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07/30/1993 - 01/11/2010
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PEDGY Racing, SPEED Kills TWIN, and ABC Dumps NASCAR | | By Carol Einarsson | 01/19/2010 | Category: Cheers and Jeers | | | JEERS to so many changes in Cup racing with sponsors and drivers over the years that there are few driver/number combinations that have remained sentimental. When I heard someone bought the #26 from Roush, my first reaction was one of indifference.
CHEERS while we're at it, though, to Vermont businessman Bill Jenkins for his optimism. Surely he knows the best way to make a little money in racing is to start with a lot of money. We do like that he's got Frankie Stoddard on board, though, because we happen to think that when it comes to clever, he is at least as good as (and maybe better than) Chad Knaus.
JEERS to the change from wings to spoilers. I know I'm in the minority, but I've never minded the wings. And when I think about a reactionary measure to answer the horrific wrecks we've seen lately, I can't point to the wing as being at fault, so why change it?
CHEERS to the change, though, happening after the season starts. I like that NASCAR isn't waiting to make the change, but part of me wishes they'd hold off until just before the chase. I bet everyone that isn't on the 48 team wishes that, too.
CHEERS to Robert Yates being recognized by the NMPA, but JEERS to another team being swallowed by "the blob". More and more it seems there are now just five teams: Hendrick, Roush, Childress, Gibbs, and the blob of teams that used to be Petty, Evernham, DEI, Ganassi, and now Yates. Yes, it's Team PEDGY! Okay, maybe since we now have such a catchy name for them, I should say CHEERS instead.
CHEERS to Nelson Piquet Jr's quote about his move to NASCAR from F1, saying that his "first 18 months in Formula did not go as planned." Y'think?
CHEERS to the upcoming "behind the scenes" show focusing on JGR, but I wonder if fans really want to see things like the team plane. Maybe it's just me, but seeing the "life of luxury" is not so much what attracts me to the personalities in the sport. I'm also not sure about what's advertised as "previously restricted areas including wind-tunnel testing". I've seen Jeremy Clarkson in a wind-tunnel, and while I like JGR quite a bit, I'm guessing for entertainment value, they won't hold a candle to the flapping, gaping mouth of Jezza.
JEERS to ABC shifting all but the night races back over to ESPN. Never mind the big deal they made about having all the Chase races on a non-cable channel, I guess we should just be thankful that at least they're not relegating the races to snippets on Wide World of Sports, eh?
CHEERS to the Chili Bowl, but since it's run in January and most race fans are sufficiently bored silly by now, would it kill SPEED to cover it more than only partially, and even then on a tape-delayed basis? 265 entries from 28 different states and three extra countries!
CHEERS to Joey Logano, while we're at it, for his first win at the annual Bo-Dyn Bobsled event. I wonder if he wasn't extra motivated since he nearly got beat by a girl. JEERS to me, though, and everyone else spoiling the race outcome for anyone who wanted to be surprised while watching SPEED's delayed coverage at the end of the month. No, wait... JEERS to SPEED for delaying it that long in the first place!
JEERS to the dragging out of the Mayfield thing because of questions of Brian France's state of residence. I mean, really, why should that matter? The lawsuit is Mayfield vs NASCAR, not Mayfield vs Brian France. If NASCAR is headquartered in Florida, and the drug infraction happened anywhere other than Florida, why is this not automatically a federal court issue?
CHEERS to Victory Junction being awarded by the NC Motorsports Industry for contributions to the sport, but one other award has me puzzled. I won't go so far as to use the word JEERS , but I can't help but wonder why they're choosing 2010 to honor Dale Earnhardt with the Achievement in Motorsports Tribute Award. If it were the year following his death, I'd get that. If it were an anniversary like 10 years after his death, I'd get that, too. But why now? It just seems odd, almost like a ratings ploy, yet it's not being televised.
JEERS to rumors that along with dumping the "no bump zone" at Talladega, NASCAR may also be considering getting rid of the yellow line rule at both Daytona and Talladega. Let me put this simply: That's crazy!! The yellow line rule, while sometimes bringing controversy, has done more for safety at those superspeedways than most anything else. NASCAR needs only to look at the recent wrecks of Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman to see what the potential is when they reopen that apron as part of the racing surface.
CHEERS to Charlotte Motor Speedway's new idea to give fans a seat - literally! They're installing new seats, and if you buy a season ticket to all three races, you get to take home the old one, and when the new one is put in, they'll put your name on it!
CHEERS to more appropriate sponsorship for Stewart-Haas. Last year we celebrated the switch to Burger King, and now Tony's adding Oreos and Ritz by way of sponsor Kraft Foods. I'm guessing Jenny Craig isn't exactly knocking on the door waving sponsor dollars in their direction.
JEERS to the puff piece of PR from BAM racing announcing their alliance with Robby Gordon Motorsports. The announcement managed to name-drop the likes of Larry the Cable Guy, Blake Shelton, and a host of others, only to say they are also affiliated with the sponsor Warner Music Nashville. The team doesn't have a driver, but at least they know the names of some entertainers. That should be helpful.
