Is this week dragging by? Don’t worry, a holiday weekend is approaching, and with it comes Truck Series action at Kentucky, and NNS and Cup racing at Atlanta! While we wait for it to get here, we’ve got the 90th edition of ATIW for you. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Anonymous:
Training for pit crews, how is it done? Is UTI the only show in town? By the way great articles, very well written, has given me a much better understanding of NASCAR, and I haven’t watched my first race.
The UTI campus in Mooresville, also known as NTI, doesn’t actually specialize in pit crew training. They are more about teaching guys to be mechanics. They do offer a pit crew class as a part of their program, but it is very basic. Performance Instruction & Training (PIT) in Mooresville does offer a much more comprehensive program for teaching people to go over the wall, as do a few other smaller programs. Tire changer and TV analyst DJ Copp actually runs his own small program for teaching guys and providing pit crews for example. Outside of that, some teams will have developmental pit crews they work with, or they will hand pick guys to bring in and train. The opportunity also exists for some shop employees to come out and learn. There are really several avenues for learning the skills. – T.C.
2. From Brandon:
Love the site! With the start and park drivers would NASCAR ever consider paying the purse based on laps completed? It seems if a team was only going to get 10% of the purse for running 10% of the laps it may eliminate some of the start and parking going on…
It’s certainly a novel idea. I think the big thing for NASCAR is not penalizing a team who competes every week and has bad luck but discouraging the practice of starting and parking. While this would certainly discourage the practice, as these teams wouldn’t be making much money off of this, it could also hurt a team trying to make a go of things. It’s definitely tough to find a perfect solution for this.- Journo
3. From Peter:
Sorry if this is a repeat question. Why do the gas can carriers always shake the empty can while timing down the balance of the second can?
What you are seeing when the catch can man is shaking the can is him signaling to the jackman that the car is full of fuel. When the tank is full, fuel will run out of the vent tube on the back of the car and into the catch can. Once the jackman sees the signal from the catch can man, and knows that his tire changers are finished, he will drop the jack and send his driver back to the race. – T.C.
4. From Craig:
With the NFL determined to go to an 18 game schedule, possibly pushing the Super Bowl deeper into February, do you think it will force NASCAR to change to the Daytona Speed Weeks schedule? Possibly going back to the old days when they started the season at another track before speed weeks to avoid a conflict with football?
It’s certainly possible that NASCAR would consider pushing the race back, or trying to accommodate the NFL if they pushed the post-season further into February. From the way I understand it though the NFL is just talking about taking away two pre-season games and starting the season earlier. If that happens it shouldn’t affect NASCAR’s schedule. – Journo
5. From Joe:
Have you heard anything about all of the engines NASCAR took to check for differences in horse power?
I know there weren’t any penalties associated with the check. And since we haven’t seen any more about it, we can assume NASCAR decided everything was fine. If they had found one manufacturer had a significant advantage over another, they would have made a rule change to level the playing field. – T.C.
6. From Brian:
With Petty saying this week that there will only be two cars, what was all the “exciting news” Petty, AJ, and Marcos talked about coming at each of there press conferences? What else is in store at RPM? Or is there nothing left to announce?
I’m sure what they were talking about were sponsor announcements. As far as I know they’re just going to be a two car team next season. – Journo
7. From Allen:
I’ve noticed when I attend Cup races if there was a Nationwide or Truck race the day/night before the “official” haulers are still in the infield. You know the ones with the giant Series logo’s on them, is there a reason they don’t leave with the team haulers?
As far as I know the Series haulers don’t generally return to North Carolina after races, so they aren’t in a hurry to leave the track like the teams are. They have to be at the next track early in the week, so they go straight from wherever they’re at to wherever they’re going. – Journo
8. From Michael:
“There was passion (and one middle finger), and boy was there carnage.” Who flipped the bird?
Steven Wallace to Ron Fellows. Here is the video – fast forward to 7:30. - Journo
9. From Michael in SoCal:
During Villeneuve’s last pit stop on Sunday, why was the catchcan kept in the car after the fueling was complete as they finished the four tire change?
Once the car is completely full, sometimes excess fuel will spill out of the vent tube. Keeping the catch can in until the last minute means less of that fuel ends up on the ground. Remember that it only takes one spark from a lugnut to set fuel on fire, and the less there is on pit road, the better it is for everyone involved. Also, spilled fuel is very slippery, so by not allowing spillage, it also aids in keeping the crew members on their feet during the stop. - T.C.
10. From Marcus:
Do you guys know what the state of the new Cup car is? They were really talking about it alot and lately they haven’t said a thing about it. With only 12 races left this season you would think that if they really wanted to implement it they would be designing it and getting ready to test it but all I have heard is that they would like to make changes to the current car to make it look more like the new Nationwide car. Just wondering if you guys have any more info or if you have heard anything in the garage area lately. Thanks.
Changes to the COT have certainly been discussed, but we’ve heard probably not until the 2012 season. NASCAR and the teams need enough time to properly test any proposed changes, and the teams would need time to implement these changes to their fleets. – T.C.
