out of his speeding penalty from John Darby for Christmas
　
Ron Hornaday dressed up in a Santa suit and filled all of KyBu’s vehicles with bull manure
　
Santa will padlock the Motormouth Brothers mouths shut during the 2012 race season
　
MWR got caught trying to boost their horsepower using gerbils on a treadmill
　
Badyear actually produced a NA$CAR racing tire that will actually last an entire race
　
Faux King Brian was caught supplementing his “sodas” with ethanol from the pump
　
All 43 cars that start the race will actually be shown by Focks & BSPN during all their broadcast
　
BSPN will hold its own against NBC Sports
　
Matt McLaughlin & I are the same person
　
Midget cars raced a 500 lapper inside the waistband of a pair of Mike Helton’s old 1990 pants
　
KuBu said to KyBu, “Mom always liked you best”
　
Cheech & Chong will enter a hemp powered car driven by Ashley Roachclip in the Daytona 500
　
NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel Danican’t will be doing endorsement ads for the step ladder company that provides the step ladders used for her to get into her car
　
The person who stole the Aegis Labs laptop refused to steal Jimmie Johnson’s identity because he’s so boring
　
Faux King Brian was found spiking his “soda” with actual soda
　
Chad Knaus’ New Years Resolution was not to cheat, I mean exploit the gray area in 2012
　
JC France was caught trying to snort the white lines around DIS
　
Bruton Smith had a special buffer installed in his office to keep his head shiny
　
Mike Helton keeps Faux King Brian’s brain in a mason jar full of moonshine
　
NA$CAR’s celebrity spokesmodel Danican’t is teaching sailors how to swear
　
Somebody might find this humorous
　
I’m actually am sane and know what I’m doing
　
Faux King Brian knows what’s best for the sport
　

　

Random Ramblings

By John "Dawg" Chapman

Overall I think this season ranks as one of the more interesting in recent
years.

Week to week, the actual racing wasn't always spectacular, but the variety
of winners was quite refreshing.

Starting with Daytona, just like last year, we were treated to another
"feel good" surprise winner. While most everyone else was focusing on
Trevor Bayne. I must confess, I was focusing on the Wood Brothers.
This is a team that I greatly admire, for a variety of reasons.

Their history, the fact that they haven't resorted to starting, &
parking, & they haven't given up. What's not to like? The same goes for
Trevor Bayne. I've said that the racing wasn't always exciting, & that goes
in spades for the plate tracks, Daytona included.

If not for a rule infraction, David Ragan probably would have been the
winner. It was like Trevor just ran out of anyone to push, & sort of had
the win thrust upon him. David's ill advised move, is right up there with

Marcos Ambrose's fuel conservation move at Infineon. If David hadn't

changed lanes early & had won. He & UPS would have both basked in

the glow of a big win. He'd probably still have UPS, his ride, & a lot of

hardworking people at Roush, would still have their jobs. Funny how

things work out.

From The Department Of Meaningless Statistics
(I think modeled after Monty Pythons Department of Silly Walks.)

After every plate race, the talking heads are quick to point out how many
lead changes there were. This is usually followed up with articles from

outlets with a vested interest. Such as nascar.com, & NASCAR's TV partners.
All this really tells us is with this tango style racing, anyone can be pushed

to the lead. That is, if they're not scared to be up front. Come on guys, give us

a little credit here. We're not as gullible as you think we are. If you're going to tout something, make sure it has some relevance.

Thinking of rather meaningless things, brings my next topic to mind.

Andy Lally wins Rookie of the Year!

Last years winner was Kevin Conway. No slight on Andy intended.

He's a strong driver with a great resume in sports cars. Kevin managed

to log laps, & bring his cars home in one piece, though usually 4-5 laps down.
I do have one question. Who'd they beat out to win?

Thirty seven year old Dale Junior has a girlfriend & it's considered news.
I don't know about you, but I find this just a tad on the strange side.

Way to go, Furniture Row.

I really don't care what NASCAR says, or how much they hype it.
The Daytona 500 will never be the biggest race, as far as I'm concerned.
it will always be the Southern 500. This is the granddaddy of them all.
At the track too tough to die. Despite NASCAR's best efforts to kill it.
They took it's date. They took it's race, (at least they got the name back.)
This track is about as far from Cookie Cutter, as you can get.
This was my feel good story of the year. Well done guys.

We had a number of races decided on fuel mileage. Put me down as one
of the fans who think these fuel mileage races SUCK! NASCAR, (& they're

not the only ones) have been known to resort to a caution when they feel

that a race needs help. I'd dearly love to see them be honest,& up front about it.

Why not just throw a competition caution with 25 laps to go if it looks like fuel is going to be an issue.

 

Make it a timed stop. Give them 25 seconds, for final adjustments, fuel,
& tires. Then line them back up in the order they were running. Anyone

exceeding the time limit would go tailback. This would take out the fuel

& tire strategy. Then the race could be decided the way all races ought to

be decided. They could just race, & may the best car, & driver win. Sure

it's contrived, but with phantom debris cautions, the Chase, & the Top 35 Rule.

We're pretty much conditioned to contrived by now.

For the second year, we had a driver, out with a mysterious medical
condition. Last year Brian Vickers, this year Trevor Bayne.
Thankfully, both were resolved satisfactorily.

　

Speaking of Brian Vickers, Usually when a driver knows in advance that
he's losing his ride. The remaining time becomes an audition.
Brian appeared to have been auditioning for a ride in a demolition derby.


I expect that the Busch Brats, have been at this sibling rivalry for a very
long time. This season they seemed to be in a "can you top this"
competition. Back in the day, when the "Battling Bodines” were going at it.

They kept it in the family. If the Busch Brats were on that program, I think

the TV ratings would go up enough that sponsors would be coming out of the

woodwork, everyone would still have rides, & jobs. Instead they took their

frustrations out on everyone around them. How'd that work out guys?

