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Steven Wallace Not Looking For Anything Crazy in First Daytona 500

By
SM Staff
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Just days before Sprint Cup Series teams were set to hit Daytona International Speedway for preseason testing a late addition to the list raised a few eyebrows.

Steven Wallace is set to make his Cup debut in the biggest race of the season, the 53rd running of the Daytona 500. Wallace will be the third car under the Penske Racing banner.

“We came down here yesterday and unloaded,” said Wallace on Friday.

“We, obviously, weren’t as quick as we wanted to be. This was kind of a last-minute deal put together. We bought a car from Richard Childress that was a Chevrolet, a 2008 car that they ran. It hasn’t been run since. So put a Toyota nose and tail on it, put motor rounds in it, and came down here within about a week. So we have a lot of fine tuning to do on the car to find some speed, but we’re coming back with a different car that should be a little faster, and we’re excited about that.”

Wallace will be locked into the event thanks to the owner points coming with the No. 77 he’ll be driving. Last season Sam Hornish Jr. drove the car but team owner Roger Penske decided to make a change after struggles both on the track and sponsorship became an issue. Hornish will be running a few Nationwide Series race this upcoming season.

As for Wallace, he too will be back in the NNS. He’ll remain a full-time driver for his father, whom helped make this deal with Penske happen. Wallace finish 10th in points last season and is still searching for his first career win.

While the Daytona 500 is marked on the calendar, it will be the only Cup race in his immediate future. The 23-year-old knows he has a tall order in front of him.

“Well, no real Cup car experience,” he said.

“Ran some ARCA cars back in the day when there was no COT stuff. But this track’s really a cool track. It’s really, really smooth out there. It’s just like Talladega minus just a couple little bumps down there in three and four, but nothing to worry about.

With the new pavement and getting the opportunity to not only make his first Cup start, but also in the Daytona 500, Wallace knows he’s a lucky individual. During his availability with the media he kept using the word excited.

When the green flag flies for the race, Wallace believes that he’ll have a great chance to hang with the best in the business. The new pavement has many saying that the competition will be on an even playing field in what could be the most competitive and wildest Daytona 500 in recent memory.

It means, according to Wallace, that it should help rookies.

“I definitely think the new track will be to an advantage for guys like myself that don’t have a lot of Cup experience and whatnot,” he expressed.

“This track before was really, really rough, really slippery. Your car had to handle really, really well. I think with a rookie guy like me in the Cup Series, and a few other guys, this will benefit us because you don’t have to worry about handling and a lot of stuff. You’ve just got to have a really fast car and don’t make stupid decisions. If you can do all of that, you’ll be there at the end. I feel like we can do that.”

Upon hearing that Wallace was going to be entered in the race, reaction was mixed among those in the NASCAR world. From the unkind in terms of his driving talent because of his history of tearing up racecars, to calling him a wildcard, the expectations of his debut aren’t great.

For Wallace, he isn’t setting himself up for greatness either. Entering Speedweeks in early February will him with his own list of goals.

“Well, I think that’s a really big step for me,” he said.

“This is the Daytona 500. I’m a rookie at this. This is my first race. I’m not coming down here to win the race. I’m coming down here to have a strong finish, run good, get some respect, don’t crash the car, and finish the race. If we can do that, I feel like we’ll have a shot at it.

A rookie has never won the Great American Race but a few have seen success. In 2004, Scott Wimmer finished third driving for Bill Davis Racing. Wallace could become the first driver to ever accomplish the feat if he pulls off the upset. He would also be the first Wallace to win the Daytona 500.

“I’ve seen a lot wilder stuff happen down here. There’s been a couple of guys that have won this race that’s kind of been a little weird. But my dad’s never won here. He won the Bud Shootout. I’ve never won here. We’ve always run well here. We’ve had a couple top 10s and good strong runs.

“But most importantly, this Daytona 500 is a really big deal for me and my family. Of course, this is I believe of the four Wallaces, I think it’s the longest or most Daytona 500’s out of any family or something like that. I’m just down here to get some respect and run good.”

NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: Why aren’t NASCAR owner’s points listed on the New York Stock Exchange?

By
SM Staff
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One would think that they should be. They certainly seem to be valuable enough and to acquire owner’s points by alternative means, other than actually earning them on the race track, seems to provide some rather lucrative returns.

[media-credit name=”FMCM” align=”alignright” width=”227″][/media-credit]NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Steve Wallace can testify to that. Wallace will be making his official Sprint Cup Series debut in next month’s Daytona 500 driving the #77 Toyota Camry fielded by Rusty Wallace Racing backed with sponsorships from Five Hour Energy Drink and Aspen Dental. He has every right in the world to be excited about his Cup debut. He’s also likely feeling an extra sense of security because he has a guaranteed start in the Daytona 500 based on owner’s points.

In the world of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing owner’s points have over the years evolved into a commodity equally as important as the championship points system. Any team, throughout a season, who is entrenched in the top 35 in owner’s points is rewarded with a guaranteed start in their next race. At the end of a season the top 35 teams in the final owner’s standings are guaranteed a start in the first five races of the new season that follows.

In the case of Steve Wallace’s Sprint Cup debut at Daytona, his guaranteed start in the great American race is courtesy of a business deal recently made between his dad and team owner, Rusty Wallace, and fellow team owner Roger Penske.

