« November 2008 | Main | January 2009 »
December 31, 2008
Happy New Year!
May everyone have a very happy and wonderful New Year!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:46 PM | Comments (0)
Done Deal Between Petty Enterprises and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports?
According to Lee Spencer from FoxSports.com, Petty Enterprises and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports agreed on a deal to merge on Christmas Eve, the details of which will be made public next week. However, sources have told Spencer that the Petty Enterprises shop will close with most employees losing their jobs as of today. Apparently the new name of these two organizations will likely somehow feature the Petty name, though in reality it appears that as of this week, PE has ceased to exist. Reed Sorenson will race the #43 in 2009, something that may upset some fans who will probably not feel that he's worthy of racing a number with so much history.
One of the few PE employees making the move to GEM is Robbie Loomis who will continue to have a managerial role with the newly merged organizations. What's interesting to me is that David Zucker, who became CEO of PE when Boston Ventures bought into it earlier this year is apparently going to become involved with the Petty Driving Experience. I wonder whether that means that the Petty Driving Experience wasn't included in the merger deal and whether Boston Ventures is going to retain control of it? Some had speculated that when Boston Ventures bought into PE they were more interested in the Driving Experience since they saw that as a greater potential source of revenue and they are likely correct.
If a deal to merge has indeed been reached it's a pretty sad day for the sport. Sure, the Petty name may live on in the new name of the combined organizations and Richard Petty may continue to go to the track each week but he will likely only be a figurehead at the new organization and a way to attract sponsors and attention. It's never a good thing when a team closes it's door and even more so when that team has been as big of a part of the history of the sport as PE has been. Sixty years is a long time, and during that time the organization has won ten Championships and many races. Those days may be long over but hopefully even though the organization is no more, they won't be forgotten.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:50 AM | Comments (2)
The Strange Case of Phil Parsons and MSRP Motorsports
Start and Parking, when a team enters a race with no intention of racing for more than just a few laps before going to the garage due to a "vibration" or some other excuse, is one of NASCAR's dirty secrets. Most fans can't stand the practice but teams can sometimes make a lot of money start and parking, either to fund an additional legitimate team, in the hopes of one day being able to race full races or in the case of a team like MSRP Motorsports, apparently just to make a profit. Few of the regular media members who cover NASCAR regularly would likely dare to upset those in the garage area by doing any in-depth reporting on the practice of start and parking, particularly since popular veterans like Morgan Shepherd and Phil Parsons are involved with start and park teams. However, Car and Driver magazine has no such qualms and has a feature article in their February issue on start and parking which is very revealing, particularly as it relates to Phil Parsons and MSRP.
Almost everyone who is part of a start and park operation including Jay Robinson, Derrike Cope and Morgan Shepherd were willing to speak openly and honestly about start and parking and their reasons for doing so. Not Phil Parsons. What's pretty amazing is that initially Parsons denied even having any involvement with MSRP even though the team's name reportedly comes from the initials of the first names of himself, his co-owner and their wives - Marcia, Stacy, Randy, Phil - and his wife is listed as the owner of one of the cars. Later when the writer encounters Parsons again, he refers to the team as "we" saying that there is no one to talk to about the team and that they're "trying to stay under the radar." Under the radar is an understatement.
I've never understood Parson's unwillingness to acknowledge his involvement with the team. All the secrecy about it makes it seem as if he has something to hide, as if the team is doing something wrong. And to many fans they are doing something wrong but in reality they are operating within NASCAR's rules. Being so secretive actually seems to draw more attention to what this team is doing rather than less. MSRP is used as the poster children for everything that's wrong with start and parking and Parsons, who was previously an extremely well-thought and respected member of the garage area, has drawn a significant amount of ire from fans. Many fans will never accept the practice of start and parking, but I think Parsons could do himself and his team a favor by being more open about his stake in MSRP and explaining what the team is trying to achieve, even if it's just to make a profit.
Sometimes in the garage area the way to handle problems, uncomfortable or negative situations is to try to ignore it, pretend it's not happening and hope that if it gets shoved under the rug no one will notice or that fans will forget about it. But that's not the way the real world works. To a lot of fans not addressing an issue or ignoring a problem is almost the same as lying about it and it sometimes creates more negativity and at times anger than if the issue had just been directly addressed. Fans might not like Parson's explanation for why he's involved with MSRP and why they're start and parking but at least he would be able to let his side be known and control the message to a degree rather than have others speculate and draw conclusions that may or may not be true.
I have mixed feelings about teams that start and park. On one hand, I don't really like it because the teams aren't making a legitimate effort to race. I think it kind of makes a mockery of things when a team shows up without a pit crew or tires because they know they won't be in the race long enough to need them. MSRP usually pulls their cars off the track within five laps and I don't think there's a single race all season in which either team has actually tried to race. It particularly bothers me when a start and park teams with no intention of racing an entire race takes a spot in a starting lineup and a team that would race a full race goes home, though of course if a team wants to race they need to be able to out-qualify the necessary amount of teams to make the field.
However, as much as I don't like start and parking, I also understand why teams do it. I don't blame the teams who are doing what they feel they need to so they can continue to show up at the track like Cope or Shepherd or those who start and park to fund their primary teams like Jay Robinson Racing. I would guess that for most of those who start and park to allow them to go to the track the next week or bring a second team, they would prefer to not have to resort to start and parking but feel they have no choice. I would much rather that Jay Robinson Racing start and parks a team to have the money for their primary team than have to close their doors because they don't have the financial resources to go to the track.
Unlike a lot of fans I'm also not bothered by the idea that MSRP may not have any intention of ever trying to race a full race with either team and are only in it to make a profit. Just exactly what's so wrong with trying to make some money? Sometimes it seems as if fans take issue with anyone in the sport who makes money whether it's the drivers or teams but it's totally unrealistic to think that everyone should be racing just for their love of the sport and receive little or no compensation for it. NASCAR is a business like any other and I don't fault anyone who makes money on their involvement in the sport.
n addition, as much as fans may hate start and parking, NASCAR's rules allow it. The governing body is fully aware of the practice, and according to the article even help the teams cover what they're doing by knowingly putting down false reasons for why the teams are heading to the garage so early such as "vibration" or "transmission" when the real reason might be no money to run a full race, no tires or even in a few cases, no engine. So as long as NASCAR allows it to happen, teams are going to start and park. Furthermore, NASCAR definitely isn't going to do anything about it now when the economy is hitting all the teams so hard since it helps some teams earn some extra money and it will help the field for races be larger than they might be if teams were required to attempt to race a full race.
It remains to be seen whether MSRP plans on continuing to start and park next season, but I suspect we'll see them continuing to do exactly what they did this season. Maybe at some point they'll even acknowledge openly and honestly exactly what they're doing and maybe that would led to fans being more understanding of what they're doing even if they still disagree with the practice.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:31 AM | Comments (2)
December 29, 2008
Photo of the Day
Ogunquit, Maine, 2004.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:10 PM | Comments (0)
Just Have to Shake My Head...
I really don't like talking about the drivers or players personal lives in this space unless something is exceptionally newsworthy as I don't much of anything in their personal lives is any of my business. But there's something bugging me. It seems that there's a segment of Elliott Sadler fans who are convinced that he lost his ride because of his fiancée. Ridiculous. Drivers don't lose their rides because of their significant others, nor do they often lose their rides for things in their personal lives in general unless it's something so inappropriate or unacceptable that it can't be overlooked. If they did, then there would be a lot of unemployed drivers right now because there are plenty of significant others who haven't always behaved perfectly and plenty of drivers who have acted out or done things in their personal lives that not every fan would approve of.
NASCAR is a performance based sport. The drivers are expected to perform in two ways - for their sponsors in terms of getting them exposure and for the team in terms of the results on the track. The second is particularly important - teams and sponsors want to see the driver they have a lot of money invested in perform on the track. If that driver doesn't perform sometimes they can keep their ride if they're good at getting their sponsor exposure and are popular with the fans but ultimately a driver needs to show they can race competitively and preferably up front. The results for Elliott on the track haven't been very good since he signed with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports and that's why he lost his ride. Not because of his significant other. But because GEM feels that A.J. Allmendinger will likely get better results in the #19 than Elliott.
I don't even want to go down the road of discussing the ridiculous attitudes that some fans have towards the drivers significant others and their personal lives in general besides saying that I feel sorry for both the drivers and those who they choose to be with. Who a driver chooses to be with is their own business but unfortunately there's quite a few fans who think differently.
Posted by silverdsl at 05:04 PM | Comments (2)
December 27, 2008
Elliott Sadler Being Replaced by A.J. Allmendinger in the #19?
ESPN.com is reporting that sources are telling them that Elliott Sadler is being replaced by A.J. Allmendinger in the #19 in 2009. While I'm not entirely shocked that Gillett-Evernham Motorsports would think about releasing Elliott since his results haven't been that good since joining GEM, I'm very surprised that they actually followed through on it since according to the ESPN report is accurate GEM made this move apparently against the wishes of some of their sponsors. In addition, releasing a popular driver is never going to go over well with fans, but looks particularly bad for an organization to release a driver at Christmas, and even worse when the driver in question is just a couple of weeks away from his wedding - some Christmas and wedding present! Unless Elliott did something completely inappropriate and inexcusable that the team couldn't overlook then I think it's a terrible move PR-wise, even if GEM feels that it's a legitimate business move.
But how it could possibly be a good business move if it's true that some of the sponsors of the #19 are so unhappy with the move that they might also leave GEM? At a time when it's very difficult to find and keep sponsorship it's mind-boggling why an organization would do something that might upset their sponsors to such a degree that they might lose them. I just don't understand why GEM would risk letting millions of dollars which may not be easy to replace walk away. Sponsors normally play a key role in determining who the driver of the car they sponsor is and rightly so considering how much money they have invested in their sponsorships.So why would GEM do something their sponsors don't want them to do? I would think that some of the sponsors might have already started putting together marketing, advertising and other promotions featuring Elliott - if so, if I were them I wouldn't be too happy about having to start over with a different driver.
In addition, while A.J. is a talented driver who raced well at the end of the season, is he really going to get results that are that superior to Elliott? I'm not so sure. Elliott may have struggled the last few years but he has won three times in Cup and five times on the Nationwide level so he does know how to get a car to Victory Lane. A.J. on the other hand hasn't yet won on any level in Nascar, and while he's greatly improved since he first started racing in Cup, I think it's still somewhat unknown as to what he's truly capable of.
So I can understand why some sponsors may be leery, particularly when one considers that Elliott is a much more popular driver with the fans than A.J., something that sometimes matters more to the sponsors than performance. That should also matter to GEM since presumably some of their revenue comes from merchandise sales. While Kasey Kahne probably makes up the bulk of GEM's merchandise sales, I would think that the revenue they made from Elliott wasn't so bad either - will A.J. really be able to generate the same level of revenue?
I do have to wonder how long this might have been in the works. A number of months ago Elliott was left out of a Dodge radio ad. At the time it was said that it was an accidental oversight but one has to wonder if wasn't so accidental after all. Though if they've really been thinking about doing this for months it would seem that would be enough time to get all the sponsors on-board with a driver change.
The whole thing is very puzzling to me. If what ESPN is reporting is true I have to think there's some major piece of information that hasn't come to light yet (and might never) that would explain why GEM is making what appears to be a very curious move on the surface. I don't understand why they would do something to upset their sponsors and at a time when it's essential that teams and the sport overall do whatever they can to engage fans, that GEM would do something that will result in them losing the support of some fans. In this economy it just doesn't seem wise to anger both sponsors and fans.
