A Public Service Message for Disgruntled NASCAR Fans

By Marc, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.

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Kyle Petty has something to say about the current state of affairs in NASCAR and how many of its fans view the sport:

“I really want to know what is it that race fans want,’’ Petty says, noting the fan uproar about racing at Bristol and Talladega, which both used the COT.

“I’m not really sure that they even know what they want. I think they’ve been sold a bill of goods on what racing used to be. Racing wasn’t always 43 cars under a blanket. Racing was Bill Elliott winning Talladega by a lap on the field.’’

There it is, the clear unvarnished truth.

Richard Petty once won a race after going 3 laps down, and his winning margin was 7 LAPS! In case you didn’t catch that, in effect he was 10 laps better than everyone else in the field.

If that were to happen today, there would be an insurrection in the grandstands as the laps wound down. A few brown bottle tossed Jeffy’s way would be mild in comparison. Yet the sky is falling around NASCAR Nation because OMG, someone leads the most laps and wins a race by 2 seconds!

I read a recent suggestion and long discussion the Chase should provide a process of elimination. A loss and you out sort of thing similar to a baseball or football playoff.

Sounds crazy I know, even crazier is the idea was floated by someone who’s “Anti-Chase Mantra” is “why do they wanna make NASCAR like other sports?” You figure it out, I damn sure can’t, and feel no great need to delve into the convoluted logic it takes to hold those two positions.

As you know the fan base discontent doesn’t end there, it touches on the shifting make-up of the financial side of the sport. The flurry of partnerships and mergers this season is unprecedented in the sport.

The deals give each team more money and resources, making the cost to start a team from scratch almost prohibitive. To be a part of NASCAR, someone almost has to buy into a team. The question is, is that a good thing or bad for the sport?

Joe Gibbs has tentative (tentative because the fallout from all the changes are yet to be felt) answer for that:

“To me, that’s a good thing,’’ said J.D. Gibbs, president of Joe Gibbs Racing, which will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota next season. “I’ve got value in my team. Five, six, seven years ago, there was not much value in your team.’’

WOW, value in a race team. What a concept.

In previous days the “value” in a race team was regained the only way possible, via an auction of the assembled parts that were bought by other teams for pennies on the dollar.

If Gibbs is right team owners have equity, something they’ve never had before. Also, it may put on hold any thoughts some may have of starting some type of franchising in NASCAR.

With all the changes on the financial side of NASCAR it’s way too early to make any definitive judgment, that may take years to get any real feel for them.

I’m willing to wait and see, unfortunately many are not, some have already tossed France and NASCAR under the bus transporter.

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Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Marc Boland, Nascar, The Soapbox





Trackback URL for: A Public Service Message for Disgruntled NASCAR Fans

By Marc, Thunder Lounge
Monday October 8, 2007
9:57pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Just as he did a couple months back Ray Evernham has “come clean” over his workplace dalliance with ARCA RE/MAX driver Erin Crocker.

Crocker competed at Talladega in Evernham’s Mac Tools Dodge finishing 18^th and wrapped up the series’ Superspeedway Challenge Title that includes events held at Daytona, Nashville, Kentucky, Pocono, Michigan, Kansas, Gateway, Chicagoland and Talladega.

After the event Evernham said Crocker still is trying to put together a deal to run next season in the Craftsman Truck, Busch Nationwide or ARCA series.

“There could be some partnerships for her to run the whole ARCA series,” Evernham said. “We’re going to do everything we can to help her move on, and hopefully people will take her more seriously when she’s off on her own.”

Ok Ray, for the second time we get it. You’re sorry for being an asshat on the job and your sorry. As a result you’re attempting to make amends by assisting her in her job search for 2008 and beyond.

But I question his dedication to the job at hand. Look at what Ray provided for Crocker to compete with at Talladega:

“The car we brought was not a great car and not a great engine, and we didn’t have time to prepare or work on it,” Evernham said. “We knew we had to finish 20th or better, and we rode around the back and that didn’t work for us. And 40 laps to go, she had to get up there and race. It was pretty nerve wracking.

“I hope that people take notice of the things she has done.”

Ray… what else did you have to do? It’s not like you had one, two or three cars in NASCAR’s Chase.

Granted last Friday there were still 7 events left in the NASCAR year and Dodge provides millions to GEM to compete in and that part of his operation should take priority.

