Happy Friday everyone. Habbajeeba, we made it through the week! Today In Nascar History Nov. 6, 1977: G.C. Spencer finishes 25th in the Dixie 500 at Atlanta in his final Cup race. Spencer starts at least one race from 1958 through 1977. He is winless in 415 starts with 55 top-fives and 138 top-10s. His best season is 1965 when finishes fourth in the standings and records 14 top-fives and 25 top-10s in 47 starts. Quote of the Year There's an unwritten rule in NASCAR: Thou shalt not take on Dale Earnhardt Jr. --Terry Blount/espn Vote for your driver! www.chexmostpopular Comments from the Peanut Gallery From Chip Dear NASCAR Momma: Was it just me or did anyone notice a couple races ago that the guy singing the national anthem before the start of the race kinda skipped ahead and left out some of the lyrics. I am not sure if he was being pushed because of the flyover or he was so thrilled to be there that he had a brain freeze. I know that in the past that many of us, mainly me, have criticized severely those who have butchered the task. But come on here for Gods sake, what in the world is going on here? It is bad enough that someone has to show off by adding notes that were not there but to omit lines is just absurd. Who chooses these people? I would much rather hear a high school chorus or even grade school children doing the job as opposed to whatever recording artist who happens to be in town for the race. Funny that we do not hear marching bands who play it go into the rants that some of these so called vocalists do. Why because they work and learned it from sheet music that does not contain egocentric add ons. In other words they perform it as written and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I thought that I would never feel compelled to write on this issue again but lo and behold along comes another twit and really shows us that we can be irritated with either an error filled or rant filled presentation of our nations theme. Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. What in the world is NASCAR coming to? Chip Sadly Chip I didn't notice that. I find that I listen to the first couple of lines and if it is being butchered, I tend to just tune it out. How sad that I have come to that. I used to take pride in the National Anthem, now I tune out if it isn't right. Bits and Pieces Special 'Cup Cake' scheme for Ambrose at Texas: Little Debbie Racing's Marcos Ambrose will be driving the #47 Little Debbie Chocolate Cupcake Toyota in the final three races of the 2009 Sprint Cup season: Texas, Phoenix and Homestead (Little Debbie Flickr page), the scheme was designed by NASCAR artist Sam Bass. NASCAR takes ABC to task for 'boring' race: Almost everybody who watches TV sports is an instant critic. One exception: Sports leagues themselves, who almost never publicly criticize the networks that cover them. And when it comes to ESPN, and its various TV platforms including ABC, the last criticism you'd expect is that the worldwide leader in hype wasn't enthusiastic enough about something it had paid to cover. But NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston, in a blog posting on nascar.com, specifically knocked ESPN/ABC's coverage of Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Talladega, Ala. At issue: Whether the race was boring. Gossage says Patrick needs to promote NASCAR: Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage believes Danica Patrick needs to take advantage of her entry into NASCAR by doing more to promote her involvement. "She needs to understand that she has to take an active role in the promotion of the sport," Gossage said Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway. "If I were one of her advisors, I would encourage her to do a lot more." Patrick is close to reaching an agreement to drive a partial Nationwide Series schedule next season for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his JR Motorsports team, while she continues to race full time in the IndyCar Series. Gossage wants to see Patrick make the most of her NASCAR debut by helping track promoters, sponsors and NASCAR take advantage of her mainstream celebrity status. "That's something that I don't think some people around her in Indy car emphasize to her as much as they should," Gossage said. "I think people in NASCAR will encourage her to take a more active role."(ESPN) Conway to attempt Phoenix triple: Kevin Conway and ExtenZe Racing announced that they will attempt to run all three NASCAR national series races NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (no team named or mentioned), NASCAR Nationwide Series (#26 ExtenZe Chevy) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (#71 ExtenZe Chevy) at Phoenix International Raceway next weekend. Conway has never raced at Phoenix International Raceway, much less competed in NASCAR's top three divisions in one weekend, but he is set to attempt to qualify for his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series debut at the one-mile oval. "I've never been accused of doing things normally," said Conway. "To make my Sprint Cup Series and Camping World Truck Series debut at a track that I have never even seen is pretty ambitious but I am excited to have this opportunity with ExtenZe. For ExtenZe Racing to pull this together in such a short amount of time is nothing short of a miracle. Everyone on this ExtenZe team is pumped to give it our best shot in Phoenix." ExtenZe will appear as Conway's primary sponsor in all three races. Together they will attempt to compete in 850 miles of racing at Phoenix International Raceway.