This week, we go from the high banks of Talladega to a Saturday night short track shootout in Richmond. The Nationwide cars will kick the racing weekend off on Friday night at RIR, while the Truck Series heads west to Kansas for a rare Sunday race. While we wait for the weekend to arrive, here’s a big batch of reader questions and our 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 Don:
How do the teams get cars to tracks in such short times? Does the transporter go back to Charlotte each week or is there more than one transporter and they alternate weeks? The transporter has to be completely restocked each week and some times Charlotte is not on the way.
Most Cup Series teams have two drivers per truck. This allows them to make it back to Charlotte in a timely manner after a race (for races close by this isn’t a problem). In the case of West Coast races organizations will often send extra trucks from Charlotte to run equipment to their teams out West because driving to Charlotte and back just isn’t feasible. Smaller teams will often just turnover the equipment they already have. – Journo
2. From ATS:
Every weekend when I watch the beginning of the race I see the #00 and David Reutimann come to the front and run in the top-5 or top-10. Only to have a failure of MWR equipment ruin his day. Do you think we could see David move teams at the end of 2010?
I don’t see David Reutimann going anywhere. I believe his contract is up this year or next, but I think he’s pretty happy where he’s at. Remember he and Waltrip go back a long ways. And anyway, where would he go? There aren’t too many seats available. – Journo
3. From Marcus:
What happens to Penske Racing’s #12 car now? Will Justin Allgaier drive it or what happens? Just let me know if you get any inside information.
It could be used for Hornish or it could go away. I haven’t heard anything specific, but I don’t think Allgaier will be in it next year (full-time at least). It’s possible he could run a few races, but they won’t be moving him full-time to the Cup Series in 2011. We’ll let you know if we hear anything. – Journo
4. From West Coast Kenny:
T.C. and Journo, It seems like Robbie Gordon causes a yellow during every race. Is it possible he does that just to get TV time for his sponsors?
I’m going to say probably not, but anything is possible. – Journo
5. From Woogeroo:
What is the deal with some races being impound races and some of them are not? It seems to me like Detroit’s love affair with half the autos fasteners being metric and the other in inches… with no rhyme or reason. I can understand Daytona with all it’s goings ons… but what’s the deal with the rest of them?
It is my understanding that only the Talladega races and the Daytona race in July are true impound races. I don’t know for certain what NASCAR’s reasons are for impounding cars at these tracks, but I would imagine it’s because there are so many extra little rules. Impounding the cars allows NASCAR to have more control over what the teams can and can’t do. – T.C.
6. From Cinde:
Kurt to drive the #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge. Is Pennzoil that much better of a sponsor? Do they provide more sponsor money than Miller Lite? Or just pay the driver more? In your opinion why would Kurt go to Pennzoil? Or, perhaps did he really not have a choice at this time? Finally, do the CC and crew generally stay with the driver, or will that be a change as well? Thanks! Love your weekly writings!
It doesn’t have to do with Shell/Pennzoil being a better sponsor. And Miller is still with the organization. I’m not privy to their negotiations, but I would imagine Shell wanted Kurt Busch and Miller was OK with shifting their focus to Brad K. Wam, bam, Penske had a deal. In my experience drivers, for the most part, don’t really care who’s on the car, as long as they’re able to race. I’m sure Kurt Busch is just as happy hawking oil as he was beer. As far as switching crews, we haven’t heard anything about that and given the success the two teams are having in their current configurations, I don’t see Roger Penske making any major changes. – Journo
7. From Allen:
I’ve noticed during pit stops the lug nuts sometimes fall under the tires, has a lug nut ever been shot back and hit someone when the driver stomps on the throttle to leave?
It certainly has. The gas man and catch can man are usually the guys in the direct line of fire, but others have been hit. Trust me, it isn’t pleasant. – T.C.
8. From Doug:
You told us that you and Journo are Batman and Robin. Allow me to be just a little bit skeptical, if that’s OK. My question: do regulars in the press box and on pit row know who you are, are you both really in deep cover?
As far as we know our identities are unknown. If someone does know who we are, we haven’t heard about it. – Journo
9. From djones:
Regarding the recent penalties at MWR, are the drivers aware of suspect parts on the car, or other infractions? I’d like to believe they are innocent. Thanks.
