"Stockcartoons" creator Mike Smith (who gives us permission to reprint his weekly racing cartoon) is uploading sketches from the Vegas races Saturday and Sunday to his blog at the Las Vegas Sun. Check 'em out here.

Also, in case you missed it, NTW posted a profile of Mike the other day. You can read it

.

Stockcartoons are created by Mike Smith, ever-lovin' editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Sun, and syndicated through King Features Syndicate. Mike generously shares them with us here.

Mike is also the primary contributor to the Las Vegas Sun's NASCAR blog, "Bloggity, Bloggity, Bloggity.'" 

Stockcartoons are created by Mike Smith, ever-lovin' editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Sun, and syndicated through King Features Syndicate. Mike generously shares them with us here.

Normally, Mike's Stockcartoons appear at NASCAR This Week on Thursdays, but due to this editor's error, who was out of town and up to his snoot in ice and other assorted nasty wintriness (I was visiting my Dad in Pennsylvania), he neglected to get Mike's cartoon up on schedule. Apologies to Mike and this readership.

By Michelle Dawn

Call me crazy. A dreamer. Out of touch with reality or blinded by perception. But regardless of all the red flags that tell me I should, I just can't bring myself to break up with Dale Junior just yet.

To be honest, it's been tempting at times. A smarter fan than me would leave Junior for a Cup driver with more going for him -- say a few wins, a spot in the Chase and a Cup team with his name on it. And on the surface, it looks like there's no good reason to stay. After all, the fans of other drivers don't have to suffer the pointed insults, ceaseless speculation and nagging doubts at the hands of the media and their peers.

But at the risk of suffering more hardship, disappointment and yes, even the whispers of my friends, I'm gonna stand by Dale Earnhardt Jr. like Tammy Wynette -- at least for a couple more seasons.

Because say what you will about his disappointing performance, Junior is like the boyfriend you just can't turn loose. Sure he may buy you Carhartt for Christmas and use your Lenox champagne flute for a spit cup, but underneath it all lurks some serious potential and the makings of a winner. And you just know -- even though your Mama says you're half-cracked and your best friend is begging to set you up with her cousin the doctor - that all Junior needs is better luck next time and the right kind of encouragement to turn things around.

So while the fans of Stewart, Martin and Johnson root their drivers on to a possible championship, this fan is gonna hunker down and cheer her boy on for a win (or at least a couple top five finishes) before Homestead rolls around.

Of course if next season also goes bust, I may seriously have to re-examine my life choices as well as my racing judgment. But I won't worry about that now. 'Cause today I'm just not ready to walk away from Junior -- at least not yet.

Floridian Michelle Dawn works a corporate job by day and blogs about NASCAR by night at www.nascarista.blogspot.com. She’s an avid reader of classic literature, a lover of country music and a hater of sushi. Her dream job would be to cover NASCAR full time. Send her an e-mail at nascarista@att.net.

If you think the Dale/Kyle "rvialry" is bo-ring, join the club.

By Sharon Bundy
 
There has been a lot of talk about the lack of true rivalries in NASCAR. Back in the day, there was plenty to go around. But now in the day of political correctness and image, rivalries are almost extinct.
 
NASCAR needs a true rivalry in the sport. There really isn't much else going on to fire fans up. Even the rumors of the sport lack any real punch. Frankly, the sport has gotten dull, on track and off.
 
Kyle Busch has become the "black hat" driver of the sport. But even his attempts at stirring the proverbial rivalry pot are pathetic. Each week he has a new attack on Dale Jr. and/or his fans. It's almost laughable. Part of me wonders if NASCAR is trying to script this or simply trying too hard to make something out of nothing. Either way, it's not working.
 
The problem is that a rivalry must be authentic. There has to be that genuine element that draws battle lines between drivers and fans of drivers. While there is some rivalry between fans, it really isn't about fan vs. fan, it should be driver vs. driver. Then fans pick sides.
 
There needs to be that rivalry in the sport that draws fans in. The sport needs a  Duke vs. North Carolina, Cubs vs. Cards, or Lakers vs. Celtics type of rivalry. But because of NASCAR's hard line policies and the certain public image they want to convey, the days of true rivalries may be far behind us.