I feel bad for Elliott - it's never easy when a driver loses their ride but it's a particularly bad time right now since there are so few open rides on any level, plus it's the holidays and he's getting married soon. This will really suck some of the joy out of what should be a very happy time for Elliott. I hope everything works out for him either with GEM or another team and that we'll see him racing competitively next season in Cup.
All of that said, I have been hoping that A.J. would find a ride so part of me would be happy for him if this is all true. It's just too bad that him getting a ride may result in Elliott losing his.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:06 PM | Comments (2)
Camping World East Series 2009 Schedule Announced - Only Twelve Races
The economy and other issues are taking their toll on every racing series in and out of Nascar but I'm particularly concerned about the future of the Camping World East Series. On Wednesday NASCAR finally got around to releasing the 2009 schedule and I have to wonder if they were hoping that if they released it on Christmas Eve Day no one no one would notice that the East Series schedule is just twelve races, down one race from this season. For the first time since 1992 Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut won't be hosting a race in this series and what doesn't bode well is that Nascar wasn't able to find a replacement track to keep the schedule at thirteen races.
In addition, there's been some talk that HDNet is no longer interested in broadcasting East Series or any other NASCAR race. So if that's accurate - and I don't know if it is - unless SPEED opts to send a camera crew to every East Series race, something I think is somewhat unlikely given that most are trying to cut costs due to the economy, or another network is willing to carry the races, there may be very little or no TV coverage of East Series races in 2009. That would be bad for a series that is already struggling to get exposure and develop a following among fans.
The president of Stafford Motor Speedway, Jack Arute, Jr., cited financial reasons for why his track won't be hosting an East Series race next season. Apparently in the past there were a lot of local Northeast drivers who had a big fan following but as the series has changed, there are less local drivers and more drivers who are unfamiliar to area fans, therefore less fans in the stands. He said,
"A lot of what's going on there now, they don't have a big following for the drivers involved. They're more strangers. Who are your local drivers besides [2008 series champion Matt Kobyluck from Montville]? It's neat to have the [Jeffrey Earnhardt] and the [Ricky Carmichael] but I'm not sure if they're going to even be back or who the names will be. The writing on the wall is that we have to be careful with our pricing and what we offer and we want to keep to our basics and do what's best for us. I didn't see a huge influx of people that came to us with that division so right now we have to go with what we know works for us."
Odds are neither Jeffrey nor Ricky will be back in 2009, Jeffrey because DEI is merging with Ganassi Racing and may not field any East Series cars next season and Ricky because he's likely going to race a truck for Kevin Harvick, Inc. if sponsorship comes through. Steve Park is a "name" that draws some fans but there has yet to be an announcement about whether Steve will be racing in the East Series next season, though that he is racing for NDS Motorsports at the Toyota All-Star Showdown next month is a good indication that he will probably be back with the team. However, as many fans as Steve has, he can't carry the series on his back and there has to be multiple drivers with big fanbases and an overall interest in the series from fans to sell enough tickets to fill the stands.
What's troublesome is that it's likely that Stafford isn't the only track that isn't making a profit on the East Series so there may be other tracks re-thinking the wisdom of continuing to host East Series races. In fact, there is already talk that the future of Nashville Motorplex is in question. Some complain that there are too many races outside the Northeast (though there are just as many fans that complain there should be more races in the Southeast) but NASCAR has to schedule the races at tracks that are willing to host them which may be easier said than done.
In addition, it's been said that the cost to field a competitive car in the series is as much as $500,000 which is a fortune to some of these teams considering how small they are. The economy makes the sponsorship situation bad enough for these teams but if the races aren't broadcast on TV next season it might be deadly for the series - very few sponsors are going to be willing to spend half a million dollars and get zero exposure beyond what they get at the track. Which apparently isn't always that great since ticket sales for East Series races aren't very good at some tracks.
A lot of fans have complained that the Cup teams fielding cars for their development drivers in the East Series has ruined the series. Well, some of those organizations may reduce the amount of cars they field or not field any at all next year. I really doubt that's going to magically fix all the problems this series faces. In fact it may make things worse because that will likely mean that there will be less drivers that fans are familiar with. The teams, the tracks, NASCAR and the drivers themselves need to be sure that they are doing everything they can to promote themselves, their teams, their sponsors and their series to help increase fan interest in the series and its drivers.
What's really worrisome is that because they signed a multi-year deal to sponsor the Truck Series, Camping World may leave as title sponsor of both the East and West Series. What happens then? Not only is the East Series a good series for local drivers to showcase themselves but it's also a series where upper level teams can develop their young drivers. So I hope this series survives anything that the future holds, but it seems like there's a lot of uncertainty in the air when it comes to the East Series these days.
Posted by silverdsl at 06:06 PM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2008
Photo of the Day - Merry Christmas!
A very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy Kwanzaa to all!
Posted by silverdsl at 02:49 PM | Comments (2)
December 22, 2008
Majority Ownership in Bill Davis Racing Sold to Mike Held and Marty Gaunt
Things are definitely changing fast in Nascar - yet another long-time owner has sold majority ownership in his organization. Today it was announced that Mike Held and Marty Gaunt through Triad Racing Technologies have purchased majority interest in both Bill Davis Racing and Triad Racing Development. Triad Racing Technologies provides engines, chassis and bodies for teams in the Truck, Nationwide and Cup Series, something which they plan to continue to do for any team regardless of manufacturer that team may be affiliated with. Gaunt was a Vice President at BDR so he is familiar with the organization he is buying into.
What most fans are going to be interested in is what BDR's lineup will be for next season in terms of how many trucks they'll be fielding , who the drivers are going to be and whether the #22 Cup car is going to return in 2009. Although Held and Gaunt apparently would like to field the #22, I would be surprised if it happens - there may be new owners at BDR but the same problem still exists - there is no primary sponsor for the #22.
The other interesting thing is that one of the scenedaily.com articles says the following:
Two of BDR’s trucks have been assigned to drivers Brian Scott and Tayler Malsam. No driver has been announced for the third truck.
So what does that mean for Mike Skinner? Is he out at BDR? That would be pretty major news if Skinner and BDR parted ways because it would mean that BDR would have lost both of their top drivers in the Truck Series. Skinner may not have had the season that Johnny Benson did but he's also a past series Champion who won a race last season and finished 6th in the points. Scott and Malsam may be talented drivers but it's unlikely that either will be able to duplicate the success that Benson and Skinner have had the past few years.
Most will likely see Bill Davis selling his majority ownership stake in BDR as being due to the economy but I think BDR was in trouble well before the economy went South. The 360OTC disaster, the Jacques Villeneuve situation and some other questionable moves though the years made me think that BDR had some issues on the business side. In addition, although they fielded extremely strong trucks, they haven't been competitive in Cup for years. I'm not sure how much that's going to change with new owners, though I think it's a plus that Gaunt has been working for BDR so he understands what the challenges are, and both have experience with supplying engines, chassis and bodies to the teams. So they are very experienced in the sport with an understanding of the way things work. I just don't see how they're going to be any more successful than Bill Davis when it comes to finding sponsors and without sponsorship money it's going to be very hard to be successful.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)
If the Sponsorship Woes Weren't Already Bad Enough...
Sports Business Journal is reporting that Nascar is losing four sponsorship deals with companies who were the official sponsors of the sport. Those companies are Enterprise, Home Depot, Domino's and Kodak. Although several companies renews their sponsorship deals, Nascar is still negotiating with Dupont and Sony, both of whom are re-evaluating the level of their involvement in the sport. That Dupont, currently also the sponsor of the #24, may cut back to the point where they are considering selling off some of the races they are currently committed to sponsoring the #24 in is particularly worrisome because it means that even the largest and most successful of teams aren't immune to having to deal with issues with their sponsors. All of these sponsors are major companies with well-known brands and products - if these companies are experiencing financial woes that are causing them to reduce or eliminate all together the level of their involvement in the sport, imagine what's happening or will happen with smaller companies when their sponsorship deals expire?
Both Domino's and Kodak used to have sponsorship deals with individual teams in addition to their deals to be official sponsors of the sport and both had to end those partnership due to financial woes that existed prior to the economy going bad. So it's not really a surprise that both of those companies decided to withdraw from the sport. However, I'm sad that Domino's is leaving the sport. For years they were a sponsor at Michael Waltrip Racing, first on the #99 Nationwide car and then on the #00 Cup car. Domino's is a sponsor that really "got it" when it came to taking advantage of every opportunity they could to utilize the drivers they were associated with to gain exposure for their brand through promotions. I try to support all of Michael Waltrip's sponsors when I can but the one sponsor that I supported via purchases more than any other was Domino's and I continue to get Domino's pizza even now that they're no longer a MWR sponsor. I never would have started eating their pizza if not for them sponsoring Michael.
In other sponsorship news, Caterpillar Inc. announced today that their financial woes are so bad that they will be cutting compensation for their executives by as much as half, reducing pay for other senior management by as much as 5-35%, instituting a hiring freeze, offering buyouts to some employees, closing some plants temporarily and possibly eliminating some jobs. CAT signed a deal this year to sponsor the #31 at Richard Childress Racing in 2009 and presumably for several years beyond that. I would guess that the amount of the sponsorship for the #31 is significantly more than they were paying to sponsor the #22 at Bill Davis Racing. I have to wonder whether CAT has any out clauses in their deal with RCR and whether they might look to get out of that deal at some point if their finances don't improve since it seems to me it's going to be hard for them to justify spending possibly as much as $20 million or more on a Nascar sponsorship when they're cutting pay and closing plants.
I think some believe that if the sports and it's teams can survive 2009 then maybe the economy will improve and things will be better. But I don't think these sponsorship woes are going to go away even if the economy turns around completely next year. These companies are losing so much money that even if their revenue and profits go up they will likely still need to be cautious with how they spend their money for some time into the future. And there's no guarantee that the economy is going to get better. The situation when it comes to sponsorship may actually get worse with more sponsors, whether they're ones who are official sponsors of the sport or ones with partnerships with individual teams, opting to leave the sport rather than renew their deals. Scary.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:22 PM | Comments (0)
December 21, 2008
Photo of the Day - Two Hands
New Jersey, 2008.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:11 PM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2008
Brendan Gaughan to Race for Rusty Wallace, Inc. in 2009?
Dave Moody is reporting in his blog that Brendan Gaughan is close to signing a deal to race for Rusty Wallace, Inc. in the #64 in he Nationwide Series next season, with the only thing preventing the deal from being signed is that there's a possibility that Brendan could end up in the #41 Cup car for Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing because a sponsorship issue has cropped up that's prevented them from signing Bobby Labonte for that ride. I heard Brendan give an interview on Moody's show last week and apparently his father is going to sponsor Brendan in whatever ride he ends up in again because the casino, The South Point, is doing so well in Las Vegas. Brendan made it pretty clear that he would love to race for Circle Bar Racing again in the Truck Series but that it was entirely up to his father what direction his career went in.
Brendan would likely do well racing for RWI. The #64 is a solid team and Brendan is capable of racing up front and winning races. I don't think a second try at the Cup Series would work out any better for Brendan than the last time did. Not because he's lacking in talent but because the same issues regarding his refusal to conform and other things will still be present. It would probably help that he would be sponsored by his father, but I just don't think Brendan is a good fit for the Cup Series. However, the Cup Series offers the best opportunity for a sponsor to get exposure so for that reason an opportunity to sponsor Brendan in a Cup ride is attractive.