I would say in most cases the driver probably doesn’t know. There is really no reason they need to know, plus keeping them in the dark gives the sport’s stars that oh-so-convenient “plausible deniability.” – T.C.
10. From Kim:
Sitting here in Talladega! If the race is an “impound” race and the cars would have been impounded after qualifying, what happens when qualifying is cancelled, as it was today? Are the cars deemed impounded at the moment qualifying is cancelled?
Actually, cars are impounded before qualifying, so the rainout doesn’t really matter. Teams were allowed to make any final adjustments to their cars on Friday evening, and then they were sealed until the race. The cars did go through an inspection on Sunday morning before the race, but teams were not allowed to do their usual race day work. - T.C.
11. From Amy:
While watching Talladega I am noticing that during the draft some of the cars have their hoodflaps popping open…I have never noticed that before- it that a product of the bump draft or the spoiler? Does it hurt anything?
It’s just a product of the aerodynamics and how the air travels over the cars. If I remember correctly, the flaps are coming up because they are in a low pressure area. And I don’t believe the car’s performance is hurt by it. – T.C.
12. From Michael:
A few years ago it seemed Jon Wood was on a path to a great future. Then, poof, he was gone. Any news?
Jon’s last start in any of the top NASCAR series was at the Phoenix truck race in November of 2008. He has not reappeared, I believe, because of his performance and because of his own personal issues (which I will not get into here). Wood made 17 truck starts in 2008, and only managed a best finish of 10th. Once the Wood Brothers team ran out of money to keep their truck program going, Jon was out of a ride. I would be surprised if he returned to competition down the road. It’s a shame too, because he could have been a very solid driver. – T.C.
13. From Kim:
Another question came up while sitting at Talladega: that hat hit the track close to where I was sitting. Why call a caution during practice for a bird, but not call a debris caution for a hat on the track? I’ve seen debris cautions called for a lot less!
Birds and other animals on track can (and have) actually cause significant damage to race cars. A hat on the other hand, especially like the one that ended up on the track at Talladega, is much less of a hazard. Didn’t the hat end up getting hit and destroyed anyway? – T.C.
14. From Dave:
I’m a little surprised you guys haven’t written about Roush’s situation in Nationwide since Colin Braun got ousted. I’m thinking as far as the 6 and 16 go, it looks pretty ugly. Does Roush go back to Erik Darnell at this point, Kenseth for the rest of the season, or does Roush stop running those cars when they’re unsponsored? Colin will run only, what, 10 more races? So I’m just assuming Stenhouse, who’s been equally as disappointing, won’t make it the full season anymore. Just seeing if you’ve heard anything… I don’t mean to sound happy about the situation, but I just don’t think the plan was ever a good one– two rookies in those cars full time. Thanks!
The situation at Roush has more to do with Jack’s frustration with Colin and the situations he puts himself in and the mistakes he continues to make than it does issues with young drivers or even unsponsored teams. Running these teams full time is exactly what Jack needed to do. He needs to see what these guys can do and see if they’re worth keeping (you can’t keep running part time schedules with young drivers and hope to accomplish anything). After three seasons with Colin, I think Jack has seen all he needs to see. With Ricky though, I don’t think he’ll get pulled unless there is some serious trouble down the road. Remember prior to this season Ricky had just one full ARCA season and a couple of Nationwide Series starts. – Journo
15. From David:
2 questions, what is the problem with racing someone hard(Jimmie Johnson – Jeff Gordon) also heard Hamlin complain. Do they think competition should move over for them because of who they are? Also how about a road course in the chase.
I don’t think actually racing each other close is the problem with some of these guys. What bothers them is when that close racing turns into contact and wrecks. Jeff Gordon has been mad the last few weeks because he’s been wrecked while racing hard with someone, not because of the actual racing itself. You have to remember too, some of these guys just need something to complain about. If it isn’t the wing, it’s Toyota has more power, or it’s people racing “too” hard, etc. etc. For your second question, I’m all for adding another road course race. In fact, I wrote a post about it last season. See it here. – T.C.