CHEERS to stubbornness I can appreciate. NASCAR has mandated earlier start times, but Phoenix likes most of their race after sunset. You can make us start earlier, but you didn't say we couldn't just make our race longer! We are a night race and we plan to stay that way. So there. Welcome to the Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix.
JEERS to "fightin' words" from Bruton over his Kentucky Speedway issues, "I have business interests in 24 states around the country, and I employ probably 250 lawyers in those states...We fully intend on having a Sprint Cup race at Kentucky Speedway in 2011 and...we will stop at nothing that's legal to fulfill the promises we've made." I don't know how easily intimidated the former owners of the speedway are, but I think I might be looking at homes abroad.
CHEERS to Rick Hendrick and all of those involved that are helping the Haitian earthquake victims. Hendrick Motorsports loaned a plane and a crew to Missionary Flights International to make daily round-trip flights, and Rick Hendrick is absorbing the expense. Oddly, I haven't found any other ties in the news between NASCAR and Haitian help.
And finally,
JEERS to the passing of This Week in NASCAR, the best hour of non-racing, race-related programming on TV. Through it's progression of hosts and panelists, this show has remained (though briefly interrupted by a cancellation, and then poor production that seemed bent on creating a fun-free sterile show back about 8 years ago) a cornerstone for NASCAR fans. From the way Michael Waltrip used to lower his chair, sneak on stage when he was late, ponder the quality of his most recent haircut - to the ever punctual trash-collection going on just outside the door. Ken Schrader's "one and a half thumbs up", and later asking Mike Helton how much he takes down in a year. The tradition of the highest finishing panelist opening the show, and the unofficial policy that if you wreck one of the panelists on Sunday, and don't like what you hear about it on Monday, you should get your own show. From Allen Bestwick to Steve Byrnes, the role of host has been more like that of the chief warden at the asylum. The double-takes by Chad Knaus when Michael would leave him speechless, to the post-commercial laughter that proved the whole panel was having more fun at work than most people ever get to have - it all was part of the magic that has been "the big show" on Monday nights since 1996. To whatever suit decided to pull the plug on it again, we say JEERS to you!! | | | Comments: | | I wouldn't mind having a race at Kentucky. I like to see drivers race on different tracks. I just wish owners wouldn't go into brute force to get a race at their track.
JEERS to Phoenix for making their race longer. If they wanted it to end at night... here's an idea, MAKE IT A NIGHT RACE! Darn, is that such a hard concept to grasp?
CHEERS to Fontana for shortening their race. Too bad it wasn't both of them and too bad they just didn't drop a date all together. When is Pocono next?
JEERS to Speed all the way around. How can they not televise the Chili Bowl? How can they pre-empt Race Hub in favor of "lifestyle" shows. This isn't the Home and Garden or Do It Yourself networks. this is Speed. Speed... I.E. Racing! I want to see racing, race shows. We don't get that from any of the 5 ESPN channels you would at least expect the Speed channel to have NASCAR news show that doesn't get pre-empted in favor of reruns. I would have thought at least the Speed channel would stepped up to the plate in taking over coverage.
JEERS to whoever thought Chris Myers, Randy Pemberton, Brad Daugherty would be anywhere close to the greatness that Allen Bestwick, Kenny Schrader, Michael Waltrip, Johnny Benson were on then "Inside Winston Cup". Was never really a "TWiN" person, guess that had something to do with Chad Knaus. But do believe that a show like that needs to be on Speed and not a channel like showtime.
And what's up with everything moving to HBO/Showtime? Is it maybe because Speed isn't giving NASCAR the proper treatment? Because really, just how many hours during the week is for NASCAR? Aside from the usual Friday-Sunday lineups... Monday-Thursday is pretty rare to NASCAR related programing on.
CHEERS to Charlotte Motor Speedway back to being called "Charlotte Motor Speedway"! And with that, hopefully will cease being the "house that Jimmie built."
JEERS to seeing anything Mayfield related in the news. It's uninteresting. It never was interesting. Everyone is getting tired of hearing about it. Just keep running up the bill Mayfield.
JEERS to talk about getting rid of the yellow line rule. If they do that, drivers will go all the way to the grass and when they come back up onto the track, will create a wreck.
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| | I am devastated that TWIN is gone it was the highight of my Monday. I knew that even if my drivers had a bad race that I would be laughing by the end of the show. I think this is a huge mistake and a big loss. TWIN was more that a highlight show it was a look inside especially with Chad and Michael. Chad was always fun on Nascar Performance but he was the perfect foil for Mikey. To be honest I happened on it's earlier incarnation and it made me want to watch a Nascar race and now I'm obcessed.
Well at least I'll have C&J to cheer me up but that's not until Tuesdays.
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| | CHEERS to no more yellow line rule. This one has never made sense, simply because it was never enforced properly. Jr won in 2003 because he passed below the line. Tony won in 2008 because he pushed Smith below the line and Smith got penalized. They have been racing at Daytona for 50 years and Talladega for 40 years and there have been alot of crashes. I dont remember more than a couple where they wreck was caused by a driver trying to use the apron at 200 mph. What was the next rule for NASCAR gonna be? No more 3 or 4 wide. Come on, let em race. Hopefully they follow thru on the bigger restrictor plates too and put some real action back on the track.
