One thing that always strikes me walking the garage area at a Nextel Cup race is how pristine are the Cup cars. The preparation is obvious. Even with all of the odd shapes that the current car has evolved to, the lines are smooth. Sponsor decals and skins are wrinkle free and aligned. The paint work - what actual paint there is these days - is nicely done.
When, Friday at Indy, we ran into the car pictured here, it definitely stood out. Our picture doesn't do it justice. The fit and finish of this ride would look more at home at your local short track.
The Dodge is owned by John Carter. Joe Nemechek has a one race deal to run it. I would not bet against him getting that dog in the Allstate 400 this weekend.
Nemechek and the members of his #13 Ginn Racing Chevy team took a car with no owner's points at the start of the season and with no qualifying safety net, drove the car into top thirty five status. That was it's rank when last week, the car was mothballed and Joe cut loose from his driver contract at Ginn.
Nemechek is looking at resurrecting his successful Busch team. He's hired Champion Motorsports Marketing to help find sponsorship for that team and to try to put together a more permanent ride in the Nextel Cup Series.
"I still want to be in Cup," the 43-year-old Nemechek said. "I have a lot of years left in me as far as racing. It's not often that you find a guy that has four Cup wins and 16 Busch wins and 17 [Busch] poles. more...
I have a personal reason for pulling for Joe and not just this weekend either.
A few years ago, when ON PIT ROW had only been on the air for a few seasons, Nemechek was a guest. Our celebrity interviews usually run about ten minutes. We don't like to abuse our opportunities with these people. So, at about the appropriate time, I tried to let Joe go.
He said something like, "Whoa, we aren't done talking yet." and stayed with us for what is probably still our longest driver spot. It meant, and still means alot to Steve and me. Joe Nemechek is a good guy.
Go get 'em Joe.
Picture credit: Beth Anne Heisler - ON PIT ROW
One year after “fuelgate” Michael Waltrip has put his NAPA Camry on the front row for next week’s Daytona 500. Oh yeah and the not so surprising part; joining him on the front row–Jimmy Johnson. Johnson hasn’t missed a beat from 2007, by putting his Lowes Chevrolet on the pole.
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