Tony Stewart Baffled With Goodyear

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.

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Tony Stewart may as well have been using one of my favorite Dave Chappelle quotes.

Goodyear is f**kin’ up!

Tony just doesn’t understand it. Why does Goodyear overcompensate on the tires?

In an actual praise of the weather, being thankful that it’s cold enough at Atlanta today to compensate for Goodyear’s incompetence with their tire selection, Tony commented that the garage is just trying to get through the weekend.

Goodyear has changed up the overall composition and construction of the left side tires to provide more grip, but at the same time they’ve increased the hardness of the right side tire compound which removes grip.

It was also explained, and something I was unaware of, that Goodyear is bringing the same tires (at least for the right side) for both the Nationwide Series and the Sprint Cup Series to use. In doing so, they went with a compromise where the right side tire is good for the Nationwide side, and something the Cup side “can live with”.

Tony Stewart made the remark that when you stroke a check big enough to NASCAR, you can have free reign with your product selection, even when that selection is junk.

Atlanta hasn’t been recently paved. It’s been 10 years, actually, so what is the deal here?

Bobby Labonte tested for Goodyear at Atlanta back in December, so what’s going on with this?

Are the engineers at Goodyear not competent enough to remember that during such a test the racetrack will be green, and therefore wear the tires a little harder than on a competition weekend? I’d like to think that’s not the case.

Are they overly paranoid of right side tire failures on the intermediate tracks?

Are they being cheap, and trying to get by with using the same thing all weekend?

Then again could it be that Tony’s lacking something in his car and laying out a case just in case his run at Atlanta, which happens to be the HQ of his sponsor Home Depot, is less than spectacular? Could it be a little bit of both circumstances? I will note that Tony Stewart typically runs quite well at Atlanta, and one could expect that whatever the circumstances he will adapt and overcome.

Tony Stewart has typically been the first driver to speak out about tires during a given weekend. Does the rest of the garage feel similar about the tire selection by Goodyear?

What bothers me most about these comments is this. These types of tracks make up the bulk of the NASCAR schedule. I’m also concerned because the next track of this type on the schedule is Texas Motor Speedway.

It’s been on again, off again for racing at the 1.5mile oval. At times the show is good, but at other times the show has been less than spectacular.

If you combine the elements of the new car, this apparent tire issue, and past history you’re heading into a big unknown for Texas Motor Speedway. If one were in the shoes of Eddie Gossage it would have to be at least a small concern in the back of your mind. It’s an SMI track, and the facilities are absolutely top notch. However, being the home track of Thunder Lounge, we can’t help but to be on pins and needles a little bit in regards to the show.

Last fall was a battle between Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson late in the the goings, and highlighted the quality of racing capable at the track. On the other hand, they have been many a strung out parade as well.

With that all taken into consideration, flip a coin. Head it’ll be a show, tails it will be a parade. That’s about as close to a prediction as you’re going to get. With the new car, competition should be much closer. Thus you could conclude that the parade won’t necessarily be a factor. On the other hand, with the tire issue being complained about by Tony Stewart, it could turn into a conservative “make it through the weekend” type of race.

Whatever the case may be, we hope the issues being complained of this weekend won’t be an issue when NASCAR returns to The Great American Speedway, leaving the show in the competitors hands.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Atlanta, Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Nascar, Sprint Cup, Teams, Texas, Tony Stewart, Tracks

Tagged As: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Goodyear, Hotlanta, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Texas Motor Speedway, The Great American Speedway, Tire Issues, Tony Stewart



Trackback URL for: Tony Stewart Baffled With Goodyear

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Monday March 3, 2008
12:52am CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Well, it was almost like deja vu as Carl Edwards led the last lap for the second week in a row.

After much impending anticipation, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made it to Las Vegas. After the fiasco in Fontana last week, it was definitely a welcomed weekend where weather wasn’t an issue, and the racing was anticipated to be really good.

It wasn’t bad, however as a colleague pointed out, I was left with a slight empty feeling. To me it felt like the guys we’re leaving something on the table, for lack of a better term. I reflect back to comments about the tires, a lack of overall grip, and the term cautiously aggressive comes to mind.

