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Before I really get into this post, I wanted to share a quote from Michael McDowell that he posted tonight on his Twitter page (@Mc_Driver).  McDowell has been driving the #55 for Prism Motorsports this season, and is one of the start-and-park crowd’s usual suspects.  There was some discussion about the reasons often given for why these teams fail to finish, which are usually bogus, and McDowell had a great response.

“They get mad at me when I tell them ‘I was going down the straight away and the funding fell off.’”

It was a bluntly honest comment from a good kid who is just trying to make it in racing, and I wanted to share.  Keep fighting McD…

Over the last few seasons, starting and parking has become a regular part of the sport.  Fewer teams and less available sponsorship dollars have contributed to the phenomenon.  Lately though, it seems that the number of teams doing it has increased in the Nationwide and Truck Series.  I believe it is a frightening trend, as most of these are victims of sponsorship losses.

Instead of trashing these teams though, I wanted to hopefully open up your eyes about the practice.  While there are certainly those teams out there who are doing it for nothing but the profit, for many, this isn’t exactly the case.

Lets picture for a moment that you are a NASCAR car owner.  Your team runs mid pack each week, but it’s a solid operation and it’s respectable.  Then something unforeseen happens and you lose your sponsorship.  Maybe you only had a partial deal, or maybe an agreement fell through.  And now, no matter how hard you try, you just can’t find a replacement.  What do you do?  You really only have two choices: shut down completely because of lack of funding; or trim down your staff and begin starting and parking until something comes along.

This exact scenario is what many are now starting to face.  Instead of putting entire shops of people out of work, owners are using the start-and-park startegy to weather the storm and keep the doors open until they can put money together.  It buys the owners more time to find sponsorship, and it keeps the employees’ paychecks coming on time.  Knowing that, it’s hard to really blame them for it.

Something else to consider is how this affects these owners and teams.  Remember that people get involved in racing because they want to compete.  They want to go out each weekend and try and be the best.  Starting and parking though, goes against the very idea of competition.  Pulling out of a race after only a few laps with a perfectly good race car is a very difficult thing to do.  Add on top of that the fact that most fans and NASCAR itself severely disapprove of the practice, and you begin to see how demoralizing it can be.

In a perfect world, we’d have 43+ fully funded teams showing up to the track each weekend to race the full distance.  But we don’t live in a perfect world.  In reality, the world is a very tough place to try and race.  I know for many of you, the simple mention of the phrase “start-and-park” gets your blood boiling.  Trust me, I understand.  It makes me sick to my stomach to watch these cars pull into the garage each weekend after a few laps. 

Do me a favor though?  Don’t forget that sometimes bad things happen to good people, and tough choices need to be made.  Not all of the start and parkers are the enemy.

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The Sprint All-Star race is this weekend at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, so you know what that means? It’s time for our annual list of activities surrounding the two weeks of racing in Charlotte.

So get ready Charlotte bound (or Charlotte based) race fans, it’s time to get your maps out, walking shoes on and pens ready to go – it’s race time in Charlotte!

*What we’ve compiled below is everything racing related we know about. If you know of any racing related events going on during the next two weeks and they aren’t included below please feel free to add them in the comment section and I will update the post.

Wednesday, May 19 - Check out TC’s and my favorite event, the Sprint Pit Crew Challenge at the Time Warner Cable Arena. This annual event brings together the sport’s best pit crews to challenge for bragging rights and cash.  More info here.

Thursday, May 20 – Who doesn’t love Uptown Charlotte and music on a Summer evening? NASCAR’s annual Rev’d Up event features musical acts, showcars, giveaways and more. More info here.

Friday, May 21 - Check out the legends, bandoleros and arena racing outdoors at the Concord Motorsports Park. More info here.

Saturday, May 22 – Are you a Greg Biffle fan? He’ll be signing the NASCAR pet calendars from Noon to 1 p.m. at the Petco at Concord Mills. There will also be local animal shelters with pet adoptions, a racing simulator and giveaways. More info here.