16. From Rick:
I heard ricky rudd is helping the #23 team in the Nationwide series is that true or is he helping anyone?
I haven’t heard anything about that, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Does anyone know anything about this? – 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 end of the NASCAR offseason draws ever closer, but to tide you over until Daytona arrives, we’ve got more 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…
1. From Ric:
How much accuracy do you have in tire pressure?
Most digital tire pressure gauges read pressures to the tenth of a pound. From there, it is about how accurate your gauge is. - T.C.
2. From Marc:
Happy New Year! Has there been any more talk about the disposition of the two “orphan” teams, the 26 from Roush and one of the Petty/Yates teams? I realize that NASCAR has to approve of any sale and nixed DEI selling their fifth team after buying Ginn, but they did let Teresa Earnhardt use the #15 points to enter Front Row’s #34 last year. Could another such deal be in the works for, say, the new Fords of #37 being “owned” by Max Jones, or will the two teams just disappear, allowing the 82 and 71 in the top 35 (and the 09 if the 07 disappears after Daytona)?
Good timing. Jayski’s reporting a Vermont businessman is buying the #26 equipment from Roush. I honestly haven’t heard anything about this deal, but it’s my understanding from the way NASCAR has done things in the past that they won’t be allowed to sell owner points. The problem arises because the past team owner would be listed as the owner. As Jack Roush already has four teams he can’t be listed as an owner on another car (this would be the same issue for RPM). This is very similar to the DEI-Ginn points situation (they would have exceeded the car limit). NASCAR allowed DEI to sell the points to RCR and Front Row last year because they didn’t exceed the car limit. You’ll notice Teresa Earnhardt is listed as the owner on the #34 and Bobby Ginn as owner of the #33. If NASCAR operates like they did in the past I would expect the points to disappear. Richard Childress though would be allowed to sell his points if he so chooses.- Journo
3. From Jeff:
My question is about car numbers. Back in 1993, Petty Enterprises ran the 44 instead of the 43, but the next year, they went back to the 43. If I remember correctly, this was because NASCAR told them that if they did not use the 43, it could be assigned to another team. Am I right or wrong about this, and if that is the case, why haven’t they done the same with the number 3?
NASCAR holds all the rights to the numbers. No one technically owns any number. So if NASCAR wanted to, they could giveaway the #3. Would they do that? No. This is a courtesy to both Richard Childress and the Earnhardt family. Should Richard Childress decide he wanted to use it, he would certainly be allowed to. There isn’t a shortage of numbers so there really is no reason why NASCAR would allow someone to use the #3. – Journo
4. From Lyn:
Hey, after reading the last column, it seems as if you still have some hope for Reed Sorenson to do well. Is this true? Personally I think he has all the talent in the world, he was just thrust into Cup way to fast with a team that couldn’t provide quality equipment, even RPM couldn’t do that.
While I think Reed was pushed too fast into Cup, my confidence in his abilities are not great. Reed has had opportunities at decent teams, and just hasn’t done anything. His average finish actually got worse every year he was at Ganassi. At RPM he had even fewer excuses because AJ Allmendinger, Elliott Sadler and Kasey Kahne all out-performed him. Kasey Kahne even won two races in 2009 and participated in the Chase. I think the Nationwide Series is a good place for Reed. He’s always been competitive there. Maybe he’ll be ready at some point to give the Cup Series another try, but I don’t think he’s got it right now. – Journo
5. From Dennis M:
When will NASCAR wake up and shorten the caution periods for minor incidents like debris? We see the debris, we watch them pick it up and then we watch five to seven more laps of yellow flag parade. It would be a lot more interesting if you had to take your chances with a pit stop instead of knowing you had a yellow flag for X number of laps. Pick up the debris and put the green out!
With the rules the way they are, caution periods last a little longer because of pit stops, the lucky dog, and the wave around rules. I think NASCAR tries to use “quicky yellows” as often as they can, but sometimes cleanup crews need more time. With that said, don’t expect to see any changes here any time soon. NASCAR is always going to take as much time as they see fit to make sure the racing surface is as safe as possible. – T.C.
