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Author: Ron Thornton

  • The Final Word – Better looking car, interesting races thus far as they head to Las Vegas

    The Final Word – Better looking car, interesting races thus far as they head to Las Vegas

    Two races down, along with a trio of exhibitions for good measure, so what do we know now about the Gen 6 car? Starting with cosmetics, it at least looks like a car one might drive down the street.

    If I wanted a cow catcher, I would buy a steam locomotive. At least that front platform ledge disappeared a couple of years ago. Would I want to seen driving one of these new cars? Sure. In fact, I like it better than the showroom models. It is very sleek, while the cars on the road appear too boxy in comparison. Just tone down the safety features to save me and mine at 80 mph, instead of 200, put in the seats and all the gizmos for me and my crew to travel in comfort and style, and better the gas mileage from the racing version and we are talking about one sweet ride.

    Has the Gen 6 car bettered the racing? It has not fixed everything, as when one passes a dozen cars to get up front it still would be nice to be able to pass that final one at the head of the pack. Imagine that little hiccup while out on the highway, and if it does not happen there it should not happen at Daytona. I thought they had engineers who understood this stuff and who could figure this all out. To be fair, they do and they are, but it is not going to happen overnight. Since 2001 it has been a whole lot about driver safety, and now that they have made great demonstrable gains in that area, the focus is starting to turn to better racing.

    The racing itself has not been bad at all. I have long thought races at Daytona, Talladega, Charlotte, and Bristol to usually provide the most excitement, while I can remember only one at Fontana worth watching. This season I am rating the races to see if what I perceive is really the reality. Daytona I gave an 8.5 out of 10, while the slickness of track, the short cut, and the unexpected tire failures prompted me to give Phoenix the same. Whether it was the car or the tracks that weighed the most heavily in my enjoyment gets tested again when they roll into Las Vegas.

    Even though I thought the Nationwide at Phoenix rated a 7, which still is pretty good, I also wonder how much the presentation on television influences my experience. For example, Mike Joy is not exactly Mr. Excitement, but his voice and expertise behind the microphone adds a lot. As much as I loved Allan Bestick on the Inside Winston Cup program where his boyish enthusiasm was a great asset, he vocally lacks the maturity and authoritative strength to keep you glued to three or four hours of race action. The personnel on FOX are better to watch, better to listen to, and they tend to provide real insight compared to those on ESPN. I doubt we will see much difference from their Nationwide crew to what takes over the Cup presentation on ESPN/ABC this summer. At least then the cars and drivers will be the same.

    Daytona has its formation racing on those high banks, Phoenix had some quirks in its track design that brought some interesting moments. On Sunday, we will see what hand Las Vegas is able to play. Enjoy the week.

  • Rating the Race – Phoenix, where you can flip a house, flip a coin, or just flip the race winner

    Rating the Race – Phoenix, where you can flip a house, flip a coin, or just flip the race winner

    Why I watched — Well, it sure was not to see qualifying, where 43 were entered for 43 slots. Maybe I watched to see which of the three non-points drivers would quit first and what reason they might give to not appear as a strictly field filling start and park. Behind us were the high banks of Daytona, and I wondered if the racing in Phoenix might be just as visually stimulating. I wondered how Danica might do, how Jimmie and Junior and Mark might fare after doing so well in the season opener. Would Carl Edwards rebound out of his slump, or if Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick might actually run at least half of the race. There were many reasons to watch, but I wondered if I would be happy with the results. The fact I gave the Nationwide event a 7 out of 10 had me hopeful.

    The race — The fact Mark Martin claimed the pole was also good news. His 21st place finish not so much. Tires proved to provide us with unexpected moments, claiming Scott Riggs twenty laps in as he bounced into the fence after a blow out to end his day, the first to go out.

    Ryan Newman blew his twice, the second time killing his car before we hit the midpoint. The driver still had his bounce, bouncing out of the car, across the track, and off into the infield. It appears he was done with automotive transportation for one day. Team mate Danica Patrick rode around outside the Top 25, blew her tire, and took a hard hit off the wall while getting hit even harder when David Ragan sheared off much of her driver’s side. As for Tony and Kevin, Smoke was 8th, Happy finished 13th.

