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Flashman’s Take – Page 11 – Testing SpeedwayMedia.com

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Category: Flashman’s Take

Fleshman’s take on NASCAR

  • A Superstar’s Daughter Brings Home the Seriousness of Head Injury

    A Superstar’s Daughter Brings Home the Seriousness of Head Injury

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”303″][/media-credit]Many read my last article where I congratulated Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on deciding to step away after his two recent concussions. Little did I know that there was another person in the same corner on this issue. Just a day after I wrote the story, I saw what I call “the letter.” It was a letter to Earnhardt from Amanda Gardstrom. Gardstrom is the daughter of NASCAR legend Fred Lorenzen. In the letter, she also commends Earnhardt. She knows all too well what can happen when proper medical care isn’t given after a concussion. You see, Fred Lorenzen now resides at a nursing home, and dementia rules his day.

    The first race I ever attended was a 1964 race at Martinsville Speedway. Fred Lorenzen won that day. I also was in the stands in 1972 when he ran his last race at the same speedway. It’s no surprise to readers of this page that I have long advocated Lorenzen’s inclusion in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He never ran for a championship because in those days it really didn’t matter. Each race was a championship and to many teams, running the entire schedule was a little much, so teams like Holman Moody, the Wood Brothers, and others ran only selected races. It’s interesting that drivers of those cars, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, and even Bobby Allison, had such a terrific winning percentage while in those cars. Lorenzen won 26 races from 1961-1967 in only 111 tries, roughly a win every four races. He was the first driver to win $100,000 in a year and the first to win at all the major tracks (back in those days, that meant wins at Daytona, Darlington, Charlotte, Atlanta, and Rockingham). He was one of the best.

    What brings all this back home is that Lorenzen’s daughter is now making the fans and officials of NASCAR aware of just how serious this problem is. If you search the internet, you can find that Gardstrom has been talking about this since 2008. She has been pretty much ignored during this time and only Earnhardt, the most popular diver on the circuit could bring her message to light. Once again, you just have to applaud Junior for his actions and give a tip of the hat to Gardstrom for putting the dangers in perspective.

    Though we’ll never know until Lorenzen passes and a brain autopsy is preformed, whether the crashes he had at Daytona and Darlington caused his dementia, but the symptoms seem to indicate that this is the reason. Just maybe Gardstrom and Earnhardt have done enough to raise awareness in NASCAR, just like other events have raised awareness in the NFL and other sports about head injuries. Championships and points are very important to drivers, teams, sponsors, and fans, but if it endangers the quality of life for competitors, is it really worth it all? Hopefully some lessons have been learned. I certainly hope so.

  • Admiring Junior’s Decision While Pondering the State of the Sport

    Admiring Junior’s Decision While Pondering the State of the Sport

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]One has to admire Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Even though medical test couldn’t show that he had a concussion, he knew something was wrong and the symptoms indicated that he shouldn’t drive a stock car. How many drivers would have come to the same conclusion? If the comments of Jeff Gordon are any indication, not very many would have. The old adage about a good athlete playing through pain does not equate to traveling at high speeds in a Sprint Cup car. I am reminded of a recent conversation with former All-American quarterback Pat White, who suffered a concussion while playing for the Miami Dolphins. When asked if he might suit up again, he commented, “Life’s too precious.” And it is.

    The fear is now that Earnhardt will come back too early, and the pressure is on for him to return in two weeks. That shouldn’t even be a concern to Earnhardt. Despite reports that people were leaving the campgrounds upon learning of Earnhardt’s absence from Charlotte Motor Speedway (by the way, I saw no such exodus from the Hellmann’s campground on Thursday. The place was empty anyway), Junior’s health is more important and he is to be commended for visiting Dr. Petty and getting treatment.

    The issue of attendance is in play because lately NASCAR’s top series has been playing to less than good crowds. This weekend, the “official” attendance figures were a joke. The Nationwide Series race on Friday night was poorly attended and the 100,000 estimate for Saturday night’s Sprint Cup race was laughable. The campground that I have parked in for several years was nearly empty before the Earnhardt announcement. Once upon a time, you had to squeeze into your camping space, but no more. There was a hundred yards between our camper and the next attendant. It was the same all over the speedway property campgrounds. Traffic was so sparse that for the first time, a quick trip to the grocery could be taken a couple of hours before the race without problems. The reasons are many and have little to do with the absence of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. So what is it?