Read more of this »

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Carl Edwards, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Jeff Gordon, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Las Vegas, Nascar, Roush Racing #99, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks

Tagged As: Carl Edwards, Cousin Carl, Jeff Gordon, Las Vegas, Post-Race Inspection, Tony Stewart



Trackback URL for: Deja Flippin Vu, Almost

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday February 19, 2008
12:30am CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

It’s OK. Throw me under the bus. The 50th Anniversary of the Daytona 500 was good. Actually, it was damn good. However, it wasn’t the best ever. It was worthy of being the 50th anniversary though.

The season opener had it all. Drama, strategy, surprises, and [gasp] racing.

The internet trolls will tell you it sucked. Consider the source of that opinion. To them, everything sucks. They long for “the good old days”, yet their memory is clouded with nostalgia. This very well was one of the most competitive 500’s in recent memory. Ignore the fact that the results will tell you that 6 of the top 10 spots were taken by a Dodge. Don’t ask where they came from, we don’t know either. Yet there they are, taking home 1st, 2nd, 5th-7th, and 9th. Round out 2 Toyota’s, a Chevy and a Ford, and call it your top 10.

The lone Chevy? Dale Jr. Ford? Greg Biffle. Add in Smoke and Shrub in 3rd and 4th, and there you have it.

I can only imagine the hearts of the Toyota boys as they came down the backstretch on the final lap. Up to that point, you would be hard pressed to convince a new fan that Toyota wasn’t worth the paper in the Mens Room last season. Kyle Busch was making a scene, as was Tony Stewart. If you take any lessons from this, it better be that Toyota is coming.

However, as with every tale there has to be some drama. As Tony Stewart moved down to pick up his teammate Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman made the charge with his teammate Kurt Busch stuck to his bumper with Gorilla Glue.

The dreams of The Captain, and we don’t mean Morgan, then came true. After all these years, all the trials and tribulations, Roger Penske finally ended up in Victory Lane for the Daytona 500.

It was a typical plate race, chess-like maneuvers and precision positioning for a while, but that’s just the nature of the game. You have to make it to the end to have a chance to win. But the closer you get, the riskier your moves, and if you play your cards right, you win.

Last season, Dodge wasn’t impressive. Pre-season Thunder, still no love. Reed Sorenson showed some promise in the Shootout and Duels, but for most of the 500 Dodge was relatively quiet. They were there at the end though, and Penske has a nice $1,000,000 bonus from Dodge to prove it.

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Chip Ganassi Racing #41, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Daytona, Drivers, Elliot Sadler, Evernham Motorsports #19, Evernham Motorsports #9, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports #88, Joe Gibbs Racing #18, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Penske Racing #12, Penske Racing #2, Reed Sorenson, Robby Gordon, Robby Gordon Motorsports #7, Roush Racing #16, Ryan Newman, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks

Tagged As: Dale Earnhardt Jr, Daytona 500, Elliot Sadler, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Reed Sorenson, Robby Gordon, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart



Trackback URL for: Daytona 500 had it all, but not the greatest ever

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday February 13, 2008
10:34am CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

So penalties were handed out yesterday for Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart in regards to their little disagreement last Friday during (and after) final practice for the Bud Shootout.

The penalties themselves were surprising on two fronts.

First, it was honestly surprising that there really was a penalty at all. No, I’m not off my rocker. I’ve looked at the replays on the net a hundred times, maybe more, and I stick to my original thoughts that the bumps coming down the access road before they hit the pits was nothing more severe than a congratulatory doughnut. I’ve seen worse “congratulations” after a race. The difference here though is the intentions and premises those bumps were made under. However it still somewhat baffles me that they didn’t call it all square after the “rumors” of an altercation in the Oval Office after practice where Busch apparently took a little too close of a look at Stewart’s fist.

Second surprise in this announcement was the severity, or lack of, in the penalties. NASCAR handed down a 6 race probationary period for both Busch and Stewart. What the heck did Tony do? Ahhh, could those rumors be getting warm? More on that in a second, but I’ll leave the reasoning for penalties at coming down to the intent and not the actual severity of the contact.

Last night, On Pit Row had none other than Jim Hunter, NASCAR Vice President for Corporate Communications, on to kick off the show.