    Different pit strategy and changes between sunshine and shadow kept us guessing who would be where at the end. A late caution brought us a green, white, checker finish, with Carl Edwards running off to take the flag. Behind him, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin went fender to fender as Johnson was the runner-up. Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr rounded out the Top Five.

    Oh, Mike Bliss parked first among our predetermined suspects, finishing 42nd. Brake problems was the official reason given, as the team collected over $50,000 for running just over 10% of the race. Joe Nemechek ran over 98% of the laps, wound up 31st, and earned almost $73,000. That was a very pleasant and very welcome surprise. You have to respect that.

    Rating the race (8.5/10) — The final outcome was left in doubt until the final couple of laps, fate and right front tires provided some unexpected moments, a strong announcing staff, great scenery, and the first Edwards’ Cup back flip in 70 races made this a pleasure to watch. The fact Subway sponsored both his car and the race itself, and it all wrapped up in time for supper was just a bonus. As for myself, I went with soup.

  • Hot 20 over the past 10 – It sucks to be Stewart as they head to Phoenix

    Hot 20 over the past 10 – It sucks to be Stewart as they head to Phoenix

    The cream rises to the top, and stays there it seems. Defending champ Brad Keselowski continues to have the hot hand while Daytona 500 winner Jimmie Johnson is just behind, along with Clint Bowyer.

    The only surprises might be Kevin Harvick and Tony Stewart, who both took a dive after going out early in the season opener. In fact, over the past ten Tony is not even averaging a 15th place finish and Daytona did not help. Carl Edwards needs come good things to start happening to rise up, while the trio of Aric Almirola, Joey Logano, and Paul Menard rank higher than most might give them credit for. Jeff Gordon actually went up, which says something to how bad he was (35th) ten races ago.

    No Danica, no Ricky yet, as they did not run for points last year in Cup. Dale Earnhardt Jr remains low on this list, but is averaging 31 points per race of the eight of the past ten he has run. That would place him tenth on this chart. Even better is Mark Martin, who is 23rd yet is averaging 31.4 over the seven he has run. If he could just pick up a couple of wins along the way the 54-year old could even make the Chase despite his 25-race schedule.  At present the ole boy is not schedule to run New Hampshire, Talladega, nor Martinsville late in the season. I wonder if those plans might change if…

    Pos (LW) Driver – Points – (W-T5-T10)

    1 (1) Brad Keselowski – 385 pts – (2-3-8)
    2 (4) Jimmie Johnson – 354 pts – (3-6-7)
    3 (3) Clint Bowyer – 354 pts – (1-4-8)
    4 (6) Greg Biffle – 333 pts – (0-2-7)
    5 (2) Kyle Busch – 329 pts – (0-6-7)
    6 (11) Jeff Gordon – 319 pts – (1-4-6)
    7 (9) Denny Hamlin – 319 pts – (1-3-4)
    8 (9) Ryan Newman – 318 pts – (0-3-6)
    9 (5) Kasey Kahne – 312 pts – (0-4-5)
    10 (7) Matt Kenseth – 303 pts – (2-3-3)
    11 (7) Kevin Harvick – 291 pts – (1-1-3)
    12 (13) Martin Truex Jr – 284 pts – (0-1-4)
    13 (16) Aric Almirola – 284 pts – (0-1-2)
    14 (14) Joey Logano – 276 pts (0-0-3)
    15 (17) Paul Menard – 270 pts – (0-1-2)
    16 (15) Carl Edwards – 269 pts – (0-1-2)
    17 (12) Tony Stewart – 266 pts – (0-2-3)
    18 (18) Dale Earnhardt Jr – 248 pts – (0-1-3)*
    19 (19) Kurt Busch – 240 pts – (0-0-3)
    20 (19) Jeff Burton – 230 pts – (0-0-1)

  • The Final Word – Drivers are not the only ones who accept the risk at Daytona; you do, too

    The Final Word – Drivers are not the only ones who accept the risk at Daytona; you do, too

    Jimmie Johnson has his second Daytona 500, Chad Knaus has his first, and Dale Earnhardt Jr finished second again. Some will remember the race more for Danica Patrick starting at the pole, leading some laps, staying up front all day, and finishing eighth. Still, even more people will remember the weekend at Daytona for what took place the day before at the end of the Nationwide race.