The people that dont want the yellow line rule changed are probably the same people that want the banking knocked down at Talladega. Dale Earnhardt used a quote about kerosene rags and ants or something...... |
| | I will be glad to see the wing go the way of the dinosaur and hopefully the COT-IROC styled car won't be far behind. It's not so much about how the car looks but the fact that NASCAR told us the new car would race better and it hasn't.
I think the yellow line rule should stay in place except for the last lap.
I can't say that I will miss TWIN. I watched it for a long time and still caught a show here or there but more times than not Mr. Waltrip got on my nerves. He would talk over someone (usually Knauss) that was giving a meaningful and insightful reply with jibberish. When someone is talking they have the floor, you're supposed to wait until they are finished talking.
I find the evolution of Speed Channel reminiscent of MTV. When they first started out they were strictly a music channel, then they found out they could get higher ratings with original programming. Speed has followed the same course... races are now secondary to their original programs (which I find lacking).
Why does anyone care what BAM does? They will be a back marker on a dead end course to nowhere. |
| | The answer to the Mayfield thing Carol? Lawyers!
As for the idiotic TWIN deal? Television sure helped make this sport, but, now it seems the fans are being dumped on by everyone affiliated with the sport except themselves. Almost looks like the Speed exec's have a family tie to the NBC exec's. |
| | CHEERS to Bill Jenkins of Vermont, and Frankie Stoddard of Maine, two New Englanders joining forces for an assault on NASCAR. Bring Kevin Lepage or Ricky Craven into the mix, and they'll have a winner, for sure!
CHEERS to changes -- ANY changes, to the CoT. Finally, NASCAR is catching on to the fact that the thing just isn't working as a race car. As a driver-protection envelope, it's without peer, but nobody's gonna pay for bubble-wrap competitions. Anything they can do to make the aero make sense, and get these guys side-by-side again, I'm all for it.
CHEERS to Joey Logano, nearly beaten by a girl. While we roundy-round folx have been agitating over the future plans of one Ms. Patrick, women have done extremely well in drag racing where their lower weight is a huge advantage. But, they've got skills too, as was demonstrated on the bobsled run. Can we get Melanie Troxel to run in the Prelude?
JEERS to ABC moving their Chase races back to cable. What, too many complaints from fans of America's Funniest Home Videos?
On the fence about the yellow line rule. I can see how it was supposed to help, but I think it just gave guys a different way to crash.
JEERS to Jeremy Mayfield. I don't know whether his case belongs in state or federal court, and I don't care. Even if he wins his lawsuit, he's lost his credibility as a driver and an owner -- no sponsor would ever touch him now. NASCAR should just settle with the guy for pennies on the dollar (while publically admitting no wrondoing, of course), and let him ride off into the obscurity he so rightly deserves. Then, when nobody's watching, weak its drug testing procedure so that the next guy who gets caught can't cry "foul."
JEERS to sending lawyers, guns and money into the Kentucky Speedway dispute. There should be only one criteron as to whether a track should get a (or another) Sprint Cup race: Can NASCAR make money at it? If a race at Kentucky would be more profitable than, say, a second race at Atlanta, Texas, or California, then they should move it there. If not, then Bruton should holster his legal staff and move on.
Hmmm...two and a half JEERS in a row. Better end on a positive note:
CHEERS to less than one month to go!!!
--Mike. |
| | JEERS to the puff piece of PR from BAM racing announcing their alliance with Robby Gordon Motorsports. The announcement managed to name-drop the likes of Larry the Cable Guy, Blake Shelton, and a host of others, only to say they are also affiliated with the sponsor Warner Music Nashville. The team doesn't have a driver, but at least they know the names of some entertainers. That should be helpful.
Warner Music Nashville stars Larry the Cable Guy, Blake Shelton, Gloriana, Whitney Duncan, Jessica Harp, James Otto, Jason Jones, and others will be featured on the No. 49 BAM Racing Toyota Camry and in the BAM Racing/Warner Music Nashville VIP Fan Experience throughout the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season.
JEERS to a team plugging their sponsor in an official press release? Like that never happens...
Three CHEERS for the little guys! |
| | CHEERS to Rick Hendrick for the plane and ....correction for Carol.....two (2)!! crews for the plane to go back and forth to Haiti.
CHEERS to Carol for bringing me up to date on the coming season. |
| | @corb1,
Seeing as how most of "the little guys" were starting and parking last year I find it hard to cheer for them. In my eyes they are opportunists - seeing a loophole in the rules and exploiting it just for the money.
On the other hand those that plan to run the entire race (like Robby Gordon) should be cheered (although it's hard to do that when he wrecks so much LOL).
