Sanity?, RGM 2nd Hummer, Lotus, Cotton Owens, & More

RGM Fielding 2^nd Hummer for Dakar Rally

　
Robby Gordon is fielding a second Hummer for the Dakar Rally with 2011 Dakar Champion Nasser Al-Attiyah as the driver.

Sanity?

　
You have to wonder what Stewart is thinking by firing his championship crew chief Darian Grubb. When was the last time a Super Bowl winning football team dumped their coach? When was the last time a race team owner fired a championship winning crew chief? It really makes you wonder if maybe Tony needs to be taking some medication.
　
Of course, by hiring Addington, he’s hiring a crew chief who is use to being abused and berated by the likes of the Busch brothers. So that is one plus in his favor.
　
Maybe Darian should go have a chat with another Floyd VA native Jeff Agnew about being his crew chief on Jeff’s Truck Series team? It may not have the glory of being a Cup team but they’d get the support of a lot of the county’s 14,000 residents.
　

Jimmy Clark's 1965 Lotus Type 38

Lotus Advantage for DW12 Car

　
It seems that with the rear weight problems that seem to be occurring with the DW12 car that IndyCar is testing, Lotus may have a decided advantage. They produced an engine that is lighter than both the Honda and GM engines. This could give the returning Lotus a handling advantage on both the ovals and road courses. As it stands right now, the GM and Honda powered cars don’t seem to do that well on the oval tracks because of the weight issues and lack of thrust. So this could make Lotus the king of the oval tracks.
　
Speaking of Lotus, it was announced that Simona Di Silvestro will be sporting the traditional Lotus colors next season. That should bring back a few memories for those of us who remember the glory days of Lotus with Jimmy Clark at the wheel.
　

DROP AND GIVE ME 20 MAGGOT!

Perfect Crew Chief for Busch Brothers 

　
Considering the amount of abuse the crew chiefs for the Busch brothers have taken, I think I’ve figured out who would be the perfect crew chief for them. Retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey. He wouldn’t take any lip off of either of them and would break them down into nice, polite, civilized human adults instead of their current status of spoiled brats. I can just hear him telling Schrubbery, ”Drop and give me 20 maggot!”. He might not win a race as a crew chief but he’d win some hearts and minds in the garage and the grandstands.
　

The Hype Has Already Faded

　
The championship hasn’t even been decided a week and already the hype is fading from not only the lamestream media but also NA$CAR’s controlled, Kool Aid drinking media. What does that really say about the significance of not just Stewart’s win but of NA$CAR overall?
　

Interesting Coincidence

　
We had 5 championships in a row won by a convicted felon team owner. This season, the championship was won by a convicted felon team co-owner who bought cars from the convicted felon team owner.
　
And while the convicted felon co-owner was serving his time, who was given stewardship of his team and made some major mistakes in paying personnel and their federal income taxes? The same convicted felon team owner that he buys generic race vehicles from.
　

Another Coincidence?

　
With the comparisons of NA$CAR being like the WWE on the rise since 2003 and having WWE Hall of Famer Sgt Slaughter as the Grand Marshal for the Busch Series race at Homestead, you really have to wonder. By having Sgt Slaughter as the Grand Marshal, it confirms to some folks that NA$CAR is “in bed” so to speak with the WWE. The scripts for the races being too close to the scripts being used by the WWE.
　
If you look at Tony Stewart’s wins in the Chase for the Chumps, it’s much too close to the classic Hulk Hogan script. And the Homestead race was even more like the classic Hulk Hogan script. Tony started good then went back to 40^th after some repairs were made. And like Hogan after being beat down by his opponent, Tony makes the miraculous recovery and goes on to win the race in much the same way Hogan would suddenly finds a reserve of strength to come back and beat his opponent in the ring.
　
So you have to wonder. Will Vince McMahon be the Grand Marshal for the 2012 WWE, I mean 2012 Daytona 500?

Good Luck Dustin Long

　
I don’t know how many folks have read Dustin’s work over the years but the paper he works for just decided to downsize and eliminated his position just like a lot of other newspapers have done. While he still has his job writing an occasional article for Sports Illustrated, he won’t be going back to his normal newspaper reporting. I may not have always agreed with what Dustin wrote, just like folks don’t always agree with me, but he did a good job of reporting and was innovative with his own fan council, Backseat Drivers Fan Council, in using their ideas and opinions to show what the fans truly thought about what was happening on the track unlike the NA$CAR fan council which is nothing more than a marketing research operation. Hopefully a major news operation will snap Dustin up so he can continue with his reporting of NA$CAR and use his ideas to really get a true feel of what race fans think.
　

A Little Bit of History

　
I don’t know how many folks have watched the movie “The Last American Hero” with Jeff Bridges, a movie based loosely on the life of Junior Johnson, but go back and have another look at it. You’ll see Jeff “driving” the #00 car. The car is actually Busch Series Champion Sam Ard’s car.
　
And speaking of Sam Ard, he and his wife are still in need of help. If you can help them out with donations or can do some repairs on their house, it would be greatly appreciated.
　

Going Bananas

　
I hope the Charlotte tourism folks aren’t thinking that Chiquita moving into the office building next to the NA$CAR Hall of Fantasies is going to get them off the hook financially with the Charlotte taxpayers. Do they really think the Chiquita folks will go bananas over being next to the HOF and spend all their free time visiting it? Plus the tax breaks that Chiquita will get, rumored to be between 50%-90%, isn’t really going to endear them to the Charlotte taxpayers either although it will result in some jobs with the company. Know matter how you slice it, the HOF is a financial disaster for the taxpayers of Charlotte and will never see any black ink.
　

RCR Auctioning Off #33 Team Equipment

　
With the #33 team officially shut down, RCR is using Iron Horse Auction Company to sell off the equipment from the #33 team. This is also the same company used by Jeremy Mayfield to sell off his race team gear and equipment along with some personal property. I hope RCR isn’t planning to get a lot of money off of the Camry’s Of Today they’ll be selling. No other racing series uses them and Mayfield was only able to get about $8500 for one of the generic race vehicles he had for sale. That’s less than what teams get for the old “Twisted Sister” cars which usually pull in at between $10,000-$30,000.
　

Racing Great Battling Cancer

　
Both Cotton Owens, legendary owner & driver, and his wife are both battling cancer right now. So if you can add them to your prayers or keep them in your thoughts it would be appreciated.
　

