He Said: Wow, where did the off season go? Seems like only yesterday that we were “he saying, she saying”
and it has been more than a month; closer to two actually. How about the teams and drivers? They go from early February to
mid November racing. That does not take into account testing and developing. Where is their “off season?” Yeah,
I know they get paid big bucks, but that is not true for the crews. The drivers get big bucks and the crew chiefs get paid
well, but the others do not garner as much. Where is the love for them? Oh wait, the love is in making cars go as fast as
they can make them go under the rules and the 40 year old technology that NASCAR makes them run under. Still, while the “off
season” seemed so long to me while I was not writing, it just flew past while I was supposed to be writing and did not.
A race team is not afforded that luxury, they have to keep going or they will be left behind. For me it was a good object
lesson.
She said: There really doesn't seem to be an off season for NASCAR does there? As much as I live for racing and
crave to know more about it, I think the season is just too long. That is another valid reason why NASCAR will never compete
with the NFL. Every single game is significant for any NFL team; there is no room for error. For the most part in NASCAR,
each team has ample time to rebound long before the Chase. Look at Junior, two 43rd place finishes in a row mid summer and
he was still able to rebound nicely. That isn't the case in the NFL. It makes it more exciting in that respect. NASCAR is
technology driven and there is no rest for the weary. Things change in an instant, so these teams cannot "rest" because too
much down time will cause a good team to fall behind in a hurry.
Dale Jr. and Theresa,
Who is Committed to Who?
He Said: The craziness at DEI continues. Now Theresa is reportedly questioning Junior’s commitment. Yawn.
It seems to me to be nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt and not a very bright one at that. Just what Junior and
his team need in the last couple of weeks leading up to the start of the season, packs of media hounds slobbering over the
chance he may not resign with DEI. If it is not a publicity stunt why start something like this by calling him out in a newspaper
interview? That’s not even” good tacky” as we say here in the South. DEI needs Junior much more than Junior
needs DEI. Cash drives a race team and Junior is the engineer, fireman, brakeman, and conductor all rolled into one in that
teams money train. Paul Menard may bring the Menard’s sponsorship with him, but that will not get the job done without
Junior and all the sponsors he generates. There is not a team in racing that would not hire Junior in a nano second for nearly
any terms he would dictate. Any team that would go over the team limit as dictated by NASCAR would fire a driver to hire Junior.
It is a no brainer.
She said: I don't think Teresa's comments were a publicity stunt, I think she meant what she said, despite not
having a valid point. NASCAR as we know it today is a publicity driven sport. Drivers are the direct link between sponsors
and fans. That is why we see more and more drivers in commercials and on television shows. Being a public figure goes hand
in hand with being a driver in NASCAR today. I do agree, Junior is DEI, not only in name but in revenue. Whether or not fans
think it is deserved, he attracts a lot of attention and a lot of money is thrown at DEI because of Junior. If he walks, so
does a lot of money for DEI. But despite all the attention from the fans and media, I think Junior will stay put at DEI. He
wants to be there, he wants to win championships for his daddy's company and I think he will stay as long as he gets more
control in the racing part of the company. Teresa is the owner, but her concern seems to be more directed towards the legacy
of Dale Sr. and how his likeness is used. She needs to step up her profile in the racing side of the company and get the teams
to a place where they can hang with teams like Hendrick and Gibbs. If not, she is falling short on what Dale Sr. wanted from
his teams.
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Toyota
in Nextel Cup
He Said: I know how fond you are of Toyota entering NASCAR, so you
must be heart broken at their early test speeds in Daytona. Are they real or are they holding back? As a first year stockcar
team I do not see how they could get accurate data by sand bagging, especially since they have to qualify by time for every
race.
She said: I wasn't really surprised by testing this past week. Across the board some teams looked strong and others
struggled. The Toyota camp was no different. I wasn't surprised by Dale Jarrett's
times during testing. DJ knows how to get around that Superspeedway pretty well. I also wasn't surprised by Michael Waltrip's
struggle. I do not think he cannot be a driver and a car owner at the same time. He has two other cars to worry about besides
his own. Something will suffer and much like last year, it will be Michael. Toyota
was not extremely dominant during the testing. Yes, a few drivers did well, but testing means very little. The true test will
come on qualifying day and during the dual races.
Car of Tomorrow
(COT), A Good Thing?
He Said: I know I am in the small minority, but I am anxious to see the COT in a 43 car race. I do not see all
the controversy as it will debut at the smaller tracks, with Bristol being the
first. How can they screw up Bristol? It is a one groove, highly banked ½ mile
wreck fest where the only way to pass is the bump and run. Talk about a track that needs some repaving……………
She said: Bristol in need of repaving? Oh lord, you have been away
much too long. I do think making that track the debut for the COT is a bit odd. I cannot see where that track would be an
accurate measurement of how well the car will do. The COT should be raced somewhere like Daytona, Atlanta,
or even Darlington first. That would be a better gauge as to what the car is lacking and the strength
of the car. Bristol is not the place to "test" run the COT.
A Change in the
Chase
He Said: A last minute change to the chase format, I like it and do not like it. Instead of 10 drivers, the field
will be expanded to the top 12, and the top 12 alone. No more "within 400 points of the leader" rule. The way the points are
assigned for the last 10 races will change as well. Now all twelve drivers will receive 5000 points plus 10 points for each
win they had in the preceding 26 races.
I like the 5000 points to start plus 10 points per win. Not only
does the "chase driver" with the most wins get an advantage, but that driver also gets an advantage each week he (or she if
that ever happens) wins. Racing should be about winning. Now it is more important to do so. I do not like expanding the field.
So what that Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Tony Stewart did not make the chase. Had they run better during the year
they would have. Will they change it next year to the top 15, and then the top 20 the year after that? Ten was good.
She said: I do not like the minimal points NASCAR is giving out for winning a race. There should be a huge reward
for winning. NASCAR says more emphasis should be put on winning not just finishing in the top ten. They missed the boat on
that one. I do not like any of the changes to the Chase. It rewards mediocrity and it dilutes the championship format.
I am not sure how I feel about how they line the drivers up once the Chase starts. On one hand rewarding them for winning
is good, but to set the points based on that isn't a good idea. NASCAR made Kasey Kahne an example due to his season high
six wins. But you cannot forget that the reason he had trouble making the Chase was due to on track performance. One week
he could win the next he would wreck out. A championship winning driver needs to be more consistent than that. Yes, winning
is the key, but winning one week and wrecking the next just doesn't make a driver look dominate or championship worthy. I
like that drivers get bonus points for winning prior to the Chase, but I don't like that it sets the standings according to
that. I say go back to the old point system. This is all getting too confusing.
2006 StockCar Review.