It’s hardly an industry secret that there’s a strong personal and professional bond between the elder Wallace and Penske. That strong bond was likely the catalyst that allowed Rusty Wallace Racing to utilize the outstanding owner’s points from Penske seemingly now defunct #77 Sprint Cup team. This was the car driven by Sam Hornish Jr. for Penske Racing last year.  However, sponsorship issues with the team have left Hornish without a ride and that’s why the owner’s points were available to begin with. The details of this particular deal were never revealed. It’s not known if Penske let Wallace borrow his owner’s points just for Daytona or if a large amount of money was exchanged and the points were purchased. At this juncture Rusty Wallace Racing’s involvement in Sprint Cup appears to be limited to just the Daytona race and the Cup experience for Steve Wallace.

Swapping and purchasing owner’s points is hardly a new concept in Sprint Cup racing. it has, in fact, been a business option for quite a long time now. We shouldn’t be just be pinpointing the recent business deal made by Rusty Wallace Racing. There are other teams who will also be taking the green flag at the start of this year’s Daytona 500 with a guaranteed starting berth based on acquiring owner’s points via an alternative method. Also bear in mind that these deals have to be approved by NASCAR to become official.

In the 2010 season driver Paul Menard was a member of Richard Petty Motorsports and their four car operation. Menard elected to sign with Richard Childress Racing as the driver of that organization’s brand new fourth team. Meanwhile Richard Petty Motorsports, now under new ownership and management, elected to trim their operation to a two car team for this year. That move allowed Childress to acquire the owner’s points from RPM’s former #98 team, driven by Menard last year, and apply them to his brand new #27 team. It also means Menard has a guaranteed start in the first five races of this year despite the fact that he’s driving for a new team that has yet to run their first official race.

RPM owner’s points from their former #19 team, with driver Elliot Sadler, were also available. That commodity was acquired by Wood Brothers Racing and transferred to their #21 team. That means their new driver for 2011, Trevor Bayne, also has a guaranteed start for the Daytona 500 as well as the four races that follows it.

During the 2010 season Front Row Motorsports ran a three car operation. Two of their teams, the #34 and #37, finished the season within the top 35 in owner’s points. The third team, the #38 driven by David Gilliland, just barely missed the cut off. Heading into the 2011 season Front Row Motorsports has decided to campaign their #34 and #38 teams full time with full sponsorship packages. The #37 car will make part time appearances pending sponsor availability. The owner’s points from the #37 will be transferred to the #38 and that means Gilliland will not have to worry about qualifying for the first five races of the new year.

However you really can’t blame NASCAR team owners for their willingness to pull out all of the stops to insure their cars are among the 43 starters for the Daytona 500. It is, after all, one of the most prestigious and lucrative annual motorsports events in the world. Last year’s race winner, Jamie McMurray, collected a whopping $1,508,449. At the bottom of the results page driver/owner Joe Nemechek, who ran 64 laps in the 2010 event, earned $261,424. With those type of raw numbers on the line it’s perfectly understandable why any team owner would be willing to buy points from another team to make the starting field of the Daytona 500.

But it doesn’t mean its right. The bottom line of any form of auto racing should be, and must be, based on the track performance of the drivers and their cars. The right to start these races should be earned on qualifying day. It’s very simple: a car and driver is either fast enough to earn their starting berths or they face the possibility of loading their cars into the haulers and going home early. There has been too many examples in recent years of a team whose qualifying efforts were fast enough to make the field only to find themselves getting bumped from the starting grid by a team who has a guarantee based on owner’s points.

At this juncture in time, NASCAR officials are looking at their Sprint Cup Series to determine if there’s any way to make something good even better. There are already reports regarding possible modifications to the series’ championship points and the Chase format. Over the past several weeks there have been strong indications that NASCAR has been very receptive to input on these topics from team owners, drivers and even their fans.

Perhaps now is the time to examine whether or not the policy regarding the top 35 in owner’s points, and the guaranteed race starts that comes with it, has finally outlived its original intent. This is absolutely the time to examine the alternative means of acquiring owner’s points.

Owner’s points should be earned on the race track. They should not become available via a trade or a purchase like a commodity on the New York Stock Exchange.

Travis Pastrana Practice’s at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Preparation for the All-Star Showdown

By
SM Staff
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When the announcement was made that 11-time X Games gold medalist and four-time Rally Car national champion Travis Pastrana would be coming to NASCAR in 2011, the news came as a breath of fresh air during a time when attendance was down and the biggest decline was found between the ages of 18-34. NASCAR had already lured Metal Mulisha star Brian Deegan, who competed in the NASCAR Whelan series driving a Bob Newberry NTS Motorsports prepared super late model.

[media-credit name=”Sal Sigala Jr.” align=”alignright” width=”266″][/media-credit]Deegan competed in three races on Toyota Speedway at Irwindale’s half mile in 2010 with a best finish of 10th. Team owner Bob Newberry said that, “NASCAR will be energized by both new fans and new sponsors that Deegan and Metal Mulisha (Deegan Motocross team, clothing and product line) will attract.”

Attract, is the direction that NASCAR is taking by bringing both Deegan and Pastrana, along with AMA Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael into the sport in hopes of attracting the younger extreme motorsports fans.

Carmichael competed in the 2009 Toyota All-Star Showdown, which is dubbed the “Daytona 500 of short track racing,” finishing 34th after starting 28th on the grid because of an accident on lap 142. Pastrana took a different approach then what Deegan and Carmichael did, by teaming up with NASCAR’s Michael Waltrip to form Pastrana-Waltrip racing.