I'll have to see what BAM's intentions are before I consider them one of the little guys worthy of a cheer. |
| | As a lawyer, I have an answer to Carol’s questions as to why the case would not be in federal court if France’s domiciliary is North Carolina and not Florida. Let this be fair warning to those who do not wish to read any more about this issue. ;)
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Federal district courts are courts of limited jurisdiction. A case may only be heard by a federal district court under two different jurisdictional criteria – federal question jurisdiction (controversies that arise under the Constitution, treaties, and laws of the United States) and diversity jurisdiction. Cases arising under state law can only come before a federal district court if the state law is in conflict with the Constitution, a treaty, or a federal law; if a federal law is implicated in the same case and controversy as the state law; or if the parties named as defendants are legal residents of different states than the party or parties named as plaintiff(s) and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000. This last category is diversity jurisdiction. In STRAWBRIDGE v. CURTISS, 7 U.S. 267 (1806), the U.S. Supreme Court found that diversity jurisdiction requires complete diversity, i.e. none of the defendants may have the same state of residence as any of the plaintiffs. Thus, where the incident arose is not important for diversity jurisdiction. The only consideration for establishing diversity jurisdiction is the domiciliary of the parties (and an amount in controversy over $75,000, which no one seems to be disputing in this matter).
NASCAR and Brian France are named defendants in the case, as is Aegis labs and (I believe) the CEO of Aegis labs (both domiciled in Tennessee). It is not unusual to bring suit against corporations as entities and also to bring suit against corporate officers in their capacity as officers in the same case. This covers the instances where liability may attach to bad acts by officers but cannot be imputed to the corporate entity. This is even more important in closely held corporation that are controlled by one or a few individuals.
In this case, the defendants requested the case be removed to federal court based on diversity jurisdiction. They claimed that diversity jurisdiction was proper because all the defendants were domiciled in different states than the plaintiff. If that claim was not true for even one defendant (Brian France), then diversity jurisdiction was improperly granted, and the case CANNOT be heard by a federal district court. While I have issues with some of the strategy employed by the Mayfield legal team, I believe it is both necessary and proper that the plaintiff brings such a jurisdictional question before the court in a situation like this.
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| | Hi Carol,
Sympathy on the loss of Sugar.
You wrote: "JEERS to the change from wings to spoilers. I know I'm in the minority, but I've never minded the wings. And when I think about a reactionary measure to answer the horrific wrecks we've seen lately, I can't point to the wing as being at fault, so why change it?"
Well, the best reason would be that it will make the cars easier to setup and the racing will be better. And, while NASCAR steadily claims otherwise, there seems to be good reason to think that they encourage the cars to lift when spun backwards. I'll agree that aesthetically there's not much reason to favor the spoiler, but from a technical perspective it seems better suited to the cars.
And you wrote: "CHEERS to the Chili Bowl, but since it's run in January and most race fans are sufficiently bored silly by now, would it kill SPEED to cover it more than only partially, and even then on a tape-delayed basis? 265 entries from 28 different states and three extra countries!"
I was thinking the same thing. I'd guess the issue is they'd have to pay good money for live telecast rights, whereas thinks like Quinks cost pennies to produce, and are free in re-run (and SPEED is very likely being paid to show the Barrett-Jackson auctions, which is a win-win for them since they get decent viewership).
Also you wrote: "JEERS to the dragging out of the Mayfield thing because of questions of Brian France's state of residence. I mean, really, why should that matter? The lawsuit is Mayfield vs NASCAR, not Mayfield vs Brian France. If NASCAR is headquartered in Florida, and the drug infraction happened anywhere other than Florida, why is this not automatically a federal court issue?"
Well, you have to remember that Mayfield has not been charged with a drug infraction, or anything else. Mayfield's contention is that the suit should be heard in NC, where he filed it, since that's where NASCAR maintains it's offices (in Charlotte) and that's where he resides. NASCAR's contention is that it should be in Federal court because their place of business is in FL. Mayfield is now contending that having a mailing address in FL doesn't count, if the actual offices are in NC, and the CEO and president (Helton) both are resident in NC. Of course, what both sides really want is to hear the case in the court they judge most likely to rule in their favor.
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Plus you wrote: "JEERS to rumors that along with dumping the "no bump zone" at Talladega, NASCAR may also be considering getting rid of the yellow line rule at both Daytona and Talladega. Let me put this simply: That's crazy!! The yellow line rule, while sometimes bringing controversy, has done more for safety at those superspeedways than most anything else. NASCAR needs only to look at the recent wrecks of Carl Edwards and Ryan Newman to see what the potential is when they reopen that apron as part of the racing surface."
JEERS to your JEERS. Getting rid of both rules, and putting safety back in the hands of the people directly affected (namely the drivers) is the right thing to do. And your memory is playing you false - neither the Edwards nor the Newman wreck would have happened if the yellow line rule had not existed, because both were triggered by cars which could have but did not move down onto the apron.
John
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| | @ ts20freak:
You wrote: "CHEERS to Fontana for shortening their race. Too bad it wasn't both of them and too bad they just didn't drop a date all together. When is Pocono next?"
The rumor of the moment is that ISC promised the state of Kansas a second race at Kansas, in return for the state approving a casino on the property. Since casinos are profitable, ISC will put a race at Kansas even if the race gets no attendance and looses money. However, the folk at ISC are not fools, and they will move the least profitable of their current races to Kansas. The leading contenders are Fontana, Phoenix (smallest seating capacity) and Michigan (two races too close together). Fortunately for those of us who like racing, rather than business, Martinsville appears to be off the list.
