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  • Hot 20 – Would reducing the dangers of Daytona also reduce its thrills?

    Hot 20 – Would reducing the dangers of Daytona also reduce its thrills?

    We want drivers and fans to be safe. We want action that is anything but safe. It might sound hypocritical, but deep in our hearts, we know it to be true.

    Talladega concerned some drivers. Kyle Busch says it was “pretty dangerous for all us drivers.” That may have been true. He also said it “wasn’t very exciting.” That is false. For fans, watching drivers inches apart at up to 200 mph, where disaster is only a sneeze away, is pretty damned exciting.

    Personally, it is the threat of a wreck that is more exciting than the actual carnage. The boys and girl are doing something I do not have the ability to perform nor, to be honest, the courage to attempt. It appears to be dangerous and, according to Kyle, that is because it is.

    We want the danger. Yet, we also want to see Kyle climb out of his Xfinity car unscathed at Daytona. We wanted to see Dale Earnhardt, Adam Petty, and Kenny Irwin Jr. step out of their wrecks. We want to see the crushing hits in the NFL, but it appears their helmets cannot prevent the devastation of long-term brain injuries. We want the fights and the hard hits of the NHL, yet the mounting evidence of long-term head trauma has brought rule changes to make the sport safer.

    Does reducing the danger also reduce the excitement for the fans? It has to. Hall of Famers Sprague Cleghorn, Eddie Shore, Rocket Richard, and Gordie Howe would have had to play differently to avoid lifetime suspensions in today’s NHL. Some used their sticks, some their elbows, and some just beat the crap out of their opponents. Seeing a receiver take the hit just as he receives the ball, slamming straight to the ground or doing mid-air flips upon impact, is a great visual, but it has to take a toll on the human being involved. Does anyone remember Lawrence Taylor’s sack of Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann that broke the pivot’s leg in two places? Pretty amazing. Pretty devastating. For safety sake, change is required, change is happening, and more change is coming.

    Deaths have happened in most sports, but very few at the highest level. Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians died in 1920 after being struck in the head by a pitched ball. Bill Masterton of the Minnesota North Stars struck his head on the ice and died in 1968. In football, AFL players Howard Glenn and Stone Johnson died in the 1960’s due to neck injuries. Chuck Hughes of the Detroit Lions suffered a fatal heart attack in a game in 1971. Then there is professional boxing. Then there is motorsports.

    Joe Weatherly, Fireball Roberts, Tiny Lund, J.D. McDuffie, Neil Bonnett, John Nemechek, and Carlos Pardo remind us that we cannot build more durable humans, nor dismiss the heartbreak of their loss. Pit road is safer, yet only after the Southern 500 in 1960 cost the lives of mechanics Paul McDuffie, Charles Sweatlund, and official Joe Taylor. We lost crewman Randy Owens at Talladega in 1975. Yet, we liked the excitement of those old cars, the open faced helmets, and the speeding down pit road. We still do, but not at that price.

    If NASCAR gets too safe, might it cause fans to wander off seeking new distractions, new outlets for their thrills and emotions? It could. It may have already taken place to some degree. I love watching the action at Daytona and Talladega, watching those who can do what I cannot, or will not, even attempt. I watch what I enjoy, and often we can not say exactly what it is that caused us to lose interest. I loved hockey, the hard-nosed 1960’s, the violent 1970’s, and the grace and majesty of the 1980’s, but it is rare to find me sitting through an NHL game today. Many once loved NASCAR; they had it bad and could not get enough of it. Today, the tracks no longer even release attendance figures and grandstands are being torn down. Sports of all kinds are trying to increase the “fan experience,” all but admitting the action on the field is no longer enough.

    Saturday night should be enough. It is Daytona, the Firecracker 400 as it was known until 1989. A race that has meaning, a race that has tradition, a race that has high speeds and, yes, a race that has a measure of danger.

    May our Hot 20 and the rest provide us with excitement and, despite our barbaric nature, a safe event.