(ExtenZe Racing PR) Gossage to pay tribute to "The Boss": Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage always has been the boss at the speedway since it opened in 1997, but Friday he will be paying tribute to "The Boss." No, not Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Chairman Bruton Smith, but Bruce Springsteen. Gossage was presented the special invitation to serve as guest DJ on E Street Radio, a dedicated channel for Springsteen on both XM Satellite Radio and SIRIUS Satellite Radio. Gossage, a Springsteen fan for more than three decades, will choose his favorite songs and share some stories related to his appreciation of Springsteen throughout the one-hour show beginning 3:00pm/ct Friday on XM's Channel 58 and Sirius' Channel 10. Final Talladega TV ratings: ABC's live coverage of the AMP Energy 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway on Nov. 1 earned a final national household rating of 4.2, the highest rating so far among the seven races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. The telecast averaged 6,627,058 viewers. In the past two seasons since ESPN returned to NASCAR coverage in 2007, the Talladega race has been the highest-rated race among the 10 races in the Chase. The race scored a 4.6 rating in both 2007 and 2008 (ESPN). Dodge and Chevy leaving NASCAR? NO: The three major car racing circuits -- Formula One, NASCAR, and Indy Car -- have built a multibillion dollar business. Formula One revenue, including sponsorships and broadcast fees, is estimated at $3.9 billion a year, which is more per event than either the NFL or The Premier League of soccer clubs. Toyota has elected to pull out of Formula One because of cost considerations. The world's largest car company has lost money for more than a year. Reuters estimates that Toyota has spent $300 million per year on its Formula One campaign. Honda (HMC) pulled its cars from the circuit earlier this year. Special Operation Homefront scheme for Kurt Busch: #2-Kurt Busch continues racing to support fundraising efforts for Operation Homefront this weekend at Texas. Miller Lite is donating $200,000 to the organization dedicated to serving our military families in need. This amount will grow by an additional $10,000 if Kurt and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge can achieve another top-10 finish in this weekend's race at Texas. He already scored one such bonus when he finished 10th in the Oct. 17 NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Kurt is also asking for fans to help in this worthy cause. You can do so in several manners. To make a $5 donation, just text the word T-R-O-O-P-S to 90999. The charge will appear on your wireless bill. Alternatively, visit millerlite.com/ Edwards' Team Captures Tissot Pit Road Award in Talladega: Carl Edwards' crew won the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. It was the second Tissot win of the season for the #99 crew and the ninth win for a Roush Fenway Racing team. Edwards' Ford Fusion spent the least amount of time on pit road (191.014 seconds) during the AMP Energy 500 at the Alabama 2.66-mile oval. Edwards' over-the-wall crew, which earned $5,000 for the Tissot win, consists of: Greg Donlin (front-tire changer), Jeremy Dyer (front-tire carrier), Brandon Hopkins (rear-tire changer), Jody Fortson (rear-tire carrier), Craig Pope (jackman), Joe Karasinski (gasman) and Norm Lowe (catch can). The team's crew chief is Bob Osborne. With three races remaining in the 2009 season, three teams are in contention to claim the Tissot Pit Road Precision Award season championship which carries a $100,000 bonus plus Tissot watches for the crew and driver. Greg Biffle's #16 crew leads the competition with six wins, followed by five wins for Jeff Gordon's #24 crew and four wins for Jimmie Johnson's #48 crew. If there's a tie in the Tissot competition after the final race at Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 22), the team which finishes the highest in the Sprint Cup driver point standings will be awarded the Tissot season title (Tissot). Vertis makes debut on #98: The #98 Ford of Paul Menard will unload the Vertis / Menards Ford Fusion for the first time this season. Vertis Communications is a premier provider of targeted advertising and marketing solutions to America's leading retail and consumer services companies. (Yates Racing) Crown Royal to honor Jamie McMurray's Talladega victory with $10,000 donation By SceneDaily Staff Crown Royal, a subsidiary of Diageo and primary sponsor of Roush Fenway Racing's Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, is making a donation in honor of the driver's recent victory at Talladega Superspeedway. The company will make a $10,000 donation to The Century Council in McMurray's name. Should the Roush Fenway driver win a second consecutive Cup race by taking the checkered flag in this weekend's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, Crown Royal will pledge an additional $50,000 in an effort to raise awareness for drinking responsibly. Jeff Gordon and Richard Childress honored as 'Celebrities Who Give Big' Two NASCAR notables, four-time champion Jeff Gordon and team owner and former racer Richard Childress, have been recognized by Parade magazine as "Celebrites Who Give Big." In their recent edition focusing on philanthropy, Parade highlighted the top thirty actors, business executives, media members, and sports figures who have significantly supported charities and philanthropic works. Richard Childress was named by Parade as the fifth most generous celebrity. He has given over $5 million in charitable gifts, primarily to the Childress Pediatric Trauma Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Richard Childress Racing recently celebrated their 40th anniversary as a race team with a fan appreciation day at their race shop and a gala dinner. Over 2,500 fans attended the festivities and the dinner event raised over $170,000 for the Pediatric Trauma Center. "I would like to thak all of the fans, some from as far away as California and Canada, who came to the RCR facility to be a part of the 40th anniversary celebration and raised money for the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma," Childress said. NASCAR President Mike Helton also participated in the Childress Racing celebration. In addition to his attendance, Helton also delivered a $100,000 grant from the NASCAR Foundation to support Childress' philanthropic passion of helping