IndyCar Viewership & Attendance Up 2 Years in a Row

　
While NASCAR has been beating their chest over the fact that their races TV ratings were up but nowhere what they were in 2008, IndyCar’s viewership was up 28% overall. Race attendance was up 22%. Compare this to what we’ve seen NA$CAR do this past season with attendance being off at the majority of its tracks and ratings. Up 3% for BSPN/ABC, 16% for TNT, and 9% on Focks.
　
The attendance figures for NA$CAR that have been released can’t be trusted as we’ve seen races claimed to be sell-outs had ¼-½ their seats empty plus tracks removing seating or changing their seating to give fans more room. Bruton reports an 8.8% decrease in attendance through September 2011 when compared to the same time in 2010 according to the SEC filings. I$C has an 8.7% decrease in attendance in comparison to the same time in 2010.
　
“INDYCAR had one of its strongest years in growth on TV and in live audience in 15 years on the last year of our current car. We believe that the new car along with Honda, Chevy and Lotus coming into the IZOD INDYCAR Series will help the sport show positive momentum for 2012” said Randy Bernard, IndyCar’s head honcho. I predicted that IndyCar’s new car, the DW12, would increase their TV ratings several months back and it seems to be reflected in Bernard’s opinion. I guess we’ll see what happens next season.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Tax Deductions, Missing Memorabilia, HOF, & Other Stuff

Sam Ard Donations Can Be Tax Deductible

　
If you’re looking for a tax deduction for next year, you can donate to the Sam Ard Care Fund through Motor Racing Outreach (MRO) at:
　
Samuel J. Ard Care Fund
M.R.O.
Smith Tower Suite 405
555 Concord Parkway South
Concord, NC 28027

　

Ramo Stott Memorabilia Still Missing

 

　
Still no word or any leads on the Ramo Stott memorabilia that was stolen from the Stott household in Iowa. There is still a reward for the arrest and conviction of the dirt bags who stole it.
　
Spinning the Ratings Numbers
　
NA$CAR’s latest “spin” has to do with the ratings numbers. If they moved a race from one weekend to another, but there was still a race on, then the numbers are still valid. For example, if race #5 of this season is measured against race #5 of last season, then the numbers comparison should be valid. However, because the race locations may be a week earlier or later than last season, the numbers are being skewed to show that this season race at Talladega for example is up versus last year’s race even though they’re not on the same weekend. “Flip it on full spin cycle boys, we want those numbers to look good”.
　
Nielsen Media Research estimates there are 115.9 million television households in the U.S.A. "Household Rating" is an expression of the percentage of households tuned in to any show at a given time. Therefore, a 1.0 rating would equal an average of 1.159 million households were watching during the program.
　
　
2012 HOF Nominees


The announcement was made for next years HOF nominees. And once again I’ll say that Raymond Parks Jr and Red Byron should be inducted. They should’ve both been inducted in the first class. Without the financing of Raymond Parks Jr’s moonshine, Bill France Sr would’ve had to fold up his tent and gone home. In the tradition of real sports, Red Byron should’ve been inducted in the 1^st class as he was the first champion. But as this is about family oriented sports entertainment and Faux King Brian doing his best to sever the ties of moonshine and the South to the origins, revising history, and making of what was once a sport, both of them lost out.
　 　
After those two, here’s where it gets tricky. There are a lot of worthy folks on the list. The Wood Brothers who revolutionized the pit stop. Two time Grand National and American Motorcycle Association Champion Joe Weatherly. Two time champion Herb Thomas, who’s career was ended early thanks to Carl Kiekhaefer because Herb changed teams and Kiekhaefer was irate about it and had Herb intentionally taken out during a race in Shelby NC after which Herb was never quite the same. Two time Grand National champion Tim Flock who was blackballed by Bill France Sr along with Curtis Turner for trying to form a badly needed drivers’ union which is still needed today is another worthy candidate. There are some sentimental favorites for me on the list. Fireball Roberts, NASCAR’s first real superstar, who was my hero as a kid. Hometown hero Curtis Turner. NASCAR’s original Golden Boy Fred Lorenzen. Cotton Owens who was a success as both an owner and driver and was selected as one of NASCAR’s Top 50 drivers. But despite the accomplishments and contributions of some of these early legends, they won’t make it in because they don’t have the “name recognition” or “star quality” that Faux King Brian is lusting after. Some still have the heavy taint of “redneck”, “Southerner”, and “moonshine” to their names and legends which the Revisionists, PC crowd, and Faux King Brian despise so much. We have one driver who could be selected because of his ethnic background, and no, I’m not going to mention his name because that would be used by Faux King Brian‘s Diversity Program as yet another sham showpiece and actually dishonor the driver. Pick who you want and vote for them. Drop an e-mail to Dustin Long as he’s one of the voting members and let him know who you think should be in the 2012 class and why.
　
IndyCar Moving Forward
　
While the dinosaur that is NASCAR still continues on with it’s generic race vehicles and will eventually embrace 1980’s engine technology with the TBI (Throttle Body Injection) system, IndyCar is bringing in engine manufacturers who are using current, state-of-the-art engine technology and will be moving away from their generic 1980’s Dallara bodies to a variety of body styles next season. According to Autoextremist owner/writer Peter De Lorenzo, “Because the buzz at Long Beach wasn't about how great the ALMS is, it was about how many quality teams from the ALMS and Grand-Am were seriously considering giving IndyCar a shot in 2012”. This could boost the car count for IndyCar to levels where they could actually have to resort to “go or go home” qualifying procedures and hurt the Grand-Am Series, which is owned by NA$CAR, because of it‘s dwindling car counts under the “leadership“ of Jim France, Faux King Brian‘s uncle, and the real lack on interest by NA$CAR in the Grand-Am Series and the incorporation of NA$CAR‘s “techniques“ to generate artificial excitement. What’s it going to take to get NA$CAR into the 21^st Century, run relevant engine technology, and have race vehicles that actually resemble their street counterparts? A walk-out by the Big 3, which they have threatened to do if NA$CAR doesn’t get off their slower than molasses rear ends and start making the cars readily brand identifiable as either a Mustang, Challenger, or Impala.
　
Another Woman to Drive in the Indy 500
　
Conquest Racing has announced that they will be fielding a car for Pippa Mann. This means that the Indy 500 field will have 3 female racers and one female celebrity in the field. Folks don’t know it because Pippa’s not a celebrity but she was the first woman to sit on the pole at IMS and did it in the Indy Light cars. Pippa will be joined by drivers Simona De Silvestro and Ana Beatriz and female celebrity the Queen of Hype.
　
IndyCar to Bid Bye Bye to the QoH Next Season
　
It’s looking like the Queen of Hype won’t be back in the IndyCar Series next season based on what sources are telling me. She’ll be spending next season promoting her branding and marketing in NA$CAR full-time instead of the current part-time branding and marketing schedule she’s had the last two seasons. If the branding and marketing schedule on BSPN turned your stomach the last 2 seasons, just wait til next season when it‘s all Danican‘t all the time on BSPN.
　
No Problems at Talladega for Robby