6. From Brian:
Here’s my question for Ask The Insiders: Does NASCAR require that a Cup team have a pit crew when they show up at the track? Can you qualify and start the race without a crew? Can you keep racing without a crew?
NASCAR doesn’t require teams to have a crew. In fact next time you’re at a race look for the start and park teams on pit road; they usually have one or two guys in the pit. You could keep racing without a crew but you’re going to have trouble when you need fuel or tires. The point of a pit crew is to service the car and do it quickly. Without one you can neither service the car nor do it quickly. – Journo
7. From Jerry:
Guys I responded to your question a few weeks ago about changes NASCAR should make. One of the things I said was get rid of the wing. Lee Spencer is reporting today that it looks like that is a change coming by Bristol. What do you think?
I’m taking a wait and see attitude with this one. I haven’t really talked to anybody about this one yet and I don’t know enough about aerodynamics to know how this will affect the COT. I’m also not sure if this is the magic bullet that will fix the “bad” racing everyone has complained about. What I do know, is that this change will cost teams thousands of dollars, because all of their old data will become useless when this change is made. - T.C.
8. From Anonymous:
Was reading an article that the rear wing will be replaced with the spoiler. Have you seen this change implemented yet? Now to get rid of the splitter and a more aesthetic nose! Enough of the off season. Come on Speed Weeks 2010!!!
I have yet to see a car with a spoiler on it yet. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time though. The teams won’t make any major changes to their fleets until they know for sure the change is coming. – T.C.
9. From Kevin:
Hi Guys, I have a couple of questions about RWR. Do Rusty’s long term plans include going to the Cup Series? Also, do you guys expect they will see great improvement with the switch to Toyota/JGR? Also, how much longer/how many cars will little Rusty get to wreck? That would be a good bet this year!! I know some people hate Rusty, and he can be a jerk sometimes, but I hope he has success b/c the sport needs owners like him.
I honestly don’t know what their long term plans currently are. There has been talk over the years about them going to the Cup Series, but like all things that takes money. It’ll be interesting to see how the JGR program works this time. Remember Hall of Fame had a technical alliance with Gibbs a couple of seasons ago and that didn’t turn out well. I think some changes have been made from that initial program though, so it might be a good thing. I know Rusty would like to see Steve in the Cup Series, so they’re in this for the long haul. – Journo
Apparently everyone is in a question asking mood, because we have (I believe) the largest ATIW post ever. So we’ll just get right to it. 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 Patrick:
This popped up the other day when I was watching Happy Hour, the #38 team was having trouble with the placement of pedals, specifically the steering column rubbing against the brake. It got me to wondering, how closely – if at all – does NASCAR monitor seat placement? By moving the seat a few inches around it seems teams could change the cars balance. Is there a mandated location for the seat?
NASCAR mandates how the seats are built and also how they are mounted, but there really isn’t a whole lot in the rulebook about where the seat is mounted. It would be tough for NASCAR to do, because every driver is a different size and they all have certain preferences for seat placement due to comfort. – T.C.
2. From Steve:
As to the difference between the 48 and the 24, during an episode of NASCAR Now, one of the panelists said a difference between Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon is that Gordon steers (or maybe it was drives) with the steering wheel while Johnson prefers to use the gas pedal. First, please explain the difference. Second, why and when would there be an advantage to one style over the other? Is there something about the COT that makes it more amenable to Johnson’s style?
Often times guys that came up on asphalt will do more with the wheel, and guys that came up on dirt will do more with the throttle. On dirt, car control is based off throttle modulation because for so much of the track the car is in a slide. Drivers can’t do a whole lot with the wheel in a slide. These types of drivers who control the car with throttle are successful with the COT because the only way to be fast is to set the car up loose. This certainly isn’t a rule, but it is very common. – T.C.
3. From Tom:
Hey guys, I’m a relatively new NASCAR fan watching from the UK. I was wondering if you could answer a quick question. I watch a lot of F1 and while the casual observer might think that the cars all look the same, they are actually all different and with different engines etc. How does this work in NASCAR…obviously there are different manufacturers, but it also seems like different teams using the same manufacturer have different cars. Is this correct? And what does the Car of Tomorrow actually mean?
