Leave The Shootout Alone
Thursday, February 8th, 2007 10:03am CST
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
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So here we go again. When I read this yesterday, I about choked on my coffee. If you’ve read this “fine” piece of literature, you may have felt the same way and even wished it was in print so that you could line the birdcage with it. Once again I give you yet another ridiculous article, which happens to be from the dribble box™ over at the scene daily blog.
This piece comes from the mind of Kenny Bruce this time, and is pure non-sense. And I thought I stepped out on the ledge frequently.
Kenny says it’s time to kill the Bud Shootout. He calls for this because he thinks it will “save the teams money”. Really? Oh, you mean so that they can spend it elsewhere? That’s what would happen, and we all know it. That’s the nature of NASCAR economics 101, something which seems to be forgotten from time to time and even by the big guy. Heh, just look at the “money saving” COT and then at Ray Evernham’s new robotic setup. Yep, saved Ray some bucks, huh?
So, as we mentioned, Kenny here feels that it would be more cost efficient for the teams allowed to participate in the Shootout if it weren’t held. He also drags on to mention that there is “plenty” of things going on for fans with qualifying, practice, the Trucks, Busch, and whatever else.
What Kenny is trying to squash here, is exactly one of the attractions of Daytona. The Shootout is the first sanctioned Cup event of the season, although it’s not for points, and the first chance to see some of the competition on the track competing. It in itself is a good reason to hang out at Daytona so long. Were it not for the Shootout, would attendance be as strong so early on? Maybe, maybe not. But simple qualifying and practice isn’t necessarily as big a draw as an actual competitive event.
Kenny also draws a conclusion that it is “unfair” for some of the 500 entries to gain experience through the shootout and it’s additional practice time. Really? Sounds more like a privilege and incentive to me. Bust your butt’s and get a pole during the year, and earn the perk of some extra track time and time in a competitive environment.
Yet going further still, Bruce here claims that the Shootout provides no other benefit than the additional track time in a little rant about what if they use the backup car and it gets wrecked, and so the teams usually opt to build a car specifically for the Shootout, costs more money and so on. Again we go back to our NASCAR economics. Also, he fails to realize the sponsorship exposure, and if the sponsor’s of cars in the Shootout weren’t getting a decent ROI, then there would be a cry from the powers that be. Another case in point is what about the momentum factor? You can’t tell me that when Hamlin won the Shootout a year ago that it didn’t help play a part in building his confidence for 2007. Yes he was already turning heads, but would they have turned as far without his success in the Shootout? Would he have been as confident in his stellar rookie season? The world will never know, and we’re probably better off for it. Denny Hamlin certainly is, and so is JGR and FedEX.
So is it time to lose the Shootout? Far from it.
Filed Under: Nascar, Nextel Cup, Ridiculous Articles
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