What's pretty much going on is that Brendan's father is going to be buying a ride for him and it might not necessarily be Brendan's first choice as to where he races next season. But Brendan made it clear that was fine with him. Although they had butted heads in the recent past regarding the Wyler Racing deal that never happened, it seems that these days Brendan is perfectly happy to go along with exactly what his father wants now. Based on the way Brendan boasted about skiing in Colorado and a lifestyle that he says he usually keeps quiet in the garage area, I would guess that unless he's in his father's good graces those things might not be possible. So I think he's going to be perfectly hapy to go along with just about anything his father wants as long as the money flow and way of life continues.
If I'm being honest I thought Brendan came off as something of a spoiled brat, but then I've thought that of him in the past. Most fans absolutely adore Brendan and he is very good with the fans. But there's something about him that sometimes rubs me the wrong way and I think yesterday I was a little bothered by the way he talked about spending a month in Colorado and some other things that seemed out of touch with some of the realities of the way the economy is right now and the effect it's having on most people. It's great for the Gaughans if the casino is doing well and they're able to live large but I thought it came off as a little distasteful to be boasting about it. Many of the other drivers, even though a lot of them probably aren't hurting for money, have taken to talking about cutting back on expenses and being careful with finances.
Posted by silverdsl at 12:08 PM | Comments (0)
Nascar to Begin Drug Testing in January
Drivers and crew members will be subject to drug testing starting next month with tests administered not only for illegal and prescription drugs on the banned list, but also performance enhancers. The inclusion of performance enhancers on the list of substances that will be tested for appears to be somewhat of a change in attitude for a sport that had previously not seemed too concerned with the possibility that drivers or crew members might be using performance enhancers. Perhaps one of the top drivers in the Truck Series - Ron Hornaday, Jr. being found to have used testosterone, for what he says are medical reasons, under questionable circumstances made them rethink their approach.
I applaud all effort by Nascar to ensure that the drivers and members of the pit crews are clean. I think the increased drug testing that Nascar is going to be doing starting next season is a much needed change to their drug policy. However, in announcing exactly when drivers and crew members can expect to be tested next month - during media week for drivers and by January 16 for crew members - means that anyone who is using any substances on the banned list is well aware of when they'll be tested and has time to get clean prior to when they'll be tested. I hope that no one in the garage area ever tests positive for anything but the odds are if they're going to get caught it will probably be though the random drug testing that will be conducted of 12-14 people per series per race weekend.
The list of drugs that crew members will be tested for was released and includes amphetamines which I would suspect is likely widely used and abused on pit road as many likely never thought there was anything wrong with it, much like amphetamines, aka "Greenies," were widely used by Major League Baseball players before they were included on that sport's banned list. However, Nascar doesn't plan on releasing a list of substances drivers will be tested for (though they say the drivers will be tested for performance enhancers). One has to wonder why Nascar won't detail what they'll be testing the driver for. Is it because they don't want any restrictions on what they might penalize a driver for using? Or is it because they want to be able to excuse drivers for testing positive for certain substances? After all, if something isn't spelled out on the banned list then there's some wiggle room to allow them to decide what action - if any - they're going to take as opposed to having to do something.
As I said above, my hope is that no one in the garage area ever tests positive for drugs. However, how realistic is that? Drivers have tested positive in the past, including one - Aaron Fike - who admitted to racing after having used heroin. Some fans believe that Nascar is above the problems with drugs and other issues that other sports have. Nascar would certainly like that impression to continue. But odds are that just as there is a segment of society in general that abuses drugs, there also is a hopefully small segment of people in the garage area that use as well.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:30 AM | Comments (0)
December 19, 2008
Photo of the Day - Snowy
We're in the midst of a big snowstorm in the Northeast and I got the urge to go outside and take some photos in the snow. Not so easy when your camera is in a zip-lock bag for protection, your balancing an umbrella as you're trying to take photos and your hands are getting frost-bit! At any rate, I was fascinated by the snow on the branches of the pine trees - they looked like hands reaching out to me. If not for the battery in my camera running out I probably could have been out there all day taking pictures of them, trying to capture those "hands" just-so!
Posted by silverdsl at 05:13 PM | Comments (0)
December 18, 2008
Could Nascar Survive Without Dale Earnhardt, Jr.?
Although the writer of a blog who posed the question, "What Would Nascar Do Without Junior" seems to think that without Dale Earnhardt, Jr. the sport would crumble, I think the sport can and would survive without Junior. Nascar existed prior to when Junior became a part of the sport and it will exist after he's gone too. It's true that Junior is the most popular driver in the sport with a huge fanbase that generates a lot of revenue for a lot of different entities but if Nascar is dependent on one driver, whether that's Junior or another driver, for their survival, then the sport is in much worse shape than anyone thought. What would happen if something happened to Junior and he was no longer able to race? Or when he retires? Contrary to what some believe the races will continue to be held with or without Junior.
The author of this article wrote in his blog,
Once, while going into a race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, I asked a friend of mine if there was anyone attending the event who was not cheering for Earnhardt. Every fan was adorned with his then colors of red and white. The grandstands erupted with a cheer upon his introduction that far out did the cheers for any other driver.That scenario is true of almost every race venue.
Love him or not, everyone almost certainly has to admit the sport of NASCAR racing is very much dependant on Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for its survival. Imagine even more empty grandstands if he were not racing. Picture the nearly vacant souvenir lot without his multitude of trailers.
Again, yes, it's true that Junior has a huge amount of fans and the stands are filled with people who are wearing his gear. But I strongly disagree with the idea that every fan is a Junior fan. This fan, and many other fans that I know, cheer for other drivers. It may be hard for some to believe but I don't pay much attention to Junior during races unless he's doing something particularly noteworthy. There are a significant amount of fans who would never buy anything of Junior's, never buy tickets to races just to see him race, and would never cheer for him.
Maybe part of the problem in this sport is that it's not just the author of this article who believes that every fan is a Junior fan. Maybe if some were more aware of just how many fans cheer for drivers other than Junior, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, there would be a little less fan dissatisfaction because some of those fans who are unhappy wouldn't feel so ignored.
Someone in the comments section of that entry mentioned the word "narrow" and I think it's very applicable. There are some fans who have a very narrow view of the world around them. If they like Junior than everyone else does - or should. But that's not what the reality is.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:46 PM | Comments (0)
December 17, 2008
Michael Waltrip Thinks His Team is Getting Stronger
Nothing earth-shattering here in terms of it's newsworthiness but it made me smile this morning to come across a positive article about Michael Waltrip and his organization. I love the fact that Michael is still talked about as a contender for winning another Daytona 500 - and for good reason! Aside from being a master at plate racing, Michael Waltrip Racing as the article points out has made a lot of progress. Michael said,
"I think our past history may be an advantage, what with teams not allowed to test anymore. I don't think there's a whole lot I can learn about Daytona, and that carries over to the whole team, I think."
With two Daytona 500 wins and an additional Cup win at the track, I'd say Michael is right!
Michael also said that he feels that Joe Gibbs Racing becoming a Toyota team in 2008 will continue to help the other Toyota teams in the future and that the effects will be seen more next season. He said,
"Their goal is to get their entire program in position to win races. The cooperation between all the Toyota teams has already paid dividends, but it's not going to be as hard to see next year."
I'm glad to hear that there's continuing cooperation between the Toyota teams. There's now a new Toyota organization to add into the mix as well - Robby Gordon Motorsports - and I'm interested in seeing how much Robby and his organization works with MWR. Robby has been close with Call Wells, MWR's Executive Vice President for Operations, for years and Frank Kerr, the crew chief of the #47 that will be housed in the MWR shop has worked for RGM more than once, including a stint as Robby's crew chief. Despite Robby's past conflicts with Michael (and the hatred that Robby's fans have for Michael as a result) if the other Toyota teams are working together there won't be much choice but for Robby to do the same. Not to mention the MWR teams were a lot more competitive at the end of this season - often more competitive than Robby was - so I'd guess he's going to do whatever he feels is going to improve the performance of his team even it means sharing information or otherwise working with someone he and/or his fans don't like that much.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
No Wonder Teams Go Broke and Close!
Prior to their merger with DEI, Ginn Racing had a contract with Hendrick Motorsports to lease engines in 2007 and 2008. It's that contract that forms the basis of a lawsuit in which HMS is suing DEI for a $1.5 million termination fee. The amount at which HMS charged Ginn to lease engines was $12.8 million in 2007 and had Ginn still been around in 2008 they would have been billed $13.7 million for engines for three Cup teams and one Nationwide team. If it costs that much to lease engines, the cost for teams to build their own engines have to be astronomical!
But that's not all. One provision in the contract said:
No engine could be used in competition or testing without an HMS-designated engine tuner, billed at a cost of $800 per day plus travel (including room and board). Ginn also had to pay for the annual NASCAR license and credential for each engine tuner.
Which means that Ginn would be paying thousands per day every single race weekend for at least one engine tuner and possibly more depending on where the Nationwide Series was racing and if the same engine tuner could attend to all the leased engines. In addition, HMS didn't guarantee the quality of the engines they were providing. That's understandable to a degree since even the best of organizations like HMS are going to suffer engine failures no matter how well-built the engines are. But I can't help but think when an organization is spending nearly $13 million on something they shouldn't have to worry about failures.
If this is the standard in terms of cost and provisions for engine leasing no wonder some teams are having trouble surviving.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)
December 16, 2008
Photo of the Day - Ice
High Point State Park, High Point, NJ. It's not this icy out but as many problems as it causes I kind of wish it was because I'd love to be able to take some more photos like this!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:31 PM | Comments (0)
Robby Gordon Motorsports Will Switch to Toyota for 2009
After being aligned with every other manufacturer in the Cup Series, Robby Gordon Motorsports is going to give Toyota a try in 2009. Robby said,
“We are excited to be partnering with Toyota in NASCAR in 2009. After watching their progress last season, we decided that a switch to Toyota was the right package for our team. We are confident that fielding a Toyota Camry will add to the success of our organization and the competitiveness of our performance on the race track.”
Just about anything would be an improvement over this season which saw Robby struggle so badly that he nearly fell out of the top 35 in owner's points. Details of the deal with TRD are skimpy so it's unknown where Robby is going to get his engines from, whether they'll be directly from TRD or via another Toyota team, but it appears there's no formal arrangement for RGM to be aligned with another Toyota team. I'd like this deal a lot better for Robby if that's what was going to happen. Robby's fans love that he's independent and loves to do things his way but at times I think his stubbornness and insistence on doing thing on his own hinders his chances for success. Maybe somehow Robby will add a second team in the near future, but it's extremely difficult for a single-car, small organization that's not got a lot of resources to have any kind of success no matter what manufacturer they're with. Unless there's more to this deal that hasn't been announced or Robby has other things up his sleeve for next season I don't expect the results to be that much more impressive next season than they were this.
But at least Robby's going to be around next season with sponsorship and racing a full season - that's better than a lot of teams and drivers. There's some discontent among some of Robby's fans about his move to Toyota because there's still a significant amount of anti-Toyota sentiment among fans across all fanbases. But I don't see where Robby had any other choice but to change manufacturers since being with Dodge didn't work out very well for him and given that manufacturer's financial woes there might not be much money or resources left to go to his team after what they provide to their primary teams. So even if the results aren't that great next season either at least Robby is trying to make the moves that he thinks will help his team move in the right direction.
