Iowa-Girl

Toby Kruse named GM of Knoxville Raceway

2011-10-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday, Knoxville Raceway announced that Toby Kruse had been selected by the Marion County Fair Board as general manager and promoter of the raceway. Kruse will take over from retiring Ralph "Cappy" Capitani at the end of the year.

Kruse has extensive experience in motorsports, ranging from announcing, flagging, occasionally driving, and managing both Marshalltown Speedway and Beatrice Speedway.

As someone who has attended many races at Marshalltown and Knoxville, I am excited that Toby will be taking the helm and I anticipate good things!

Death of an Icon: National Speed Sport News Stops Publishing

2011-03-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

National Speed Sport News announced this week that the March 23, 2011 print edition was the last. While the company will continue with an online presence, it was no longer financially feasible to continue publishing.

NSSN has been a motorsports staple since 1934. Published weekly, it provided photos, news stories, commentary and advertising for all of the big motorsports events.

Personally, I loved getting each issue and reading it from cover to cover. NSSN contained information on all the main forms of racing: Formula One, Nascar, sprint cars, NHRA, and a few local events as well. It was a great way to get "one stop" shopping done for my racing news.

Hopefully, the online resource continues to flourish. Farewell, NSSN print edition, it was great welcoming you into my home.

Nascar Swings at 'wide Whacking; Kills Series Instead

2011-01-11T19:35:00.001-06:00

Complaints about Bush-whacking or 'wide Whacking as it is now known (at least in my lexicon) have been legion for years.

According to the complaints, every year, Sprint Cup racers win the series championships in the Nationwide series. Sprint Cup racers cherry pick the biggest purses in the Nationwide series and win them, starving the smaller teams. Cup racers take driving jobs from other drivers in the lower series.

While some of the complaints are legitimate, Nascar has benefited greatly from the practice of Cup drivers racing in the Nationwide and truck series. But Nascar has determined to change this starting immediately. This year, drivers must select which series they accrue points in: in other words, if a driver runs both Cup and Nationwide, point will only be awarded in one series.

{It remains to be seen how this affects the rookie rule - which says a driver cannot have more than 6 starts in the Cup series to remain eligible for rookie status the next year. If you don't get points in Cup, it shouldn't matter if you run 20 Cup races, right?}

The new rule has problems, as far as I can tell. First, while it doesn't remove the monetary incentive to Cup drivers, it does remove some of it. Money collected from points fund payouts in lower series do subsidize driver's, owner's and team's coffers. The extra money for wins still will apply, so that will lure a few Cup drivers in.

Second, the rule will have severe implications in sponsorship deals. If Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, or Brad Keselowski do not have the option to win a championship, will they run? If they don't run, will their sponsors leave the sport? Sponsors select drivers and teams to get the most bang for their buck. Kyle Busch can practically guarantee that he will get TV coverage - regardless whether he wins or finishes last. Can Shelby Howard, Jennifer Cobb or Kelly Bires deliver that? There are sponsors who are willing to sponsor Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin or Kevin Harvick who will not sponsors a driver named Trevor Bayne, Ricky Stenhouse, Danny O'Quinn or Brett Moffitt.

If Dale Earnhardt Jr, the most popular driver in Nascar, has sponsorship woes with his teams, what hope do the rest of the teams have??

Third, the tracks will suffer. If the Cup drivers aren't at the track, will the fans show up? While this may not matter at tracks where the race is paired with a Cup race, it will impact tracks like Iowa Speedway, Nashville, Montreal, Road America, Memphis, etc. Will drivers make the cross-country trip to the Nationwide race from a Cup race? Why bother if a championship isn't on the line?

More importantly, if the fans think Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano are not coming, will the fans bother going to the race?

I suspect the rule has a bit more sinister purpose: kill the tracks without a Cup race. A look at those tracks reveals that those tracks are largely owned by Non-ISC corporations. Remember that ISC is owned by the France family. If the Non-ISC owned tracks have to close (a la Gateway or Memphis), then those races can go to other tracks, say ones ISC owns.

The simple math is: France family money from Nascar + France family money from ISC = $$$$$$

The problem is that this rule will affect more than tracks, as it will likely drive out sponsors, teams and fans in addition to the Cup drivers.

2010 Boone Supernationals

2010-09-12T12:54:00.000-05:00

First, let me start by telling you I love the Boone Supernationals. It is an experience unlike any other. If you love racing, you really need to add this event to your "Must-See" list.

The Supernationals are a weeklong dirt track racing festival. This year over 805 cars participated in over 340 races, with 2,000+ green flag laps, all culminating in six Champions. A Typical race day starts at 3 p.m. and ends somewhere between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. (No, I'm not kidding).

Sponsored by IMCA, the Supernationals draw racers and fans from all over the U.S. and Canada. This year, the crowd was more diversified than ever. The fans that pack the stands and the campgrounds are friendly, excited, and willing to talk racing at any level (Nascar, local track, F1, sprint cars). There are plenty of activities during the week - meeting the drivers, pancake breakfasts, parades, and whatever else happens in racing campgrounds.

The racing is truly at the grassroots level. Most of the drivers hold another job and use the Supernationals as their vacation for the year. They have raced weekly at their local track; some are track champions, while others are just guys looking for a good time and a race. While there are sponsorships, they are local sponsorships - the town plumber, hotel, restaurant, towing service and parts supplier. You won't find DuPont, Home Depot or M&M's here. Cars are more likely to be sponsored by Mom & Dad, Toby K's Hideaway, Harris Auto, Smith Farms or Victory Chassis.

Fans have favorites, demonstrated by their T-shirts and cheers, but they are also willing to boo a driver for bad driving. (Last night a fistfight broke out on track between drivers during a last chance race, which sparked some excitement.) At the same time, drivers are welcomed into the stands after their events and chat with the fans.

Last night, four Champions were crowned in the Hobby Stock, Stock Car, SportModified and Modified classes. Jason Wilkinson of Neligh, Nebraska won the Hobby Stock A Main; Jeremy Christians of Horicon, Wisconsin won the Stock Car A Main; Brett Meyer of Lytton, Iowa won the SportMod Championship; Jimmy Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa was crowned the Modified Champion.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the races, talking to racing friends, meeting a few new ones, and getting lots of dirt blown on me.

Let's say taking three showers to get clean afterwards did not dampen my enthusiasm for the night...

The Hub-Bub Over Busch-Keselowski

2010-08-21T17:20:00.000-05:00

Kyle Busch dumped Brad Keselowski on his way to a Nationwide series win last night.

And Busch even admitted it in post-race interviews. Now, some are claiming Busch was too aggressive and should be penalized. And maybe he should. I'd guess Nascar flipped a coin in the trailer and it came up roses for Busch. On the other hand, Keselowski drives like he owns the place at nearly every track - maybe the powers that be decided he deserved what he got.

So much for consistency in policing the on-track retaliation. That, of course, is Nascar.

What I am most impressed with is that Busch felt comfortable enough to admit he dumped Keselowski. And that Keselowski felt comfortable enough to say he was planning retaliation. The truth is, anyone watching the tape can see it was retaliation and anyone with half a brain knows there will be payback by Keselowski on Busch.

The bigger issue is whether Nascar really wants to go this way. Is it OK if the retaliation happens at Bristol as it is a short track with lower speeds than a speedway? What happens if, a couple weeks from the Chase cut off, the two get into someone trying to make the Chase? Or if someone in the Chase already is injured to the degree he can't drive?

Smacking down their talk won't really prevent these things from happening, just the drivers from talking about them. Perhaps having it out in the open is enough to alert everyone involved to watch out for these two on the track.

I'd like to propose another option. Why couldn't the fans decide who is at fault? Put it to a vote using email addresses, so 1 vote per person - vote for the person who is at fault. Driver at fault (the Loser) pays $100,000 to a charity of the Winner's choice. Heck, let the fan vote account for 40% of the vote, give another 40% to the other drivers and owners and 20% to Nascar. This way, the score is settled and everyone can move on without feeling that the other guy got away with something. And, a few charities would be made a lot richer.

Things I learned the 50th Knoxville Nationals

2010-08-15T15:52:00.000-05:00

Last night was the 50th running of the Knoxville Nationals. A crowd of over 23,000 watched the 50 lap feature. I spent most of the day volunteering at the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (one of my favorite places). Here is what I learned while in Knoxville all day.

1. Aussies love sprint car racing. Each year, more and more Aussies show up at Knoxville. One man I spoke with last night estimated that a couple thousand Aussies were at the Nationals. Amazingly, the local and national media haven't picked up on this story - that Aussies come to America to visit IOWA to watch racing.

2. Race Fans Can't Recognize Drivers. Fans wearing Tony Stewart gear won't recognize Smoke, even if he holds the door for them and waits with them for an elevator. Fans are no better at seeing Kasey Kahne when he is walking around either. Apparently, remove the firesuit, become invisible.