Personally, I think Sprout won, but Baby Face is out of his ride. By mutual

agreement, he hastens to add, go figure.

One thing that struck me is that Dr. Jerry is a much more tolerant person
than I am. Was it just me, or did anyone else sense just the slightest note
of insincerity in Richard's apology? As a watch collector, I did admire his
attention to detail.

Note to NASCAR collectors, items from teams the Busch Brats have
been fired from could make an interesting collection. For as talented as

they are, they sure get around. Baby Face's Shell 22 stuff is probably on

super close out. Your chance for a good buy, from the good bye.

I seem to remember a song lyric, about "One being the loneliest number." If
Earnhardt- Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (what a mouthful, somebody's
not pulling their weight in that outfit) doesn't get their act together. They & Jamie

might find out how lonely it really is. They've made some changes, I just hope

they're enough. Next year could be very important for them.

I really admire the teams on limited budgets that show each week, to
actually race. Usually for not much more prize money than the S & P
teams take home for their 20 laps or so. I'd love to see these teams form
some kind of alliance along the lines of the old RAD, (Richard Childress,
Andy Petree, & Dale Earnhardt.) To share information, test results, etc.
This would allow all of them to do more with less. The big drawback to
anything like this actually happening, is the top 35 rule. As long as this is in

place they'd have a tough time working together. With such an alliance in

place, it should give them a better shot to out qualifying the S & P teams.

Junior wins most popular driver award. The Sun came up in the east,
this morning. Neither was much of a surprise.

Well, the Crew Chief Silly Season chips have mostly all fallen.
Still hearing rumbles about Zippy. Seems a little late for this to happen,
but as we saw with Darien Grubb, anything's possible. Be interesting to see how things shake out for all the new combinations.

As of this writing, the hot rumor is that Baby Face maybe picked up by
RPM. Haven't read too much about this from the King himself.
After what he's been through with his last partner, I'd hate to see
anyone thrust on him that he doesn't want. Richard's so straight laced
that he didn't even run the Busch Beer contingency sticker on his car,
& was thus ineligible for the Busch Clash for pole winners.
He & the elder brat would seem an odd mix. One other thing to be
considered is Ford. He dropped the brand like a bad habit when he
was the their defending Champion. Sometimes something that didn't
seem all that important at the time could come back to haunt him.

Well, I've done it. Missed another Snowball Derby. After I promised myself
this was the year. Guess I'll have to fall back on the Cub fans annual
refrain, "wait 'till next year". Bummer.

 



The Hot Seat

By Dawg Chapman



Unless you're like the guy in the insurance commercial, & live under a rock.
Just why this guy would need insurance always puzzled me, but you get
the idea.

Then you know that as of this writing, a winning Cup seat just become
available, on very short notice. This came about because of a mutual
agreement between Penske, Shell, & Kurt Busch. This strikes me as pretty
significant, because it's probably the only time Bush has been agreeable the
entire season. In a few short months, I'm going to agree to pay my taxes.
It's pretty much the same deal, I expect.

This has to be considers a real serendipitous stroke of luck. Just when some
name drivers had pretty much given up hope of landing a quality ride for 2012,
& were sifting through the available rides. Looking, I'm sure for something
that offered a glimmer of turning into something more than another year of
just hanging on in Cup.

The names most often mentioned are David Reagan, Brian Vickers, David
Reutimann, & Sam Hornish Jr. It's a shame that Clint Bowyer had settled for a seat owned by in his words, "the worst driver in NASCAR." Hmmm, I wonder if there's anything like the "10 second rule" applying to NASCAR contracts? Maybe it could be annulled like a marriage that was never consummated. I really like Clint, but I'll
be unable to pull for him as long as he's driving for Super Shill, but I digress.

One thing that I noticed, was that Elliott Sadler's name was never
mentioned.

I do have a few fantasy picks, & I'm sure you probably do too.

I'd love to see Bobby Labonte, in a good car again. This isn't a put down
of the 47, but as a single car team, they have lots of room for improvement.
Getting out from under Super Shill's umbrella is a good first step, but there's
a lot more steps to be taken before they get to where they want to be. I doubt
Bobby's got time to make the trip. Terry got a similar chance with Hendrick,
late in his career & picked up a second Championship, as a result. Who knows,
maybe lightning could strike twice?

Another good choice, & my personal favorite, would be Robby Gordon.
After 6 Busch years, (sort of like dog years) having Robby on board,
would seem a lot less difficult. Robby's been plowing pretty rocky ground
the last couple of years, & might have a different outlook on being a
little more of an organization man now.

One spot that's empty in Robby's crowded trophy case is for the Indy 500.
If an Indy seat were part of the deal. This could be the perfect win, win
situation for all involved. Another plus that Robby could bring, would be
a ton of very loyal, hard core fans. Way more than any of the other drivers
being considered.

It's no secret, that I think Dave Blaney has been on the short end of
the stick, his NASCAR entire career. I'd dearly love to see what he
could do in a top ride. Again, no disrespect to the 36. I'm happy that
Dave's got a full time ride, that is actually able to race, but...well, you
know.

At this time, it looks like David Ragan his the inside track on the ride,
& of the drivers most mentioned, he's probably the best choice.
One thing is certain, he'll never embarrass the organization, or the
sponsor the way Kurt did.

Whoever ends up in the seat next season, is going to find it a
"hot seat." They're not going to measure up to the criteria that
Shell wants in a driver, so it's sounding like they will be on a one
year contract.

When you consider the alternatives, any driver that's offered the ride,
will jump at the deal. But they need to consider it a year long try out,
& a year like they had this year won't cut it.

Another driver who's in a pretty hot seat, would be Kyle.
I really think both of the Busch Brats should be looking for work
now, but neither his sponsor, or owner was willing to take that
step.....Yet.