I’ll also concede Crocker only needed to place 20^th or higher to clinch the ARCA Superspeedway title, but still, wouldn’t it have been better to provide the best possible equipment to run during one of the premier events on the ARCA schedule?

I’m of the opinion Crocker could have had “people take notice” in a far more favorable light if she could have won at Talladega vice riding around the back.

Crocker’s job search equation breaks down this way; What would gain more press coverage, an ARCA Superspeedway Challenge Title or the first ever female winner in a major stock car circuit on one of the showcase ovals in America?

Something doesn’t compute.

Ray, you’re not even trying and Erin got screwed again! This time with her firesuit on!

Cross posted @ Full Throttle.

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Filed Under: Marc Boland, Nascar, Talladega, The Soapbox, The Way I See It





Trackback URL for: Ray Evernham “Films” a Sequel

By Marc, Thunder Lounge
Wednesday July 25, 2007
7:09pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

This is a follow on to a previous post at my other place of unemployement, Wishing You Were Brian France.

In it I opined many of the head honchos of America’s major sports might hold a bit of jealousy in their hearts for Brian France’s position based on the current scandals enveloping them recently.

This missive takes the opposite view.

Not withstanding France’s possession of “palm tree debris” and “sodas” while navigating condominium parking lots, NASCAR’s CEO has led a rather charmed life during his tenure. The sport is still number two and despite the slight down turn in viewership recently it remains the sport of choice for viewers on most weekends of the year.

Read this as a cautionary tale. Or if you so choose, pure BS. (a decision made while head is planted in sand)

Two of the current scandals on front pages from NYC to Kookamunga are a NBA referee’s ties to gambling and the NFL’s Bad Newz problem.

Both have a common thread, gambling. That connection is plain to see in the NBA’s case but I have seen some commentary that gives me an indication not everyone understands what drives the evil “sport” of dog fighting.

Without the ability to gamble on the outcome of dogfights the activity would be virtually nonexistent.

At this point I have no idea what NASCAR’s or ISC’s stance on gambling by its credential holders is. Obviously any illegal gambling would fall under the catchall of both the morals clause contained in every contract and Sections of The Mythical Rulebook 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing).

Beyond that I’m clueless. If anyone has heard or read of a more public stance by NASCAR officials drop the reference in the comment section.

I’m also unaware whether NASCAR has taken any preemptive action.

For example, the NFL allows FBI and other law enforcement personnel into the training camps to lecture teams on the pervasive nature of gambling and how easy it is to fall prey to the less than desirables that operate on the periphery of the industry.

I’m not sure if this policy is in effect for NASCAR, again if you know, straighten me out.

Before some of you may consider this as a “sky is falling” scenario, save it. It’s much better to assume the worst than wait until your view is obscured by “clouds” that have already fallen. Unfortunately, NASCAR has a habit of reacting, not acting on many occasions.

NASCAR has operated close to the gambling industry for a number of years. Holding events in Las Vegas is the most visible manifestation of that but there have been a few instances of race teams having secondary sponsors of casinos and the like.

Nothing wrong with that. It’s the scumbags, lowlifes, and at the risk of getting a knock on my door by “Guido,” The Mob types that orbit around legal gambling where the problem is.

Gambling on NASCAR is becoming big business. Select your search engine of choice and enter “NASCAR Gambling,” if you have any doubts. (Gordon & Johnson are co-favorites at 5/1 to win the Allstate 400)

(Speculation alert: What follows is pure fantasy but very plausible)

Despite the fallacy of NASCAR personnel being rednecks with IQ’s somewhere south of the Great Apes the majority are highly educated and that has led many of them to be very large fans of their alma mater’s basketball and college football teams.

Say, for example, a pit crew member of the #011 Adult Diapers Chevy gets into heavy debt to his bookie betting on his alma mater’s football team after a 2 and 10 season.

“Bonaventura the Bookie” is becoming increasingly upset with the several thousand dollar marker owed since late November and goes to said pit crew member in mid-January with an “offer he can’t refuse.”

Pay up, or sabotage the current betting favorite #011 Adult Diapers Chevy during the Daytona 500. Failure to comply will be at the risk of three broken legs. (the “third” being the most important to this young stud)

From there it’s easy to envision a dropped jack at the most inopportune time sending the #011 from first to 32nd, introducing a “slow leak” in a tire during a stop (don’t think something similar can’t happen? Think again.) or other performance degrading activity.

