Deal making at the restrictor plate tracks is not a new phenomenon. The drivers are constantly working through spotters and crew chiefs to find that always important “dancing partner.” In this new era of the tandem draft however, finding the right guy to work with most likely will mean the difference between a chance at winning and running in the back. As important as these deals are however, believing that the drivers have already found their partner is ludicrous. Any deals made before the race aren’t worth the paper they weren’t written on.
Why am I calling BS on these deals? Because once the green flag drops, all that talk goes out the window. Especially from the beginning of the race, the drivers’ drafting partners will be limited by who they qualify near. If driver X qualifies on the pole, and his pre-planned drafting partner starts 35th, there’s no way that deal happens. That’s not to say that those two may not hook up later in the race, but it certainly won’t happen at the start. You can be sure that once the field is across the line, guys will start pairing up almost immediately, deal or no deal.
Now, where deal making will really matter is after qualifying. If teammates or other possible partners qualify near each other, than those initial deals can be worked out. And obviously guys will try and work together as much as possible through the race, but pit stops and cautions will play a role in who is able to actual stay working together.
Since we are talking about pit stops I also want to point out that drafting partners, while certainly vital at speed, will also be very important for pit stops. Since there are no big packs anymore, drivers can’t just pit with everyone else and expect to stay with the field. If they don’t make a deal and pit with their partner, they risk losing the draft and going laps down.
As the weekend progresses, you will no doubt hear plenty about all the deals made and broken. And you can be sure the drivers will be burning up those radios and their new found ability to talk to multiple drivers, both inside and outside their own teams.
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I didn’t have one idea that I wanted to focus on with my last blog post before the 2011 season gets under way this week, so instead I’ve got a bunch of mini topics to touch on. Feel free to comment on any or all of them.
New Points System I’ve been asked by a few people what my opinion is of the new points system NASCAR has instituted for this season, and I’ve got to say, I don’t really care. It seems on initial inspection that it isn’t a ton different then the old system, and I really don’t believe it will change the way teams race. Teams will still try like hell to win races, and when they can’t, they will do whatever is necessary to get the best possible finish they can. You will also still see teams try and get their race cars back on track after a wreck in order to ride around and get as many points as they can. The mindset won’t change. So I guess if the new system makes things easier for the fans, cool, but other than that, I don’t care.
Final Pit Procedure Thoughts We’ve talked quite a bit around here about the new pit road procedures with the elimination of the catch can position, but I just wanted to offer a few final points. I encourage you to really pay attention to pit stops at Daytona, because you will definitely see some differing techniques among the teams. I also wouldn’t be surprised if it appears as though one or two teams use a system that works better than the others, and for the other teams to follow suit shortly. It will be kind of a “monkey see, monkey do” situation once the teams get a chance to scout each other. These changes will also have a significant impact on pit strategy and what adjustments will get made. It’s a whole new ball game for crew chiefs and engineers now, and I think there is a much larger emphasis now on the decisions they make during the races. You will see a lot more races decided based on pit strategies – at least in the short run.
Important Season For Many Drivers, Teams, and Sponsors There are quite a few drivers and sponsors this season that have contracts that will be expiring after Homestead in November. Lee Spencer from FoxSports.com recently had a bit up about all the Cup drivers who are in the final year of their contracts in 2011 (see it here). This really could be a year that we look back on and say that this was the year that made or broke driver X or team Y. There will be a lot of pressure on those drivers and teams to put in solid performances every week in order to help secure their futures. With the economy continuing to a be a big factor with sponsorships, these teams don’t want to give these companies any reason to either switch to another race team, or pull out completely. It will certainly be an interesting story line to watch.
Nationwide Series Changes I’m really curious to see how the 2011 season unfolds for the Nationwide Series after the championship eligibility changes were made. Will it really help bring the series back to being a developmental series, or will the Cup drivers continue to dominate regardless? We haven’t had a solid Cup rookie class in a couple of years, and the deterioration of the Nationwide Series has certainly played a part in that. In order to keep the talent coffers full of new young drivers, it’s vital that the NNS get back to being a place where these kids can learn how to race.