I've said several times that "I don't see Kyle as a candy salesman."
One more embarrassing temper tantrum, & Mars/M & M may well
come to the same conclusion.

You can conact Dawg HERE

Yes Virginia, There Is A Consequence

By John "Dawg" Chapman

Well, the already long NASCAR unemployment queue just got longer by one
person.

While my heart goes out to the hundreds of crew, or more correctly, former crew members, & their families who are looking at not only a bleak holiday season. But most probably a pretty bleak future in their chosen field as well. We've all heard the phrase, "you'll never work in this town again", for many this could be true.

These are people who have worked incredibly long, & hard to put the very best car, or truck, on the track each & every week, & have done it for pride, rather than just for a paycheck. While some of these skills are transferrable to other jobs. It will never be the same. These folks are unemployed, through no fault of their own.

The same can't be said of the latest person to join that sad line. Kurt pretty much volunteered, to join. I'm going to have a really hard time working too much sympathy for him. He does have something few others in line possess. He's got talent, but that's not it. Everyone in line has talent, or they wouldn't have been there in the first place. What he has is a very fat wallet to soften the blow.He's not going to have to worry about the house, & car, payments. The kids orthodontist, or all those other things that most of his neighbors in line have to deal with.

This whole deal reminds me of the Billy Joel song, Somewhere Along the Line.

"I knew that there'd be hell to pay,
when the fun falls through,
& the rent comes due.
Somewhere along the line"

 

The difference between Kurt, & the guy in the song, was that the song Dude, (& no, I'm not talking about Mr. Penske) knew that the day of reckoning was coming. I seriously doubt that Kurt had figured that out. When you've always gotten a pass, why would you expect anything else? He will have his own unique worries to deal with.

Do I think that Kurt will never have another steady Cup ride? No I don't think that at all. Of all the words that have been written about the brothers Busch. No one has ever questioned their talent. Do I think that he's just left his last really competitive ride? Obviously, the jury's still out on that, & it's way too soon to tell, but I do know this.When "A" company signs on as sponsor, the driver becomes the face of the company.Without a solid sponsor, all that is available to any driver is the "shirt tail" rides. I'd say at this point, it's pretty much a coin flip.

The net, is like print books. Once it's out there, it's pretty much always  out there. If anyone cares to look, it can be found.You can bet that when Kurt, or an owner approaches any corporation for sponsorship. That corporation is going to look at everything they can find on him, as they would, & should for any driver.What they'll find on the social networks, is not some bleeped out network footage. Sanitized for the kiddies, but exactly what he said, & what he said,was way beyond what most corporations want to be associated with. I expect these things are far from done, biting him in the butt.

As of now, Kyle has a distinct advantage, with his deal because his current sponsor, Mars/M&M is not a public company, so the family can make a decision & not have to worry about blowback from stockholders. Kurt's not so lucky.

Either way, I think we can safely say, for Kurt. "The fun's fallen through and the rent's come due."

We tend to focus on the drivers, & Crew Chiefs, because we have names & faces, but don't forget about all the other NASCAR folks in line ahead of Kurt.

The off season might indeed be short, but for these families, there's no new season coming up. With highly specialized job skills, in a very weak job market, it could be a long cold winter.

 

You can contact Dawg HERE

Shrub & His Bush League Move‏ - by Dawg Chapman

By now everyone knows all about Shrub having stepped in it once again.
Maybe stepped in it is a little mild. It's more like dived in head first, &
wallowed in it.

After reflecting on it, he issued a very sincere, & contrite sounding statement. Of course he did, after all, practice makes perfect, & we know he's had plenty of practice at being sincere, & contrite. After the fact.

The statement he gave after the mugging was way closer to the real Kyle
Bush. "I brushed the wall, but my truck was hurt where I don't think we could have
won." Kyle went on to say that Hornaday could see that they were going to be
three wide, & should have backed off. It would seem to me that Kyle could
also have seen the same thing, & as the truck behind as well as the one on
the outside. He was the one more in position to back off.

What I heard from this defiant self-serving statement was Me, Me, Me, It's
All About Me. He then went on to ask, Who's going to fix my truck, after it wrecked the first time? I found this pretty laughable, as neither truck sustained much
damage before he wantonly, & willfully destroyed both trucks.

So much for the so called, "new" Busch. He's once again shown us the real person, hiding behind the attempt to polish his image.
He again proved to be petulant, egotistical, & totally self-centered, with a huge sense of entitlement.This is not the first instance of him going down to another series, & wrecking someone on purpose who's running for points.

The first statement that Kyle gave with no hint of apology, & trying to
shift the blame to Ron Hornaday was Kyle trying to justify something that
was, & is totally unjustifiable.

The second one with apologies all around, was most probably written by some
PR guy, trying to do damage control. After everyone from NASCAR, to his
sponsor had weighed in.

I now see that NASCAR has levied a fine, on top of the suspension.
Nice to see them finally grow a set, & do what they were supposed to
have been doing all along.

Joe Gibbs issued a statement saying in essence, that they were weighing
their options. Coach really doesn't have a very enviable record of dealing with problem behavior within the organization. I would guess what that really means is
that he's got his finger in the wind.

There's no doubt that this whole sorry deal has been a huge embarrassment
for NASCAR, Gibbs, Toyota, & Mars. It would seem to be primarily up to Mars what happens now.

Some have suggested that Kyle should be parked for the rest of the season.
I think we all know that's not going to happen.

What I think really needs to happen is for Shrub to grow up.
He seems to be way behind the maturity curve, & quite frankly,
I don't have a clue what it's going to take, for him to catch up.

But, I've said this before, & I'll say it again.
Shrub just doesn't seem to me to be the ideal candy salesman.

Matt Kenseth on the other hand, could still get them their TV
time. Without the controversy, Hmmm.

You can contact Dawg  here

More Kentucky Opinions

I asked fans what they thought of the race at Kentucky and here are their opinions:
　
Race Mama had this to say:
　
ok this is to you 2 from me a race fan....