It’s all too easy for a single crew member to make a driver go from hero to zero in the span of a few laps. There’s a small margin between the two, a margin closed with such ease to be almost laughable.

NASCAR Nation has its share of caution flag/team favoritism Conspiracy Nuts, the last thing NASCAR needs is anything that even smells of a races outcome being altered for the sake of bets made on an event.

It goes without saying if it ever happens Brian France will wish he weren’t Brian France.

As said earlier, this is a cautionary tale but one that should, and better, be taken seriously by France and the ISC (and it’s share holders). If they have ignored the problem (something they have a habit of doing) mores the pity, they deserve the same treatment the NFL and NBA are getting now.

UPDATE: Hardly a surprising comment from Greg Biffle who has made plain his animal rights advocacy: “Just put him in prison and tell the general public, just give them all the details of what they do with those dogs,” Biffle said. “How they steal people’s dogs out of their front yards and use them for bait dogs and let other dogs kill them. There’s all the horrifying stories. You look at all the pictures on the Internet of the dogs, just maimed, mangled. It’s horrible.”

Nothing I can add except this, the NFL, and NASCAR better look at the gambling that fuels the cock fighting “industry.”

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Filed Under: Marc Boland, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox, The Way I See It





Trackback URL for: Do You REALLY Want to be Brian France?

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Friday July 6, 2007
12:51pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Another week, and another one busier than a one-armed wallpaper hangar.

First up, it was mentioned in droves by the “media” that NASCAR’s method of suspension (pulling credentials of those suspended) was “not enough” in terms of actually suspending a member. This is because credentials get you in the garage and the pits, nothing more. It’s all NASCAR has to work with.

After the cries by the “media”, Brian France said they were going to look at it. France, Mike Helton, Jim Hunter, and company took a look at it over the week and [Jim] Hunter announced yesterday at Daytona that individuals suspended from NASCAR were now banned from the track property during their suspension.

While it might not be agreeable that it isn’t exactly in the spirit of competition that suspended individuals can access other locations during an event weekend, that isn’t really the issue here.

The issue is that without credentials, the suspended person is now no different than the common fan, and one that has not violated any law of the United States of America.

Now that NASCAR has said they are now banned from the track while suspended, is this not a violation of personal freedom? A violation of all that America stands for? I see it as such, but apparently the “new media crowd” that NASCAR has been trying to attract doesn’t see it that way.

If it were one of these Journalists that lost their “credentials”, would they still not be at the track? Would they not be infuriated if they were told not to show up? Told they had been banned from the track? All hell would break loose. Yet, as long as it is someone else they don’t care.

I’m not going to debate whether having the suspended person in the motor home lot, the infield, or the grandstands has an impact or not. I’m not going to debate whether it’s right, or in the spirit of the suspension.

What matters here is that the Communist Party of NASCAR has violated the very freedoms that we are allowed under the Constitution and laws of The United States of America.

To put this in perspective, what if someone suspended still wanted to watch the race like anyone else, but had absolutely no contact with any team while on track property. They were acting in no other capacity than any other fan? They can’t.

Not saying that is what is going on, but it’s the principle of the issue that is at hand here. What’s to stop someone from being in a hotel close to the track? Close enough they can pick up radio signals? Nothing. Chad was in a hotel at Daytona in ‘06, and it wasn’t any different than if he had been at the track in the motor home lot or the infield. Well, other than team meetings and such were in a different location.

The only thing this change “solves” is the impression that NASCAR is doing something. It won’t change the outcome or the fact that the suspended person can still play an important part. This move is has nothing more than to promote NASCAR’s media image in mind, and one that solves absolutely nothing.

What’s next Fuhrer France? Put a ban on individuals anywhere within 100 miles of a track? Make them check in at the NASCAR Offices 3 times a day during event weekends? I got it… Why not lock them up in a cell over event weekends? How’s that, huh? No crime committed, but certainly being treated like a felon.

This certainly is not the American Way, but is this the new “NASCAR Way”?

Share your thoughts!.

Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox





Trackback URL for: NASCAR Violates American Civil Rights

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday June 12, 2007
8:47pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Anybody care to draw a quick conclusion from the title?

OK, times up. If you caught coverage on Sirius, you’re a step ahead of the game. Going back to something I wrote about last summer, unfortunately Germain Racing is still being duped.

