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.
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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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.
Talk about bad timing. On the day that rumors surface about Best Buy moving from Elliott Sadler’s #19 to the #43 with AJ Allmendinger for 2010, the news comes out regarding Allmendinger and a DWI charge. At the time of this post, AJ has since apologized in a statement and NASCAR has placed him on probation for the remainder of the year. But many are now questioning why Allmendinger is getting probation while Michael Waltrip goes unpunished for his recent brush-up with a motorcycle that included alcohol.
First, I think the simple answer to the Allmendinger vs. Waltrip situation is Waltrip isn’t being charged with a DWI. His reported blood alcohol level was 0.06, which is under the legal limit. Allmendinger, according to the report, was over the legal limit. Moving on…
In the other major sports in this country, athletes face suspensions and fines for criminal convictions based on their exisiting conduct policies. Participants in everything from the MLB to the PGA have been suspended for violations, and we have certainly seen some very public examples this year. NASCAR has taken steps in this direction this season with the adoption of their drug testing policy, but the testing policy really only applies to the race track.
After what has transpired over the last week with both Waltrip and Allmendinger, and looking back over past problems, it may be time for NASCAR to consider instituting a conduct policy for it’s competitors. Especially in the situations with DWIs/DUIs, NASCAR needs to show that they don’t condone and will not tolerate drivers driving under the influence. These guys are role models, whether they want to accept it or not, and should be held to a higher standard. Not to mention the fact that they make a living behind the wheel.
I don’t want this to sound like I’m up on some sort of soap box condemning Waltrip and Allmendinger for their actions. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes people make mistakes. We are all guilty. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be held accountable for their actions. Both will face some level of legal punishment, but I think it’s also important for NASCAR to take a stand.
In terms of a conduct policy, I’m sure those in place for the other sports would be a good place for the sport’s brass to start. Make it an all-encompassing policy and actually enforce it with stiff penalties. Sanctions from the governing body would depend on the severity of the crime. And making this policy available for the fans to see would aid in transparency.
This is certainly something you hope to not have to discuss and implement, but most employers have a conduct policy for their employees and many companies won’t even hire someone with a felony conviction. Why shouldn’t NASCAR have their own policy?
*Before I turn this discussion over to you, I want to mention a few things. First, Allmendinger and Waltrip are innocent until proven guilty. Neither have been convicted of anything. Second, I don’t want this to turn into a chance to bash either driver. Comments doing so will be deleted.
Filed under: A.J. Allmendinger, Sprint Cup
Allmendinger Deserves DWI Suspension originally appeared on Motorsports FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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First off, I just want to thank everyone who stopped by and gave us feedback on our “The State of TNI post.” We aren’t looking at any major changes, but we wanted to get a gauge from you on what you thought we were doing right and wrong. Know that we always hear you loud and clear, and we will probably be implementing a few small changes here to go along with what you said. Thanks again!
On to the post…
Picture for me if you will a normal Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday at your house. You are posted up on the couch taking in that day’s racing action; be it the Truck Series, Nationwide Series, or Cup Series. The race has been under green for a while and driver X has a huge lead. All of a sudden there is a caution on the speedway, but you don’t see a wreck. Within a few seconds, the broadcast crew announces there is debris on the race track, only you are never shown said debris. Is it a warranted caution, or one called by those circling above in black helicopters?
It seems there has been more attention paid lately to the now infamous “debris” cautions from NASCAR. I’m not sure if it’s the comments from a few drivers or just overall fan frustration that has made this a public issue, but trust me, this isn’t a new problem. These debris cautions have been taking place for years, but until now haven’t really garnered any real press.
Since I’ve been involved in racing at this level, I’ve heard all the stories. One driver is pulling away from the field, and in order to tighten the field back up and create better racing action for the fans, some phantom debris is spotted and a caution is called. The story goes that these calls have come from as high up as those with the France surname.
Whether any of the stories are true, I couldn’t tell you. I’m not inside the heads of the series directors, and I don’t spend much (or any) time in race control. But what I can tell you is that this isn’t a new phenomenon.
What I do think though, is that these cautions aren’t meant to serve a specific driver. If it is indeed true that these cautions are thrown on purpose, it is to create more side by side racing, and not to benefit Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jr., or whatever other driver is mentioned in that day’s conspiracy theory.
I also think that instead of blaming NASCAR for a caution, why aren’t we blaming the TV networks for not showing the cause of the cautions? When a caution is called for debris, NASCAR will say over their radio frequency where the debris is. At least give the fans the opportunity to make the call for themselves. With what is currently happening, the TV networks are setting NASCAR up to look bad. The more information that TV can provide the fans, the better. If NASCAR is indeed calling bogus debris cautions, the fans should be shown the track and allowed to decide for themselves.
And while we are on the subject of cautions, what is with NASCAR letting the drivers keep digging (usually to the checkered) while a car sits wrecked on the track? A few weeks ago it was AJ Allmendinger, and on Sunday it was John Andretti. Andretti was turned coming to the white, and instead of throwing a yellow, NASCAR allowed the drivers to race back to the checkered while the #34 sat broadside to the field right at the start/finish line. Instead of putting the drivers in a very bad spot with these situations, why not just throw the caution and have another green/white/checkered? If they want the drivers to race to the finish, at least do it safely.
It’s a home game this week, as both the Nationwide and Cup cars take to the 1.5 mile Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord. But while the season starts winding to a close, ATIW keeps chugging along. 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…
1. From Justin:
Are wheels weighed by NASCAR? Never heard anything about teams lightening wheels so I’m assuming the answer is yes.
I’ve never seen a wheel weighed personally, but the rule book says they must weigh a minimum of 27 pounds uncoated and without valve hardware. – T.C.