    1. KYLE BUSCH – 3 WINS (452 Pts)
    No new rules to slow down the cars at Daytona, and Kyle isn’t happy about that.

    2. CARL EDWARDS – 2 WINS (510 Pts)
    Has run good at Daytona, has run bad, but has never won there.

    3. BRAD KESELOWSKI – 2 WINS (506 Pts)
    Tried out an IndyCar at Road America, and plans to run Indianapolis…some day.

    4. JIMMIE JOHNSON – 2 WINS (469 Pts)
    Daughters cannot listen to team radio…because sometimes daddy says bad words.

    5. KEVIN HARVICK – 1 WIN (562 Pts)
    Sixteen races, 13 Top Tens. Some have more wins, no one has more points.

    6. KURT BUSCH – 1 WIN (527 Pts)
    Formula 3000 is just one step below F-1…and could be in Kurt’s future come December.

    7. JOEY LOGANO – 1 WIN (493 Pts)
    If Tony and Denny had crashed on last Sunday’s final lap, guess who would have won.

    8. MARTIN TRUEX JR. – 1 WIN (469 Pts)
    Tony, Tony, Tony…but did anyone notice Martin finished fifth? Did not think so.

    9. MATT KENSETH – 1 WIN (430 Pts)
    He did not have Chris Osborne as his eyes in the sky in February. He will on Saturday night.

    10. DENNY HAMLIN – 1 WIN (421 Pts)
    With Tony Stewart behind him at Sonoma, Denny thought for a second he was Ron Thornton.

    11. CHASE ELLIOTT – 473 PTS
    Good talent, good car, equals good results.

    12. DALE EARNHARDT JR. – 413 PTS
    Newman, McMurray, and Junior battled on the track, only to face de-feet in the sky.

    13. RYAN NEWMAN – 402 PTS
    The winner.

    14. AUSTIN DILLON – 400 PTS
    I am trying to remember how his Daytona race finished last year. So is he.

    15. JAMIE MCMURRAY – 398 PTS
    If a pissed off Stewart is a motivated Stewart, does that make Jamie his personal Tony Robbins?

    16. KASEY KAHNE – 385 PTS
    If you think Kasey’s season sucks, please consider Clint’s situation.

    17. RYAN BLANEY – 382 PTS
    New rule change locks even unchartered teams into Chase races…but they have to be Chasers.

    18. A.J. ALLMENDINGER – 365 PTS
    Damn rolling tire.

    19. TREVOR BAYNE – 361 PTS
    You might remember that he has won at Daytona before.

    20. KYLE LARSON – 355 PTS
    Do you remember when everyone was gushing over Kyle and Trevor?

    30. BRIAN SCOTT – 205 PTS
    Sometimes holding down 30th gets you recognition…at least for this week.

    32. TONY STEWART – 196 PTS (1 win)
    As Kyle did before him. Now cue the Jaws theme.

  • NASCAR Beginnings Featuring an Interview with ‘Tiger’ Tom Pistone

    NASCAR Beginnings Featuring an Interview with ‘Tiger’ Tom Pistone

    “Tiger” Tom Pistone was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 17, 1929. He began racing in 1950 at the age of 21 and became a legend at the famed Soldier Field where he won three consecutive championships from 1951-1953. He remains the all-time winner there with approximately 38 feature wins.

    He has often been called one of the best short track drivers of all time. Glenn “Fireball” Roberts once described Pistone as, “The toughest guy there is to beat on quarters and half-milers.”

    During his career, he competed in both the NASCAR Grand National and Convertible divisions.

    Pistone’s first win in a NASCAR-sanctioned race was at Soldier Field in 1956. He drove his 1956 Chevy ragtop to victory lane after passing leader Curtis Turner with only six laps to go. He captured his second NASCAR win, again at Soldier Field, in the Hardtop Series in 1957.

    His most competitive season was also his first full-time season.  In 1959, he scored two victories, 12 top-five finishes and ended the year in sixth place in the point standings in the Grand National Series. He scored a third win that year in the Convertible Series.

    His racing career lasted from 1955-1968 with two wins, 29 top-fives, and 53 top-ten finishes in 130 starts in NASCAR’s premier series. Pistone was known not only for his skill behind the wheel but for his ability to set up a racecar that could withstand his aggressive driving.

    “When I came south in 1955, they more or less had strictly stock automobiles,” explained Pistone.  “They were cars like you actually drove on the street.”

    Pistone changed all that. His innovative ideas and expertise led to a second career building racecars and engines. Drivers like Harry Gant and Bobby Issac drove to victory lane in his equipment. His most successful partnership came when he teamed up with his friend Tiny Lund in the 1960s.

