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Tag: racing

  • Speedway Media announces new podcast show “News and Views from SpeedwayMedia.com”

    Speedway Media announces new podcast show “News and Views from SpeedwayMedia.com”

    SpeedwayMedia.com has launched a new podcast in conjunction with Anchor.fm, titled “News and Views from SpeedwayMedia.com.” The show, hosted by Associate Editor Joseph Shelton, will discuss the latest news and views from not only the Speedway Media staff, but from dignitaries and other media members in the racing world.

    “First thing’s first, this is a show that’s by the fans and for the fans,” said Shelton. “How the show gets built up over the course of the season depends on the input and reviews from the listeners, so they are definitely encouraged to reach out to us with any input they may have. We’re definitely looking to make this an optimal racing podcast experience for the listeners and readers of SpeedwayMedia.com.”

    The show will be distributed through Anchor.fm, and is also available on Spotify and Stitcher.

  • Thoughts On Bryan Clauson’s Passing

    Thoughts On Bryan Clauson’s Passing

    It’s weird when a racer dies and you look at their birth and death dates. Granted, it’s a given in motorsports that despite our best efforts to ensure the safety of our drivers, no matter how evolved the safety features are, no matter how strong the integrity of the car is, no matter how well everyone did their job making sure the car was the very best it could be, there are going to be freak accidents and drivers will be hurt and on a few tragic occasions killed.

    But still, looking at Bryan Clauson’s birth and death dates, it’s jarring. June 15, 1989 – August 7, 2016. He wasn’t even a year younger than me. At 27, he should still be around, continuing to solidify his status as a racer’s racer, getting behind the wheel of anything and everything and beating the competition senseless. He was an excellent driver and had the fan following, the respect of his peers, and the trophies to prove it. This guy was supposed to be the next Steve Kinser or Danny Lasoski.

    Yet here we are, early in the morning of August 8, 2016, mourning the loss of another fantastic racer. It’s not right. It makes no sense at all.

    I used to be so jealous of this guy when I first heard of him during my sophomore year of college. While I was up to my neck dealing with classes and homework and things of that nature, this guy was taking the green flag at places like Texas and Daytona and doing an excellent job behind the wheel at that. His NASCAR career may not have bloomed, but his resume was pretty impressive.

    He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix in 2009 and 2010. He won the Chili Bowl in 2014. He was a three-time (2010, 2011, 2015) USAC Midget champion. He was a three-time (2010-’12) USAC National Drivers Champion. He was a two-time (2012-’13) USAC National Sprint Car Series champion. He was a prolific Sprint Car and Midget driver, in case you couldn’t tell.

    But there’s much more. Not only did he make three starts in the Indianapolis 500, but he became the first driver to win a feature race the same day as running the Indianapolis 500 this year when he wheeled a Sprint Car to victory at Kokomo Speedway just hours after finishing 23rd in the Indy 500. It’s also pretty neat to point out that he also managed to lead a few laps at Indy as well.

    Of course, can’t forget the 2016 “Circular Insanity” Tour. The gist of it was simple: Compete in 200 races in 2016, including wingless Sprint Cars, Midgets, World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, and the Indianapolis 500. Traveling from track to track in an RV, Clauson’s plan epitomized the old-school racer’s mantra of “race anything, anytime, anywhere.” That’s what was so awesome about him. He loved racing, no matter what, and also happened to be damn good at it.

    Yet now he’s gone.

    You think about the fallout. You think about his family, including his fiancee Lauren. Your heart breaks for them because you can’t even fathom just how great and terrible their loss truly is. You think about his fellow competitors. You think about the Midgets they were racing when he crashed and you can’t help but wonder what, if anything, can be done to prevent another tragedy like this from happening.

    It’s an ugly whirlwind of confusion and emotion and heartbreak. It will never pass over or go away completely. The most it will do is mellow out, maybe subside a bit. But two years, three years down the road our hearts will still be heavy when we think about Clauson and what could have been.

    We’re going to mourn, and there’s no set time on that. All we can do is keep our eyes straight ahead, stay strong, and soldier on until we see the sun rise again. I’m sure it’s what he would have wanted. Until then, my heart goes out to the Clauson family. Race in peace, Bryan.

