Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie

NASCAR makes it easy

NASCAR makes it so easy every week to do our radio show.  Thank you NASCAR!  Every week some new and wacky scenario permeates the NASCAR garage.  First we had Mikey-gate; then they got some help from the politicians in Washington state with some of the wildest comments about NASCAR ever.  The "off week" controversy was next, followed by Las Vegas and the whole tire/Tony Stewart fiasco.

Just when you thought it was safe to go to Atlanta and get back to some "normalcy"  we have this weeks controversy--"Sponsor-gate".  Richard Childress Racing has known for some time that Nextel and NASCAR were going to have a hard time allowing them to change the decals on the #31 from Cingular to AT&T, but the whole controversy surfaced again this week, with court action promised.  Normally I wouldn't have a problem backing Nextel on this one; after all, Nextel said what the deal was and is just sticking to their original contract.  Nancy Resendez-Battra concurs with yours truley.  You can get her complete thoughts at http://www.racetrackladies.com/.

As you and I both know NASCAR has the final say in anything and everything related to their sport.  Especially something related to the merger of Nextel and Sprint.  Mark Schweitzer, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Nextel in 2004 had stated “while the deal anticipated that the name might need to change, there is a restriction on the number of times and on NASCAR’s flexibility in doing so.”  He also stated in the option of another potential name change “it would be hard for me to imagine a circumstance where we could not all get comfortable.”  

The above statement is pointed out specifically for the one phrase “anticipated the name might need to change.”  Nextel did their homework and the legal department wrangled in the opportunity to be purchased buy another company.  It is also interesting that they have not to date made the specific name change to the Cup Series.  What is delaying the name change?  Is it the other distractions of the legal ramifications of the original contract signed between NASCAR and Nextel?  The three key original Nextel contract negotiators are now gone.  Those conversations and intent left with them. 

Where it all gets mucked up is when you (Nextel) let everyone know that you will, in all likelihood, change YOUR title sponsorship name for 2008 because of your merger/buy out/name change.  If the Nextel Cup can become the Sprint Cup next year, why can't AT&T decals replace Cingulars?  I have no problem with NASCAR and Nextel not allowing any other wireless sponsors to enter the series, but in this case we are looking strictly at a name change.  This is the epitome of the "pot calling the kettle black".

To add a little more fuel to the fire, NASCAR was all set to not allow Robby Gordon to carry the Motorola brand on his car because of the same "non compete" clause.  This one is a little murky to me.  The last I checked, Motorola provided

Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR

phones for many cellular networks (Nextel included), and was not providing cellular service.  What will NASCAR do in a couple of weeks when the "Samsung 500" rolls around in Texas?  Samsung is a huge supplier of phones.  Is it OK for NASCAR to secure a company with ties to the cell phone industry as a title sponsor for one of its races, yet not OK for one of its fledgling teams to do the same for its team sponsorship?

Again--NASCAR's waffling on its rules has made it all but impossible to figure out what is next.  See --it's just too easy.  Oh yeah--its time for the Car of Tomorrow to become the Car of Today.  This should be fun.

Steve

Pre-Juan Gurney and Clark did it all

Juan Pablo Montoya has captured much of the available facination so far in NASCAR 2007.  JP is a remarkable driver.  Indy 500 champion, multi-time winner in Formula One and already this year a Daytona 24 hour and NASCAR Busch Series winner.

The 2007 F1 season kicks off this weekend in Australia.  Great drivers compete here.  As I watch and scan the driver rosters I don't see the likes of Juan though.  His cross platform, cross series, not to mention cross continental , driver for all seasons career path is pretty unique today.

Forty years ago I followed two of my heroes as they drove everything, it seems, with four wheels. 

Jimmy Clark and Dan Gurney are two of the greatest race car drivers to ever live.  They too drove, and won in F1, sports cars,  USAC Championship (later Champ/Indy Cars) and NASCAR cup cars.  Clark won a couple world championships in F1, 25 Championship Grands Prix, The Indianapolis 500 and countless sports car and saloon car events.