children who have experienced trauma. Dr. J. Wayne Meredith, Director of the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma, had nothing but praise for Childress' generosity. "We greatly appreciate the opportunity that gives us to bring attention to the issue of life-threatening injury, which is by far the leading cause of death among our nation's children every year," Meredith said. Although a little farther down the charitable list, four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon scored the 27th position in the "Celebrities Who Give Big" ranking. Gordon has given over $526,000 based on last year's data, with funding primarily for children's charities including the Riley Hospital for Children, the Northeast Medical Center and the Hendrick Marrow Foundation. Gordon has his own Foundation and is very active in his charitable work. Gordon also celebrated an anniversary recently with the tenth anniversary of the Foundation that bears his name. Like Childress, Gordon marked the milestone with "A Decade of Caring" event. Gordon took the opportunity on the occasion of the anniversary to pledge $2.5 million this year to support various health initiatives for children. Some of Gordon's newest charitable endeavors include support of the Pediatric Pulmonary Lab and Community Outreach Program at the Jeff Gordon Children's Hospital, the establishment of the Jeff Gordon Foundation Pediatric Cancer Research Fund at Riley Hospital for Children and the funding of the Phase I Long-Term Follow-Up Program focused on the effects of treatment on the health and quality of life of cancer patients. "Looking back at the past ten years it's amazing to see the tremendous growth of the Foundation and the number of children that we have been able to help," Gordon said. "I am also pleased that we are able to provide such a large commitment this year even in these difficult economic times." In addition to these two NASCAR celebrities, actors such as Mel Gibson, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, were named by Parade to this prestigious list. The most charitable of all was Paul Newman, whose legacy since his death last year is over $21 million in support of health, education and environmental initiatives. Martin, Gordon not giving up; look forward to Texas By Sporting News Wire Service Talk about hangdog. Mark Martin's car had been flipped and turned into a sparking bottle rocket heading to the white flag at Talladega last Sunday. He finished 28th, and the final thread connecting him to hopes of his first Cup Series championship had frayed to the point of nothingness. His frustration was evident in his tone, his words and the look on his face. Tough old Mark Martin looked liked all-in; like he would just as soon head home to drink lemonade on the porch. The problem is, he can't. There still are three races left in the 2009 season. There still are obligations to team and sponsors and himself, and even the faintest of hopes that he still can catch and pass Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. So this weekend, Martin will arrive at Texas Motor Speedway for the Dickies 500 (2:30 p.m. ET, ABC) and commence to picking himself up off a deck upon which he now finds himself splattered. "I am tired of the points," Martin, who is now 184 behind Johnson, said this week. "I'm not just saying that because of being behind. We were chasing points to get into the Chase, and now that we're here, that's all people are talking about. I'm just ready to have a fresh outlook and get back to it just being about the race itself." At least Martin will not be alone in his boot-strap pull. Hendrick Motorsport teammate Jeff Gordon also went through a major deflation at Talladega. Like Martin, he was in position to gain good ground on Johnson late in the race. Although he did not crash, he ran out of fuel and limped home 20th and now trails the Chase leader by 192 points. "I can't wait to get back there," Gordon said of Texas. The pessimists, the quitters, would ask: Why? Martin's crew chief didn't have to dig very deep at all to answer that question. "Winning," Alan Gustafson said. "Winning is the biggest thing. It's a huge deal. There are a lot of good teams and good drivers that haven't won a race. We have to stay hungry. "We have a chance to win at Texas." That is true for Gustafson and Martin, and it's also true for Gordon. Martin has a victory at the 1.5-mile track. It came in 1998, the track's second year of existence. But that is not the only time he has been in contention there. Martin has finished in the top 10 in nine of his 17 starts. And, he has finished on the lead lap in every one of those 17 starts -- something no other driver has done. Ah, Texas. It's a comfort zone for a driver clearly in need of a little comforting right now. "Texas is a great place to race," Martin said. "I have a lot of fans that go there because it's kind of close to my home in Batesville [Ark.]. We have a lot of charged-up fans there. It's a great track and a great place to race. We're going to go there, try to sit on the pole, lead every lap and win the race." Although Martin's love of the Fort Worth track dates more than a decade, Gordon's love is newly blossomed. For year after year, TMS was known as one of those very few places where Gordon had not won a race. But in April, that all changed. Gordon, whose only 43rd-place finishes in 578 Cup starts have come at Texas, broke through with a victory and is using the knowledge that he can get another to dust himself off and move forward in the wake of Talladega. Won't be easy, he said. "To get another win, though, we'll need to take another step forward," Gordon said. "If we showed up this weekend with the same setup we used in April, we'd run 15th. That's just the way the sport is. Everybody is constantly learning, and the competition is constantly getting better and quicker." FIVE TO WATCH Casey Mears, No. 07: So, what woke up this Rip Van Winkle after seven years of slumber? It could be the team has given him good stuff or the threat of unemployment. But whatever, he is driving well. Jeff Burton, No. 31: The boys from Richard Childress Racing are starting to show a pulse. As are a number of non-Chase, nothing-to-lose guys. Burton is a two-time winner at TMS and has an outside shot at getting No. 3. Juan Montoya, No. 42: He is toast vis-a-vis the Chase, but he still wants that first victory on an oval. He finished seventh in the spring, and Texas sets up well for him. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48: He has one victory and one DNF at Texas. If the Chase is to remain a chase, the latter had better increase to two on Sunday. Carl Edwards, No. 99: Edwards has three victories in nine starts. He swept both races there a year ago. And he loves to shoot those dang guns in Victory Lane. TRACK CHATTER Denny Hamlin: "I love this track. ... With the way our intermediate program has improved this season, we like our chances at a place like Texas. Even looking back at Charlotte when we had engine troubles, we had a really strong car -- a race-winning car -- and that was the best we had ever performed at a track that can be tough to figure out. So we are bringing the same car back at Texas, and from my point of view, that gives me a lot to look forward to." Donnie Wingo, crew chief for Jamie McMurray: "We had a great weekend last week, and my goal is to keep the momentum going. ... Last year, Jamie and the No. 26 team came to Texas and finished third in this race. That finish was followed up with two more third-place finishes to close out the season, so I have a feeling that if we keep this energy going, we could end the season on a great note." Brad Keselowski: "It sure seems like a lot has changed in one year. The team built me a brand new race car, [and] it is pretty exciting to have a new car for my first start at Penske Racing. This is an exciting opportunity. I feel like we are going to go there and run competitively and hopefully be able to help Kurt [Busch] out at the same time. Texas is like the other mile-and-a-half tracks, similar in a sense to Chicagoland Speedway. We have run very well here in the past. I feel pretty good about it; it's more the past success that makes me feel good here." Busch Wants To Get Ballew An owners' title By Tim Tuttle, Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service Billy Ballew has been an owner in the Camping World Truck Series since 1996 and began racing full time in it in 2002. He typically has used multiple drivers each season, preventing his team from winning that championship. NASCAR also has an owners' championship, and in the 14 previous truck seasons, it has gone to the owner of the team with the champion driver. Ballew, with Kyle Busch's invaluable help, wants to become the first to win the owners' title without having the champion driver. Busch's No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Toyota enters Friday's WinStar World Casino 350 at Texas Motor Speedway trailing Ron Hornaday Jr.'s No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet by 100 points. With only three races remaining, including Texas, it's a big deficit for Busch and crew chief Richie Wauters to overcome—but not impossible. Busch chopped off 78 points with his victory combined by Hornaday's 17th-place finish at Talladega last week. It was Busch's fourth straight win in truck races he has entered and his sixth victory in 12 starts this season. He has finished second three times. Busch also will drive the No. 51 in the final two races of the season, at Phoenix and Homestead. "Is it (a championship) possible? Yes, but it might not be probable," Ballew said. "We'll give it our best effort and see where it shakes out after Texas, Phoenix and Homestead. It is definitely something we think about, and it would mean the world to me and the Billy Ballew Motorsports team to win a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner championship after 14 years competing." Busch began driving for Ballew, a 50-year-old businessman from Blairsville, Ga., in 2005 and has 15 of the team's 16 victories. He made a concerted effort to help Ballew win the owners' title last year when he drove in 18 races. The team finished third in owners' points. "We want to win the owners' championship for Billy Ballew," Busch said early in the season. "He does everything he can to keep this team going." Brian Ickler (six races), who was recommended by Busch, Aric Almirola (two), Denny Hamlin (one) and Travis Kvapil (one) also have driven the No. 51 this season and made productive contributions. Ickler was third at Michigan and fifth at Kansas, Almirola was second at Iowa and eighth at Las Vegas, Hamlin sixth at the second Martinsville race and Kvapil was 11th at Nashville. Hornaday has a 202-point lead over runner-up Matt Crafton for the drivers' championship, but he also wants to bring home a title to Kevin and DeLana Harvick. "Matt Crafton isn't our worry," Hornaday said. "We are worried about the No. 51 (Busch). He is fighting for the owners' points, and he's the guy we're racing, too." There are also bragging rights for most wins this season at stake over the final three races. Hornaday also has six. Fast facts What: WinStar World Casino 350 Marty Robbins, The Singing Racer By Brandon Reed I was listening this past weekend to the classic "Prairie Home Companion" radio program on my local NPR affiliate Saturday evening as I drove home from Atlanta. At one point during the show, Garrison Keillor introduced a group that was going to perform the classic Marty Robbins song "El Paso." As part of the introduction, Keillor mentioned that along with being a performer on the Grand Old Opry, Robbins was a racecar driver to boot. Keillor made a reference to an incident where Robbins had experienced a particularly hard crash, and sang his way through "El Paso" to make sure he hadn't suffered any memory loss afterward. That got me to thinking about how many folks know that along with being one of the greatest singers of all time, Robbins was a pretty darned good race