That could be just one of many reasons why the sport is on a decline. There is nothing really going on to get fans fired up about, to get them to tune in, call in and debate about. The sport has become too vanilla, pure and simple.

Sharon Bundy is a free-lance writer. In addition to appearing here, she is a regular contributor at insidethepitbox.com. When Sharon is not writing about races or going to races, she enjoys spending time with her two children. Sharon is looking for more writing opportunities and can be reached at sharon_bundy@hotmail.com.



 

Stockcartoons are created by Mike Smith, editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Sun, and syndicated through King Features Syndicate. Mike is also the primary contributor to the Sun's NASCAR blog  titled "Bloggity, Bloggity, Bloggity.'"

Fuel mileage races happen in NASCAR racing, but more times than not there is supposed to be an actual race.

By Sharon Bundy
 
Someone posed the question: If fans are not going to races, why are they not watching at home? Last Sunday at Michigan holds the key to the answer. The last lap was the entire race. While everything comes down to that final lap, the preceding laps should be a buildup to the climatic ending of the race. But yet again, fans endured 399 miles of boredom for a race that came down to fuel.
 
Fuel mileage races happen in NASCAR racing, but more times than not there is supposed to be an actual race. That really isn't happening much lately in NASCAR. Jimmie Johnson pretty much spanked the field but lost on fumes. It happens. Maybe for Anti-Jimmie fans it was a great finish. Perhaps Mark Martin loyalists were overjoyed that the old man can still win and the Ford fans are just not happy. But key racing was missing and that's a problem.
 
Regardless of who won and how it played out, it wasn't all that thrilling. Most teams took the risk of running out of fuel. But what else could they do? Jimmie Johnson just dominated the entire race. If any team had a shot, there had to be a gamble. Although the gamble for some didn't look to  be worth it when Johnson took back the lead in the final 10 laps.  I just don't like the fuel mileage game.
 
NASCAR really needs to do something about the racing or lack there of this season. There are reports of possible changes to the COT to make it "sportier". At this point, I will be happy with any change that is made to the car.
 
It's getting harder and harder to get pumped up for race day anymore. I'm finding other things to do on Sunday. Having DVR is great, it allows me to skip most of the race and watch the car who coasts to win at the end. Not much else to see in between, is there?

Sharon Bundy is a free-lance writer. In addition to appearing here, she is a regular contributor at insidethepitbox.com. When Sharon is not writing about races or going to races, she enjoys spending time with her two children. Sharon is looking for more writing opportunities and can be reached at sharon_bundy@hotmail.com.


 

Rex White and Joe Penland race at Columbia Speedway in the 1960s

By Michelle Dawn

If a race track could talk, the Columbia Speedway would sure have some stories to tell.

It might tell you about July 12, 1958, the day Richard Petty scored his first win. Or March 16, 1966, when Fonty Flock gave Chevrolet its first victory. Then there’s the time Frank Mundy won NASCAR’s first-ever race under the lights. Not to mention all the races with legends like Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson, Fireball Roberts, Cotton Owens and South Carolina’s favorite son David Pearson.

Located just outside Columbia, SC in the small burg of Cayce, the half-mile dirt track hosted its first race in 1948.  It was NASCAR sanctioned in 1951 and ran NASCAR races there until the early 1970s. That’s a lot of time for memories to mount up and history to be made.

Now, thanks to the folks at Racers Reunion, this historic place and all of the great racing moments that took place there will be shared with future generations of NASCAR fans.

Jeff Gilder, the founder of Racers Reunion, announced last week that Columbia Speedway will be turned into a first-class events facility and that a museum will also be built on the site.

“The track was an important track in the formative years of our sport,” Guilder said. “We need this to preserve our racing heritage. Too many tracks have gone by the way being replaced with condos, Wal-marts, golf courses, etc. The cool thing about this track is that its owners would rather have a race track than a Wal-mart.”

Little Bud Moore races to victory in 1966.

But will any new racing memories be made at Columbia Speedway? “We will return the track back to meet racing specs,” Gilder said.  “Whether there will ever be racing there is a question to be answered later.”

Racers Reunion, the group heading up the preservation effort, is an online social network that brings former drivers, crew members and fans together to share connect, share memories, and just talk shop.  About 100 of its members (all volunteer) banded together earlier this year to save the Columbia Speedway, hosting the first annual Love Chevrolet Columbia Speedway Spring Festival on April 25.