Pastrana, talked about the opportunity to team up with Waltrip during his recent practice session, in preparation for his first official NASCAR start in next weekend’s All-Star Showdown. “I’ve looked up to Michael a lot. His whole business philosophy is like mine,” said Pastrana who took his first practice laps in a Waltrip Racing prepared K&N Pro Series Toyota Camry.

Pastrana also added that, “We are in it for the long haul I realize its gonna be a long and tough road. We need to figure out what we need to work on and where we are as the season progresses.”

Pastrana finished with, “The 2011 season get my feet wet see where we need to go and make the best of it. The team is looking at long term goals. We have the right people in place for us to get the first race in to see where we sit and make a game plan.” Waltrip was not at the track for the practice session, but will be at the race serving as the Grand Marshal for the eighth running of this prestigious event.

The anticipation of getting the chance to race in the NASCAR series is in its final stages for the sports newest up and coming star, with Pastrana ready to take on the challenge of racing against some of the series best short track racers. Last season’s K&N Pro West Series champion Eric Holmes said that, “Irwindale is a tough track to learn on, but Travis has some good people behind him that are teaching him.”

Pastrana was able to keep the car off the wall, and going in straight line during his first few laps on a somewhat cold night, which will probably be the same weather conditions the area will see for the feature event.

“It felt okay a lot flatter course then the other tracks I’ve tested at. I just want to get out there and start driving. The team put me with the best crew everything is in place for me to do well.” said Pastrana after coming in to make some adjustments on the car.

Pastrana also added that, “This is gonna take a lot of time. I look forward to it I can’t tell you what it’s like because I never done it. Bottom line we have high expectations but we need results first.”

The all wheel drive Rally Car that Pastrana drove last year, may help his transition into the NASCAR series when he said, “The more sideways you get the more gas you give it, and with this car the more sideways you get you give it less throttle. The looser it gets the better I feel I should do better because in rally the cars loose.”

Pastrana’s first start will not come easy since he will first have to qualify his No.99 Toyota Camry, against more experienced drivers who are still looking to keep their rides for the 2011 season.

“Qualify and then don’t crash. Get as much time as possible in the car to see where our foundation our base place is gonna be, “said Pastrana when talking about next weekend’s outlook.

Pastrana is scheduled to possibly compete in seven Nationwide races, along with some K&N Pro Series East and West races with the showdown being the first, and a target date sometime in August for the NNS.

“After the showdown get back and regroup and think about what we need to do are gonna do. We will do the NNS series midway through the season and get as many K&N East and West series race in. August is a possible target date for the NNS,” said Pastrana when talking about his long range goals.

The All-Star showdown is non-points event which is the premier event of the season, since both the K&N Pro Series East and West drivers are invited to participate. “Year in and year out, the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown has provided some of the best racing action of the season,” said Bob DeFazio, Toyota Speedway at Irwindale track operator.

DeFazio finished with, “Last year’s sell-out crowd at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale witnessed a race they will be talking about for years, and we are honored to once again host the pinnacle of short-track racing in NASCAR.

“Toyota Speedway’s graduated banking and multiple racing grooves are a perfect place to showcase this tremendous pool of talent in NASCAR. This event is a perfect way to give race fans a final send-off to the 2010 racing season and whet their appetite for more exciting racing in 2011.”

Jimmie Johnson Working on a Six Pack for the 2011 Sprint Cup Series Season

By
SM Staff
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The 2011 Sprint Cup Series is officially underway as has begun in Daytona Beach for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500.

That means the six-pack is being chilled.

“We like beer, so it works,” says five-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]As Johnson looks to add another title to his growing collection, the campaign moves from ‘Drive for Five’ to ‘Six-Pack.’ It’s going to be storyline A this season because again it’s a season where Johnson is the head of the class. Again the driver 42 others are chasing.

This past offseason the same questions were posed, can Johnson do it again? What are Johnson’s odds of winning six in a row?

The simple answer: his chances are just as good now as they were the last five seasons.

They aren’t winning the most races in a season – but they win the championship. Sometimes, they don’t even have the best pit crew – but they win the championship.

All of which has left drivers and fans shaking their heads time in again.

It also leaves for a long offseason. Lists are complied of why he will and won’t repeat. There’s the list of which drivers are going to be contenders and who has the best shot to dethrone the No. 48 team.

But the truth is it’s becoming quite hard to find reasons why Johnson won’t or can’t do anything. The seasons roll on and every list gets smaller.

Welcome to 2011, the newest season of trying to escape déjà vu.

As you do, Johnson and his team have been hard at work. Crew chief Chad Knaus was adamant in Homestead that once the 2010 season ended the 2011 season had begun. Take the pictures with the trophy, collect the check, load the car on the truck and head back to Charlotte.

It needs to be torn down and looked over for research purposes. After all, he finished second in Homestead and it needs to be found out why he didn’t win.

Knaus was already lining up testing dates and building new racecars. When team owner Rick Hendrick announced changes to three of the four HMS teams, Johnson’s was left intact and kept on working. Not having to move or blink an eye.

It’s a wonder why Johnson worries about anything with the work ethic of his team, but he’s always thinking. It started at the end of last season when wondering how competitive his team was going to be and what the competition was going to look like.

Have no fear Johnson fans, the Lowe’s team knows what they need to do and how they need to do it. Race wins are still up for grabs. Championships sit ripe for the taking.

Johnson sits 10th on the all-time wins list after finding victory lane six times in 2010. His total is 53 and should he win seven more this season he’ll be at 60 career wins in 10 years, putting him third on the wins list.