Championship Predictions We don’t normally do a ton of predictions around here, because they are mostly useless, and it’s pretty much impossible to get them right. But with that said, I’m going to give you my picks on who I think will win each of the top three championships. In the Truck Series, I believe the addition of Jeff Hensley to KHI will pay off big and Ron H0rnaday will return to dominance. Hornaday ran really well last season, but just had a lot of bad luck. Expect that to change for 2011. For the Nationwide Series, I think the pick has to be Elliott Sadler. The Joe Gibbs Toyotas are pretty much unstoppable, but since neither Joey Logano nor Kyle Busch can win the championship, the balance shifts towards KHI. Sadler has the talent and will have the equipment to be a contender every week, and I don’t see any of the younger drivers putting it together for 34 races. And finally, the 2011 Cup Series champion will be Denny Hamlin. The bitter taste of being the runner up to Jimmie Johnson in 2010 will be serious motivation for this team to take the next step, and with Hamlin being 100% healthy this season, he will put it together and unseat the 48 bunch.
The off season has ended, and teams will head to Daytona this week. The next time you hear from me, we’ll have our first race winner (even if it is an exhibition race), and the front row will be set for the Daytona 500. Welcome to 2011!
If there is one thing that is for certain once the season ends, it’s that you won’t find half as much information about the sport to consume. The media/blog/social media coverage of the sport slows way down, which one would expect. Just as an example, over the last few weeks our NASCAR-Media list on Twitter has been home to more tweets about football and partying in Las Vegas then it has about anything regarding racing. But just because the media slows down, doesn’t mean the teams do. While the fans count the days until Daytona, the teams are hard at work.
It will certainly be a bit of a busy off season for Nationwide and Cup teams, as they are dealing with new car configurations. The Cup teams must replace all the noises on their race cars to the new splitter-less piece. This means extra time for body and paint guys, and extra time for engineers working in wind tunnels and with simulations. For the NNS teams, they now must focus 100% of their attention towards turning their entire fleets over to their version of the COT. The new car will be used at all NNS races in 2011.
Besides building and improving on their race vehicles, teams will also take this time to clean and prepare pit boxes, tool boxes, and transporters for next season. Anything that is broken will be prepared, and new and improved systems of organization will be implemented.
Changes to the race cars aren’t the only challenges for teams to work on this off season. With the elimination of the catch can, pit crews in both the NNS and Cup Series will spend their down time learning how to make these new style pit stops as fast as possible. A little time to rest up and maybe heal will precede countless hours in the gym and in the practice areas.
The little bit of team business you have probably heard about over the last week or so involves employee layoffs. Three teams of note who’ve had sizeable layoffs this season are Richard Petty Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, and Penske Racing. And while those teams may have made the biggest cuts, other teams have laid employees off as well. This is both a symptom of the economy and of the reality of racing. Teams have always used the off season to make changes to their staffs because of cost cutting, or making room for new hires. One way in which teams can improve is to bring in better or more qualified people, and sometimes that means others will need to be let go. That goes for both the business and competition sides of the sport.
On the flip side, displaced crew members have the next two months to work the phones and use their connections to try and land with a new team for next season. Some will be successful, and others will find homes in other industries.
For teams and drivers that haven’t secured plans for the 2011 season by now, the next two months will be used to try and put deals together. There are always plenty of drivers looking for a ride, and many teams, especially those at the lower levels, are looking to track down sponsors and funding for the future. For many, frustrating days and sleepless nights are ahead.
With very few off weeks during the season, the time between Homestead and Daytona also affords many race team employees the opportunity to finally take vacations. Whether for the holidays to see friends and family, or to just unwind, now is the time for people to get away. In no time, we’ll be back to the grind again.
As the winter days seem to slowly pass, know that the teams are hard at work during this “off season.” There is a lot to do, and the clock is ticking.
