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Tag: Tevor Bayne

  • Favorites at Vegas and Cheering in the Press Box

    Favorites at Vegas and Cheering in the Press Box

    Who is the favorite in Sunday’s race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway? There is a strong possibility that it could be Jimmie Johnson. Johnson, despite his woeful showing at Daytona two weeks ago, rebounded at Phoenix and seems ripe for a repeat victory at the track. Of course, a rejuvenated Jeff Gordon has momentum and you can never count out Matt Kenseth, so it’s up in the air. Or is it?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]The 2011 season has given us so many surprises, we can’t count on anything. If you had told me on February 1st that the Wood Brothers would win the Daytona 500, that not one Hendrick or Childress car would finish in the top three, Bobby Labonte would be a factor late in the race, and David Gilliland would finish third behind Trevor Bayne and Carl Edwards, I would have called for the men in the white coats. On top of that, if you had told me that Jeff Gordon, who hadn’t won in 66 races, would beat Kyle Busch to win at Phoenix, well…you get the idea.

    So, who’s going to win? Johnson won last year, Kenseth (and teammate Greg Biffle) have always been good here, and it’s the Busch brothers’ home track. And then there’s Kevin Harvick. He came so close last year. It’s not easy to call a winner, which is a big difference from the past few years. With multiple car wrecks being the rule at the first two races this year, it could be someone different, which would fit in with what would seem to be the pattern for the 2011 season. Maybe David Ragan?

    One thing is certain. With new television ratings better than last year and attendance at the track improving, maybe we’ve seen the end of what many considered a decline in the sport we all love. Maybe it has something to do with the results of the first two races. The measuring stick may be at Bristol in two weeks.
    —
    I have covered NASCAR races as a member of the “citizen media corps” for the last 15 years. I’ve been in either the press box or media centers at eight different tracks, and I cannot remember a time when the media really applauded a performance. Oh, I can remember many times when emotions were shared, but never outright cheering. As excited as I was over Trevor Bayne’s winning the Daytona 500 in the Wood Brothers Ford, I found myself restrained at home on February 20th. It’s just second nature. I can still remember February 25, 2001, the week after Dale Earnhardt left us, and the dramatic Steve Park victory. As emotional as that was, there was no cheering in the press box. I also remember October 24, 2004, at Martinsville Speedway. It was the day that Ricky Hendrick and many others perished in a plane crash near the track. No announcement was made about the tragedy and only a radio transmission from a scanner heard that the winner (Jimmie Johnson) would not go to victory lane. Soon enough the news filtered in on what had happened. Unfortunately, for some reason, broadband internet was lost and there was no cellular service available. There was no cheering, but I’ve never seen a group of reporters so upset. The press box was in uproar. No cheering, but plenty of emotion. Is there a difference? I think not.

    Maybe those of us who do this as a hobby should learn a little decorum. I didn’t go to Daytona, but I’ll be at many tracks this year. I will, as usual, be professional and report the facts as I see them regardless of my point of view. I have my favorites, and it’s only human that I do, but cheering is not being professional. I hate that Tom Bowles lost his job, and I understand his emotions and the reasons for clapping. Maybe si.com was a little harsh in their decision, but whether you like a driver or do not, or really a situation, you are on the job. Maybe that’s something those of us who blog need to understand a little better. Lessons in life are sometimes hard.

  • NASCAR’s Savior. Is it Trevor Bayne? Or Is That a Dream?

    NASCAR’s Savior. Is it Trevor Bayne? Or Is That a Dream?

    As Trevor Bayne makes his victory tour this week, the question remains. Is he the savior of NASCAR or will the throngs be disappointed as he struggles through the next few races finding his way? Truth is, Daytona (and Talladega—both restrictor plate tracks) seem to create different kinds of winners. You can go down the list—Cope, Hamilton, Lund, Michael Waltrip, and many others. Guys who are competent drivers, but who didn’t do much outside of the two plate tracks. Yes, there is evidence that Bayne is the real deal, but is he?

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”300″][/media-credit]Another factor to consider is the Wood Brothers, or in this case, the Wood cousins. Eddie Wood and Len Wood are the sons of Glen and Leonard Wood. They are old school and as much as I want them to dominate the series once again, that is not likely for various reasons. I listened to Buddy Baker talk about the Woods tonight on Sirius radio. His comment that an owner with a wrench in his pocket (speaking of Eddie Wood) is admirable and what I think the sport is, or at least was, all about may not be realistic in 2011. With all my being, I hope it is relevant, but I have my doubts. And I hate that I have doubts.

    The first hurdle that the Woods have to jump is that Trevor Bayne is contracted to Roush-Fenway Racing. There is no doubt that at some point that Bayne will appear in a RFR car at some point, leaving the Woods high and dry. The agreement the Woods have is similar to the one Richard Petty Motorsports have with RFR. Roush supplies the chassis and engines for their cars and prepare the cars. Part of the deal for 2011 included Bayne for as many races as the Woods could get sponsorship (and you have to wonder what part Roush had in getting those points for the first five races had to do with RFR’s alliance with Richard Petty Motorsports). That said, with David Ragan on shaky ground at RFR and contract negotiations ongoing with Greg Biffle and Carl Edwards, who’s to say that Bayne could end up in one of those cars sooner than later? And that would leave the Woods to sign Ragan or another has-been driver. I shudder at the thought.

    The best case scenario is that Bayne continues his brilliance at Phoenix, Las Vegas, Bristol, and Martinsville, and the Woods get enough sponsorship to continue. The Wood Brothers deserve it and the Sprint Cup series could reach a new level.

    For so long I’ve heard the rumbling from fans. Yes, many adore Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and certainly Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Others like Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Clint Bowyer. The same could be said for Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, and Joey Logano, as well as Jamie McMurray, but for so long, while Hendrick Motorsports fans, Richard Childress Racing fans, and Joe Gibbs Racing fans have been happy, the great silent majority wants to see someone else win. Trevor Bayne gave everyone a chance to cheer on February 20th, much like Jamie McMurray did in 2010, but it has to continue. If the sport is to flourish like it did in days past, it must happen beyond Roush-Fenway Racing, Richard Childress Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, and Joe Gibbs Racing. The future of NASCAR depends on it.