In regards to the “discussion” in the Oval Office last Friday night, Jim still towed the “Vegas” line with, “What happens in the trailer, stays in the trailer”, but he did say the following:

“It was a kind of meeting our fans would relate to. Really emotional. Something our fans fell in love with. It was a really emotional, no-holds-barred discussion.” — Jim Hunter

So we somewhat have an admission without having an admission. Whether that means a punch was actually thrown, you be the judge. Any Mary Kay or Avon reps in the area get an interesting ordr last Friday night or Saturday morning?

Moving along, I’m constantly reminded of Brian Frances new, improved, back to the roots, NASCAR. Previously, Brian would have been the Judge, jury and executioner as he ruled his NASCAR Kingdom with an iron fist.

This is what surprised me, honestly. I took the statements from NASCAR on Saturday to mean it was done and over with, and not just between Stewart and Busch. I had it in the back of my mind that if penalties were assessed that they would include a stiff hit to the wallet and a decent portion of the season under the watchful eyes of NASCAR. With the penalties only coming out with a mere 6 weeks of probation and nothing more is what surprised me here.

As I mulled over the penalties yesterday, it was tough to just not throw up a post about it and carry on about my day. I’m glad I took the time to reflect, something which isn’t always afforded to the mainstream media folks who need to get it out the door as soon as possible to get into the mix.

This being the case, in my reflections I keep coming back to something I mentioned on Charlie’s blog.

NASCAR needs to take a lesson from Texas (the state, not the speedway) and get a little more creative with their penalties, just as many Judges not only in Texas but across the Nation have done. Penalties are at NASCAR’s discretion, and therefore they have the leeway to think outside the box.

Before I lose you, here’s where I’m headed with this. Alternative penalties to get the message across, that not only fit the situation but the person or persons involved.

In this case you not only have Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch involved, but because of the torn up sheet metal you also have the unsung hero’s of both teams with an extra load on their schedule to fix it all.

He is my opinion of a more creative penalty that not only would get the message across but maybe, just maybe, make these guys think a little bit.

I would have forced Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart to pick a date within two weeks of the penalty being announced and take their crews to dinner. Not some fast-food type deal, I’m talking something really nice like Ruth’s Chris, where the attire is business casual, and the plate-per-person is at least $50, easily reaching $100 per-person with a few drinks and appetizers. Besides, I love that place.

The deal would be they all go together, no NASCAR chaperon, but it would be confirmed that they not only entered together, but also dined and left together. Kurt would foot the bill for Tony and his crew, and vice-versa.

This is not about money, although something along the lines of $1500 coming out of each pocket wouldn’t be out of the question. We’re talking about everyone involved here that has to fix that car.

What does this do? It forces them together, somewhere they can’t outright brawl, with the intentions of just maybe providing a little bit of comradery and insight into each others worlds. I’m not suggesting everyone would come out the best of friends, however the intention is to get both these drivers to think. Maybe next time they will remember the faces at the table, and who actually has to fix the results of their actions.

On top of this, a little probation (such as served this week) would also be imposed.

Oh, if you screw it up, you’re parked for a race. Not the driver, but the car. So there will be no substitutions. That puts the pressure on them to act accordingly and professional.

If NASCAR is serious about their getting back to their roots, they can’t balk every time someone gets upset. While I don’t feel they did here, they could have easily flirted with it a little bit. They didn’t, so that’s a step in the right direction.

I do not approve of a car being used as a weapon, like Cousin Carl’s little shenanigan, or last summer’s conflict with Stewart and Busch. This wasn’t near the scale of that, in terms of severity, but the intentions were the same and that’s what kicked Busch in the butt. Something obviously kicked Stewart in the butt, although what we don’t exactly know. Had to come from the trailer, as anything on the track which caused the accident wasn’t really justifiable. If the buzz is wrong, and there was no altercation in the hauler, than it may simply be a case to keep both in check at the same time and prevent possible antagonizing of the one under probation.

Who knows for sure, it is what it is. One thing can be sure though. At least thus far, NASCAR seems to be sticking to their call to get back to their roots on these issues, and to let the drivers be themselves.

Join the discussion.

Filed Under: Daytona, Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kurt Busch, Nascar, Penske Racing #2, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks

Tagged As: Cousin Carl, Daytona, Fisticuffs, Kurt Busch, Penalties, Tony Stewart



Trackback URL for: Demons Be Gone!