The NASCAR teams have a home game this week, as both the Nationwide and Cup Series will take to Charlotte this weekend. As the teams look forward to sleeping in their own beds this week, we’ve got the 96th 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…
1. From Dan:
Great web site and lots of inside information a must every day. The question that I have is the following. Why on the TV broadcast after the race I notice that the teams are removing the new shark fin spoilers from the roof, rear window and trunk lid. Why remove these items at the track and before loading the cars into the haulers? I have seen it several times?
To be honest, I’m not 100% sure on this answer, but I believe it’s because the shark fin is too tall for the trailers. The fin on the rear window sticks up above the roof line, and the cars just barely fit into the trailers as they are. – T.C.
2. From Rowan:
Hi guys, great site, love it. Do you think Kenny Francis will stay with the number 9 team @ RPM next season? In Australia we have series called the Masters for cars that raced back in sixties and seventies. Do you think NASCAR would introduce a series similiar where we could see those old Dodges, Plymouths, Torino s and Chevys back on the track again in battle? And last question Owen Kelly drove the Road America race is he still racing in the U.S.?
Thanks Rowan! It was all but announced this weekend Kenny Francis would go to Red Bull with Kasey Kahne (you probably already saw that). How exactly that’s going to work beyond next season remains to be seen. To your second question, I don’t think so. It would be entertaining for sure, but I’m not sure where they would get equipment. There are actually people who have classic race cars and race them in exhibition races – it’s not sanctioned by NASCAR though. As far as Owen Kelly, he drove for Baker Curb Racing at Road America, but I’m not sure if he’s done any other racing in the US since then. Maybe someone else knows? – Journo
3. From Steve:
I know you’ve said that all drivers at the Sprint Cup level have talent. But in your view, which drivers have the talent to get more out of their car than a so-called average driver? And which drivers seem to get less out of their car than would seem right given their equipment, support, etc.?
I think it’s a two fold thing: what can a driver get out of their car, and what they can communicate about their car. Kyle Busch is very good at both of these things. And look at Kasey Kahne and Kenny Francis as a team that is good at both of these things (given their situation). In my opinion, Martin Truex is a guy who struggles to communicate and get everything out of his car (in comparison to his peers). – Journo
4. From Kim:
I don’t know what a crew chief makes, but seeing fines of $150000 takes my breath away. When a crew chief is fined for an infraction, do they have to pay it in one lump sum?. Do they pay it personally? Does the team pay it? Does it have to be paid before they come to the track for the next race?
Those fines are generally paid by the teams. NASCAR does allow for payment plans to be set up though should a team not be willing (or able) to pay a fine. As far as when fines have to be paid, as I understand it (section 12-3 in the rulebook) fines are to be paid promptly, but if that’s not possible they must be paid before NASCAR will approve the following year’s license for the person who received the fine. – Journo
5. From Thenewme:
Is ESPN TV trying to create the feeling that we are live at NASCAR races? They are doing a good job because we cannot hear the announcers. The mix of track noise is killing the commentary. We just turn the sound off.
Among the issues in an ESPN broadcast I’ve noticed that too. It’s called ‘nat sound’ – and I agree it is often too loud. It is kind of like you’re at a race though, you can’t hear the PA announcer over the cars – you can’t hear the broadcasters over the race. – Journo
6. From Mike:
Do you have a real idea how the 6 man over the wall crew is going to work next season? Have you talked to any of the truck guys about it? Does the fuel can act differently? Who is making the adjustments now?
It won’t be drastically different than what we have now. Stop times may slow down some early on, partially through inexperience and partially because the new cans don’t dump as quickly. But give the teams some time with it, and improvements will be made. You will still have five guys changing the tires, and adjustments will be made by the rear tire carrier. – T.C.
7. From dwiltone:
Something I have thought of a few times before. Is there at any time, short of loading and unloading, any reason for anyone other than the drivers to actually drive the race car? How about an older car? I mean. Ya’ll do what you do because of your love of racing. Ever have two seats in the car just to give the guys a spin so to speak? Thanks you 2.
