Fast Cars, Left Turns
Ahh..NASCAR. Every college student’s favorite sport, right? Well, it is for this guy! In this blog you’ll see my take on all the latest happenings in the nation’s most popular form of auto racing. Silly season, the Chase, sponsors, tracks, driver feuds, you name it. If it’s in NASCAR, you’ll find it here!
Brrrr…istol Keeps Fans Away
If you put aside the fact that there were two rain delays, temperatures in the middle 40s, and a caution that NASCAR admits shouldn’t have been a caution at the race’s end, I’d say all 38 people in attendance at Bristol Motor Speedway got to see a pretty good show Sunday night.
Okay, so that opening sentence may sound a little harsh, but it’s pretty much what we got at Bristol. Now to be clear, I thought the race (once it finally happened) was as good of a Bristol race as we’ve seen in a few years. It was competitive, the speeds were fast, there were great story lines, the list goes on. I know some fans have been critical of the track’s reconfiguration along with the new cars getting rid of the good ole “bump and run” days, but I actually really enjoyed the action on the track. I think most fans (except for the stubborn few who will never be satisfied until we go back to racing cars driven off the lot from the 1970s) would agree.
The two biggest stories, however, are the phantom caution to end the race and the weather/crowd.
Let’s start with the caution. If you haven’t heard yet, NASCAR says the caution was triggered by someone in the flag stand who accidentally “leaned on the switch.” Two officials and a photographer were in the flag stand at the time. NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton told the Associated Press the flag man saw the lights come on and then had to wave the yellow caution flag. They admit it was a silly and stupid mistake. Luckily, for all involved, it likely did not have an effect on the outcome. Congrats to Carl Edwards on a nice victory.
Now to the weather and crowd. Both were awful. There’s no way to spin it. Fewer than half the 160,000 seats were sold, and looking at the crowd once the race resumed at night, it looked like only half or so of those who purchased tickets bothered to show up in the 40 degree drizzle. Most estimates I’ve seen say only about 20% of the seats had a butt in them Sunday night. And keep in mind, this is a track that had 55, count ‘em 55, consecutive sellouts until 2010 when the numbers slowly trickled off.
To be fair, there were still more people at this race than any NBA, NHL, or MLS game, and more than what attend an average MLB game as well. But in a 160,000 seat track that used to be sold out every time, this still clearly shows a lot of trouble.
So what’s the problem? It can’t be the racing. Everyone I’ve talked to, every comment and blog, and every caller on satellite radio loved the race. It was exciting. They were three wide at Bristol for crying out loud! How awesome is that?!
Some have pointed to the high prices of a race in Bristol—not necessarily the tickets themselves, but to stay in Bristol for the race. Bristol is a small market with few hotels and campgrounds to offer. With fewer choices, these places can—and do—jack up the prices during race weekends.
But perhaps the biggest reason of all is the timing of the race. The Bristol race used to be in April. It was the sixth race on the schedule. Then it got bumped up to five…now to four. I realize it can rain anytime in Bristol, Tennessee, so moving the date of the race can’t guarantee a dry race. But it can change things with the cold.
Middle March in Bristol, Tennessee just does not make sense. The temperatures are too unpredictable. People are less inclined to buy tickets in advance not knowing the weather situation. Those who did wait, seeing the forecast called for cold temperatures and rain all week, sure as heck weren’t going to buy tickets when they could just watch all the action from the comfort of a nice warm sofa.
I realize moving a race isn’t easy and there is a whole lot of politicking and logistics in rearranging a schedule. But unless NASCAR wants the embarrassment of cameras showing nothing but empty seats at one of their most famous tracks, they need to be working to do something.
That’s my take. I welcome yours in the comments below.
Heaven Just Added a Very Funny Man
Tim Wilson was not a race car driver. He didn’t work on a race team, at a track, or as a broadcaster. But he is still a name most any NASCAR fan recognizes with a smile…well, maybe not if you’re a Jeff Gordon fan…but pretty much everybody else. Wilson passed away of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 52.
Born in Columbus, Georgia in 1961, Wilson rose to fame thanks in large part to The Bob and Tom Show, becoming one of their most requested guest comedians. His comedy certainly comes with a southern flare (a bit on southern accents was one of his most popular routines), but his appeal was broad. He became a guest on Big D and Bubba and even Jay Leno’s Tonight Show before earning gigs with Ron White.