Saturday, May 22 - Join MRN’s Steve Post as he hosts the ‘Finish a Winner’ breakfast featuring Darrell Waltrip, Michael McDowell and Justin Allgaier. The event is $8 in advance and $15 at the door. It is being hosted by the Lifepointe Church in Fort Mill, S.C. More info here.

Sunday, May 23 -Have fun and support a good cause. Taylor’s Finish Line Festival will include a kid zone with inflatables, face painting, balloon artists, live stage shows and a fireworks display. Tickets are $25 for adults and free for children 6 years and under. All proceeds benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Levine Children’s Hospital. More info here.

Sunday, May 23 – Itching for more racing? Head up to Hickory Motor Speedway the ‘Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars’ for the CRA Super Late Model race. More info here.

Tuesday, May 25 - Victory Lane Indoor Karting will play host to the King’s Cup go-kart event benefiting the Paralyzed Veterans of America. AJ Allmendinger, Richard Petty, Kasey Kahne and Elliott Sadler are scheduled to participate. Tickets are $25+. More info here.

Wednesday, May 26 - The Jeff Gordon Foundation will also host a charity racing event at Victory Lane Indoor Karting. Proceeds will help fund state-of-the art cardiac/respiratory monitors needed to care for patients at the Jeff Gordon Children’s Hospital. More info here.

Wednesday, May 26 -Michael Waltrip Racing will host their Fan Fest 2010 at their state of the art facility in Cornelius, NC. The Fest will feature autograph sessions with all MWR drivers and free admission to tour the MWR shop. In order to receive autographs fans need to request wristbands prior to the event. More info here.

Wednesday, May 26 – Hey Twitter fans, Hendrick Motorsports is hosting a ‘tweetup’ at their headquarters near the speedway. Mention ‘twitter’ to get free access. The event will feature discounts, giveaways and an opportunity to participate in AMP’s weekly online chat featuring Steve Letarte and TJ Majors. More info here.

Wednesday, May 26 - The NASCAR Speedpark at Concord Mills will host an autograph session with Cup, Nationwide and ARCA Series regulars. MRN’s Performance Live will broadcast from the event and there will be a silent auction with proceeds benefiting the PARC Foundation and the Shriners. More info here.

Wednesday, May 26 – Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski will be signing autographs at the Discount Tire on Bruton Smith Blvd. near Concord Mills from 4 to 5:30 p.m. More info here.

Thursday, May 27 -Roush Fenway Racing will play host to their 2010 Fan Appreciation day. The event will feature autograph sessions with Jack Roush and RFR drivers, pit exhibitions and access to the Roush museum. Tickets are required for autographs – the team asks for a can food donation in exchange for a ticket. More info here.

Thursday, May 27 – Richard Petty Motorsports will host their first fan day at their new facility in the Roush Fenway complex. The event will feature an 11 a.m. autograph session. A ticket is required to take part in the autograph session – the cost for a ticket is the donation of a pack of 24 pencils. More info here.

Thursday, May 27 – Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates will host their Fan Day featuring an autograph session with Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya. Wristbands are required – fans need to request them in advance from the team. More info here.

Thursday, May 27 – Martin Truex Jr. will host his Ultimate Fan Event at his MTJ Motorsports in Mooresville from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. More info here.

Thursday, May 27 to Saturday, May 29 – Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s JR Motorsports will be hosting their Fan Zone. More info here.

Thursday, May 27 to Saturday, May 29 – An annual favorite for fans and locals alike is the Food Lion Speed Street in Uptown Charlotte. The event brings together live Speed broadcasts, free swag and fun from sponsors, autograph sessions, and great musical acts (all free!). This year’s musical acts include Josh Turner, Everclear, Luke Bryan and Pat Benatar among others. More info here.

Friday, May 28 – Can’t get enough racing? Check out the stars of the World of Outlaws as they compete in the Outlaw Showdown at the Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway. More info here.

Friday, May 28 – Join Team Red Bull Racing for their Fan appreciation day. More info here.

Throughout the next two weeks the race shops will also be open for fans to check out. Raceshops.com has a good list of team addresses and so does Jayski.com. Don’t forget about the Truck Series and Nationwide Series teams too.