There are times when cars will be driven around the shop complexes, but usually not at the race track. When cars are moved at the track, they are always just pushed around by the teams. For those guys who really want to experience a race car, most just go out and race. There is pretty good percentage of guys who either raced previously or still race, whether it be latemodels, go carts, or something similar. – T.C.
8. From Gabriella:
A newbie question: I’ve figured out that there’s a sub-race off pit road, but what I don’t understand is how those drivers flying out of pit road merge? E.g., what if the leader at the caution is the mighty Jimmie Johnson, who decides NOT to pit: where does he fit in the restart? Thanks!
They don’t really have to merge. At the end of pit road is a line, and the cars are put in order by who gets to the line first, second, third, etc. And if there are cars that are on the lead lap, but don’t pit, they stay behind the pace car and any cars that pitted line up behind them. So if JJ is running 5th, but he stays out and everyone else pits, JJ is the leader. – T.C.
9. From Denny:
I know every year we have all of these great rumors throughout the season. I was wondering if you are hearing any rumors of a major Cup/Cup Lite team making a manufacture-swap for 2011? Also been meaning to ask this question and this goes back to Chicago’s Cup Race. I am sure I heard one of the announcers mention either during or after the race that winner, David Reutimann’s #00 was running a new, improved intake manifold from TRD. Wouldn’t this take a long approval process from NASCAR? What was the deal with this?
The only team in either the Cup or Nationwide Series that I am fairly certain will switch manufacturers is the new Turner Motorsports. From what we’ve heard, the team will switch all the old Braun Toyotas over to Chevrolets. Other than that, I believe all the other teams are sticking with what they’ve got. To your second question, I didn’t hear anything about Reutimann using a new intake, but it’s certainly possible. Any new engine part would definitely have to go through an approval process by NASCAR, but I doubt it would be overly lengthy. - T.C.
10. From Fireball:
Are you aware of any team trying a four or three stud wheel. This would seem to speed up pit stops, but obviously less redundancy if a nut were missed?
I’ve never heard of a team trying a wheel with less studs. It’s certainly against NASCAR’s rules to use something like that, and I highly doubt NASCAR would ever approve something like that for competition. Outside of faster pit stops, I don’t really think there is an advantage to using a four or three stud wheel. – T.C.
11. From Mike:
Two questions: 1. What do you think are the chances we’ll see NASCAR at the new F1 track in Austin? 2. Have you heard anything about the future of Robby Gordon Motorsports or Robby’s career in NASCAR?
I would say probably not too likely (if they do actually get it built). It would require ISC, SMI, Dovor Motorsports, the Mattiolis, or Indianapolis to give up a date. I don’t see any of that happening. I’ve heard (I don’t know how good the info is) Robby is close on a sponsorship deal for all of his racing endeavors, but nothing is done. We’ll see. – Journo
12. From markh:
I noticed at Fontana the 18 team working on Kyle’s car under a canopy next to the hauler. What’s up with that? I’ve seen that on the Nationwide side before, but never on the Cup side.
They do that with a few of the Cup teams on their side of the garage, and I’m not really sure why. According to the Auto Club Speedway website, they have 100 garage stalls, so you’d think they could fit them all. For whatever reason though, the way they have the Cup garage area set up, that’s just what they have to do to to fit everyone in. -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!
Road racing returns this weekend as the Cup and NNS cars head up to Watkins Glen. While they are turning left and right, and doing backwards pit stops, the truck series takes on the Nashville Superspeedway. As we work through another week, here are 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 Garry:
How often do you AND your driver practice the exact routine of the car pulling in and out of the pit stall? How many times does it take to be perfect? When you are working with a new driver or at a tougher track (like Bristol) do they allow you extra time to practice a lot? Is it true that “pit mates” (drivers in ajoining pit stalls) try to coordinate their stops, to stay out of each other’s way? It seems so many things can go wrong. Do you have any good stories about bad blood rivals who are battling and then winding up next to each other? ( e.g if Horse face and lil Brad wound up next to each other. It might make things interesting)
You won’t find most drivers at the shop driving the pit stop car for practice. Some teams will use their development drivers or just a shop guy to do the driving. Once most guys get to a certain point in their career, practicing getting into and out of the pit stall just isn’t necessary I guess. And the only real example of a track that sticks out where we might do some extra practice is for this weekend’s race at Watkins Glen because the pit stops are backwards. Other then that, the rest of the tracks get the same amount of prep usually. In terms of pit road neighbors, you try as much as you can to coordinate stops, but often it just isn’t possible. The hope is that the guys around you are either on a different lap or fall out early, so your driver has a clean path in and out. And there are plenty of times where teams end up pitting next to each other and things get ugly. There have been instances where crew members have thrown lugnuts and other objects at an opposing driver as they come by, pit boards have been hit by drivers, there have been plenty of shoving matches, and there is always going to be a ton of yelling when things go south. – T.C.