    The NASCAR line is it’s the economy, as we’ve mentioned before in these pages, but it’s a lot more than that. Take this weekend as an example. With temperatures in the low fifties by the time the Friday night race started, many people just decided to skip the event, which was a shame. It was action packed from start to finish. Saturday night was somewhat different. With tickets costing upwards of $100, more people attended. It’s obvious to everyone but those in charge that a night race in October is not the best idea. I doubt that will change anything, but it is a reason.

    Secondly, unlike the Nationwide race on Friday, the Cup race was less than exciting. With Chase points so precious, as well as fuel mileage rearing its ugly head, drivers were cautious and not very racy. The race started with a wonderful side-by-side battle between Greg Biffle and Mark Martin and morphed into several runaway leads. The only excitement was who would run out of fuel and who wouldn’t coupled with a final push by Denny Hamlin that fell way short. The Chase has become so important that taking chances and actually winning races is secondary to how many points might be gained on any given night. Headlines from scribes much more talented than me were dominated on how many points Brad Keselowski lost to Jimmie Johnson and how far behind Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth were in the “big picture.” No matter that Kenseth had just won Talladega. He and Biffle are non-factors. Clint Bowyer’s win was only significant because he narrowed the gap in the almighty Chase. Madness.

    Attendance at races, contrary to popular belief, has more to do with a championship or a single driver. Each event should stand on its own with every driver not seeking points, but victories. That’s the way it used to be. The winner each week was the champion and got the spoils of victory for the week. Maybe it’s the fact that so many don’t have a realistic chance at victory these days. It wasn’t whether you drove for a certain team or manufacturer. It was desire and ingenuity. And the race was the ultimate in any given week. Those days are gone with playoffs and wild cards, more suited to stick and ball sports than racing ruling the roost. I hope Junior uses his head and makes sure he is ready to race again and does not succumb to pressure. As Pat White would say, “life’s too precious,” and points are only points.

  • Championship Chase: Down to Three?

    Championship Chase: Down to Three?

    [media-credit id=26 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t see much difference in the Chase format than the regular season. It looks like the season will come down to Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Denny Hamlin. Consider this. Keselowski leads Johnson by five points. Hamlin is 16 points behind, which mean he has to hope that those two have to finish 20 places below him to have a chance. That’s only about three places per race, but if anyone believes that Johnson is going to be that bad when the final races are good tracks for him…well, I’ve got ocean front property in West Virginia to sell you. It gets worse.

    It’s not much different from the old system. Yes, maybe we had a champion crowned early, like Kenseth in 2003 (which probably was the reason for the Chase), but does it make any difference? Yes, you can point to last year, when Tony Stewart made a miraculous charge to win, but I contend that this will be rare and unusual. In most years, like so many years, it will be the same old faces doing the same things and winning the championship. I feel like its window dressing, but let me be the last one to say that (sorry, I already did). The gimmick worked for a year, but what about this year?

    So much bandwidth and so many hours on television and radio hours have been wasted debating the chances of Jeff Gordon (48 points behind) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (39 points behind). Neither have a reasonable chance unless they break out of their norms and get hot. That’s not likely as it is the N BA, MLB, and the NFL. That’s the fault of the system. Stick and ball games are based on emotion and athletic ability, but in NASCAR, it has a lot more to do with resources and momentum. It’s a classic study of the haves and have-nots. Certainly the Earnhardt and Gordon teams have the resources and talent, but the momentum is the problem. Gordon has that momentum, but being so far behind, he has depend on the failure of others. It’s the same with Earnhardt.

    Things could change, especially after Talladega, which is the wild card, but for now, it looks like it’s Keselowsksi, Johnson, and Hamlin, with a strong nod to Johnson. We’ll see if that’s the case after a couple more races. But if anyone thinks that anyone after fifth place has a chance, well, you have to go against history. And that isn’t wise. With history on our side, and considering last year being an aberration, we already know that’s a 33% chance, we know who the championship will be. In the meantime, does anyone care that Brad Keselowski won the race at Dover? That’s the Chase. All those things that could be and never look that at the obvious. All to ignore the obvious. At least for now.