11. From Red Neck:
What type of coolant is used in NASCAR? Is it plain old water, anti-freeze or a mix?
Teams just use water to cool the engines. Anti-freeze is not needed because the cars are never driven in conditions that would require it. – T.C.
12. From Mike:
At the near end of the Nationwide race in Montreal, Robby Gordon ran out of fuel. Nascar told him to pull over and park (I believe the grass area in turn 2). Was that a safe move? What if his car would have been hit? Or Robby!
Absolutely. Robby got out of the car. This is actually not at all uncommon in most road course racing series. This is why they have local cautions to alert drivers of an issue in a certain part of the course – this avoids unecessary full course cautions. While NASCAR doesn’t utilize the local caution, this was not a surprising move given there were only a couple of laps left. So to answer your question, Robby was safe and the drivers were all well aware of his car’s position on the track. – Journo
And that brings yet another “Ask The Insiders Wednesday” to a close. Thanks to everyone who sent in questions. And remember, if you’d like to be a part of next week, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send your question in!
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The Watkins Glen road course provided some great racing this weekend, but while the action on track was interesting, so were some of the rumors floating around the garage. We heard a few different bits this weekend that we wanted to share, and I figured I’d weigh in on them with some of my own thoughts.
First up, we reported on Twitter (follow us @nascarinsider) yesterday that we’d heard NASCAR took a box of lugnuts from Marcos Ambrose’s Nationwide Series team during the race. Word is that they were illegal in some way. Don’t be surprised if the team is penalized this week. I don’t expect NASCAR will take the win away however. Quick Update: Scenedaily.com’s Kenny Bruce reported via his Twitter page that NASCAR did indeed take lugnuts from the #47, but later decided there was no issue.
The most ridiculous rumor that we’ve heard on a few different occasions recently, is that Red Bull Racing is shutting down at the end of the season. I know the team’s performance has been abysmal this season, and question marks surround both of the team’s normal drivers, Brian Vickers and Scott Speed, but this is one I just don’t believe. There was even a report late this evening that Red Bull may be where Kasey Kahne ends up for the 2011 season. Some major changes are probably in order for this team internally, but don’t expect them to close down any time soon.
While Red Bull’s future is probably safe, we have heard that Kevin Conway’s days might be numbered at Front Row Motorsports. It sounds like the team has grown tired of Conway’s poor performance, and this group will struggle mightily to make races if the #34 falls out of the top 35 in owners points. They are currently 35th in the standings, only 182 points ahead of 36th. A few more bad finishes, and Conway will be on the outside looking in. To this point in the season, Conway has had a guaranteed starting position in every race, due to some fancy number wrangling by owner Bob Jenkins. With one team already outside the top 35 however, thanks to the tire debacle at Pocono earlier in the year, Jenkins can’t afford to have another team fall out. Word is that Extenze would continue sponsoring the team, but another yet-to-be-named driver would be brought in.
Richard Petty Motorsports officially announced on Friday that AJ Allmendinger had signed a multi-year agreement to remain the driver of the #43 Ford. With that settled, a number of other questions still plague this organization; namely sponsors and other drivers. With the rumblings that Paul Menard is taking his family sponsor to RCR, Kahne’s known departure for Hendrick, and Elliott Sadler’s apparent dissatisfaction, Allmendinger is short a few teammates for 2011. We are still hearing that Ambrose will probably end up in either the #9 or #19 next season, and a deal may be close between the two parties, pending sponsorship. Another name that has popped up as a potential replacement for RPM next season is Aric Almirola. Almirola has revived what appeared to be a fading career this season with a strong NCWTS campaign to this point that currently includes two wins. The young driver also impressed folks a few weeks ago with a third place finish at ORP driving for JR Motorsports #88 NNS team. If the team can find sponsorship, Almirola would be a decent addition.
Like I wrote on Friday, it’s certainly been a crazy Silly Season, and there are still plenty of dominoes left to fall. It will certainly be fun to see what plays out.
After six weeks, TNT’s turn at the helm of the Cup Series broadcasts is over. And if you ask me, it couldn’t have come any sooner.
From missed stories, to commercial overkill, TNT’s races were lackluster at best.
Thanks to the wonders of technology (the DVR) and Speed’s Wednesday re-broadcast, TC and I usually catch every race broadcast. Though it’s not something we often write about here (if you’re looking to talk NASCAR TV check out The Daly Planet) I felt the need to express my disappointment with what I saw of TNT’s coverage.
After dumping Bill Weber in the middle of last season, TNT had a hole to fill at play-by-play. While Ralph Sheheen was given an audition at the end of last season, the network settled on MRN and Speed Channel vet Adam Alexander.
Now I think Adam is a great guy. He’s good on pit road, and really a genuinely nice person. Play-by-play however is not his forte. As ESPN learned with Jerry Punch, adeptness on pit road does not necessarily translate to skills at play-by-play.