He sits third on the list of Sprint Cup champions with five. NASCAR fans are well aware what winning anymore would do. While he’s already entering the discussion of one of the greatest NASCAR drivers in history, adding any more championships would start a whole new discussion about greatness.

“I would love to get 10 straight,” Johnson said after Homestead last November.

“I don’t know how ridiculous that sounds. But, in your mind, shoot, I would love to do X, Y, and Z. The realistic side, there’s no telling how long it’s going to last and I think we are all shocked it’s gone on this far.”

No one thought he would get five straight, what’s another five more?

It’s time to not only think ahead to title number six but to what’s after that: Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

They may not come consecutively and don’t have to, Johnson’s already going into the history books and the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Some might think the pressure is beginning to get to him. Not just from wondering when it’s all going to come to a screeching halt, but of knowing whom he’s chasing. But Johnson has never been a driver to get ahead of himself.

One race and one year at a time has always been their motto.

His drive and focus may be unmatched by another driver. At 35-years-old Johnson isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, whether another title comes this year or a few down the road, it’s a long shot to think he’s done winning.

Mark Martin is still racing at 51 years of age. Earnhardt passed away at 49-years-old. Johnson isn’t going to lose talent from one year to the next and it doesn’t look good for those hoping he’ll wake up one day and decide he has enough championships.

For the last half decade, Johnson has shown fans something they may have never seen before. Now as he looks for a sixth Sprint Cup Series championship he’s trying to show fans something else they’ve never seen before and not just in how many titles he can win back-to-back.

He’s showing fans that a driver can and is closing on two drivers that were thought to never be touched.

“If I can seam together seven [championships] in any shape or form to tied those two greats, I would be extremely honored,” said Johnson.

“If I was ever able to surpass them, it would be out of this world.”

Before Johnson had wrapped up his fifth championship last season his father Gary Johnson was already looking ahead.

As the command to fire engines was given in Homestead for the Ford 400, the elder Johnson exclaimed, “We’re going for the six-pack and you can quote me on that!”

Wonder what he must be thinking now.

The Case of the Mysterious Disappearing Fans Solved

By
SM Staff
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With the new rumored changes to the points and Chase system in NASCAR, people once again want to talk about what happened to NASCAR’s numbers. How will the changes affect the television ratings and the ticket sales numbers? Will the new changes have the desired effect of bringing back the loyal and diehard fans to the track and in front of their television sets weekly? Just as important is the question where did they go and why?

[media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]I believe that responsibility lies not only with the business model of NASCAR it’s self but with the changes in the type of fan and the type of drivers that compete in the sport. The old school, diehard, knowledgeable fan, who researched, asked questions and learned the sport. They were also being diehard in their loyalty to their driver got tired of being treated as though they were stupid. They got tired of being traded for marketing dollars and having the sport itself slide for the sake of money.

That financially profitable business model that was created by NASCAR, carried over to everything. To the price of the hotels and merchandise, to the price of the race tickets, to the number of commercials in a TV broadcast. It was a business model that the teams copied, after all everyone wanted their piece of the pie. It was a model in which the fans became a commodity much like the inventory of cars and parts in their shop.

There were warnings from within. Drivers cautioned that the true blood of the sport was a mixture between the loyalty of the fans and the fierceness of competition and to lose either would have disastrous results. Still the model moved forward making millions of dollars as it did, but at the same time alienating long time fans and enthusiasts.

The knowledgeable and long time fans shook their heads and faded away much like the real stories of their heroes. The commercialized and romanticized NASCAR fans took their place, the ME generation. The generation of what it’s in it for me. What do I get? It’s ok to hate a driver, it’s ok to wish him bad. Wrecks are great, if they die so what; they get paid the big bucks to take that chance. These appear on message boards throughout the internet. Their loyalty changed from week to week. Whoever was winning, as long as they weren’t winning too much. How much was too much? To that there was no consistent answer.

The next generation of drivers was different as well. Gone were the strong men with iron wills. The courage and daring of moon shiners and fighter pilots. Men, who could build the car, could and did work on the car, and knew it inside out. The magicians of speed faded into history and their stories became romantic tales of daring and magic.

In their place came pretty poster boys and marketing images that had no substance and no reality. What you saw was all there was. There was no personality. There was no style or substance. It was a facade of a man created by a marketing puppeteer to sell the sponsor products and the sport.

Like a movie façade the man behind the image was often unaccommodating and distant. He was a business owner with multiple corporations and the driver you saw was actually nothing more than a corporate image meant to entice you to support of products and merchandise.

The dedication of driver to fan began to disappear. The standards of the King and his devotion to his following became legend and few if any paid heed to the dominance that fan base provided him in times of difficulty.

The slick and shiny new NASCAR driver met with approval from the master puppeteers named NASCAR because the sport had changed. It was now about control about changing and rewriting history to avoid offending the sensitive. Sensitivity training and “diversity studies” became the order of the day. Not race cars, speed and technologies that would extend the sports survival into the next centuries.

The drivers were just the starting point. The next stop was erasing the brand identity of the manufacturers that for years had kept the sport afloat. And they did so with total arrogance stating, the sport would survive even if the manufactures represented did not.

To make their point, NASCAR engineers were given the task of creating a NASCAR car. The Car of Tomorrow it was called. All the cars would be the same, creating a “level playing field” and eliminating the advantage of factory support and dominance.