I think what is funny is the horrible traffic issue seems to have made many (not all) forget about commenting on the absolute HORRIBLE excuse of a race....

that track SUCKS too flat for stock cars.....
I am glad Jimmy didn't talk me into going there.

Instead of a gazillion articles about traffic there should have been a gazillion about the lack of racing!

K just my .02 worth


Mary, Chip’s mom, wrote this:
　
It was another stinkeroo aero/clean-air race that was determined by set-ups. Most of the driving skill is taken out of this kind of race except for them trying to dodge each other during the restarts. The 1.5 mile tracks are good for one thing. You can get other stuff done around the house because if you walk away from the television you won't miss much.
　
　
Unkle Phil said:
　
I was glad to see Kyle win; there is no doubt that Kyle has it in his ass, or he can feel what the car needs, unlike Jr. Joey Logano was a snoozer.
　
Richard H. replied:
　
Actually it wasn't awful. The bumps made it impossible for the drivers to just cruise around. The usual drivers, Kyle, Jeff, Jimmy, Carl, went to the front. Good race by Root too.
　
This is from Pat G.:
　
A snoozer....really, I fell asleep with 30 to go.....I read who one the next day
　

Curmudgeon-in-Chief Bill sent this:
　
What race? I gave up on moto-wrasslin' when they began to manipulate the outcomes.
I suspect that a good close inspection of schrubs car by one of the other teams would reveal far more than any numbcar inspection ever will. Just my thoughts.
　
Tom B. replied:
　
You know to be honest, my interest has waned so much, never even thought of watching.
　
　
Bill the Mechanic wrote:
　
Another cookie cutter snoozer?
Truth is I didn't watch much of it. Saw a bit at lap 20, till the competition caution break, went to dinner, then watched some at the middle. Towards the end I kept going back & forth between the race and the drags. When it looked like Kryle was going to win I didn't go back.
One thing I did notice though. Finally, they weren't ashamed to show a wide shot of the (full) grandstands for the first time this year.
With all the reported traffic woes, I'll bet they don't get anywhere near a capacity crowd from now on.
Oh, and Bruton should be ashamed of himself, expecting the state to upgrade the roads for his benefit. He created the problem, let him pay to fix it!
Isn't Kentucky having money problems like most every other state?
　
　
Geoff has this to say:
　
Typical mile and a half snoozer, track position, clean air, two green flag pit stops, and the leader has a 7-9 second lead and the old debris caution, BIG SHOCKER.
Drivers take your wave around.
A couple laps of green, oops, a car wiggled in the corner, might be some oil, better check the track for "safety sake".
Drivers take your wave around.
Whoever invented that new clear and dustless oil dry, is a genius.
If you add 30-40 thousand extra seats to a place, you would think the State and Local Dept for building and zoning would verify that you have parking for the extra seats before they OK it.
Not adding volunteer people or staff to check coolers, is a cheap lame ass excuse. But they "LOVE" the fans.
I also think all the Official Statements left out a line at the end of them.
Ya'll come back now, Ya hear.
　
　
Richard, one of our Canadian race fans, sent this:
　
watched it on & off. If your man is leading, the race has to be good, so that would make me rather bias.
I loved the Fri race when Brad K 'toyed' with Harvick. Of course Brad won & Kevin was notably pissed.
Fast fwd to Sat. Brad led for a lot of laps but just couldn't get going during the restarts over the last few laps. Would have been real interesting if he could have been side by side with Kyle at the end. Interesting that they all complained about the rough track, but if one got in the lead, he was hard to catch. So, you had periods that one car was pulling away which some would conclude was not good racing. My view....overall, not a bad race.
Sounds like there was a real problem with traffic. Seems like 20,000 ticket holders never got to the track. Problem with roadways and a severe lack of parking space. Both the track & NA$CAR are all over the media apologizing and promising better for next year. They need to give all those who couldn't get to the track tix for the next cup race.
　
Glenn had this to say:
　
One thing I found interesting…..and Kyle Petty made mention of it.
When Kyle Busch would pit……..his crew chief would say go, go , go…….all the way to the 42.
It seemed that the Gibbs cars new exactly where the “speed traps” were on pit road.
I would think that would provide a heck of an advantage if “everyone” wasn’t privy to the same information…….wouldn’t you?
　
Jules the Engine Guy added this:
　
Obviously there were fans that cared and were treated very badly.
The track staff knowing full well that there were people either walking or waiting in the hot sun for several hours did the Humanitarian thing by tripling the cost of the already over priced bottle of water to $10.
I don't following horse racing or visit the dog track because I feel its cruel so why would continue to follow NASCAR?
　
　
Chris, a student at UNCC added this:
　
If Bruton and Marcus had taken a page from a successful track opening instead of their own history or that of the later owners of the previously successful tracks, they'd have put as much into KY Speedway as Curtis Turner put into Charlotte Motor Speedway or Roger Penske did into California Speedway. Instead of expecting taxpayers to pay in order to play; Roger negotiated to secure public transportation (light rail) to come to the track even before the first event. When one aspect of the first year event went wrong, Roger paid to fix the problem. Then again, the Captain actually was on site to supervise the event he put together. Is it any wonder Bruton and Marcus are making such unprofessional faux-pas when they don't follow common supervision practices? Is there a track left in the SMI portfolio that hasn't had some tainted action take place since Marcus became COO of SMI?
　
　
This is from a person I’ll call Anonymous to protect his identity:
　
Good article, Mikie! One thing, though… as one of those state employees, I can tell you that IMO (as well as many of my coworkers) those unpaid furloughs were the Governor’s retaliation for not getting his “expanded gambling” bill passed through the legislature. Funny how his ‘shortfalls’ turned into a big budget surplus, and that no additional furloughs are being called for this year (which just happens to be an election year).
　
　
Dave From Texas Had This to Say:
　
Wow!!
I read the articles in the Kentucky and Cincinnati newspapers - what a mess!!
If I am reading them correctly, no food, drinks or coolers allowed in the speedway? The gates didn't open until 2:00 pm? Water was $4.00 a bottle? That alone would make lots of people never show up again.
Lots of comments were posted to the effect of this is what happened when the Busch race sold out many years ago - big traffic mess. So they already knew what was going to happen. People were saying that no one bothered to scan at least half of the tickets - they just waved people in without checking *anything*!! So no wonder the GM says he doesn't know how many people didn't get in! He also said, in a round about way, that there will be no refunds. Since they have no way to prove if you went in (or what time) that's going to be a big mess to sort out too.
And virtually no porta-potties outside? And no trash cans? Guess they wanted to cut costs as much as they could - just like TMS is doing now.
Also, I wonder how they all got *out*? Must have been an even bigger mess!
Question for you: Any chance the reason they didn't scan most of the tickets is because the place was over sold? They sold more tickets than the place would hold so the stands would be full no matter what? Just a thought.
　