3. Aussies are flirts. Do I really need to explain this?

4. It ain't over until it's over. With 5 to go, it appeared that the race would either go to Donny Schatz or Sammy Swindell. The pair started swapping the lead each turn until with 3 to go, Swindell's left rear tire blew. Then everyone presumed Schatz would win (some fans left the stands at this point). Then on the restart, Schatz's engine started to go and Tim Shaffer motored to the win.

5. Good guys can finish first. I met Tim several years ago when he made a special trip into the museum to sign some items for a benefit. This was despite the fact he was unable to race at the time because of an injury. But he still made the trip and followed through with the things he had committed to do. That speaks volumes for his character.

50th Knoxville Nationals

2010-08-13T17:52:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night is the 50th Knoxville Nationals. It won't be broadcast live on SPEED this year, but it will be on SPEED later this month.

All this week, sprint car drivers have been battling for a spot in the A Main. Tonight, a scramble will be held to actually line up the top point-getting cars. The top 20 drivers, who are locked into the show, are:

1. 21 Brian Brown 484
2. 1s Sammy Swindell 482
3. 22 Greg Hodnett 477
4. 15 Donny Schatz 477
5. 11 Steve Kinser 474
6. 13x Daryn Pittman 473
7. 83 Tim Shaffer 470
8. 57 Shane Stewart 470
9. 41 Jason Johnson 468
10. 2B Dale Blaney 468
11. 3 Kerry Madsen 464
12. 2 Skip Jackson 463
13. 12 Lynton Jeffrey 461
14. 7s Jason Sides 461
15. 91 Dusty Zomer 455
16. 56 Davey Heskin 452
17. 63 Chad Kemenah 452
18. 9 Joey Saldana 447
19. 98 Erin Crocker 445
20. 7TW Brandon Wimmer 442

So, on Saturday, the drivers not in the A Main will try to charge through the field and start at the back of the A Main, hoping they can make it to the front of the pack. Everyone will be gunning for Donny Schatz, who is attempting to win his fifth Knoxville Nationals in a row.

Attempting to win this year are a father-son duo from Australia, Max and Mitch Dumesny, neither is currently in the A Main. Another father-son duo, who have both won the Nationals, are Steve & Kraig Kinser - Kraig is in the D Main and Steve is in the A Main. Other family connections are Brian Brown (the top point-getter) is the nephew of Danny Lasoski, who is in the C Main.

Tomorrow night, they all will have one last shot at immortality. Not only does a Knoxville Nationals trophy put you on the sprint car map, it pays well, with a total purse of over $1 million.

Nascar's New Silence Policy

2010-08-01T11:48:00.001-05:00

Nascar announced last week it had fined two undisclosed drivers for remarks they made disparaging the sport. Nascar wants to develop this policy to keep up with the NBA, NFL, and other major sports.

The "small" problem is that Nascar is not like other major sports. The NBA, NFL and MLB are all unionized sports that provide a variety of helps to their players. All three major sports have contracting helps for players coming into the league, minimum salary requirements, health insurance and retirement benefits.

Nascar does not allow a players' union, does not provide health insurance and does not require or provide retirement benefits. Using the argument that each driver/crew chief/ crew member is an independent contractor, Nascar has strenuously rebuffed unionization.

Curtis Turner, a man who should be in the Nascar Hall of Fame for his driving skills, if not for his part in developing Charlotte Motor Speedway with Bruton Smith, tried to unionize Nascar back in the 1960's. Big Bill France responded by banning him for life from the sport (this was eventually lifted several years later).

More recently, the issue of standardized retirement contributions reared its head when Sam Ard, a Busch series champion, had no retirement, and fell on hard times as he aged. Despite the rallying of drivers and the media, Nascar basically said, "Sorry, we aren't responsible for drivers retirement and we won't provide a retirement plan for drivers as they are independent contractors."

Now Nascar wants to have its cake and eat it too. It wants to punish "independent contractors" for saying things against the sport while at the same time not providing the benefits the other major sports do.

If Nascar wants to have drivers tow the line, then it needs to pony up some of the benefits of the other major sports' unionization - particularly retirement benefits, open disclosure of contracts (like the others), provide health care insurance, and help young drivers moving into the sport.

Shame on them for taking and without giving.

Flag It: A Look at the Language of Racing Flags

2010-07-24T17:37:00.000-05:00

I had originally posted this information on Foxsports a couple years ago. However, as I was at the track a couple weeks ago, I realized again how often people do not know what the flags mean. So, here is a refresher for you. Remember that local tracks and sanctioning bodies may have different rules for each flag (or may not even use some of these flags).

One of my favorite things to do during a race is watch the flagman. Regardless if it is a six lap heat race or a 400 mile race, the flagman is conversing with all the drivers during the whole event.

Knowing what the flags mean helps the spectator understand what is going on during the race. Most race fans know the basics, but are unable to explain what the black flag with white cross means. Be forewarned, however, that different series have different rules pertaining to the flags they display.

Green Flag: Shown to start the race. Will typically be shown when no other flag is appropriate. Some sanctioning bodies (USAC, WoO, IMCA) will only count laps run under green flag conditions, others (Nascar, IRL, F1) will count laps run under other flags. An Interesting note, Formula One now uses a green light system to start the race, but before that used the National Flag of the country to start the race.

Yellow Flag:  Slow and maintain position as there is a hazard on the track. Universal.  In Formula One, the location and movement of the flag or flags indicate where the hazard is on the track or off the track. This flag is also used by Nascar to indicate during a practice session that cars should pit immediately.

Yellow & Red Stripped Flag: Varies slightly by sancationing body: In Nascar, used on road courses only to indicate debris or slippery condition.
In F1, it means a "deterioration of adhesion" due to oil or water on the track ahead.   In IRL, means oil or slippery condition.

Red Flag:  Stop immediately. Usually indicates the track is unsafe or blocked. In F1, it indicates the cars should immediately go to pit road.

Red with Yellow Cross: Pits are closed. Used primarily in the IRL. Not used in F1. Nascar may have used in the past, but does not use currently.

Black Flag:  Shown to individual car. Means penalty of some sort, and consultation in the pits is required.  Some sanctioning bodies use to indicate mechanical problems as well as driving problems. If shown for consecutive laps (usually between 2-4) , with driver ignoring the flag, will eventually mean the car is no longer scored.  Formula One uses two other black flags, one which is be half white with diagnoal stripe, which means car has committed unsportsmanlike conduct. And the other is black with an orange disk, indicating mechanical problems, pull into pits immediately.

Black Flag with White Cross: Car no longer scored. Shown after car ignored Black Flag. Also indicates whatever you did wrong is now more serious as you just disregarded race officials request for a consultation.

Blue with Yellow Stripe: Faster car approaching. In Nascar, does not mean you must give way. In F1, this flag is solid blue.

White Flag:  One lap left in race.

Checkered Flag: Race is complete. Car who finishes laps first, wins.

White with Red Stripe or Cross: In IRL, with Red Cross means ambulance on course.



Information from Nascar.com, IndyCar.com, FIA.com, champcarworldseries.com, and wikipedia. Flag artwork from Nascar.com, IndyCar.com, and Champcarworldseries.com

Instant Messages from Hendrick Motorsports

2010-04-26T12:24:00.003-05:00

Monday, April 19, 2010 at 5:04 p.m.

JG#24: Rick, I'm a bit frustrated with Jimmie.

RH: Jeff, I watched the race. I don't think he did anything wrong.

JG#24: Maybe not technically, but I think he is racing too hard. It's gonna lead to a crash sometime. Can't he at least be less aggressive when it doesn't matter about position?

RH: I'll talk with him. But the two of you need to work this out.

RH: And when exactly is position not important?

JG#24: I'll call him tomorrow. I think he's pressing too hard since he may miss a race for the baby's birth. Of all people, I know how important that is, but luck is going to run out. He cost me this race.

RH: I thought Stewart and Edwards caused the crash?!?

JG#24: I still think Jimmie was in the wrong. He's in on this. Maybe through Knaus.

RH: You think Jimmie paid Tony & Carl to crash you out???

JG#24: It is possible.

RH: Did you hit your head in that crash or something?

JG#24: Knaus is always up to something. And he seems to have all this information. Stewart has a few bad things in his closet. I'm sure Knaus knows how to use them.

RH: Knaus and Jimmie had nothing to do with your crash. Crashes happen in racing.

RH: As far as I'm concerned, this issue is closed. You boys can work it out.

JG#24: Fine. But if it continues, I'll be back to talk about it again. And I'll deal with it on track too.

RH: Give Ingrid my best. And give Ella a kiss for me.

JG#24: I will.

CK#48: Rick, we need to talk about the 24 team.

RH: Chad, what could you possibly be worrying about the 24 team for?

CK#48: Tomorrow I'll come and talk with you.

RH: I guess.

Sunday, April 25, 2010 at 7:10 p.m.

JG#24: DID YOU SEE WHAT JJ DID TO ME??!??!?!?!?!?!!!!!!

RH: Jeff, I'm sure that Jimmie has a reason.

JG#24: Rick, he's trying to take me out. He's trying to be the next driver to 5 Championships.