  • Richard Petty’s Comments Are Wrong, But Not Extremely Sexist

    Richard Petty’s Comments Are Wrong, But Not Extremely Sexist

    I am not a man that likes to intrude into the issue of sexism, and that includes politics as well. It is an issue that divides the people. However, we are talking about two different generations here. Richard Petty, who won 200 races and seven cup championships in his career said the following when asked if Danica Patrick would ever find victory lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

    “If everybody stayed home. If she’d been a male, nobody would ever know if she’d showed up at a race track.”

    I see some truth to Petty’s comments. Now, before I get tackled and pitchforked by Danica Patrick fans, I want to let you know that I disagree with Petty for the most part, and that I support Danica Patrick 100 percent.

    Richard Petty grew up in an entirely different generation than we have. Therefore, his views will reflect a more traditional look at things. We will endure the same problems when we are Petty’s age. A new generation will come in and they will see our way of life rather peculiar and offensive.

    For example, let’s use Darrell Waltrip. Toward the end of Darrell Waltrip’s career, Waltrip was not running very well. Danica Patrick did not have a terrible year for a rookie, but everyone can use improvement. If Patrick were in Waltrip’s position in 1999, it is conceivable that fans would definitely notice Patrick more than Waltrip. That is the point Petty is trying to make. At this point, Patrick is known for looks more than performance on the race track and if Patrick were a male, it would be a different story. I agree with that. Patrick brings publicity and fans to the track. That is what we need as a growing sport.

    Many people are describing Petty’s comments as an “extremely sexist hyperbole.” NASCAR has been a male-dominated sport and it always will be. On the other hand, NASCAR has changed in many ways. The competition is tighter than ever and this will produce random winners at times. With that being said, Danica Patrick could win a race next season, most likely at a plate track.

    To clear everything up: Were the comments sexist? Yes, by definition. However, it is a very sensitive topic in this generation. So, it should not be a shock that people will take Petty’s comments in a negative light. Petty is a legend in our sport and has earned all the accolades.

    Danica Patrick has also earned accolades. Will Patrick ever win seven cup titles and rack up 200 wins? No, that is very doubtful, but Patrick has made a big investment into enhancing women’s athletics. Growing up, most could still not grasp the thought of a woman wheeling a race car. Then in 2004, Danica Patrick came into the spotlight. It was the next year, in 2005, Patrick became the first woman to lead the Indianapolis 500. Now, it is starting to become a common trend.

    While women like Jennifer Jo Cobb, Shannon Mudro, Johanna Long, and Cassie Gannis are all fine examples of women trying to make their way to the top racing series in America, it is not just racing. Katie Copple, Ashley Schindler, and Kaitlyn Vincie are three candidates to be the first-ever females to announce a NASCAR race. In 2014, this is something that could soon become reality for three very intelligent, determined individuals. Their quest to achieve broadcasting heaven is just as realistic as mine.

  • Jimmie Johnson: Where Title Number 6 Stacks Up

    Jimmie Johnson: Where Title Number 6 Stacks Up

    Anybody can form a formidable argument that Jimmie Johnson only has three championships, but the history books will always reveal that  Johnson is “Mr. 6 Time”, and probably soon to be “7 Time”.

    After a decent run at Homestead and avoiding calamity on a restart, Johnson ended up finishing 9th to secure his 6th title by a 19 point margin over Matt Kenseth. Overall, it was an incredible season for the No.48, but where does this championship season rank against his five other championship seasons?  Just how amazing was the No.48 team in 2013?

    Let’s rank their greatest championship seasons, starting from number six, and working our way down to number one.

    6) 2006: Championship Number 1

    It only seems fitting that Johnson’s first championship would be one of his “worst” season performances. And by worst, I mean having 5 wins, 13 top 5s, and 24 top 10s, and a career-best average finish of 9.7. Reminiscent of 2013, he held off Matt Kenseth by 56 points to start his streak of five titles in a row. By no means was this a bad season for the No.48 team, who ended up winning the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, and The All-Star Race all in the same year.

    5) 2013: Championship Number 6

    Coming in at number five on the list, it’s championship number six for “Mr. 6-Time”. As always, it was still a stellar performance by the No.48 team, posting 6 victories, 16 top 5s, 24 top 10s, and an average finish of 10.7. He also won swept the races at Daytona, almost won the Brickyard 400, and won his 4th All-Star Race. Overall, it was a formidable season for the No.48, but it wasn’t his best.