Dan was my man.  Though he didn't win as often as Jimmy (no one did) he did win in F1. In fact he won in the only American built Formula One car to ever win a modern Grand Prix, at Spa in 1967.  The beautiful painting of the start of that race the following year is by Rob Ijbeme from his Car a Day Fast Painting site and it was his painting that inspired this post.  That era of auto racing is my favorite.  It was difficult to find any timely racing news then.  Print media coverage was spotty and TV/Radio nearly non-existent.

I do remember be awakened by a radio sports report announcing the death of Jim Clark, in a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim, that 1967 season.  I'd never heard of Hockenheim. Formula 2 was probably equivalent to the Busch series.  I lay in bed for a long time that morning.  It's funny, but I think about that day when I hear Don Mclain's "American Pie".  I heard it tonight.  Another spark to write this.

Dan Gurney designed and built the Gurney All American Eagle/Westlake that won that 1967 F1 race at Spa. It is the most beautiful racer ever built. He teamed with AJ Foyt, in a Ford GT MkIV, to win the 24 Hours of Lemans that same year.  Daytona 24 Hours, USAC Champ Car and Can Am Challenge races; been there, won those. 

Riverside International Raceway belonged to Gurney.  The original road course ringer won six NASCAR Cup races at the California track. 

Jimmy Clark never won a NASCAR race.  He did drive a Holman-Moody Ford at Rockingham.  Finished 30th with a blown engine.  I wish I could have seen it.  For real.

ARCA's coming, hide the kids

When last we had a chance to see the ARCA RE/MAX Series they were racin' and  wreckin'  in the best show of Speedweeks at Daytona Motor Speedway.  Since then, they've been quiet..... Too quiet.

It's all about to change. 

The ARCA RE/MAX boys series regulars were busy testing today down at Nashville Superspeedway getting ready for the first trip to that track in April and lubing things up for the next round March 24 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland, Florida.  Get the whole story....

Our show, ON PIT ROW will be teaming up this season with ARCA owned and historic Toledo Speedway.  Beginning with our April 17 show, ON PIT ROW will be broadcast live every Tuesday from the Speedway Bar and Grille, located on the grounds of the track, for the 2007 racing season.  The public is invited to attend the show and there is no charge.  They tell us the Bar and Grille will offer food and drink specials and Steve, JP and I invite you to join us for racing talk, stock car style.
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The ARCA RE/MAX  Series is one of the most unique in all of motor sports.  With races on superspeedways like Daytona, Talledega and Nashville, classic short tracks like Toledo Speedway and Lakeland and they even race on the dirt.

And if the rest of the season is anything like the Daytona opener, this is no place for women and children, uh, kids. No offense Erin, Gabi, Jennifer.

Picture credit ARCA

What it was, was NASCAR

I just got home from doing the latest ON PIT ROW show.  What a blast this is. Steve, Jp and I work hard to put a good show on the air.  Some nights it just works better than others.  Tonight was one of the really good ones, I think.

We had our normal helping of debate.  Think of it as Hannity and Colmes (or maybe Heckel and Jeckel) do NASCAR.  The trivia questions were challenging and the callers had good comments.

Matt Crossman, NASCAR writer for the Sporting News and thesportingnews.com joined us.  Matt has been a semi regular guest and always has terrific insight into the NASCAR world.  Matt, incidentally, isn't all that impressed with Ginn Racing and the Mark Martin run. Check it out.

2006 Nascar Craftsman Truck Series champion Todd Bodine checked in for our ABC Feature and he was great.  Todd gave us the best, most concise and understandable description of how the Craftsman  Trucks handle and how that handling translates to the new Car of Tomorrow, coming soon to Cup tracks everywhere.  I hope to have a transcript of Todd's comments posted in the next couple days.  I don't trust my memory to not miss a vital detail or two.  It's great stuff and the champ was very gracious with his time and knowledge.

Bodine had all three of his wins in 2006 on mile and a half super speedways and Atlanta is the best of the bunch.  The truck races are almost always the best show of the weekend.  After the long layoff, this truck race should kick the big show in Dixie off with a bang.