  • Who wins the Chase? Lots of history and recent performance are telling

    Who wins the Chase? Lots of history and recent performance are telling

    [media-credit name=”Noel Lanier” align=”alignright” width=”239″][/media-credit]It may seem silly, but there are those who have already decided that the Chase has two favorites, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson. There is something to be said for that, but the thought needs more investigation. It’s also useful to look at history and recent statistics. Those two categories tend to color things a bit.

    First, history tells us a lot. Chevrolet drivers, especially Hendrick Motorsports drivers and those teams he supplies cars for, seem to have the upper hand. The fact is that for the last 20 years, Chevrolet drivers have won 16 championships, with 11 of them coming from Hendrick Motorsports. That’s quite a record. Only Ford drivers Alan Kulwicki, Dale Jarrett, Matt Kenseth, and Kurt Busch have dented that streak. And most of them are ancient history with the last Ford championship coming way back in 2004 when Busch did the trick. In this two decade period, Toyota and Dodge haven’t accomplished a championship.

    Part of the reason for this is the tremendous advantage Chevrolet has in top teams competing week after week. On any given Sunday (or Saturday night), Chevrolet fields 11 top teams running Hendrick and Richard Childress motors or chassis. Ford usually fields only five similar teams, which is one of the reasons Penske Racing was added to the mix. That’s a huge advantage. With Hendrick or his satellite operation winning the last six championships, you have to consider them the favorites—and there are four of them.

    Another thing to consider is recent performance. Surprisingly, the strongest performers over the last six races are Keselowski, Kyle Busch (who isn’t in the Chase), Clint Bowyer, Greg Biffle, and Kasey Kahne. If momentum has in factor in this championship, you have to consider that. Notable is that Hendrick drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Johnson, and Jeff Gordon rank down the list. It makes things more confusing.

    It would be a tremendous surprise to me if the champion is not one of the Hendrick Motorsports drivers. History is with them. Brad Keselowski. Bowyer, and Biffle have had their consistency problems and Johnson looks like he is ready to dominate. Kahne is surprisingly at the top of the field every race and the rest of the field is, to be honest, chasing (no pun intended).

    It’s a little early to tell, but history and recent performance gives us a little insight to how this thing will play out. If I was a betting man, and I’m not, I would put my money on a Chevrolet driver and one from the Hendrick camp. We’ll visit this all during the Chase, but as for now, that’s the way I see it.

  • The Chase Is Set, But Make No Mistake, Gordon Is In!

    The Chase Is Set, But Make No Mistake, Gordon Is In!

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]It was misery. I wish I could have been at Richmond sitting in the stands without all the commentary provided by ESPN last night. Clint Bowyer won the race, but it was almost an afterthought to Bestwick, Jarrett, and Petree. All attention was on Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon, the two drivers who would finish 12th (yes, I said 12th) in the standings that lead to NASCAR’s playoff, The Chase. It was an amazing turn of events and Gordon deserves most of the credit, but there were 41 other drivers out there and one (Bowyer) was making a statement for Michael Waltrip Racing that was just as amazing. Drama, yes, but truth be told, Gordon has little chance at a championship given his team’s record in 2012.

    I know the argument. Tony Stewart did it last year. So did the NFL’s NY Giants and baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, but this is not football or basketball and there are a lot of good teams in the final 12 that won’t be sitting down and doing nothing these last 10 races. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? No. Gordon has one win this season and that came when his teammate and Matt Kenseth decided to drive too hard and the rains came. I am looking forward to the mustache coming back on Jeff, though. Reminds me of the time we chatted at Myrtle Beach Speedway back when he was running the No. 1 Ford sponsored by Baby Ruth candy bars. Nice kid then and nice man now, so he was not the problem last night. The race telecast, however, was.

    Let’s look at the Chase competitors and see who just might have the upper hand.