I admit to being disappointed that at least for now there's no alliance between RGM and Michael Waltrip Racing - when I heard that Robby might go to Toyota I was really hoping that it would happen since it would get a lot of fans panties in a bunch. Even if there's no formal working arrangement there may still be certain things that RGM shares information about with MWR and the other Toyota teams - Frank Kerr being at MWR probably means that there likely will be at least some communication between RGM and MWR.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:26 PM | Comments (0)
Petty Enterprises-Gillett-Evernham Motorsports Deal Off?
Just a few days ago it seemed like a sure thing that Petty Enterprises and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports were going to merge to form a four car team but now sources are telling Dave Moody that the deal's off. Not only that but GEM may only field Reed Sorenson in the #10 for a partial Cup schedule instead of full-time as originally planned, their Nationwide team is only going to run a partial schedule, and their engine department is being restructured since they will be leasing fewer engines next season. As a result GEM laid off 50 or more employees today. None of that sounds good for either PE or GEM. I don't think GEM is in any danger of closing their doors since they have full sponsorship for both Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler next season, plus a partial season for Sorenson, so they're in better shape than many teams. But one has to wonder if George Gillett's rumored financial issues have anything to do with this deal not happening and if so, what effect might that have on GEM next season?
But things could be even worse for PE - I don't see how they could continue to operate without a merger with another organization given their lack of sponsorship. Maybe a sponsor will turn up last-minute but given that they parted ways with Bobby Labonte last week, they would need a driver too - Chad McCumbee isn't likely to attract too much sponsorship. I could see them fielding a car for the first five races just to see if they make the top 35 (if it even matters much next season) but after that? Well, without sponsorship or a merger I don't know if it looks real good for PE right now. A lot of fans were pretty unhappy about the possibility of PE merging with GEM but at least that way PE would still exist in some form - if they close their doors they're gone completely and it would be a very sad day if that happened.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)
December 15, 2008
Random Nascar Thoughts on Random Thoughts (12/15)
As per usual for this time of year it's really quiet in terms of news but there's a few items of interest...
*Watkins Glen International Speedway is in need of a sponsor for next season's Cup race after Centurion Boats opted out of their contract for economic reasons. Even worse news is that GM may pull out as sponsor of the Daytona 500 and official car and truck provider for Daytona International Speedway. Apparently their deal expires in three weeks and given their current woes it's not a surprise that they may opt to not renew. Although the Daytona 500 is Nascar's most prestigious race, I'd think it's going to be difficult for the speedway to find a replacement sponsor. For one thing there aren't many companies with excess money to spend given the economy but besides that the Daytona 500 is in February so there isn't much time to get a deal done. However, at least Daytona has the prestigiousness of the event and that the race gets a lot of attention from fans and the media to work with, but the race at Watkins Glen isn't a favorite for many fans, though this fan loves road course races.
*Not only is Mike Wallace possibly out of a ride due to a lack of sponsorship but his daughter, Chrissy may also not have a ride for the same reason. Apparently Germain Racing was going to field a truck for her full-time next season and if that didn't work out possibly a Camping World East Series car but neither seems likely to happen right now though I assume if they find sponsorship that would change things. I can take or leave Mike but I'm really disappointed that Chrissy may not have a ride next season. I'd really like to see a female driver succeed in Nascar and I was thinking that Chrissy might be the one to do it. But like with so many other young drivers a lack of funding and sponsorship may be too great of a roadblock to overcome. I sure hope they find something for her for next season!
*Apparently Nascar might be considering some rules changes in the Truck Series to help the teams save money. One, is that there would be a limit on how many hard cards teams could purchase and two, they may reduce the number of crew members allowed over the wall during a pit stop from seven to six. I'm not crazy about either idea, at least as a way to reduce money. For one thing there is no set amount of hard cards that teams have to purchase - they decide how many they want to purchase based on their needs and ability to pay. So teams aren't forced to spend a certain amount of money on hard cards. The only thing I can think of in relation to the hard cards is that maybe Nascar has some concerns that there are too many people who have them since they allow virtually all-access to every area including the motorcoach lot, but then why not make that restriction on all levels? Eliminating the seventh man over the wall would eliminate the need to bring that person to the track each weekend but it would likely also lead to a lot more unemployed crew members because their teams would no longer have any need for them. How is that a good thing?
*Test ban? What test ban? Todd Berrier says the #29 team is going to test at least ten times next season at non-sanctioned tracks. Presumably the other Richard Childress Racing teams will test at least that many times as well which also means that all the other teams will feel compelled to test that much at non-sanctioned tracks too out of concern that they might fall behind. So just exactly what was the point of this test ban if the teams are going to do extensive testing anyway?
*Stanton Barrett recently opened an art gallery in lower Manhattan featuring the works of a variety of artists. Many of the drivers have business ventures that they're involved with beyond their teams but I'm guessing he's the only one who has an art gallery!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:29 PM | Comments (0)
December 12, 2008
Photo of the Day - Aruba Sunset
Aruba, 2005.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)
Mike Mulhern Let Go From Winston-Salem Journal
In an effort to make up for lost revenue the Winston-Salem Journal is cutting twelve employees including Mike Mulhern who has covered Nascar for the newspaper for the last 34 years. I never like to hear about people losing their jobs, especially when they've been in one position for so long and even more so in this poor economy which makes finding a new job very difficult. However, I will not miss Mulhern's coverage of Nascar. He's being praised right now for telling-it-like-it-is and how honest he was in his opinions but to me Mulhern reported what he thought was happening or would happen, rather than what was actual fact. For every fan who is lamenting that the loss of Mulhern articles there are just as many who have long rolled their eyes at much of what he's reported and not believed it until a more credible source was reporting it. Problem is that is that it seemed like a lot of what Mulhern wrote as fact was in reality speculation or rumor and a lot of it never came to pass. Another issue for me is that he often didn't provide any kind of source, even the vaguest of anonymous sourcing like "a source within DEI," to back-up what he reported. Nor did seem to go back and correct the record when he got something wrong. Eventually I really stopped paying attention to what he wrote.
It was so bad that David Poole actually made a comment one morning on Sirius that was something along the lines of how 50% of what Mulhern reported couldn't be believed and Claire B. Lang also made reference to his crazy speculation, though she had him on her show anyway. Most newspapers have a code of journalistic ethics of some sort and I often wondered how he got away with some of what he did given that the code usually addresses the use of proper sourcing, giving subjects an opportunity to respond to what's being written about them and other things that I though Mulhern didn't seem to pay too much attention too.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:50 PM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2008
Michael Waltrip In the News (12/11)
This morning Michael Waltrip made an appearance on a Charlotte radio station 96.9 to take the gallon of milk challenge. His task was to down a gallon of milk and some cookies in an hour without puking and if he did it money would be donated to Toys for Tots and Motor Racing Outreach. And he did it! He didn't feel too good by the end but he came though for two very deserving causes! Video can be seen on the radio station's website and I'm very glad that it doesn't feature Michael puking though I suspect the station was hoping that would happen for the entertainment value! Michael is known for doing anything for his sponsors but he'll do anything for a good cause too!
Michael made another appearance today, this time online in a video on the official Michael Waltrip Racing Facebook page where he was shown with the #99 Aaron's Dream Machine Nationwide car that he'll be racing a few times next season. Michael talked about how they're hoping to get 500 fans to join the Facebook page by the end of the year and a thousand by Daytona so everyone who is a fan of Michael's or MWR, join up and spread the word!
During the video Michael also mentions the Wal-Nutz and how many of them have joined the facebook page. That was pretty exciting to hear! Although Michael once talked about the Wal-Nutz in an interview he did for the Most Popular Driver newsletter, to my knowledge it's the first time he's made reference to the Wal-Nutz in any kind of video. Michael has always been very appreciative of the support he's received from the Wal-Nutz and has said so when he's seen Nutz in person but it really makes people feel good to hear him talk about them without being prompted on the MWR Facebook page. (For those that don't know the Wal-Nutz are what the fans on Michael's official forum on michaelwaltrip.com call themselves though it really applies to any of Michael's fans since every fan of Michael is nuts about him!)
In other news that may not end up having much to do with Michael or MWR, Jayski is reporting that he's "heard" that Robby Gordon may switch manufacturer to Toyota. Gee, a manufacturer change for Robby, there's a surprise! Robby's been with every other manufacturer but Toyota so why not give them a try too! Just about every season there's a Robby Gordon Motorsports to Toyota rumor so we'll see if anything comes of it this time but it would certainly make things very interesting if RGM would enter into an alliance with MWR. There's no question that given how deeply some of Robby's fans hate Michael it would be very difficult for them to take a partnership between Robby and Michael so naturally I'm really hoping that's exactly what happens! The venom that's been directed towards Michael and often his fans as well by many of Robby's fans is really hard to take at times so it would be pretty amusing to see their reactions.
As much as I'd like for Robby and Michael to work together - and not just because of how it would drive some fans crazy - MWR may have all they can handle with the technical alliances with JTG-Daugherty Racing and Germain Racing. So I think Robby is more likely to end up working with one of the other Toyota organizations if he does end up changing manufacturers. It won't be Red Bull Racing since Monster Energy Drinks who sometimes sponsor Robby in both Cup and off-road are a direct competitor. It could end up being Joe Gibbs Racing, particularly since it appears they'll no longer be providing support to Hall of Fame Racing. But what about Bill Davis Racing? They've been pretty much written off on the Cup side but I have to wonder if they're contractually obligated to Toyota to field or support at least one Cup car next season? A partnership with RGM could fulfill that obligation if one exists. In addition, although BDR has had a lot of woes on the Cup side they still have more resources and are a bigger operation than RGM so there are ways in which Robby would benefit as well. But I'd still like to see Robby and Michael working together - I think they may be a lot more similar in certain ways than either of their fanbases would care to admit.
Posted by silverdsl at 08:03 PM | Comments (0)
Bobby Labonte Leaving Petty Enterprises
In a somewhat incredible turn of events, just six months after signing a four-year extension to his contract, Bobby Labonte and Petty Enterprises agreed to part ways meaning that Labonte will have to find another ride for 2009. He said,
“I’m very anxious to prepare for the 2009 season. I do not currently have a contract with any other team for 2009, but I am ready to explore all opportunities and form the next partnership in my career."
Labonte has been rumored to be the leading candidate for the #41 at Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. Though he indicates in his statement that he's open to listening to all offers, I would guess that's likely where he'll end up since that's really the only open ride that's available that will be anywhere near competitive. There's been some conflicting information circulating about whether the Target sponsorship is sticking with the #41 or moving over to the #42 to fill the remaining races that Wrigley's won't be on the car for. However, if Target does stay on the #41 I think they would be an excellent fit for Labonte. He's generally thought of as a clean-cut, nice-guy, family man and that image worked well with the General Mills sponsorship and likely would with the Target sponsorship as well, though I could also see Target wanting to reach a different kind of demographic like they would with Juan Pablo Moytona.
David Zucker, PE's CEO also admitted that the organization is in talks with Gillett-Evernham Motorsports about a merger. He said,
“We expect these discussions and decisions to take several weeks and will have further comment at the appropriate time. Gillett Evernham Motorsports is a first-class team with great drivers, sponsors and management. We look forward to improved performance and maintaining the Richard Petty legacy, with the King front and center.”
