Even though the NASCAR Silly Season has quieted down some, there are still plenty of rumors floating around. Here are a few of the bits we’ve heard over the last week or so.
Catch Can Man Back in April we told you that NASCAR was considering eliminating the catch can man for both the Nationwide and Cup Series just like they did for the Truck Series for the 2010 season. For the CWTS, NASCAR implemented a new style gas can that self vented and didn’t require the use of a catch can. We are hearing now that NASCAR has scrapped the idea for the Cup Series, but that they will implement this rule for the NNS for the 2011 season. We are not yet clear on whether this means NASCAR will also allow less than seven crew members over the wall, because we have heard that may not change. What it does do is scrap the catch can position and will probably slow down pit stop times.
More on the new Turner Motorsports We reported a little over a week ago via Twitter that we’d heard the Braun Racing sale to Steve Turner was a done deal. Journo even included that info in his recent post about Mr. Turner. More details are emerging about the deal and what this new Turner Motorsports will most likely be. First, we’ve heard that the team will still probably run 3-4 Nationwide cars next season, and that they may expand their Truck Series program to three teams. We’ve also heard that the team will utilize Chevrolet equipment, and that the current fleet of Braun Toyotas will be switched over. Look for James Buescher, Ricky Carmichael, Reed Sorenson, and Brian Scott to all continue driving for the team, with the rest of the seats still up in the air.
Marc Davis returns at Dover After a failed attempt to get back on track earlier in the season at Las Vegas, we are hearing that R3 Motorsports has reached a deal to run Marc Davis in their #23 Nationwide car at Dover. It will be Davis’ first NASCAR start since Homestead at the end of 2009 and his first NNS start since June of ’09. Davis will be the fifth different driver for R3 this season, with Robert Richardson Jr, Alex Kennedy, Coleman Pressley, and Johnny Sauter having shared the ride. Expect an announcement from the team this week.
Like we always do here at TNI, we will keep you posted if we hear more as these stories develop.
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It’s been a big week for change in the NASCAR world. In the span of a few days we’ve had Kelly Bires get replaced at Jr. Motorsports and Kasey Kahne announce his defection from RPM to join Hendrick Motorsports in 2012. And it’s funny, because I heard somebody say early in the week that it was a slow news week because the John Wes Townley story was getting some decent run. Besides the big changes you’ve been hearing about all over the place, this time of year means other changes for teams too.
The changes I’m referring to are those that happen within the teams. When the season starts, many teams have new faces. Sometimes that might mean one or two new guys, and in other cases it means the whole team. But as we get through the first few races of the season, team management expects those new faces, and the old ones, to start having some chemistry.
Let me give you an example. Every pit crew guy knows that he is only as good as his last race. An established guy can go from being comfy in his job, to on the street real quick. It only takes a few missteps on pit road to get the ax. Through the first few races of the season, coaches and crew chiefs understand that there is going to be a bit of a transition period going from the off season to running races every weekend. It will take the pit crews a few races to work out the small kinks and to get really comfortable together. But once we start getting into the fourth, fifth, and sixth races, the important people expect those kinks to get worked out. If they don’t get fixed, heads will roll. We’ve seen a few of these changes across all three series already this year, and its only April.
Pit crew guys aren’t the only ones at risk either. One story this week that didn’t get a ton of attention was Roush Fenway Racing making a crew chief change for young Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Crew chief Ben Leslie was replaced by Mike Kelley, who himself had been replaced by Drew Blickensderfer earlier in the season atop Carl Edwards’ NNS pit box. Leslie will now move into the role of Nationwide Series Competition Director for RFR, the position most recently held by Kelley. If a driver/crew chief combination isn’t working, team owners like Jack Roush are not going to wait long to make a change. There is too much at stake. Especially with a young driver, Roush wants to know if these kids have what it takes to get it done. Pairing Stenhouse with a veteran guy like Kelley should make that picture a little clearer.
As the saying says, the only constant is change. And change is certainly on. Teams are trying to get better every week, and Kahne’s move signals the start of yet another Silly Season.
One of the biggest storylines as we head into this weekend’s race at Phoenix will be how Denny Hamlin will perform just days after having his knee operated on to repair a torn ACL. Hamlin tore the ACL in his left knee while playing pickup basketball before the season started. The plan was for Hamlin to run the full season and have the injury fixed after Homestead, but pain and concerns over doing more damage led Hamlin to have the procedure done much sooner. Now, with Hamlin and his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team possibly staring a lost season in the face, one has to wonder when teams will start banning their drivers and crew members from certain activities.
Contracts for many professional athletes contain clauses that prohibit the player from taking part in any number of activities that could pose a risk to the player’s health. With so much at stake, sports teams can’t afford to have their players getting injured doing crazy things. It’s not a stretch to think that NASCAR is next.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know a ton about drivers’ contracts. I would imagine that in this day and age most probably have some language that addresses this issue. But I’m wondering if the teams won’t start getting very specific about what their drivers can and can’t do away from the track. If Hamlin does end up struggling for the remainder of 2010, and Casey Mears does actually get some seat time, both the team and Hamlin will be left wondering “what if.”