    You’ll read about drivers with more wins and championships, but you would be hard pressed to find any with more heart and soul than Tiger Tom Pistone.

    His career is a reflection of the all the drivers who shaped the early beginnings of NASCAR.

    Pistone’s story began in 1950 when he met Andy Granatelli, a promoter at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

    “He more or less organized all the races,” Pistone said. “You run the way he wanted you to run. A lot of people didn’t know but in his races, the white flag was the winner, not the checkered flag. He put a show on.”

    The racers were a different breed and they handled problems with other drivers in their own way, without a rule book or a NASCAR official. Crashing someone on the track or fistfights after the race was not uncommon.

    “In Chicago, it was that way,” Pistone continues. All they did was fight and crash each other. It was pretty bad. But it was exciting for the fans. They loved it.”

    “Back then you had to be a man. I used to tell those guys, we’re all the same size in a racecar. I’m only 5’2” and I used to bring 10 guys with me to every race. You had to.”

    “Tiger” Tom had his admirers back in the day and one of them was a youngster named Fred Lorenzen. “His Mom used to tell me that Freddy wanted to be just like me when he grew up.”

    Pistone goes on to recall how he sold the “great” Lorenzen his first race car.

    Remembering Lorenzen, he says, “He was the first one that did pit stops.” And then he pauses and says, “We used to laugh at him and say what the heck is that guy doing?”

    Both Granatelli and Lorenzen would later play a pivotal role in Pistone’s career. Pistone calls it “the sore spot of my life,” as he recounts the story.

    Pistone came up with the idea to visit his old friend Andy Granatelli and talk him into sponsoring his cars in NASCAR. Granatelli had become prominent as a sponsor in Indianapolis and became an Indianapolis 500 winner in 1969 with driver Mario Andretti.

    “So Tiny and I flew to Indianapolis and we met him in the hotel and we got him to agree to sponsor our car.”

    Or at least they thought they had an agreement. But Granatelli decided to sponsor Fred Lorenzen instead.  However, that partnership didn’t last long and Lorenzen soon lost the sponsorship to Richard Petty. The rest, as they say, is history.

    Jack Roush, owner of Roush Fenway Racing explained the significance of that partnership.

    “When Richard did the STP sponsorship deal it forever changed the business model in American motorsports,” said Jack Roush. “At a time when a lot of people were panicking about money, not unlike today, he and that company presented a solution that changed the face of racing.”

    Pistone’s passion for the sport is evident as he talks about his experiences and the drivers he competed against.

    When he moved his family to North Carolina to continue his career, his biggest competitors were the drivers who got their start running moonshine. According to Pistone, “Junior Johnson was the kingpin and Junior Johnson and I were good friends. Junior helped me a lot in the racing industry. He’s the one that got Winston into racing and Winston put NASCAR on the map. Junior used to help me out with parts. Anything I wanted, he gave me. That’s the only way I survived.”

    Who were the best drivers in NASCAR? According to Pistone, “Larry Frank (Pop), Curtis Turner, Fred Lorenzen and Junior Johnson were some of the toughest drivers in racing.”

    Of course, he didn’t get along with all the drivers.

    “Buck Baker was about the meanest guy I ever met in my life. He just didn’t like Yankees. Jack Smith, guys like Speedy Thompson, they didn’t like Yankees. I didn’t even know I was a Yankee because I didn’t know what history was. When I was in Chicago I threw my history books away so I didn’t understand what they were talking about when they started calling me a Yankee.”

    Another memorable driver was Joe Weatherly who Pistone called, “the comedian of NASCAR.  Joe used to pull so many jokes on us guys.”

    Some of Weatherly’s pranks included stealing all the keys out of everyone’s racecars before the race or stealing all the gas caps. Pistone fondly remembers the time he says “Weatherly messed with the wrong guy.”

    “That guy was my great friend, the late Larry Frank, who we used to call Pop.” Pop chased Weatherly through the parking lot running from rooftop to rooftop. He never caught Weatherly who was still boasting about how he got away the next day.

    “He better be glad Pop did not catch him is all I got to say,” recalls Pistone.

    The stories kept coming as he talks about AJ Foyt.

    You have to remember that back then, the rules weren’t so well defined. Finding the gray areas and seeing how far they could push the boundaries was just part of the sport.

    So what did Pistone think of Foyt?