First, there are some small differences between the cars, but not many. The chassis for the COTs are all generally the same. The bodies have some minor differences, and the engines differ between manufacturers. Nobody uses different models within the same manufacturer. The Dodge is a Charger, the Chevrolet an Impala, the Ford a Fusion, and the Toyota a Camry. A few years back, Cup cars resembled what is currently used in the Nationwide Series. After a few driver deaths, in order to improve safety, NASCAR redesigned the Cup cars and this new version is referred to as the COT (or Car of Tomorrow). – T.C.
4. From Thomas:
I just read an interview with Jimmie Spencer & Kyle Petty & they both blame the COT and it being so sensitive that a 1/8″ change will mess it up. However, every week we hear Knaus talk about “we kept making changes till we got it better.” How can #48 make all these changes & the others cannot? I think it is because JJ wants a very loose car which gives them more leeway for changes. HHmmmmm!!!
They’re certainly a lot more sensitive, but there are a lot of different changes that can be made in different areas. Certainly Chad Knaus isn’t the only one playing with the car; everyone is doing it. He’s just having a little more success with it than other teams, so he and the #48 are the ones that get talked about.- Journo
5. From Barry:
Any news on where Bobby Labonte might end up next yr? And, any news on the state of Motorsports Authentics? Will they stave off bankruptcy?
Bobby’s been rumored to TRG and EGR. TRG has actually expressed interest in him, and I do know he was talked about for the #1 car. I don’t think the #1 car is as likely as TRG though. As far Motorsports Authentics goes, I haven’t heard anything more since their SEC filing a couple of weeks ago. They’re in trouble whatever the case. With NASCAR looking to combine licensing efforts, it’ll be interesting to see what happens there. – Journo
6. From Savannah:
Hey guys! How closely does NASCAR monitor the driving history & violations of drivers off the track? Can a driver face disciplinary action by NASCAR if they have too many speeding tickets? In the recent Michael Waltrip accident, the police reported alcohol was a contributing factor in the wreck, although Waltrip was barely under the legal limit. Would NASCAR force him into rehab since this does cause some embarrassment for the sport (and it is not his first accident- the telephone pole incident of 2007)? Driving drunk or buzzed is something that is totally avoidable and just plain stupid, especially when you are a high profile person. Kurt Busch was sidelined by Roush for just being issued a ticket. I can’t wait to hear what excuse Waltrip’s camp will issue after this latest incident. I hope that all drivers will take notice and be sure to have a sober driver behind the wheel after they have been partying/drinking/ carousing.
I can’t think off the top of my head of a situation where this has happened, but I would guess NASCAR would be inclined to dole out a penalty if a driver were legally drunk and driving. Remember Waltrip was within the law. In the situation of Kurt Busch the incident occurred at the end of the season, one in which Kurt was jumping ship and he was not well liked around Roush. It wasn’t a difficult decision for them to suspend him for the remainder of the season. Obviously I contradict myself because NASCAR didn’t do anything with Kurt Busch, but I would guess they could slap a driver with “actions detrimental” if they wanted. I agree with you though, this situation should be an eye-opener. – Journo
7. From Tom:
Why do the NNS cars look so jacked up on one side when looking at them from the rear?
It’s the way the bodies are hung on them. In order to take full advantage of the aerodynamics of the cars and the spoilers, the teams twist the bodies. That way, when the cars are in the corner, they are getting maximum downforce, and hopefully maximum grip. I’m not an aerodynamics expert, but the idea is to get the spoiler as far out into the air as possible when the car is in yaw. - T.C.
8. From Woogeroo:
Howdy folks. At each race weekend, is the same pace car used? Does each series have it’s own or is it a track by track deal the track operators have with whatever manufacturer?
It depends on the contract the track has. For instance Martinsville is a Toyota track while I believe Homestead is a Ford track. – Journo
9. From Marc:
With Silly Season in full swing, I am trying to get a handle on who controls the points in some of the top-35-points-related team “mergers” from this past year. I assume, for example, that Penske will keep control the points of the 77 team, having “acquired” the 2008 points from Bill Davis and his old 22 team. And, Childress will keep the points from the 33 (which got the 2008 points of the old 01 team). But, what about the 34 team? Will Front Row Motorsports keep the points for the team or do they go back to DEI/EGR? Will Yates keep the points from the 96 team or will they go wherever HOF racing partners next year? Does JTG Daugherty keep the 47’s points they got from the old 00 points through a “technical alliance” with MWR? I have not seen press about contractual situations surrounding these deals and was hoping you guys knew something more. Thanks for all of the great work here.