RH: And what's

JG#24: He plans to do it by crashing me every week so I can't get any points.

RH: I don't think that h

JG#24: You need to do something.

RH: Like

JG#24: As 48.48% owner, I think we should fire him.

RH: You're kidding right?

JG#24: No. He's pushed me too far this time.

RH: He's the reigning champion

JG#24: No one is above firing.

RH: Even you.

JG#24: I have a lifetime contract. So I am above that.

RH: We gave Jimmie one too.

DE#88: Mr. Hendrick, I was hoping we'd pull off the win, but maybe next week.

RH: Dale, I thought you looked great out there. I'm sure Lance will have some ideas for next time. A win is definitely on your horizon. Soon.

DE#88: Thanks. I think Lance and I are working well. But I'd still like to work with Chad, if that is ever a possibility.

RH: Keep working at it. I doubt Chad will be working with anyone else anytime soon.

JG#24: Well

RH: I don't think that Jimmie

JG#24: We need a spot for Kasey next year, let's give him the 48.

RH: So you want to fire Jimmie at the end of the Year????

JG#24: No, I want him fired right now.

RH: I'm not firing him now. Or later. We'll work out something for Kasey.

JG#24: Then let's fine him.

RH: Since when have we fined anyone for anything???

JG#24: We should have fined Knaus for all that cheating.

JG#24: See you let them get by with EVERYTHING.

RH: We didn't fine Ray when he was tinkering with things.

RH: To your benefit, I might add

JG#24: Ray never did half the stuff Chad has gotten by with, let alone what he's been caught doing.

RH: I don't think Chad cheats.

JG#24: And I KNOW Knaus has bugged our garage or something. He knows EVERYTHING

RH: Jeff, we share information across the teams.

JG#24: But he knows stuff we've never shared.

RH: You're keeping stuff from the team?!?

JG#24: I mean that Steve and I have secrets that no one else could know. Chad knows them. How could he do that?

RH: Chad does not have time to try to find out your secrets. Are you getting paranoid on me? Knaus is too busy innovating.

JG#24: I think he does more blackmailing and that hides the lack of innovation - and he steals from other teams.

RH: What are you talking about?

JG#24: The only way he didn't get a longer suspension last time was that he has something on either France or Helton. Maybe both.

RH: You think Chad is blackmailing Nascar????

JG#24: I'm not so sure that he isn't blackmailing you!

RH: Jeff, why don't you get some sleep an we'll talk about this in the morning?

JG#24: So you haven't ruled out firing Jimmie?

RH: I have ruled it out. You are going to have to suck it up and deal. Man up a little.

JG#24: I'm having the garage swept for bugs tomorrow. And I don't mean cockroaches.

RH: I'm sure you won't find anything.

RH: I'll talk to Jimmie again.

RH: I'm sure this will all smooth over soon.

JG#24: Whatever.

CK#48: Has Gordo come whining yet?

RH: What do you want Chad.

CK#48: We're still on the same page, right? Nothing happens to Jimmie & I. Or else.

RH: Chad, first off, you and Jimmie are great together. Why would I change things?

CK#48: But we are still on the same page.

RH: Yes, Chad, we are.

It's Dirt Track Season!

2010-04-11T15:43:00.002-05:00

With Easter in the rear view mirror, the dirt tracks in Iowa are in full swing. This week marks the first points race of the season at many Iowa tracks, with the exception of Knoxville, which opens May 1.

So before spring blends into summer, start planning your trip to the dirt track. Need ideas? Here are a few events I wouldn't miss:

Memorial Day Weekend - pick any track, there is usually a special event that weekend

June 5 - National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Induction Weekend at Knoxville Raceway

July 4th - again, most tracks have a special (with fireworks on and off the track)

August 14th - 50th Knoxville Nationals

September 6-11 - IMCA Supernationals - Boone Speedway

Carl vs. Brad: As the Wheel Turns

2010-03-08T20:51:00.004-06:00

By now, the majority of the American public has heard about the dust-up between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski. In fact, I heard about it again this morning on a radio station that has Never played a Nascar report. The host's clear unfamiliarity was apparent to anyone who had ever watched a race.

But, the fact that this station was discussing Nascar was significant. If Nascar's no-holds barred approach was designed to get finishes and races that the general public would talk about, it worked. Brilliantly.

Does anyone doubt that next week a few more eyeballs will be on the TV as the series heads to Bristol? Hopefully, Keselowski and Edwards will be pitted near each other and will have to ride in the same truck for introductions. That would be Nascar's dream scenario.

So, what should Nascar do to Edwards for deliberately dumping Keselowski?

First, I think there are two villains in this situation. Both Edwards and Keselowski were wrong. Keselowski has been a repeat aggressive driver in both the Cup series and the Nationwide series, including prior to the Atlanta race. He reaped what he sowed.

Edwards is also a repeat offender. His passive aggressive possibly-roid rage has involved several Cup drivers. It's time to crack down on his behavior.

So, what to do. First, Keselowski should be put on probation. Let him know if there are any further aggressive driving incidents, he will be "parked." Second, give him to Mark Martin as a student. Make him spend time learning how to be a gentleman driver from the best.

Edwards should be "parked" for six races. However, I would modify the traditional method to this: After missing completely the first race, Edwards would start the next five races and at the first pit stop, would be pulled out of the car. That way, Edwards gets the points, but doesn't actually race. The other driver would also qualify the car, so Edwards would start at the back of the pack for each race.

Otherwise, I would suggest Nascar let these two settle it the old fashioned way - jello pool on the front stretch of Charlotte. Tickets would cost extra, and imagine the TV rights...

Vegas Odds & Ends

2010-02-28T20:24:00.006-06:00

Weird Happenings: Daytona had potholes; Vegas now has phantom caution lights. First, the lights did not go out when the race was ready to restart, then the lights came on without a caution being thrown by Nascar. What's up next week? Floods? Deer jumping the fence? The Pace Car stalling out on the track? More potholes?

Pit Row Shenanigans: Did Jeff Gordon's crew start gassing before the car was in the box? Was Nascar correct in ruling he did? Let the conspiracy theories begin...

Inter-company feuds: Jamie McMurray crashed into his new teammate Juan Pablo Montoya. Apparently McMurray didn't get the memo that JPM will carry a grudge. Montoya voiced his displeasure about the incident to the media immediately after it happened. Love to by a fly on the wall tomorrow at Earnhardt-Ganassi.

Don't drink the water: Do you think Dale Jr is worried about Danica in the garage? As a married woman, she shouldn't drink the water as a rash of pregnancies is going around. At this point in her career, a nine-month hiatus would likely be detrimental.

Jimmie Johnson: Jimmie is back to his winning ways. He usually does well at the beginning and the end of the year. Who is going to step up and challenge him?

Daytona 500 Predictions

2010-02-13T14:04:00.006-06:00

I'm not big on predictions, because, well, generally, I'm not great at it. However, with a new season, I thought I'd give a shot at picking Daytona 500 winner and up the odds by choosing a new contenders.

1. Kurt Busch - Kurt runs well at both Talladega and Daytona. He regularly runs in the top 10 and has an average finish at Daytona of 17. The question is whether the Penske camp has made changes that will help Busch run more consistently. More importantly: How is Dodge helping (if at all) . If he can avoid a wreck, he may be able to pull it off. On the flip side, Busch's temper and impatience could get the best of him. And if things don't go well this year, I predict there could be a new driver in the Penske #2.

2. Tony Stewart - Stewart is a master at the plate tracks. This does not always translate to a win. If he doesn't win at Daytona soon, that monkey will have jumped off Dale Earnhardt's back onto Stewart's. Don't despair, Tony will comfort himself with his two Brickyard trophies. (It makes him crabby to mention the loses at THE 500 - Indianapolis, so don't. No _really_, don't).

3. Greg Biffle - Biffle's teammate Matt Kenseth won last year, and the Fords have really made strides at the plate tracks. Biffle has won at Daytona during the July race, so he knows how to run and win at Daytona. Biffle needs to pull off a win to keep his boss happy.

4. Pick a first time Daytona 500 winner. Face it; anything goes at a plate track. Sometimes being a strong contender at plate tracks works against you, as drivers look to help some (sucker) they think they can ultimately get around. This means someone like Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Reagan Smith, or Brad Keselowski.

5. Worse case scenario, pick a Chevy. They have won five of the last seven Daytona 500. For an even better shot, pick one owned or helped by Rick Hendrick. I.e. 5, 88, 24, 48, 14, 39.

A Welcome Change

2010-02-06T17:14:00.003-06:00

New signage has been put up at Bruton Smith's track in Charlotte. Lowe's will no longer pay to have its name on the track, thus the track has reverted to "Charlotte Motor Speedway."

When Lowe's purchased the name several years ago, I hated the idea. It isn't that I dislike Lowe's, I dislike all corporate names on sporting stadiums or tracks.

Why? Well, there are several reasons.