There are several companies that give tours for a fee, but I encourage you to get a map and explore for yourself. I have never been on one of these tours, but I can promise they are not worth the money unless you are very opposed to driving.

Don’t forget about the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte. This fantastic state of the art facility is a feast for NASCAR fans and newbies alike. If you’re in town for the races you won’t want to miss it. Get your tickets early!

If you’re interested in museums there are two great ones in Mooresville. Memory Lane Museum has a lot of cool cars for a $10 entry fee. Also the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame located across the street from Roush Fenway’s Mooresville shop has  interesting cars and artifacts chronicling North Carolina’s motorsports history. It has a $6 entry fee.

A good day trip is up to Hillsborough, North Carolina to see the Occoneechee Speedway (formerly the Orange Speedway). It is the only remaining dirt track from the 1949 season. It is heavily overgrown, but the Historic Speedway Group has converted the track into a walking trail and reconstructed some of the out buildings. It is free and definitely worth the trip if you enjoy NASCAR history.

If you’re looking for a place to eat with a racing theme and some good Eastern North Carolina style barbecue hit up Lancaster’s in Mooresville. They have a ton of racing memorabilia – you can even eat in a converted school bus painted like Dale Earnhardt’s Wrangler ride.

*If you know if any other events during the next two weeks please use the comment box below and I will re-post this. If I come across other events I will also update and re-post this. If you have any questions, as always feel free to e-mail me.

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It was the feud to end all feuds. Two teammates going at it. Cars were wrecked. Races were lost. Fists were thrown. Blood was shed…

…Ok so maybe it wasn’t the feud of all feuds, and there weren’t any fists thrown (as far as I know), but the way some were talking last week you’d think Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon were NASCAR’s version of the Hatfields and McCoys. Rick Hendrick even stepped into the middle of their little spat so the two could talk out their problems. Hendrick said he didn’t want the ‘feud’ to start ‘breaking apart the organization.’ As I write this I can’t help but giggle (yes, I just wrote the word ‘giggle’).

Is Jeff Gordon spouting off to the media and being frustrated with his teammate really going to break the team apart? Maybe if it went on for a long time (and I mean long time) – but what are the odds that would happen? Jeff is, after all, the one who brought Jimmie to Hendrick.

I think Jeff Gordon had every right to be ticked off at his teammate. Two weeks in a row he gets into it with Jimmie – the incident at Talladega got him caught up in a wreck. If Jeff wants to express his displeasure with Jimmie, what’s the problem? On top of that, hasn’t it been great to see Jeff with a little spark lately? He’s like a new man.

If anything this could have been a good moment for these two teams. What’s better than a little competition? If that frustration could have helped push Jeff past the hump, why not let it continue, in moderation.

After the race this weekend, Jeff didn’t seem like a man too frustrated with his position. Now I’m not questioning Jeff’s passion or fight, but for a guy who’s led 599 laps this season without a win he’s pretty chipper. I think I’d almost rather see him fired up and upset with second place – more in the spirit of Kyle Busch or a younger Jeff Gordon.

All in all I think this was much ado about nothing. Was Jeff frustrated with Jimmie? Yeah he was, but this wasn’t a feud. In all reality this could have been used as an opportunity to get Gordon fired up. Unfortunately I think it was a moment lost.

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We’ve had a few website issues over the last 24 hours, and we are working to get them solved ASAP.  Today’s post should hopefully be up shortly.  Sorry!

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As our readership continues to grow here at TNI, we just wanted to take a second to do a quick reset.  For those of you who have been visiting us regularly for a while, you may have seen us do something like this in the past.  I thought it might be a good time to let our newer readers know how they can keep up with everything TNI.

First, for those folks who haven’t been reading us for very long, I encourage you to go back through our archives and check out past posts.  You can do this by clicking the links in the “Categories” and “Archives” links along the right side of the page.  There you will find tons of great stuff we’ve written since we started.

