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Rain, Hail, Snow, Basketball And Racing
Well, with snow on the ground and more forecast plus winds howling, I decided to take a day off from commuting to Omaha for work. And, it has been awhile since I last blogged, so now is a good time to post something.
I have been much more into basketball than racing the past month. Instead of watching late models from Volusia Speedway Park, last night Matt and I drove to Waverly to watch the battle of Wahoo in a sub-district basketball tournament game. Wahoo Neumann beat Wahoo High School 72-46 and as always played very well. I only went to one Fremont High School game this year, but have watched the Cavaliers play in Wahoo, Columbus, Springfield, Grand Island, and Waverly. I like coach Mike Weiss-a Midland graduate, and his team plays the game the way I think it ought to be played. With wild cards in class C, they are a lock to get into the State Tournament.
Last night it was raining when we drove to Waverly. After the game we came out and it was still raining, but there was thunder and lightning as well. Heading west on Waverly road to Highway 77 we ran into freezing rain and hail. Going north on Hwy. 77 it was snowing so hard it was difficult to see the road. It was like that all the way back to Fremont. Matt did a very good job of keeping us out of a ditch and not hitting anyone else. I was more than happy to reach the city limits of Fremont.
We are hoping to see one more district game before the State Tournament. Winnebago plays Columbus Scotus for a district championship, and hopefully that game will be played at Midland University. We love watching Winnebago play-we’ve seen them play in Ralston and Grand Island this year-and that will be a great match up. Winnebago is number one in power points in C-1, Scotus is number two, and Wahoo Neumann is number three. All three appear to be State Tournament bound.
I did watch all the Lucas Oil late model racing the past few weeks from Georgia and Florida and it was outstanding. OK-Josh Richards, Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Don O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Darrell Lanigan, Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Francis, and Tim McCreadie as tour regulars, you know it is going to be good. All of them have won one or more national tour championships.
The racing at East Bay was outstanding this year. Young guns, veterans, side by side racing-and passing. McCreadie started 18th on the Thursday night Winternationals show and won. Josh Richards won at East Bay and in Georgia. Bloomquist won at East Bay and lost on a last lap, last turn pass by Brandon Shepard at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala.
The Lucas Oil series has a lot of star power, no question. However, I think it is important that someone not named Richards or Bloomquist win some races. Don O’Neal’s 16 year old son Hudson raced during Speedweeks and did a good job. It would be great to see a youngster like that in victory lane. An occasional win by some of the big names would be nice too.
Thank you Joe Kosiski for booking the series twice at I-80 Speedway. The first visit will be several days prior to the Show Me 100 in May, and of course all the stars will shine in July at the crown jewel Silver Dollar Nationals.
Who is going to win the Daytona 500? Personally I would like to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. take the checkered flags. Jimmie Johnson or Kevin Harvick would be OK too.
With several score dirt track races available on the computer and Jeff Gordon no longer racing NASCAR, the Daytona 500 does not have the same anticipation factor for me as a few years ago. I will watch it and am hoping for a good race, but if something happened and I did not get to see it, I would not feel cheated.
Driving to Waverly last night, Matt and I discussed the future of NASCAR. Ratings and attendance continue a downward trend, and many of the stars of the sport are nearing an age when they will be considering retiring-Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Kevin Harvick are all over 40. Harvick has stated that the pressure of The Chase-now simply The Play-offs, is such that no driver will race into his 50’s. Earnhardt Jr. would retire if that elusive championship became his. Would Johnson step aside if he won his eighth championship?
Where are the big guns of the future? Chase Elliott? Maybe. Sorry, never been a fan of the Elliott’s, Chase or his dad Bill. Certainly not Bayne or Stenhouse in Roush Fenway cars. Daniel Suarez? Possibly. Joey Logano-everyone knows how much I like Logano and his partner in crime Brad Keselowski. Not at all is how much. Kyle Busch will be around for some time yet. Since his marriage, accident, and birth of his son, the younger Busch brother has matured and I am starting to like him. Denny Hamlin? He is just Joey Logano from Virginia. The Dillon Brothers? Thumbs down for Austin, thumbs down for Ty. Ryan Blaney? That would be OK.