    A score and more fans left the track on Saturday to either receive, or only after they had received, medical attention following Kyle Larson’s car going up into the fence to leave everything in front of the firewall on the grandstand side of the wire. Could this have been prevented? Sure. Just as fans getting run over standing at a curve watching a rally or off-road race could have avoided injury by being in a place where an out of control car would not barrel roll over them. The dangers of sitting in a spot a few feet from where 3200 pound cars running 200 mph might be bounced into your lap near the finish line seems rather obvious, too. It all comes down to the amount of risk one wishes to take.

    In 1955, a wreck at La Mans caused flaming pieces of a car to fly into the stands, killing one driver and 83 spectators, while injuring more than 120 others. It was the worst disaster in motorsport history. As to why so many were affected is rather straight forward. They had all gathered in a location that made them vulnerable to be caught up in what took place on the track. It was as simple as that, as was what happened at Daytona.

    If one charted out all areas debris has, in the past, entered the grandstand areas, and banned spectators in those areas, then that might be a start. Then we can look at areas where debris could conceivably be flung out to endanger fans, even in freak situations, and keep them out of there as well. Then we can try to convince those fans that such moves are for their safety. We can try, but we know how those same fans will react. They want to be close to the action, and they will claim to accept the risk of such an unlikely event happening to them, at least until disaster actually strikes. It does not take a genius to figure out that the closer you sit to the track the better the odds are that what happens on the track won’t stay on the track.

    At Daytona, for example, I have sat about 40 rows high on the backstretch. The odds of getting hit by anything there were low, but not impossible. The odds were sure a lot less than had I been sitting five rows up near the start finish line, yet there remained the chance. Still, does anyone want to sit anywhere near trackside at Talladega when Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards are racing to the finish? Yes, a whole bunch would.

    Where are the danger areas? Well, consider that Dale Earnhardt’s car was turned nearly 90 degrees, yet was still traveling at about 160 miles per hour at the moment of impact in his fatal accident. Also consider that at Talladega, Carl Edwards had his car lifted, then clipped even higher, to send it sailing a dozen feet up into the catch fence. So, if you take a 3200 pound car traveling at 160 mph and launch it 12 feet into the air over any wall at any part of any two mile track, you tell me how far that car or parts of that car might rocket into the wild blue yonder? That is your danger area. To eliminate the danger, you would have to eliminate a heck of a lot of seats and access areas, and still something might be missed. A few seats might be removed, but very few. The fans won’t stand for it.

    NASCAR and those who operate the tracks they race on will work to make it a safer experience, but they will never totally eliminate all the risk we must accept when we attend a race or make our seat selection. Other than putting the fans back, way back, from the action or covering the track with a bubble they can not absolutely remove all danger. Freak events can and have happened. At best, NASCAR might increase the odds against injury to you and I, but they will never be able to totally eliminate the possibility. That is the risk we assume when we buy a ticket.

  • Rating the Race – The Daytona 500

    Rating the Race – The Daytona 500

    Why I watched…

    And they say there is no such thing as a stupid question. The Daytona 500, a race they all want to win, one victory that keeps your name alive as long as they thunder down the track at Daytona Beach. I watched to see if Danica Patrick could do something with that pole position, if Junior could emerge from out of the darkness in this new car, if Tony or Mark could do what they have long tried to do. We watched to see if the action could live up to what we saw Friday and Saturday, races I would have rated as a pair of nines. Yes, we watched to see the incredible skill and the courage it takes to compete. We did not watch for more wrecks or to see any more fans injured, yet we have been reminded of the dangers that lurk on and, yes, just off the track. On Sunday, the pre-race invocation had more meaning and we watched, and we prayed.

    The race…

    Our prayers for safety were rewarded. If we also prayed to witness the unexpected, we got that, too. No one expected Tony Stewart and Kevin Harvick to be removed from contention only 33 laps in, but they wound up with just five big championship points between them.

    We expected that maybe Danica might lead the opening lap, but Jeff Gordon decided otherwise. We did not expect her to take the lead on lap 91 or to remain a major factor from start to finish. We might have to look at her different, as she wound up 8th when it was all over. Many have considered her hot as a woman, but she was even hotter Sunday as a driver.

    We might have expected Matt Kenseth to once again run up front. We did not expect him to go from leading strong to just plain gone when drive train issues ended his day with 50 to go. Two laps later, team mate Kyle Busch unexpectedly saw his engine fried and died.