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Monday February 11, 2008
10:50pm CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Tony Stewart

• 2007 Stats

  • Organization: Joe Gibbs Racing
  • Car Number: 20
  • Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli
  • Sponsor: Home Depot
  • Points: 6th :: 6242 :: -481
  • Starts: 36
  • Poles: 0
  • Wins: 3
  • Top 5’s: 11
  • Top 10’s: 23
  • Winnings: $6,396,750

• 2008 Preview

  • Organization: Joe Gibbs Racing
  • Car Number: 20
  • Crew Chief: Greg Zipadelli
  • Sponsor: Home Depot

One race to spoil them all. That’s the summary of Stewarts season. All the hard work lost, the Championship gone all for a strange sequence of decisions by NASCAR.

Wrong. Unfortunately for Tony and Friends that just isn’t the case. While at the time the points would have shaken out quite differently, it wouldn’t be enough to give Tony the Title had things went the other way. Ending the season in the hole 481 points, last I checked the max point difference between 1st and 43rd was almost 500 points.

That is not a discredit to the season ran by the #20 team. They had a really good season, racking up 3 wins, 11 Top-5’s and 23 Top-10’s. That’s damn good in anybody’s book.

Moving into 2008, he was the opposing side in the Kurt Busch Bash during final practice for the Bud Shootout. Moving past that, 2008 is going to be challenging. OK, after the way Tony ran in the shootout, there shouldn’t be a doubt that Toyota will get some wins this season. Combined with Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch, and dare I say, “How ’bout them MWR Boys?” If only one thing has been learned thus far from Speedweeks, it’s that Toyota isn’t screwing around.

Note: information is accurate as of date published. Check Thunder Lounge for additional updates and information.

Read more of this article »

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart





Trackback URL for: Daytona 500: 6 Days and Counting

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Friday February 8, 2008
9:25am CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Why will Joe Gibbs be as strong and successful in 2008 as they were in 2007? Simple. The differences are slim.

While we all would like to believe differently, and many have came to this unfortunate realization, it is the plain and simple truth.

Between manufacturers, there just isn’t that much difference between cars anymore. Yes, it’s something we’ve seen coming for a while, we’ve had 16 races to get used to the idea, we’ve had plenty of time prior to that to read the cards. It’s happening though, right before our eyes and a further continuation of nothing but a sticker change. Well, that and dropping a different motor under the hood.

The search for proof, like we need it, need go no further than this article on Robby Gordon to see the writing on the wall. That writing is also in bold, italic, underlined, and capitalized letters bigger than Paris Hiltons ego.

It was just a week ago that Robby Gordon announced a surprise move to Dodge.

In that time, a week, he has converted half of his current inventory of cars from Ford to Dodge. Robby currently has about a dozen cars, and growing.

Not to take away from all the hard work the folks in the shop have done, as well as the guys from Evernham that have been helping out, but compared to the time and effort to change the previous car from one manufacturer to another, this seems like a brisk walk in the park.

The time taken averages out to about one car changed per day. Not days, or what used to be weeks, one single day.

Coming around full circle, this is exactly why the Gibbs Guys are not worried about their switch of manufacturer.

They’re real good with motors, and they were already pretty darn good with the rest of it.

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Denny Hamlin, Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #11, Joe Gibbs Racing #18, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Robby Gordon, Robby Gordon Motorsports #7, Sprint Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart





Trackback URL for: Why Joe Gibbs Will Be Successful In 2008

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday October 3, 2007
3:41pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Welcome to the first edition of WTF? Wednesday™.

A brief synopsis: Every Wednesday, we’re going to go the extra mile (and possibly throw “the flag”) to ask the all inevitable question that is lurking on everyone’s mind. WTF? If it’s smelling funny, and has to do with NASCAR, we’re going to ask it.

On to this weeks column.

Kyle Bush and his manifold of gold

As you may or may not have heard, NASCAR failed the #5 of Kyle Bush after he swept through (again) to Victory Lane in the Busch Race at Kansas.

They “deemed” his intake manifold to be “illegal”. Yet, here it is Wednesday already and there hasn’t been a word about it since Sunday. WTF?

Hendrick says it’s legit, and that it’s no different than other times. In fact, they even sent one into NASCAR and they inspected it for 2 days earlier last week.

So, what’s “good to go” this week may be “illegal” the next? WTF?

