Will Fine Motivate Gordon? Or Kenseth?

Originally Posted on March 30, 2006 on Foxsports.com

At the final laps of the Bristol race last weekend, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon had a dust up.  At the end, Kenseth spun Gordon out of 3rd place.  Gordon finished the race as the last car on the lead lap in 21st place. 

After the cars were parked on pit road, Kenseth approached Gordon with up-turned palms - to apologize Kenseth said later.  Gordon, still in his helmet, shoved Kenseth.  Nascar fined him $10,000 for the shove.  Kenseth also appologized to his team for losing another race.  Kenseth has been leading in the closing laps of the race twice this year, but hasn't been able to close the deal.

The series heads to another short track this weekend - Martinsville.  Gordon swept both races last year.  The question is whether Gordon goes in with the most motivation or if Kenseth has the momentum to win.

Both drivers have, or will, claim to put Bristol behind them.  But is that really human nature?  And is it really wise to do so when it could motivate their teams?  Why not use that angst over lower finishes than they could have had?

Kenseth was bumped out of the lead by Kurt Busch, the eventual winner, after he was held up by Dale Jarrett.  Kenseth has led laps and has run well.  He's run well enough to be in 1st in the drivers' standings.

Gordon was spun out of his spot by Kenseth.  Gordon has been struggling with some of the tracks and his car, but appears to be on the verge of putting it all together - consistantly.  He is in the top 10 in points. 

But both could use something to truly elevate their game.  Kenseth is running hot now, but was horribly inconsistant last year and had to dig his way out of a points hole before the chase.  Gordon had major problems and turnover on his team last year, even though he won 4 races.

Maybe their Bristol Bash can be the spark that really starts their season on fire.

Top 11 Ways For Jeff Gordon To Generate $10,000 to Pay a Fine

Originally Posted on March 28, 2006 on Foxsports.com

11.  Borrow money from ex-wife.

10.  Only 1% of $1 million bonus from finishing 11th last year.  Oh, wait, spent that on trips to South Africa and Paris.

9.  Charge appearance fee from Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. for their radio shows (@ $5,000 each.) 

8.  Savings from not renting tuxedo for last year's award banquet.

7.  Fine Chad Knaus for missing 4 races as owner of the car. 

6.  Ask girlfriend if you can sell pictures of her for swimsuit calendar.

5.  Design "new" pit cap logo.  "Drive for fine"

4.  Auction off helmet from race on e-bay.  (Ask Kenseth to sell his firesuit with it).

3.  Steal Brian Vickers' hair care supply and sell it to Boris Said, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears and Jimmy Spencer.

2.  Fee for small role in  "Spaceballs II:  Revenge of the Rainbow Warriors"

1.  New sponsor for the car.  "Tony Stewart's Anger Managment Seminar"

 

Paul Dana

Originally Posted on March 26, 2006 on Foxsports.com

Today the world was reminded that auto racing is a dangerous sport:  Paul Dana died from injuries he received during the morning practice before the IRL race at Homestead-Miami.

Dana ran into the crashed car of Ed Carpenter at over 180 mph.  According to reports, Carpenter is recovering at a local hospital and is in stable condition.

Dana was in his rookie season for Rahal-Letterman.  He had worked his way up the motorsports ladder working in marketing, journalism, and through the lower levels of racing.  Dana's teammates are Buddy Rice and Danica Patrick.  Both Rice and Patrick's cars were withdrawn from the race to show respect for Dana.

The race was still run, and Dan Wheldon beat Helio Castroneves to the line by a few thousands of a second.

Bristol Bang-Ups

Originally Posted on March 26, 2006 on Foxsports.com

I'm not sure who was in charge of planning the Nascar Cup schedule this year, but they were brilliant to put another short track race after Bristol.  Next week, the series heads to Martinsville for another short-fuse test session.  There should be plenty of spats to go around.   A brief review of who's mad at whom:

Kevin Harvick - Kurt Busch:  Harvick's press conference this week was quite entertaining.   He said he wished he could "whup" Busch's ass, and then said he shouldn't have said that.  Harvick was refering to an accident at Atlanta where David Stremme bumped into Harvick who then sent Busch into the wall.  Busch voiced his displeasure with Harvick (he may not have realized Stremme was involved) on his team radio.  Harvick shot back at the press conference ant commented that Roger Penske would regret hiring Busch, which he followed by saying he shouldn't have said that.  At the end of hte race, Busch beat Harvick to the line.  It left me wishing there were about 30 more laps left to see what could have happened...