That's likely meant to sooth the many people who are upset at the idea that the oldest organization in the Cup garage and a living legend may no longer be at the track. Although The King may be a presence at the track if a merger is completed I have to wonder just exactly how much of a role he'll play in the day-to-day operations and whether he'll be more of a figurehead.
It's not been any secret what direction PE has been headed in for years now. The performance has been terrible for quite some time and once General Mills made the decision to leave it was clear that without a replacement sponsor the team and the entire organization was in trouble. Suddenly there's great sadness among fans, the media and others about the possibility of PE and the #43 car going away.Yet all this time when it was clear that the organization had major problems no one seemed to care then that there was a possibility this organization could possibly fold all together. Maybe some believed it would never happen but there is indeed a very real possibility that PE won't exist next season and the #43 will be fielded by GEM with A.J. Allmendinger or another driver behind the wheel. All of this might be inevitable but maybe if PE got a little more attention a little sooner maybe it would have helped them keep and find the sponsorship they so desperately need. It's just unfortunate that the reason the organization is getting so much exposure now is for negative reasons.
A lot is still left to play out but there is definitely going to be a lot of changes in the garage area between this season and next.
Posted by silverdsl at 07:30 PM | Comments (0)
December 10, 2008
Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing Closes #40 Team, Travis Kvapil Keeps His Crew Chief
How do those two things relate? Recently it had been reported that Todd Parrott was leaving Yates Racing where he's been crew chief for Travis Kvapil, but then yesterday that was denied by Kvapil who said that Parrott would be his crew chief next season. Now I think I understand why there was some confusion - turns out another Parrott brother, Brad, is the one who inquired with Gillett-Evernham Racing about the open crew chief position for Elliott Sadler. So odds are someone got confused or got bad information about which Parrott brother was making inquiries.
Unfortunately the reason that Brad Parrott is looking for a new team isn't a good one. Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing has shut down the #40 Nationwide team meaning that Brad and the entire crew is now out of work. That also means that young Bryan Clauson is out of a ride. Apparently EGR had no choice but to shut down their Nationwide program because the sponsor of the #40, Fastenal decided to move to another organization next season. So that's one less Nationwide team next season, one more promising young driver whose career in Nascar might be on life support when it's barely gotten started and more crew members who are unemployed.
As for Kvapil apparently he said on Sirius today that Yates was close to signing sponsorship for his car for next season and that they hoped to announce something within the next two weeks. I hope it happens because I like Kvapil and I'd like to see him do well but how many times have we heard a team, driver or owner say that they're close to making an announcement about sponsorship and then nothing happens? In this economy I wouldn't be feeling too secure until the deal is completely finalized and signed off on.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:27 PM | Comments (0)
DirecTV Hot Pass Will Not Return in 2009
More bad news for Nascar as this morning brings word that DirecTV Hot Pass won't be back in 2009. Hot Pass offered fans a way to watch a channel dedicated solely to one driver, featuring in-car video and audio, as well as commentary from a team of broadcasters who covered that driver almost exclusively. Apparently this decision stems from the poor economy and there likely weren't enough subscribers to make it profitable enough. I would have subscribed since I think it would have been a terrific alternative for watching the race even though my favorite drivers were never one of those featured but since I live in a condo I'm not able to get DirecTV That may be true for a lot of people - Hot Pass likely would have had a lot more subscribers if it was able to be offered through cable systems.
It's sad news for all those who are going to lose their jobs as a result of this decision and I can't help but think of Tony Rizzuti who only a week or two ago expressed concern in his blog over his job prospects in the sport if Hot Pass wasn't around. Aside from being a friend to Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing where he used to work, Tony is a positive voice in the media and the sport needs more of those people not less. It's not that Tony didn't give his opinions or is never critical, but he didn't seem to focus on the negative or sensationalize things like some do. Following on the heels of
Fans are also really losing out with this. There is quite a bit of unhappiness with the broadcasts of Cup races, particularly by ESPN/ABC and this gave fans another way to watch races. Although I've never watched myself from what I've heard most of those who subscribed seemed to really enjoy watching races via Hot Pass. Some didn't even stick with one driver's channel but would instead switch around to get different perspectives of the race. All in all it offered fans a unique way to watch the races.
It's also a loss for sponsors because DirecTV was an additional way for them to get exposure. As more and more avenues for sponsors to reach fans and get exposure are cut back or eliminated all together the harder it's going to be for sponsors to meet their goals and achieve the amount of exposure they're looking for. It hurts the teams efforts to find and keep sponsorship as well - even those teams that weren't regularly featured on one of the channels specifically devoted to a driver might still be a part of Hot Pass since fans were able to vote for an additional group of drivers that would have their in-car audio available via Hot Pass. I believe Michael Waltrip had his audio on Hot Pass for every single race except one and now there's one less way for fans to listen to him.
Although I'm realistic and call things as I see them so I definitely don't stick my head in the sand about anything, I would also prefer to focus on the positive. However, at times lately it seems like it's very hard to remain optimistic about what's happening in Nascar. I continue to be optimistic and look forward to 2009 for Michael and MWR since I think they have a lot of good things happening on the competition side but otherwise it seems like every day brings more bad news for the sport.
Posted by silverdsl at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2008
Michael Waltrip Racing on Facebook
I'm pretty new to the whole Facebook thing but I discovered today that Michael Waltrip Racing just created an official Facebook page which looks like it's going to be really good. So far there's some videos of Michael, some photos including photos of the 2009 paint scheme for the #55, which is different than this year's, and a holiday photo of Michael which is pretty funny. I know some are leery of social networking sites but it's easy to join Facebook and joining the MWR Facebook site is a quick and easy way for fans to show their support for Michael and MWR!
I'm not sure why they aren't doing some of the things they're going to do on Facebook on the MWR site as most teams try to drive as much traffic as possible to their own site via this kind of content but if they really do have video updates from races and other unique content that can't be found anywhere else it seems like it's going to be great!
The new paint scheme for the #55 is probably going to take a little getting used to because I'm used to the way it's been but I'm liking the addition of a lot more color. I think the new design is going to make the car stand out a lot more than it has. I haven't compared it to the paint scheme on Ron Capps NHRA car (he's also sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts) but I'm thinking that maybe his car influenced the design of the #55.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:39 PM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2008
Johnny Benson Will Race for Red Horse Racing in 2009
Although there was an article last week that implied that stated that Johnny Benson wouldn't be racing in any Nascar series next season, today it was announced, as had been previously rumored, that Johnny will be joining Red Horse Racing along with his crew chief Trip Bruce to race the #1 truck as a teammate to current RHR driver, David Starr. Tom DeLoach, co-owner of RHR said,
“I’m just looking forward to working with him. It will be sweet for Red Horse. I’ve wanted to run two trucks for a couple of years and couldn’t get pieces put together and finally got it done.”
What a way to get it done with the reigning series champion! At a time when teams are being forced to cut back or close up all together it's great that there's an organization that's going to be able to expand next season! Although RHR doesn't have sponsorship fully lined up - and a lack of sponsorship/financial resources could effect their ability to be competitive - I think Johnny joining RHR immediately makes them a much stronger organization. Hopefully Johnny will be able to repeat as Champion next season, only with his new team!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip is One of the Most Improved Drivers of 2008
Lately it seems like there isn't much positive to talk about when it comes to Nascar which is one reason that I haven't always rushed to discuss some of the news of the sport lately like I have in the past - I have plenty of concerns about how things are going to play out in Nascar as it is so it's not really that much fun to read article upon article about the woes of the sport due to the economy, particularly when most of them are the same. So I was happy to see two positive stories recently that made note of the fact that Michael Waltrip had a decent season in 2008 and that he was one of the most improved drivers from last season. Not that fans or the media should have their heads in the sand about the problems facing the sport - far from it - but I think it's just as important to discuss the things that are going right as it is to talk about the things that are going wrong.
Michael's 2008 was definitely something that went right even if it didn't always seem that way on the surface. His team made a huge amount of progress from 2007 going from DNQ'ing in 19 attempts that season to not only making every race in 2008 but only being outside the top 35 in owner's points once. I was pleased to see Tim Tuttle of SI.com say that Michael could be considered for Comeback Driver of the Year if Nascar gave out such an award for going from 44th to 29th in the points, and Lee Mongomery from scenedaily.com look inside the stats to see that even though Michael only finished 29th in points there a lot that went right for him this season.
It's very true that a lot did go right for MWR this season which had to be a relief after so much went disastrously wrong for them last year. Although David Reutimann got most of the attention for how well he was racing at the end of the season, the #55 team also made significant gains from where they were at the beginning of the season. When the season started the cars that Michael was given to race were horrible, so bad that he was often "racing" just to keep from wrecking as opposed to racing for position. By the end of the season he had fast cars and he was racing competitively and often as fast as the leaders more often than not. Throughout his career Michael has always had to deal with a lot of bad luck so the results don't always reflect how well he frequently was racing before bad luck in the form of blown tires, mechanical issues or getting caught in a wreck ruined potentially fine finishes. But Michael really did race extremely well this season, probably the best he's raced since he left DEI at the end of the 2005 season. I never doubted that if given a competitive car Michael could race up front and contend for wins, but it sometimes gets discouraging for even the most devoted of fans to see poor finish after poor finish so it was really exciting for Michael's fans that he was finally able to start being able to race like we know he's capable of again!
Michael said of his 2008 season and the outlook for 2009,
"We entered the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with optimism, but knowing 2007 was a failure. So that optimism was cautious at best. We established ourselves as contenders this year. We went from missing races, having no cars in the top 35, to having two cars in the top 30 and one right on the bubble. As we enter 2009, we know we must continue to improve. But we also know we have our foundation built that will make us better than we were in 2008. Our team will head into a new season at the same strength as we ended this year, which means engineering support of our three cars, fabrication support, wind tunnel testing and seven-post testing. Evaluation will continue at the same level. We look forward to the 2009 season.”
They did indeed built a good foundation for next season, not only the #55 team but also the #44 (which will be the #00) team. Michael and those at MWR aren't the only ones looking forward to 2009, all of his fans very much are as well because we're expecting to see a lot more of him racing up front! Sometimes it seems that in light of the issues facing the sport that some aren't too excited about next season but I'm already looking forward to the 2009 Daytona 500 - I can't wait to see Michael and MWR make more progress next season!
Posted by silverdsl at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
Random Nascar Thoughts on Random Thoughts (12/8)
*Todd Parrott isn't the only crew chief who has left Yates Racing - David Gilliland confirmed today that his crew chief this season, Cully Barraclough, has also left Yates, though he hasn't gone far since he's now working at Roush-Fenway Racing, an organization that Yates works closely with. Although Yates continues to say that they're going to field three Cup cars next season they only have sponsorship and a crew chief for one. If I were Gilliland or his teammate Travis Kvapil - or their fans - I would be very nervous right now even if Yates was saying all the right things to assure them that they have rides next season. With how bad the economy is right now I can't see how Yates can run two cars with only partial - or no - sponsorship in 2009 like they did this year.