The points will remain with the organizations that purchased them. They’ll just roll over to next season. Remember they more or less bought a position in the top-35, but the points they have amassed over the season are theirs. In the case of HOF, I don’t believe Yates ever actually owned the points, so those will likely remain with HOF; that was just a technical alliance. – Journo
10. From Allen:
I’ve been to many races and always notice on the flag stand they hang a black, white, and orange box on the side of the flag stand before each race, any idea what that is for?
What I believe you are referring to is the display NASCAR hangs from the flag stand to be used when a car is black flagged. When this happens, NASCAR will wave the black flag at the car as it passes, announce it over their radio frequency, and post the car’s number on this display. You will sometimes hear this referred to as a team was “posted.” – T.C.
11. From Kim:
I heard something odd during the telecast from Martinsville. It looked like Johnson was speeding on pit road, as he came out of his box; I distinctly heard an announcer (DJ?) mention something about an “average” on pit road, that there are eight timing sections and that you can actually go OVER pit road speed as long as when you hit one of the speed lines, you are going the correct speed (I hope I’m describing it correctly). My friend heard it, too and we were aghast as we had never heard that pit road speeding penalties were based on an “average”. The same term was used again later in the race. Is this true or did I hallucinate/misunderstand he comment?
As I understand it (and I may be wrong) NASCAR uses the scoring loops on pit road to measure how long it takes a car to travel through that specific segment. It has nothing to do with a measured speed. With some simple math, NASCAR can figure out how long it will take a car to travel through the segment within the legal speed limits. What teams have started figuring out, is that they can pick certain pit boxes on pit road, depending on the placement of the loops, and actually speed. It allows the drivers to be able to speed into their pit boxes, and out of them; before they cross the next scoring loop. They can do this, because that measured time between loops will be much greater because of the time it takes to complete the pit stop. Hopefully that makes sense. – T.C.
12. From Robyn:
If the 4 car limit only for the Cup Series? If not, why does Roush keep saying that they will run 5 Nationwide cars in 2010? What does NASCAR (or those in the garage) think about teams (especially in NW), for all intents, selling thier owner points for a race?
There is no car limit in the Nationwide Series. So Roush (or any other organizations) could have as many teams as they want. As far as I know NASCAR doesn’t have any problems with the teams selling their points. In some situations, it means they’ll have fewer start and parks, so I would imagine they’re fine with it. – Journo
13. From Dan:
Wow! Are we seeing the birth of a new “Intimidator”? Sounds as if JPM has some people worried. Gordon’s comments after the race got my attention and Chad Knaus cautioned his driver of Montoya’s antics during the race. Maybe this just what NASCAR needs to fill all those empty seats on race day. Your thoughts.
I think JPM certainly has that killer spirit. Part of the mystique of Dale Earnhardt and part of his role as the intimidator though was his success, which Montoya hasn’t had. Drivers knew they were going to have a fight on their hands with him in the rear view mirror, I don’t think Montoya is there yet. Certainly he has a ton of potential and the other drivers are starting to take notice, but I think he has a ways to go before we can say we have a new intimidator. – Journo
14. From Amy:
Approximately how many helmets does a driver go through in a given season? What about the crew?
Unless a helmet is damaged in an incident, they don’t usually need to be replaced. Drivers will usually have multiple helmets because of different sponsor commitments and paint schemes. The same goes for pit crew guys. I’ve been using the same helmet(s) all season. – T.C.
15. From Ric:
How much notice does the crew need for various changes; Air Pressure, Wedge, Track Bar, Spring Rubber, etc.