One reason is that Nascar tends to rename every event from the inception of the sport with the corporate name. All Champions are now Sprint Cup Champions, even if they never raced under the Sprint sponsorship. Granted there is difficulty in referring to a name that no longer exists or that has evolved over the years, but the way to fix this is to keep the same name for the long term.

After the sponsorship is over, the public has to learn a new name for the event or venue. Why not just name it permanently and leave it alone. If venues are named after local heros or after people who contribute to have it built, great. But the name should not change with every market crash or upswing.

In any event, I am delighted to welcome back Charlotte Motor Speedway, which is exactly what I've tried to call it during its brief turn as "Lowe's." Curtis Turner must be smiling.

Things to Watch in the New Season

2010-01-10T18:56:00.004-06:00

We're almost one month from the Daytona 500, so it is time to look at what the 2010 season could bring.

Sponsorship - With the down turn in the economy, funds for advertising and sponsorship has dried up. The true test will be this year. Will Nascar have trouble finding race sponsors? Will mid-pack teams have sponsorship? What about back of the packers? Without adequate sponsorship, Nascar may be facing smaller fields by the end of the year - which already struck the Truck series and the Nationwide series. Teams can't scrape by without sponsorship for long. Look for Cup teams to have similar problems. Maybe we're entering the era where drivers have multiple sponsors and no primary sponsor.

Race Attendance - Face it, attending a race is expensive. The only time hotels charge the amount listed on the back of the room door is during a Nascar weekend. Couple it with the now typically high gas prices during the spring and summer, unemployment, and the trend of staycations, race attendance could fall. Again. The end of the 2009 season featured empty stands in nearly every TV shot. Look for it to continue unless prices go down for tickets, hotels, airfare etc.

TV Viewership - As race attendance fell, TV viewership fell too. If Nascar TV viewing continues to trend downward, Nascar will lose the ability to draw advertisers and potentially lose out when the next TV contract comes up for bid. The new car may be safer, but people don't like watching it.

Schedule Re-alignment - Nascar needs to fix the schedule. Do we need two Poconos? Two Californias? Should the Chase races be the same every year? I recommend a hard look at the races, when they are held (seasonally), and attendance. Why not rotate the schedule - odd years Pocono has 2 races while Cali has 1, even years Cali has 2 while Pocono has 1? My other recommendation is to add a road course to the Chase.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. - Will Junior win or even contend for a win in 2010? Like him or not, Junior is the most popular driver, and as his season goes, so goes Nascar's popularity (to some degree). If Junior can make a comeback, it will fuel both the lovers and the haters. Nascar needs him to do well.

Jimmie Johnson -Johnson's 2010 could be interesting as he will become a father sometime in 2010. Jeff Gordon's perspective changed with the birth of his daughter, and I expect Johnson's view will change too - Baby will need a ring too! Johnson needs a serious rival - and Nascar needs the rivalry. Without anyone to challenge him, non-fans yawn and turn the channel.

Jeff Gordon - Each year, I wonder how many more years Gordon is going to race. His much publicized back problems and his apparently serene home life are taking a toll on his fierce competitive spirit. If he'd win the 5th championship, I think we'd be seeing the last of Jeff Gordon.

Tony Stewart - Can he repeat with another good season? Or will he hit a sophomore slump in ownership?

Juan Pablo Montoya - Montoya has made a few more friends in the Nascar garage than in the Formula One garage (due to the different cultures more than anything else). But, he is still an aggressive driver who ticks people off. Will this lead to on-track problems this year? Or will he continue to get a pass? Will Earnhardt Ganassi be able to support him? Or will Montoya be looking to leave? Will Ganassi try to leave?

Kasey Kahne - Will Kahne stay with Richard Petty or will he bolt at the end of his contract? Kahne made a lot of stinging comments last year about the team. He's always admitted to admiring Tony Stewart. And remember that contract battle with Ford when he left to go to Dodge? I doubt Kahne has forgotten it.

Kevin Harvick - Harvick and Richard Childress have admitted that things haven't gone well with Harvick's team. The question is whether Childress can appease Harvick enough to keep him in the fold.

Doubtless, there will be other issues that pop up during the year (the rear spoiler, no double line at Daytona/Talladega etc), but these should be enough to keep in mind for the first half of the year.

My Thoughts on Why Nascar TV Viewership is Down

2009-10-10T17:48:00.001-05:00

Nascar race TV viewership is down for the whole year. A brief review of Nascar history shows that the Chase was created to generate more TV viewership, more at track attendance and to generate excitement for the sport. Brian France instituted the Chase after Matt Kenseth won the Championship with a runaway points lead.

This year it does not appear to be working. In theory, home viewership should be up: with the economy the way it is, at track attendance should be down as more people stay home to watch the races.

So why are the numbers falling? There are several reasons, some which Nascar cannot fix, but others that could be tweaked to gain back viewers.

Things Nascar Can Fix:

1. Overhype of the Chase. Starting with the Daytona 500, all we hear about is the Chase. The NFL does not hype the Super Bowl this way throughout the year, MLB doesn't hype the World Series this way, and neither should Nascar. We all know it is coming. And we all know that it is too early to talk about in the first couple races. Knock it off. In fact, it should not be hyped until we are within 3 races of the Chase's start, and then only sparingly. Save the PR until we have a field set.

2. Overhype during the Chase. Watching the first race in the Chase, the announcers act like every lap is vitally important in the Chase. "If Gordon doesn't pass Stewart soon, he'll drop all the way to third in the Chase." And it's lap #3! When something catastrophic happens, then let us know how it impacts the Chase.

3. Ignoring Non-Chase drivers. While the drivers having the best year are in the Chase and are likely to be up front, there still are 30 other guys out there. Talk about them, and not just when they (nearly) crash into a Chaser.

4. Tweak the Rules to get into the Chase. I'm fine with an arbitrary number of drivers, but let's look at the line. Change the rule to top 12 plus any race winning drivers within 100 points of #12. Some years this may be no one, and others it may be a couple guys. But if a team pulled it together enough to be within 100 points of the top 12 AND won a race, let them in.

5. Uniform Start times: I applaud Nascar for deciding on uniform start times. I think they may actually listen to the fans once in a while.

6. Fix the schedule: We have too many races. Trim a few by adding a rotation of tracks - instead of 2 races per year, Track #1 gets one race plus one race in odd years. Track #2 gets the other race in even numbered years. The Chase races should include a bigger variety of tracks. Why not Sonoma? Bristol? Richmond?

Things Nascar Can't Fix:

1. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s past few seasons have not gone well. Despite the high hopes after his signing at Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Jr. has failed to deliver consistent finishes and wins. That hurts viewership when your most popular driver isn't in the Championship. Do you think Michael Jordan would have been as legendary if he had never played in the Championship games? The same applies here.

2. Jimmie Johnson's domination. Johnson has schooled the field each of the past three years. Before that, he was in contention up until the last race. Frankly, many long time fans I know are bored with the Chase because they expect Johnson to win it all. They are not excited about the Chase. Maybe when Johnson retires they will be back.

3. Football: Probably the biggest thief of viewers is football. College and NFL games lure away marginal & dedicated fans.

Nascar needs to look at its product and make a few changes. Otherwise, the decline of viewers will lead to a decrease in revenue as the TV package will not be worth as much as it did a few years ago.

California Proves It Knows Chasers Early in Season

2009-09-13T17:20:00.001-05:00

Back in February, I posted a blog about a theory that Dustin Long, a nascar beat writer for Southern newspapers, proposed. Basically, Long pointed out that for the past four years, on average, seven of the top ten finishers at California advance to the Chase.

How did California do this year? Well the track got 8 of the 12 correct. Here is the Top Ten list from this year's 1st race at Fontana, California (I still can't bear to call it by its sponsored name).

1. Matt Kenseth

2. Jeff Gordon

3. Kyle Busch

4. Greg Biffle

5. Kurt Busch

6. Denny Hamlin

7. Carl Edwards

8. Tony Stewart

9. Jimmie Johnson

10. Brian Vickers

Knoxville Nationals

2009-08-10T21:20:00.001-05:00

Last week began the annual dirt track orgy in Iowa. Knoxville Raceway was host to the three day Knoxville 360 Nationals, followed by a USAC Silver Crown Non-Wing Nationals on Sunday.

If four days wasn't enough, tonight was the Front Row Challenge in Oskaloosa, Iowa for winged sprint cars. Rumor has it Kasey Kahne was going to Osky immediately following his run at the Glen.

Tomorrow night, Osky runs non-wing sprint cars. Then the Granddaddy of them all starts on Wednesday at Knoxville as qualifying runs, heats and features start.

The Knoxville Nationals culminate with the A Main broadcast on SPEED on Saturday night. But before that, there are lots of great drivers to be seen, races to be run, and homemade pie to eat. (Thank God the Rotary has the pie tent back this year! I think I'll gain about 10 pounds thinking of it.).