*Much is being made of Jeff Gordon and other drivers offering to take a cut in salary to help their teams, about how wonderful this is and how this would never happen in other sports. Of course it won't happen in other sports because in other sports there's unions that won't allow it to happen! I seem to remember a baseball player who offered to play for nothing to increase the chances that a team would sign him and the baseball player's union wouldn't let it happen! And let's get real about the drivers offering to take a pay cut - Jeff Gordon and other top drivers are millionaires many times over and many of them have earned more money than they'll ever spend. Earning a few million less a year probably won't hurt them much, particularly since many of these drivers earn the bulk of their money from revenue from merchandise sales and personal endorsement deals. I highly doubt we'll be seeing Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt, Jr. offer to endorse a company or appear in commercials for free just to help out in a poor economy.
*Lee Spencer is reporting that one potential scenario that could play out if Petty Enterprises and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports merge is that instead of becoming part of GEM after the merger, Bobby Labonte might end up at Chip Ganassi Racing in the #41. Reed Sorenson would end up in the #43, presumably taking the Air Force sponsorship previously announced for him to that team and A.J. Allmendinger, who GEM has made no secret of wanting to give a ride to would race the #10 next season with undetermined sponsorship. I think all of that makes a lot of sense, particularly the part about Labonte going to Ganassi. He would provide that organization veteran leadership, he would be a very good fit for the sponsor of the #41, Target, and given that he has more experience on the Cup level, I think his results would probably be better in the #41 than Sorenson's were when he was with the team. A lot of fans would probably be upset if Sorenson ended up racing the #43 given the history associated with that number and PE in general but if the team moves over to GEM it really won't be a PE team anymore.
*In other, possibly related news, Spencer reported today that PE let go an additional 35 people today, this time from their fabrication shop, on top of 30 people let go after the final race of the season at Homestead. 65 people is a lot of people to let go for an organization that has plans to field multiple cars next season so I have to think this is a sign that there's truth to the merger rumors since GEM likely has their own fab shop.
*Bill Davis Racing has continued to insist that they are actively looking for sponsorship for the #22 and that they are preparing to field the car next season in Cup but there have been constant rumors since the end of the season that virtually everyone except Tommy Baldwin, Jr. from the #22 team has been released. Last week Dave Blaney confirmed that the #22 is indeed shut down. However, that doesn't mean that fans have seen the last of him on the track. He acknowledged that it might be difficult to find a Cup ride but that's okay with him because he wouldn't mind racing in the Truck Series. I think Blaney would be a great addition to that series so I hope he can find a truck ride! If he can't find another ride in Nascar Blaney intends on helping his 14-year old son further his racing career.
*In news that really speaks to just how bad the sponsorship situation is in the Cup Series, Tony Stewart said last week that he still hasn't been able to nail down sponsorship for Ryan Newman for the races that the U.S. Army won't be sponsoring him in. That really doesn't bode well for other teams that one of the sport's most popular drivers can't find a half season sponsorship for another driver with a lot of fans who is a Daytona 500 winner and has had a lot of success otherwise over the course of his career.
*Brad Keselowski was voted Most Popular Driver in the Nationwide Series this season. So why is JR Motorsports still having so much trouble finding sponsorship for him next season. Usually drivers with a strong fan following and particularly those who are associated with an even more popular driver like Junior attract sponsors. Hopefully winning MPD in Nationwide will help JR Motorsports find sponsorship for Keselowski since a lack of financial resources could hamper the organization's ability to be competitive next season which would be a shame since I think Keselowski could contend for the Series Championship next season if he has fast cars to race.
*2008 Cup Rookie of the Year Regan Smith still doesn't have a ride for next season and there are so few open rides that he's talking with Furniture Row Racing about racing for them even though they are only going to field a car on a part-time basis next season, and the results weren't very good for the #78 team this season. Although Smith likely wouldn't be able to race up front too often with that team they weren't the worst in the garage area this season - Joe Nemechek made races with the team more often than not and occasionally had some decent runs. So taking a ride with this team might be better than nothing if no other opportunities came his way. It would also continue to keep him visible in the garage area which could led to a better ride later in the season if a team decided to make a driver change.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:10 PM | Comments (0)
Wood Brothers To Race in 12 Races in 2009; With the Possibility of More
Over the weekend ESPN.com reported that the Wood Brothers were cutting back to just 12 Cup races in 2009 with Bill Elliott as their driver due to economic reasons. Many fans were sad about bad news about another long-time Cup organization coming on the heels of the news that Petty Enterprises may not be on the track next season (at least as an independent organization). Many assumed that this meant the demise of the Wood Brothers and that they would be lucky to race even those 12 races.
However, Eddie Wood was on Sirius this morning and he indicated that what the story actually is that they are going to race a minimum of 12 races for sure but hope to race even more. Of course team representatives are going to spin things in the most positive way possible but he made it seems as if them cutting back to a part-time schedule would actually be a good thing for them because they would be able to focus just on the tracks where they had the best chance for success, but might run more races if the funding was available.
Wood mentioned that the Wood Brothers are in survival mode right now. I think that's true of many teams. Dave Moody said the other day that teams need to make sure they are doing everything they can to keep up and "adapt or die." I would also add that it's survival of the fittest right now. Teams need to always be on their game in this sport but even more-so now since it's going to be even more cutthroat than ever, particularly when it comes to things like sponsorship. Not only is it important that they have their stuff together on the competition side but also the business side not just with sponsors but also when it comes to the fans. Sometimes I just have to shake my head at some stuff because there are drivers and teams that I think believe that they're doing a great job when it comes to the fans but in reality if they don't change some things in terms of approach and organizational philosophy might have be in trouble down the road. Just as things change on the competition side they do with fans as well and without the fans a team doesn't have some of the revenue they count on from merchandise sales and they don't have support at the track either. The poor economy presents some challenges but like Moody said, adapt or die.
One interesting thing that Wood said was that he didn't realize when he was speaking to the reporter that it was an interview which I guess means that they weren't necessarily ready to make this information public. Did he really expect that if he told a reporter what their plans are for 2009 and it's something that's news that this reporter wasn't going to report it? Back when I was in public relations I was taught that when speaking to a member of the media to never say anything that you don't mind ending up in the paper because even when a reporter says that a conversation is off-the-record there really is no such thing as off-the-record. Even when a reporter promises they won't use information it has a funny way of ending up in print or on-air.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)
David Reutimann on Sirius (12/8)
Good way to start off a new week - David Reutimann was a guest on The Morning Drive on Sirius this morning! He didn't have anything earth-shattering to say but there were a few interesting points like how Michael Waltrip Racing is apparently building another generation of the COT which is exciting news since the results really improved for MWR after the debut of their third generation COT. Also, just like many other teams MWR is trying to get in a few last tests before Nascar's ban on testing takes effect January 1.
David liked the way he was introduced – as Rooty-Tooty-Fresh & Fruity! He said he probably couldn’t get an introduction like that anywhere else and he’s probably right! Seems like everyone in Nascar has a nickname and David has a few including Root, Rooty and my personal favorite - Beak. So far this off-season David's just killing time. He said he has a hard time convincing himself that doesn't have to get on a plane every Thursday to get to a race and just when he gets used to that, then he has to start getting on planes again.
MWR has a test scheduled for Nashville before the end of the year. I'm glad that they're going to be doing some testing prior to when the ban kicks in. From the way Michael was talking about how all the teams should agree not to do any testing what-so-ever I was worried that he might have MWR refrain from going anywhere even in December when it was still allowed. The risk with that is that MWR falls behind other teams that are testing as much as they can this month. Hearing that MWR is developing an new COT chassis it seems to me it's particularly important for them to test with it on a sanctioned track while they still can.
David has raced against his new crew chief Rodney Childers in the past but he doesn’t know him well. However, David thinks he’s a great guy, intelligent and it’s great to have him on-board. David noted that it's not the first time that he worked with a former racer as his crew chief since Frankie Kerr was also a racer, though he raced in open wheel not stock cars. He would like to get a test or two in with Childers to get used to working with him. They don’t have the Daytona test to do that at anymore. That's one of the side effects of the test ban - it may cut the costs for the teams but it also means that it's harder for new driver-crew chief pairings to get used to working with each other (and rookie drivers aren't able to get any experience on tracks they might be unfamiliar with). Childers has an engineering background and he knows how to communicate with the engineers - given how important engineering and engineers are these days that's a good thing!
David Poole brought up the progress that MWR had made on the competition side but also noted that MWR was going from three cars to two - not exactly, as David reminded him since Marcos Ambrose is going to be under the MWR umbrella thanks to the alliance between MWR and JTG-Daugherty Racing. David feels that Marcos will be a big asset to MWR and noted that he would be a good sounding board for things related to road courses (which are tracks that David could still use some improvement on). In terms of making more gains from this season to next like they did from last season to this one, David said sometimes after you've made a big jump, the next jumps that follow it are smaller and it's harder to gain as much ground. I would think that's particularly true in the Cup Series were the level of competition is so great but hopefully MWR will continue to make progress next season.
Everyone at MWR is very excited about next season and up-beat - I don't know if David was just saying that or what but it was nice to hear that at one organization everything isn't doom and gloom. I'm sure MWR is just as concerned as any other organization about finances, sponsorship issues and the future but it's good to hear they're also feeling good about where they are and where they're going. As noted above, David said MWR is building another new generation chassis - after they built the last one that’s when the results started to show. They’re continuing to make the chassis lighter and faster. Childers has ideas to go in a different way with some stuff and if it works it will be good for the rest of the organization.
Other than his crew chief, everyone with his team will mostly be the same next season. He would like to see them work on being close to where they need to be as soon as they unload next season. At a time when crew members are losing their jobs and there's turnover in general it's definitely good that David's team is going to be intact other than Childers coming on board.
When asked about his goals for next season David said that everyone starts out the season with the goal of trying to make the Chase but his goal is just to be more consistent next season. If they can consistently race top 12-15, then consistently top ten, then they can consistently race top five and win races. He just wants to consistently race up front more. I think David's goal for next season is very realistic. Of course he wants to be in the Chase and have as much success as possible but as much as I'd like to see David (or Michael) in the Chase next season I'm not sure how realistic that really is considering MWR is a still-growing organization that isn't on the level of a Hendrick Motorsports or Joe Gibbs Racing yet. If David's goals were met not only for his team but for Michael's as well that they race more consistently and race up front more often I'd be very happy!
However David noted, it’s tough to run up front and win races – if you’re off by a little it can seem like a lot. This is something that a lot of fans don't seem to realize. Some drivers and teams make it look easy so fans wonder why other teams aren't doing the same thing and figure it must be due to a lack of talent or because the organization stinks. In reality it might be that they're just off by the slightest fraction of an inch somewhere and that teeny-tiny fraction can make all the difference.
David tries to never get complacent and assume that his deal is secure. Even if you win races and championships you’re sometimes not secure. Seems like week it’s like a tryout, you’re always trying to show you deserve your ride and prove yourself to someone. At least that’s the attitude he tries to have – he never wants to feel like he’s made it. There’s always someone looking to knock him off. I think David meant that there's always someone waiting in the wings to take his ride if he falters. That's something that a lot of drivers don't seem to realize they are all replaceable. Even the best of drivers might not be the best one day. A driver constantly has to work hard and prove their worth - some young drivers seem to think that once they've gotten to Cup and have a little success they're set for the rest of their careers. Even some veterans I think fall into a trap where they think that because they've had some success in the past they should just be handed top rides without having to do anything to earn it. As they say - easy come, easy go.
David has nothing planned for the holidays. Maybe he’ll do some shopping. He just plans on hanging out, spending time with his guys and getting to know his new crew chief.