2. From Bill:
Why not let the cars that make the chase all race together and have another race for the other cars. Nascar asks the other cars to move over and not race the chase cars. This makes for poor racing and the other cars cannot win.
I’m not really sure what the question is here, but NASCAR doesn’t ask other cars to roll over for the Chasers. In fact Jamie McMurray, a non-chaser, won the race at Talladega during the Chase last season. – Journo
3. From Michael:
Regarding Tool sponsorship. Mac, Snap-On, Craftsman, etc. Are the tools given to the teams, discounted, or on loan? Or is each team contract different with each vendor?
The contracts can be different, but for the big teams, when the team itself needs tools, they are usually given or highly discounted. Remember though, the guys who work in the shop use their own tools and must pay for all of their own equipment. With the shop guys, they are usually given a discount, but nothing is free. – T.C.
4. From Marty:
After watching the wide array of tire strategies at Pocono I offer you this question… Has anyone ever taken 3 tires in a pit stop? How about just 1 tire?
Not that I’ve ever heard of. Getting one tire takes the same amount of time as it does to get two, as does the time for three versus four. So it wouldn’t really make sense. Plus, it would give the car really odd handling characteristics to have grip at one corner, but not the others. - T.C.
5. From Jackie:
On Sunday’s race, I noticed that start and park teams would come in and then go back out on the track – Why? Do they not want to be listed as last or are they trying to better their position? At what point in the race do the start and park teams say enough is enough and call it a race?
Most are trying to just be able to finish a little better. Remember most don’t have pit crews, so if they are going to run longer then a tire/fuel run, they’ve got to do something to change tires and add fuel. A few minutes in the garage can do the trick. And the agendas will vary by team. Some of the bare bones operations will just run a few laps because they are fine with last place money. Others might be attempting to make more money, and score more points, so they may stay out longer. – T.C.
6. From Debbie:
While watching the Pocono race a driver, I want to say Denny Hamlin, but don’t quote me on that, said his tires were over rotating. How can that be and what does that mean? Thanks!
I’ve never heard a driver say his tires were over-rotating. I have heard them say that about their car though. If a car is over rotating, it just means it’s loose in the corners. – T.C.
7. From Kevin:
First off, the 48 dumped the 2. Everybody who has ever watched a race with bump drafting knows you dont do it unless your wheels are straight. The 48 was turning left the entire time and clearly turned the 2. No question about it. Kurt should have gone and kicked some ass. I am sure he will in coming weeks. Secondly, how great was the racing at the end of the race? For about 20-40 laps there we saw some of the best racing of the season. All through the pack. I am so tired of the people complaining, if they didn’t like the racing right after the rain stoppage then they should just quit watching, b/c it won’t get much better. Finally, do you think the recent success of two tire stops is due to the flat nature of the last two tracks? I imagine someone taking two tires at say, Vegas, will suffer a lot more due to the speed all the way around the track. I do enjoy the mixing of strategies though.