Robby had his Fast 5/Speed Energy show car and souvenir hauler at Talladega and didn’t have a single problem with his show car being towed, being banned from the I$C tracks, or being accused of “ambush marketing” which is also used by a home improvement company, a car manufacturer, a certain cell phone provider who is the only one allowed thanks to the exclusivity agreement, and the “fine” folks at Focks who employ ambush marketing every time they shill for one certain auto manufacturer who owns Jabber Jaws, certain drivers who are brand names by themselves, the official fuel provider, the official tire provider, and every time they slip in a logo for the Cup and fuel provider on either the roof cam, in-car, or rear cam views with the driver‘s name and car info.
　
Speaking of which, anyone happen to notice which driver’s fans are being targeted by American Ethernol with the roof cam shots?
　
SCCA Action at Long Beach
　
In the SCCA World Challenge race at Long Beach, female driver Shea Holbrook won the Touring Car division. Joey Hand co-piloted the Team BMW RLL M3 to the ALMS GT win at Long Beach. So far he has won the Rolex 24, Sebring, and Long Beach - 3-for-3. Looks like Joey could have a banner year if this keeps up. Can or will anyone step up to the challenge?
　
US Forces Still Involved With Japanese Relief Efforts
　
About the only thing we’re hearing about now in the media is the occasional reports about the nuclear reactors that were damaged during the earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan but our troops are still there helping with various relief efforts. Now that roads are re-opened, helicopter efforts launched and recovered from the USS Ronald Reagan have been scaled back. Our troops will continue to assist in the relief efforts there until the Japanese government can fully take over for our troops. Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said the U.S. aid underscored the importance of the two nations’ military alliance. “At no other time have I felt as proud of our alliance with the United States,” Kitazawa was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying. So while things may be scaling back some, we’ve still got goodwill ambassadors on the ground lending a helping hand.
　
　
　
　

Ramo Stott Memorabilia Stolen, Sam Ard Auctions, Drug Testing & More

Ramo Stott Memorabilia Stolen
　
From: Corrie Stott Racing
Reward for the arrest and conviction for the slime bags that broke into my parents property in Iowa. Lots of "Ramo Stott" memorabilia was stolen...If anyone has information please drop me a message.... just want to keep the heat up on this !!!!
I will keep posting this until the scum comes to the surface !　

To the younger race fans, Ramo Stott probably doesn’t ring any bells but to the older fans, Ramo is probably better known because of his racing in USAC, ARCA, IMCA, & NASCAR before it became NA$CAR. Ramo also sat on the pole of the 1976 Daytona 500. If that race doesn’t sound familiar, then you haven’t been following the sport very long. Check out the links to find out a little more about the Ramo Stott and the 1976 Daytona 500.
　
Should you have any information regarding the stolen Ramo Stott memorabilia, you can contact Corrie Stott through his Facebook account, his web site, or yours truly.
　
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Daytona_500

http://wwnboa.org/ramo.htmhttp://wwnboa.org/ramo.htm

http://www.dirtfans.com/RamoStott.htmlhttp://www.dirtfans.com/RamoStott.html　
　
More Sam Ard Memorabilia Being Sold

There are 3 more items on E-Bay that Sam is auctioning off in order to help pay his medical bills and there will eventually be a total of 7 trophies that will be auctioned off to help keep a roof over his and his wife’s head. NA$CAR is aware of Sam’s situation as both the NA$CAR VP of Racing Operations and the Minister of Propaganda have both received tweets about Sam’s situation in the form of a link to Dave Moody’s article about Sam. So they can’t deny they are ignorant that Sam needs help. They may be ignorant of many other things but not that Sam and his wife Jo are in desperate need of help.


http://cgi.ebay.com/TROPHY-WON-SAM-ARD-HICKORY-SPEEDWAY-1981-/380333059664?pt=Vintage_Sports_Memorabilia&hash=item588d9dee50

http://cgi.ebay.com/LAST-SAM-ARD-SIGNED-NASCAR-WINSTON-CUP-MEDALLION-/380333035226?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588d9d8eda


http://cgi.ebay.com/PLAQUE-AWARDED-SAM-ARD-1973-LONESOME-PINE-200-/380333044823?pt=US_Racing_Fan_Shop&hash=item588d9db457


Drug Testing and NA$CAR
Graham Light, NHRA VP of Racing Operations, that stated everyone is on the list to be tested, and he's been checked several times each year himself. NA$CAR’s rules state that all officials are subject to testing and those officials include Faux King Brian, Mafia Mike, and others and yet there appears to be no testing of them despite their own rules calling for it. And yes, they are aware of it. It was brought to their attention on twitter. So how hard can it be? If the NHRA can do it, why can’t NA$CAR and their officials?
　
Racing at Talladega
　
I think this pretty much sums it up:
　
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njWNwWqX9qc
　
Have You Figured It Out Yet?
　
Every week, the driver of the #24 car is selected as the pizza fan favorite. That same driver is sponsored by a major cola company that owns that same pizza company. Is it a coincidence that he “wins” that honor week after week?
　
BZF Lawsuit Over Taped Phone Conversations Flawed
　
It’s my understanding that under NC law that as long as one part, in this case the ex-Mrs. BZF, is aware that the conversations are being recorded they’re legal. So Faux King Brian has no grounds on that one. As to extortion, I’m not sure whether or not that is true however, based on the Imperial Ego and its past history, I have no doubt he has probably made some admissions to things he shouldn’t have. He could’ve admitted to not paying child support and alimony, his dalliances during his marriage to the former Mrs. France, his illegal campaign contributions made in other peoples’ names, possible legal favors done for him in the Florida courts in return for certain considerations, some much speculated upon drug use, or other things which could cause him either extreme embarrassment, discomfort, or maybe even result in some jail time if publicly revealed. It could also be a sympathy ploy on his part to gain the support of divorced men who feel their ex-wives took them to the cleaners. Or, he plain and simply doesn’t want those tapes admitted and is trying any desperate measure and accusation he can to keep them out of the lawsuit proceedings he has currently going on with his former wife.
　　
　
　
　

Sam With Two of His Trophies

　

Sam Ard Trophy For Sale, TMS Coverage, & Things

Sam Ard’s 1982 Dogwood 500 Trophy For Sale
　
Since the France family still refuses to do the right thing, Sam is having to sell off another of his trophies. This is the last time this trophy will be seen on E-Bay. Even though Dave Moody wrote a piece about Sam and Jo Ard’s situation, he’s the only person in the NA$CAR media to do so. Where are all these writers who talk about remembering the history of the sport and those that made it? Where’s the outrage for a man who helped build this sport that has to resort to selling off his memories to help pay for his medical bills that are a result of an accident under the guise, supervison, and sanctioning of NA$CAR? Where is the conscience of those that helped contribute to this situation? It’s pathetic really. There’s no morals or conscience when it comes to helping out the former greats of NA$CAR unless it directly puts a buck into the France family pocket.
　
If you want to help Sam out and do what the France family won’t, here’s the link for the trophy:
　
http://cgi.ebay.com/380331040573 　


UPDATE  THE TROPHY WAS SOLD


UPDATE 2: LOTS OF TWITTER TRAFFIC RETWEETING DAVE MOODY'S ARTICLE WHICH INCLUDES IT BEING SENT TO 2 NA$CAR HONCHOS, NA$CAR'S HOF HONCHO, AND BEING RETWEETED BY KYLE PETTY, HERMIE SADLER, AND SOME OTHER MEDIA FOLKS.  