What drivers will be around, you ask? Kasey Kahne hangs around Knoxville until he has to go to Michigan. Tony Stewart can be spotted frequently too. Mario Andretti will be at the Hall of Fame tomorrow (he was inducted in 1996). Doug Wolfgang usually appears, as does Shane Carson, and Sammy Swindell (he will be running this year). Erin Crocker is running the Nationals, as is Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, Joey Saldana, Terry McCarl, Danny Lasoski and many other WoO drivers. USAC regular Daron Clayton, California ace Tim Kaeding, Tyler Walker and several members of the Pennsylvania Posse: Lucas Wolfe, Ed Lynch Jr, Fast Freddy Rahmer, and Cody Darrah will all be at Knoxville this week.

Sponsorship Deals We're Unlikely to See Anytime Soon

2009-08-01T18:41:00.006-05:00

The economy is tough right now and teams are scrambling to line up sponsorship for next year. Roush Fenway Racing announced that DeWalt would be leaving Matt Kenseth's #17, but Crown Royal will shift from the #26 to the #17. However, with even more changes looming in the future, these are a few sponsorship deals I think we're unlikely to see.

Elliott Sadler & PETA. Sadler is an avid hunter, and I doubt he will give up his winter pastime so easily. Equally unlikely is Ryan Newman - PETA, as he is an avid fisherman.

Kyle Busch & Self Tanning Lotion. Kyle is nearly so fair that he is translucent. As a hard-core sunscreen wearer myself, I sympathize. But Kyle's complexion will not lend itself well to self-tanning.

Jimmie Johnson/Tony Stewart & Gillette. Jimmie recently shaved his stubble, igniting news coverage. Whether he remains clean-shaven the rest of the year remains to be seen. Stewart has demonstrated his shaving laziness during his whole career. Can you imagine how long the the PR flack assigned to tell Smoke to shave everyday would live?

Jeff Gordon & Budweiser. Somehow Gordon's suave aura doesn't bring to mind the partying ways of Budweiser. Red Wine? Sure. But Bud?!?

Kasey Kahne & A Dance School. Commercial to the contrary, I doubt Kasey will be endorsed for his dancing skills.

Greg Biffle & Whiffle Ball. Although the slogan is catchy, I don't see "Biffle Whiffle" catching on.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. & Ford. Junior's father would come back and spank him. Although Senior may prefer it to Toyota/Honda/Hyundai...

Roush Fenway Racing & Toyota. A sure sign of the end of the world.

Iowa Speedway's First Nascar Nationwide Race

2009-07-31T07:49:00.003-05:00

This weekend, Iowa Speedway hosts its first Nationwide race. The track that Rusty Wallace helped build has generated a lot of buzz in recent years, but the anticipated Nascar arrival is finally here.

The track is a 7/8 mile track modeled after Richmond with a few Wallace tweaks. Drivers report the corners are "big" enough to allow racing through them, and the smooth surface allows maximum speed. Iowans have supported the Speedway with large crowds at events that don't traditionally draw crowds. USAC fans were heard to exclaim the crowd for a qualifying day was unlike anything they had ever seen at a track, while the IRL and Nascar Camping World East-West races boast capacity crowds for their events. Tomorrow, nearly 57,000 are expected, with the Speedway building temporary stands to accommodate the crowd. If the crowd is that large, it will be the largest crowd for a racing event in Iowa (which is saying something when the Knoxville Nationals at its height clocked in around 40,000 and the Boone SuperNationals have several thousand each year as well).

During a press conference, Kyle Busch pointed out that this Nationwide race would potentially have more people at it than attended the Cup race a couple weeks ago at Chicago.

Iowa Speedway has hosted many events including IRL races, USAC races, Nascar's Camping World East-West series race, ARCA races, Hooter's Pro Cup races, Grand Am road races and motorcycle events. Nascar Sprint Cup stars who have tried out the track include: Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya ran one of his first stock car races at the track several years ago when he was transitioning from Formula One to stock cars. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards have both tested at the track. Earnhardt drew a crowd of a few hundred for a test session.

The track is ready to go and fans are urged to arrive early to avoid the typical rae traffic backup.

"I Never Understood the Utility of That Particular Appendage"

2009-07-30T21:22:00.001-05:00

Originally Posted on May 2, 2006 on foxsports.com

Before Danica-mania, there was Janet Guthrie. Guthrie was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame late last week for her contributions to the sport. It is Guthrie's contributions to the sport that opened doors for Danica, Sarah Fisher and other women to enter motorsports.

Guthrie was the first woman to earn a starting position in both the Indianapolis 500 and the Daytona 500. And she accomplished it in the same year, 1977. She ran races in both the Indy car series and Winston Cup in the late 1970's.

It was not easy going for Guthrie, and she had to endure the trash-talking by a large number of the men she raced against. Guthrie kept her sense of humor and won many of them over by her fearlessness, speed, and her car handling abilities.

One of the stories Guthrie told during her acceptance speech was about a French driver who was asked what he thought about (professional) women drivers. The driver replied "I think they'd be missing something between the legs."

"I never understood the utility of that particular appendage" retorted Guthrie to the laughs of the crowd. She continued by telling another story about out qualifying three time Indy 500 winner Johnny Rutherford. After her qualification run, David Pearson commented "She's got to have them somewhere."

Guthrie was a racers racer - she's raced a variety of cars and has had success doing it. Like many of her contemporaries, she drove both the nascar circuit and the indy car circuit along with other series and car types.

Sports Cars

Prior to her success in Indy cars or Nascar, Guthrie spent 13 years in sports car road racing where she built and maintained her own cars. This was only natural given her physics degree and experience as an aerospace engineer and flight instructer. During her sports car days, Guthrie had two class victories at the 12 Hours at Sebring.

Indy Cars

In 1976, Guthrie attempted to make the field at Indy, but was not fast enough. The next year, she showed up and set the fastest time of the day at Indy on May 7th and May 22, 1977. At the Indianapolis 50, Guthrie had the best finish by a woman until last year - she finished 9th in 1978. To put this in perspective, in 1978, there were 92 entrants for the Indy 500 with 33 awarded starting spots.

She finished fifth in a race at Milwaukee in 1979, which was the best finish by a woman for 21 years. That same year, she qualified fourth at Pocono to A.J. Foyt, Danny Ongais and Johnny Parsons.

Nascar

Guthrie is the only woman to lead a Cup race. Her 6th place finish at Bristol in 1977 is the best finish by a woman in the superspeedway era.

She out qualified and/or finished better than Bill Elliott, Ricky Rudd, Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, Neil Bonnett and Johnny Rutherford at Talladega in 1977.

Guthrie out qualified and/or finished better than Elliott in 7 out of 10 races in which both ran. She out qualified and/or finished better than Dale Earnhardt in 2 of 3 races in which both ran. She out qualified and/or finished better than Johnny Rutherford in all 3 races both ran.

Given these statistics, the induction into the Hall of Fame was well deserved.

Information from janetguthrie.com, nascar.com, indianapolis motorspeedway, indy racing league.

From Senna to Earnhardt: The Development of the HANS device

2009-07-23T19:33:00.003-05:00

Originally Posted on Foxsports on April 25, 2006.

I am in the process of migrating many of my blogs to an archieve. This is one I wrote three years ago about the HANS device. I am still amazed that we had to lose two legendary drivers to implement a device that had been around for years before their accidents.

May 1st marks twelve years since Ayrton Senna was killed during the San Marino Grand Prix at Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. While leading the race, Senna slid off the track causing his right front tire to break off with its suspension. The tire and suspension hit Senna in the head, causing his death. Senna's death followed by one day the death of another Formula One driver, Roland Ratzenberger, at the same track.

Senna was and is regarded as one of (if not the) best Formula One drivers ever. Last weekend, another great driver, Michael Schumacher, captured his 66th pole - breaking a tie he held for most poles with Senna. Ironically, the race last weekend was at Imola.

The race following Senna's death was marred by a serious accident involving another Formula One driver. While this accident did not result in death, the press and public were disenchanted with the dangers of Formula One racing and began demanding new safety measures. In a twist of fate, Senna had been leading the charge for safety the morning of his death during an informal meeting with other drivers.

February 18th marked five years since Dale Earnhardt was killed during the Daytona 500. Earnhardt was and is regarded as one of (if not the) best stock car drivers ever. Earnhardt was on the final lap of the race when he crashed, ultimately dying from the head injuries he sustained. Earnhardt's death followed the deaths of Kenny Irwin, Adam Petty and Tony Roper.

Following Earnhardt's death, the public and the drivers were unhappy with driver safety and demanded that something be done to prevent any further racing deaths.

Fast forwarding to today, most race sanctioning bodies mandate the use of a HANS device (Head And Neck Support) for drivers. The device is to prevent the violent and often fatal head injuries sustained in high speed / high impact crashes. The HANS device was brought to the forefront in most American's minds after the death of Earnhardt, however, the device was available well before that.

And perhaps the tragedy is that the device was available to drivers before the death of Earnhardt and even before the death of Senna.

The HANS Device was developed by Dr. Robert Hubbard , a professor at Michigan State and his brother-in-law, Jim Downing, to prevent head injuries from racing accidents. After testing, the device was marketed in 1991 - a decade before Earnhardt's fatal crash.