driver. Robbins started out racing as a hobby in the late 50s, racing micro midges. In the early sixties, he moved up to full-bodied cars, piloting a purple and yellow 1962 Plymouth dubbed the "Devil Woman" at the old Nashville Fairgrounds. Robbins would often have to rush away from the track after finishing the feature to make it to the Grand Old Opry in time for his Saturday night show. It was at Nashville that Robbins made his NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) debut in 1966, finishing 25th after falling out due to an oil leak. While continuing to compete at Nashville (and, of course, doing that singing thing on the side), Robbins would compete in 35 NASCAR Cup events between 1966 and 1982. His best finish came at Talladega in 1974, as he piloted his number 42 purple and yellow Dodge to a ninth place finish. It was also at Talladega that Robbins "confessed" to being a "sinner" in May of 1972. As the story goes, Robbins started in ninth position. After running with the lead pack all day, Robbins eventually finished 18th, and was to be named rookie of the race. But after the event, Robbins drove right to the impound area, and asked the officials to check the carburetor. Sure enough, the carburetor restrictor plate had been removed from the Dodge. Robbins had turned himself in. He was relegated to a 50th place finish, and fined $250. Robbins would later say in interviews that he wanted everybody to see him pass the leaders just once. Despite being only an occasional competitor, Robbins was always a driver to watch. He recorded six top ten finishes over his career, including a seventh in the 1971 Southern 500 at Darlington, a 10th at Texas World Speedway in 1972, and an eighth at Daytona in the Firecracker 400 in 1973. Robbins suffered a particularly hard crash at Charlotte in 1974 that left him injured. As a crash unfolded in front of Marty on the front stretch, he chose to turn into the wall at around 160 miles an hour rather than to t-bone the stalled car of Richard Childress. Robbins came away with a broken tailbone, broken ribs, 37 stitches to the face, and two black eyes. While racing had dealt him a tough blow on that day, it may well have saved his life on another. Six months after suffering a heart attack while performing on stage in Ohio, Robbins went to his personal doctor for a routine checkup to be cleared for racing. As it turned out, the checkup showed he had two arteries completely blocked, with another 75-percent clogged. But Robbins would return to racing. He loved racing, and it would continue to be his hobby for the rest of his life. Robbins' last race came at Atlanta in November of 1982. He died of heart failure one month later. Robbins was one of a few high profile celebrity racers who excelled in the sport, along with the likes of Paul Newman, Steve McQueen and James Garner. But his unique personality and sense of humor won him friends who didn't think of him as a singer turned sometimes racecar driver. To them, he was a racer through and through. Editor's note: This story was originally published in the June 4, 2008 edition of The Jackson Herald. Brandon Reed is the webmaster and editor of Georgia Racing History.com. Happy Hour: The Official Journalist Of NASCAR Kurt Smith · Frontstretch. Drivers Should Unite Again On Talladega I don't know how many people noticed it, but I did. It took longer to find out whether Ryan Newman was still alive after his nightmarish crash than it did for ABC to run a graphic that tickets were still available for remaining races once the red flag was finally lifted. Did no one in the production booth question the timing of that? Or even worse, did someone think that right after millions of viewers and spectators finally exhaled seeing a driver walk away from a hideous wreck that it was an opportune time to try to sell tickets? During the pre-race show, ABC showed Carl Edwards' car going into the catchfence and injuring seven fans approximately a dozen times, in real time and in slow motion. Well, now we finally have a wreck more frightening than Elliott Sadler's in 2003 for the highlight reel. You can probably bank on this, too: now that Newman is OK, his airborne crash will be shown in the promo for the next Talladega race on FOX in April. Yet those clips worked perfectly for ABC/ESPN, who also decided to have a wives/girlfriends segment in the pre-race show before a race at the most dangerous track on the circuit. Part of the piece was wives kissing their husbands before they climbed into the race car, clearly in an effort to create a made-for-TV moment, the possibility of that embrace being their last show of affection. But after spending all day Sunday promising that, "The Big One is coming, gonna be a wild finish at Talladega, stay tuned for the multi-car wreck!" the announcers suddenly seemed to realize that they weren't supposed to loudly anticipate another Carl Edwards-style airborne crash while trying to spice up a broadcast of a 190-MPH freight train. So they modified their tune, repeating, "Don't get us wrong, we don't want it to happen, of course." Right… and I'm Michael Jackson's half-sister and entitled to some of his fortune. Remember that shot of Matt Kenseth's pregnant wife in tears following his Nationwide race barrel roll last season? I'm sure they didn't want to show that. My goal in pointing this out to start my article this week isn't to illustrate the reprehensible marketing of restrictor plate races, although it is downright sickening at times. It's to point out that it's the wrecks, danger, and the real possibility of a tragedy that NASCAR and the networks are selling. Racing is a dangerous sport, and most everyone involved in it accepts that. What isn't acceptable is a level of danger that is preventable but kept in place because it sells. Please do not try to tell me that we can't lower the banking at this track because it will make for boring racing like at Pocono and Indianapolis. If that's worth a driver's or a fan's life to you, then Ryan Newman was right: go