Not helping Adam’s transition was the lack of communication between the booth and the control room (or trailer). How many times during their stretch did we hear the guys in the booth talking about a driver, wreck, or on-track action only to continue seeing something completely unrelated? This sort of thing is incredibly frustrating to watch (I found myself yelling at the TV) – yet it happened over and over and over.
Let’s not even get started on the commercial breaks either. SB Nation’s Jeff Gluck fully went through those in a post earlier this week.
So to recap, what TNT gave the fans was basically this: Commercials, commercials, commercials, a few laps of racing, commercials, commercials, commercials. Then the broadcast would come back on, play-by-play man Adam Alexander would say, “While we were away…” and TNT would show us the important moment we missed.
The man knows what he’s talking about – as does anyone who has watched these races.
Add all this on top of the missed stories (this shouldn’t surprise me though, TNT has a history of missed moments) – AJ Allmendinger v. Richard Petty comes to mind – and what we have are broadcasts that were nothing short of a disappointment.
Now I’m not saying the FOX and ESPN broadcasts are flawless. They most certainly are not (no live sports broadcast is). They are however better than TNT. If you can get past the cartoon characters, and the occasional over-the-top personalities Fox technically has a wonderful broadcast. This is thanks in large part to their Emmy award winning director Artie Kempner, and the best play-by-play guy in the business, Mike Joy. And if there is one thing the folks at ESPN know how to do, it’s how to broadcast a sporting event (though I’m not crazy about their golf coverage). I’d prefer Allen Bestwick at play-by-play too.
Is TNT unwatchable? I think that’s probably a little harsh, but they definitely have work to do to make their broadcasts better. As Jeff Gluck and John Daly have pointed out, hopefully NASCAR and their television partners begin to realize maybe it’s not the product, but the dissemination of the product that’s driving people away.
What do you think about the broadcasts? What are your likes and dislikes? Which section of the season is your favorite?
Last weekend at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona, Richard Petty and RPM driver AJ Allmendinger had a short confrontation in the garage area after the race. During the race, Allmendinger was involved in a wreck with Kyle Busch that sent him spinning off the track and into the inside wall. AJ went on to finish the race, but 36th position, 30 laps down wasn’t the result he and his team were looking for. Once in the garage, Petty had words with Allmendinger as he climbed from his race car.
I apologize for not having the video of the incident, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t seem to find it anywhere online. In case you didn’t see it, Petty says something to Allmendinger as he climbs from the car that AJ doesn’t want to hear. ’Dinger attempts to walk away, and Petty grabs his arm. The two talk for a bit longer, with AJ attempting to escape again.
What exactly was said between the two I don’ t know. It does appear to me however, that Petty was attempting to teach or point something out to Allmendinger about the day, and AJ didn’t want to hear it. Either way, I don’t think anyone is to blame for the spat, and I don’t think it will have any lasting effect on their relationship.
Robbie Loomis, RPM’s VP of Competition, came out after the incident and tried to downplay the confrontation.
“I always say the car owner shouldn’t talk to the driver anytime after the race, especially after an accident,” Petty VP Robbie Loomis said. “I think Richard’s been here so many times, he’s been through this stuff and he was just trying to get him to loosen up and let the boys do their stuff on fixing the car and getting back out there. Anytime you talk to somebody at the wrong time, it always causes discussion that needs to be worked out. That’s all that happened.”
Richard Allen from RacingwithRich.com thinks that the confrontation may affect AJ’s future with RPM, but I disagree. Allmendinger was clearly upset about how the race played out, and you can’t blame the guy for being angry. And if anyone knows what it’s like to be disappointed by a race, it should be Richard Petty. Both are very passionate about racing, and that passion is going to boil over at certain times. In this case, Allmendinger let his temper get the better of him, and Petty just chose the wrong time to try and make his point to his young driver.
With it being Friday already, I’m sure Petty and Allmendinger have already sat down and worked out any issues they may have had. Both are passionate competitors, and I’m sure once calm, AJ will listen to anything Richard has to say. In the future, hopefully Petty will wait until their weekly meeting to offer any advice or thoughts to his drivers.
Surprisingly, we’ve already reached the mid point of the Cup Series season. The Truck Series remains off for another week, but both the NNS and Cup cars will head to Daytona for racing under the lights. The NNS teams are at the beach already getting ready for their race, and the Cup haulers will be en route tomorrow. While preparations go on, we’ve got more reader questions and answers for you. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
1. From Ric:
When NASCAR pit road Inspectors penalize a team is it first approved / cleared / checked with higher ups or what they say goes? Who makes the decision if a team argues / appeals a penalty?
A NASCAR official on pit road can call a penalty on a team just like a referee or umpire for any other sport. They don’t need to check with race control first. If a team wants to appeal, the official will get on the horn to race control, and any decision will be made by the guys in the booth. – T.C.
2. From Kevin:
Hi would like to know if any progress has been made on AJ’s contract and if not do you think he will have other options open in NASCAR or go back to open wheel?
