The worst of NASCAR 2008

Alright NASCAR, we wouldn't want you to get too big a head or anything.  As I sit here preparing the tactics I will employ in the twin tasks of stalking roasted turkey and dealing with the likely disappointment the Detroit Lions will leave me with tomorrow - I thought I would remind the France family that 2007 wasn't perfect.

• It all started in Daytona.  The much anticipated debut of Toyota in the Nextel Cup Series along with the masterfully assembled and promoted flagship team of Michael Waltrip Racing crashed before it ever got started due to a stupid attempt by someone at MWR to doctor the fuel in Waltrip's own NAPA Camry.  The resulting penalty was devastating to Mikey, his sponsors and the team.

• Has there ever been a rule - in any sport - so universally reviled as the obsolete "Top thirty five" qualifying deal?

• There just should have been some way for the surviving Earnhardts to work things out.  In the perfect NASCAR world, Dale Junior fans and everyone else involved from sanctioning body to media to sponsors would want to have Junior driving that #8 Budweiser Chevy. The story was a huge distraction throughout the first half of 2007.

• After signing a high profile, big ticket contract with Waltrip's startup Toyota team, classy ex-champ Dale Jarrett suffered through a wasted year as he struggled to make races and showed poorly when he did qualify.  Jarrett's last full season in cup should have been better.

• Maybe DJ and sponsor UPS knew something when he left Robert Yates Racing for the joys of Toyota racing.  The slide of RYR has been fast and steep.  The one-time Ford super team is just a shadow of itself and will now operate as Roush - East.

• Craftsman Truck driver Aaron Fike's arrest for alleged heroin possession in the parking lot of an Ohio amusement park.  Nuf' said.

• Robby Gordon's meltdown in Montreal.

• ESPN's coverage of the Nextel Cup.  The early season Busch Series broadcasts gave me hope.  The fact that they never fixed the pathetic NASCAR Now with the awful Eric Kuselius should have been warning enough.  The race broadcasts went steadily downhill. 

I'm probably forgetting something significant.  But my stomach is growling and I better go dig out my Honolulu Blue and Silver turkey hunting gear.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Comments

[vroom]

Nice recap...now if ESPN would just axe EK from all vroom related tellycasts...

[marc]

"Has there ever been a rule - in any sport - so universally reviled as the obsolete "Top thirty five" qualifying deal?"

Yes it is universally hated... however.

The Charlotte Observer did a study of various ways to fix the "problem" and the one most agreed upon... you guessed it.

Hurt those that a change was meant to help. (do a search of the That's Racin' site for "Top 35 Rule," it should pull up the page.)

"Craftsman Truck driver Aaron Fike's arrest for alleged heroin possession in the parking lot of an Ohio amusement park. Nuf' said."

Far from "alleged" now. He pled guilty a couple weeks ago for possession of heroin and paraphernalia but got no jail time.

He will do community service, and conduct some type of anti-drug thing at all the NASCAR Cup events in 2008 via a booth set-up at each track.

[RevJim]

I think you hit the nail on the head here

[Charlie]

Vroom, EK is unwatchable for me.

Marc, where do you suppose NASCAR will put that booth for Aaron? Probably not between the Home Depot Experience and the Toyota World mega displays, huh?

[brian cantoni]

I would add to your list one aspect of the ABC coverage: whenever the race ran a bit longer than the scheduled time slot (which seemed like every week), they would interview just the winner, then cut the broadcast.

Sometimes they put the post-race interviews on ESPN2 or ESPN News, but if you've recorded the race on Tivo, you're out of luck.

I'd gladly drop an hour of the pre-race coverage for a decent set of post-race driver interviews.

[Charlie]

Brian I agree with you totally. That is all part of the problem with the ABC/ESPN coverage. Somehow in the last ten years or so, the network that brought NASCAR in particular and auto racing in general to the masses via shows like RPM Tonight, lost their racing Mojo. There cannot be a racing fan, in the employ of the network, watching these broadcasts. It's such a waste.

Thanks for the comment.