Why Versus is Better than Focks

　
During the IndyCar race, Versus used the split-screen coverage to show the racing and run commercials. Focks preferred to show 5-8 laps of commercials before interrupting them for a few laps of racing. Versus commentators don’t make up excuses when Danica or the sanctioning body messes up. Focks commentators makes up excuses for everything. Bad tires, bad officiating, and poor performance of the Chosen Ones and cheerleads for one make of vehicle and certain drivers.. Focks uses all sorts of gimmick shots that can cause even sailors to get seasick. Versus keeps the gimmick shots to a minimum preferring to show the action on the track of groups of competitors. When Will Power had pretty much run away with the lead in the closing laps, Versus showed the racing that was going on in the back of the pack. Focks preferred to show single car coverage of Matt Kenseth running away with the lead. Is it any wonder why race fans voice their concerns and dissatisfaction with the poor coverage and commentary of Focks at The Daly Planet week after week during race season?
　
The National Anthem at TMS
　
For everything that was wrong at TMS this past weekend, the one thing that Eddie Gossage did get right was bringing in a US Army band to play the National Anthem. And Dale Jr, smack your crew chief upside the head for not paying the proper respects to the flag every time he doesn’t do it. Which so far has been every race this season.
　
Captain Thunder Interview of Jeremy Mayfield
　
Jeremy Mayfield did two interviews with John Nevins aka Captain Thunder in which Mayfield was able to give his side of the story without being interrupted or censored. There are some folks who wish Mayfield would just go away, which they’re entitled to. One very striking thing Mayfield pointed out during his interview had to do with one of the drug tests that were done by NA$CAR. He had a test run by an independent lab before he submitted his urine sample to NA$CAR for testing and had another test done afterwards by the same independent lab. Perhaps folks have heard of Lab Corp? They’re one of the top testing labs in the country. NA$CAR’s results came back positive while the Lab Corps results came back negative. So how could that be? Lab Corps has no horse in this race. They couldn’t care one way or the other just so long as their reputation remains intact. They don’t care about the results just so long as they followed the established guidelines and protocols called for by SAMHSA regarding drug testing. Aegis Labs on the other hand is contracted by NA$CAR so they definitely have a vested interest in showing that their “results” are consistent. Especially after they’ve already lost at least one false positive lawsuit using their questionable techniques. I’ve also proven that NA$CAR has fibbed on at least one occasion when their official spokesman stated unequivocally that there were no witnesses to Mayfield’s independent tests and yet Mayfield did have a witness that is known to me as well as a camera crew documenting everything Mayfield was doing.
　
I know folks have already made up their minds about Mayfield, even though under the basic premise of our laws that you’re innocent until proven guilty and it probably won’t change their minds, give a listen to the interviews and get Mayfield’s side on some of the issues that were brought up by Captain Thunder and his sidekick.
　 
http://captainthunderracing.com/　



How About Those Ratings for Texas?　

 According to USA Today, coming in at #32 in the weekly ratings was a repeat of “The Big Bang Theory” with 7.3 million viewers. Coming in at #33 in the ratings was the race at TMS with 7 million viewers just beating out #34 Family Guy and #35 a repeat of America’s Funniest Home Videos at about 6.5 million viewers. What happened to those 75 million fans that NA$CAR is supposed to have? Also, there’s a big disparity between the numbers being reported showing the numbers being up and what they truly were versus last season. Unfortunately I can’t find the article right now but it showed how the numbers were being jumbled around on this year versus last year and how the ratings were actually down.
　

Gimmick Shots From Focks at TMS
　
There were 160 gimmick shots for the Cup race .

In-Car Shots 22　
Ground Camera Shots 6　
Roof Cam Shots 60　
Rear Cam Shots 24　
Wall Cam Shots 48
　
The majority of roof cam, rear cam, and in-car cam shots were from the #18, #22, #29, #48, & #88.
　
Ms Terry DeBris at TMS　

When Matt Kenseth had an 8 second lead at Lap 209, Ms Terry DeBris, dressed up as a Texas Longhorn, was found to be grazing along the back straight thus causing Caution #4. But due to the poor lighting on the back of the track and lack of fans there, she wasn’t shown. Apparently she’s been taken away to the Ft Worth Stockyards by Eddie Gossage and is currently waiting to be bid upon.


Focks Faux Pas　

During the 1st Caution, Jabber Jaws said “You’re over 200 mph going into that turn”. Later during the race a roof cam shot of the #18 car with telemetry showed the car didn’t get above 195 mph.
　
On Lap 173, Mike Joy said “They’re NA$CAR’s two winningest drivers” in reference to Mr. Happy and Hambone Hamlin. NA$CAR’s winningest drivers are The King and The Silver Fox with 200 wins and 105 respectively.
　
Lap 192, Mike Joy said “Seating down the front stretch and back stretch sections are nearly full but for some sections down past pit road towards Turn #1”. An overhead shot from the blimp/helicopter clearly showed empty seats at Lap 11Lap 19, Lap 29, Lap 30, & Lap 114.

On Lap 211, Mike Joy said, “Hope that clears things up with 211 laps to go”.

　
How Come?

 As easy as it was to show the computer screen which covers speeding on pit road during the race at TMS, how come NA$CAR won’t allow a camera in race control showing the pit road speeds during the pit stops or hook it into a direct feed of some sort to Focks so they could put it on a scroll on the bottom of the screen? That would end some fan complaints regarding the drivers who are perceived to be speeding and if it can be sent via wifi to the teams, they wouldn’t have any grounds to complain when they do get nailed for speeding.

The Race　

Pretty simple really. Matt Kenseth got up front and ran away with it. Outside of the cautions, not a heck of a lot of action was shown on the track outside of some of the pack shots shown from the wall cams. One or two of the Chosen ones passing each other. Most of the race coverage revolved around Kenseth, Johnson, Shrubbery, Mr. Happy, and Busch the Elder with an occasional appearance by Dale Jr and Trevor Bayne. Unlike Versus, as mentioned earlier, Focks decided to show Kenseth all by himself during the closing laps of the race so if there was any mid-pack racing going on the home audience never saw it. A McRace at a McTrack with a McCar. With Fords sweeping the weekend and really running away with the Cup race, you can almost bet there will be some whining from at least one car manufacturer.

Up Next　

The plate disaster called Talladega. Will we have a repeat of the boredom that was Daytona or will there finally be a plate race that doesn’t call for 2 pots of coffee like a McTrack? Guess we’ll have to watch and see.　