My guess would be that Michigan will loose a date. From a scheduling perspective that would be simplest (you wouldn't want to run a race in Kansas in February; taking Fontana's spring date would mean totally reworking the schedule). And it would save face for NASCAR/ISC, who wouldn't have to admit that putting two dates at Fontana was a mistake in the first place.
(of course, a fun scenario would be to drop Fontana's fall race, move Darlington back to Labor Day where it belongs, and put the Kansas race in May.)
John
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| | @possum, re: Mayfield (for those who wish to skip this)
I had not seen that the current strategy is to challenge not only Brian France's domiciliary but that of NASCAR as well. Corporate domiciliary can be tricky. A corporation is the domiciliary of the state in which it is incorporated AND the state in which the “principal place of business” for the corporation is located. However, my understanding is that Mayfield, in the original complaint, alleged that NASCAR is a Florida Corporation with a principal place of business as Daytona Beach, Florida.
In a civil complaint, the plaintiff must include a jurisdictional statement concerning the parties and the event(s) in controversy. Except for unusual circumstances, such as new information coming to light during discovery or attorney misconduct/malpractice, a plaintiff cannot change allegations contained within the complaint without the consent of the opposing party or parties. I am not aware that Mayfield has been given leave by the court and/or the opposing parties to file an amended complaint. Further, I find it doubtful that any “new” information surfaced during discovery that would warrant the court allowing Mayfield to now challenge NASCAR’s domiciliary. Perhaps he is claiming incompetence of counsel. Regardless, I strongly believe that Mayfield will be precluded from challenging NASCAR’s domiciliary if in fact his own complaint alleged that its principal place of business is in Florida.
And while I do not have access to the original complaint, at least not without paying for several hundred pages of access through PACER, the federal courts’ e-filing system, NASCAR’s Answer is available at http://www.charlotteobserver.com/static/images/pdf/NASCARsuit_response.pdf, and is instructive in this matter.
In Paragraph 3 (P3) of the Answer, NASCAR “admits that it is incorporated under the laws of the State of Florida with its principal place of business in Daytona Beach, Florida, and with offices in New York, California, Arkansas, and North Carolina.” My reading of the P3 of the Answer is that Mayfield alleged in his Complaint that NASCAR was a Florida corporation with a principal place of business in Daytona Beach, Florida, and with offices in New York, California, Arkansas, and North Carolina. Otherwise, NASCAR would have had to deny the allegation, as it did in P4 of its Answer, which concerned Mayfield’s allegation in his Complaint that Brian France was a domiciliary of North Carolina:
“NASCAR denies the allegations contained in Paragraph 4, and states that Brian France is domiciled in Florida, owns property in Florida, maintains his principal NASCAR office in Florida, is a registered voter in Florida, has a Florida driver’s license, registers his personal vehicles in Florida, has a passport which lists a Florida address, and files his federal and state income taxes as a Florida resident." |
| | @possum
I agree 100% with your comments. As an ex racer I have to agree that no one has more interest in a race being safe, than the person behind the wheel of the car. Yes we take risks, but they are calculated risks, not stupid ones.
to borrow a phrase. You see old race car drivers and you see bold (read reckless) race car drivers. But you don't see to many old, bold racer car drivers.
As for the yellow line rule.. YES get rid of it. Let them race. The Edwards and Newman wrecks would not have happened if that stupid rule not been there. They raced just fine for 30 + years without it. |
| | CHEERS to the anticipation of Daytona!! Now that my Crimson Tide won the National Title... I am ready for some racing!! Oh... and ready for Brett Farve and the Vikings to beat the Saints and go to the Super Bowl!!
CHEERS to Rick... I applaud those who have the means to do these types of things... actually doing them. CHEERS to you Rick! My prayers go out to the people of Haiti... such a sad sight when I watch the news.
JEERS to the Mayfield drama.... I honestly don't think its ever going to end.
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| | | JEERS To not understanding the ramifications of the yellow line rule and how it directly lead to the wrecks you mention. |
| | BNP,
At the time of the writing, Hendrick had a second plane on standby, but the schedules were still being worked out. My point was that he was taking on the costs himself. Granted, I'm sure it will be tax deductible, but still a nice way to help. Some people go into the missions field, but they can't do so if there aren't other people supporting them with financial backing.
Possum,
It must have been poorly worded to convey what I meant. I was not saying the yellow line rule was or was not responsible for the Edwards or Newman wreck, but my point was that those were two horrific-looking wrecks. If NASCAR takes away that yellow line rule, we'll see more horrific-looking wrecks.
Blknight3,
Yes, they did race 30+ years without the rule. How many years did they race in T-shirts? Does that mean we should go back to that? How many years did they race without SAFER barriers? How many years did they race without the kind of fuel cells we use now?
Once progress is made, it's ridiculous to go backwards under the premise that the rule didn't always exist, so we can abolish it now without ramification.