You know, I thought that maybe, just maybe it would go away. And perhaps that just maybe a Truck Championship would right the ship. Unfortunately for the Nextel Cup garage, and watch out in the Busch garage too, this isn’t the case. It isn’t as strong of a plan as it was made out to be last summer, but it’s still somewhat going through.

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Clean, minus being so “buff” and instead being “fluff”, Todd Bodine is planning on taking Germain Racing into some Busch events, and a few Cup events as well this season. Their first planned Cup attempt with be at the sacred Brickyard.

It’s a rare occasion where I truly dislike a driver, and would prefer them to be watching from the couch. Poking fun at Stewie aside, and it is fun, I still want him on the track. In this case, I would prefer Bodine were nowhere near the track.

It’s also a very, very, very rare occasion that I’m thankful for the Top 35 rule. Come Indy, I’ll be singing its praises full bore. With it in place, it makes it unlikely that Todd will contribute to that damn yellow hanky coming out. And you know full well if he makes the event he’s going to dump someone. At a place like Indy, where the turns are short and sharp and the speeds are high, it is a disaster in the making.

At least there are SAFER barriers now, but that won’t fix all the torn up cars that will result from this asshat making the field.

Need proof? Really? Sure, just look at his past history. It speaks for itself.

Heck, just look back at last Friday night at Texas. Amidst the real party that is the Thunder Lounge, some asshat that looks like Mr Clean took out the leader to go on to Victory Lane. No payback, not in retaliation. Simple because he ran out of talent. Yet another tribute to why nobody will give him a ride in a Cup car.

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Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Indianapolis, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Safeguard Those Sacred Bricks

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Thursday May 31, 2007
6:21pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

I. Have. Had. It.

I got something better that one said NASCAR.com/Turner Sports Interactive can kiss. Allow me a second to stand from the throne which sits before the blogging desk here at the Lounge.

I shall now enter into record Exhibit 1.

Yes, I signed up for an account (back in the day), and part of this included receiving “important updates from NASCAR.com”, but not its partners or anyone else. Note, important updates. For example, I got a “breaking alert” when Jr scheduled his little conference a few weeks ago. I can handle that, although it came hours after I had already known.

In the past month, maybe a little less, I have received no less than 4 messages of this “nature”. Can someone please explain how this is an “important update”, or how it could even possibly be construed as such? It can’t.

It’s nothing but scum of the earth spam.

I now enter into record Exhibit 2.

This shows the “account” screen, when I clicked the “opt-out” link. Note, it had “my account” signed up to receive ongoing program communications such as updates or new rewards.

What in the flying F!

Never at any time did I agree to that. When I signed up, it said “important updates”. Either way, how in the flying hell is a damn “get our credit card” spam in any way shape or form a “update” or “new reward”? Again, it’s not. It’s spam.

I hate spam. It’s unfortunately a piece of the times at the moment, but I absolutely don’t need this crap from our “Sanctioning Body”.

From now on, my browser won’t ever be pointing to NASCAR.com, I’ll find historical statistics, lineups, and standings elsewhere.

I already quit reading their other crap, although they have a new staff reporter that interests me. OK, she’s pretty hot, too.

Either way, no more traffic from this camp. And after the “lovely conversation” I had with a person with ISC back in September… Heh… I’ll leave that can of worms shut.

2 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Nascar, The Soapbox





Trackback URL for: Attention NASCAR.com/Turner Sports Interactive: Kiss My Grits

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday April 17, 2007
1:31pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

You know, some people out there are just plain idiots. We’re talking major, or wish they were major, media outlets and their ridiculous love affair with Dale Junior. They love to write about him, at times they love to hate him, then there are the times they want to bring out the big guns to pop a fly on the wall. It’s no wonder that half the crap you folks write is a distant memory by the time the ink dries on the worthless rags you write for.

You’ll be hard pressed to find a one-sided opinion on the Lounge, but every now and then a driver gets beat up in the press over something so stupid that we need to take a stance. Not to back away from a neutral position, but when something isn’t right, someone should say so. So we’ll continue.

What is the damn deal here with beating up Dale Earnhardt Jr. for hopping into the #5 of Kyle Busch to finish out the race at Texas last Sunday? It’s nothing but selfishly trying to grab a few readers, and smells worse than a rotten jar of Jay-Bee’s. Granted that jar of Jay-Bee’s still works, and maybe even better. Granted your readers ain’t biting on the stench you’re slinging out, unlike ol’ Mr. Whiskers that’ll snatch up the mouthful of Jay-Bee’s quicker than a Texas twister snatchin’ up some poor guy’s trailer.