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

Many Thanks, Buyer Beware, Morgan Shepherd: Crime Fighter, North Wilkesboro Testing, and More

Many Thanks
　
I want to thank Vince Meiste for lending a helping hand to Sam Ard. Vince is a long time race fan who got to see Sam race back in the good old days against the Hensley brothers, Rick Mast, and others in the Late Model Sportsman Series before it became the Busch Series. Even though Vince has a limited income, he was able to get the winning bid on one of Sam’s race winning plaques. So the plaque found itself a good home with a real race fan and has become the centerpiece of Vince’s racing memorabilia. So again, many thanks Vince for stepping up and doing what the France family won’t do.
　
The Past Comes Back to Bite You in the Backside
　
With all the recent stories about DW and Fox broadcasts, here is a story that was relayed to me.
　
Back in the days, when DW was racing trucks, the Craftsman Series was running the road course at Heartland Park Topeka. DW was racing his # 17 truck. During the normal workers meeting, when corner worker assignments were made along other event discussions, series officials make appearances. Well, I was told that DW made an appearance at one meeting. He asked how many of the workers were race fans. Naturally, every worker raised their hands. They were then shocked as DW scolded them, saying that it was unprofessional of workers, serving as officials, to be fans.
　
Funny how those words should now come back to haunt him, seeing how one of the biggest complaints about DW is his claim to be a fan, even though he is supposed to be a professional announcer, representing the sport. His home calls are a perfect example, which are a far cry from the Ned Jarrett call.
　
I believe it was on an ESPN NASCAR show, when Ned’s call was discussed. Ned stated he went over to Dale Sr. at the next race to apologize for his Daytona call when DJ beat Sr. But, Dale Sr. pointed his finger at Ned and said no apology needed, because he (Sr.) was a father too.
　
Ned was a professional, DW is not!
　
Buyer Beware!
　
This is from the AP regarding a racing school which was recently black flagged for not living up to their contract:
　
The Johnson County district attorney's office filed an action last week under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act against The Racing Experience Inc. and its founder, Kelly Bussey of Shawnee.
　
The Kansas City Star reports the district attorney is alleging numerous customers have been unable to use racing packages that allow them to attend a racing school and drive a racecar on a speedway track.
　
Customers also have been unable to get refunds.
　
The DA's office is seeking an order requiring the company and Bussey to pay full restitution to consumers and $10,000 in civil fines and penalties for each violation of the act.

　This sounds somewhat like the scam that Charles Collins tried pulling at North Wilkesboro before the current management team took over only his involved a reality TV racing show.
　
Morgan the Crime Fighter
　
Folks nowadays may not have a lot of respect or interest in Morgan Shepherd. Back in the day, Morgan was pretty good at chasing down other drivers on the track. He seems to have taken chasing down drivers on the track in days of old to chasing down thieves today. It seems Morgan was in the parking lot of a Wally World near LVMS when he spotted police officers giving chase to several individuals and Morgan decided to join in the pursuit chasing down one of the thieves and pinning him to the ground. Imagine the embrassment the 18 year old thief must've had by being chased down and caught by someone old enough to be his grandpa. He'll never live that one down.
　
All Quiet on the Spoiler Front
　
Anyone happen to notice that the lamestream media has been awfully quiet about the fold-away spoiler on Motormouth’s truck at Daytona? We heard more about Carl Long’s oversized engine than we have about this illegal spoiler. We heard more about the “jet fuel” incident at Daytona several years ago than we have about the illegal spoiler. Was a directive sent out from Daytona to the lamestream media that I didn’t hear about telling them to be quiet about it?
　
Liars Figure and Figures Lie
　
I don’t know how closely folks have been paying attention to the ratings but take a good look at the most recent ones from Phoenix and Daytona. The ratings were up among the 18-49 age demographic. No figures are being released about the under 18 or over 49. The over 49 crowd, which is where most of the Boomers and most of the older fans who have been following racing since the good old days are and who tend to have most of the money, seem to be excluded for some reason. Could it be that those ratings are so bad that it could embarrass Faux King Brian and his controlled media? Anyone who knows anything about statistics knows you can prove or disprove any argument using them. For example, the same stats which could be used to prove that The King is the best driver NA$CAR ever had can also be used to prove he wasn’t the best. If you look at winning percentages, The Silver Fox has a better winning percentage than does The King. That’s why I tend to stay away from statistics and PR hype.
　
Question of the Day
　
Bob asked me an interesting question Kenny “You‘re not a real race fan“ Wallace. He asks, “When did Kenney ever open his mouth that his IQ didn't show?” Good question Bob.
　
The last time I had a chance to talk with some drivers, I asked them what they thought about Kenny and his alleged sense of humor. None of them thought he was really funny. He’s tolerated more than he’s actually liked. Sounds like the drivers are more forgiving than the fans are.
　
Excuses Anyone?
　
This is one of the things coming out of the Focks Booth Buffoons that are causing fans to tune out. Jules the Engine Guy said this:
　
Yesterday (Sunday) Cryal shot to an early lead and Edwards ate him up and spit him out. I liked that a lot. When Cryal took him out I was upset. Then when DW made every excuse under the sun for Cryal.... well I just flat turned it off. I mean I'd rather have him say "he didn't know" rather than try and make excuses.
　
When I turned it on it was right after pit stops. They said Cryal made up time coming in and out of the pits (this happens all the time, has no one else gotten suspicious of this?). Then the caution came out and DW mentioned Cryal was in the lead but actually Stewart was. No correction was made.
　
Its also worth pointing out that the drivers have to be more accurate and politically correct when on camera than ole DW does. That is backwards.
　
I’ve mentioned several times over the last few years about the excuses that are generated by Jabber Jaws for the Chosen Ones, his brother, and anyone driving one particular make of car.
　
Nocturnal Omissions
　
It seems that congresswoman going on about the Army sponsoring a Cup car seems to have overlooked the sponsorship of an NHRA dragster and one of the IndyCar teams being sponsored by the National Guard. Anyone want to place bets that if Bruton or the Frances had a track in Minnesota that she’d be complaining?
　
Before the season started, there was an article about Jeffy and Jr being dumped by Hendrick if they didn’t vastly improve this season. It quickly got buried and few if any of the controlled media has said anything about it. Is Jeffy’s win at Phoenix enough to keep him in the Hendrick stables or will he get the boot and the end of the year? I guess we’ll have to stay tuned.
　
Another thing being curiously omitted by the NA$CAR controlled media is about the $40+ million in tax breaks that the France family and I$C got for improvements to their facilities, as upgrades to entertainment/amusement parks. Is it really racing or is it as the VP of Racing Operations said, “family oriented sports entertainment”?
　
Testing at North Wilkesboro
　
It seems that some teams are doing closed testing at North Wilkesboro Speedway. There will be some test sessions coming up this month for the PASS Series which will be open to the public.