To your first point, I don’t think Jimmie dumped him, I think Jimmie got sloppy and made a poor decision. To your second point, I couldn’t agree more. I think we have had stellar racing this season. And to your last point, the two tire strategy works when everything comes together right. Certainly tire wear is a factor, but how many laps are left, who took four versus two, and how many all play a role. It has played a role the last two weeks. – Journo
8. From steve:
Any idea what was going on with Brian Pattie and Montoya, especially Pattie’s barb that Montoya needs to come to Charlotte to practice pit stops? How redfaced do you think ESPN is that they had zero cameras on Sadler? But for his crash sneaking into the Busch coverage, they would have had nothing at all on one of the worst wrecks in NASCAR this year.
Montoya screwed something up, and they had a 17 second stop (I would imagine he messed up getting into the box), so Pattie called him out. Montoya was then upset that Pattie called him out, and he was upset about losing track position because they got four tires. JPM is notorious for his ability to express his feelings. To your second question, I think it’s the nature of the beast. This sort of thing is the nightmare of every sports television director – missing that key play (or in this case a wreck) because they didn’t have a camera – but it happens because you just can’t have cameras everywhere. I’d be willing to bet there have been some serious discussions this week about how to make sure this doesn’t happen again. – Journo
9. From Lost in Texas:
Anything new in the Jeremy Mayfield case?
I haven’t heard anything new. The last I heard was that Mayfield’s legal team had asked Judge Mullen to reconsider his ruling, a formal step before they can appeal to the 4th Circuit Court. – Journo
10. From Kipp:
T.C.- This is a great outlet and source of information and discussion. Thank you for you and Journo’s efforts. With the recent fine given to Denny Hamlin, have you worried any about potential fines or punishment coming from NASCAR for operating on this forum?
Thanks Kipp! Glad you are enjoying what we do. And no, neither myself nor Journo is worried in any way about being fined or punished by NASCAR. We operate a very fair website, and if they ever took exception to something we wrote, all it would take is a simple request, and they could post a rebuttal here. Also, I think it’s important to note that NASCAR didn’t fine somebody in the press, it was drivers. If they did ever try and penalize a media member, it would come to light pretty quickly. And, as our regular readers know, we’ve been very critical of NASCAR at times (see Tuesday’s blog post), and they have yet to even bother contacting us. – T.C.
11. From derek:
Why does a crew member use a propane torch to heat the tire up and then scrape it?
The crew guy is using the torch and the scraper to clean off any build up on the tires so the tire specialist can get an accurate reading of the tire’s tread depth after a run. When a car is running around the track, especially under caution and heading to pit road, the hot tires will pick up rubber and all sorts of other things. Cleaning them allows the teams to figure out how much rubber was actually worn off over the course of a run. – T.C.
12. From M. Sauter:
With the season winding down, and sponsors signing or leaving, when should Kahne fans begin to panic?Right now, he has no ride and no sponsor.
There isn’t a point you should start panicking. Kasey will be in a car next season. Where that’s at is still yet to be seen, but Kasey will absolutely be driving somewhere next season. Rick Hendrick didn’t sign Kasey to sideline him. Don’t worry! Everything will be worked out…eventually. – Journo
I really didn’t want to have to write this post. I figured that everyone was smart enough to really see things clearly and think logically, but I’ve been proven horribly wrong. After Jenna Fryer’s AP story about NASCAR “secretly” fining drivers that appeared this week, there has been a ton of discussion about the topic. I can respect people’s opinions on both sides of an argument, as everyone is entitled to what they think, but in this case some out there have completely lost it.
Before I even say what I want to say, I’m going to do you a favor. What I’m about to write will probably make some of you angry, and I’m cool with that. So before you call me a “NASCAR homer” in the comment section, stop. I’m going to side with NASCAR on this one, and I already know where this is leading. So save your energy.
Now, as everyone seems to know, NASCAR is currently in a tough spot. Attendance has been falling at tracks across the board and TV ratings continue to slump. NASCAR has made a ton of changes to try and fix what they believe the problems to be, and more changes are coming. NASCAR hopes these changes will bring people back to the track and get more people watching on TV, which in turn will hopefully bring sponsors back to racing that left, and also attract some new ones.
As NASCAR attempts to get back what they lost, what they really don’t need is a ton of bad press. And what do drivers do that continually bad mouth the sanctioning body and its decisions to the public? Create bad press.