Then there’s the folks that think Junior’s going to head to Hendrick just from jumpin’ in that seat. Come on people. Did common sense just walk out the door for a vacation? Hello, there’s no room there.

Here’s the plain and simple truth. Nothing more, nothing less.

A) Team Chevy. With a new kid on the block, every point counts. Granted it wasn’t a teammate by owner, but it sure was by manufacturer.

B) Junior’s got friends everywhere. You think they refer to the garage area as a big family for nothing? When someone needs help back there, and you can help, you do it.

C) Hello, Junior’s in a big contract negotiation if you haven’t heard already. Why pass up the opportunity to hop into someone else’s stuff, and see what it’s got? OK, so it was torn up. That’s OK though. Junior’s driven his stuff in a similar condition, and there are some comparisons which can be made. One of which that he commented on was how smooth the steering was, and he said he could tell it was a pretty hot car before the accident. There you have it. Now he knows a little bit, granted not a lot but a little bit, about some of the quality of equipment which isn’t from his current provider in DEI. Not talking teams and their effort, but the equipment results from having the backing, additional equipment, and R & D to put into the effort. By the way, Jr., I hear Cal Wells has got a Chassis Dyno up for grabs.

D) He’s a racer, and Ken Schrader always sums it up best when he tells the story about how you could put wheels on a popsicle stick (or hot dog) and these guys would be out there to race it.

That’s all there is to it, really. No need to whine, cry, or call Junior stupid because of “What if he misses the chase by 3 points behind Kyle Busch”, or “What if he misses the title by 3 points to Kyle Busch”, or any of that crap. And it is crap.

So next time you want to pick on someone, do for them screwing up. Don’t just sit there and jump all over someone for doing not only what was a favor and helping hand, but for doing what was right.

/rant

4 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Dale Earnhardt Inc #8, Dale Earnhardt Junior, Drivers, Hendrick Motorsports #5, Kyle Busch, Nascar, Nextel Cup, Teams, Texas, The Soapbox, Tracks





Trackback URL for: Back Off Junior’s Sack, Flacks…

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Tuesday April 10, 2007
3:21pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

Copyright © 2004 - 2007 | Thunder Lounge | All rights reserved
Content may not be distributed or republished without permission.

And we’re not kidding. If you’re republishing our content, without our explicit written permission, we will pursue a course of action.

Apologies to our readers, but some idiots out there just don’t get it.

Back to the show.

3 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Busch Series, Craftsman Truck Series, Damn Good Points, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox





Trackback URL for: A Word To The Wise

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday April 7, 2007
3:07pm CDT
Published on Thunder Lounge.

I’ll keep this short, and slightly bitter, and then it’s back to the race.

Dear ESPN,
I sure hope from here on out you plan to extend the same courtesy to NASCAR that you extended to tennis earlier this afternoon. The cutoff move to an infomercial for the Bristol race was disgusting, and an event that should not be repeated. Let alone should have happened in the first place.

So, the next time race coverage of a NASCAR sanctioned event would run over, you’d better show it. Else I can only imagine the backlash from fans. It wouldn’t be pretty, that’s for sure.

Your return to coverage was a welcomed one in your replacement of NBC. One that looked promising from the start. You screwed the fans with the Bristol deal, a move not recommended to repeat. Screw us once, shame on you. Do it twice, shame on us.

/R

Luke

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Filed Under: Busch Series, Damn Good Points, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox





Trackback URL for: ESPN: Show NASCAR The Same Courtesy

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Saturday February 10, 2007
7:31pm CST
Published on Thunder Lounge.

I have never, ever, been so disgusted with a NASCAR performance as I am at this moment. The person who hired “Cowboy Crush”, or whatever their no-talent hacks who performed the National Anthem just a few minutes ago are called, should be fired.

That was the most wretched butchering of the National Anthem that I can remember. Yeah, it was worse than that jackass at the Truck race in Memphis a couple years back.

It’s the National Anthem. You don’t rewrite it to be cute, funny, or try to gain attention and whore out your “records”.

Way to screw up, HWSBO and Co. Way to go.

You, and those horrid “ladies”, here by earn the “Reaper” for the day.

Hell, you had Dirks there. HAVE HIM DO IT!

5 comments. Add your 2 cents!.

Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox





Trackback URL for: I’m Disgusted, To Be “Politically Correct”.