Penske Stuff, Irony, Mystery Debris Solution, Subliminal Message, and Other Miscellany

Hendrick Decals On Penske Indy Cars
　
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. Penske will be the lead Chevy team in IndyCar next season. Penske’s contract with Dodge also ends in 2012. The Queen of Hype will be driving for a Hendrick satellite team in the form of JR Motorsports next season in a full-time capacity. She has also threatened that she will be driving in the Indy 500 every year while she is in NA$CAR. Since she has managed to P.O. just about every team owner, engineer, strategist, crew chief, mechanic, driver, teammate, and pit crew in the garage through her temper tantrums, hissy fits, and inability to set up her own car, the only way she can get a ride boils down to somebody “buying” a ride for her and Slick Rick is the one who’ll be buying the ride.
　
Penske Has Sights Set on De Silvestro
　
Penske isn’t making any secrets about the fact that he wants Simona De Silvestro driving for Team Penske in IndyCar. Even with 2^nd degree burns on her hands, she attempted to run the Indy 500, which shows the signs of a true racer rather than a prima donna, spoiled driver. I think she and Team Penske will make a good match.
　
The Joke is Jabber Jaws, Not on Jabber Jaws
　
When Shrubbery spun out towards the end of the WWE 600 at Charlotte, good old Jabber Jaws immediately made the excuse that somebody had run into the rear of his car. Then on the replay, it was clear that there wasn’t a car within 3-4 car lengths of Shrubbery when he spun. Then Jabber Jaws trying making up yet another excuse for him spinning. Let’s face it, Jabber Jaws has become as big a joke in the announcing booth as he was at the end of his driving career. He needs to retire before he embarrasses himself any more than he already has.
　
Double Secret Probation Fine
　
It seems that Newman was secretly fined $50,000 for punching JPM. These sorts of fine are nothing new as we saw with Hamlin being sold out by a card carrying journalist to NA$CAR during Twittergate and by one legal definition could amount to extortion.
　
Subliminal Message with Pocono Sponsor?
　
Is NA$CAR telling us that the race is going to last 5 hours and that it will be a snoozer by having 5 Hour Energy Drink as the race sponsor? Maybe it should become the official sponsor of the cookie cutter tracks since they all tend to be snooze fests.
　
Great Idea for Debris Cautions
　
Mike in Orlando came up with a great idea to make sure that NA$CAR is on the up and up when it comes to debris cautions.
　
How's this for a way to get rid of our friend: put a helmet cam on the guys in the safety truck that pick the debris off the track during cautions. The same kind of helmet cam that is occasionally worn by "over-the-wallers" during pit stops. When a yellow flag is thrown for debris, the helmet cam goes on and stays on until the safety guys can show us just what kind of debris (if any) there actually was on the track to bring out the caution. For me, these phantom cautions call into question the integrity of that specific race and NASCAR in general. When a significant portion of your fan base equates your (supposedly on the level) sport to professional wrestling, you've got a problem. And yes, it would be interesting to see how many times the feed from the cam goes out at an inappropriate time, like when there's no debris to be found...anyway, thanks for indulging me.
　
“Boys Have At It” Confusion
　
When NA$CAR announced their new policy allowing drivers to express a little emotion on the track, I don’t think they were considering it would result in millions of dollars of cars and trucks ending up being scrap metal. And it seems that one or two drivers have taken it to heart by wrecking, spinning out, and punting other drivers throughout all 3 of NA$CAR’s top touring series. It doesn’t matter if the other driver was a wet-behind-the-ears rookie or a seasoned veteran, these drivers have wrecked them all with one of the two really taking it out on the rookies and less experienced drivers. To make matters worse, NA$CAR has hyped this up in their ads and interviews showing wrecks galore, even wrecks that happened with the old COT with the spoiler. McDowell’s qualifying wreck at Texas, Cousin/Crazy Carl going into the fence at Talladega, Bowyer sliding on his roof at Daytona, Logano tumbling down the track at Dover, and all of these wrecks being used to promote a races at tracks where these wrecks never occurred. Not to mention the ads for the All Star Race preaching revenge, getting even, and havoc run amok. And yet when Newman and Childress both practice their version of “Boys Have At It”, they’re punished for it. So who’s really at fault? Newman and Childress for going along with the program that NA$CAR is advocating or NA$CAR for laying the hype about “Boys Have At It” on so thick that people have actually started believing it?
　
By sitting around with their thumbs up their backsides and allowing certain drivers to conduct a reign of terror on the track, NA$CAR has contributed to the problem and is an instigator of it via their controlled media. As has happened in the past, NA$CAR is saying one thing yet doing another. They want drivers to have bare knuckle brawls to get folks to watch on TV or attend the races and want the drivers to wreck millions of dollars worth of race vehicles so they can fill the coffers of the Ivory Towers without having to spend much in the way of advertising. They get their controlled media to hype things up for them at no cost to the Ivory Towers. Then in turn they fine the drivers or owners for “actions detrimental” for carrying out “Boys Have At It” when they go bare knuckle with 30% of the money going to charity and 70% lining the pockets of various executives and staffers. So while there’s animosity and ill will running amok in the garage and on the track, NA$CAR is laughing all the way to the bank while quietly instigating and promoting the violence and carnage that’s happening.
　
Isn’t It Odd
　
When Shrubbery was nailed for doing 128 mph in a residential area putting the residents of the area at risk, his car manufacturer said nothing. When Shrubbery gets “pruned” by a 65 year old man, they come out in defense of Shrubbery and want the head of the “pruner” be served up on a silver platter.
　
Advice for Richard Childress
　
Two words: Tonya Harding.
　