Kurt Busch- Matt Kenseth:  Busch bumped Kenseth out of the way with about 5 laps to go  and went on to win the race.  Kenseth had been held up by Dale Jarrett who was battling to stay on the lead lap.  Afterward, Busch thought his former teammate would be OK with the bump-and-run.  Kenseth was unamused.  His lack of amusement may have lead to... 

Matt Kenseth - Jeff Gordon:  After Busch bumped by, Kenseth continued to lose positions.  Gordon was running in third and passed Kenseth.  Kenseth tried to get the spot back and bumped Gordon out of the way.  Gordon spun out, and finished as the last car on the lead lap (21st).  Kenseth went over to Gordon on pit road after the race, which was to apologize according to Kenseth.  Gordon, still in his helmet, shoved Kenseth.  Penalties are sure to follow - but I'm sure Gordon's check will clear the bank. 

Jeff Gordon-Martin Truex Jr.:  Gordon may have still been steamed (and worried about) Truex, who he had a run-in with earlier in the race.  Truex, a rookie, was a lap down and was not yielding to Gordon, who was on the lead lap.  The situation was stacking up traffic, so Gordon bumped him out of the way.  Truex spun and had to pit - but he returned to the track.  Which led to...

Martin Truex Jr. - Jeff Gordon- Tony Stewart: After he was back on the track, Truex met up with Gordon.  The two traded paint side by side in front of Stewart for a couple laps.  Both  nearly lost it a couple times.  Apparently fed up with their antics and with traffic stacking up behind them,  Stewart put his bumper to Truex, and sent him crashing into the wall.  Truex seemed to blame Gordon for this, probably because....... well, Gordon's an easier target in a fist fight than Stewart would be.

Ryan Newman:  Newman seemed to have a lot of problems on the track.  He was trading paint, bumps, and probably hand gestures with about everyone on the track.  At one point, it looked like he and Dale Jarrett may rumble, but nothing developed.  I'm sure that he'll be mad at someone or someone will be mad at him given the donuts, scrapes and damage to his car. 

Brent Sherman:   Sherman was involved in a lot of spins.  Most of them by himself, but I'm sure he had help on a few of them.  I don't know that he took anyone with him, but his first experience at Bristol could not have been a fun time.  Add to that the fact that he and his wife just had a son, Cooper, and are probably not sleeping well at night.  Well, just wait for Martinsville.

Tony Stewart:  My favorite quote of the race was from him.  He said he ran the most patient race he'd ever run at Bristol - apparently despite the fact he punted Truex.  Perhaps he was patient because he led nearly half the laps!  I'm sure that someone will have Tony's number next week - maybe Johnson could blame him for the tire going flat in the first lap (Tony started the race too fast causing the tire to go flat? LOL), but then  Johnson's got to be mad at Kenseth for shoving him into the wall early in the race.  And doesn't Kenseth still owe Stewart for Daytona? Hmm...

 

Bristol Predictions

Originally Posted on March 23, 2006 on Foxsports.com

Nascar is at Bristol this weekend, and it is guaranteed to generate some controversy.  Short tracks like Bristol lead to short tempers and shorter patience. 

Last year in the spring race, Jeff Burton got upset at Jimmie Johnson for spinning him out.  Tony Stewart managed to 360 without hitting anything, and in the Busch race, Dale Jarrett had a run in with Shane Hmiel which involved an "unapproved gesture."  The gesture generated penalties - and the confrontation itself generated the discussion of whether young drivers showed enough respect to the veterans.  And who could forget the fall race when Ryan Newman spun out Dale Jarrett, who came back on track and spun Newman out.

