Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie

Win this contest and get Dale Earnhardt's Crocs

Do you know what a Croc is?  And no, I don't mean the kind that you read here.  Steve and I have a pair to give away, compliments of the folks at Crocs Racing.

We hooked up with the Crocs Racing folks at MIS during the June race weekend.  By the size of the crowds gathered around the Crocs displays and the number of people walking around with bags of Crocs cool rubber clogs, I'd bet that most of you all know what they are. 

All you have to do to win our pair of Dale Earnhardt Sr. - #3 emblazoned crocs is be the winner of our little contest.  Just tell us whose pit box is depicted in the picture here.  We'll put together the names of those with the correct answer and draw the winner.  The contest will end Thursday, July 5 th at 8:00 EDT.

Now, about the prize. This is a pair of Earnhardt Sr. crocs, not the Earnhardt Jr. pair shown in the picture.  We only have one size - mens size lg, 10-11 or womens ex-lg, 12-13.  So if you win, make 'em fit.  Most of you guys are used to lying about size anyway and everything is too big on a lady, right?

Crocs has several driver numbers licensed, with more on the way.  You can get the Earnhardts, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Smoke right now.

Crocs Racing is more than just a cool shoe company.  They are also sponsoring the #65 car, pictured here, in the ARCA RE/MAX Series

Crocs, go fast, live comfortable. Good luck in the contest.

Picture Credit: Shoes - Crocs Racing Pit box and Crocs racer - Beth Anne Heisler, ON PIT ROW

Almirola, Rockell & JGR--3 wrongs don't make it right

Aric Almirola never should have been removed from the Joe Gibbs Racing, Rockwell Automation, Busch Series car last week.  It was a classless act by JGR and Rockwell to pull Aric, after he qualified the car and had it running out front from the start of the race.  Aric didn't help himself much after he was removed from the car though.  He said in a pre-race interview that he was just "keeping the seat warm" for Denny Hamlin and he was willing to do "whatever was best for the team".

But; when he was removed from the car he took off, so as not to talk with the media and didn't return for the post race celebration.  A celebration that was in all reality, HIS celebration.  Denny Hamlin may have been in the car at the end of the race, but it was Aric Almirola's victory to celebrate.  It's easy to say when you're not involved, but Aric could have really solidified a spot in the fans hearts if he would have taken the high road and stuck around, remembering his pre-race comments and shared victory lane with Denny Hamlin and the rest of the Joe Gibbs Racing crew.

Aric has let it be known, contrary to some bogus Internet reports, that his future lies where his past--a very successful past to boot--has been.  Aric is scheduled to do more Busch Series races this year along with a Craftsman Truck Series race or two for JGR.  He will not be replaced in those races and hopefully he will be able to see victory lane again soon--and be able to enjoy it. 

The question all week has been who was wrong, hurt, offended and to blame for this?  The answer is--practically everyone involved.  It was sad that the sponsor couldn't see the benefit in keeping "the kid" in the car.  Sometimes publicity sneaks up on you when you least expect it.  JGR and Denny Hamlin could have refused to make the change, with the definite probability of pissing off the sponsor.  Somethings are worth more than money.

JGR had made a huge deal out of not pursuing Dale Earnhardt Jr. because they didn't want to be associated with Budweiser.  I'll hitch my wagon to someone who has the chutzpah to stand up to "the man"; when "the man" is wrong, regardless of the potential monetary shortfall, even if that someone has a brew in his hand.

Everyone lost in this mess.  Aric Almirola, Denny Hamlin, JD Gibbs and Rockwell all could have been heroes.  All chose not to be.  Lets hope this doesn't become a case of winning the race, just to lose a much bigger prize--respect.

Photo credit: captainthunderracing.com

NASCAR's version of the playoffs starts in New Hampshire

The dog days of summer signal the start of the Nextel Cup playoffs as drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ryan Newman and  Martin Truex Jr. battle in NASCAR's Race to the Chase.

Throw Roush Racing driver Jamie McMurray in that mix and you probably have all the real contenders for the up for grabs spots in NASCAR's top twelve scramble.

Mark Martin will be good for some tasty what if conversations, until his part-time schedule takes him out of real contention.

About the only thing that could add a name to this list is some wild, off the wall points eating cheating scandle.  What are the chances of that?

If chances, and odds of such chances coming to fruition, are your thang, check out Sports Club Stats.  The screen shot of the graphic in this post is from their site.  Ken has some very cool stuff over there.

Did you hear the one about the pig, the radio show and Jeff Hammond?

Trying to schedule guest interviews for a live broadcast, mid-week NASCAR show is not easy.  Jeff Hammond of Fox Sports and the Speed channel is one of our favorites and joins us pretty regularly.

A couple months ago, Steve called Danny Shull, Jeff's personal manager, trying on rather short notice, to get Jeff for that day's show.

Danny is always accommodating.  This time he told Steve that, though he was sure that Jeff would be happy to do the show, he was kind of busy, that afternoon.  You see, Jeff and a neighbor were out back, somewhere, hunting a wild pig that had become a nuisance.  He was sure that Jeff would be happy to join us if they were able to dispatch the pig, in time.  Steve laughed and told Danny that he surely understood the situation and that he would call on a more convenient day. 