Jules the Engine Guy had some interesting observations regarding irony:
　
#1
Dodge makes a complaint about engines, saying Ford has an advantage.
Yesterday, in the order of the makes, Dodge, Chevy, Toyota and Ford is last. Dodge dominates too. Nothing against Ford but amazing how that works out.
　
　
#2
With the advent of the new fueling procedures and ethanol, tires now last for an entire fuel run. Are the tires better or is the mileage worse? Also interesting is that its a 50/50 toss up as to whether or not the teams fill the cars with fuel. We heard of Biffle, Kurt Busch, and now Tony Stewart having these issues. One make of car seems left out. The make that hasn't had a problem advertises that its line is the most fuel efficient.
　
　
#3
Cryal Busch (although he does not admit it) tries his damnedest to drive like Earnhardt Sr. He loves it when they make that comparison. So what does he do? He gets ticketed for driving an exotic sports car 3x the speed limit in the county where Earnhardt Sr lived. Then he gets his ass kicked by a man almost 40 years his senior. That man, Earnhardt's car owner.
　
Penske Going to Chevy for Cup?
　
2012 is when Penske’s contract with Dodge runs out and with the announcement that his IndyCar operation will be the lead Chevy team and his IndyCar teams were spotted with Hendrick decals on the rear spoilers, you have to wonder if Penske is already building the new cars without saying anything or if he’s planning to have some sort of alliance with Hendrick in 2012 in the form of possibly being yet another Hendrick satellite team. I’m just speculating here but the indications are pretty strong. So what say you Roger? Is your Cup operation switching to Chevy or not come 2012?
　

TV Ratings Deception
　
Don’t be deceived by all the hype of how Focks ratings had the biggest increase in the last 11 years. If you go back and look at where the ratings were before Faux King Brian took over and the high point, the TV ratings are still down by at least 25%. So while they may have gone up for Focks this season, they’re nowhere near where they use to be.

　

All Star Race Comments, IndyCar, Toys, & Memorial Day

I think the fan comments pretty much speak for themselves regarding what was supposed to be the All Star Race:
　
Dave from Texas wrote this:
　
Mike,
Two words:
Bore - Ring!!!!
What a snoozer!!
Edwards and Kyle run off and leave the rest. That's the best they could do? Recycle a Nationwide script?
And what was all the "Getting Even", "The Gloves Come Off" and "Payback Time" before the race? That was all they could blabber about? If this didn't look like the beginning of a wrestling match, then I don't know what would. Absolutely disgusting.
And what about the all the phony drama over, "Who Will The Fan Vote In Be"? Gosh, I don't know. *EVERYONE* knew it would be Jr as he had no other way to get in. How insulting is that? I can't believe how stoopid they think I am!!
And the Booth Bozos - it sounded like DW was drunk - but them screaming at me about how exciting it all was got really old, really fast. Especially when it *wasn't* exciting. Talk about much ado about nothing.
I wonder how many tickets they had to give away to get the grandstands as full as they could? Especially when, as the race went on, the crowd seemed to get smaller and smaller. DW saying, "They had great walk-up sales!" wasn't convincing to me. I wonder how many will show up next year? I'm sure you remember when it was *impossible* to get tickets to The Winston three months in advance, much less the night of the event.
　
The whole event was a waste of my time to watch. It was nothing but one long infomercial. (How did you like the driver introductions with the big TV set on the stage showing a Sprint cell phone ad every few seconds?)　

Mary, Chip’s mom, had this to say:
　
What a snoozer the "All Star" race was. I didn't even make it to the end.　
　
Submariner Bill said this:
　
I enjoyed the National Anthem, thought the Military Brass Band played
it with dignity and enthusiasm. They certainly confused the shit out of
everybody prior to the elimination race, though, by doing God Save
America instead of the anthem, leaving everyone with hand over heart
and a "wtf" look on face as they listened to the guy honking like a sick
goose.

I rather enjoyed "The Duck" boy tearing up his car in the infield before
doing the back flip, and his interview (having Scotts come plant some
grass) was kind of fun.

In between I was able to get in some nice naps. If any race ever
demonstrated the aerodynamic bull$hit that NA$CAR has become, that
would be it　

Wayne made this comment:
　
Yeah it was and had to listen to mounds of B/S from Waltrips and Speed. The NW Race was a lot better as home-town kid won it.　

Race Mama, who was at the track, said this:
　
It seemed more like a test session for the 600...I scanned around a lot and teams were trying all kinds of stuff　

Chris, who lives near the track wrote this:
　
I could have walked to the track (avoiding traffic) and gotten free tix--they were pushed for 3 weeks--but I'm still glad based on the Tweets I read that I didn't go.

The fireworks display, which I can see from my front door, wasn't even as good as UNCC displays when they host them--far below Humpy's standards.