2. From Ricky:
What really makes me mad is the fact that Dave Blaney is a great racer, and yet he drives a Start & Park car… I remember the spring race at Talladega where he led quite a few laps….and then he got spun out and parked it! I believe if he would have stayed out there he would have had a good chance at a good finish! I was so angered by the situation! The whole deal of Start and Parks angers me. If you are going to race in NASCAR’s top series, then race! Don’t go out and be whimps and park it. What do you think about this? How did you feel when Blaney put that car up front, then parked it just because of a lousy spin? I really thought that was a bonehead move… I am a big fan of Dave Blaney. Please help cool heads prevail and tell me… WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!
The answer is they were taking the money and running. That’s the whole purpose of the start and parks. Instead of running the risk that they’ll wreck their equipment by running the whole race, they make a few laps and take the guaranteed money. For their intended purposes and the strength of their equipment it really wasn’t a bonehead move. Whether you agree with it or not, they’re becoming a fact of life. Trust me though, NASCAR is not a fan. – Journo
3. From Dot:
Regarding burning and scraping tires. How do you know when to stop scraping? What happens if you go to far? Regarding loose/missing lugnuts. If one is loose or missing (and missed by the official), wouldn’t the other ones hold the tire on?
Scraping a tire after a race run is done to get any excess rubber and garbage off the tread so an accurate tread depth reading can be made. The tire specialist only scrapes that excess off. I’m not even sure you could go too far and scrape any of the tread off. And yes, if there are only four lugs tight they will probably hold the tire on for a while. But would you really want to take the chance that they don’t hold? I know I wouldn’t. – T.C.
4. From Jason:
What is the typical amount that a business pays to sponsor a truck in the Camping World Truck series? I’ve read things like $20 – 30 million for Cup and $15 – 8 million for Nationwide. But I have never heard any number for the truck series. Thank you!
For a full season with a decent team you’re looking at $2 million to $5 million. As far as your Cup Series number goes, many are below that $20 million mark. – Journo
5. From David:
Why do the tires have red stripe on the side wall?
Tires have colored tape on the sidewalls for the tire carriers. They use that mark to line up the stud holes when they are indexing a tire during a pit stop. See more about this here. – T.C.
6. From PrincessStewart14:
It has been reported tonight, by Marty Smith, Jim Utter and Jeff Gluck to name a few, that Tom Logano had his hard card pulled for ‘gesturing at Greg Biffle postrace’ [via Marty Smith on Twitter] What are some other things NASCAR would take your hard card? Just what they would deem bad behaviour or harmful?
NASCAR could probably take a hard card for whatever reason they wanted. Hard cards are technically owned by NASCAR, and they can use the taking of one as punishment. I’m sure John Darby, Joe Balash, and/or Wayne Auton could probably answer this one better then I can. – T.C.
7. From Michael:
Whatever happened to Fatback Mcswain?
You know that’s a good question and one I don’t have an answer for. Does anyone know anything about Fatback’s whereabouts?
8. From Jeff in SoCal:
Ok so I have to say it! The Nationwide series race was way more entertaining than the Sprint cup race at Auto Club this week. What gives? Also what would you guys do to tighten up the field in a very cool(love how huge it is), yet boring race track?
I think because we saw more cautions during the NNS race, the field was bunched up more. When that happens, there is bound to be more side by side racing and more action. Double file restarts have helped too. And I have no idea how to fix the racing at Auto Club Speedway. Maybe tear it down and start over again? – T.C.
9. From Stephen:
I listened to AJ Allmendinger’s post race interview with ESPN at California and to me it sounded like he was trying to throw someone under the bus for his lack of preformance, but he never really came out and said who. I got the feeling that he was trying to say that Kahne gets the better engine’s. Do ya’ll have any insight on what Allmendinger was trying to get at?
I’m not exactly sure what you’re referring to, but it’s very possible he was referring to the engine situation at RPM. With the trouble’s they’ve had of late, plus the move to Ford, it’s not doing him, or any other member of the team, any favors in the performance department. And certainly Kahne is going to get the best engines, he’s the only member of the team with a shot at the Championship. – Journo
10. From Ric:
I’ve seen drivers / crew / TV personalities put on and take off the steering wheel. It looks like they just throw it on, no trying to align anything. There must be something to slide the steering wheel into the correct spot.
The steering column has splines on it, and the wheel itself fits onto those splines and has a quick release. Teams will help their driver line up the wheel prior to the race. Sometimes you will see drivers pull to the inside during pace laps, and what you are seeing is them setting their wheel. A tape mark at 12 o’clock tells a driver if the wheel is straight. - T.C.
11. From Neon:
Just as the drivers in Cup have their personal motorcoach delivered to each race, which of the crew chiefs have their motorcoach on the premises? Owners or other crew members?
Most owners have motorcoachs, some crew chiefs do and some team executives do to. Ultimately the guys most likely to have them are the ones who make the most money. You have to figure you’re probably spending $500,000+ on a coach, $30,000+ a year on a coach driver, and then thousands of dollars more on fuel, and upkeep. With the small number of spaces available it’s a pretty restrictive thing for those who are not drivers. – Journo
12. From Larry:
What does the announcement, by Con-way Freight, that they are moving to the Nationwide Series, with Colin Braun, do to the rumored sponsorship of Johnny Benson, in the Truck Series?
This means that Johnny won’t be sponsored by Conway. Beyond that I unfortunately can’t really offer any more insight into the situation. Does this mean Johnny won’t be back to the truck series next year? Absolutely not. Beyond the initial rumors of him going to Kyle Busch’s team next year though I really haven’t heard anything else. – Journo