home, because you don't belong here. But you needn't worry about what I think. NASCAR welcomes fans who want calamity, and ABC's broadcast of Sunday's race made this obvious. It's not "too impractical" to reconfigure the track to make the plate unnecessary, either. If a track has the time and the millions to reconfigure the grandstand, as Talladega is doing, then they have the time and money to reconfigure the track. No, the only reason the restrictor plate remains in NASCAR after 22 years of consistently producing the worst wreckage in big time auto racing is the morbid possibilities and the revenues that those possibilities generate. NASCAR will attempt to enforce insane yellow-line and bump drafting rules that change from event to event, they'll change the size of the holes in the engines, raise the fences, and they'll put out a car with a stronger roll cage. They'll even hold an Indian ritual blessing at the track, which for all we know could have saved Ryan Newman's life. But as long as networks can show abominable wrecks, rave about the wild races at Talladega and count the money, there will not be an alternative to the restrictor plate. Not unless they take a hit on the balance sheets. If the drivers in all three major series of NASCAR banded together and informed them that they will no longer race at Talladega until the plates (or "tapered spacers") were removed, they would have this writer's 100% support. No one in the broadcast booths, the stands, or in the sanctioning body praising the excitement of plate racing is in the race cars facing constant danger with zero margin for error for 500 miles. Almost universally, drivers hate plate racing, and post-race interviews at plate races reveal that. Sometimes, even after a thrilling win, like with Dale Earnhardt in 2000. We know that a walkout has been tried before, in a mini-strike that ultimately ended in a victory for the iron fist rule of Bill France as he put scabs out on the racetrack for the scheduled race in 1969. But the drivers were right to do what they did. They had been demonstrating clearly back then that the tires would not hold up and no one was listening. And that's not even close to the dangers they face at today's speeds in big packs. I'm not endorsing a drivers' union, not after seeing what powerful unions have done to the price of baseball, football, and New Jersey public schools. It isn't necessary to form a band that will unite millionaires to strike for even more money and disgrace the image of the sport in the process. That's something NASCAR truly doesn't need. But there can be a simple unified front on the part of the drivers… the guys who are in the arena, who people are paying to see, and who face this unacceptable insanity four times every year… that NASCAR will not be profiting from their efforts until the situation is fixed, until something is done to throw the restrictor plate in the trash. Given the quotes from drivers like Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, and almost everyone else, there shouldn't be a problem getting enough big names to sign on. Michael Waltrip is retiring, so he won't be a voice of dissent. Give NASCAR the prospect of a race in rural Alabama without Dale Earnhardt, Jr. participating, after they've done everything imaginable to help him be prominent, and that just might sober them up. It's just like it took four years of steadily dropping ratings and attendance to stop blowing off opinions from drivers and fans. Sadly, the only way NASCAR seems to want to listen, as I've illustrated with the first half of this article, is if the bottom line is affected. Bill France did not have as much to lose then as Brian France does today. It's not going to be as easy to offer a few million dollars in rain checks for future races to fans that paid to see Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and saw backmarkers from the ARCA series instead, along with a race that would probably be mostly run under yellow. So now would be the time to take a stand, drivers. Give NASCAR every opportunity and plenty of time to fix this problem before the next Talladega race. Don't threaten to skip the Daytona 500. Just let NASCAR know the score now, before many Talladega tickets are sold. And watch the ticket sales when NASCAR says to shut up and race or be replaced, as the prospect of Talladega's spring 2010 Cup event becoming a $70 Camping World East also-rans race becomes more and more likely. The destruction- So it's an insult listening to announcers act somber when a driver looks like he might be seriously hurt. Why not just come out and say "Whoa! He might not be OK! Exciting, eh fellas?" Just be up front about it—that is the selling point of Talladega. Networks want violent crashes. Fans have been sending a loud message with their wallets and remote controls that it's time for NASCAR and for the networks who broadcast it to get its act together. Now, it's the drivers' turn. Beating NASCAR Is Bittersweet For Ferko Jeff Hood | Senior Writer, RacinToday.com Fort Worth, Tex. – It's officially known as the Dickies 500. But to Francis Ferko's ex-wife, it will always be "Frank's race." When the green flag waves at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, the person who was instrumental in bringing NASCAR to the Lone Star state each November will be watching ABC's telecast of the Sprint Cup event from his home in Chicago. Five years ago, Francis Ferko's lawsuit against NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation appeared to be on the fast track to a courtroom. But just as the case was set to go to trial in 2004, a settlement was struck. One year later, TMS secured its long-coveted fall date at the expense of North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham, N.C. Ferko, a Speedway Motorsports, Inc. shareholder, had contended that the defendants violated antitrust laws by not awarding a second race date to Texas. "I surely didn't want Rockingham to lose a date. I just wanted (NASCAR) to add a date to the schedule," said