Late this afternoon, NASCAR announced a “fine” of $10,000 for Mike Bumgarner, the crew chief for Kyle Bush in the Busch Nationwide Series for violations found post-race at Kansas.

Bruton Smith “may” build a new “Charlotte”

Bruton wants a drag racing venue at his current location in the capital of NASCAR. Cool, he’s done it at Bristol and Texas to name a few. He gets the required zoning, and begins.

All of a sudden, the City Council (we’re talking Concord, not “technically Charlotte”) decided the other night to overturn the zoning for the area, leaving Mr. Smith in the middle of a project which (currently) can’t be used. WTF?

Supposedly the “City Council” wanted to pull the reins on all the “noise” in the area, as it’s building up around the track in terms of both business and residential neighbors. OK, whatever.

So, Bruton laid out the terms for all to see. If that’s the way it’s going to be, and “noise” is such a concern, I want my tracks together. If I need to relocate my venues to another part of town, I will.

Huh?

Mr. Bruton Smith went on to compare it to a stick/ball team building a new arena in town. It’s still there, just in a different location. This isn’t a ploy or a threat. It’s the facts. If he has to move it to another area of town, he will. He’s already scouting land around the Charlotte area, and I’d bet there’s a few communities welcoming the move with open arms.

So you’ll hear about Charlotte closing, but really it’s just moving to another side of town.

The question is, what would the track be like? Would it mirror the current configuration? Let’s hope not.

Bruton Smith has a few things at his disposal now. He’s got raw data from various sources, and I’d be willing to bet that if indeed a deal can’t be reached, and he does build a new facility, that it will be the best one on the circuit. He knows what is working, and where the future is headed. Expect the facilities to be top notch, and something viable for not only today, but for decades to come.

What about the track itself? Would it be the same thing, or could it be something unique? Here’s a chance to shine. Do something that hasn’t/isn’t being done. Make that track even more special than it already is. 1.5 miles in length? Nah. 2 miles? Maybe, but Michigan and Cali-bore-nia already do it. 1 mile? Dover, New Hampshire. 1.75 miles? 1.25 miles? Hmmm, 600 miles is divisible evenly at 1.25 miles, 1.75 is a tick off, but almost another full lap.

With all the data available, the chance to truly make a “Beast of the Southeast” exists. The fans would dig it (who wants another cookie?), the drivers would dig it, and most of all it would be something different.

We’ll see what happens on that front, but for now in terms of this “out of nowhere” deal, WTF?

Kansas

We aren’t in Kansas anymore, but thoughts sure haven’t left there.

Why was a race that had not a chance of ending before darkness resumed? WTF?

OK, if I had paid to be there, I’d want as much show as possible.

“Technically”, if all the remaining laps went green it could have made the distance. NASCAR isn’t that dumb, so they said we’re going to 225. WTF?

The thing is, when has there been an opportunity to restart a race at all? It would either:
a) go way into the night
b) not enough daylight left, and no lights available
c) wasn’t enough left for it to be worth it.

Kansas was what, 12 or so laps past halfway? NASCAR made the call to continue with as much of a show as possible, which was a good call for fans, just maybe not for your driver. Then again, maybe your driver came out better than if it had been stopped? Then again, the one who would have benefited most from not resuming, ended up with the bonehead move of the race. “Hey Smoke, there’s smoke coming out of your tire.” But, I digress.

Then you have the finish. Biffle cut the motor off coming out of 4 on the final lap, to make sure he had enough fuel to do a burn out. He had half a gallon left, by the way, but NASCAR made him walk over to Victory Lane. WTF? Why couldn’t the guy do a burnout? WTF?

“Da rules” state a reasonable speed, and NASCAR said it was. Some of the competitors didn’t think it was, so they passed under yellow. NASCAR said the field was frozen, so that was that. OK, but also if you pass under yellow, don’t you get a penalty? So if that’s true, and Biffle wasn’t maintaining a reasonable speed (almost half the pace car speed as he crossed the line), then wouldn’t Casey Mears have won with Jeff Gordon finishing second? But, the field was frozen and Biffle maintained a reasonable speed. WTF?

Not even the mighty scoring loops of NASCAR got it right. It had Bowyer listed at 1st, followed by Johnson. Talk about a Charlie Foxtrot drill. Anyone want to wager about a slight modification to the wording in “Da Rules” about this for next season? If there isn’t, we have our last WTF?