I think this year could turn out to be even more interesting.  After this race, the current point standings are used for the 35 guaranteed spots.  Who is in trouble?  From 30th place on:  Carl Edwards (30th), Jeff Green (31st), Scott Riggs (32nd), Dave Blaney (33rd), Jeremy Mayfield (34th), David Stremme (35th), Brent Sherman (36th), Kevin LePage (37th), Bobby Labonte (38th), Sterling Marlin (39th), Scott Wimmer (40th).  Where the rubber meets the road, is if there is a rain out of qualifying after Bristol - there could be regulars who don't start the race because of the points standings.  Don't think that bumping the guy who happens to be in front of you in points and on the track won't cross some drivers' minds on Sunday.

Secondly, there are several drivers who have had serious trouble this year - Kurt Busch is in 27th place, Greg Biffle is in 21st, Carl Edwards is in 30th and Kevin Harvick is in 23rd.  All of these drivers have had uncharacteristic trouble and just plain bad luck.  Bristol is the perfect place to take out your frustrations (or get revenge).

One guy to watch:  Tony Stewart.  He's had several run ins this year with Kyle Busch.  It is inevitable that the two will race near each other at some point during the race.  There's also Matt Kenseth.  And don't forget that Stewart and Gordon never followed through with the "car crash wars" from Dover last spring and now have the Daytona run in to consider.

Dale Jarrett and Ryan Newman will be back at the scene of their last skirmish, as will Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson.   Has anyone apologized?  I forget who blamed who or whether anyone "kissed and made up"  I'm sure the drivers remember.

Finally, Chad Knaus will be back on top of Johnson's pit box.  His presence should cause some of a stir in the garage.  Any doubts that his time off has given him time to come up with some new and innovative interpretations of the nascar rule book? 

Is it April Yet?

Originally Posted on March 23, 2006 on Foxsports.com

The majority of motorsports fans have already started watching nascar, formula one, and drag racing  after a brief winter nap.  And this weekend, the IRL gets back into the swing of things at Homestead-Miami. 

But next weekend starts dirt track racing in most parts of the country.  Florida and a few other "warm" states have had a few events.  By the middle of April, nearly every dirt track will be open for racing.

I am a devoted nascar fan, but I am quickly becoming a fanatical dirt track fan.   I'm looking forward to catching winged and non-winged sprint cars and midgets several times this spring and this summer.   With any luck, I will get to a few new tracks.

On my short list are Eldora, Sun Prairie, Anderson, Kokomo, and Gas City.  I don't know that I'll get to any of them this year, but who knows.  I have several nascar tracks on the list too, and I've found it can be easy to pick up a dirt track race the night before a cup event at a local track.

I think it is interesting that most newer nascar fans have never gone to a dirt track race - it is like they don't even know it exists.  The reality is that the dirt track race is easier to understand, perfect for those with short attention spans, and moves at a quicker pace.  Not to mention the sliding around the corner that goes on.

I can't wait for March Madness to end so I can get onto April Showers making the track fast...

Fan Zones: Great Idea or Great Revenue Generator?

Originally Posted on March 18, 2006 on Foxsports.com

Last year Daytona International Speedway debuts its new fan zone.  The idea was to give fans a chance to see some of the behind the scenes action in the garages.  The fan zone allows fans to see into the individual garage stalls, hand items into the stalls to be autographed, watch inspections, and hang out on top of the garages watching the action down below.  Fans do not necessarily get to talk to drivers, owners, or team members.

The benefit to the track: the cost of admission to the fan zone is in addition to the race tickets.  Kansas has a similar design to Daytona, and the plans for the Las Vegas track include a fan zone experience.

I've visited the fan zone at Daytona, and because I'm a people watcher, it was fun to stand and watch the goings-on before the 500.  But, I'm not sure it was really worth $90 for the pleasure of doing so.

Dirt tracks have a similar program.  After the race, fans are invited to go into the pits and talk to whomever they find there.  Most drivers, owners and officials are delighted to talk to the fans who stay after to talk with them.  The cost to fans:  Nothing.  And this is a fairly typical practice around the country for local tracks.

Nascar has taken an old idea and found a way to make money out of it.