I think it's a mistake to let them use the apron at Daytona and 'Dega. Keep in mind, we're not just talking about the top ten drivers here. We aren't just talking about championship-caliber drivers policing themselves.
Do you really want a pack of Johnson, Gordon, Stewart, Edwards, Newman, et al on the track, and Sam Hornish passing on the apron trying to transition back onto the banking at 190mph? Really??
Racing, like street driving, is about defensive driving. You can be the best driver in the world, but still not always be able to avoid the idiots. That yellow line is not to protect the best drivers from themselves, but to keep them all (idiot drivers included) from being in a position to lose control when re-entering the banking, and wrecking the field.
C
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| | @JPN001:
Perhaps I had misunderstood why the issue of the location of NASCAR's offices was significant. For some reason it came into the picture in the reports I read of the suit. Maybe it was just supporting evidence for France's residency (he doesn't need to live in FL because he has an office in NC or something like that).
John
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| | @Carol:
I understand your point, but the yellow line rule is not the right answer. Granted, sometimes running on the apron leads to an accident (altho I can't recall a case where that happened, the nearest I can recall is Jeff Gordon and Rusty Wallace at Daytona several years ago). But the counterpoint is also true - sometimes running on the apron is the way to avoid an accident. We have many obvious examples of that - Keselowski and Edwards being a particularly clear case (or Smith and Stewart, if you want the version which doesn't end in an accident).
What's needed is a rule against stupid or unsafe driving - in fact, such a rule already exists. Let NASCAR be clear that running on the apron heading into turns 1 and 3 will be considered unsafe if there are cars to the outside, let NASCAR suggest where the unsafe area starts, and let NASCAR black-flag and hold drivers who attempt unsafe passes, and the problem is solved, or at least as solved as it is with a yellow line rule.
John
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| | I'd like to expand a little on the Mayfield issue...first, let me say that...haha, just kidding...if I never hear or read the name Jeremy Mayfield again it will be too soon...
As far as PEDGY goes, I've thought for awhile now we'd eventually end up with ten teams with 4 cars each...will be interesting to see if any of the new teams coming in can grow into contenders for the current big 5. (5 and a half if you count Ganassi; SHI I lumped in with HMS). NASCAR's mandate (made several years ago) to reduced Roush from 5 to 4 cars looks like a bad idea now since the last thing we need is yet one fewer strong team on the track.
Great article btw Carol on the loss of your cat.
Haven't watched any wrap up shows since the days of Bestwick, Mikey, Kenny and Johnny; can anyone recommend a show worth watching now? |
| | TWiN was killed when they took Alan B off and replaced him with that Motorcycle guy that never liked Nascar in the first place.
Haven't watched it since.
CHEERS to no Wing.
Somewhat JEERS to Nascar saying removing the Wing will make it easier for the fans to tell the difference between what used to be Fords, Chevys, Dodges, and Toyotas.
It's STILL a COT. Otherwise known as the Forge and Chevota. Actually it's just one make of car. I just couldn't figure out a way to cram 4 names into one.
Jim @ Home |
| | @Mallards Motorsports,
Shall we just call him "M"... ;)
For my part, I will continue to warn readers when I post about M so you all can skip those posts. :) |
| | CHEERS to Carol and a pre-season C&J! You always rock!
CHEERS to a new generation of little Jimmie Johnsons :)
JEERS to losing TWIN. The gang was the best, IMHO, of post race coverage, highlights. A chance to win the photo of the week, sigh.
CHEERS to Daytona soon!
CHEERS to Mr H for sending over a couple of help planes to Haiti!! |
| | @jim88:
It's unclear to me if NASCAR thinks removing the wing is what helps, or changing the rear quarter panels (which are to be lowered). I can see that the lower quarter panels would make the cars look more stock - the current hiked up in the air design resembles nothing on the street (and actually looks pretty silly). I dunno that it will make it any easier to tell the brands apart, but it should at least make them look more stock.
John
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| | @JPN001,
Actually, for the record, I do read your Mayfield posts and appreciate the time you put into them explaining the legal angles...
It is just too bad the whole Mayfield/NASCAR saga has taken the course it has... |
| | | CHEERS to Speed giving Jimmy Spencer his own talk show! If we can't have the Big Show, then this is a suitable alternative... |
| | | Carol - You have the right idea, but mixed up the acronym. The "blob" team should not be called "PEDGY", but more accurately, "GYPED". |
| | the big question should be:
"Who will be engulfed by PEDGY (or GYPED if you prefer) racing next?"
Rousch? Penske? Childress? Robby Gordon? Wood Bros? Front Row? BAM? One of these new upstart teams? Will we someday end up with 2 ginormous teams- Hendrick and non-Hendrick?
and will one of them hire Mayfield to drive? |
| | @eddo,
No I think some day you will end up with one primary team per manufacturer. There may be satellite teams but all the chasis and engines will be made by those primary teams. Assuming 4 manufacturer primary teams with four cars each (4x4=16) with two satellite teams each fielding three car each (2x3x4=24) you'd be up to 40 teams. (It's not really too far from that now if you think about it). That could almost qualify as franchising which has been talked about occasionally for the last ten years.