In October of 1996, (after Senna's death), FIA, Mercedes-Benz, and McClaren contacted Hubbard and formed an agreement to adapt the device to Forumla One use.

Why mandate HANS? According to "Helping Hans" by Ross Stonefeld in Atlas F1:

Below are average strengths of the head and neck. The force withstood is dependent on location of impact, strike object size, and bone tissue density amongst other factors.

Frontal bone (forehead): 1,000 to 1,600lbs of force
Temporal-parietal (sides of head): 700 - 1900lbs of force.
Rear skull: 1,440
Facial: 280 - 520
Neck (under forward movement): 140

In a full human form crash test simulating a 40mph dead stop impact utilising the HANS device, neck loading was kept under 130lbs whilst the unrestrained head endured over 1,000lbs

"As soon as your head - which weighs, with the helmet, 13 or 14 pounds - has a sudden acceleration, it stretches your neck," (Jim) Downing explains. "If it stretches a little too far, you get a neck fracture or a skull fracture at the base of the skull where your head connects to your spine. With HANS on, the head sort of goes forward then back and looks OK. At the same speed with a fully belted dummy, the head smashes into the steering wheel and it's just appalling. The drivers say, 'Wow. That can't be.' In layman terms, keeping your head close to your body is what it's all about with HANS."

Racing will never be an entirely safe sport. Hopefully the HANS device, or devices similar to it, can cut down on the number of deaths and the severity of the injuries sustained.

We will never know if Senna or Earnhardt could have been saved by a HANS device. But we all know drivers who's lives were saved by it - whether we know it or not.

Information gathered from Stonefeld, Wikipedia, Formula One, Jayski, and Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.

Confessions of a Racing Junkie Part II

2009-07-22T20:42:00.002-05:00

Originally Posted on December 15, 2005 on Foxsports.com

I realized I had a problem when I watched the 1999 Daytona 500 _Qualifications_ on TV. I was craving a racing fix, and the winter without a race had been tough.

Tony Stewart was a rookie in 1999. He earned lots of money racing; I spent lots of time watching racing.

It was a small addiction then. Missing a race didn't bother me (especially in the summer stretch). Sometimes I wouldn't even know who won until a week later. Nascar racing was available most of the year - no worries on missing a race.

Eventually, that changed when I moved and didn't have cable or satellite TV. As the weeks went by, I missed racing again. I needed the high of seeing stock cars race. So, like any junkie, I found a new "dealer" = the radio. It got me through the part of the schedule when I couldn't get the race on TV.

Years had gone by since I discovered this euphoria called racing, and I thought I had been hiding my racing problem well. I didn't discuss racing because no one knew or cared anything about it. I realized I had failed at hiding the amount of time I was spending on racing when my brother bought me tickets to a race for Christmas. "You should probably see one live sometime." he said.

My persistant- yet almost manageable - addiction was about to get a lot worse.

Confessions of a Racing Junkie Part I

2009-07-21T09:57:00.001-05:00

Originally Posted on Foxsports.com on December 14, 2005.

It started innocently enough. After I finally finished my education, I was traveling across country with my Dad, and we stopped in Indianapolis (where else) to visit my aunt & uncle. My uncle offered me the first seductive hit of racing by "forcing" us to watch a nascar race. I don't recall seeing stock cars race before. I suppose I knew it existed, but it had never registered on my radar. Traditional stick & ball sports were my experience - both watching and playing. However, my uncle's enthusiasm for this motor sport thing was catching. And after that first hit, I remember thinking "I could learn to really like that."

Several months later I had my first memorable encounter with a nascar junkie. He had all the trappings of a true nascar fan. He owed numerous die cast cars, T-shirts, neon signs and other assorted junk. I don't think he could decide which beer company to support, so he bought racing stuff from them all. To top it off, he couldn't stop explaining the Daytona 500 qualification process to me and my co-worker. We thought he was a scary - so we set a new land speed record cleaning his house and bolted.

Shortly thereafter, I moved to a new town. And, in the secret confines of my apartment, I began regularly taking hits of nascar races. On Saturdays, I watched Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth battle it out for the Busch series championship. But on Sundays, I avoided the racing scene - everyone would be talking football, basketball or baseball - and I didn't want them to know about this new habit I had picked up.

Tragedy Barely Avoided at Georgia Aquarium

2009-07-20T20:46:00.002-05:00

Originally Posted on March 6, 2009 on foxsports.com.

ATLANTA, GA. Quick thinking by Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds saved the life of one of Fox Sports' broadcast team.

Last night, the Fox Sports broadcasting team visited the Georgia Aquarium to gather footage for the broadcast on Sunday. During the visit, Digger, Darrell Waltrip, Jeff Hammond, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum, Chris Myers and Larry McReynolds all stopped atop the Hammerhead shark tank to watch the after-hours feeding. Something horribly went wrong as Digger was tossed into the tank as the shark feeding frenzy began.

"I don't know what happened," said Byrnes. "He was standing beside me, and suddenly launched into the tank. I don't know if he jumped or was pushed."

"All I heard was Yocum yelling about how he couldnt' ruin his hair getting into the water, while Hammond was complaining about his tan running," remarked Myers. "I was worried my expensive Italian loafers would get wet, so I couldn't jump in. No, I'm not kidding and I don't care."

"It was then that Darrell just jumped right in there. I think he said 'bogity, bogity, bogity, get outta my way, boys!' as he dived in," explained Yocum. "Larry tossed a wrench at one of the sharks who didn't acknowledge Darrell. It bounced off his snout. But overall, I've never seen such professional courtesy. The sharks knew him and let him take Digger out. I guess that 'Jaws' nickname was legit!"

Digger is expected to fully recover, although he has put off several appearances in the Atlanta area today and tomorrow. One source close to Digger said that Digger wasn't sure what happened, but he swore he was pushed and didn't slip into the tank.

Officials have begun an investigation into who may have pushed Digger in. "Digger isn't as well loved as Fox would lead us to believe. There have been credible threats by several people. Namely FoxSports bloggers and Nascar fans," added Detective P. Columbo. Columbo noted that several blogs, email accounts and twitter accounts had subpoenas issued for them today.

"And we haven't ruled out the crew either. Byrnes had been heard complaining that Digger got more air time than he did just last week. Yocum grumbled to friends that he thought Digger was stealing the cute fans away from his fan club. Don't forget Miles Monster, of Dover, Delaware. He issued a challenge last week that Digger had not better show his face in Dover or there would be serious consequences."

The Nascar on Fox representative brushed aside all concerns, and commented that, "We are confident that this was an accident. Fortunately no one was hurt."

Uniform Sparks Sponsorship Furor

2009-07-20T20:44:00.002-05:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - DeLana Harvick ignited a sponsorship war by doing what she does every Nascar Sprint Cup Race: wear a replica of her husband's firesuit.

"We saw DeLana wearing the firesuit, and it started a conversation that ultimately led to Chandra's new contract with Cover Girl," said Cherie Silver, Cover Girl's public relations vice president during the contract's unveiling. "We wanted our logo out there in the photographs of pit lane and in victory lane. Chandi will be wearing a T-Shirt emblazened with the Cover Girl logo at every race." According to Hendrick Motorsports officials, Chandra will be featured in magazine ads, TV ads during the race, and at special events around the track.

"Jimmie and Chandi are excited to be involved with Cover Girl, and believe that Nascar's increasing female fan base will really support Cover Girl's entry into the sport," said Silver. Silver noted that Johnson's car would only have a Cover Girl logo at three select races during the year. "In general, it is all about Chandi, not the car."

Not to be outdone, Jeff Gordon''s wife, Ingrid van de Bosch, was rumored the "Victoria's Secret Nascar Spokes Model."

"Ingrid will be wearing the newest bras and underwear at the track. Victoria's Secret will have a merchandise trailer for all those Nascar fans. We think that this will be a way men who attend the races can find something for their wives and girlfriends at the track that they wouldn't see otherwise," remarked an anonymous HMS insider.

The insider could not explain how Ingrid could model the fashions without violating Nascar's garage clothing policy, which require pants, sleeves, and toed shoes. "I've heard rumors about sheer long sleeved T-shirts, that's all I can say," said the insider.

"I can't wait to see Ingrid," exclaimed Dale Earnhardt Jr, who declined to confirm the Victoria's Secret contract. "And Chandi too. I think it will be a great combination."

Roush-Fenway Racing scrambled to catch up on the wives' sponsorship bandwagon, with rumors of a Katie Kenseth maternity line floating through the garage. "We can't confirm the pregnancy, let alone the sponsorship," said Jack Roush. "Obviously, we'd be delighted if Graco or Gerber wanted to join Roush Fenway Racing."

Greg Biffle noted that his wife, Nicole, would be sticking to her non-profit roots. "Nicole is passionate about animal shelters and we will continue to focus on that, not money making oppportunities."