Not that I’ve heard. I definitely think there are opportunities for Allmendinger in NASCAR – I think he’s worked far too hard getting himself acclimated to stock cars to make a return to open wheel. On top of that, he’s never expressed any interest in returning to open wheel competition. If we find out more we will certainly let you know! – Journo
3. From Lee:
What is the difference in race trim and qualifying trim? If in Q you run fastest, why slow the car down for the actual race? What are the differences in the two?
A car in qualifying trim wouldn’t make very many laps. Between grill tape and air pressures, the car would blow up and blow tires. Race trim allows the cars to still be fast, but also have enough longevity to make it to the finish. The teams make setup changes to the car so it will be as fast as possible for those two laps. That means things like pumping up the air pressures and having little or no grill openings. In the Cup Series, teams can and will change some chassis elements too. Qualifying = fast as possible for two laps. Race = fast as possible for 500 miles. - T.C.
4. From yankeegranny:
What does it mean when a driver says the car needs to roll better through the center? How does that effect the car’s handling? Also, how can changing to a new set of tires(assuming no other changes were made) effect a car’s speed so much. You hear drivers say they were so much better or worse on a new set of tires, why?
This usually refers to keeping up the speed and momentum through the center of the corner. The center of the corner sets up the exit, which is vital to being fast. A car that gets off the corner well will look like it has 50 more HP then a car that exits poorly. New tires mean more grip. And more grip can be good or bad. It also depends on tire pressures. You’ll often hear a driver say the car is bad for the first few laps after a pit stop, but then gets better. The car gets better because the air pressure in the tire builds up some. As a run goes on, the tires will lose grip and slow down. When we go somewhere with an abrasive track (like Darlington or Atlanta) notice how far the lap times fall off from the beginning to the end of a run. – T.C.
5. From Debbie:
After watching the haulers leave Loudon, I had a question. I knew I had to ask you for an answer! Do they drain the fluids out of the cars after a race before they load them for the trip back to Charlotte? Thanks!
Unless a team has to pull a motor out, the fluids remain in the car until it is unloaded and torn down back at the shop in Charlotte. If it appears a car may have a small leak, the hauler drivers put down a product called Pig Mat that will absorb any fluids. – T.C.
6. From Ella:
How big a deal is the switch to a new kind of car in the Nationwide series this weekend? Will it cause a lot of problems or be a fairly easy thing for drivers and teams? Is this new car basically a COT car?
The chassis is essentially the same as the Cup Series COT. That said, I think there will be a bit of a learning curve for everyone, with the advantage toward the Cup regulars. There has, of course, been testing done, but no one has a ton of seat time in these new cars. It will be interesting to see them out on track this weekend – I know I’m excited. – Journo
7. From Neon:
Over the last couple of years, TNI has painted a pretty detailed and (albeit anonymous) interesting picture of the professional life of TC (tire changer) w/ just a glimpse of an off-track personal portrait. However, I can’t quite paint a mental picture of the life of Journo (the Journalist) and just what your version of a 20 lug stop looks like. Can you share “and” remain anonymous?
Unfortunately, I can’t really divulge too much about my daily tasks without revealing too much about who I am, or what my role is. That said, I did write a whole series of posts on the NASCAR life a couple of years ago. You may or may not have seen those. I’ll try to think of some not-so-revealing experience posts I can get up in the not too distant future. I’m on it, I swear. – Journo
8. From Tony:
I just read where yet another guy from the Sprint series is suspended for drug use. At this rate there are going to be quite a few jobs opening up,soon! Does anyone think that the use of recreational drug usage is as wide spread as it now looks? It seems that there is about one guy each week that is found. How many guys have been suspended since the drug testing started? Thoughts?
I don’t think this is as big a problem as it might appear. With some quick research I counted 19 guys that have been suspended since the start of last season, and the beginning of NASCAR’s stronger drug policy. The breakdown is like this: four Cup guys, two (ex)drivers, four Nationwide guys, and nine Truck guys. Only three of those 19 came from major teams. Many of those busted are temporary employees for part time teams, which is what you would expect. The bigger teams are able to weed out some of the problems because they have their own drug policies; smaller teams don’t. So out of the probably 1,500 – 2,000 people who come to the track each weekend to work, 19 failures is pretty low. We are talking about somewhere around 1%. – T.C.
9. From Richard in NC:
In a pit stop, would there be a penalty if a car runs over an air hose, but does not leave the pit box? If so, what would the penalty be? Thank you.
If the car runs over a hose entering the box, but the crew fixes the situation, the team won’t be penalized. You usually only see a team penalized when the car runs over an air hose on exit. The rule for this in the rule book would allow the official to penalize for either situation, but the latter is the most common. And all the book says for a penalty is that the driver has to return to their pit stall for inspection. It’s not necessarily one lap or tail end, etc. – T.C.