I got this news on the phone from Steve and my comment was something like, " Well that's at least the most creatively we've been blown off" or some such.  We both had a laugh and made other plans for the  show.

About an hour before show time, I got another call on my cell.  It was Steve.  "Danny called.  They got that pig.  Jeff'll be on at 6:30."  It still makes me laugh.

If you are not aware, Jeff Hammond has a book.  Doesn't everybody these days?  Jeff's book is called "Real Men Work in the Pits".  I read it, again, last night.  You really ought to get this book.  It's a crew chief's story and will give a feel for the reasons guys like Hammond and Larry McReynolds take the stands they do on the current rule controversies.  The book is also a history lesson in the early years of multi-car teams and some of the great rivalries in NASCAR history.  Read it.  Better yet, buy it, then read it.

Jeff was a guest on last night's ON PIT ROW and somehow, I didn't get this bit of very interesting stuff, found today in Jeff's column for Fox Sports.

"Pemberton and Nextel Cup director John Darby told me last weekend that a winning race car can go through post-race inspection at the track, but it can still be subject to penalties when it's taken back to NASCAR's research and development center. If they find something that they don't like about the car when they rescan it or feel like a team worked in an area that the templates missed during at-track inspection, that team can be charged points ... after the race. That's scary."

With all of the rules citing going on, I hadn't had a sniff of this.  The next twenty races could get real squirrelly.

NASCAR's credibility dodged a bullet at Infineon

Picture this scenario.  The first baby of NASCAR, child of Jeff Gordon and Ingrid Vandebosch, arrives the Friday before the Toyota/Save Mart 350 instead of Tuesday.  Mark Martin jumps in to the Dupont #24, as previously agreed, subbing for the new dad.  Said #24 undergoes initial technical inspection and is found illegal by the CoT police.

According to the hosts of Speed's Inside Nextel Cup, Martin would have borne the penalties that now seem likely to be levied upon the baby daddy, Jeff Gordon.  According to Greg Biffle, Ken Shrader and Michael Waltrip, that's the way things would have come down.

This all came about due to a question posed by a caller to the show.  I wish that I had the caller's name.  It was a great question and the possibilities it posed are fairly fascinating. 

What do you suppose the Gordon/Hendrick haters would have done if Jeff had dodged any and all penalties that issue from this latest attempt by an HMS team to innovate?

Picture credit: Mark Serota - Getty Images

Tony Stewart's and Juan Montoya's rookie pressures

Both Tony Stewart and Juan Pablo Montoya had immense success in auto racing styles that were very different from NASCAR Nextel Cup racing before their rookie Cup years.  They both stamped paid on the faith of their team owners with wins as rookies.

Stewart's rookie season included three cup wins and twenty one top ten finishes. Smoke left no doubt that he would be a force in NASCAR for as long as it kept his interest.

Juan Pablo Montoya has, perhaps, had a tougher legacy to live up to.

Leaving the glamor, pageantry and mega money of Formula One, recognized everywhere in the world - at least everywhere that doesn't have a Cracker Barrel restaurant - as the premier racing series, for the ovals - mostly - of the France republic was one thing.  There was certainly a buzz among his international peers and the pointy car media that Juan was goin' slummin'.

How would it look if he got here and failed? 

Now I certainly don't buy the whole "F1 is superior" argument.  Comparing NASCAR Cup racing to Formula One is like comparing Football to Soccer.  At the highest level, both games have superior athletes and they each feature a ball.  That's about as close as they get.

Even though Montoya had won the "one time, Greatest Spectacle in Racing" on the Indy oval, the expectation was that, if he were really as good as advertised, he should certainly win at the NASCAR road course events.

Sunday, of course, he did just that.  In an improbable run from a thirty second place start, JP passed them all, stretching his fuel and held on for the victory at Infineon.  Coupled with his Busch Series win at Mexico City, Montoya is two for two in the NASCAR Road Race Series.

Nice job by the rookie.

Montoya wins with patience

Juan Pablo wins on the road course at Sonoma.  In and of itself that doesn't seem like much of a story.  How he won is the story.  No one ever accused Montoya of being patient or laid back.  But he was able to nurse his #42 Havoline Dodge to victory lane by saving fuel and out strategizing Kevin Harvick to the win.  Finally a Dodge goes to victory lane.  Now when will we see a Toyota there?  Could PJ Jones take the #00 to the win in Watkins Glen?  Who can Mikey get to drive the #44 for Dale Jarrett when they next visit a road course?  DJ looked lost and overwhelmed by the CoT/road course combination.  Also lost was Matt Kenseth.   Maybe Roush can find one of his old road racers to fill in for Matty at the Glen--someone who won't be embarrassing to the team.

The Buzz ON PIT ROW is:

Should Chad Knaus And Steve Letarte be commended for being creative or are they cheaters and what, if any, penalties should they incur?

The Fast Lap this week asks:

1)  Is Juan Pablo Montoya's win at Infineon a surprise?