For newer people that maybe don’t know, keeping track of what goes on here can be done in a variety of different ways.  A large part of our readers just drop by the site everyday and use regular old bookmarks to stay up to date on all we have to say about being a part of the NASCAR Community.  We thought we’d show you a few other ways to follow us.

RSS Feed: I think one of the easiest ways to follow us is by our RSS Feed.  You can subscribe to our feed and get all of our updates using a feed reader like FeedDemon.  You can also subscribe to our feed and get updates to your personal iGoogle or My Yahoo! page.  Even Internet Explorer and Mozilla FireFox will check your feeds for you.  Click here to subscribe to The NASCAR Insiders.

Email Updates: Another way to subscribe to the blog is to get updates via email.  If you sign up to get updates in your email inbox, we will send you an email once a day with any new posts.  It works with any email account.  And don’t worry, we won’t spam you or give your info to anyone.  **Note: If you sign up this way, make sure to complete the verification process through FeedBurner or you won’t get the emails.

Social Media: Into Web 2.0?  So are we!  The Insiders can be followed and interacted with through a variety of Social Media websites including: Twitter, Facebook, BlogCatalog, Blogged, BallHype, MyBlogLog. These sites allow you to catch up on all the latest posts from The Insiders and interact with other Insiders and NASCAR fans.  With Twitter especially, we often do small updates from the track and give you small news tidbits you may not see on TheNASCARInsiders.com.

We are constantly looking for ways to better interact with our readers and would welcome any other suggestions.  Both Journo and myself really appreciate everyone that takes the time to stop by and read a post or two, comment, and send emails.  As the season progresses, we will continue to bring you unique perspectives, rumors, and the like on everything NASCAR. Thanks again!

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I just wanted to take a quick second to let you know that we now have a Facebook page!  It will be one more place where you can keep up with all things TNI.  Stop by and check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-NASCAR-Insiders/111731232188593

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Both myself and Journo have worked very hard over the last two years to protect our identities, from both our readers and those inside the sport.  But apparently, we haven’t worked hard enough.  A prominent member of the media has discovered who we are and is planning to out us.  So, instead of letting this reporter do it, Journo and I decided to get out in front of this and tell you ourselves.

It’s a shame we have to do this, as any rumors and inside information will now have to stop.  We can’t threaten our own careers, and those of our friends and family.

Instead of just telling you our names, I’ve decided to instead show a recent photo of us, because you will know our identities immediately.  Below is the photo taken of myself and Journo walking through the infield of an unspecified race track.

So without further ado, meet T.C. and Journo:

Oh, by the way… Happy April Fools Day…

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Fallout from the Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski payback incident at Atlanta led the news this week. After speculation about Edwards’ punishment, NASCAR President Mike Helton announced on Tuesday, Edwards would be placed on probation for three races. He emphasized the sanctioning body’s concern with the car getting airborne at a track like Atlanta. In other news, Sports Business Journal reported this week NASCAR and the sport’s top teams are close to finalizing a deal that would create a licensing agency. The move, prompted by the financial woes of Motorsports Authentics, is designed to centralize the sport’s fragmented licensing business. This is the NASCAR week that was March 7 to 13, 2010.

NASCAR critics need to get a clue

Wild Ride: The short and brutal life of a NASCAR engine

A day on the war wagon leaves lasting impression

NASCAR, top teams creating new licensing agency

Is it too early to ask what’s up with Stewart-Haas Racing?

Vintage Insiders

The Future of NASCAR Media

Team Radio Traffic Should Be Beyond Reproach

**Remember if you have a NASCAR blog or website and would like a recent article you wrote featured in this section email me and you could be part of next week’s NASCAR Week That Was. Please only send stuff you have written.**

Click Here To Find Cool Nascar Items!

The Charlotte Observer’s Jim Utter reported earlier in the week about the potential exit of Miccosukee from NASCAR. The Florida Indian Tribe was set to sponsor a truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports and Nationwide and Cup Series teams for Phoenix Racing.