The show in Toledo went off just fine too.  Thanks to all.

Picture credit Getty Images

Vegas & the parallel universe

Was this Las Vegas race on more than one network?  Like maybe ABC and the EFPMSN (Entertainment From Pluto Motor Sports Network).

I ask because I am seeing VERY divergent opinion of how this race track stacks up as a future NASCAR venue.  I mean, people I respect alot seem to have watched different races altogether. 

My buddy Steve opines, in the previous post,that this will be one of the great tracks in the series.  Read his post for his reasons. But other voices voice other opinions.  Check out the rest of the Diecast Dude's blog on the subject.  'Sgood stuff.  

The racing was abominable.

Yes, I'm happier than a firecracker salesperson on the 4th of July that my two favorite drivers wafflestomped the field yesterday.  That doesn't obscure the fact that the racing was terrible.  It was nothing more than yet another cookie-cutter race where one or two drivers' teams hit the setup and everyone makes laps while wondering what's for dinner, with the exception of this time around people going faster while trying not to go around and around must faster than usual should they enter a turn side by side with anyone. More... 

Bruton Smith, owner of Las Vegas Motor Speedway and  signer of the, reportedly, $300 million in checks it took to rebuild the place, has plans.  Jerry Bonkowski from Yahoo sports writes...

But the 78-year-old Smith, one of the most powerful men in the sport -- and also one of the biggest thorns in NASCAR's side -- isn't spending all that cash just for giggles and grins or a healthy tax deduction for business expenses.

His goal is to someday add a second Nextel Cup race date at LVMS, and he reiterated that desire when he met with the media this past Friday in the LVMS Media Center.

It's no secret that Smith has had past discussions about potentially buying a stake in New Hampshire International Speedway, and he also has expressed similar interest in Pocono Raceway.

The lure of both tracks to Smith is the same: they each have two Cup race dates per season. It doesn't take a mathematician to quickly realize that if he buys those tracks, voila, he could very easily shift one of those race dates to LVMS.

The question I ask myself is, do I like the new Vegas more than I appreciate the uniqueness of Pocono or New Hampshire?  Or if I watched on the OTHER network, do I hate the new Vegas more than I am tired of the sameness of Pocono or New Hampshire?

I need a drink.

Cup Teams are Big League

After watching the wreckfest of a Busch race on Saturday, the likelyhood of a repeat on Sunday , was foremost in everyone's minds.  But, there is one big difference between the Cup series and the Busch series--the level of talent on the teams.  Other than Kasey Kahne's wreck late in the race, it appeared that once given some time on the track, with some driver input, the crew chiefs, car chiefs and the rest of the masses on the pit boxes were able to get their cars to perform.

I believe that Las Vegas, within 3 years will have a second cup race because the drivers will demand it.  This race track has the potential to become one of the raciest on the circuit and one of the favorites of the drivers.  Already late in the race drivers were working the high groove and the track was "coming" to them.  Not only will the racing be great, but the venue is spectacular and who could ask a city for more to do when not at the track.  NASCAR ship California's 2nd race to Las Vegas and do everyone a favor.

Steve

Viva Las (yawn)

Tony Stewart pitted for four fresh tires late in the race and that helped him finish strongly.  Were you surprised Goodyear didn't cut him off?   Smoke was brutally honest with his slam of the tire supplied for this race.  Made 'em work for him though.

I hear Mark Martin is starting to hedge a bit.  Says maybe if he wins in Atlanta he would change his plans for the Bristol weekend.

Maybe The Waffle House would pony up some sponsorship dough for the effort.

How could Dale Jr. get caught in a pit row violation because he was " just following the #31"?  Would he have followed the #31 off a cliff? 

How was that mom?

I don't believe I have ever seen a squirlier car than the #55 Camry that Mikey Waltrip tried to qualify Friday.  That team worries me.  D J doesn't look much better.  Just no speed at all.

Jimmy Johnson wins going away, for the third straight at Las Vegas, even though they had another pit row mistake.