As a writer, he co-wrote Jeff Foxworthy’s hit “The Redneck 12 Days of Christmas.” He also released over a dozen comedy albums himself, several for Capital Records. As NASCAR fans, though, we’ll likely remember him most for two songs. First, my favorite, “The NASCAR Song”
Then another slightly more controversial song popular among anyone who isn’t a Jeff Gordon fan…
A comedy staple of the South and of NASCAR will now be singing his songs from above. I’m sure he’ll be watching down over the action at Phoenix, grinning from ear to ear when the green flag drops.
Heaven just added a very funny man.
The 3 is Back…And on the Pole
Let the talking and controversy begin. Love it or hate it (and let’s be honest, everybody either loves it or hates it), the number three is back in NASCAR’s highest series. And it isn’t just back; it’s on the pole for the Daytona 500.
Austin Dillon was the only driver to eclipse the 196mph mark as he bested outside pole sitter Martin Truex Jr. by four one hundredths of a second Sunday in pole qualifying. Dillon will lead the field to the green flag of the Daytona 500 marking the first time the number three has raced in the Cup series since the crash that took Dale Earnhardt’s life back in 2001.
Austin Dillon celebrates after winning the 2013 Nationwide Series Championship.
Reading blog comments and listening to NASCAR satellite radio the past two days has proven that there are A LOT of conspiracy theorists out there. If you’re a fan of Richard Childress, Austin Dillon, or just the three car being back in general, then you’re a happy camper. If you’re not, then suddenly NASCAR rigged the whole thing because there’s no way a rookie is going to go out and get the pole in his first attempt, and this is just what NASCAR wanted.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist. Yes, we really walked on the moon. No, 9/11 was not an inside job, and like it or not, Austin Dillon and the number three really earned the pole.
That being said, I do believe NASCAR got what it wanted. It’s a great story. It’s making headlines. People who might not have made a big deal about qualifying are now talking about it because it has been plastered everywhere—which is clearly what NASCAR wants. The more people talking about their sport leading into the season, the better.
But just because it is what NASCAR wanted, that doesn’t mean NASCAR rigged the whole thing. It isn’t like Dillon beat everyone by half a second. Truex came within four one hundredths of a second. Half a blink of an eye was the difference of Dillon making it. And to those who question whether the timing was rigged—give me a break. You can watch it back and run a stopwatch yourself if you really think that was the issue.
Whether it’s for the right reasons or not, NASCAR is in the headlines again. This year’s Daytona 500 has gotten as much attention as any in the last six to eight years.
Is it Sunday yet?
That’s my take. I welcome yours in the comments below.
Dale Junior Wins Most Popular Driver Award…In a Landslide
Junior greets fans during driver introductions prior to the 2013 running of the Ford Eco-Boost 400
Anyone who follows the sport of NASCAR knows that the driver known simply as “Junior” is a pretty popular guy. Go to a race, and you will see “Junior Nation” fill the stands. You can hear the roar of the crowd over the engines (even on televsion) when the 88 car makes a pass for the lead. This popularity that we all are aware of was reiterated on Thursday with the awarding of the National Motorsports Press Association’s annual Most Popular Driver Award.
Danica Patrick waves to fans before the 2013 Ford Eco-Boost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Junior took home the prize for the 11th consecutive year, breaking Bill Elliott’s record of winning 10 years straight. Some thought Danica Patrick, despite a dispointing rookie season in the Cup Series, may challenge for the spot. Her performance on the track may have been lacking, but she is certainly popular among female fans (and some young male fans…I wonder why that would be?). That was not to be the case, though, as Junior brought in 700,000 of the just over 1 million ballots submitted by fans…not even close.
Hendrick Motorsports held the top three positions in the voting with Kasey Kahne coming in second and veteran driver Jeff Gordon in third. The rest of the top ten, in order of votes received, were Tony Stewart, Danica Patrick, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.
While Junior did break one Bill Elliott record, he still has a way to go if he hopes to pass Elliott’s all-time “Most Popular” record. Awesome Bill from Dawsonville won the award 16 times before withdrawing his name from voting in 2002.
When accepting the award, Junior paused to recognize Elliott, who withdrew his name only so that Dale Earnhardt (who had finshed second to Elliott for many years) could take home that prize in the year he was killed. “I don’t really keep track of the stats or the score, but Bill was a great driver and ambassador for the sport,” Earnhardt Jr. told USA Today. “He represents the sport really well to this day, as does his son Chase, who’s coming up and carrying on the family name. But, I’ve always looked up to Bill as a driver so it’s pretty neat.”