    We did not expect Top Ten finishes for Michael McDowell or J.J. Yeley, but we did. We did not expect Carl Edwards to wreck his fifth car in a month, but we did. We did not expect Joe Nemechek to start and park. Okay, sometimes I even make myself laugh.

    As expected, the cream rose to the top in the end. Jimmie Johnson held on to the lead to win his second Daytona 500, and earn crew chief Chad Knaus his first. Dale Earnhardt Jr charged to second with Mark Martin pushing him from behind to conclude a great day of entertainment.

    Rating the Race: (8.5/10)…

    If only the cars could slingshot by the leader, if only the inside line could move to challenge the outside. We did not have the drama of the previous two races of the weekend, but between the features leading up to the Great American Race that reminded us of NASCAR’s past, the progression of the six generations of race cars, the driver intros, and the action on the track we had ourselves a very fulfilling way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Here is hoping for more of the same at Phoenix.

  • Rating the Race – The Duels at Daytona

    Rating the Race – The Duels at Daytona

    Photo Credit: David Yeazell
    Photo Credit: David Yeazell

    Why I watched…

    These twin races were to determine which cars made the Daytona 500 and who did not. Only the front pole sitters, the best six from last season, the best four qualifying times not already in, and former champion Kurt Busch were locked in. The rest had to go, had to make the moves, had to…

    Who am I kidding? From what we saw in qualifying it would have taken a miracle for Brian Keselowski to make the race. Going in, I doubted we would even notice him out there after five laps and owner’s points would not save him. That left just one more who was going to head home empty. Mike Bliss would have been advised to be digging for a Top 16, as he was also most likely to adios amigo. Of course, wrecks or equipment failures could change that, but there was not much drama with only two going home early and two entries already looking pretty weak. The real reason I watched is because it was Daytona and promised to provide me with one hell of a good afternoon of entertainment.

    The races…

    Nothing unexpected. Brian K did not have a car good enough, and that was demonstrated early. Mind you, Carl Edwards and Trevor Bayne finished behind him in the opening race after Denny Hamlin wiggled and punched Carl into the fence, who then collected Bayne. In the second, Bliss was at the rear of the field all on his own, even trailing the ill-fated Ryan Newman.

    To be honest, as much as SPEED’s Mike Joy tried to build up the drama, there was none. No one trying to make the race in the Duels had less points than the two who failed to make the grade. Once it became evident that neither of those cars would finish in the Top 16 in either race, the fat lady sang her song then moved on to make the big bucks as the next spokesperson for Weight Watchers.

    Our pole duo did not lose anything. Danica Patrick faded back and then rode out the race observing the action before her. A speeding penalty left Jeff Gordon trying to play catch-up, yet both stayed out of trouble and will be at the front when it really matters; to start the Daytona 500.

    Rating the race: 7/10…

    I was not hitting the fast forward button but, like the cars on the track, I basically held my position. It was interesting, it was entertaining, but the “wow” factor will have to wait until the weekend. It was visually good to view, and like Jaws Waltrip I truly love the new gyro-cam, but without the drama it was just a solid few hours of television on a Thursday afternoon. After suffering through this week’s episode of the New Normal, to mention one example, I will take it. That was a half hour I’ll never get back.

  • The Final Word – Why Terry Labonte, why?

    The Final Word – Why Terry Labonte, why?

    Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR
    Photo Credit: Streeter Lecka/Getty Images for NASCAR

    It is funny how some things bother a person. I have touched on the subject of start and park entries recently, I have even managed to understand why a Joe Nemechek does it in order to help fund his Nationwide operation. I think it bush league, but I do not condemn the man for taking advantage of the rules in order to better do what he loves to do. However, after the Sprint Unlimited, I am finding that I am becoming less understanding.

    Even a few days after the event, it still bothers me. 19 cars entered the exhibition contest, six got taken out in a single wreck early, while a dozen others continued running a second apart late into the affair. One entry, the #32 of Terry Labonte, parked after just two laps. The reason was due to a vibration, which for years has been code for the car being parked before it got marked up, to save on tires, to quit. While the others raced, it appears Labonte merely did a couple of parade laps then hit the garage. If indeed they simply quit, with no intention of actually racing, then I am starting to understand why a racer like Ken Schrader was replaced by Labonte just a couple of days ahead of time. Why go through the charade?