The arrival of NASCAR’s car spoke loudly to fall of the sport and its fans. But it also spoke loudly to the men behind the poster boy smiles. Suddenly they were at risk. Their well scripted and planned roles of villain and hero began to fall apart. The heroes couldn’t fill the shoes of the men of the past. They didn’t know how. They were created on paper and their reality was that the 43 most highly paid male super models frankly didn’t have the skills. And the few that did were unacceptable to the new fan. They were, “Neanderthal throw backs”, “spoiled brat”, “jerk with a steering wheel”.

The “general fan” does not like Kyle Busch or Tony Stewart or even to a degree Juan Pablo Montoya. It really has little to do with their demeanor or their behavior. It has more to do with their raw ability. They are not the slick paper politically correct set. They are a throwback to a simpler time when people could do the math and know where their favorite stood in the points. Where the goal and path to reach it were easy. Do it better. Do it faster and accept no road block in your way. Bring back the trophy and ultimately the championship.

For all their cries of we need another Dale Earnhardt, they don’t really want one. Not that any of this generation of drivers could ever fill his shoes. But should one come along that could stand beside him, they would reject him as being too cocky and irresponsible.

Even though the man in black was the defining hero that changed not only our sport but our world he too fell victim to NASCAR’s polishing rag. His name used to promote and describe as though it were an adjective yet few of the new fans knew him as anything but Sr. Truth is he was not a senior. He was Dale Earnhardt. His son was Junior. But he was never senior. He was Dale. He was the Intimidator. He was the man in black. He was a lot of expletives if he was not your favorite driver. But he was never Senior.

As in the growth of all things NASCAR’s new business model hit its snag. Its new fans were not interested in why or how. The patient support that the sport had enjoyed for over 50 years was suddenly gone. The new generation of fans wanted what they had been promised.

When it was not forth coming immediately from NASCAR they created it themselves with irresponsible postings across the internet of unsubstantiated rumor and flat fiction. The fan bases now thoroughly ensconced in the new NASCAR model defended the action as “freedom of speech” and encouraged the activity to the point that across the board, old school fans began to whisper amongst themselves about the fall of the proud and the greedy.

They began looking for the “new hero”. Sadly it would not be the Legacy of the greatest hero our sport had known. But who would it be? Would he come from the west and a land of glitter and glamour or would he come from another series with the strength and the will to stand like Wyatt Earp? Or would it be a woman who would charm and comfort them back to their seats?

Truth is the story has no ending as of yet. There are changes coming and the sands of time are still shaping the challenges and the faces of the future. What difference will it make to change the way the points are awarded? Will that change the fact that barring some horrific and unanticipated disaster that Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus will once again be right there taking on all comers? NO. It means that we are rewarding those that are too lazy to learn how the points system works and are too uneducated to do the math.

Then we have the change to the chase. Rumor is 10 points spots and 2 winners spots. Now let’s say that we have 4 teams with 2 wins apiece. All 4 of them are separated by 1 point. They can’t award those positions by points because that is what they are trying to get away from in the first place. If they do award it on the basis of points then what was the point in changing the system. Brian France gets egg on his face and one more time NASCAR takes a hit in lacking foresight.

So what do we do put all four out there in an all star prelude type race and say the top two go on and the last two don’t? How many cars do you think will still be drivable after the 1st turn on the green flag? Let us not forget here that the Cup Champion’s purse money last year was over 7 million dollars and that didn’t include contingency money. It didn’t include Champion’s purse share. I have the greatest confidence in my favorites that they have the talent to make it happen. But I am realistic as well, that is a lot of money.

By changing the points system and the Chase, all NASCAR is doing is saying here we understand you aren’t smart enough to understand so we are going to make it easy for you. How many times will NASCAR play the fans as stupid and insult their ability before people say enough. Or maybe they already are saying enough and that is why the ratings are dropping and the seats are starting to be noticeably empty.

The question stands who will lead us from the ruins of greed based control model that trades loyalty for dollar signs and knowledge for rumored speculation and irresponsibility. Who will be the track wise Hercules who will rise above the wrongs? Dramatic yes, but Hollywood couldn’t have written a better script of disaster and drama. Probably because this is not and never has been a polished sport. It is and always has been a fast paced chess game where men’s lives and the lives of their families and fans hang in the balance.

NASCAR’s numbers are gone. But they and their teams erased them themselves. Can they be recovered? Only time will tell.

Indy Car, Prepared for 2011?

By
SM Staff
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With the 2011 season looming just on the horizon, the premier form of open wheeled racing in North America appears to be more prepared than ever to get things started. This series has taken notice, asked some questions, and made a few changes to their overall program with the intent of giving the race fans, the paying customers, if you will, more value for their dollar.

The first and most obvious change is the name. No longer know as the Indy Racing League, this series has now been christened as “Indy Car”.  This change came to be after research by Indy Car officials indicated there were a significant number of people that were unfamiliar with the Indy Racing League, but were well aware of what an Indy Car was. Now that the differences between the IRL and CART have been resolved it only made sense to rename the series to something the race fan could relate to.

In what is seen as another positive change for 2011, Indy Car has revised the schedule to include races in Brazil, Japan, and two stops in Canada. The series also added a new venue with the addition of the Baltimore Grand Prix, a temporary street course in downtown Baltimore, Maryland. Indy Car will also return to New Hampshire Speedway after a 13 year absence, and a return to the historic Milwaukee Mile is slated for mid June. Chicagoland, Kansas, Watkins Glen, and Homestead-Miami will not host events during the 2011 season. These revisions allow Indy car to be exposed to new markets, and allow opportunity for growth, and additional revenues for race promoters, as well as Indy Car.