    1. Denny Hamlin – The driver who came on strong in the final few races has the point for the final run to the Sprint Cup Championship. He finished 8th in the regular season standings, but bonus points for winning (he had four wins, which was more than anyone else) put him first with 2012 points, only three ahead of Jimmie Johnson.
    2. Jimmie Johnson – He sits three points behind Hamlin. Finishing the regular season in 10th place, he won three races, had more top fives and top tens than Hamlin. He also has won this five times.
    3. Tony Stewart – He sits in a three way tie for second, but we’ll use third because he won three races and is the defending champ. Tony wasn’t very consistent this year, but we all know that what he did last year proves he can do it again.
    4. Brad Keselowski – Also tied for second place, Keselowski won three races and like Stewart isn’t Jimmie Johnson. Brad finished fifth in the regular season standings.
    5. Greg Biffle – The regular season champion (that and $1.00 will get you a sweet tea at McDonald’s) now sits six points behind Hamlin. Seeing himself behind four drivers that he led by double digit points has to be upsetting, but this is a new season.
    6. Clint Bowyer – In case you haven’t heard, he won the Richmond race, and with two wins sits in a tie with Biffle for fifth and sixth. He finished seventh in the regular season standings and has been coming on in recent weeks.
    7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. – Junior sits nine points behind Hamlin and won at Michigan. He finished second to Biffle in the regular season standings. The fan favorite has to make up those nine points, knowing he has three teammates to battle to get there.
    8. Matt Kenseth – Tied with Earnhardt for seventh and eighth, he finished third in the regular season standings, but only had one win, the Daytona 500.
    9. Kevin Harvick – Harvick had a rough season with no wins and only four top five finishes. He was also ninth in the regular season standings.
    10. Martin Truex, Jr. – The final three positions all have 2000 points, 12 behind the leader. Truex came close, but didn’t win in 2012. Consistency got him up to sixth in the regular season standings and his car has looked better lately.
    11. Kasey Kahne – Kahne had a horrible start to 2012 which explains why the bonus points for his two wins still has him in Wild Card territory. He finished 11th in the regular season standings, but improved as the year went along.
    12. Jeff Gordon – Unless you without a scanner and sitting in the stands in Richmond last night or just didn’t watch, you know the story of Gordon’s frantic march to get the last place in The Chase. He won only one race and was involved in various crashes and missteps as the season progressed.

    For those who care, the field is made up of six Chevrolet’s, three Toyota’s, two Fords, and one Dodge. Combined, the drivers participating in The Chase have 13 Sprint Cup championships, though nine of those belong to two drivers – Gordon and Johnson.

  • The Beauty of Silly Season

    The Beauty of Silly Season

    [media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”208″][/media-credit]It’s finally Silly Season time and moves are happening fast. The season started prematurely with A.J. Allmendinger’s failed drug test and Matt Kenseth’s shocking announcement that he was leaving Roush Fenway, but this is the time of year when Silly Season starts in earnest and started it has.

    Joe Gibbs Racing announced what we’ve known for ages, Matt Kenseth will drive the No. 20 Home Depot/Family Dollar Toyota next season. And Penske Racing announced that Joey Logano will drive Allmendinger’s former ride, the No.22 Shell Ford in 2013, but it doesn’t stop there.

    This weekend we learned that Tony Stewart has lost one of his primary sponsorships. Office Depot is leaving. This is problematic because Stewart-Haas racing lost the U.S. Army as a sponsor on its No. 39 car that Ryan Newman drives. That leaves only the Go Daddy car, the No. 10 Chevrolet that Danica Patrick will drive in 2013, as the only fully sponsored car in the SHR stable. Efforts have been made to obtain sponsorship for the No. 39 car apparently without success. That puts Ryan Newman on the market because he is a free agent next year. But there’s more.

    Elliott Sadler, the current points leader in the Nationwide Series, announced he was leaving Richard Childress Racing’s Nationwide team at the end of the season. The reasons are somewhat foggy and contradictory. Sadler says RCR offered him nothing. Richard Childress has expressed disbelief that Sadler was leaving after having his “best season.” We may have to wait awhile to get the full story on this one. Rumor has Sadler going to Joe Gibbs Racing and taking his sponsor, One Main, with him. Whether that means Gibbs has his sponsor for a fourth Sprint Cup team is not determined yet.

    That’s the beauty of the Silly Season. It’s drivers and teams looking for that extra edge. Kenseth looking for some new scenery (he’s been with Roush since day one), Logano looking for an organization that has the ability to win and one that will respect his talents, and Sadler, at age 37, looking for a chance to get to the big show again. It puts Ryan Newman, who strangely finds himself without sponsorship, possibly on the market. It leaves the very successful RCR Nationwide program without a lead driver. And it gives something for fans to debate.