Finally, ominously, Jeff Gordon gets another top five finish.  Even driving an unlucky green flamer of a #24.  Be afraid Gordon haters. Be very afraid.

Picture credit Getty Images for NASCAR

Class of the Busch League

Did you see it?

The finish of the Sam's Town 300 at the new Las Vegas Motor Speedway was ,another, one to remember.  After the red flag caused restart with ten laps to go, Kyle Busch passes Jeff Burton and appears to run away with the race.  Burton nearly loses his car but amazingly gathers it up and relentlessly closes on Kyle.  They get side by side just short of the finish ,  rub a little, and Kyle spins and hits the wall.

  I waited for the inevitable Busch/NASCAR bitchy driver eruption.  Didn't happen.  Burton actually drove his car to where Kyle was walking back to the pits and instead of throwing his helmet at Jeff, Kyle shook his hand. The crowd roared it's approval.  Then in a quick pit row interview  an understandably upset Kyle Busch basically called the incident a racin' deal , nobody's fault, and that was that.

I have not been much of a Busch brother, or for that matter Busch Series, fan in the past.  I really like the way Kyle Busch handled this deal.  The ABC coverage, especially the touch of class added by Brent Musberger has been major league like.  So too have the races.  Maybe the timing of the name change to something other than the Busch Series should be moved up.  This is no Bush league.

Picture credit Getty Images for NASCAR.

NASCAR's Top 35 Exemption

It is time for the folks at NASCAR to fix a glaring error.  The top 35 exemption needs to be re-evaluated.  Anytime a new rule is enacted in any form of sport, it needs to be looked at after a given period of time, to determine if that rule still has merit.  This rule has far outlived its usefullness; if indeed it was ever a good idea.  When NASCAR was literally having to pay "field fillers" to venture out to remote racetracks like California, Las Vegas and Pheonix, I can see how King Brian France thought quaranteeing the 35 best race teams a spot in the show was a good idea.  Heaven forbid that Morgan Shepherd would make a race, run his 15 laps and have "engine problems" and someone like Jeff Gordon would hit the wall during qualifying and NOT make the race.

NASCAR is now in a situation where not only do they have 50+ cars showing up to make the show; they have 50+ quality cars showing up.  Where this top-35 deal gets really stupid; is at the beginning of the season where, NASCAR uses last years points to determine who is in and who isn't.    NASCAR sould make ALL cars qualify to make the first 5 races of the year.  This would put equal pressure on all teams and would have the added benefit of stopping the "selling" of defunct or dormant teams to other car owners to use those owner points to assure being in races.

After race five, if NASCAR still wants to give exemptions, limit it to the top 20 in points.  This will make sure that those teams that have shown early season excellence will be rewarded, but not penalize other teams just because they are single car or start-up teams.

Being able to modify rules and know when to change things that are no longer working is the sign of a progressive and proactive organization. 

Smokin' Las Vegas

Tony Stewart is not convinced.

The races at Vegas Motor Speedway the last few years have been good to great and seemed headed for more of the same.  But track owner Bruton Smith wanted more.  More speed.  More close racing.  He thinks he's going to get it with the new configuration, debuting this weekend.  Smoke does not concur.

I thought they screwed up a really nice race track," Stewart said Wednesday. "They had a track that every year was getting better and better, and the racing was getting better and better."

New tracks take time to break in.  Vegas was already broken in.

(Las Vegas) was actually a unique and fun race track," Stewart said. "Why would you take a track like Vegas that's almost the same age (as Texas) and now redo it again, and have to go through the whole aging process all over again. It just doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

I don't enjoy very many 400 mile races on these mile and a half tracks.  Las Vegas had become an exception.  If the changes morph it into something like Atlanta Motor Speedway, then I'm OK with it.  I just hope we don't end up with another Chicagoland or K.C.  This last quote from Tony does not ease my apprehension.

"We could go down and it could be the best race NASCAR has ever had in their existence, and I could be 100 percent wrong," Stewart said. "But from what I saw in the test, it's not going to be a very fun race."

We roll the dice Saturday in the Busch race.

Picture credit Getty Images for NASCAR.