As the #48 Lowe’s Chevy was dragged back to the garage area on Saturday night behind the wrecker, a loud roar of approval could be heard all the way to Charlotte. After a “wrong place, wrong time” incident that involved AJ Allmendinger losing his brakes and crashing hard into Jimmie Johnson, a large part of the crowd in attendance at Darlington Raceway made it known that they were glad to the see the 48 retired from the event. The reaction got me thinking, is Jimmie Johnson the new driver the fans love to hate?
Think back over your own time as a NASCAR fan. Who have been the sport’s most hated drivers? Names come to mind like Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon, and the Busch brothers. What’s interesting to note about all of these guys, is just how polarizing they were and are. They would beat the brakes off the competition, wreck people, or get wrecked, and then get out of the car and whine, talk smack, or antagonize. Their attitudes and styles appealed to many, but were hated by others. We had Ironhead, Jaws, and Rusty the Whiner.
Flash forward to today, and instead of focusing their hate towards extreme personalities, fans now hate vanilla. Johnson has flat dominated NASCAR competition over the last four years, and yet he hasn’t done so much as ruffle one feather of a competitor on the track. He kicks ass, thanks his sponsors and crew, and moves on to the next track. There is no media bashing, interview flake outs, whining, or trash talk.
Besides the domination and his very moderate style, Jimmie has also come to represent to NASCAR fans all that is wrong with the sport today. Instead of the Allison’s and Cale Yarborough fighting on the back stretch at Daytona, we have drivers (like Jimmie) who are very corporate and choose their words and actions carefully. Fighting and on track clashes are entertaining, endless sponsor shout outs and boring interviews are not.
So far this season, it appears that all the Jimmie/Chad voodoo dolls might finally be working. Through eleven races, the team has already tripled it’s number of DNFs from all of 2009. Two of those having come within the last three weeks. And after some heated exchanges on the radio during Saturday night’s race, the team may be showing there are cracks in the armor.
As the season progresses, expect the cheers to get louder if Jimmie has bad luck, and the boo birds to be even more vicious if their luck is good. JJ has officially become the most hated driver in NASCAR.
For all intents and purposes Kasey Kahne is (or was) Richard Petty Motorsports. He’s, young, he’s attractive, and he’s attached, in one way or another, to just about every sponsorship deal the organization has. Kahne’s marketability and talent on the track made him an outstanding asset for an organization struggling to survive. Now that Kahne is soon to leave the organization, we’ll have a chance to see just how able RPM is to continue in a post-Kahne world.
Kahne’s exit from the team hardly came as a surprise to anyone. While I don’t think too many people thought Hendrick would be the place he’d go in 2011, it was widely believed Kahne wouldn’t return to RPM for another season. Though things appeared to be improving as of late, his discontent with the team became apparent last September when he very publicly questioned the team’s leadership.
Unfortunately for Richard Petty Motorsports, their relationship with Kasey Kahne couldn’t be repaired.
What’s left of RPM is AJ Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler, and Paul Menard. Each of these drivers have contracts that will end at the conclusion of 2010. While prospects may not be too great for Allmendinger and Sadler (as there aren’t many open, funded spots), with improved performance and a billion dollar fortune behind him, Paul Menard could likely go any number of places. The team also faces the prospect of losing major sponsor Budweiser. So the question is, where do they go from here?
Every move the team makes from this point until the end of the season will determine their viability in 2011 and beyond. On top of losing Kahne, Sports Business Journal reported last Monday that the team was in default on a $90 million loan. George Gillett later said the debt was actually closer to $70 million and was in the process of being restructured. Unfortunately for RPM, George Gillett has a bad track record with sports teams and debt. See Liverpool FC; See Montreal Canadiens.
Foster Gillett told the media this weekend though his family was working to improve their liquidity position.
In a sport where your team is only as valuable as the sponsorships and drivers you bring to the table, RPM has lost it’s biggest asset. Without Kahne it’s likely sponsorships will be harder to come by and maintaining their profile as a competitive four car team will be harder to do. It will be interesting to see how the team advances down the rough road ahead.
The Nationwide Series gets its first off week of the year, while the Truck and Cup Series head to Atlanta this weekend. It’s only midweek though, and that means another round of reader questions and answers. If you don’t know what this post is, we answer any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
I missed a couple of questions last week, so we will kick this edition off with those first. Sorry for my screw up! – T.C.
1. From Gene:
Why is wind tunnel time so expensive? On TV it looks like a car on rollers in front of a big airplane propeller. Costwise,what am I missing here?
First off, the cost to build a wind tunnel has got to be pretty high. Besides a roller and some big propellers, it also takes some very sophisticated computers and machinery to control everything. On top of that, the energy bill alone needed to run everything is probably astronomical, not to mention the engineers needed to run the place. It all adds up very quickly. If they were cheap, everyone would have one. – T.C.
2. From Christopher:
After Daytona, I looked at the NASCAR rankings page, which lists winnings in dollars. I noticed that every driver listed- including those who did not qualify for Daytona- had some winnings. First of all, how do you win money if you don’t race at all? Secondly- why do the non-qualifying drivers have slightly different amounts? Derrike Cope has some $40,000 and Jeff Fuller some $21,000. Both didn’t race- what did Cope do earn that extra money? Finally, with the racers that did compete- how come some in 20th place made more than guys who finished well ahead of them?