2) With so much past road racing experience at Roush Racing, why can't they win a road course race?

3)  Did TNT really think their "in car reporter" was going to work better than it did?

4)  Was the decision to replace Aric Amorola with Denny Hamlin in the middle of the Busch Race the correct one?

Let us know how you feel about these questions or anything else that happened while going left and right at Infineon.  If we like your comments we could use them on the air during Tuesday's show.  Leave us a comment on the blog or call the show--toll free at 1-877-502-8255 between 5-7pm edt on Tuesdays.

Photo Credits: granprix.com, speedarena.com

Kyle Petty gives the owner's view of inovating in NASCAR

Kyle Petty is rapidly becoming my favorite NASCAR TV commentator.

On Saturday's post NASCAR practice coverage one of the many subjects discussed was, of course, the rules violations found on the cars of Jeff Gordon and Jimmy Johnson. 

Kyle made point that Chad Knauss was being aggressive and pushing the envelope, trying to get an edge and that that was GOOD.  You want your crew chief to do just that.  The fact that NASCAR decided that what was done pushed said envelope too far, is part of the learning curve. 

Later on the NASCAR Performance show, ON PIT ROW stars (I know but I like the sound of it) Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond took up the defense of crew chiefs everywhere, pleading the case for understanding and lenience in the absence of data on the CoTs.  They interviewed Chad Knauss, who naturally was surprised and confused by NASCAR's move.  The show could have been paid for by the Benevolent Brotherhood of Crew Chiefs.

The difference between Petty's points and those of the veteran crew commanders was that Kyle acknowledged that it appeared that the Hendrick Motorsports guys had pursued their innovations with a clear intent to push the rule book.  This, he said, differed from the circumstances, at Darlington, that got Tony Eury Jr. suspended as that violation appeared to be unintentional. 

The intent involved in the latest CoT rules test could net Hendrick Motorsports a heavier penalty.

So says Kyle the Good.

Hendrick cars receive "competition yellow"?

So how can it be that fans can see the same events from so many different sides?  While listening to various call-in shows since the Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon cars failed inspection on Friday; I am amazed at the fans who think, "it is finally time that the Hendrick guys get treated like everyone else".  But, there are just as many fans out there that think Jeff and Jimmy's cars were within the rule book and were just working the "gray areas" as with the CoB.

It is interesting that the two Hendrick cars that share a shop were found to be illegal, while the other two Hendrick cars (#5 and #25) which operate out of a separate facility were not guilty of massaging the CoT rulebook.

I believe NASCAR when they say that they are adamant about no-touch zones on the new car.  Leave it to perennial cheater Chad Knaus to be in violation of the rules.  I have no problem with NASCAR sending a big message to Knaus to get him to "cease and desist" with his cheating.  It is time for NASCAR to set Knaus down for the rest of the season, dock the driver and owner 200 points and a $200,000 fine.  Why so harsh?  Because of a history of cheating, that's why.  Knaus' suspension at the beginning of 2006 obviously wasn't enough to get him to change his ways.

Steve Letarte should be suspended for 6 races.  The team should receive the same 200 point penalties and $200K fine as the 48 car.  As Barney Fife once said, "nip it in the bud--nip it in the bud."  What would have sent a better message would have been for NASCAR to send these cars home without being allowed on the track at all.  The point penalty would have been less than what I proposed above; but the appearance would have sent a much louder message to ALL the teams.

Or does all of this look like that "competition yellow" that we, ON PIT ROW were wondering if NASCAR would eventually throw at the Hendrick team?

See--there are a lot of ways to look at these situations.

photocredit: livinginstereo.com

Hey, you didn't really think I was serious about Allmendinger, right?

A total of six Toyotas qualified for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 Friday.  But not mine.  If I wasn't accustomed to being humiliated, I'd be....well, humiliated.

So how 'bout them Tie-otas, anyway?  I still think this could be the Camry's best showing of the year.  Not only will they have more cars competing than at any other time this year, but the driver line up is stacked with road-course capable performers from top to bottom.

Watching Robby Gordon's banzai run for the pole (almost), punctuated by his mini-burnout at the end was worth losing sleep over.  I had little league duty early and missed the live qualifying.  I caught Robby's act at about 1:30 this morning.  Worth it.

Where did Jamie McMurray come from, anyway?

I wonder if NAPA is putting any pressure on Michael Waltrip to leave Texas Terry Labonte in the #55 for the races between here and Watkins Glen.

This thing is going to look pretty cool if those left fronts get off the ground as much during the race as they did in qualifying.

So as I prepare to fall on my sword for the Allmendinger call, I would like to point out the following, in support of, well..... me.

I did pick Robby Gordon in the ON PIT ROW Chain Game this week, and on the show as well.

I did not claim to be the first to break the Dale Earnhardt-to-Hendrick Motorsports signing.

I admit that I actually, truly, really have no godly idea of who will sponsor Junior in '08 (Nike).

If you have ever listened to ON PIT ROW and or are a regular reader of this or the Fast Lap blog, you already no that I'm no expert.

Good luck Robby.