According to Gilder, the event was attended by 30 thousand people from 17 different states and Puerto Rico. And a host of legendary faces from racing’s past were present as well, including Buddy Baker, Ned Jarrett, Dave Marcis, Little Bud Moore, Gene Hobby, Dick and Johnny Dangerfield, D.K. Ulrich, and at least a dozen other former drivers.
 
“The response was greater than anyone expected,” Guilder said. “Now the community, the city of Cayce, the county, and surrounding areas have realized the potential of the facility and have embraced our efforts to preserve the track and create an events facility that can be used by a variety of events.”

If you’d like to get involved, fan help is always welcome.  There are coordinated work groups that get together to keep up with the track's maintenance. And donations are also accepted on the Racers Reunion web site.

“This race track is one that always prompts some great stories when mentioned to anyone who was there as a spectator or participant,” Gilder said. “All the drivers who raced there agree about the importance of this track.”

 Floridian Michelle Dawn works a corporate job by day and blogs about NASCAR by night at www.nascarista.blogspot.com.  She’s an avid reader of classic literature, a lover of country music and a hater of sushi.  Her dream job would be to cover NASCAR full time.  Send her an
 e-mail at nascarista@att.net.



 

Stockcartoons are created by Mike Smith, editorial cartoonist for the Las Vegas Sun, and syndicated through King Features Syndicate. Mike is also the primary contributor to the Sun's NASCAR blog  titled "Bloggity, Bloggity, Bloggity.'" 

Danica and Dale both driving in the the Sprint Cup Series -- perhaps on the same team --- could mean big bucks for sponsors and NASCAR. But fans, as usual, would end up getting rooked.

by Sharon Bundy
 
Never in my life have I ever felt such a sense of dread as I do when I read reports that Danica Patrick may come to NASCAR.  Having her in the sport would be a detriment to stock car racing.
 
If someone was to poll actual race fans, most would agree that Danica is not wanted in our sport. While sponsors and car owners are lining up to embrace her into the sport, she is not wanted by fans. It would be easy to see why NASCAR wants her here, publicity. Good or bad, she would bring even more attention to the sport.
 
Danica Patrick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. are unfairly compared to each other due to their enormous popularity and probably the most inaccurate comparison, their success or-lack thereof--behind the wheel of a race car. Despite the problems that have plagued Dale Jr. over the past couple of seasons, he has had a pretty great career. Especially when you compare it to Danica's.
 
Many see an alliance between Earnhardt and Danica as the sport's power couple. I don't mean couple in the biblical sense, but a business marriage between auto racing's two biggest stars would surely set the racing world on fire. So much publicity, so much interest. For NASCAR they cannot lose.
 
The problem with Danica is that she seems to not want to build up her racing resume in NASCAR. She wants to be on the best team, with the best equipment, and have the best people behind her. That is fine. But she has no clue about stock cars. Her entrance into the sport should be a patient and steady climb. ARCA, Truck series, Nationwide, and then Cup, should be the route in which Danica takes if she does indeed come to NASCAR. Her rise should not be accelerated because she is Danica, she needs to earn the respect of those she races against. Her career in IRL has been mediocre. She doesn't deserve to be in NASCAR's top level until she proves she can race with the sport's best.
 
If Danica does give NASCAR a try ,she really needs to be patient. Unlike IRL, fans in NASCAR rule the sport. Her racing career in NASCAR could be a nightmare on and off the track. It would be a mistake to put her into a Cup car right away. Fans will not embrace her. Many will look at it as her marketability got her a top ride and not her actual racing experience.
 
For NASCAR the immediate impact of Danica Patrick in the sport might be huge.  But how will it all work out in the long run is my biggest worry. I'm just not sure she is worth the scrutiny everyone will endure with her here. NASCAR needs to dig a little deeper to find that female driver who will show the big boys how it's done.

Sharon Bundy is a freelance writer. In addition to appearing here, she is a regular contributor at insidethepitbox.com. When Sharon is not writing about races or going to races, she enjoys spending time with her two children. Sharon is looking for more writing opportunities and can be reached at sharon_bundy@hotmail.com.