I got groceries while everyone was off the roads then watched Indy quals.　
Interesting in that all the empty seats that could be seen and that was even after tickets were given away. And Charlotte’s busy giving away tickets for the 600 too so the track won’t appear as empty. That tells me that it’s not the economy that’s the problem. Not when free tickets are available.
　
Overall fan consensus? Two thumbs down.
　
It seems that since Humpy got dumped that the overall quality of events at CMS have gone downhill. Some fans feel that maybe it’s time for a change of location since some teams are using the All Star Race as nothing more than a testing session for the 600 the following week. Some fans think that the location of the All Star Race needs to be at a different location every year to keep things more interesting instead of the same old stale event year after year. All worthy ideas but we know Bruton the Bald would have a major hissy fit if they tried moving the All Star Race.
　
Danican’t & the 2012 Season
　
One of the interesting things about the Queen of Hype going full time next season in NA$CAR is that you can be assured there will be lots and lots of hype throughout the entire season. The question is, where would she go? It’s pretty obvious she’d stay at the Hendrick satellite team of JR Motorsports in the Busch Series. But who would field a car for her Cup attempts? It would come from yet another Hendrick satellite team, Stewart-Hass. And just who would put her in a car for her attempt for the 2012 Indy 500? Considering Stewart and Hendrick’s connections with Chevy, you can bet one of the Chevy powered teams would be putting her in a car and considering Tony’s relationship with AJ Foyt, it would probably be for AJ. Providing he can tolerate her temper tantrums and inability to set up a race car.
　
Now here’s where her once a year Indy 500 plans fall apart. 2012 is when IndyCar introduces their new bodies, aero packages, and power plants. The Queen of Hype has no experience with the turbo powered engines. She will also not have any experience with the new bodies and aero packages which puts her at an immediate disadvantage. Plus as she still doesn’t know how to set up her current car, based on comments in the IndyCar garage from engineers and former teammates, she’d be dependent on having somebody else set it up for her. This would probably mean both the primary and back-up cars being scrap metal. So how to get her in after that? A similar deal to what is happening this year. She buys a seat, just like the Motormouth Brothers have had to do for some Cup races and is being done this year with AJ Foyt’s team. And come 2013, she’ll have missed out on any changes IndyCar makes to the cars and power plants. The less she drives IndyCar, the more futile the attempts will be and maybe even to the point of embarrassing her, IndyCar, and her sponsors. NA$CAR will try to milk it for all it’s worth no matter how she does. Lots of hype, hoopla, and the sad delivery of not living up to it, just like the All Star Race not living up to its’ hype and hoopla.
　

Chevy Engine on Schedule for IndyCar

　
According to Auto News Log, the development of the engine that Chevy will be fielding for IndyCar is coming along nicely and will be ready in time for the 2012 season. How are they able to do this? By using key elements of their production model engines. Technology from both the Camaro and Cruze engines are being incorporated into the IndyCar engine which makes it relevant to what the fans have under their hood unlike NA$CAR which still insist on using obsolete technology under the hood and generic race vehicles.
　

It’s Just a Toy

That’s what Shrubbery said when he was pulled over for doing 128 mph in a 45 mph zone in a residential area. A lot of fans are outraged over the fact that he was speeding, that he wasn’t arrested for “carelessly and heedlessly in willful and wanton disregard of the rights of others”. Fans need to remember that this incident took place in the county where most of the race teams are based. They also need to look back at previous incidents involving NA$CAR drivers like Motormouth Mikey leaving the scene of an accident when he totaled his SUV and hid in his pool house to avoid being tested for DUI and his more recent incident where he ran into a motorcycle and blew a .06 which is just under the .08 legal limit of intoxication. Or Michael Annett and him rear ending a couple of cars while texting. NA$CAR is pretty much leaving it to the courts to handle it but then I think about some previous incidents involving drivers who were DUI, which also endangers the public, and the drivers being placed on probation such as The Dinger.
　

Memorial Day Weekend

　

Jeremy Mayfield with a race fan at a frontline FOB.

As it’s Memorial Day Weekend, I thought I’d post a picture of the only NA$CAR driver I know of who ever went to a combat zone to visit the troops and went out of his way to go to a forward operating base (FOB) to visit the race fans who help to ensure our freedom every day.

Thank You, What's Ahead, Rose Colored Glasses, and More

Many Thanks

I want to send out a big THANK YOU to FW Rogers and William Horrall for their donations in helping out Sam and Jo Ard. These 2 fans really came through for the Ards at a time when they can really use the help. Their donations are more than what NA$CAR, the NA$CAR Foundation, and the France family have contributed in helping Sam out. So my thanks and the thanks of Sam and Jo Ard once again to FW Rogers and William Horrall for stepping forward and helping out one of the legends who helped build the sport.
　
If any fans still want to contribute during the year, you can either go to Sam’s web site and donate through there or you can send it directly to
　
Sam Ard
1237 Bass Road
Pamplico SC 29583
　
What’s Ahead on Focks This Season
　
I don’t know how many folks watched the pre-race stuff on Speed or the Shootout on Focks, but here are some good examples of what we get to look forward to from the Focks Booth Bozos:
　
DW Calls Kurt Bush, Harvick


DW Says they are at "Dover" twice


Jamie McMurray wrecked the car he raced there last year (I thought that car was in Daytona USA)