    4) 2010: Championship Number 5

    In a season where Johnson became known as “5-Time”, it didn’t come without an epic fight between himself and Denny Hamlin, who ultimately lost the race do to a wreck at Homestead. Johnson cruised to his 5th title by 39 points over Hamlin, and ended up scoring 6 wins, 17 top 5s, 23 top 10s, with an average finish of 12.2. Some fans may argue that this is actually his worst championship season, due to Johnson having four DNFs on the year.

    3) 2008: Championship Number 3

    This was the year where everyone’s jaws dropped to the floor when they waved the checkered flag at Homestead. Nobody thought that Cale Yarborough’s record of three titles in a row was ever going to be matched, and sure enough in 2008, Johnson did just that. And with 7 victories, 15 top 5s, and 22 top 10s, his performance backed it up. He also scored another Brickyard 400 victory to add to his immaculate resume.

    2) 2009: Championship Number 4

    One year later, Cale Yarborough’s record was broken. Johnson had won an amazing four championships in a row. Wow was this even possible? You could say the chase had something to do with it, but I believe his 7 victories, 16 top 5s, and 24 top 10s also had something to do with it.

    1) 2007: Championship Number 2

    You can argue where I placed Championship’s 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6, but it will be very hard to argue against putting 2007 at the number one spot.  Take his 10 wins for starters, including four wins in a row and the end of the year. Not to mention, he also scored a colossal 20 top 5s, and 24 top 10s. I think it’s safe to say, this was the best championship-winning season by the No.48 team.

  • Martinsville May Be the New Bristol

    Martinsville May Be the New Bristol

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”263″][/media-credit]Martinsville is the new Bristol. Why? I could see it on the fans’ faces. Two weeks ago, a very low crowd came to Bristol to see some short track racing and what did they get? Racing that just wasn’t Bristol. Apparently, the word has gotten around that Bristol no longer offers the short track “rubbing is racing” experience that fans crave. So the fans stayed away. The 160,000+ seat stadium crowd was about half that. Enter Martinsville Speedway.

    Martinsville Speedway doesn’t offer the high speeds of Richmond and Bristol, but “the paper clip” offers lots of action and some of that “rubbing” that the fans seem to love. And boy did they get that on Sunday. The intimate venue gave us the best racing of 2011 complete with an exciting finish. The stands were nearly full (the official estimate was 60,000) and the fans were enthusiastic, especially when Dale Earnhardt, Jr. took the lead late in the race. Old Junior even moved Kyle Busch out of the way with his bumper to make the pass. The crowd loved it. And they could clearly see it because there isn’t a bad seat in the house.

    At nearly the halfway mark, the bad crash that involved Martin Truex, Jr. and Kasey Kahne caused the race to be red-flagged. It was such a beautiful day that I ventured outside the friendly confines of the press box and into the concourse and the grassy area on the backstretch. My son, attending his first race at Martinsville, something my father and I did long ago, was sitting there and he made the most prolific statement of the day. “Dad,” he said, “this is a lot better than Charlotte.” Indeed.

    The race had it all. We saw close racing, a most popular driver finally lead a race, and action on every lap. Where else could you see this? Well, earlier you might have seen it at places like Bristol, but the popular thing to do is to configure tracks so that the drivers can race without touching. I’m here to tell you that the fans do not want that. They want what they saw on Sunday.

    For whatever reason, Goodyear brought a tire that didn’t last very long and didn’t rubber up the track, leaving one groove for the drivers to go fast. That’s pretty much always been the case at Martinsville, but it was really extreme on Sunday. Double-file restarts were an exercise in futility. If you were on the outside, you were toast. So, if you wanted to go low, you had to do something to get there and that meant contact. The fans loved it. And for all the hand-wringing about the tires, they were hardly a concern during the race. It was as if the multitudes came to the mecca of short track racing to see just that since they can’t find it anywhere else.

    Martinsville Speedway may very well become the favorite of short track fans in the future. Tickets prices are reasonable, the venue takes you back in time when racing came down to who could make the moves to get a win in a small space. And while the high dollar speculators built palaces for these gladiators of speed to perform in, Martinsville has stayed essentially the same. The new improvements were noticeable, but they didn’t take away from the charm of the track built in 1947—the oldest track on the Sprint Cup circuit. From the exhilaration on the talk shows to the comments of the people on the street, it seems this is what the fans want. I hope everyone in the NASCAR world is listening.