Ferko, who remains an SMI stockholder. "The settlement took the race out of Rockingham, and that's heritage. But I think that was NASCAR's goal all along. "The ultimate outcome was Texas got its race, but I was disappointed with how it occurred. I would have liked to have gone to trial." Ferko uprooted from Plano, Tex. and established a residence in Atlanta shortly after TMS landed a second race. He relocated again several months later after coping with a divorce and suicide in his family. "I moved to Chicago in Dec. 2007 and arrived in a snowstorm," Ferko recalled. "It was a wonderful greeting. "I'm living in Chicago, but would probably rather be in Texas. But that's the way it is. The economy is tough and everybody is doing what they have to do." Ferko, who has attended races in Atlanta and Charlotte this year, said he still meets people who associate his name with NASCAR. "It's still amazing that people I talk to know I was involved in getting the race in Texas," said Ferko, an avid Mark Martin fan. "Most people know a bit about NASCAR, but they don't know the details (of the lawsuit) and how it all came about. "They like to hear the story." While Ferko remains in the Windy City this weekend, his family will be represented at Eddie Gossage's track by his 7-year-old grandson, Alex Ferko, who is scheduled to meet a Cup driver today. "He's about to be surprised," Ferko said. "His other grandfather is taking him to meet Tony Stewart and get a hat signed. "Alex is the next generation of NASCAR fan coming up." As for the direction of the sport, Ferko believes the recession has forced NASCAR's top brass to sit up and take notice. "Now that the economy is bad and fans aren't going as much and fans aren't watching as much on TV, I think (NASCAR) is realizing that the fans are the most import person," Ferko said. "I think the drivers always knew that their popularity was based on the fans. I don't think the owners of NASCAR knew that."
Sorry, Talladega Was A Hoot Jonathan Ingram | Senior Writer, RacinToday.com According to legend, when the Native Americans cursed the land where the Talladega Superspeedway was built, they turned and walked away without ever Tweeting or looking back . Well, perhaps it's part of the curse they left behind that now you can't leave the place without looking back. So here I am looking back on Sunday's much-maligned race without much hope of many people agreeing with my point of view. NASCAR did the right thing by eliminating entire laps of bump-drafting. And it wasn't a snoozer as a result. Unless, of course, you look back to the previous races where bump-drafts had cars looking like they were shot out of a cannon in Turn 3. The COT, also much maligned, had brought back the days of yore – here's that looking back business again – due to its evenly matched bumpers and the ease of drafting on the big tracks at Daytona and Talladega. Cars had not overtaken like this at Talladega, it seems, since Bill Elliott ran down Cale Yarborough from two laps down with his unrestricted Coors Ford in 1985. Or, since Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s last Sprint Cup victory in the GM Goodwrench Chevy in the fall of 2000 when he went from 21st to first at the finish by side-drafting through the middle lane. This sort of "shot out of cannon" drama disappeared on Sunday, but only after Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski nearly bump-drafted into the grandstands on the last lap in April. At this point, I have to ask, where is David Poole? I hope he's looking back from above, because I could use a little support on this from a press box colleague who died of a heart attack shortly after that April race. If David was right that no fan should ever be threatened with injury at a motor race, then NASCAR made the right decision by holding bump-drafting in check. The back-over flip of Ryan Newman's Chevy confirmed that there's something amiss with the aerodynamics of the COT when it gets turned around quickly and faces the oncoming air with its rear wing. It wasn't hard to find agreement on this subject in the garage after the race – unless you talked with NASCAR officials. But one suspects they are taking a very close look at the problem and are being rightfully cautious in the meantime with slower speeds and reduced bump-drafting. You only have to attend and report on one race where fans are killed by flying debris in the grandstands to believe in keeping cars on the ground or at least slow enough to limit how high in the air they might go. The sport of motor racing's entire future depends on it. They talk about taking big swings in the pits. So I'm going to take two more big swings. The COT is a great car, starting with the safety it provides for drivers. It may drive like a manure box due to a high center of gravity and brick-hard outside tires, but it keeps the barrier of entry to the big leagues at a high level. That's a good thing. It may be hard to adjust on pit stops, but it's obvious teams are learning how to do that at varying rates of success. It may be butt ugly with its front splitter, extended rear overhang and wing, but the aerodynamics have produced some great racing at Daytona and Talladega. As those races go, so goes the sport. My final swing: The racing at Talladega was pretty damned good. If you were following a particular driver like Dale Earnhardt Jr., his progress up and down the field was, well, dramatic – as was at least one of his passes to get to the front. If you followed a driver in hopes that he would be one of the top three to come into the media center afterwards – because you're working on a feature story on him — then Juan Pablo Montoya had a pretty exciting day, too. At one stretch, Montoya re-started in 16th position, moved up to third 25 laps later, then traded the lead with Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin. They made these moves using good ol' fashioned racecraft and passing techniques at an average speed of 195 mph and some bump-drafting on the straights. It was literally during this stretch that Tony Stewart radioed in for something to keep him awake. Once Stewart decided it was time to race, it seems he was too deep in the pack and got collected by the same chain-reaction event that caught out Newman. We're in the day when electronic eaves-dropping and Tweets lead to a lot of perceptive monkey-see, monkey-do and monkey-think. It's a new twist to what's been aptly called the "celebrity industrial complex." But don't tell this reporter it doesn't pay to get to the clean air up front or that everybody's just riding around like a Sunday drive. Three laps from the finish, when Newman's Chevy went head-over-heels on the back straight it was clear NASCAR did the right thing in the short term. Long term, i.e. next February, there needs to be some changes to keep the COT closer to the track in all circumstances.