Not much, unfortunately. Air pressure changes probably need the most warning, because the tire guy needs to run around and change the pressures before the tires can be taken over the wall. Wedge and track bar adjustments can be called pretty late before the car enters the stall, as long as the crew guys have enough time to grab wrenches. Spring rubbers can be called late, but usually there is plenty of warning because they take more time to get out. A spring rubber, because of the weight of the adjustment usually isn’t called last minute. – T.C.
16. From Ric:
When drivers help anther driver (debris on a radiator, lead a lap, push from behind, drafting, etc) is this $$$, kindness of their heart, instructions from the boss (same team), other?
Most of the time you’ll only see teammates letting each other lead laps or helping with debris. I guess in rare circumstances a driver who is friendly with another driver might be willing to help him out when it comes to debris (an if you scratch my back, i’ll scratch your’s situation). As far as drafting goes, that is something that just happens out on track. A driver might be more reluctant to draft with certain guys, but it’s not like letting a guy lead or helping him with debris. – Journo
17. From Jeff in SoCal:
What can we expect to see from the new Ford engine being ran by Roush Fenway at Talladega next week? Do you guys think it is going to be a major improvement?
I’m sure the new Ford engine probably makes better numbers, but don’t expect to see a huge improvement over the previous version. Doug Yates and his guys do a good job, but they aren’t going to magically find huge numbers. The rules haven’t changed for engines. – T.C.
18. From Carole:
Jr had 3 flat tires and brake problems this weekend. My husband says he probably unconsciously rides the brake with his left foot. What do you think was his problem?
From what I know about the situation, Jr. told Lance McGrew several times that he was not riding the brakes. He usually runs very good at Martinsville, and you don’t do that unless you know how to take care of your brakes. Plus, I don’t believe Jr. is a left foot braker, which can often lead to a driver riding the brakes because they rest their foot on the pedal. – T.C.
19. From Amy:
Wow…I am totally shocked about Steve Addington being relieved of his crew chief position for Kyle Busch. Yeah Kyle hasn’t had the best of seasons this year…but seems to me all drivers have the occasional crappy season. Why replace Addington? Any thoughts?
I can’t say I’m surprised they made this decision, but I also can’t say it’s something I would have done. It’s hard to reconcile removing the guy who led your driver to 12 wins over two seasons. That said I think the issue here comes down to consistency, something Kyle has struggled with, even while having a lot of success. Obviously the folks at Gibbs think Dave Rogers will do a better job of achieving that consistency than Addington. Time will tell. – Journo
20. From bb:
Hi Guys. Firstly, your website is a great combination of information, news and editorial content that has a lot more meaningful depth than most others, so please don’t change it too much…….Second, I was wondering what the feeling in the garage is about the future/stability of MWR. Will they be likely to get sponsorship to be able to run the 00 full time? It seems like they are pretty close to breaking through to being able to field contending cars on a consistent basis. Also, does a full time nationwide ride for Mikey look likely?
Well thank you. I think Waltrip is in just as good a shape as any other organization. Certainly sponsorship is difficult to come by, but RCR, EGR, Hendrick all have (or have had) sponsorship issues going into next season. As far as Reutimann goes, I don’t think you have to worry about him running a part time schedule next season. I’m sure they’ll fill the gaps, which I believe is somewhere around 12 races. I haven’t heard anything more about Michael in the Nationwide Series next season. Like anything I’m sure that’ll be determined on whether or not they can secure funding for a team. – Journo
21. From Robyn:
Looking at the other competition caution – the one called for before the race begins. This past week when it rained in Martinsville, I don’t recall a competition caution being called for the truck race. That series raced on a green track. I don’t recall hearing about rain on Saturday night, so there was rubber on the track. Why was there a planned competition caution in the Cup race (Waltrip negated it with his lap 40-something spin)? These teams are supposed to be the best of the best. They should know how their tires will wear without making a race run, which some teams did on Friday anyway.
The only thing I can think of here, is that NASCAR was concerned because the Cup cars hadn’t been on track since Friday. Other than that, I’m not really sure what to tell you. In any case though, it’s usually better to be safe then sorry. – T.C.
22. From Harold:
Are the tires used in NASCAR races provides free or do they have to pay for them?
Teams technically lease tires for competition, and they are not free. They cost about $1,500 a set. – T.C.
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.