Along with the drivers, many crew members have contracts with their teams. While pit crew guys aren’t making anywhere near the money that drivers are, I also wonder if teams might start to limit guys on what they can and can’t do. I have heard of some teams banning pit crew guys from playing organized sports like softball. These contracts certainly aren’t guaranteed, but an outside injury might be a reason that a team could void a crew member’s contract.
I do understand that sometimes accidents happen. In the course of normal life, people are going to get injured. And I also understand that guys like to do other things outside of racing. I’m certainly no different, but it seems silly to possibly risk your entire career over one game of pickup basketball with your buddies.
In order to be successful on race day, crew members must all be on the same page. Knowing what to expect for the upcoming 500 miles (or laps… or kilometers) can mean the difference between winning or finishing second. Teams have gotten so big now, and have so many moving parts, that it’s vital for everyone to be as prepared as possible. And the last chance to get everyone together before the race starts, is the closed-to-the-public pre-race meeting.
It happens every weekend. About an hour before the green flag drops, crew members will disappear into team haulers for this all important meeting. In it, crew chiefs will go over a variety of important information for the day, and many will give pep talks.
The information shared during these meetings often includes things like when the first pit stop will be and how far the car can go on gas, what adjustments the pit crew can maybe expect to make during the race, an update of the weekend’s happenings and how the car is running, a minute-by-minute schedule of pre-race activities (generators pushed off pit road, National Anthem, start your engines, etc), any post race tasks that need to be completed, and a variety of other topics.
Just like every good leader (especially in sports) many crew chiefs will also take this time to pump their guys up for the day’s activities. Pit crews will be reminded to be smooth and accurate, and watch each other’s backs. If they were good the week before, the boss will tell you to keep it up. If you weren’t so good the week before, he’ll encourage you to stick to your fundamentals. And behind-the-wall guys will be reminded to be prepared at all times for any situation.
Once the information has been relayed, and nobody has any questions, the team will break and crew members will go about getting changed into firesuits and completing any remaining pre-race jobs. Then, it’s go time.
Farewell Suitcase Jake We were all saddened today to hear that the sport had lost one of it’s legends. “Suitcase” Jake Elder, who led some of the best drivers in NASCAR’s history, died at the age of 73. He had been in declining health ever since suffering a stroke a few years ago. During his long career, Elder sat atop the pit box for legends like David Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Benny Parsons, and Fred Lorenzen. He also helped Dale Earnhardt win the 1979 Rookie of the Year. For more on Elder, check out this piece by SPEEDTV.com’s Mike Hembree.
This post may end up sounding self serving, but hear me out first. I think it’s time that NASCAR and the media partners start putting more of the spotlight on the faces behind the drivers. If the fans knew some of the people that work in the garage, shop, and on pit road every week, I think it would make the sport more compelling.
I’m personally not much for attention, and tend to like working behind the scenes. This blog may make you think differently about me, but one of my reasons for remaining anonymous is that I don’t necessarily want the attention. I want to bring you into the sport, but I don’t want or need any credit for doing it. Anyways, I digress.
Everyone knows who all the drivers are. You know where they are from, how they came up, and what they are involved in. The sport and the media coverage revolve around them.
Now, outside of the main players, how many crew chiefs can you name? How about crew chiefs outside of the Cup Series? What about pit crew guys? Can you name the car chief for your favorite driver? I’m betting you can’t.
Years ago, crew guys were given a little tiny piece of the spotlight. For a brief time, pit crews were featured on trading cards, and at various times during the TV broadcasts. But since then, the crews don’t get much air time.
With the recent advent of the pit crew helmet cam, a few names have started showing up during the broadcasts. Guys like DJ Copp and Dennis Terry come to mind (if you don’t know, Dennis Terry is the front tire changer for Martin Truex Jr. He has a blog over at That’s Racin that he updates regularly regarding his own experiences. Check it out). And while that is a good thing, I think it’s time to start featuring more people.
I believe it was NBC who used to intro pit crews at various points during the race. That should be brought back (for all three NASCAR series). Also, it would be cool if during the pre or post race shows each week, maybe a team or a few crew members were featured. Maybe talk about where they are from, how they got into racing, and what they do. The group of people that we are around from February to November is a very diverse bunch, and there are people from every part of this country and some other countries. And they all have a story to tell.
Wouldn’t knowing that there is somebody from your town who works on Carl Edwards team make you more interested? I know it would for me.
And this concept doesn’t have to just be the team members, as NASCAR officials could be included.
We currently have one of the best championship battles in the history of our sport brewing, and yet many headlines still continue to focus on the negatives like sponsorships and TV ratings. Letting fans get to know the real face of our sport would only benefit it in the long run.
Let that roll around in your head, and let me know your own thoughts.