    In 1997, hockey legend Gordie Howe made a one game comeback at the age of 69 to allow him to claim he played professional hockey in six straight decades. He played one shift. Still, the play continued on as in any game, Howe got in the action, even laid the lumber on an opposing player. No, he did not play well, but at least he did not just do a parade lap and leave.

    Maybe I am wrong. Maybe after two laps the car just shook, rattled, and rolled. Maybe. To be honest, I don’t knowif anyone noticed if Texas Terry was behind the wheel, his brother Bobby, Schrader, a Mrs. Labonte, or Rex the Wonder Dog. Does anyone remember their primary sponsor? Does anyone even care? Terry Labonte was too great a driver to merely provide chauffer service to parade a car around the track for a couple of laps in the middle of a race. You might as well sent out Ricky Bobby. Somebody should be ashamed.

    Meanwhile, is it such a big deal that Danica Patrick won the pole for the Daytona 500? Yes and no. Yes, it is a validation of sorts to have this female driver be the first of her gender to manage the feat. No, in that Tony Stewart put her in one of his cars because she can drive, he is convinced of her talent, and that she belongs out on the track. Danica Patrick should be out on the track not because she is a female novelty but because she is a driver. She wants to race. I’m pretty sure that when they drop the green flag on Sunday she will do more than parade around for a couple of laps then park.

    That is something I guess they leave to former two time Cup champions. Enjoy the race.

  • Rating the Race – Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

    Rating the Race – Sprint Unlimited at Daytona

    Photo Credit: David Yeazell
    Photo Credit: David Yeazell

    Why I watched…

    NASCAR returned with 19 of its stars in its annual pre-season contest featuring the pole winners from last season, along with the former winners of what had been known as the Bud Shootout. More importantly, we were hoping for a real good look at the new Gen 6 car to see if the new design could actually lend itself to a more visually appealing contest.

    The race…

    Yes! Yes! Yes! If they had the broadcast of this race up on one of those HD big screens, be it in Times Square or just in a department store showroom, people would have stopped and watched. That is when you know you have something. Under the lights in Daytona with cars that looks like real cars, with gyro-cams tilting as they went along the high banks and the overhead cam chasing them as they sailed more than 190 mph down the straightaway. Yes, it looked impressive.

    It was not impressive that Terry Labonte made five laps then parked. Anyone see enough of that car to see if it even had a sponsor? Did something actually go wrong mechanically or it was just pulled before something did? If anything happened that was unexpected on the night, that might have been it.

    You knew we would be in line for some action, especially after Dale Earnhardt Jr mentioned to his guys that he hoped they were not too attached to his car. He was not sure he would bring it home. The likes of Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Martin Truex Jr, and the Busch brothers did not. Lap 15 saw Tony Stewart make a mistake, got nicked by Marcos Ambrose, and while neither wrecked they sure caused a mess behind them. Maybe Labonte’s team read the script before the race and, like the departed manufacturer, got the heck out of Dodge.

    It was pretty to watch, and concluded with a bit of drama. For much of this event, we had just a dozen cars running about a second apart. 12 entries that showed that you did not need 43 cars to make a race, just enough who could and would compete. Sometimes you don’t need the hamburger helper when you could simply savor some top choice steak.

    When it came time to put the pedal to the metal, we saw Kevin Harvick diving to the inside to block Stewart, then shooting back up to the outside just in time to block Greg Biffle. A split second later and Biffle would have delivered some bad times that would have left Happy testing the fence in a hard way. As it turned out, Harvick did not break his auto until after he crossed the line, and even then that boo-boo was on the inside, not the outside. The #29 still looked as pretty as when they began.

    Rating the race – 10 /10…

    What more would you want? Maybe a car that would shoot by on the outside in a sleek slingshot maneuver like in the days of old, but that was about it. We had action, we had racing, we had drama, and it was all presented in a fashion that even the most jaded NASCAR hater would have had to be impressed with. If the Daytona Duels on Thursday and next Sunday’s Daytona 500 can match what we just witnessed we are going to have a very good start to the 2013 season. Don’t you agree?