I believe what you are seeing for drivers like Cope and Fuller, who didn’t run, is there winnings from the Bud Shootout and Gatorade Duels. NASCAR doesn’t pay prize money if you don’t make the race. Teams get owners points, but no money. And the reason some drivers make more then others depends on what contingency programs a team is involved in, and in what payout plan a team is in. I believe NASCAR has four different plans setup, and each team fits into one of those plans. I don’t know specific details, but the plans award prize money based on not only where you finish, but also past performance and longevity. – T.C.
3. From Eddie:
How many people involved in NASCAR are still unemployed?
I can’t give you a specific number, but the answer is a lot. There were unfortunately far more positions lost than positions available and added. Contractions like this are bad for everyone involved. – Journo
4. From Ric:
Do teams use different pit boxes at different tracks? If teams only have one pit box do they have backup pit boxes in case something happens to it?
No, teams use the same pit box at each race. A backup pit box really isn’t necessary, because I don’t know what would happen to a box that would warrant a team needing to have it replaced. The only exception being if the box was destroyed in transit. – T.C.
5. From Mike:
I understand when the drivers choose the ball from the fish bowl, they are choosing there starting order for qualifying. Joey Logano not being 21, his crew chief will pick for him. Is this policy in effect because of driver age and being possible gambling?
I’m not aware of a rule that says one must be 21 to select the ball for the qualifying draw. I do know that it doesn’t need to be a driver who selects the ball, just a representative from the team. – T.C.
6. From Sue:
Was wondering whatever happened to Fatback McSwain?
Fatback is running an auto repair shop in Dallas, NC. – T.C.
7. From Michelle:
What is going on with Ryan Newman’s team and Tony Stewart being the successful team? Do you think that the #39 team will be able to rebound and battle for the championship?
The first two races were things beyond the team’s control. There isn’t much you can do about a wreck and an engine failure. I wouldn’t worry about it too much at this point. If you remember last year he wasn’t great through the first four races, and then made the Chase. Give it a few more races here. – Journo
8. From Marc:
Any ideas as to why the #26 has performed so poorly? I thought they got cars and engines and perhaps even some technical help in addition to the 2009 #26 points as part of the ?comprehensive services agreement with Roush Fenway. Based on their poor performance both qualifying and running, I really wonder if they got the worst from the Roush shop. Boris Said did a lot better with the old Mark Simo #60, which also had support from Roush.
It all comes down to funding. Yes, the team did buy old equipment from Roush, and they do get engines from Roush Yates Engines. But you only get what you pay for, and this team is severly underfunded. They have very little, if any sponsorship, and they have a bare bones crew and operation. If this team makes it past the first five races of the season, they will most likely be just a start and park entry. – T.C.
9. From Margaret:
I’ve noticed on Preliminary Entry Lists that there is a section that appears to list the vehicle manufacture date. Most list 10 as the year, but some list 09 and Brian Vickers car is listed as 08. Does this have anything to do with the date that the car itself was built or does it deal with what nose they run? What is the difference? Thanks!
I believe the model year designated refers to the body style being run, not the date the chassis was built. I’m not sure how an ‘08 model car could be run by Vickers though, as the rulebook specifies that only 2009 and 2010 models are eligible this season. – T.C.
10. From Measure:
Start N Park cars, causing a bit of concern to NASCAR. Why doesn’t NASCAR implement a rule that says if you don’t finish 80% of a race, your team is suspended for the next race? Exceptions could be made for cars involved in wrecks and for those in the ‘top 35′.
It’s not necessarily a bad idea, and I believe a similar rule has been talked about. In lieu of suspending teams, I think a more powerful tool is to cut the purse; that is, after all, why some of the teams are there. I think NASCAR doing further inspection of the last place car is a good first step and I foresee them trying to curtail this as much as they can as the season moves along. – Journo
11. From Tim:
I literally stopped watching NASCAR because of Jimmie Johnson. Now I know how people felt about Earnhardt Sr. and Gordon. Will the spoiler make any difference in the 48 team’s dominance?
It might. There has been a lot of discussion about the effect of the spoiler on the racing. Some think it’ll make a difference, others don’t. I know Jeff Burton thinks we’re going to have a pre-spoiler/post spoiler season. Carl Edwards disagrees. We’ll definitely have to wait and see. – Journo
12. From Kevin:
What is going on with AJ and the rest of RPM
I don’t know what to tell you. It would appear to be an issue throughout the RPM camp as none of their drivers have been running particularly stellar. Paul Menard’s been the most consistent and Kasey did finish 9th last week, but it’s hard to say. It’s still early in the season and with the changes at RPM it could take some time for everything to come together. – Journo
Following the 2008 season, Journo and myself wrote a series of posts that covered all the major teams in the Cup Series. We looked at where they had been in 2008 and where they were going in 2009. The posts contained some predictions for the 2009 season, with some being more specific then others. I thought, since 2009 is in the books, that it would be fun to go back over the posts and see how we fared with our predictions. Listed below you will find all the teams we covered, our predictions, and what actually happened. Enjoy!