ESPN has reported that they know who the drivers are that were fined by NASCAR, but to me, it doesn’t matter. What all of the drivers need to realize is that the media and the fans listen to what they have to say. If people didn’t care what they had to say, nobody would interview them. And don’t even try to tell me that fans don’t need to listen to the drivers to see how bad things are with NASCAR. If Dale Jr. can convince JR Nation to go out and buy Amp to the point that Amp’s sales go up 70% in the first year of the sponsorship, and Amp’s market share jumps from sixth in the category to fourth, this guy and all the other drivers can affect fans’ opinions.
Right now, it seems that fan frustration is pretty high. We read comments and emails from folks all the time about how they are close to quitting all together, and more from people that have given up. By criticizing NASCAR to the media, the drivers are just adding to the fan frustration and helping drive more of them away. And when fans leave, so do sponsorship dollars. So really, these drivers are really just hurting themselves, because with less sponsorship, there will be less rides for them to occupy, and less money available to pay them big salaries.
With all of this said, NASCAR must do all they can right now to protect their brand. They cannot afford to lose any more of the race fans. NASCAR wants the fans to be happy, because happy fans buy race tickets and merchandise, and watch on TV. So when a driver becomes overly critical of the sport, action must be taken. In this case, NASCAR decided fines were necessary to show not only the offending drivers, but everyone else that this would not be tolerated. What’s interesting to note here, is that according to spokesman Ramsey Poston, NASCAR warned all the drivers about the possibility of fines months ago.
For those of you who claim these fines violate free speech, try again. NASCAR did not fine these drivers because they had an opinion. They fined them because they chose the wrong forum in which to express that opinion. If the competitors really have a problem with the way things are being run, they need to take those opinions directly to Mike Helton, John Darby, Joe Balash, and Wayne Auton. Complaining to the media and fans won’t get them anywhere.
Moving on to this idea of “secret” fines, at what point did anyone say these fines were secret? There is a big difference between “secret” and not making something public knowledge. The original AP story has quotes from Poston in which he acknowledges that action was taken. He didn’t deny it, nor were these drivers told to keep the fines a secret. NASCAR is allowed to deal with problems internally, and not everything warrants a press release. The last time you were written up at work for being late 47 days in a row, something tells me your HR manager didn’t send out a press release to the local paper.
I also want to point out here that if NASCAR wanted something to be secret, it would remain secret. The community is extremely small, and if you think there aren’t things you don’t know about, then you are sadly confused.
With all of this being said, I’m not the enemy here. I agree with you that the drivers need to have their own personalities, and be able to speak their minds. Showing emotion is what makes us love and hate these guys. But drivers can show emotion without bashing NASCAR every five minutes in their post race press conferences. There is already way too much negativity in the press, the drivers don’t need to help.
I’m siding with NASCAR on this one because they were right to do what they did. Myself and thousands of other people depend on this sport and the jobs provided by it to pay our bills and feed our families. Fans not showing up and sponsors pulling out affects me and a lot of other people I know personally. I’m lucky to still have a spot in racing, but I know a ton of guys who don’t.
So the next time a driver wants to bitch and moan in an interview about what they perceive to be phony debris cautions, maybe they should think a little more about the ramifications of their words. It just might turn out that they unknowingly killed their own career.
NASCAR Hard Card: The annual credential issued to NASCAR officials, drivers, media, and team personnel.
One of the most important articles I bring with me to the race track each weekend is my NASCAR hard card. A hard card is a plastic ID card that is very similar to any school or employer ID card. It’s about the size of a credit card and has my picture, my name, what series I work in, and what team I work for on it. On the back of the card is a NASCAR disclaimer statement, and a place for the holder to sign. This very important piece of plastic grants me access to the infield, garage area, and pit road. Without it, I’m stuck on the outside of the fence looking in.
I’ve often been asked how or where somebody can get their own hard card, or if I will let them buy or borrow mine. I obviously can’t help with either request, but it shows how sought after these credentials can be.