HOF Induction Date Changed
　
Obviously somebody hasn’t really checked out the weather history for Charlotte during the month of January. Do they really think that after Christmas, folks are going to have the money to attend the induction ceremony? Plus add in the factor of winter weather. Not just in Charlotte but around the nation. How many fans are going to be able to get out of the Midwest and Northeast to be able to attend? Not many if this past January is any indication. I know the weather guesser isn’t always right but past history of weather patterns tend to be a good indicator of what to expect. Does Faux King Brian think he can wave his magic wand, which looks remarkably like a toilet plunger, and make the winter weather stay away and make fans show up? Just say the mantra, “I know what’s best for the sport” and the HOF will be packed. Yeah and I’ve got a bridge in NYC I’ll sell you too.

Highest Paid Drivers, Restrictor Plates, Media Attacks, and Other Junk in the Trunk

Tell Me Again Why They Can’t Help Sam Ard?

The plaque Sam's holding was recently sold on E-Bay to pay medical bills

　
After the recent release on Forbes of the 10 Highest Paid Drivers in NA$CAR and the 10 teams worth the most money, I have to ask why they can’t step up and help out Sam Ard and his wife Jo? I will give Dale Jr and Mr Happy a sprout because they have helped out. But how about the other 8 drivers? It cost about $200,000 a year to keep somebody with Sam’s afflictions alive and maintain a minimal lifestyle. Let’s face it, Sam isn’t going out for dinner every night or hitting the dance floor on the weekends. He’s not out drinking “sodas” and hunting palm trees or rear ending somebody while driving and texting. He’s bed-ridden and will be for the rest of his life. Considering these drivers spend that much on fuel for their multi-million dollar corporate jets every year and live in estates worth mega-millions, how hard would it be for the remaining 8 drivers to kick in $200,000 a piece? And considering the value of the race teams listed, how hard would it be for just one team owner to help out the Ards? And consider the positive press and PR they could get out of it for helping out one of the legends and doing what the France family and NA$CAR won’t do. That alone would be priceless for them. How much positive press could Ford get if one of their teams helped? But no, something that could be a really big “feel good” story with the high dollar drivers or team owners helping Sam out won’t happen and instead it’ll be left up to the long time, die-hard fans who remember Sam and his contributions to NASCAR to help out.
　
Restrictor Plates
　
I had a question that would probably require a massive number of e-mails, snail mails, and phone calls to NA$CAR to actually accomplish the desired results. The question is, “Could somebody please put a restrictor plate on DW’s mouth?”.
　
Media Attacking Each Other
　
After Trevor Bayne’s win, some members of the media cheered. Well, it seems that Faux King Brian’s army of Kool Aid drinkers find that to be unacceptable and say that anyone with a media credential shouldn’t be cheering or rooting for any driver. If that’s the case, how come they aren’t attacking Jabber Jaws, Larry Mac, Crusty, Drab Brad, and other network analyst and commentators for their weekly cheerleading sessions for Faux King Brian’s Chosen Ones, the drivers of the teams they own, and the sons or brothers they have who are on the track? After all, they also have media credentials. Is there some sort of double standard here within the ranks of the media? Using the Kool Aid Crowd’s own word, they deem this behavior as “unprofessional”. Isn’t that what I’ve been saying all along about the Booth Buffoons? And what’s hilarious about this is that one of them doing the attacking is the same guy who turned over Hambone Hamlin’s twitters to NA$CAR. Now there’s a real trustworthy journalist for you. First rule of journalism is to protect your source.
　
Closing the Barn Door After the Horse is Gone
　
Rather than black flagging the co-owner of Motormouth Motorsports before he crossed the finish line or DQ-ing him after the race for his truck being out of compliance with NA$CAR’s rules, the win still stands. However, the crew chief has been fined $25,000 and the team docked 25 points. For some reason, no fine was issued or points taken away from The Human Shill with the official excuse being that he’s not running for points in that series. Now keep an eye on this folks should we see other Truck Trash come over from the Cup Series and their trucks don’t meet the rules after a win. Will they receive the same treatment or will they be fined and docked points? And also, pay attention to what happens to a regular Truck Series driver whose winning truck doesn’t meet the rules and what’s done to him, his crew chief, and team owner. Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
　
Who’d Have Thunk It
　
Despite being the perennial back markers running just ahead of the start & parks, Front Row Motorsports driver David Gilliland managed to put a car into the Top 3 at Daytona. Over the winter, Bob Jenkins spent some money on cars and engines to make the team a little more competitive this year. You can call it what you want to. Luck of the Irish, the restrictor plate crapshoot, or whatever you want to, the fact that this underfunded underdog team came in 3^rd can’t be refuted.
　
Daytona Opinions from the Fans
　
Terry from Delaware: What a joke. That is not a race; that was pirouhet (sic) choreographed dancing.


Russ from Virginia: My guess is that the afterglow of a shiny new winner wears off the slide will continue.
　
Unkle Phil: I was glad to see Trevor Bayne win in the Daytona 500, now maybe DW will shut the f*ck up about Dale Jr. and Jimmy Johnson; that is if he ever does shut-up. I was disappointed in the fact that there was not an interview with the Wood bros.; that was bull$hit as I have listened ever since I was a kid, prior to television, about the Woods bros. pit crew in the Indianapolis 500 of the radio.

Joe, Flash’s Cohort: Yeah I was screaming loud enough for the neighbors to hear but what the hay i don't care this doesn't happen but once in a great while. That kid has a lot of driving smart's not to have anymore experience than he does usually the rookies are the first one's to cause the wreck's. I thought for sure tantrum Tony or Junior was gonna nail him driving like nobody else was on the track and junior told one of the media after the race he didn't care he was going to drive like he wanted and everyone better get use to it and tantrum had nothing to say must have been pouting in the trailer.

Submariner Bill: That was a VERY satisfying outcome. Seeing a Woods Brothers car in victory lane, with that paint scheme on it... How sweet.

If I recall correctly, Michael Waltrip who turned not one but two cars causing big wrecks, and then in the interview blamed it on the cars he turned. Awesome. The crowd looked bigger than last year.

Dean from Tenn.: Well another 500 has come and gone and I must say in my opinion it ranks up there with one of the worst. All of this 2 car pushing crap has got to go. Its bad enough when you've got Na$car, pit crews and such determining the outcome of a race, but now we how 2 car- hook ups. Please give me back the day when the best driver decided the outcome and not Na$car, crews, 2 car hook-ups and such. The only thing good about today's race was the Wood Bros. winning again, more so than Trevor, which he makes my point I've been saying for years. Here you have a totally inexperienced driver, but, put him in a good car, point him in the right direction and bingo, we have a winner.