    Race Results – Sprint Unlimited at Daytona International Speedway

    Pos. No. Driver MFG Start Laps Laps Led Status
    1 29 Kevin Harvick Chevrolet 17 75 40 Running
    2 16 Greg Biffle Ford 4 75 2 Running
    3 22 Joey Logano Ford 9 75 0 Running
    4 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet 15 75 5 Running
    5 20 Matt Kenseth Toyota 12 75 26 Running
    6 43 Aric Almirola Ford 8 75 0 Running
    7 5 Kasey Kahne Chevrolet 3 75 0 Running
    8 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr Chevrolet 16 75 0 Running
    9 56 Martin Truex Jr Toyota 6 75 2 Running
    10 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Chevrolet 14 75 0 Running
    11 9 Marcos Ambrose Ford 10 75 0 Running
    12 99 Carl Edwards Ford 1 75 0 Running
    13 78 Kurt Busch Chevrolet 18 15 0 Accident
    14 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet 11 14 0 Accident
    15 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota 5 14 0 Accident
    16 18 Kyle Busch Toyota 13 14 0 Accident
    17 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet 7 14 0 Accident
    18 55 Mark Martin Toyota 2 14 0 Accident
    19 32 Ken Schrader Ford 19 2 0 Vibration
  • Rating the Race – ARCA at Daytona

    Rating the Race – ARCA at Daytona

    Photo Credit: David Yeazell
    Photo Credit: David Yeazell

    Why I watched…

    ARCA’s offering promised to showcase 19-year old Darrell Wallace Jr, who has a lot of folks gushing but I had yet to lay eyes on him. Seemed a good enough reason as any to watch some stock cars at the big track to open the new season. Other tidbits included a 78-year old James Hylton beginning his 50th and final season, Bobby Gerhart was seeking his 9th win in this race, while Frank Kimmel sought his 77th career win but his first at Daytona. Still, the very fact they were running stock cars at Daytona to break the two month hiatus seemed a good enough reason to me.

    The race…

    Daytona is one of those tracks that just lends itself to stimulating visuals, with those high banks and close formation racing. Even when it lacks drama, it still is cool to watch.

    We had the unexpected in the late going. It appeared Bobby Gerhart was cruising to a win comfortably up front, but that changed with six laps to go. Earlier, from the broadcast booth, Kyle Busch observed that Gerhart might have bolted from pit row before getting a full tank and he proved prophetic when the 8-time race winner coughed and sputtered with six laps remaining to wind up parked and 28th.

    We had some drama, when we saw Darrell Wallace Jr race for all of 19 laps. Too bad about the folks checking in front of him, which caused him to bump Justin Boston. When Boston’s car swerved right back to return the favor, Wallace was out of the race. At least he gets to return to run in the NASCAR truck series on Friday.

    Frenchman Julien Jousse was blowing water from the start, did not get it cooled on the track and did not pit so it came as no surprise to see him blow up after ten laps. If the goal was to blow engine parts everywhere and go up in flames, they succeeded brilliantly.

    On the downside, those two early cautions brought us lots of caution laps, some delay in getting the field back in order, and a lot of commercials to watch. As I watch the race between 30 minutes and an hour behind live time so I can analyze the race as I go, the PVR is my friend. If you were watching it live, it had to be painful.

    Of note, the first lap was led by a woman. Milka Duno was there on the first lap, but the 40-year old Venezuelan filtered back as things progressed to wind up 29th at the end of 80 laps.

    Frank Kimmel led the second pack, well behind the leaders, to finish fourth. James Hylton, who began his career as a mechanic for Rex White when he won the Cup title back in 1960, was 25th.

    In the end, it came down to 23-year old Georgian John Wes Townley trying to stave off 20-year old Nationwide rookie Kyle Larson for the win. Thanks to a trio of lapped cars on the final lap we did not get to see any last moment drama at the finish line.

    Rating this race (7/10)

    The fact I did not feel compelled to fast forward through the action must mean something. It might have been the main thing, but also the unexpected element that kept Gerhart from walking away with the win in the end rewarded me for watching.

  • The Final Word – The next Richard Childress won’t come from today’s start and park posse

    The Final Word – The next Richard Childress won’t come from today’s start and park posse

    Photo Credit: Ed Coombs
    Photo Credit: Ed Coombs

    Why, oh why, does NASCAR insist on allowing start and park entries? It is like inviting the Kannapolis Intimidators to take part in the odd MLB weekend schedule. I may be a bit off, but I really don’t think you should mix the minor leaguers with your major leaguers in the hopes that the experience might turn one of them into the next big thing.