I know you were joking but as long as sponsorship is involved I don't see Mayfield being back in a car. Unless he has an uncle that's CEO of a large company. |
| | Grrrr!!!! I can't believe I missed "gyped"!! (Even though it's really spelled "gypped", I would have used it anyway, had I thought of it.) A little background on me and that word:
A few years ago, I was required to go to a diversity training class, and the facilitator (in an attempt to be "one of us" and not preaching down to the unenlightened) shared a story about how she used to use the word "gypped" but then she learned the origin of the word and realized that "using that word is offensive to the culture of the gypsies." Yes, really. Offensive to the culture of the gypsies.
Now of course this begs the question, in the hotel business, how many gypsies do we really come in contact with? Doesn't the very nature of being a gypsy prohibit one from staying in a hotel? And can one call gypsiness a "culture" anyway? It's more of a condition, I think, such as homelessnes. And really, when is the last time you met a gypsy? Isn't that about as rare as meeting a hobo these days? Oh dear, I haven't just offended the culture of the hobos, have I?
And ever since, I use the word "gypped" as often as I can fit it appropriately into a conversation.
Missing that anagram, I feel as though I've gypped my readers of a better word than PEDGY (though I do have to admit, I like PEDGY quite a bit.)
C |
| | | i am appalled at your racist views. Perhaps you should read the history of the holocaust or the history of the Romanies. |
| | @Salt Shaker,
Within common usage in American English, the term “gypsy” is applied more to a life style than an ethnic group/culture, and therefore its common use does not refer to the Romani people, who are also known as Roma (which are both more appropriate terms than the anglicized plural “Romanies”). Further, “gypped” as an adjective likely only has incidental cognitive connection to the word “gypsy” for most American English speakers, as it is likely learned as an independent lexeme rather than a derivative of “gypsy.” Thus, as a linguist (my life before I was a lawyer), I am unconvinced that the use of “gypsy” or “gypped” within American English is discriminatory toward the Romani people, as many Americans have little to no knowledge of the Roma and the persecution they have experienced for centuries in Europe.
As a general rule, I am not sympathetic toward the politically correct trend of claiming words are racist or discriminatory because of their history rather than their current usage. Many terms we use innocently have negative historical connotations that have been bleached from them over time. If we eliminate all such historically problematic terms, we will greatly impoverish our language. Furthermore, the removal of terms that may have been historically racist or discriminatory but are not currently used as such will do nothing to eliminate true racism and discrimination. It is the current usage of words, not their etymology, that is important.
Given the above, I personally would be hesitant to ascribe racism to an American English speaker who uses “gypped” or “gypsy” within the common usage of American English and who does not have the knowledge that “gypsy” in Anglican usage is a word for the Roma. Further, even telling an American English speaker that “gypped” is offensive to gypsies would likely be meaningless without explaining the association of the term “gypsy” with the Roma as most American Speakers think more of generic nomads than they do Roma when “gypsy” is used. Perhaps it would be more courteous to offer to educate before jumping to condemnation.
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| | @jpn001:
As someone baptized C of E, I'm insulted by your blatant misuse of the word "Anglican"!
Just kidding :-)
I am, incidently, impressed that at least 3 of us here have some knowledge of the Roma.
Gypped probably does come from gypsy, but at quite a long remove - gyp was a word for a thief in pre-Civil War times, but it seems to have gotten there from the sense of dishonest or unfaithful servant (old English usage of "gyp"), which in turn probably came from the untrustiness of gypsy field hands.
As for persecution of the Roma, just ask any modern Hungarian for their opinion of gypsies - every bit a match for 1950's US attitude toward blacks.
John
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| | @ Possum:
Yes, the persecution of Roma in Europe is an ongoing issue. In 2008, the Italian government began a systematic crackdown on Roma encampments, claiming that they were illegal under Italian law as the camps do not have running water, electricity, etc. The Italian government also claimed many of the Roma in Italy are illegal immigrants, even though this status is dubious under the European Union charter because nationals of any EU country can travel to any other EU country to live and/or work. A Roma registry, which would include the compulsory fingerprinting of all Roma in Italy, has been proposed in the Italian parliament on numerous times since 2008. However, to my knowledge the registry has yet to be enacted.
Of course, the Roma do not always help themselves in these situations, as they generally do not believe that European nations have sovereignty over Roma. |
| | Thx Carol and Crew!
@JPN001 re 37: what has your Roma thang have to do with racin? |
| | @debster48,
Sorry. Salt Shaker's comment (#33) sent us (possum and me) off on a tangent. :) |
| | Okay, I just caught up. All I can say is... wow.. who knew?!
Thanks a ton, JPN, for sharing your vast knowledge. I always learn something new. A linguist in your previous life? THAT is why I so enjoy your comments!! And now I'm looking forward even more to a special column I'm working on for next week.
C |
| | I just went to Wikipedia to read about "quantum mechanics" and they said "we really don't understand this stuff either - please check with JPN001"...no really, I swear this is true...