As you can see, a variety of opinions and observations about the Daytona 500. These weren’t solicited by me either, so don’t think I went looking for strictly one-sided views.
　
Something to Ponder
　
If there really are 75 million NA$CAR fans and every single one of them tuned in to watch the Daytona 500, they still couldn’t match the NFL’s ratings of 111 million viewers for the Super Bowl.
　
Seating Figure Disparity
　
The seating capacity for Phoenix is 76,812 and yet the Arizona Republic newspaper said the track sold out the “50,000” seats. So if there’s 76,812 seats in the grandstands and they only sold 50,000, that means there’s a disparity of 26,812 seats. And I know for a fact that not all the seats were sold out. Tickets for the Cup race were being given away all the way back here to the East Coast. So that’s not a sell out.
　


　

Daytona Win, Sam Ard Selling Memories, Fox Commentators, and Miscellaneous Stuff

There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world outside of NA$CAR and it’s tough trying to keep up with all of it as I’m having to share my computer for the next few weeks so I may miss out on some stuff.
　
7 Decades of Winning
　
With the win by Trevor Bayne, the Wood Brothers have managed to get a win in each of the decades since their founding. That’s not an easy task for a one car team that’s running a part time schedule. It’s the typical American underdog/Cinderella story that folks like to see and hear about.
　
Unexpected Side Effects of Bayne’s Win
　
There may be an unexpected side effect to this that Faux King Brian didn’t count on and it may have an impact on some of the marketing. Because of Trevor’s Christian upbringing, he’s picked up a lot of followers who may not be too fond of some of the marketing/branding techniques and advertising (can you say Danica’s sponsor?) that is shown on race weekend programming. Sooo, who will Faux King Brian offend? A sponsor who uses cheap advertising to try to lure in pimple-faced 14 year olds boys hoping for a peek at some uncovered female bodies or a group who has some very powerful and influential pull on politicians and businesses? Tough choice there Bri-Bri. But we know you. You’ll go with the guaranteed money you get from the sponsor and not worry about offending the Christian fans who could really fill those half empty coffers you’ve got right now.
　
Sam Ard Selling Off More Precious Memories to Pay Bills
　

Sam's nurse steadying Sam's hand as he autographs some die-casts

Sam is having to sell off some plaques he got as being the winner of the Sportsman Series, autographed die-cast, and autographed pictures in order to pay his medical bills. While it seems that only the fans are stepping up to help Sam and his wife out, several promises made to me by some TV folks to mention on air Sam’s condition and his need for help were never delivered on during the Daytona broadcasts. I know they’ve got a job to do but how hard is it to take 30 seconds to mention that Sam needs help? As much as these announcers and commentators plug and shill for various products, teams, drivers, and one make of car, you’d think at least one of them could forego one shill or plug to mention Sam.
　
The Return to Wal-mart
　
I don’t know how many folks remember the first time NA$CAR tried marketing stuff through Wally World but it didn’t work out too well for them. The line of NA$CAR Mystery Meats didn’t sell too well, all of the products that had the official NA$CAR logo on them didn’t sell that well, and Faux King Brian is hoping and praying that all the old fans like me have left the building like Elvis so that the previous Wal-Mart debacle isn’t revealed. Oops! Too late. I let the cat out of the bag. Will NA$CAR be selling products made in America through the largest seller of Chinese made products in America or will they sell only Chinese made products just like their “host”? Quite the quandry for a company that bills itself as being an American sport.
　
Fox Commentators & Their Affect on Radio Ratings
　
Because of the way Jabber Jaws, his parrot, and the other Booth Buffoons like to ramble on and talk over each other, they’ve caused more and more race fans to hit the mute buttons on their TV’s and listen to MRN or PRN, depending on which one is carrying the race. This in turn is causing a rise in their ratings. Some fans have even quit watching the Focks broadcasts altogether and rely solely on MRN & PRN for their race coverage. Despite numerous fan complaints, we still find that we the consumers (race fans) aren’t being listened to by David Hill, Jabber Jaws, NA$CAR, or Focks. I guess the half-empty grandstands, lagging ratings, and falling souvenir sales didn’t get their attention last year. And how about Goopher the Gopher? According to Hill, he was supposed to be gone and what did we have spoiling some great shots during the Daytona 500? Besides the sponsored graphics cluttering up the screen? You got it. Goopher the Gopher.
　
What the NA$CAR Media Doesn’t Want You to Know
　
And that’s the numbers for the NFL and the Super Bowl. During the recently concluded 2010 season, the NFL had 207 million unique viewers. They had 111 million viewers for the Super Bowl and a rating/share of 47.9/71 which makes it the most viewed program in US history surpassing the previous record holder of the final episode of MASH, which had a total of 106 million viewers. Now, compare that to the all time high of NA$CAR’s 38 million viewers in 2006 and a rating/share of 11.3/23. Not even 25% of what the NFL pulled in. NA$CAR and Focks can beat their chest all they want to, they’re still a 5 lb spider monkey urinating in the corner compared to the 800 lb gorilla in the room that is the NFL. And while the ratings for the Daytona 500 were up versus last season (30 million viewers), don’t expect them to stay up. They just hit their high point of the season. Just where are those other 45 million fans at Faux King Brian and why weren‘t they watching NA$CAR‘s premiere race of the year?
　
Race Purse Disparity
　
3^rd place David Gilliland won more money by himself that what was the entire race purse for the Friday night Truck Series race at Daytona. The total purse for the Truck Series race was $689,635. Gilliland won $818,171 and 4^th place Bobby Labonte won $654,233, almost as much as what was in the Truck Series race purse. Is it any wonder why the Truck Series struggles year after year and why so many teams have folded up since Faux King Brian took over even though the Truck Series continues to provide the best racing NA$CAR has week after week? Hello? Is there anybody in the Ivory Towers paying attention?
　
Rules Have Unintended Consequences
　
In a somewhat unusual twist, a Busch Series regular won the biggest Cup race of the year and is going to massively affect NA$CAR’s marketing of the Chase for the Chumps. Since the play-off system was first put in place, Faux King Brian and his miscreants have tried to use the marketing of the Daytona 500 winner as a lure to get fans to watch the play-off races. Guess what? It won’t happen this year. The winner of the Daytona 500 is competing for the championship in the Busch Series as a Busch Series regular. It totally blows away one of the cornerstones of the marketing program. Imagine what will happen if Trevor Bayne wins the other highly marketed races used to hype the Chase for the Chumps? NA$CAR’s marketing plan will have its legs cut out from under it. It means they’ll have to market drivers who are 2^nd best. The best of the best will not be competing for the chumpionship. Fans may like underdogs but they don’t like having to settle for 2^nd best.
　
Phoenix Race Tickets Sales and Renewals Off
　
With the change in the race dates this season, ticket sales and renewals for the Phoenix race are off. And just like with the Daytona 500 where radio stations up and down the East Coast were giving away race tickets for the 500, NA$CAR/I$C is doing the same thing with Phoenix tickets. Last season, during the same weekend the Phoenix race is being run this year, there was snow which kept folks at home because they couldn’t get out of their driveways. This season, it’s looking like rain might wash out the weekend. Plus, as some fans had already planned to have the traditional race weekend off, they couldn’t change their vacation time or work schedules to allow them to be off this coming weekend. This is what happens when you have somebody who’s completely clueless in charge of NA$CAR.
　
Complaints About the Race Coverage and Commentators
　
Since complaining to David Hill obviously does little good I’d suggest complaining directly to the owner of Focks, Rupert Murdoch. Here’s the info I found and I can’t guarantee it’s current:

　rmurdoch@newscorp.com

Rupert Murdoch
Chairman and Chief Executive
News Corporation
1211 Avenue of Americas
8th Floor
NY, NY 10036
Ph #: 212-852-7000