With a few exceptions, the teams, drivers, and sponsors have remained pretty much unchanged. It is certain that Team Penske and its’ line up of Ryan Briscoe, Helio Castroneves, and the 2010 runner up Will Power will be a force to be reckoned with in 2011. Andretti Autosport will field cars for Marco Andretti, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Danica Patrick, and of this writing it is uncertain who will replace Tony Kanaan who signed with DeFerran-Dragon Racing and will team with Raphael Matos. Chip Ganassi has expanded his racing empire with the formation of Service Central Chip Ganassi racing. This team will see Graham Rahall, and Charlie Kimball slated as the primary drivers. The Target Chip Ganassi team should remain without major changes, Scott Dixon, are signed for 2011, and Dario Franchitti will defend his title. Dreyer-Reinbold will be back with Paul Tracy, Justin Wilson, Ana Beatriz, and the return of Mike Conway. Team owners said they will be happy to see Mike back in the car, and fully recovered from his injuries suffered on the last lap of the 2010 Indy 500. Long time USAC star and team owner Sara Fisher will relinquish driving duties in 2011, and hand the keys over to Ed Carpenter.  JR Hildebrand , a veteran of Indy Light competition has been secured by Panther Racing to replace Dan Wheldon in the #4 National Guard Car. Dan is rumored to be talking with Chip Ganassi, but there have been no formal announcements made as yet. Other teams to watch are HVM Racing with Simona De Silvestro behind the wheel. Fazzt Racing with Bruno Junqueria, and long time veteran Alex Tagliani. KV Racing will come ready with Mario Moraes, Takuma Sato, and E.J. Visio in their stable.  You can never rule out the five car team of Conquest Racing, or The teams of A.J. Foyt, Bryan Herta, Dale Coyne or Newman-Haas.

With the revised schedule, and the majority of talent still in place, there is no reason to believe that the 2011 Izod Indy Car series will be any less exciting than in 2010. Last season saw two, three, and even four wide racing on the high speed, high banked ovals. The Indianapolis 500 was one of the most watched sporting events worldwide. The Street and road course races drew huge crowds. The innovative TV packages with patented “Side by Side” coverage that allowed viewers to never miss a minute of the action was a first in the industry. Overall, it’s easy to see why this is the Premier open wheel racing series in North America.

So, don’t hesitate, the first race of the season is almost upon us. The Honda Grand Prix in Saint Petersburg, Florida is set for March 25th through March 27th and would make a great excuse to visit the sunshine state, and get out of the cold, all while enjoying the stars, and cars of Indy Car.

NASCAR May Be Returning to Simplicity With Points Change

By
SM Staff
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The complex incremental scoring system of points for NASCAR may be out the window in favor of a simpler system.  It may just be that the winner of the race will get 43 points and each finisher after that will get one point less.

An Associated Press release stated the upcoming changes had not been finalized and the source of information, who had been involved in the discussions, wished to remain anonymous.

[media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]The current point system has been in place since 1975.  It gives 175 points to the winner and decreases incrementally in five to three points down to 34 points for the driver who finishes 43rd.  In addition five-point bonuses are awarded for leading a lap and leading the most laps.

The proposed system will still award bonus points for the lap leaders and race winners, but it has not been determined exactly how many points it will be.

All the chatter about Brian France changing the Chase to an exotic playoff system also appears to have fallen off the radar.  Apparently NASCAR has listened to drivers and teams who really don’t want the changes.

The rumors of expanding the Chase to 15 drivers did not play well with drivers or fans.  It appears the Chase will basically remain with top 10 drivers following the 26th race.

The remaining two positions in the Chase will go to the drivers who have the most wins and are outside of the top-10 positions.

Preseason testing begins this Thursday at Daytona International Speedway.  NASCAR president, Mike Helton and vice president of competition, Robin Pemberton will discuss some of the planned changes for 2011 during a press conference with the media on Friday.

Any major changes will be announced by Brian France next week during the annual media tour in Charlotte.

It appears NASCAR has listened and found answers in good, old-fashioned simplicity.  Those who are critics of the Chase will still have it, so their complaining will continue.

As for the possible change in points, it should be more fan friendly with the ease of the points calculation after each race.

There will be more changes announced regarding NASCAR policies in the coming days, but for now it appears NASCAR is working toward a cleaner points system and a Chase that encourages wins.

Exotic changes to the sport don’t bode well with the players or the fans and now it appears that will not be an issue.

NASCAR Tinkers While Fans Check Out

By
SM Staff
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NASCAR continues to tinker with at least two of its top three series at the risk of alienating more fans.

Why do they do this? The fans of the Sprint Cup Series had just become accustomed to The Chase, the Lucky Dog, the Shotgun Start, and (unfortunately) the Car of Tomorrow (which properly should be called the Car of Today) in the Sprint Cup Series and what do they do? Talk is they are going to revamp the points system. You know the one created by Bob Latford in 1975 that rewarded consistency over the entire season. What they’ve come up with, according to the Associated Press, is a system that would give the winner of the race 43 points. Each position thereafter would receive one less point than the position ahead of it. In other words, the team/driver that finished second would receive 42 points and the third place team/driver would get 41 points. Last place would yield 1 point.

The problem with all of this is that these changes are manufactured to attain a goal that takes us far away from the traditions of the sport. Take the Nationwide Series for instance. According to drivers who already applied for their licenses, they have to choose only one series to run for the championship. No more running for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series the same season. The point of this is to eliminate the championship going to a Sprint Cup regular, but guess what? It may happen anyway.