  • Hendrick Bending the Rules? Keselowski Thinks So

    Hendrick Bending the Rules? Keselowski Thinks So

    [media-credit name=”Dan Sanger” align=”alignright” width=”249″][/media-credit]Is Hendrick Motorsports bending the rules? Brad Keselowski thinks so. It’s not beyond the realm of possibility. Of course you remember all those times Crew Chief Chad Knaus was suspended and fined? Certainly, like when you were in school, once guilty and always suspected was the rule. That may be part of it but Jimmie Johnson coming from the back of the pack to leading the race  until his engine expired has lots of folks wondering.

    Keselowski commented during the race on how Hendrick cars used what he called “tricks” with their cars. Jack Roush and winner Greg Biffle mentioned at Michigan how they “fell behind” on some things, especially on Carl Edwards’ cars and had to get up to speed on certain things. It has opened up a new can of worms, but is it sour grapes or is it a legitimate gripe? Maybe the Hendrick Motorsports cars have people who just are smarter than other team’s engineers and technicians. No, do not shoot the messenger.

    “There’s parts and pieces that move on the car after inspection that make the (Hendrick) cars more competitive,” Keselowski said. “Some guys have it and some don’t. There’s a question as to the interpretation of the rule.”

    One thing is certain, Keselowski is outspoken and doesn’t pull any punches. He has been watching the HMS cars all season long, and his inability to compete with them over the last few races has him frustrated. Remember this is the same man I wrote about last week after a battle with Marcos Ambrose at Watkins Glen. He doesn’t mind getting beat, but he wants to be on an even playing field. He pointed a finger at his own organization, Penske Racing for racing fairly without pushing the envelope between getting by with something and getting caught.

    “As a group at Penske racing, we have not felt comfortable enough to risk that name and reputation that roger has over those parts and pieces. Others have, which is their prerogative,” Keselowski said. “Living in the gray area …We’re going to have to make a re-evaluation of that internally to decide if that’s the right way to go.”

    I found it interesting that after the race, NASCAR took six or seven cars back to their R&D center to inspect them. “Sometimes, it’s easier to take the whole car than just the engine,” Robin Pemberton said in an interview with Sirius-XM radio. What cars they took was a mystery at the time of this column.

  • The New Keselowski – Can He Win It All?

    The New Keselowski – Can He Win It All?

    [media-credit name=”Matt Laflair” align=”alignright” width=”224″][/media-credit]Fans used to be split on Brad Keselowski. Some loved him, especially when he drove for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Nationwide team. The kid who hit everyone but the pace car in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, riled the feathers of drivers and even got Carl Edwards airborne at Talladega (and had a few run-ins with Cousin Carl thereafter) has grown up, put on his best face and become a fan favorite. How does such a tremendous turnaround happen? Talent and a little PR work.

    Just look at how he handled finishing second at The Glen. Nothing but class. While far more mature and championship drivers wanted to whine about adverse conditions on the track in the final lap. Keselowski faced the camera, looked straight into it and declared the finish as close to heaven as possible. Just like his former rival, Edwards, he was honest and proved that he was a racer, not a Chaser. It was refreshing.

    I credit Keselowski’s rise with his move to Penske a couple of years ago. The No. 2 Dodge driver had a reputation of doing controversial things.  From the lack of restraint at Talladega, to having his father, former Sprint Cup driver Bob Keselowski, appear on national television accusing Edwards of trying to kill his son (which of course the younger Keselowski had no control over). All of a sudden Brad was correct and professional in everything he did. The Captain had spoken. We saw this attitude over the last two years. Kurt Busch acts up? Gone. A.J. Allmendinger fails a drug test? Gone. Brad has been smart enough to pick his battles and a star is in the making, if you ask me.

    No one knows how the switch to Ford in 2013 will go, but I’m betting on Brad Keselowski. He may win the Sprint Cup Championship this year, but as long as the Penske organization can get the cars as good as they have been this year, you can expect Brad to be in the hunt. Penske engines have been good, but the addition of Yates power might make them even better. Rest assured The Captain (Roger Penske) won’t let things get too far behind.

    Can the great change in the Keselowski attitude lead to a championship in 2012? It would be great to see Dodge go out as a winner. It would be great to see The Captain win his first championship, but Keselowski has a few hurdles to jump. There’s the elephant in the room, Jimmie Johnson. He will probably have the lead coming down to the final ten races. There is Matt Kenseth, who seems to be on a mission, and his teammate Greg Biffle, who is very hungry. Of course there is Junior Earnhardt, who without a couple of equipment failures, would be right up there. My money’s on Keselowski, which is foolish. My heart says Kenseth or Keselowski, but my mind says Johnson. It should be interesting.