Hendrick Motorsports Prediction: All four drivers will be contenders for the 2009 title. Actual:We were right, with one notable exception. Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Jeff Gordon finished 1-2-3 in the standings for HMS. But, Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled all season and finished a disappointing 25th.
Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Prediction:Martin Truex Jr. and Juan Pablo Montoya should win a few races each and both could make the Chase. The jury is still out though on Aric Almirola. Actual: He never won a race, but Montoya did make the Chase and was a factor until late; we missed on Truex though. The Bass Pro Shops team only had one top five finish all season and they finished way down in 23rd in the standings. Almirola did struggle, and ended up only running eight races before the sponsorship money dried up.
Team Red Bull Prediction:Expect Scott Speed to struggle in his rookie season, and a top 30 in points would be a victory. Brian Vickers will finish in the top 15 in points, but the Chase will still be out of reach for this team. Actual: Speed did indeed struggle, and did not qualify for three races. He ended up 35th in driver standings and 36th in owner standings. He will be on the outside looking in for 2010. Vickers did a little better then we expected, with one win and a Chase appearance.
Joe Gibbs Racing Prediction:Denny Hamlin will make the Chase, but isn’t good enough to really contend yet. Kyle Busch will continue being a force and will contend for the Cup. In his rookie season Joey Logano will finish top 25 in the points and show flashes of brilliance. Actual: We were right about Hamlin and Logano, but we missed the call on Busch’s season. Hamlin finished fifth in the final standings, but too many DNFs in the Chase killed his chances at the Cup. Logano won at Loudon and finished 20th in the standings. Busch won four races, but struggled for much of the season and missed the Chase.
Richard Childress Racing Prediction: Jeff Burton will win 1-3 races and make the Chase, but will not be a contender. Clint Bowyer will win 3-5 races and challenge for the Cup. Casey Mears will finish top 20 in points at best. Kevin Harvick will win a couple races, make the Chase, and have an outside shot at the Cup. Actual: RCR was probably our biggest missed prediction. Bowyer, Burton, Harvick and Mears finished 15th, 17th, 19th, and 21st respectively. The whole organization struggled all season and didn’t win a single race.
Stewart-Haas Racing Prediction: Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will finish top 20 in points, we might see a couple wins between the two teams, but a Chase appearance and title contention are a few years away. Actual:SHR was definitely a pleasant surprise this season. Stewart won four races and finished sixth in the standings. He led the points going into the Chase, but lost his momentum and slipped down the stretch. Newman never found victory lane, but did make the Chase on his consistency and finished ninth.
Penske Racing Prediction: The whole organization will struggle with the exception of maybe Kurt Busch. Actual: Kurt Busch won two races and finished fourth in the Chase. Sam Hornish showed a little promise, but could only manage a 28th place points finish. David Stremme continued his history of lackluster performance and finished 32nd in the standings.
Gillett Evernham Motorsports/Richard Petty Motorsports Prediction: The team won’t improve much over 2008, Kahne and Allmendinger are their greatest hopes. Actual:Kahne won two races and did make the Chase, finishing 10th, but that was the bulk of their success. Allmendinger, Reed Sorenson, and Elliott Sadler all failed to finish inside the top 20 in points.
Roush Fenway Racing Prediction: Carl Edwards will be dominant and could be the leading contender for the championship. Matt Kenseth will win 1-2 races and make the Chase. Greg Biffle will also win a race or two and make the Chase, but will not be a serious contender for the title. David Ragan and Jamie McMurray should improve over 2008 but neither will contend or make the Chase. Actual: Edwards was a miss, as he failed to win a race and was never really a factor in the Chase. Kenseth did win two races, but just missed making the Chase. Biffle also went winless, but did make the Chase, finishing seventh. Ragan and McMurray had disappointing seasons, but McMurray did find victory lane at Talladega.
Yates Racing Prediction: Travis Kvapil and Paul Menard will continue to struggle. Bobby Labonte could surprise, but past history doesn’t bode well for him. Actual: Kvapil ended up only running the first five races before his team was shut down due to lack of funding. Menard didn’t earn a top five or top ten all season and finished 31st in the points. Labonte did manage one top five finish, but ended up 30th in the driver standings and was replaced in the #96 late in the season by Erik Darnell.
Michael Waltrip Racing Prediction: David Reutimann should continue to improve, but expect Michael Waltrip to hang up his driving gloves after 2009. Actual: Reutimann did indeed improve in 2009, and collected a win, five top five, and ten top ten finishes. His team nearly made the Chase, but they faded late in the season and finished 16th in the standings. Waltrip’s struggles continued and a 33rd place points finish will see him run only a part time schedule in 2010.