If you look at the list of probable Nationwide Series entrants, one name just jumps out at you. Elliott Sadler. Yep, the guy who has been a regular on the Sprint Cup Series for a long time. He even has three wins in Sprint Cup competition, driving for the Wood Brothers, Robert Yates Racing, and the Ray Evernham, George Gillette, and Richard Petty Motorsports teams. Last year, he decided to leave RPM and wound up in the Nationwide Series driving for Kevin Harvick Motorsports, one of the most powerful Nationwide Series teams. He will run for the championship and has to be the odds-on favorite. Imagine that.

The rumored points system would attempt to make a closer championship race, giving the fans what Brian France calls a “seventh game experience.” Funny he would use a baseball term; I always thought the NFL was the target. Regardless, it would mean that a top driver can have a bad day, win the next week, and not be so far behind in the series standings. Other changes could be ten drivers qualifying for the Chase with the two top winners, if they are not part of the top ten taking positions 11 and 12. Once again manufacturing the close finish might have the same appeal to fans that those other ideas in my first paragraph (with the exception of Shotgun Starts) did. They will be yawning. As I’ve said before, most of the older base of fans will consider it a bastardization of their sport, younger fans will continue to turn the channel because they don’t know what the rules are, and both will eventually watch the NBA, MLB or the NFL. And they will wonder why.

If we look at the history of the last decade, NASCAR had a good product that was growing year after year. Television ratings were high and crowds at the track were large. Things started to decline before the Great Recession of 2008, and that event and the constant changes designed to “make things better” turned the base fan away. They haven’t returned. And with gasoline prices rumored to be $4.00 per gallon by May, look for more of the same.

Where does all of this leave us? I’ve long had a problem with Sprint Cup drivers and powerhouse teams (Childress or one of his farm teams, Roush-Fenway, Penske, Gibbs, and Hendrick) dominating the Nationwide Series, but was this the answer? Nationwide Series races are not as well attended as Sprint Cup races, but you can bet the absence of Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Busch won’t help any. This will all play out, but I don’t have a good feeling about it. The new points system, if rumors are true, may make for a close finish or it may be a runaway. So, nothing has changed except confusion to the fan base. From 2004 until today, NASCAR has been confusing its fans. Yes, the economy is bad, but people resist change. It confuses the young and confounds the old. And the beat goes on.

Steven Wallace to Run the Daytona 500, Sam Hornish Jr. Without Cup Ride? No Way!

By
SM Staff
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Folks, the headline may be hard to believe—but it is true. Well, okay, most of you would believe the second half of the headline, but not the first half.

As reported by Fox Sports on Saturday, Sam Hornish Jr. will not be racing anything in the Cup Series for Penske Racing or anybody come Daytona or during the year.

His crew has been shrunk to either join the Nationwide teams or strengthen Brad Keselowski’s Cup team.

This would equal no surprise, as Hornish hasn’t done anything in Cup except cause wrecks and incidents that have many people questioning why he was even in the series to begin with. Let’s face it—in 108 starts, he only has two top fives and eight top 10s. If you can’t get it done in that time, then how much time do you want?

NASCAR is a performance-driven business, and if you can’t get it done, you’re cut. Just ask Scott Speed, as he was booted from Red Bull Racing despite “contract terms” and “discussions” when he finished outside the top 20 in points.

Hornish has only lasted as long as he has with Penske due to their IZOD IndyCar success, as Hornish won 19 races, had 62 top fives and 80 top 10s in 116 starts. It’s the situation of being the teacher’s pet, but the teacher has run out of excuses to keep the principal from intervening.

So what happens in NASCAR when you don’t do well? Simple—you go down and run one of the two lower divisions, or you face the music and leave the series. Some drivers who have stepped down have found success and have loved it there—namely Ron Hornaday and Todd Bodine. The Camping World Truck Series has become home to drivers with this scenario and now has fans tuned in for the high-octane drama.

However, Dario Franchitti also faced the music but went back to IZOD IndyCar instead after his NASCAR experiment failed and won the championship. Some drivers are only fit for one form of motorsports, while others can adapt across the board, like Tony Stewart.

Hornish has taken the road of going down to the Nationwide Series for 2011, as he will run at least 10 races for Roger Penske, including the season opener at Daytona. Hornish will have no excuses for those 10 races, as Penske had two cars in the top five last year in points, so we know they have a good program. It’ll all be up to the driver and for him to prove that he belongs in NASCAR.

The second half of the story, though, is where the shocker hits—the owner’s points from the No. 77 car that Hornish drove will be used by Steven Wallace for the season-opening Daytona 500. With the No. 77 being 30th in points, therefore in the top 35, that will lock Steven into the race. What is wrong with this picture?

EVERYTHING ABOUT IT! Steven has yet to even find success in the Nationwide Series and has caused too many wrecks to count. Many fans have already expressed their thoughts towards Rusty Wallace in telling him to take his son out of the car and put his money in someone who can drive, such as his niece Chrissy Wallace.

His stats speak towards what the fans are saying, as in 157 starts he only has four top fives and 29 top 10s. He also has seven DNFs in his past 12 Nationwide Series restrictor plate starts. Now, we’ll be nice and say that he has been improving each year, yet not enough that it warrants him being allowed to run the biggest race of the year in the top series.

Rusty also said that he thinks Steven will be the Sprint Cup Series champion in 2015—delusional much? Doesn’t he see what we see in the fact that Steven can’t even call himself a top Nationwide Series driver?