For Kyle Busch Motorsports, the potential move by the tribe would certainly cause headaches. In their first year of NASCAR competition having a sponsor pull out this close to the start of the season is nothing short of irritating. That said they can sustain and have said they will run the season regardless of what the tribe decides to do.

For the other team caught in what could be a bad situation, things are a little more dire.

Miccosukee entered NASCAR with James Finch’s Phoenix Racing and Geoff Bodine in 2002. In recent years the tribe’s sponsorship has been vital to Phoenix’s operation.

With that sponsorship and hard work they managed to have a good 2009. Through several drivers they performed pretty well in the Nationwide Series, including a win at Charlotte, and they scored their first and only Cup win and some solid finishes with Brad Keselowski.

In 2010 the team is planning to run the #09 Cup car with Aric Almirola and a full-time Nationwide schedule with James Buescher. Those plans though are now likely in flux.

For James Finch and Phoenix Racing, and for that matter Aric Almirola and James Buescher, this really is very unfortunate should it come to fruition. Sure Finch has done some starting and parking in the Cup Series, but when he’s been able to, the teams have run.

As with most things, money makes the world go round. That’s especially true in NASCAR. While there is a chance if funding falls through the teams will continue (I suspect Buescher may continue), this puts them at a severe disadvantage with little time to find a replacement.

Hopefully for the sake of Phoenix Racing and all of its employees and drivers everything works out.

Rolex 24 at Daytona

We’re still about a week away from NASCAR taking the track at Daytona, but that doesn’t mean you can’t see racing sooner. The 24 Hours at Daytona starts Saturday and I know I for one can’t wait.

The 24 hour sports car race features drivers from a wide spectrum of the North American racing community. Drivers like Dario Franchitti, AJ Allmendinger, Max Angelelli, and of course Jimmie Johnson among many others will compete head-to-head in the endurance race.

Despite a field that normally spreads out pretty far, last season the event had it’s closest ever finish with the #68 Brumos Porsche team just edging out the #01 Ganassi team. Not far behind on the same lap was the other Brumos Porsche team and the Suntrust Racing team. Not too bad after 24 hours.

This year will be interesting. The Suntrust Team of Angelelli / Lamy / Taylor / Taylor are on the pole with the Michael Shank and Ganassi teams in the next four positions. Ganassi will definitely be a wild card after switching to BMW in the off-season. Check out full qualifying results here.

The racing kicks off at 3 p.m. EST on Speed and continues beginning at 7 a.m. on Speed Sunday. Check it out!

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It seems that everywhere you go in Mooresville, or really the entire Charlotte area for that matter, you always seem to run into somebody who works in racing.  Those of you who read this blog that live in and around Charlotte will know what I’m talking about.  And maybe it is something that shouldn’t surprise me with as big of a community as NASCAR is and how concentrated the area is with racing people, but it always does.

I was out with my significant other recently, and as we walked into the restaurant for a nice dinner, I spotted a very well known Cup Series crew chief.  He was out with his family and blending in quite nicely.  Shockingly enough , he wasn’t decked out head to toe in his race gear (we do have normal clothes too), so I doubt anybody even recognized who he was.  I wonder though, if certain folks were out and about in other cities if they would be recognized.

After thinking about this, and wondering about these guys being recognized, I’ve come to believe there are probably two types of people in Charlotte.  There are those who are into racing, recognize people, but leave them alone and let them be normal people.  And the rest aren’t into racing and are clueless to those around them.  I guess maybe there is a third group who do approach these guys, but I’m guessing it’s small.

In Mooresville specifically, it seems that you run into or see somebody all the time.  From seeing NASCAR officials in the  Target store, to filling up at the gas station next to a driver, or running into another crew buddy at a bar.  Even when we are away from the track, we can’t stay away from one another!

I would imagine that being in certain places in Los Angeles would warrant similar sightings for actors, as would hanging out in Nashville for country singers.  If you want to be in or around NASCAR, Charlotte is the center of the Universe.

So if you don’t live here, and happen to make it once to attend a race or visit some shops, here is some advice.   When you are out and about, keep your eyes peeled, because you never know who you might see or run into!  Just remember to be respectful.