Robby Gordon Motorsports Prediction: Expect more of the same from Robby Gordon, a good finish here and there is the best he’ll do. Actual: Gordon struggled most of the season, and only mustered a 34th place points finish. He did finish third in the rain shortened Coke 600 though.
And then there were three. Texas, Phoenix, and Homestead are the last remaining races on the 2009 schedule before we put it in the record books. But before we start the home stretch, we’ve got more of your questions and our somewhat educated answers. If you don’t know what this post is, until further notice, we will be answering any and all reader questions every Wednesday, right here. So if you’ve got one, click on the ”Ask the Insiders” tab at the top of the page and send one to us. On to the questions…
Just a quick follow up from a few weeks back, we were asked what Michael “Fatback” McSwain was up to these days. We have confirmed that he is running an auto repair shop in Dallas, NC. – T.C.
1. From Kenny:
Do you think some drivers might intentionally spin out just to get screen time for their advertisers? I’m thinking about Robby Gordon here, because he seems to bring out a yellow at least once during every race.
While I don’t think this is going on (if it is Robby is doing a very bad job of it because Jim Beam is leaving at the end of the season), anything is possible. One thing to remember though, is if you’re a company sponsoring a lesser team you go into it knowing that you’re not going to get a lot of TV time. These sponsorships are much larger marketing efforts (that can be said for any team). If they just wanted TV time it would be a lot cheaper to buy TV advertisements. – Journo
2. From Ross:
T.C.: It’s probable that someone on the blog has ripped your driver. Does that make you cringe a bit when you read it?
Nope, everyone is entitled to their opinions. I know how things really are with my driver, so outside talk doesn’t bother me. Besides, maybe we’ve ripped my driver on here too… – T.C.
3. From Bobby#7Fan:
What is the deal with NASCAR giving AJ a breath test before practice Friday? It seems to me it’s just a way to embarrass him. Did they really think he was throwing back shots before getting into the car? I saw Tony Stewart scratch his ass before practice once, did they check him for hemorrhoids?
I’ll be honest with you, I was in favor of NASCAR suspending him, but I thought the breathalyzer was over the top. I really don’t know what the purpose of it was. It was a little press for them, but it really only served to add to AJ’s embarrassment. – Journo
4. From AJ:
I don’t know how to ask this in a question but has a superstar from the Nationwide series ever gone on to win the Cup? Two sets of drivers come to mind for me, Matt Kenseth and Jr, and Truex Jr and Clint Bowyer. Both Jr’s were 2 time nationwide champs, but it was the runner ups Matt and Clint that have gone on to preform better on the Cup level. Same for JJ and Stewart, they never really got their barring in the lower level and it wasn’t until they came to Cup that they excelled in stock cars.
Are you asking if any former “Nationwide” champions (before they went to Cup) have gone on to great success in the Cup Series? Ned Jarrett was a Sportsman Division champion and Bobby Labonte, Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle were all Busch Series champions. It’s an interesting point and one I’ve never really thought about. As of now I guess it really isn’t a great indicator of success in the Cup Series. – Journo
Since this week was an impound race many cars and most go or go home cars were probably still on some kind of qualifying setup. Since you know it was probably going to be cancelled can you adjust them back to race trim or is there a stop work time? On a normal week can’t you work on it until right before it goes on the track?
Qualifying trim for an impound race is really only a taped up grill, pumped up air pressures, and some other small adjustments. Once qualifying is cancelled, NASCAR allows the teams to make final adjustments, which includes taking the car out of qualifying “trim.” On a normal, non-impound weekend, teams can work on the cars right up until they need to be in line for pre-race inspection on race morning. – T.C.
6. From Lost In Texas:
The firing of the #18 crew chief is bothering me. Can either of you lend some insight into how something like that happens. How much did Kyle have to say about it? Sure would to be a fly on the all at JGR.
I would say the situation differs from team to team. Some drivers have more say about these situations than others. Look at Juan Pablo Montoya. He had three different crew chiefs last season, and I can tell you he wasn’t happy about any of the changes. I honestly can’t tell you internally what the conversation was at JGR, but I’d guess there were pretty lengthy discussions between Jimmy Makar and the Gibbs’. I’m a little skeptical of this move too, but they must think this situation will be better. – Journo
7. From Ric:
I have noticed that some over the wall people wear 1 piece suits, others wear two piece suits. Who decides what you wear? What is the pro / con of both of them? Is there another type?
Some teams decide which kind they want their guys to wear, but in many cases it’s just a preference thing. Often times when Simpson, Impact, or whoever is making the firesuits does their fittings with the crew guys, they will ask what your preference is. I’m not really sure of pros vs. cons, it’s really just what a guy thinks is most comfortable. There is also a three piece, which is pants, a top, and then a vest that goes over the top. – T.C.
8. From Ric:
I noticed on the back bumper about middle to right of the car either a cover (guessing about 3?X3?), or something sticking out slightly from the car. What is this?
This is where they put the rear facing on board cameras. If the car is carrying it, the camera is mounted there, and if it isn’t carrying one the hole is just covered. – T.C.