Folks, last year’s Daytona 500 was almost ruined in the headlines by a pothole. Luckily, Jamie McMurray won it in emotional fashion and stole the headlines.

With Wallace starting this year’s Daytona 500 and the harm that he could cause, we may need another dramatic win to steal the headlines. Without it, we could see a lot of hate mail floating across the web over another ruined Daytona 500.

Penske Racing has obviously made some interesting choices since the conclusion of 2010 with choosing to attempt to find Hornish sponsorship rather than Justin Allgaier and now allowing a wrecking ball to run the biggest race of the year. Thankfully, there are people like Steve Turner who help those in need (Allgaier), and hopefully somebody like him will save us from doom in the Daytona 500.

What Could Have Been?

By
SM Staff
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As you may have noticed from my previous articles, I’m no fan of the Chase system. This article will detail what would have happened if we had the old points system, but with the 10 extra bonus points for wins feature from 1975-2006 because as you know, NASCAR implemented the extra points for wins following the end of the 2006 season, so repeating what happened from 2007-2010 is irrelevant. I’m going to call my points system, Ryan’s System.

1975 Ryan’s System Champion:Richard Petty (Petty won by over 842 points in my system and by 722 under the system back then. Petty won 13 races to 1 by second place finisher, Dave Marcis.)

1976 Ryan’s System Champion:Cale Yarborough (Won 9 races. Richard Petty had just three to finish second and was behind by 275 points)

1977 Ryan’s System Champion:Cale Yarborough (Won 9 races again. Petty won 5 races this time around, but this time found himself behind 425 points. Better luck next year King.)

1978 Ryan’s System Champion:Cale Yarbrough (3rd and Final Championship in a row. Beat Darrell Waltrip by 519 points.)

1979 Ryan’s System Champion:Darrell Waltrip (Oooh ouch. Petty is not a 7-time champion anymore, but a 6-time champion. Waltrip wins a 9 point nail biter. Now, that is exciting stuff.)

1980 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (First championship for The Intimidator. 9 point victory over Cale who was going for his 4th.)

1981 Ryan’s System Champion:Darrell Waltrip (No question about it. He won 12 races. Second-place finisher Bobby Allison had 5.)

1982 Ryan’s System Champion:Darrell Waltrip (Same story. No question about it. Waltrip 12-Allison 8)

1983 Ryan’s System Champion:Bobby Allison (Bobby gets revenge and both have 6 wins, but Allison wins by 47.)

1984 Ryan’s System Champion:Terry Labonte (Labonte only won 2 races yet still won by 55 points. Evidence that the system works on consistency as well.)

1985 Ryan’s System Champion:Bill Elliott (Elliott edges Waltrip. Waltrip would have had an 101 point win, but Elliott had 11 wins to Waltrip’s 3 and won the title. Sorry Darrell.)

1986 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (Won the title easily)

1987 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (3rd Championship. Made it look easy.)

1988 Ryan’s System Champion:Bill Elliott (Two titles in four years for Elliott. Held off Wallace by 24 points.)

1989 Ryan’s System Champion:Rusty Wallace (22 point win for Wallace over the 3-time champion Earnhardt.)

1990 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (Cruised easily to his 4th title.)

1991 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (5th title. 4th title in 6 years. Amazing performance.)

1992 Ryan’s System Champion:Bill Elliott (3rd title. Apologies to the late Alan Kulwicki, but he lost out by 20 points.)

1993 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (6th title ties Richard Petty for most all-time.

1994 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Earnhardt (7th title. The best NASCAR driver of all-time.

1995 Ryan’s System Champion:Jeff Gordon (This kid beat the best of all-time in just his third year? Very impressive.

1996 Ryan’s System Champion:Jeff Gordon (Beats out teammate Terry Labonte by 43 points for his second career championship.

1997 Ryan’s System Champion:Jeff Gordon (3rd title in a row ties him with Cale Yarborough for most titles in consecutive seasons.)

1998 Ryan’s System Champion:Jeff Gordon (4th title in a row and only 27 years of age and now has the record for himself.)

1999 Ryan’s System Champion:Dale Jarrett (Heck at least someone other than Gordon won.)

2000 Ryan’s System Champion:Bobby Labonte (First title. Holds off the best of all-time to win it.)

2001 Ryan’s System Champion:Jeff Gordon (5 titles in 7 years is still mighty impressive.)

2002 Ryan’s System Champion:Tony Stewart (Former open-wheeler wins his first title.)

2003 Ryan’s System Champion:Matt Kenseth (Held off Jimmie Johnson for his first title.)

2004 Ryan’s System Champion:Jeff Gordon (6th title in 10 years. Won by 17 points.)

2005 Ryan’s System Champion:Tony Stewart (2nd title.)

2006 Ryan’s System Champion:Jimmie Johnson (He did it! By 14 points, but he did it!)

Now, you know that NASCAR implemented the 10 extra bonus points after this year. 2007 belonged to Jeff Gordon for his 7th title to tie him with Dale Earnhardt for the most championships all-time. Carl Edwards got his first in 2008. Jimmie Johnson took his second title in 2009 and finally Happy Kevin Harvick is a champion finally. So, looking at this article…who is the best of all-time? If you want to go by wins, you have to go with Richard Petty because he won 200, but if you want to go by championships you have to go with either #3 or #24 and Gordon will be King once he wins another title. Yes, Gordon won 4 in a row and that record cannot be broken until at least 2013. I have provided you with the evidence. What do you guys think of it?

Email me at therhino.ryan@gmail.com or facebook me. Thank you.

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