When asked if the WAG (Wives and Girlfriends) sponsorships meant that potential dates needed to bring a list of sponsorships to the table, Tony Stewart rolled his eyes and stormed off. Dale Jr was more outspoken. "I think I have enough sponsorships right now. It's not anything I'd worry about. Although it would be nice," he added.

Two WAG sponsorships are still on the table: Kotex and Always. "So far, no one wants our sponsorship dollars. It's silly - all women need feminine hygiene products. We'd love to be involved in Nascar." said a Kotex representative.

"None of the wives or girlfriends we approached were interested, but we're hopeful that someone will want to support our product." said an Always marketing representative, speaking anonymously. "It's not like we want our logo on the car or anything."

Meanwhile, DeLana Harvick is baffled about the sponsorship furor her firesuit has set off. "I just wear it because I'm a teammember, and I was tired of ruining my clothes every week. It wasn't for advertising."

That said, Harvick noted that next weekend she might break down and advertise: for her favorite college basketball team, the North Carolina Tarheels.

Department of Justice Warns Kyle Busch about Terrorism

2009-07-20T20:43:00.002-05:00

Originally Posted on April 8, 2009 on foxsports.com.

(WASHINGTON DC) - Department of Justice officials confirmed that they had spoken to Kyle Busch and his team about terrorism concerns.
"Every time Kyle wins, the terrorism networks go wild. They love him." said a person close to the situation.
The official denied that Justice had ordered Busch to quit winning. "Absolutely not. We wouldn't suggest that. Well, unless national security were at stake. There would be other alternatives we would explore."
"The Department of Justice is concerned because Kyle is becoming a hero to terrorists. The Taliban and the Al-Queda see him as the antithesis of American heros like Dale Jr," explained JD Gibbs, who attended the meeting.
When asked if the terrorists posed a threat to Busch's safety, the official explained, "The bigger danger is to those drivers who have scuffles with him on track. The chatter about Dale Jr was sky high after the Texas race, and they view Carl Edwards as a potential usurper of Kyle's too. There have been a couple near-riots in prisons were these guys are held when Busch crashes out of the race, but nothing too serious. Yet."
"I don't think Kyle will tone down anything," asserted Gibbs. "These are bad guys, but deep down, they're just regular Nascar fans. Look, Justice also said that the terrorist networks spiked when Jeff Gordon's wife's new hairdo was shown too. Apparently they liked it long. It really doesn't mean anything."
"We'll keep tabs on things. We just thought it was important for Busch to realize what was going on when he did well. It could be detrimental to national security if he's not careful with what he says and does." said the official.

Third Busch Brother "Discovered"

2009-07-20T20:41:00.002-05:00

Originally Posted on April 20, 2009 on foxsports.com.

(CHARLOTTE, NC) Jamie McMurray surprised Nascar insiders today by going to extreme measures to stay at Roush Fenway Racing. McMurray announced that he had been adopted by Tom and Gaye Busch and was now to be known as Jamie McMurray-Busch, the third Busch brother.
"I've always wanted two brothers, and you really couldn't pick any better ones than Kurt and Kyle," said McMurray at his press conference. "Nascar is a family sport. I'm just expanding the family a little."

"I'm thrilled to have three such accomplished sons," said Gaye Busch. "Jamie has been like one of the family for a long time now. Why, he even gave me my Mother's Day gift early - a new Roush Mustang. Kurt never got me one when he was at Roush!"

"Are you F@$#&n' kidding me?" remarked Kurt Busch when he was told the news. "One little brother is f*$#@$n' enough!"

"Well, if Kurt is Buschie, and I'm Shrub, does that mean that Jamie is Bonsai?" Kyle smirked. "Or will he keep "cupcake"?"

"I guess desperate times call for desperate measures," remarked a Roush Fenway employee, who refused to be named. "Jamie's souvenir sales are down. He hopes to spark either a Busch backlash or to hop on the Kyle Fan-Bandwagon. Kyle's numbers have been going up every week, especially when he and Dale Jr. tussle."

"He's really worried that Jack will cut him," said a Kenseth crew member. "He's the odd man out. Matt's the Champ. Biffle's gotten two championships for Jack; Carl's a sponsorship dream and contender. That leaves David or Jamie. David's been running better for the past year."

McMurray, though, denied he was motivated by the upcoming Roush Fenway team cut. "I'm not worried about Jack cutting me. I'm a valuable part of the team. And now, I'm part of the Busch dynasty. I got this job because of Kurt's abrupt departure from Roush. Kyle started in Nascar driving for Jack's truck team. Jack loves having a Busch on the payroll."

When reached for comment, Jack Roush was blunt, as usual. "Did the adoption give him an attitude too?" snarked Roush. "If it did, he'll be driving for Yates by the end of the week."

Ferrari Leaves Formula One to Race in Nascar

2009-07-20T20:38:00.001-05:00

Originally Posted on May 15, 2009 on foxsports.com

(CHARLOTTE, NC) Ferrari stunned the racing world today by carrying out its threat to leave Formula One over the "Budget Cap Flap." Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari President, announced that the legendary organization would start competing in Nascar races beginning with the next Daytona race slated for July.

"We are tired of Max Mosley and Bernie Ecclestone's excessive meddling in Formula One racing. We want to spend our money, be successful, and target the American audience," remarked di Montezemolo. "All Ecclestone is trying to do is recover the money he lost in his divorce when his wife took him to the cleaners. And Mosley needs more cash to pay for his hired girls."

Brian France gushed "We are so excited for Ferrari to join Nascar racing. I'm positive our fans will embrace Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen just like they have Max Papis and Juan Pablo Montoya. Especially once they learn to pronounce their names. And learn Kimi is a guy's name. Oh, and learn to speak Italian since they will still be talking to their teams in Italian on the radio."

Di Montezemolo announced that as part of the deal, Kasey Kahne's car would be painted a different color. "Ferraris can be the only red car on the track, as is our tradition."

Richard Petty, present for RPM, commented, "We agreed. Who could turn down the $30 million they offered? Kasey will be driving a Petty Blue car with the Bud logo."

The Ferrari team appeared shocked at how cheap it was to race in the Nascar league. "I can't believe that our budget can be less than the Formula One Budget cap and we can still be competitive," said di Montezemolo. "We figure over half of our engineering group can be let go with no loss in competitiveness. But of course we won't do that until we're winning at least 75% of the races. Which should be by March 2010."

Other Formula One teams were shocked at the change of events. "What do you mean Ferrari won't compete," said Lewis Hamilton. "This won't be a World Championship if they aren't involved. Any chance Braun will go too?"

Nascar teams were stunned at the addition of Ferrari to the field. "How is that going to work?" said Kyle Busch.

"Won't they have to qualify for all the races?" remarked Tony Stewart.

Ferrari had anticipated the qualifications problem, and as part of the deal to join Nascar, requested an exemption from qualifying. France explained, "Ferrari will be given an automatic starting position in all races until the start of next year. In essence we will have 37 cars set in the field each week - the Top 35 plus 2 Ferrari cars."

Neither Massa or Raikkonen appeared at the news conference, but di Montezemolo stated that at both were excited at the prospect of touring the Nascar locales such as Talladega, Dover, Fontana and Las Vegas. "Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Bahrain get boring when you go every year. This will add excitement to the rigors of traveling."

Indy: Tire Testing or Racing?

2009-07-20T19:20:00.003-05:00

Last year I attended the Sprint Cup race at Indy, or rather, I attended the extended tire test. While I still had a good time, I am hopeful that this year will feature extended stretches of racing with actual green flag pit stops.

Goodyear and IMS are promoting a "race" this year with Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman all touting a good race.

Hopefully Goodyear has the right tires ready to go. If not, what will Nascar do? Should IMS lose its spot on the Cup calendar? Should Goodyear lose its status as sole tire supplier?

On the other hand, if Goodyear works out, should it be rewarded with a contract extension? A lot hinges upon the outcome of the race on Sunday.

Dirt Track Racing

2009-07-17T19:41:00.002-05:00

I'll be honest - I've never been a big fan of summer. I much prefer fall or spring. Summer in Iowa is a sticky, hot mess. If you aren't dodging hail & a tornado, it's probably hot enough to cook an egg on the sidewalk.

However, summer does mean one thing in Iowa: Dirt Track Racing. So every weekend has nearly unlimited options for dirt track lovers. Two of my favorites are quickly approaching: the Knoxville Nationals (in August) and the Boone Supernationals (in September).

The Knoxville Nationals are in their 49th year of racing sprint cars. While the cars have evolved from their original non-wing form to the current winged configuration, the racing remains exciting. The Nationals are a four day sprint car extravaganza with a nice side show of sweet corn on the cob, turkey legs, and homemade pie.

The Boone Supernationals are a completely different animal. Hundreds of cars arrive to race their way into the Saturday night show, and spend all week trying to do it. The Supernationals are sanctioned by IMCA, so there are Late Models, Modifieds, Sport Modifieds (both Southern & Northern), Sprint Cars, Hobby Stock cars, and Stock Cars. Typically, by the start of the Modified qualifiers on Wednesday, the races start at 3 p.m. and end at 3 a.m. (give or take an hour or more). Naturally, a good seat cushion is a must!