Will Junior ever break Elliott’s record? Many would answer yes, but I am not so sure. In a couple of years, another Elliott, Bill’s son Chase, will likely make an entrance into the Cup Series. With the success the younger Elliott has had and his father’s demeanor, I see him picking up right where his father left off once he enters the big league. That’s my opinion. I welcome yours in the comments below.
An Inside Look: Homestead-Miami
During Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, I was privileged to have an all-access pass. From the garage area to the drivers’ meeting and the MRN truck to victory lane, it was a dream experience for anyone who is a NASCAR fan. Of course, many photos were taken. I’ve put together a brief video of my time at the races (below) that I hope you’ll enjoy. Oh, and my favorite part about the trip might surprise you. Check it out!
For more on Homestead-Miami Speedway, visit their website or NASCAR.com
2013 Season Comes to a Close
NASCAR wrapped up the 2013 season during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway last week. I was privileged to attend the races with an all-access pass! Look for a video of my experience at the track coming soon. In the meantime, check out this infographic I created recapping the weekend’s events and final championship standings.
(Click on the image for a clear and larger view of the infographic. Information in the infographic is from Homestead-Miami Speedway, NASCAR, and Jayski).
For Camping World Truck Series driver Matt Crafton, simply starting the race was all that was necessary to clinch his first championship in the series. He didn’t have the race he was hoping for but still managed to bring the Menard’s Toyota home in the 21st position and on the lead lap to complete every lap of competition this season.
Brad Keselowski earned the win in the Nationwide Series, but the bigger story was the championship battle between Sam Hornish Jr. and Austin Dillon. Dillon entered the day eight points ahead of Hornish, but with Sam near the front and Dillon struggling early on, the title seemed to be up for grabs. In the end, Hornish crossed the line in eighth while Dillon came in 12th, securing Dillon his first Nationwide Series Championship by three points.
For the Sprint Cup Series, all Jimmie Johnson had to do was avoid catastrophe as he entered the Ford Eco-Boost 400 with a 28-point cushion over second place Matt Kenseth. Kenseth did nearly all he could do, starting on the pole and leading the most laps before finishing second to Denny Hamlin. Johnson held steady with no problems, however, and brought the Lowe’s Chevy home in eighth to earn his sixth Sprint Cup Series Championship. He finished 19 points ahead of Kenseth.
3 Best Racin’ Blogs (other than this one, of course)
Blogs bombard the Internet in nearly every topic imaginable, and NASCAR is no exception. With hundreds of blogs to choose from, how do you know which ones are worth your time to read and which ones are just rambling fans? Hopefully, this list of my top three NASCAR blogs (excluding this, which is clearly the best) will help.
Jayski is hands down my favorite NASCAR site. Anything important happening in the sport is covered here. Jayski is known as the “Silly Season” site, covering the rumor mill of which drivers are heading where for the following season. An ESPN affiliate, it has reliable sources who break down what is going to happen before it is made official to the rest of the media, giving you the inside scoop. The site also gives you access to practice speeds, qualifying orders and results, race results, point standings, etc. Yes, this is available through NASCAR.com as well, but just in a much easier to navigate and user-friendly way through Jayski.
From the Marbles is a Yahoo! affiliated blog with writers Nick Bromberg and Jay Busbee. The blog doesn’t provide the quantity of information that Jayski does, but it still provides great quality. The blog is updated at least once daily with fresh posts about major happenings in the sport. It offers race recaps and driver power rankings on a regular basis. It also covers interesting stories more in depth than what is mentioned in many racing TV shows. I’m sure most of you have heard that Nationwide isn’t returning as the title sponsor of NASCAR’s second largest series after 2014. But have you heard why? Or who may fill that spot as sponsor? From the Marbles has a post to help explain.
There’s nothing showy or glitzy about this blog, but it still has great content. This blog gives you more of a fan perspective than most others. It is also more opinionated and a tad less “politically correct” at times than some of the other major blogs, but I give kudos to Bump-Drafts for saying what a lot of people think but just don’t always say. I will admit, I usually try to stay away from the opinion related pieces and stick to the facts, but Bump-Drafts comes from an interesting perspective with a fun writing style that I enjoy, and I hope you will, too.
Josh Overholser 