Larry MacReynolds "McMurray won the Brickyard 400 at Charlotte last year"
　
Yeah, they’re real professional broadcasters alrighty. These sort of mistakes make Benny Parson’s “McMary” look great in comparison. Not to mention the fact that the green flag for the Shootout hadn’t even dropped and good old Jabber Jaws was already shilling and cheerleading for his favorite make of car and drivers.
　
And one thing that has been missing the last couple of years was the vote on the dreaded and accursed 3 B’s. After the fans voted to end it a couple of years ago, Jabber Jaws said there was some irregularities with the voting and hasn’t run a vote since. Just like Faux King Brian and NA$CAR, Jabber Jaws ignores what the fans have to say and want.
　
Double Secret Probation Coming?
　
You can bet that some sort of fine is coming for Shrubbery for this remark about the Shootout:
　
"It sucked," Busch said. "You're watching four cars and then you have another two there and another two there. To me, it sucked."
　
Now, will it be the traditional actions detrimental or will it be a double secret probation fine like with Twitter?
　
Rose Colored Glasses and the Kool Aid Brigade
　
I’m sure by now folks took in what Larry Mac had to say at Charlotte during the Magical Media Tour about only reporting positive things. It reminds me of a directive that Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, issued regarding photography and movie footage. Everything would be shot in such a way that it appeared that the German Army was on the attack. Even in the last days of the Third Reich, they were still following the directive. It didn’t save them or change the outcome of the war. This goes back to what I’ve said before about those not learning the lessons of history are doomed to repeat their mistakes. Trying to control the message the media is sending out isn’t going to change things. Fans will still notice the grandstands, poor quality of the broadcast, races that are boring, and the smoke and mirrors being used. You can’t polish a turd, plain and simple.
　
The media has a job to do. They’re supposed to ask who, what, when, where, why, and how in order to keep the race fans posted on what’s going on and let them make their own decisions. When the fans want to know why the TV ratings are falling, it’s the media’s job to find out the facts and report them. When the fans want to know why the grandstands are half-full/half-empty, it’s the media’s job to ask and even report that the grandstands are half-full/half-empty. When the media reports on a decision from the Ivory Towers of Daytona and the fans reply that it’s a stupid or unpopular decision, it’s the media’s job to report the fan reaction. So to say that everything is just peachy keen and nothing’s wrong as Faux King Brian and company keep re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic even though it’s sinking, they’re deceiving themselves and doing a disservice to the fans thinking that if they too drink the Kool Aid and put on the rose colored glasses that everything will be fine.
　
Shootout Practice Speeds
　
Drivers were hitting over 203 mph during practice for the Shootout, which is faster than what they were doing during testing. The big question is, will NA$CAR go to a smaller restrictor plate before the 500? Naw, they'll tinker with the cooling system instead. I’m sure the insurance company who wrote the policy for the race is asking that same question too. Will they make a last minute change on the restrictor plate despite comments to the contrary?
　
Mayfield Apology
　
I got a few e-mails about this asking why would Jeremy Mayfield apologize to the Wicked Witch of the East. In simple terms, he’s got a much bigger fish to fry. An oversized sewer trout called NA$CAR. By issuing the apology, he’s cutting away some dead wood so he and his legal team can better concentrate on the much bigger task that’s coming up in the appeals courts.
　
Twitter, Media, and Daytona
　
For those of you not on Twitter, a lot of media folks have been busy sending out messages on Twitter during Media Week at Daytona and the practice sessions for the Shootout. A lot of them say basically the same thing and you can clearly identify the Kool Aid drinkers among the media members in Daytona. One good thing was Kenny “You’re Not a Real Race Fan” Wallace sending out a Twitter saying what time he’d be on Speed for the position selection show for the Shootout. That allowed me and countless others to change channels so we didn’t have to see and hear him. Obviously he hasn’t figured it out yet that he’s one of the reasons why folks aren’t watching any Speed TV shows that he’s on after the way he has insulted the intelligence of numerous fans.
　
Ford Wants to Run the Mustang in 2013
　
Ford has requested to run the Mustang in the Cup Series as their car of choice in 2013 replacing the current generic bodied car with the Fusion decals. Ford is pressing for identifiable bodylines to give some definitive branding back to their model of car. No word yet on what GM and Chrysler will do. In last February’s meeting between the Big 3 and Faux King Brian, the Big 3 clearly laid down the law regarding identifiable bodylines and branding. All 3 were tired of the generic looking race vehicle that looks the same no matter what “make” it’s supposed to be. If Faux King Brian doesn’t get off his duff and return the bodylines and incorporate current technology, he may find himself with only one manufacturer in NA$CAR. The one who originally developed the generic car in the first place because they didn’t want to spend the R&D money on building their own cars.
　
　
Not Quite a Paul Harvey Moment
　
Jabber Jaws was going on Saturday night during the first segment of the Shootout that they were going 203, 204, 206 MPH. Well why was the average speed only 194? Something’s wrong with the math there. Maybe Jabber Jaws couldn’t get his shoes off to count properly?
　
Jabber Jaws was talking about how the cars look more like racecars, but not really saying they look like their street counterparts. He mentioned that Ford has petitioned NASCAR to run the Mustang, but failed to state that Ford wants it to resemble the street version, not the Car of Sorrow with the words Mustang on it. He mentioned that Dodge is looking at the Challenger and GM should campaign the Camaro. Again, no mention of what the manufacturer’s wanting the cars to have street credibility.
　
Jabber Jaws and Jimmy Spencer talked about how the E15 has less mileage, but provides more horsepower. Everything I have read indicates that besides lower mileage, it also produces less power. On corn ethanol, one study I read stated it takes roughly twice the amount of energy to produce ethanol than ethanol provides. What is not mentioned is the octane rating of the E15, which would be the contributing factor for any increase in power. E-15 means 15% ethanol. Normal racing fuel runs at 100 octane or higher. And I’ve been trying to find info on just what octane the fuel that’s being run actually is because we could be looking at another case of smoke and mirrors. If they’re using a 120 octane race fuel to make up for the power loss of the ethanol, then it could be yet another in a long line of NA$CAR’s stretching the truth.
　
Another thing has to do with the last minute rule changing before the 500 is run. Because of the two car racing fiasco we had during the Shootout, NA$CAR changed the openings of the grills from 50-100 square inches smaller. But they didn’t say which makes were getting the largest openings and who got the smallest. Jimmy Spencer may have unintentionally let the cat out of the bag when he said the engines of the Japanese manufacturer’s cars ran hot. That means they’ll have the largest opening. As the new Ford and Chevy engines run cool, they’ll have the smallest opening. Could we already be seeing the deck being stacked this season against both Ford and Chevy?