Tom Higgins Scuffs North Wilkesboro's wild 'Rush Through the Brush' Permit me a history lesson, dear readers. Decades before "The Pass In The Grass" there was "The Rush Through The Brush." The former involved Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time champion. The latter involved Junior Johnson, the legendary driver/team owner who, along with Earnhardt, was elected on Oct. 14 to the inaugural class of five inductees into the expansive new NASCAR Hall Of Fame in Charlotte that opens next May. Of the two feats of fantastic driving, Johnson's was perhaps the most formidable, although it's much lesser known, lost in the passage of years. It returns to mind because it occurred at North Wilkesboro Speedway, scheduled to reopen next October after 14 years of inactivity. Back to the lesson: The so-called "grass pass" occurred on May 17, 1987, in the all-star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. During a boiling battle for the lead in the final laps, Bill Elliott bumped leader Earnhardt off the pavement exiting the fourth turn. Earnhardt, who had tangled with Elliott earlier, somehow maintained control of his car while speeding through the grass separating the racing surface and pit road. Earnhardt came back onto the track still in front and continued to a controversial victory. There was no pass in the grass, but someone called the incident that, and the catchy title has endured. And "The Rush Through The Brush?" This is the nickname I've taken the liberty of putting on the improbable move made by Johnson at North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 18, 1958. The wild escapade is among many memories that came rolling back with last week's news that the historic track will reopen in October of 2010 with a USA Racing Pro Cup Series event. Allow me to digress a bit ... The speedway in Wilkes County, N.C., where racing began in NASCAR's earliest years, closed in 1996. New owners moved the track's two Winston Cup Series dates to larger venues. One went to New Hampshire International Speedway and the other to Texas Motor Speedway. During the ensuing years the .625-mile North Wilkesboro track has been shuttered. It's towering Turn Two Grandstand, looming alongside busy U.S. Highway 421, has served as a stark, sad reminder for stock car racing fans of the speedway's glory days and colorful place in NASCAR lore. Home-county hero Johnson, who grew up in the Brushy Mountains about 15 miles from the track, provided much of that color. He began his driving career there as a teen-ager, won five times on the home layout after moving up to the major NASCAR tour and posted a record 18 victories before loyal local fans as a team owner. "I've got great memories, of course, of North Wilkesboro Speedway," Junior said recently. "I have to say that race in 1958 is one of the best." Not surprising, since it included "The Rush Through The Brush." Johnson, driving a Ford, was involved in a dandy duel with Chevrolet rival Jack Smith during the early stages of the 160-lap race that spring Sabbath 51 years ago. Junior took the lead on the 79th lap and steadily pulled away to a half-lap advantage. Characteristically, the former moonshine hauler refused to back off the throttle and cruise to victory. Johnson, who had only recently been released from federal prison after serving 11 months for manufacturing illegal liquor, kept running as hard as his car would go. Entering the third turn Johnson overdid it. He went barreling over an embankment that served as a retaining barrier to keep the race cars on the track. Here, paraphrased, is how the incident is recounted in "Junior Johnson: Brave In Life," an authorized biography I co-authored with my friend Steve Waid in 1999: "Junior showed his immense driving talent hadn't diminished in his time away (behind bars). After careening over the embankment he sliced through a patch of weeds and came back on the track ahead of Marvin Panch, who was second at the time. "A crowd estimated at 6,000 went wild at the sight of the local hero pulling off such a feat." In the book, Johnson had this description of what happened: " 'Back then, the newly paved tracks seemed to tear up pretty easily (and North Wilkesboro had recently been transformed from dirt to asphalt). I got into the loose stuff, or pieces of asphalt marbles, and went over the 4-foot high bank. I never touched the brakes. I knew the only chance I had was to keep my speed up to get through that brush and back over the bank, so that's what I did.' " Junior won by six seconds over Smith, with Rex White third in the lead lap. Johnson's "brush with the brush" and his full-bore philosophy led to a nickname, "The Wilkes County Wild Man." His like, and derring-do similar to his bounding-over- Nevertheless, it's terrific that the track, immensely popular with fans, will produce the rumbling thunder of race cars again. I certainly plan to be there. NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
All times Eastern Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain, Your Nascar Momma Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." -Dale Earnhardt - 1998 |
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