    But it has happened before, they say. You don’t want to miss out on the Richard Childress, they claim. So, Childress ran a bunch of races and parked well before the end of the contest, and did so for years and years? Not quite.

    It was September 14, 1969 that Childress took his Chevy out in the 44th race of the season, at Talladega. This was the year of the driver’s strike, when the stars boycotted the race. He only ran 80 of the 188 laps before an axle put him out. 36 cars took to the track that day, with Childress finishing ahead of 13 of them in 23rd. Not a start and park effort, albeit against weaker opposition that featured only a handful of name drivers..

    Three years later, he tried again. He attempted to qualify in 15 events, starting all but one of them. Childress managed to still be running at the end in just three. He ran at Richmond, but managed only 8 laps before finishing 29th out of 30. Maybe a start and park. A couple weeks later he was at Darlington, finished 37th out of 40 in running just 56 out of 492 laps. Maybe a start and park.

    In April, Childress was at Bristol where he finished the race, though he was 97 laps down. Yet, that proved good enough to be 18th out of 30 in a contest that saw Bobby Allison beat out Bobby Isaac by four laps, and Richard Petty by nine, and those were the closest to him. Definitely not a start and park.

    It was not the most successful of seasons, though he did finish 19th out of 40 entries at Michigan that year. He finished ahead of 8 cars per race, on average, and completed just over a quarter of the laps scheduled. Maybe there is an argument that Richard Childress started out as a start and park practitioner, making them easy big bucks. All $7540 of them, or in 2012 dollars Richard Childress over the course of 14 events made the equivalent of under $45,000 in today’s currency. No wonder the boy is a millionaire.

    By the way, Childress did not enter a Cup car as an owner again for another four years. He drove for others, rang up 20 Top Tens over that time. However, he was not a Cup owner again until 1976 when he ran the full 30 race schedule, claiming 11 Top Tens. Definitely not a start and park. Previous to that, he owned a Cup car for a single race in 1969, 14 more in 1972, and waiting four more before coming back for real as a true major league competitor. How does the Childress story relate to today’s start and park operations? It does not.

    Joe Nemechek ran for the Nationwide title, but ran for cash on the Sprint Cup circuit. He has started and parked for much of the past three seasons, taking in more than $8-million in “earnings.” His average finish is 40th, completing less than 20% of the scheduled laps, in 104 races over that three year time frame. Again, how does this relate to the path taken by Richard Childress? Again, it does not.

    Unless those 15 races, the one in 1969 and the 14 more in 1972, provided Childress with the knowledge, the contacts, and the improved equipment that he rolled out with in 1976, his start and park experience did not contribute much of anything to his eventual success. I appreciate teams starting up and testing themselves against the big boys. Should they fall short, however, we should expect them to return to the drawing board and another series to be better prepared, rather than to return again and again to the Sprint Cup pay window.

    Having start and park entries in Sprint Cup is like having the first batter in every MLB game face a Little Leaguer on the mound, before we pack the little fellow off to the bench. It is like having a WWE battle royal where the first couple of wrestlers in the ring are your mom and mine, to be followed by the Rock, the Undertaker, and Triple H. It is like having me show up to compete in a world class gymnastics competition, or diving, or a marathon, or…well, you get the idea.

    There has always been start and park entries in NASCAR, we are told. Why, I ask?  Picking up more than a quarter million for running ten laps doesn’t make much sense to me, especially if they don’t have the tires to even attempt to run it all. Makes more sense to have them pay up before hand, to pay the $20,000 to lease the rubber for the race (teams lease, not buy, their tires). As Sunoco gives out its fuel for free, the goal then is to keep the car clean and available to “race” again for these start and park folks. So, let us confiscate those cars finishing outside the Top 40 for four weeks. That is an easy $250,000 or more hit, even if it is temporary. Finish near the bottom then you better have another car in the inventory if you want to race anytime soon. I think that just might solve the problem. If a final three finish had cost Richard Childress the use of his car for a month, back in 1972 such a rule would have cost him once, that first race of the season and only his second as a car owner.

    Those who start and park do so for the money, and as long as they keep their expenses down and don’t wreck the car, they can continue to dip into the well for as long as they can qualify for a race. What we also know is that the exercise has not and will not produce the next Richard Childress.