  • The Once and Always King

    The Once and Always King

    [media-credit id=66 align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]I remember when the King was, well, the King. Back in those days the King won everywhere and bagged seven championships. They weren’t consecutive because there wasn’t a lot of multi-car teams and none named Hendrick Motorsports. He was simply the best no matter where the circuit went. He won at half-miles, dirt tracks and super speedways. It was just the way it was. He drove Plymouth’s, Dodges, and even several GM brands, but he was always winning until he decided to hang it up.  Since then it has been tough for Petty Enterprises.  The group that created all those wins is gone and today it’s Richard Petty Motorsports with a financing group behind him, but the King clearly in charge. Nothing has changed but the domination.

    I remember how much the competition hated him. Ford hated him and his organization so much that they made him part of their team in 1969. He did well (10 wins), but he came back to Plymouth in 1970. Much like Jeff Gordon in the 1990’s and Jimmie Johnson today, he was loathed by most everyone except the loyal fans. And yet, he became the most beloved of all drivers. The once and future King.

    On Sunday, just like a year ago, Richard Petty returned to victory lane. This time it was as a car owner and Marcos Ambrose was the driver. The road racing specialist fell behind and came back and battled Brad Keselowski for an unsuspected win.  But the lineage was clear, Richard Petty is a winner. He doesn’t have the money of a Hendrick or a Penske or even a Roush, but he knows what it takes to win and instills in in his drivers. It worked. No one can deny that Ambrose was up on the wheel during that last lap. Seeing the King in Victory Lane was magical to many of us.

    Petty spoke of his manufacturer relationship. Apparently RPM had been in negotiations with Dodge and Ford prior to Dodge’s announcement that they would be leaving the sport. Petty and Ambrose wanted to stay with Ford and his partner was more concerned with the money Dodge was offering. The decision was made with Dodge’s pullout. It appears that Petty will join the Roush-Fenway group, Penske, and Front Row Motorsports for another year with Ford. Never doubt the King. He knows the way to win. It may have taken him years to be on top of the the competition, but his comfort zone is undeniable.

    Yes it was only a road race and it was the road course king winning.  But good things seem to be happening and maybe it was a stroke of luck that RPM will be with Ford for 2013.

    Stability is so very important.

  • Decision at Pocono Puzzling

    Decision at Pocono Puzzling

    [media-credit name=”Kirk Schroll” align=”alignright” width=”278″][/media-credit]The terrible events that followed the rain shortened race at Pocono were puzzling to me on Sunday. I’ve been to many sporting events over the years, and once severe weather is in the area of the stadium, evacuation is always the first step. Two years ago at West Virginia’s Puskar Stadium, the stands were cleared as the severe weather approached. Only when the weather had moved out of the area, were fans allowed back into the stadium. When a second string of storms approached, the stands were evacuated and the game called. The same thing has been true of most events that I have attended when the same situation has arisen.

    The consequences of such action are not good. In late June, a severe storm ripped through my area just prior to the PGA’s Greenbrier Classic golf tournament. On the morning of June 30th, The Old White course at the Greenbrier resort looked like a war zone. Hundreds of thousands were without power, but the Greenbrier’s owner got totally ripped for having the golf tournament when many had no electric power for two weeks. The two athletic directors got the same treatment when the football game was called, but it was the right thing to do. No one died in either incident, and those clearing the golf course did their work after the storm, and that is the point. When the severe storm warning was issued shortly after 4:00, the stands at Pocono Raceway should have been cleared so as to give people time to get to their cars or campers and to safety. It didn’t happen and at least one person lost their life.

    It’s tough for those in charge to make calls of this nature. You have fans paying big bucks for tickets to see the events and they want the show to go on. It is especially tough for a NASCAR event. Even though revenues were reduced for the football game and the golf tournament, track owners and the sanctioning body itself lose a lot more. That said, the safety of those attending should come first. Unlike the numerous stick and ball examples where fans are evacuated, those in charge at NASCAR and Pocono Raceway decided to wait until they had “lost the track.” Weather professionals in the area said that NASCAR knew the severity of the storm well in advance. Why didn’t they act when they received the information?