Now if you can just explain why the 88 driver can't perform better we can all sleep better at night... |
| | @ Mallards:
LOL. The problem with quantum mechanics is that it insists time is independant, whereas general relativity insists time is connected to the other dimensions.
John
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| | Another problem with quantum mechanics is that quanta are only observable/measurable when we have altered the quantum state in such a way as to make them observable/measurable. This, of course, is the basis for the "observer effect" hypothesis and the famous "Schrödinger's cat" paradox. On the other hand, modern quantum mechanics may have resolved this problem by postulating the possibility of an observer is part of the quantum state, and thus observation and measurement are part of the quantum system, which has already adjusted to the observation before the observation has occurred (or possibly because the observation has already occurred in a very similar universe).
As for helping the #88 car, a fringe faction of quantum theorists believes that consciousness is a quantum state (“quantum consciousness”) that can affect external quanta (in a manner akin to one of the best named quantum phenomena, “spooky action at a distance,” aka quantum non-local connection). They have theorized that successful people, including athletes, are successful because their consciousness can change the quantum state of the universe around them so that the universe is more favorable to them (also known as “quantum effects”). An even smaller fringe have postulated that observers of a sporting event, even if not in physical proximity to the sporting event, can change the quantum state of the sporting event and make the universe more favorable to their desired outcome. Maybe Junior’s fans just are not connecting with their driver as strongly on a quantum level as they were when he was winning.
Personally, I think “quantum consciousness” and “quantum effects” are bunk, to use a technical term in quantum mechanics, but I sometimes wonder if Chad may be changing the quantum state of the universe when he pulls something semi-miraculous out of his hat when it looks like the #48 team is done for the day… :-)
|
| | Quote: but I sometimes wonder if Chad may be changing the quantum state of the universe when he pulls something semi-miraculous out of his hat when it looks like the #48 team is done for the day…
There's no doubt in my mind that he has the power to do just that.
C |
| | @jpn001:
It's not so much we have to alter the quantum state, as it is that _all_ quantum states exist, until we make an observation/measurement. At that instant all the states disappear, except for the one we happen to observe.
John
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| | @Possum,
Fair enough. I was letting my bias show. Like Schrödinger, I am not convinced that quantum superposition is the answer to the observer effect problem (although his cat paradox, which was Schrödinger's attempt to show the weakness of quantum superposition theory, is now often used to explain superposition rather than to criticize it), and I hold to the belief that observation is only possible if the quantum state is changed so that it manifests in a state that we are capable of observing (but perhaps my thinking is still too Newtonian). ;-)
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| | JPN001 wrote:
"They have theorized that successful people, including athletes, are successful because their consciousness can change the quantum state of the universe around them so that the universe is more favorable to them (also known as “quantum effects”)."
Is that the same thing as Big E being able to "see the air" during plate races?
And isn't Schrödinger the piano player from Peanuts?
I'm sorry I brought it up - anyone have some aspirin? |
| | JEERS to the geniuses that decided to move This Week In NASCAR to Showtime? lol Just AS smart as having Dave Despain MC the show last year.
CHEERS to BBCAmerica having TWO hours of Top Gear to watch in TWIN's place...
I will never stoop to purchase a pay-cable channel just for a mediocre race review show. good luck with that... |
|
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Sprint Cup 2010 Schedule
Saturday night races in red
Feb 14 Daytona FOX 1pm
Feb 21 Fontana FOX 3pm
Feb 28 Las Vegas FOX 1pm
Mar 07 Atlanta FOX 1pm
Mar 14 OFF
Mar 21 Bristol FOX 1pm
Mar 28 Martinsvl FOX 1pm
Apr 04 OFF
Apr 10 Phoenix FOX 7pm
Apr 18 Texas FOX 3pm
Apr 25 Talladega FOX 1pm
May 01 Richmond FOX 7pm
May 08 Darlington FOX 7pm
May 16 Dover FOX 1pm
May 22 ALL STAR SPEED
May 30 Charlotte FOX 5pm
Jun 06 Pocono TNT 1pm
Jun 13 Michigan TNT 1pm
Jun 20 Sonoma TNT 3pm
Jun 27 Loudon TNT 1pm
Jul 03 Daytona TNT 7pm
Jul 10 Chicago TNT 7pm
Jul 17 OFF
Jul 25 Indianapolis ESPN 1pm
Aug 01 Pocono ESPN 1pm
Aug 08 WatkGlen ESPN 1pm
Aug 15 Michigan ESPN 1pm
Aug 21 Bristol ABC 7pm
Sep 05 Atlanta ESPN 7pm
Sep 11 Richmond ABC 7pm
Sep 19 Loudon ESPN 1pm
Sep 26 Dover ESPN 1pm
Oct 03 Kansas ESPN 1pm
Oct 10 Fontana ESPN 3pm
Oct 16 Charlotte ABC 7pm
Oct 24 Martinsvl ESPN 1pm
Oct 31 Talladega ESPN 1pm
Nov 07 Texas ESPN 3pm
Nov 14 Phoenix ESPN 3pm
Nov 21 Homestead ESPN 1pm
 
  
 
What happened to me in 1983?
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