So, while there is still time this summer, get out to the dirt track and take in a show. If your local track isn't exciting enough, plan to go to a big event. And if you need any ideas, I'm sure I can come up with a few!

The Mayfield mess: Or why Nascar needs to revise its policy

2009-07-04T17:04:00.003-05:00

Jeremy Mayfield took Nascar to court and achieved the nearly impossible: he got a federal judge to lift Nascar's ban so he could drive.

Nearly impossible because Nascar generally wins court actions, and it would appear that a racing organization would have a great argument on safety when someone has failed a drug test.

Why did Mayfield win? I have a few theories.

First, Nascar's substance abuse policy fails to put drivers on notice about what substances are forbidden. There is no list. Rather, there is no public list. There actually has to be a list as the lab must know what to look for.

Why is this a problem? During a typical Nascar three series weekend nearly 100 drivers, plus crew members could potentially be selected for testing. The odds are that someone is on a prescription drug for allergies, medical problems, even pain. The lab, therefore, must know what substances are OK. The list is not provided to competitors, and this is a fatal flaw. How can a competitor advise their doctor about what drugs are not permissible if the competitor does not know?

Secondly, according to Mayfield, Nascar does not follow established protocol in taking the urine tests. This means there is no notice and no set procedure on collecting the test samples.

Let me give you an oversight as to what typically happens when a urine sample is taken. My experienced is based on litigating urine samples in state criminal court, but I believe the protocol for federal criminal matters is similar, if not identical (which is what the federal judge is going to be knowledgeable about).

The "examiner" should first take an unopened package to the meeting with the person giving the sample ("the "examinee"). The package will typically contain a cup or container, a mailing label and box, and paperwork. Some kits contain two cups (an A Sample and a B Sample). The package should remain sealed until the examiner and examinee are both present. The package is opened and the paperwork is filled out. The examinee should be asked about prescription drugs and illegal drugs they have taken. This information goes on the paperwork. This way the lab is aware of what may pop up on the test.

The examiner then gives the cup(s) to the examinee, who urinates in the cup in the examiner's presence. This prevents the examinee from using someone else's urine or diluting the sample. (Yes, this does happen!)

The cup is then sealed, put into the mailing box, and the box is sealed. The examinee watches this process so that the examiner cannot put something in the sample, and so the sample is not deliberately or accidently switched. (Think about how many plots would be ruined with this simple rule).

The seals on the box are eventually opened at the lab. Depending on the size of the cup or sample, it may be completely used. The remaining sample is kept by the lab for a few days (usually 60 or 90) before it is destroyed. If there is a positive test, the second sample can be tested by the same lab to confirm the test, or it is preserved for the examinee to have tested at another lab. Often, the examining agency requests that the sample be sent to another lab to confirm.

Mayfield's complaints are that (1) the cup was open when he got it (2) he didn't see the cup sealed, (3) the lab destroyed or used the sample so he couldn't have it independently tested. I'd guess that he was probably not watched taking the sample either, but that is just a guess.

So why would a federal judge have concerns about the test? It doesn't comply in any way with the standard procedure. The procedure is designed to prevent both the examiner and the examinee from tampering with the test. The way Mayfield describes it, none of the precautions were followed, and thus, the sample could very easily be contaminated.

I think the Court must have believed that the standard procedure wasn't followed, or he would have likely upheld the injunction against Mayfield's ability to drive in a Nascar event.

Obviously, the Court has not decided who will win the lawsuits, but I think this slap on Nascar's hand may be a hint of what is to come.

If I were Nascar, I'd be revising how these tests were given and I'd promulgate a list of banned substances to the competitors. Why Nascar cannot state that it is a violation to have an illegal substance in your system is beyond me, and I'd guess there are other substances they may want to ban too. A quick look at the NFL, MLB, NBA drug policies would go a long way.

What happened to the Young Guns?

2009-06-29T21:11:00.003-05:00

Take a quick look at the top four in Nascar Sprint Cup Standings:

1. Tony Stewart

2. Jeff Gordon

3. Jimmie Johnson

4. Kurt Busch

What do they all have in common?

They are former Champions.

They all are in their 30's.

They have all been in the series for several years.

So where is all the young talent? The rookie class is not fairing well. Joey Logano is back in 21st place, while Scott Speed is stuck in 35th and Max Papis is in 42nd. And in fact, I would not call either Speed or Papis a young gun - both have racing success in other series before jumping to Nascar.

Kyle Busch is relatively young, but his tenure in Cup has been so long it doesn't feel right calling him a young gun. Kasey Kahne has been around several years as has Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, and Brian Vickers. Brad Kesolowski may be the one bright spot on the horizon, but where is a seat for him to take over?

So where are all the up and comers who are supposed to be the next hot thing? Is the Buschwacking phenomenon finally showing the Nascar nearsightedness? Or are the old hats just hanging on better to their rides?

Sonoma! Or Why I still love road courses.

2009-06-26T20:37:00.003-05:00

I ventured out of Iowa last week to attend the Nascar Sprint Cup race at Infineon Raceway. I've always liked road courses, mainly because it looks like it would be (a) a lot of work to drive and (b) more fun than driving in circles for hours.

Attending the race there confirmed for me that Nascar needs to keep both road course races and add one to the Chase. First, TV does not do justice to the steep inclines and sharp corners on the track. And the TV coverage does not get all the action going on all over the track.

The facility itself is great, as I would expect from SMI, but the seating in the Start/Finish Grandstand was intriguing. The chairs were hard plastic (like patio furniture), but had a fold down individual seat. I love it! I didn't feel like I was sitting on the people next to me and had room to stretch my legs.

The seating in the other turns is concrete block with a terraced walkway built into the side of a hill. You'd definitely want a soft cushion if you intended to sit there for the whole race!

I was amazed how well I could see portions of the track, although not all turns were visible from where I was seated. I doubt all turns are visible from anywhere you could be seated. But if I go again (more a question of time and money than desire), I'd probably sit in Turn 7. Turn 7 features the sharp right hand turn down into the esses and was where most of the punting action occurred on Sunday.

Getting in and out was very easy. I did hang around after the race to talk to friends and to participate the the track walk. I still left the track for my car within 60-90 minutes of the checkered flag. My car wasn't parked too far away, and the trams and other transportation were still running when I left. However, I basically got into my car and drove out of the parking lot! I've only done that before after a Nascar race at Darlington - Indy doesn't count since I don't park in the lots. I know several other people who got stuck in the other lots or on the highway, but my experience was great as far as the parking went.

Overall, I'd highly recommend a trip to a road course. You'll have a lot of fun, learn a few things, and be one of the few fans who gets to a Nascar race at a road course.

Dirt Track Season

2009-03-24T19:05:00.003-05:00

Spring is starting here in Iowa - with varying weather from rain to snow; temps from 20-70 and the migration of birds back from down south.

The first sure sign of spring: in less than 2 weeks, Frostbusters herald the start of dirt track racing season.

I can't wait. I've evolved as a race fan from Nascar to dirt track racing. A strange pilgrimage, certainly, but one I've taken.

I prefer dirt track racing to the Nascar tracks for several reasons. First, the whole experience at the dirt track is fan friendly. Most promoters (I'm not naive enough to say all) value the locals who frequent their track. Parking is close by, and the short wait to get out of the parking light after the race can barely be called a wait. The other fans are neighbors, friends and family, with similar backgrounds, as are the drivers, officials, and crew members.

Second, the price is right: most cost less than attending a movie at the theater. And I don't have to buy a plane ticket, hotel room or several meals.

Third, I don't have to travel much of a distance to attend - a short drive from my home gets me to several great dirt tracks.

Finally, there is actually racing most of the time - not follow the leader for hours on end topped off by pit strategy. It's all out for a short period of time, and there are no lucky dogs!

So, I'm anxiously crossing off the days on my calendar until Friday, April 3rd - the start of dirt track racing in Iowa.

Las Vegas Dreaming

2009-02-28T15:06:00.003-06:00

I'm at home - doing "nothing" this afternoon. But I am getting a lot of Nascar watched! It isn't that I couldn't find something else to do: I could. But I don't want to do anything else.

Nascar is both relaxing and nerve-racking at the same time. I can putter around and focus on something else (cleaning or reading) or I can be glued to my set to see what happens next.

In truth, I've been doing this for years - spending my Saturday and Sunday afternoons with Nascar. It started out as something to do when I moved to a new community, but it sucked me in with the strategy, friendships and storylines. While I'm not so addicted that I can't break away to go do important things, it does consume more of my time than I'd like to admit.

I'd love to be in Las Vegas today, enjoying the warm weather, smelling tires and fuel, and watching a race. I think I'm most wistful of being at the track when I can't get to one here. During the summer, I go to the dirt track and watch a race - then Nascar loses as I prefer live to TV. But today, with a partially snow-covered ground and a temperature around 25, I'd rather watch on TV.