You Can't Have It Both Ways

When I was running Dirt Tracks in the Late 60's, there would always be some extra curricular activity at the pay window. Sometimes it was prudent to take a tire iron along when going to get your lap money, based on what happened during action on the track. Somebody is always ticked-off about something that happened on the track. This is what stock car racing has been since it's beginning.

The local promoters for the Bojangle's 500 Saturday night, used the after race altercation between Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick in last years race, to sell tickets for the event. I read one report where that scene was depicted on billboards throughout the area to get fans to the track for round two.

ESPN and Fox Sports has used the comical video from the incident last year as hype to promo both, the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races, using anything to intice fans to tune in for both nights action. A little drama goes a long way in encouraging viewers to watch the broadcasts.

This brings me to the point. A big deal has now been made out of the incident on Pit Road between pit crews for Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman. This has to be fodder for next weeks All Star Race in Charlotte. After all, this isn't a points race, so everyone needs to be watching their rear view mirror for someone with a grudge to settle. This makes good stories, and gets everyone to tune in Saturday night to see what is going to happen next.

Evidently Kurt Busch, angry about the late race incident that took him out of contention for a good finish, which by the way he wasn't upset at Newman, burned out of his pit narrowly missing Newman pit crew members. This angered Newman crew to the point of wanting a pound of flesh after the race. There was some shoving and jawing, and a Nascar official was pushed, or slipped , leaving Nascar and Robin Pemberton  to get involved after it was over.

When these high dollar sponsors we currently have in the Sprint Cup series threw in with the Rough and Rowdy Nascar crowd, didn't they understand what they were getting into, or wasn't it explained to them? Didn't they see the first prime time Daytona 500 ever televised in 1979, when Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison decided to settle on-track problems after the checkered flag? They must have left before all the action was over, and didn't watch the fight in turn three after the race. To date, that is still the most memorable part of the race. Most people don't remember that Richard Petty ended a 45 race win-less streak and hoisted the trophy.

This attitude puts Nascar in the precarious position of having to police the situation and hand out fines or suspensions for activity that is just part of the sport. The fans and media eat this activity up. Racing is not a gentlemans sport. If that's what they want, they need to invest their advertising dollars in Golf, and leave racing to the spark plug and shocks advertisers, that understand what it's about.

I don't think Big Bill France Sr. would have allowed these types of sponsors to push him into modifying his sport so much, that it has become almost unwatchable from a fans point of view. I lay the blame for the state of Nascar squarely at Mike Helton's feet where it belongs. I think Big Bill would have understood that you can't have it both ways.

Finally: 200 Wins For Rick Hendrick

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I know that with the "Lion's Share" of  the first 199 wins, Jeff Gordon would want to give Rick Hendrick Number 200, but the bad luck that has plagued the Drive To End Hunger Dupont Chevrolet this season, would continue on this night at Darlington. Jimmie Johnson, however, was on a mission Saturday Night in the BoJangles 500 to get that elusive 200th win for his boss.

The Racing world has been waiting since October to  have this celebration, that everyone knew was coming, and it couldn't have come at a better time, on a beautiful Saturday Night with all the Mom's in attendance at the place where modern stock car racing began. This was the perfect place at the perfect time. It was only fitting that The Lady In Black would provide the setting.

Jimmie Johnson, in his Lowes Chevrolet would not be denied in a race that started out to be a battle of tire management, and ended up being decided by fuel management. After a late race caution, Martin Truex who was a force to be reckoned with all night in his Napa Auto Parts Toyota, came down pit road for tires and a load of  Sunoco fuel, found himself back in the pack 10 places in back of the leaders who didn't pit. This is a mistake that took him out of contention.

During three subsequent cautions, The Lowes Chevrolet was deep in fuel management mode, turning his engine off and coasting, only starting it as necessary, to keep up with the pace car. This was necessary to hold off a hard charging Tony Stewart, who had not been a factor until late in the race. Tony would run out of fuel on the last lap, and finish behind Denny Hamlin in third place.  Smoke said in an interview after race that his fuel pressure was dropping during the one-to-go, which was evident as he pulled his Office Depot Chevy down on the apron, to keep his gas tank level. His presents occupied Denny Hamlin long enough to let Jimmie Johnson get a lead he would not relinquish.

Jimmie Johnson ended a win-less streak that went back to the Hollywood Casino 400 in October of  last year. After a controversial start at Daytona in February, where he was fined and docked 25 Driver Points, and a Lap 1 crash in the Daytona 500, rendered a 42nd place finish, JJ has been on a mission to get back into contention. His win Saturday night pushes him up three positions to share 5th  with Martin Trues Jr, only 39 points behind Leader Greg Biffle.

Car owner Rick Hendrick had to make two trips to Nascar,s arbitration board, where he pleaded his case, and got Jimmie Johnson's 25 points restored, as well as fines and suspensions reversed for his Crew Chief and Car Boss. This vaulted the Lowes Chevrolet back into contention, and Jimmie Johnson has done the rest.

The Victory Lane celebration included interviews from all who had contributed to the 200 win milestone, including Geoff Bodine who was the first, at Martinsville in 1984. The Speed Channel festivities included past Hendrick drivers Darrel Waltrip, Rickey Rudd and Terry Labonte. Nascars most successful owner was heralded by all who has been part of his storied career in this sport. Everyone to a man lauded the fact that when you work for Rick Hendrick, you become part of his family, and anytime you needed anything, you could always call, and he would be there.

The Little Track That Could

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I think Kasey Kahne had some unfinished business at Rockingham. In the last Cup Race at "The Rock" in 2004, he lost to Matt Kenseth by only .0010 seconds. I'm sure that was on his mind as he climbed into his Number 4 Turner Motorsports Chevy, and drove to the last row where he had to start due to not qualifying. Kasey finally pushed to the front on lap 155 and held off James Buscher , his Teamate, after a restart with 20 laps to go. The race wasn't as close as the 2004 ending, but gave Kahne his 4th Camping World Truck Series win in just five starts.

It was nice to see a race from The Rock again. From the looks of it on Television, new track owner Andy Hillenburg had the old track ready for this opportunity and had a pretty good crowd with just over 27,000 in attendance to witness the old tracks return to racing.

The Rock is a 1.017 mile D-Oval track with 22 and 28 degree banking in the corners and 8 degrees on the straightaways. It's rough asphalt surface tends to give crew chiefs tire management nightmares. For older Race Fans such as myself, who really enjoy short track racing, it was awesome.

During a time when Nascar was experiencing a rapid upward spiral in popularity, fans and Television support, the small 34,000 seat track was declining in attendance and viewed as old, too close to Charlotte and not up to date with all of the new safety features mandated after Dale Earnhardt's death at the 2001 Daytona 500. The venue wasn't worthy of the new higher end Nascar fans, so all racing was relocated to warmer weather cities that had other entertainment for the fan base on race weekends. Thus, with it's close proximity to Charlotte, became a good place to test. With Nascar's newer rules regarding testing, it was ideal for teams to have a track where they could go.

I am hoping Mr. Hillenburg can put together more racing at this track and convince Nascar they need this historical track back on the schedule. The one roadblock that I see, is Race Sponsorship. As in all events today, the Corporate Muscle behind an event can make or break it. Some of the old demons that plagued the track in 2004 are still present. It is still a small venue and not on peoples destinations for their entertainment dollars. It isn't enough anymore to just have great racing, we have to be totally entertained for the whole time we visit.

Who knows, with the decline of attendance and popularity that Nascar is experiencing now, maybe they will turn their attention back to the roots of stock car racing and get back to the loyal race fans they have always had. Here's hoping!