Good to hear from David and hopefully more people from MWR - especially Michael - will be on Sirius this off-season!
Posted by silverdsl at 01:19 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2008
Photo of the Day - Aruba
Aruba, 2005. It's so freezing cold out that I had to post a photo from the beach in Aruba - sure wish I was somewhere warm now!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:16 PM | Comments (0)
December 04, 2008
Photo of the Day - Grounds for Sculpture
Posted by silverdsl at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)
Michael Waltrip Finishes in the Top Ten in Most Popular Driver Voting!
For most fans the story is probably that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won his sixth Most Popular Driver Award but for me the big story is that Michael Waltrip finished in the top ten in voting! I'd love to know how many years in a row it's been that Michael has finished this high in the voting - seems like he does well in MPD voting every year which is awesome!
So far Chex hasn't made available where the drivers in the top ten other than Junior finished, just who they are, but I hope that Michael finished in the top five like last year! I'm really happy for Michael that in spite of the results on the track not being as good as he would like the past few years he's still just as popular with the fans. Michael has a huge fanbase, much bigger than many think, and he's outstanding with his fans, so it's no surprise that they all voted so enthusiastically for him. Great job to all those who voted for Michael!
Some dismiss the results of polls like this as being a test of which fanbase can vote the most as opposed to really showing which drivers are the most popular and I've not been a fan of internet polls like this in the past myself. However, it's clear that teams and sponsors take the results of these kinds of polls seriously and believe that they are an accurate gauge of how popular a driver is. So it looks good not only to Michael's current sponsors but more importantly potential future Michael Waltrip Racing sponsors that he finished so well in the MPD voting.
I've not been feeling too good about what's been going on in the sport lately so it's good to have some positive news to be happy about!
Posted by silverdsl at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
Whiskey River Employee Arrested for Selling Cocaine
That an employee of a bar was arrested for selling drugs is hardly earth-shattering news but when the owner of the bar is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. it makes it a little more newsworthy. Apparently the Charlotte police received reports that drugs were being sold in Whiskey River and during the investigation an employee who worked security at the front door of the bar sold cocaine to an undercover detective. Bob Durkin, the president of the management group that runs the bar for Junior said,
"We are definitely shocked by the whole thing. We go through extensive background checks on everyone we hire."
Maybe not extensive enough, though it might be hard to know whether someone is involved with drugs or drug dealing unless they've been arrested previously.
When I first heard that Junior was going to own a bar I wondered if it was a good idea for exactly this reason - the possibility of there being criminal activity or an incident that might reflect negatively on Junior. Not that Junior was involved in any wrong-doing himself, he might not have even met this employee and surely had no knowledge that there was drug dealing going on. But Nascar is a very image-conscious sport that prides itself on being above some of the problems found in other sports like drugs. Even the sport's most popular driver might not be immune to negative fallout from a serious incident so I'm not sure why Junior is taking the risk of owning a bar. (To be clear I don't think there's anything wrong with bars or drinking - I certainly enjoy my share of adult beverages. It's just that bars and trouble sometimes go hand and hand.)
Posted by silverdsl at 04:36 PM | Comments (0)
Petty Enterprises to Merge With Gillett-Evernham Motorsports?
Multiple sources are reporting that Petty Enterprises and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports are discussing a merger that might spell the end of Petty Enterprises in the Cup Series. As part of the merger GEM would acquire the #43 and become a four-car operation. David Zucker, PE's chief operating officer declined comment but didn't deny that discussions were taking place saying,
“We don’t comment on rumors and speculation. I have no idea where that’s coming from. I really have no idea. If we have something to say, we’ll say it. We have no comment on speculation.”
There's probably a good chance this is going to happen. GEM has wanted to add a fourth team for quite some time and had pursued buying Bill Davis Racing's Cup operation earlier this year until the financing fell through (according to Bill Davis on Sirius/XM). Getting the #43 would give them a car in the top 35 in owner's points. In addition, PE doesn't have a sponsor for either of their cars for next season and it would be difficult enough to field one car let alone two without outside sponsorship or help from another organization and have them be anywhere near competitive. So a merger might make sense for both organizations.
As much as this merger might make sense for PE and GEM, it would be a sad day if PE ceased to exist. Not unexpected of course due to their sponsor woes and performance issues, but sad all the same because PE has been a part of Nascar since 1949. They are the oldest and winningest organizations with 268 Cup wins and 10 championships and Richard Petty is one of the legends of the sport. As poor as the results have been for the PE cars the past few years, their presence on the track and in the garage area would still be very much missed.
Last year PE sold a majority stake in the organization to Boston Ventures, a move which doesn't seem to have worked out the way the Pettys might have envisioned it. Bringing in an outside owner was probably meant to give PE some additional resources both financially and otherwise but not being able to secure sponsorship is the death keel for any organization, new owners or not. I had thought that Boston Venture's connections would help the sponsorship search but even the most well-connected organization is going to have trouble finding funding in such a poor economy. In addition, some have speculated that Boston Ventures was interested in purchasing the Petty Racing Experience more than they were the Cup operation so maybe selling or merging was something they were thinking about all along.
There would still be some questions that would need to be answered if this happened. For one thing GEM would still need to find sponsorship for the #43, though I would guess that if this happens they might have or think they have some sort of sponsorship lined up since it's difficult for even the best of organizations to field a car without sponsorship.
Also, one has to wonder who the driver of the fourth car would be. Bobby Labonte is under contract with PE for next season but that doesn't mean that GEM would have to keep him. Supposedly GEM was very impressed with A.J. Allmendinger when he raced for them at the end of the season and wanted to find a way to field a car for him so this could be it. I have to think there could also be a chance that Bobby would keep his ride and one of the current GEM drivers might get released. Kasey Kahne as one of the most popular drivers in the sport with a major sponsor is safe for sure. Reed Sorenson was just signed to race for GEM next season but given how poor his results have been in Cup since he started racing in this series I have to wonder whether there's a way GEM might be able to get out of his contract. Elliott Sadler just signed a new deal with GEM as well but I also wonder whether there's an "out" for GEM in his contract too - as much as I like Elliott, his results haven't been very impressive at GEM and he's no longer a "young gun."
As much as I understand the reasons why this might happen, I can't help but think the potential end of the oldest organization in the sport is yet more bad news for a sport that is facing a lot of challenges for next season.
Posted by silverdsl at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
December 03, 2008
Photo of the Day - Cape Cod
Cape Cod Beach, 2008. Brrrrr, it sure is cold out - even though the waves are small, I could use a nice walk on a sunny beach somewhere warm right about now. Of course it's probably even colder up there in Cape Cod right now than it is here!
Posted by silverdsl at 10:24 PM | Comments (0)
Brian France Wants the Drivers to Show More Emotion
Yesterday Brian France took part in the Reuters Media Summit and spoke about the challenges that Nascar faces next season. He said that the sport would benefit if the drivers showed more emotion. I happen to agree that I think it would greatly benefit the sport if the drivers were less cookie-cutter and less worried about making sure they said the right thing all the time and showed more personality and emotion a little more often. But I'm not sure I agree with when and how France feels the drivers should show more emotion. He said,
"If you're running 200 miles an hour, racing somebody who wrecks you and spins you out, you don't need to hop out of the car and act like you're in the library."
If he's implying that the drivers should get out of the car throw some punches and rip their fellow competitors, it might create some controversy that would generate fan interest, but is that really the kind of attention the sport needs or wants? As I said earlier today, I'm all for the drivers showing more personality, speaking their minds, and showing emotion. But this fan would like to see the competitors act like adults, not schoolyard bullies. Why does showing emotion have to equate to fighting? Why can't the competitors express their anger, or any other emotion for that matter, without having to resort to insults, physical violence or otherwise acting out? Those things aren't acceptable in other sports, why should it be an accepted way to show emotion in this sport?
France also said,
"What we need to do more with our athletes is to bring out their emotions because one of the things [that's] a drawback is we're so sponsor-dependent and [the drivers] represent all these companies, their merchandise sales are based on doing the right thing."
This speaks to a problem that will always be present in the sport. As long as there are sponsors they will dictate what the drivers say and do. I think some drivers have more freedom than others to say and do what they please but a driver always has to be mindful of not offending fans or their sponsors, and in this sport it seems like just about everything offends someone. A driver has their image carefully crafted for them and while I would think it would reflect a part of who that driver really is, it's also as much about what a sponsor thinks will work for them in terms of appealing to their target audience. With some sponsorships being worth as much as $26 million and things only getting more difficult when it comes to finding and keeping sponsors, drivers really can't risk doing anything too crazy because losing a sponsor could also result in losing their ride.
I was happy to see that France acknowledged something that is of great concern to me - the effort on sponsors if fan interest declines as I believe it has been. He said,
"You lose sponsors because your fan base isn't big enough or growing. That's why we want them to stimulate their own fan base."
France was referring to the drivers engaging their fanbases and I agree that's very important. There are some drivers who I think believe that they're doing all the right things to engage their fans when in reality they're only doing the bare minimum. Of course the drivers are extremely busy, particularly when they're at the track, there's no way they can make every fan happy and there are going to be times when they're having a bad day, have more important responsibilities to attend to or otherwise can't interact with the fans. But I think it's essential that the teams and drivers take advantage of every opportunity to engage and interact with the fans. That might mean being creative and utilizing online media since there's a decline in the amount of fans who are attending races so drivers and teams are going to have to reach fans at home.
However, I also feel that the governing body of the sport also needs to do more to stimulate the fanbase. They not only need to encourage the drivers and teams to engage the fans but also the tracks and sponsors as well. They need to make moves themselves to stimulate fan interest in the sport. One of the the most important things that Nascar can do is that they need to do everything they can to make sure that the product that they're presenting is the best that it could possibly be. No race is going to be exciting on every lap but there needs to be enough action to hold fans attention. Some races don't seem to have much passing, particularly up front and that doesn't make for a very interesting race. Furthermore they need to ensure that their media partners are presenting broadcasts that keep fans watching and that's not always the case. With less fans watching in person at the track the TV and radio broadcasts are going to be even more important than ever.
Nascar isn't going to fold anytime soon but it does face significant issues that need to be addressed if the sport is going to continue to grow and move forward. A lot of people don't care much for Brian France but he is the CEO and Chairman of the sport so even if I don't entirely agree with his viewpoints, I'm glad that one of the sport's top decision-makers is openly talking about some of these issues.
Posted by silverdsl at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)
Rodney Childers Will be David Reutimann's Crew Chief in 2009
Michael Waltrip Racing confirmed today that Rodney Childers has been hired to take Ryan Pemberton's place as crew chief for David Reutimann next season. Most recently at Gillett-Evernham Motorsports where he was Elliott Sadler's crew chief, Childers also worked with Scott Riggs for three seasons as his crew chief both at GEM and at MB2 Motorsports. A racer himself, Childers has been involved with motorsports since he was 12 and made his only start in one of Nascar's three highest series in 2000 in the Nationwide Series.
What I like is that MWR didn't have to try to convince Childers to join the organization, he wanted the job and approached them. He said,
" When I heard the position was available, I looked into it because I really liked the idea of working with David. We have the same type of personality and as I see the progress MWR has made, I see it as a place where I could have a long future. Their relationship with Toyota also attracted me because it is easy to see their commitment to NASCAR. David really burst onto the scene this past year and has proven that he can do this. He is comfortable and feels like he's as good as anyone on the track and that's really important."