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Busch Series, Casey Mears, Charlotte/Lowe's, Clint Bowyer, Drivers, Features, Greg Biffle, Hendrick Motorsports #24, Hendrick Motorsports #25, Hendrick Motorsports #48, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Kansas, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Richard Childress Racing #07, Roush Racing #16, Teams, The Chase, Tony Stewart, Tracks, WTF? Wednesday's





Trackback URL for: WTF? Wednesday…

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday July 7, 2007
8:00pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Hello. My name is Tony Stewart (most call me Flip-Flop), and I’m a Jackass.

It’s never my fault, let me make that point clear right now.

I don’t care who you are, I’m better.

Sincerely,
Flip-Flop

—– —– —– —– —–

Yeah, that asshat never lifted, then blames Hamlin for slowing down and expecting 42 cars to do the same.

Hamlin, through obvious frustration, said he was wide open and next thing he knew was he was going for another kind of ride.

Yeah. Way to go Stewart. Never, ever your fault.

Maybe one day you’ll figure it out, but I seriously doubt it. Have a frosty. Or should I say…

Have a Coke and a smile and STFU.

Anyone think there isn’t already, or going to be even more tension in the JGR Camp?

Join the discussion.

Filed Under: Daytona, Denny Hamlin, Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #11, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Hello. I’m A Jackass.

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Friday April 27, 2007
6:46pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

NASCAR isn’t like “Pro” Wrestling. NASCAR is like a woman. Free to change its mind at any time, for any reason. Oh, and they’re always right.

NASCAR had a change of heart, for the better, today when they called Mr. Flip-Flop Stewart to the hauler at 6am sharp this lovely Friday morning at Talladega. For the record, it wasn’t for Frosted Flakes, Cheerios, or my famous 6am Bloody Mary starter either. The conversation left Tony Stewart saying, “It’s a little tender for me to sit down right now.”

As well it should be. It should still be felt when you are fulling your obligations on the track Sunday as well.

Stewart, again, has also lived up to his [well deserved] Thunder Lounge nickname as well.

From Stewart…

Tuesday:

“The thing with the media is they think it’s our obligation to do those things,” Stewart said. “It’s a privilege that they get to (talk to us). That’s the way it’s always been. Maybe it is in some of these other guys’ contracts, but it is not in my contract that says I have to go do any interviews after the race is over.”

Friday:

“It is in my contract.”

Tuesday:

He said skipping the press conference was his way of getting even with NASCAR over what he considered unfair officiating.

“NASCAR is the ones that always ask us to go to the media center, so instead of doing what they wanted, they don’t do what we want to do and run the race fair,” he said. “So why would I go to the media center and make them happy?”

Friday:

“I didn’t realize it was a requirement that I had to go to the Media Center.”

OK, we’ll leave it at that. Either way, no matter the driver, the right thing was done by NASCAR.

The only remaining question is why Juan Pablo Montoya got the reminder through the wallet, for “greeting” someone he thought was a friend but it was live TV, yet Flip-Flop here did it to Johnson at Atlanta in March and Carl Edwards last summer at Pocono. Both were televised as well.

Hmmm. I wonder what’s up with that?

Sources, since someone will wonder:
NASCAR, NASCAR, ESPN, NASCAR, SPEED TV’s NASCAR Live.

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Phoenix, Talladega, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Bad Monkey. Bad, Bad Monkey.

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday April 25, 2007
11:32am CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Following last Saturday night’s event at Phoenix, Tony Stewart finished a strong 2nd. A position that 41 other drivers would have been ecstatic with. Well, not our ol’ buddy Flip-Flop here. Smoke was downright smoked after getting smoked with a dozen laps to go as he was passed for the lead which had only taken with a ballsy move a lap prior. It may have been a good points day, but according to Zippy [crew chief Greg Zipadelli] the team is feeling incredible internal pressure as they feel they should have had 4 or 5 victories this season but as a team haven’t capitalized.

Needless to say, Stewart left the facilities without a word to the media. He also failed to follow a NASCAR mandate where the top 3 finishing drivers have a mandated post-race media obligation in the media center, leaving his other two competitors (Gordon and Hamlin) to fend for themselves and answer “Where’s Tony” questions.