    “He was a bigger cheater than I was,” he said laughing. Then he tells a story to illustrate his point.

    “Do you remember when Tommy Irwin went into the lake?” This happened at Daytona in 1960 during a qualifying run. Irwin escaped safely, but the incident scared Pistone.

    “I went out and bought a life jacket and an oxygen tube because I couldn’t swim.”

    But Foyt took advantage of the opportunity. “He took one of those (oxygen) tanks, put it in his car and filled it up with nitrous oxide and got away with it. Still laughing, Pistone said, “AJ was the best.”

    At the age of 82, Pistone is still active in the racing industry and shows no interest in slowing down. Pistone will tell you, “If you want to stay young you got to keep working.”

    His business ‘Tiger Tom Pistone Race Cars and Parts’ is thriving. Most days you’ll find him at his shop setting up cars and selling parts for all divisions of racing with an emphasis on Legend and Bandolero cars. He loves to mentor young drivers and is always there to lend a helping hand.

    When he’s not at his shop you’ll usually find him at the track.

    In 1987, Pistone took time off from his race car building and parts business to compete at Hickory Motor Speedway in a race for retired drivers. Showing that he still has what it takes, he took the checkered flag and drove into victory lane once again.

    In the early 1990’s, Pistone began his involvement with the INEX Legends series. This series is often a training ground for drivers hoping to progress to the NASCAR level.

    “When Humpy Wheeler first started it, he needed a technical director to help make the rules,” explained Pistone.  “So that’s how I got involved.  Then my grandsons got in it, and that’s what kept me in racing.”

    Pistone has been active in charities since 1957 and has his own foundation that he calls the Legends of Stock Car Racing. He works to raise money that will help former drivers and crew members who have fallen on hard times. It’s his way of giving back to those who helped make NASCAR what it is today.

    He recently teamed up with Jack Roush to help Steven Kraft, a NASCAR fan with stage four cancer. Pistone’s daughter had learned about the young man on Facebook and her father immediately wanted to do something to help.

    Pistone gives a lot of credit to Jack Roush for taking their idea and making it a reality.

    “Jack Roush is a good man. He helped my daughter Chrissy and I do a decal for David Ragan’s car in honor of Steven Kraft.   Jack Roush is a fine man and has all my respect and my family’s respect. He even texted me pictures of him and David holding the decal up so Steven could watch it from his hospital room. Thank you, Jack and David, for doing this special tribute!”

    It sounds like Pistone has done it all. But he has one more thing he would like to accomplish.

    His newest project is focused on helping one of his grandsons, Tommy III, pursue his NASCAR dream. They’re looking for sponsors now and plan to enter him in the Camping World Truck Series in 2012.

    The name of the team is the ‘Pistone Racing Team” and his crew chief will be the one Tommy III calls his “pint-sized hero, Grandpa Tiger Tom.”

    Tiger Tom and his wife Crystal raised Tommy III since he was 18 months old, after the loss of their son Tommy Jr. Tommy III has been through a lot in his young life. He battled with cancer at the age of 15 but won the fight and the Pistone family thanks God that he is still with them.

    Courage and strength of character are something he learned from his grandparents.

    “We had eight kids, four boys and four girls and we’ve lost a daughter and two sons. It’s not natural to outlive your children.  No parent should have to endure this horrific pain and huge loss and emptiness in your heart. “

    Tiger’s advice is to “cherish every day God gives you with your children or loved ones. Seize the day because a hug, a kiss or anything could be the last time.”

    Pistone is taking his own advice and living each day to its fullest. After all, there’s still one more dream he hopes to achieve. His ultimate goal is to win a championship with his grandson.

    Once a racer, always a racer.

    Achievements:

    1953 – 1955 Three consecutive championships at Soldier Field

    2010 – Inducted into the Racers Reunion Hall of Fame at Memory Lane Museum in Mooresville, NC

    2011 – Recipient of Smokey Yunick Achievement Award in Daytona, FL

    2011 – Recipient of Smokey Yunick Achievement Award at Charlotte Motor Speedway

    2011- Inducted into Jacksonville Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame on December 10, 2011

    2012 –Will be inducted into Illinois Stock Car Hall of Fame on April 14, 2012

    Award from The Augusta International Speedway presented in an oak framed glass display with a picture of the Speedway in Atlanta and an original guardrail bolt

    A Special Thanks to Tiger Tom Pistone and his daughter Chrissy and to Racing Radio 740 The Game

  • Bristol Motor Speedway Promises to Deliver – Sprint Cup Preview

    Bristol Motor Speedway Promises to Deliver – Sprint Cup Preview

    Bristol Motor Speedway had humble beginnings.