I'm glad to hear that Childers thinks that MWR is somewhere he could be long-term because since MWR's inception there's been a high turnover of crew chiefs. That's to be expected to some degree since crew chiefs often move from organization to organization rather rapidly. But some of the most successful teams are those that have some stability in the crew chief position, where the driver and his crew chief have formed a solid bond, communicate well and really work well together. Reutimann has made so much progress and I would love to see him be able to continue that next season so I'm hopeful that he and Childers will form just as good of a pairing as he and Ryan Pemberton were.
That said, I have to admit that when I heard that Childers was under consideration to be Reutimann's crew chief I wasn't exactly thrilled about it. I suppose I'm still getting over my disappointment that Pemberton left for Red Bull Racing and it's likely that unless it was one of the best crew chiefs in the garage area just about anyone might seem a little disappointing. With Childers the Sadler fans often complained that they didn't communicate well and that Childers seemed to struggle to get a handle on the COT and how to set it up the way Sadler needed it to be. It's possible that those fans were blaming Childers for a lack of performance that wasn't his fault in that the cars that GEM is building might not be that good or there might be issues with Sadler himself. So it makes me a little leery of how he's going to do at MWR. But hopefully he'll step up and be just as outstanding not only with David but for MWR as Pemberton was. David has so much talent behind the wheel and if everything works out for him and Childers I really think he could win his first Cup race next season.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:48 PM | Comments (0)
Negativity and Fan Expectations
This morning on "The Morning Drive" on Sirius two topics that I've discussed a few times in this space came up: fan negativity and drivers showing personality. David Poole is of the opinion - and I agree with him - that Nascar fans are extremely negative oftentimes more so than fans in other sports. Where I wasn't on the same page with him was when he said that fans say they want to see more personality from the drivers but then complain when they do show some personality - not this fan. I might not agree with what the drivers say or do and I might not always agree with the way a driver chooses to deliver their message but I'm definitely not going to complain about drivers speaking their minds or otherwise showing some personality. The garage area needs a lot more of that.
So I emailed "The Morning Drive" the following:
Earlier there was a discussion about how negative Nascar fans often are and I have to agree that fans of this sport are excessively negative. To bring a New York sports team into it as you did earlier, my husband and myself run NYYFans.com, a New York Yankees fan site with a 20,000 member fan forum. Of course with that many people there is plenty of complaining about what's going on with the team but even this season as disappointed as everyone was with the team failing to make the post-season, fans were still able to cheer when the team won or when individual players did well, and many fans are optimistic about next season. Not so in Nascar where it seems like it's constant doom and gloom, and it was that way even when there weren't issues related to the poor economy to worry about.It's really amazing sometimes how negative a lot of Nascar fans are. More and more it's hard to tell if some of these "fans" are really even fans of the sport or any of the drivers - seems like a lot of people enjoy complaining and being negative a lot more than they do cheering for or supporting their favorite drivers. Don't get me wrong - there are plenty of times I disagree with things that are said and done in this sport and as a Michael Waltrip fan sometimes there hasn't been a lot to cheer about the past few years. But to me it's a lot more fun to focus on the positive and not let the things that have gone wrong for Michael or that I don't like in the sport as a whole ruin my entire experience as a fan.
As for the issue of the drivers showing personality, David won't believe me but I say bring it on! The more personality and the more outspoken a driver is the better! I have no problem with Kyle Busch or Scott Speed any other driver who shows some personality. I love hearing different opinions even if I don't agree with what's being said because sometimes it makes me think about things in a way I hadn't considered. I don't expect the drivers to always have the same opinions I do or do things the way that I would, and I also expect that they're going to make mistakes or do stupid things sometimes just like anyone else. Maybe a reason why a lot of things don't bother me like it does other fans because I don't expect everything and everyone in the sport to only be the way I want them to be.
During the last segment of the show they usually read some of the emails that they've gotten during the morning and the last paragraph of my email was one that they read on-the-air. When David finished reading my email he said in reference to the last sentence of my email something along the lines of how I'm one of a minority of fans who thinks that way. Is that really true? That a lot of fans complain so much because they have difficulty when things aren't the way they want them to be?
I think there is some truth to that idea. Some fans seem to be very bothered by anything that's unfamiliar or different and that seems to be more so for fans of Nascar than for fans of other sports. Every sport has negative fans, fans who like to complain, fans who are intolerant of opinions and ways of doing things that are different from their own as well as fans who can't stand change. But this sport seems to have more of those kinds of fans than other sports. I don't really understand why that is.
Change isn't a bad thing to me. I don't always like when change happens but I understand things can't stay the same forever and that change is necessary for progress and growth to be made. I like hearing other people's opinions even if they're very different from my own. I'm not too comfortable with the direction the sport is headed in right now and I worry about what the future holds for Michael Waltrip and Michael Waltrip Racing. But I understand that life isn't always fair and things aren't always going to go the way I want them to whether it's in professional sports, with the teams and drivers I'm a fan of or just in life in general. I might not like it but I accept that's going to happen.
Fans have the right to voice their opinions whether they agree or disagree with what's said and done in the sport - I certainly do all the time. I just wish some of my fellow fans would dial down the over-the-top negativity and unhappiness sometimes.
Posted by silverdsl at 01:44 PM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2008
Changes Are Needed to the Cup Banquet
David Poole wrote in his most recent blog entry that his newspaper, The Charlotte Observer declined to send him to New York to cover the Cup banquet for financial reasons, and I have to wonder if some other publications are going to follow their lead. John Daly from The Daly Planet seems to think that this is somehow earth shattering news but it's not that much of a surprise that in a time when the newspaper industry is struggling so much that some publications might rethink the wisdom of spending thousands of dollars to send a reporter to an event that often generates very little or no news.
It's fun to see the drivers dressed up and I think it's good for those in the garage area to have an opportunity to have a season ending celebration and salute the series champion. However, the banquet is usually about as exciting as watching paint dry thanks to how unspontaneous and scripted every second of the banquet is. Sure, there's been an occasional funny moment but most of those seem to come accidentally such as when Kyle Busch mistakenly referred to his brother's wife instead of his girlfriend in his speech. Mostly the drivers say the exact same thing in different ways with emphasis on their sponsors of course. So the reality is that the odds of there being any actual news for Poole to report on at the banquet and the events surrounding it probably aren't very good. I would much rather the Observer send Poole to an extra race next season where there will be news rather than send him to New York where it will likely only produce a bunch of fluff stories. Some have advocated that the Cup banquet be moved to Charlotte or Las Vegas but no matter where it's located unless the format changes radically it will be the same thing in a different location as it is in New York - boring to most.
Poole also makes the point that the banquet should have more of a fan element and I agree. There are some events scheduled this week in New York but other than an appearance by Dale Earnhardt, Jr. at Macy's at which fans have to buy $75 worth of merchandise to get a pre-signed photo and $150 worth to get a photo with him, I've not heard of any other driver appearances. Supposedly there's some sort of fan fest on Thursday but it's barely been publicized. Some will say that the New York media just doesn't care about Nascar - there is an element of truth to that - but as one who lives in the New York area I haven't yet seen any kind of paid advertising either telling fans about all the events they can attend this week. Are any of the drivers other than Junior even making appearances that the public can attend? Maybe some think that there aren't any Nascar fans in the New York area, and while there are less than one might find in other parts of the country, we are most definitely here and very willing to attend events, particularly driver appearances.
Fans can't be included in every single activity surrounding the banquet, nor would it be possible to have an event or driver appearance to satisfy every fan. However, at a time when fan interest and passion for the sport seems to be declining, I think more needs to be done to involve the fans. Of course those things take money and everyone is concerned about finances in this economy, but Nascar needs to do everything they can to be sure that fan interest is as high as possible otherwise there will be problems even when the economy improves. I think it's ridiculous in this economy that the only driver appearance that's been announced so far for this week in New York is one where a fan would have to buy $150 of merchandise to get up close to that driver.
It's also unfortunate for Jimmie Johnson and his team that fans are talking more about how uninteresting the banquet is likely to be than about celebrating his accomplishments this season. I don't know what the answer is but I think Nascar needs to give some serious consideration to making changes to their season ending celebration.
Posted by silverdsl at 02:30 PM | Comments (0)
December 01, 2008
Red Bull Racing Announces 2009 Lineup; Scott Speed to Race Part-Time in Nationwide for Michael Waltrip Racing
Red Bull Racing announced their lineup for 2009 this morning, and there wasn't many surprises other than what Scott Speed's Nationwide plans are since it involves Michael Waltrip Racing. On the Cup level, Brian Vickers will race the #84 with Ryan Pemberton as his crew chief and Speed will race the #82 with Jimmy Elledge as his crew chief. Jay Frye, RBR's general manager and vice president said,
"Brian and Ryan are each at a point in their respective careers where they can bring home wins and make a run for the championship. Scott earned his Sprint Cup ride by exceeding our expectations in ARCA and trucks. He has a great asset in Jimmy, who has experience working with both rookies and open-wheel drivers."
Pemberton's addition to RBR will make them a stronger organization, no question, so I would expect Vickers to be even better in 2009 than he was next season. I don't expect much from Speed next season as he adjusts to Cup - no matter how well a driver does in Nationwide or Trucks the level of competition in Cup is so great that even the most talented of drivers may struggle some - but he should benefit from continuing to work with Elledge.
There was a bit of a surprise in the announcement that involved MWR - Speed will race part-time for MWR in the #99 car. According to what Slugger Labbe said this morning on Sirius, Speed will be in the car for twelve races. I would assume that RBR will be handing over some money to MWR to make that happen since MWR didn't have sponsorship for the #99 beyond the ten races that Aaron's was going to sponsor Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann for.
In some ways I'm not all that surprised that Scott is going to end up in an MWR car since Michael has spoken highly of him in the past. I like Scott since he's a unique personality just like Michael - maybe even more so since Scott seems to do things his way even if that's not the Nascar-way even more than Michael. However as much as I like Scott I'm not jumping up and down about the news that he's going to race the #99 because I have to wonder what this means for Josh Wise since the plan had originally been for him to race the #99 in the races that David and Michael weren't behind the wheel for. There will still be some races left in the #99 for Josh or another driver but it seems to me if Josh is going to continue to develop he needs to race full-time in the Nationwide Series next season. Unfortunately, a lack of sponsorship may prevent that from happening. If MWR doesn't have a sponsor for him for the #99 or for a second car, I have to think that he might be with another organization next season since MWR wouldn't even be able to use him as their test driver as they did last season.
It would be a pretty big loss for MWR if Josh were to leave. I think he's an extremely talented driver who has shown he's capable of good results even though he's only raced a limited amount of Nationwide races. He could end up being a future star in Nascar and I was hoping that was going to happen at MWR and that he might take over the NAPA sponsorship from Michael in a few years when he was ready to retire from racing Cup full-time. However, if there's no sponsorship for Josh, MWR has no choice but to let him go since the poor economy means that there's almost no way that MWR or any other team is going to be able to field a car or truck out without sponsorship. I was so impressed with Josh when I met him a couple of years ago and I was so happy that he was with MWR, but I'll continue to be a fan of his no matter what team he races for.
Really difficult times for all the teams and all who are involved in the sport right now. RBR and all those who are employed there are very lucky that the owner is also the sponsor and that there still seems to be a pretty steady flow of money from Red Bull for their Nascar operation.
Posted by silverdsl at 10:04 AM | Comments (2)