OK, so the guy was upset. We’ll give him that. He’d fought hard all night, and got beat. With a competitive nature that’s inherent in racers, it’s understandable to be upset over it. However, in the big picture he had a good night. Again, one that 41 other teams would have been thankful for if they couldn’t have had the top spot.

So enter the controversy with him ducking the NASCAR mandated post-race circus. With NASCAR being so focused on being in front of the media and getting attention, you’d think they would have threw a fit and brought down the wrath in the form of 12-4-A [Actions Detrimental To Stock Car Racing]. Yet, they won’t be doing so. Instead, they’ll be talking to Stewart and reminding him of his post-race obligations.

To be honest, we’re cool with that. But…

If this situation involved a different driver, usually one from the Hendrick camp, you would see the internet blasted with cries of favoritism and NASCAR conspiracy.

Since we like to pick on our ol’ buddy Flip-Flop here, we’ll make the cry for shenanigans just to stir it up a bit. Not necessarily because it’s a conspiracy. Just because 12-4-A is 12-4-A. Whether it’s tarnishing the image of NASCAR on the track during the race, pushing the gray areas of the law Rulebook, or making a “not so family oriented” comment (or gesture in Juan Pablo Montoya’s case) during an interview/media coverage; A violation which is “detrimental to stock car racing” is just that.

By blowing off the media, Stewart portrayed an “I don’t respect NASCAR” attitude. Whether intentional or not. Had he or any of the top 3 drivers jumped out of the car and been physically ill, and literally unable to meet these obligations that is one thing. But after a short 312 mile stint at Phoenix, and the “new and improved” fitness and health of Tony, he wasn’t dehydrated or anything of the sort. He was just flat out pissed, blew it off and we’ve seen nor heard any information to the contrary.

With his actions and portraying this attitude Saturday night, it indeed sent a signal to the media of a lack of respect for NASCAR. Intentionally portrayed or not, that’s the message received. A message that NASCAR doesn’t like, and responds with 12-4-A and a little monetary reminder that the driver needs them and not the other way round.

Montoya flipped a bird to someone he thought was a friend when horsing around, but it happened to be live TV, and he gets a $10k reminder. So disrespecting NASCAR by blowing off a mandated media gig post-race is less disrespectful to NASCAR and stock car racing? I don’t think it is, and so NASCAR has dropped the ball. Even if it were $5k, or half that, it would still be something. Although considering a bird cost $10k, $15 probably wouldn’t have been out of line. It’s not like he wasn’t aware of the surrounding circumstances, so it was deliberate.

As a NASCAR driver, you have a responsibility. Several, in fact. They just come with the territory, and it’s part of the job. Just like any other job on the planet, they all have certain responsibilities. From the fry cook at your local burger joint, to Steve Jobs running Apple (we like Apple, if you haven’t figured it out yet), to anyone else employed around the world. Whether it’s for someone else, yourself or whatever. If you have a job, you have a responsibility. You think the losing coach of the Super Bowl or the NBA Finals wants to sit down with the media after the game? No but they still do it regardless because it’s part of the job, and not every aspect of any job is always roses and happy happy, joy joy.

No matter which driver it is, the post-race media center interview for the top 3 is a known part of the job. From Derrike Cope trying to make a couple races a year, to Kevin Harvick, to Jeff Gordon, to Kenny Wallace and yes, even Tony Stewart.

Really there are two parties to question here. Stewart for blowing it off, and NASCAR for their response. Folks in the media that were sitting in the media center should have questions too. They had content to write for whomever they write for, and in general quotes from the top 3 are expected. So they were unable to deliver on that, so shouldn’t they have questions as well? Don’t they deserve an answer?

Could it be that Stewart was afraid he would say something “stupid” again, and have it follow him around in the media for weeks like his recent “retirement” comment at Texas? If that’s the case, it still doesn’t make it right and is no excuse. Any driver out there has been “groomed” for the media in one way or another. At the very least, they know to keep answers short if in a pressure situation.

Is it really that hard? For Stewart, who sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him, it certainly seems so. He does bring a passion and fire to the sport. The sport needs that. It needs passionate drivers, who aren’t emotional robots. It also needs drivers who are responsible enough to fulfill their obligations.

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Filed Under: Drivers, Joe Gibbs Racing #20, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Phoenix, Teams, Tony Stewart, Tracks





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