While we are at the track, our cards must either be displayed on our person (as they say) or somewhere very close by. If you get the chance to get into the infield, you’ll notice that many choose to wear their hard card on a lanyard around their neck. When one receives their card from NASCAR, they usually provide a lanyard for you. For some however, the basic lanyard just isn’t good enough. The many wives and girlfriends, along with the many PR and business women are the usual offenders for elaborate and ornate hard card display devices. I guess they figure if they are going to wear a piece of plastic around their neck, they might as well bling it out a little. Bedazzler sold separately.
On the flip side, many crew guys choose to just leave them in their wallets, as wearing it around their neck can cause issues while they are working on the cars. For the rest, the standard lanyard works just fine.
For the young or up and coming crew guy, obtaining that first hard card almost becomes a career goal. It signals that you’ve made it to a solid place in your advancement. Why is this so? It boils down to money. Everyone that works at the track for a NASCAR team must have a NASCAR license. This license costs around $500-$600 a year. A hard card however, costs a few thousand dollars for the year, and means it’s owner can forgo standing in line at the NASCAR credential trailer to get a paper pass each weekend. Only teams with a solid footing can afford to get hard cards for their employees. So having the plastic means you will probably be at the track each weekend and you work for a solid team.
The next logical goal once someone obtains the hard card, is figuring out how to keep it. Racing is a tough, performance driven business, and hanging onto this little piece of plastic can be very difficult. When a guy is fired from a team, the hard card must usually be returned before the last paycheck is given. The reason being that hard cards are transferable, and teams can use it for someone else over the course of the season. Having to give back the card when you aren’t ready to sucks.
The license and hard card are also used by NASCAR as a way to have power over the many team personnel. As a form of punishment for some infractions, NASCAR sometimes pulls hard cards from their holders. NASCAR can also refuse to give people these credentials, if for example, a fine hasn’t been paid or suspension served. No hard card and license, no access.
So as you can see, these pieces of plastic we often wear around our necks carry an awful lot of power. Mine gets me access to places others can’t go, but it can also be used against me. And that’s the mystique of the NASCAR hard card.
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.
I apologize for the delay in getting this post up. We had some Internet connectivity issues last night that prevented me from posting. Thanks!
There are some drivers out there, who no matter what they drive, always seem to not get enough racing. A name that comes to mind is a guy like Ken Schrader. He would race in the Cup Series on a Saturday night, fly somewhere and maybe race an ARCA race on Sunday, fly somewhere else and race a dirt latemodel race on Monday. It doesn’t matter what it is, Schrader just wants to race.
We saw a few more examples of drivers like Schrader this weekend. The 42nd Annual Snowball Derby took place at Five Flags Speedway down in Pensacola, FL. The Derby is a four day long event which concludes with a 300 lap super latemodel race on Sunday that draws drivers and cars from all over. This year’s entry list for the Sunday race was around 60 cars.
And if you watched any NASCAR coverage this year, you’ll recognize some of the entrants: Kyle Busch, Brian Ickler, David Stremme, Steve Wallace, Ryan Seig, Shane Sieg, Brian Scott, Cale Gale, and James Buescher.
The racing also featured some young up and comers like Johanna Long, Ross Kenseth, and Chase Elliott.
In the end, Kyle Busch triumphed for his first Snowball win, but from what I understand it wasn’t easy. The entire field was only separated by a few tenths in qualifying and some bigger names, like James Buescher, went home.
With the NASCAR schedule being so grueling, from February to November, you’d think most drivers would want a break from being at the race track. But not these guys. Less then two weeks have passed since the end of the season, and these guys have already found their way to a race track.
Regardless of what you think of a driver, you almost have to automatically have respect for guys like this. To them, it isn’t about the money, the big sponsors, or the TV time. All they want to do is get in a car and go door to door with the best in the country. It’s about the racing and being able to compete.
And I think, as long as there are always guys like this in the top tiers of NASCAR, the future will be very bright.
*For more coverage on the 42nd Snowball Derby, stop by Speed51.com