Maybe if the head honcho is made aware of the problems and complaints the fans have with the Focks race coverage and the highly biased and unprofessional commentary given every week, something can be done about it.
　
　
Sponsor Recognition
　
When I hear about a company that does good deeds for the troops and their families I like to recognize them. This week I’m recognizing Aarons. You’d expect to hear this out of the Human Shill but obviously as he’s “all about me”, you won’t. Every year Aarons goes to various VA hospitals around the country and donates TV’s, electronics, and furniture in an effort to help out the troops who are stuck in the VA hospitals and make their stays a little more pleasant. Plus they’re also doing a little something our tax dollars can’t be used for. So a hand salute to Aarons for helping out our wounded warriors.
　

Never Ending Rules Changes, Safety Concerns, and Other Stuff

Daytona Rules Changes Seem Never Ending This Season
　
I asked when the insurance company would force NA$CAR to slow the cars down and every time the Cup and Busch Series cars got above the 200 MPH limit, a new set of rules and specs were issued. We were assured that after the grill changes nothing else would be done. Well, guess what? Both the Cup and Busch Series were made to run smaller restrictor plates. So all the testing the teams did over the off-season at Daytona was for nothing. About the only info that was useful was the tire wear info and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if the tires were the next thing changed before Sunday’s race. And I also wouldn’t be a bit surprised if NA$CAR did something else to make the races even worse than what they’re going to be. Maybe have the teams carry an extra 1,000 lbs of ballast or a boat anchor to “improve the show”.
　
Safety Concerns
　
Something that has been mentioned since the introduction of the generic race vehicle has been the inability of the drivers to see out the rear of the car or to see through the car ahead of them leaving drivers to pretty much drive blind when they’re on the restrictor plate tracks. This is a major safety issue which seems to have fallen on deaf ears just like what the fans really want. For once, it would be nice if NA$CAR actually was pro-active with safety rather than their usual reactive. Like maybe using Lexan for the rear spoiler so the drivers can see who’s behind them or through the car ahead of them. They use it for the “glass” in the cars. So why not use it for the spoiler to give the drivers more visibility.
　
You’re Bias is Showing
　
During the coverage of the practice session in which Jr wrecked his car, it didn’t take long for someone to find a scapegoat. They placed blame on Robby Gordon. Last season, Robby was partially immune from criticism of anything happening on the track in close proximity to him because of the make of decals that were on the generic kit car he was driving. Now that he’s sporting Dodge decals on the generic machine, he’ll be the official scapegoat of anything that happens within 100 yards of him. Even if it’s 100 yards behind him, it’ll be Robby’s fault. Just watch.
　
Keeping the Records Straight
　
I’ve mentioned from time to time that NA$CAR needs to correct the record of Bobby Allison to show he has 85 wins and not 84. For some reason they steadfastly refuse to give him credit for a Winston Cup win he got driving a Mustang in 1971 at Bowman-Gray Stadium even though Bill France Sr. asked him to enter the race and run the Mustang.
　
Another bit of record-keeping NA$CAR refuses to acknowledge is the 1982 Sam Ard actually won 16 races. According to NA$CAR, they didn’t start keeping track of the Busch Series records until 1983. However, some recent records were turned up that showed Sam had 16 wins that season which means that his actual record is still intact and that Shrubbery still hasn’t broken it.
　
I think an unbiased, outside source needs to come in and correct the record books so that drivers get the credit they’re due and that history and any integrity that might possibly exists in the grout of the bathroom floor next to the mold and mildew of NA$CAR can be maintained.
　
　
Promises Promises

I don’t know how many folks remember a tune of that name but having been a musician in my youth it was a song I was familiar with. It seems that during an interview last year with a female reporter from MRN that Kyle “Shrubbery” Busch made a promise to once again help out Sam Ard when he officially broke his record. Now don’t get me wrong here folks. I know what he did when he tied Sam’s record. He made a $100,000 donation to help Sam and Jo Ard out and it was very much appreciated by them and by a lot of race fans whose opinions of Shrubbery aren’t exactly that great. However, if he’s going to make a promise to help the Ard’s out a second time, then he needs to step up and do it. Let the fans know he’s a man of his word.
　
Tim Kohuth Sentenced
　
Tom Kohuth, who was the shop chief with Ultra Motorsports when I had a chance to work with them and first started writing for Laidbackracing.com, was sentenced to a minimum of 9-½ years in jail after a plea agreement on 2^nd degree murder charges back in September of last year. This info seems to have been kept very low key. He was driving under the influence when the rollback he was driving crossed a media and hit another vehicle killing the driver. If Tim’s name might sound familiar, he’s part of the reason why Kenny Schrader give us 1-½ thumbs up. My thanks to Ray Dunlap from Speed TV for the info.
　
Another Interesting Point on Ethanol
　
Floyd brought this one to my attention. Since ethanol has reduced our gas mileage it means we have to fill up more often. And since we have to fill up more often, we’re helping to fill up the state and federal coffers more often through taxes placed on gasoline by both state and federal governments. Is it any wonder the states aren’t complaining about the reduced gas mileage and why E-15 is being pushed? Less mileage, more fill-ups, more tax revenue.
　
More on Fuel Injection
　
My buddy and fellow military veteran Richard was listening to Sirius 128 when they had someone on talking about the pending move to fuel injection. And the interviewee said something that is very, very true when you really look at it. Since the cars will all have to have NA$CAR’s password code to run the fuel injection system and use NA$CAR’s software to run the engines, NA$CAR has effectively created a spec series engine for the cars. It won’t matter what make the car engine is, they’ll all be running the same program which makes them all equal just like a true spec series engine. Just when the snail’s pace towards returning some branding to the cars was happening, we get NA$CAR making something else on the car just like the old IROC cars. You can bet the Big 3 won’t be happy when they figure that one out especially as they want the current, state-of-the-art technology to be used and not the antiquated technology NA$CAR keeps using.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

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?