    [media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”241″][/media-credit]In 1960 Larry Carrier and Carl Moore visited Charlotte Motor Speedway and came away with a dream. They wanted to build a race track in Tennessee.

    But the goal was not to imitate. They had a vision of a half-mile track with turns banked at 22 degrees and amphitheater style seating that would offer a more personal experience for race fans.

    With the help of R.G. Pope, the dream of Bristol International Speedway became a reality and the first race was run on July 30, 1961. The seating capacity was 18,000.

    A practice session was held for ‘The Volunteer 500’ on July 27, 1961 and Tiny Lund was the first driver on the new track. Fred Lorenzen won the pole for the first race with a speed of 79.225 mph. The 1960 Rookie of the Year, David Pearson, was there, becoming the first driver to drive the No. 3 at Bristol.

    Jack Smith became the first winner at Bristol even though he wasn’t in the car when the race ended. He made it to lap 290 but had to turn the car over to relief driver Johnny Allen, due to severe blistering on his feet.

    Throughout the years, there have been many changes. The name has changed, ownership has changed and the track has undergone a few makeovers.

    In 1969 the banked turns were  increased  up to 36 degrees, the track size was enlarged  to .533 miles and in 1992, they switched to a concrete surface.  Today the seating capacity is approximately 160,000. The current Sprint Cup qualifying record is 128.709 mph and was set by Ryan Newman on March 21, 2003.

    There has however been one constant.  Bristol Motor Speedway is short track racing at its best. The drivers love it and the fans can’t get enough.

    Dale Earnhardt got his first Cup win at Bristol in 1979. Other first time winners include Rusty Wallace, Ernie Irvan, Elliot Sadler and Kurt Busch.

    The 2011 Sprint Cup season has already seen five first time winners. Will we add another name to the list at Bristol Motor Speedway?

    Anticipation is building for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol this Saturday as drivers try to snare a spot in the Chase.

    Kyle Busch has already clinched at least a Wild Card slot in the Chase with his win at Michigan. He is also a favorite to win this weekend. He swept all three series last August and has 11 wins at Bristol, including five in the Cup Series. Those five wins tie him with Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch, for most among active drivers.

    Darrell Waltrip currently holds the record for most driver wins with 12 (7 consecutively).

    We could also be looking at a little rivalry between the Busch brothers. Kyle’s win at Michigan was his 23rd Sprint Cup victory which mirrors brother Kurt’s 23 total wins.

    Brad Keselowski is another one to watch at Bristol Saturday night.

    Only a month ago he was 23rd in points and didn’t appear to have any chance of making the Chase. Three weeks ago, he broke his ankle and everyone counted him out. But then the unthinkable happened. Instead of giving up, he used the injury as motivation and has rebounded to 12th in the points standings.

    His win at Pocono plus a second place finish at Watkins Glen and a third place finish at Michigan have moved him up to only 52 points outside the top ten.

    For all the Chase contenders, the number to remember this weekend is 97. Any driver leaving Bristol with a 97 point lead over 11th place will guarantee themselves a spot in the Chase. All of the top eight drivers can mathematically reach this goal.

    On the Wild Card front, Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin have laid claim to the top two spots. Keselowski has two wins and Hamlin has one victory. Hamlin scores the second spot because of points position.

    Paul Menard in 18th place and David Ragan in 20th, each have one win and are still in the running for a wild card slot. Marcos Ambrose and Regan Smith each have victories, but currently sit outside the top 20.

    Bristol is also the final race for drivers to become eligible for the Sprint Summer Showdown. The Bristol winner will join Paul Menard, Brad Keselowski, Marcos Ambrose and Kyle Busch, who have all secured a spot. If one of these eligible drivers wins at Atlanta, they will claim a million dollar payout. The driver’s charity and one fan will also receive a million dollars.

    It’s getting crunch time in the ‘Race to the Chase’ and Bristol Motor Speedway promises to deliver a night of excitement. You never know what will happen but one thing is certain. You don’t want to miss it.