There are certainly some possibilities, but to me drivers like Saurez and Blaney need to prove they are legitimate winning against the over 40 stars.
Matt also questioned if the current NASCAR business model is sustainable. What happens when Penske, Roush, Hendrick, and Gibbs want to retire as owners? How many corporations will justify spending $500,000 a week in a sport that is seeing dwindling TV ratings and attendance? Both are good questions. NASCAR does face some difficult questions in the coming years. I hope the leadership can find the right answers. I am fearful they won’t.
Thanks for stopping by.
Finally-The Week Of Silver Dollar Nationals VI Plus Much More
After two nights of watching the best dirt drivers in America do their thing, I am not so sure I want to bother with watching today’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race from New Hampshire. I suspect there will be some nap time during at least part of the race at a track I simply do not enjoy. Anyway, I am not NASCAR’s big worry today-the legion of Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans not tuning in as their hero is sidelined has to be a big worry to NASCAR and NBC.
Once again Earnhardt is out of the race car due to concussion like symptoms. This certainly shows concern on his part for his health-in the short term, but what about the long run? Will he continue strapping in to a race car? He is past 40, though still in his prime as a driver. Perhaps the real question is should he continue racing? I suspect he will for now, but I also think his latest bout with concussions will shave years off his racing career.
It is a different NASCAR than 15-20 years ago when Gordon, Stewart, and Earnhardt Jr. first came on the scene. The fan base is older and smaller than it once was. TV ratings seem to drop every year. Even with creative camera angles, rows and rows of empty seats at the track are visible every week. Gordon is gone-OK, I know he may substitute for Earnhardt Jr. at Indianapolis-Stewart is leaving, and if Earnhardt leaves, I just don’t see any young drivers having the star power to replace them. And I am including Chase Elliott in that group of young drivers.
Oh well, NASCAR has its long term TV contract and will be raking in hundreds of millions of dollars even if no one is watching at the track or at home.
Forrest Lucas built the dirt track I would build if I were as wealthy as he is. Lucas Oil Speedway in the southwest Missouri town of Wheatland is simply the best in everything-except racing and that is getting better. Paved parking for fans and in the pits. A manicured grass infield with a paved road for safety vehicles. Comfortable grandstand seating, and suites for those with a few extra bucks. Good concessions and an air-conditioned bar (that I remember well from the extremely hot day Matt and I visited). And even a go-kart track, kind of like Knoxville’s Slideways Karting but part of the racing facility. Everything is cool. And people flock there for the Lucas Oil late model races, with 7,000 fans filling the grandstands last night.
There are racier tracks, but no other track comes close to the total package of Lucas Oil Speedway. Maybe another visit is in order.
After a violent flip and a strong Top Ten finish in a back-up car at Tri-City Speedway on Friday, Saturday was a much better night for Jared Landers. The Arkansas driver won his heat and led all but one lap of the 60 lap Diamond Nationals A-feature. He survived challenges from Scott Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens to collect $12,000 for his second series victory of 2016. Owens finished a strong second, followed by Jonathan Davenport, Tim McCreadie, and Bloomquist.
One driver not on hand for Saturday’s race was Steve Francis. Debris-possibly a weight falling off another car-hit his helmet, knocked him out, broke his nose, and sent his car careening into the wall at Tri-City Speedway. As a result, Lucas Oil officials changed the location where weights can be bolted on the race cars.
Next up for the Lucas Oil series is the biggest race ever in the state of Nebraska, Silver Dollar Nationals VI. There are plenty of intriguing story lines to follow. Will Bloomquist win his third straight SDN? Does Landers have momentum on his side after a good finish at Granite City and a win at Wheatland? When the weather gets hot, so does Jimmy Owens? Can the Newport Nightmare visit Victory Lane at I-80 Speedway? Jonathan Davenport has not won a race since Memorial Day weekend. He looked good in Missouri last night. Will Superman put on his cape again? Will what may be Billy Moyer’s final Nebraska appearance be one fans will remember for years to come? Will Tad Pospisil or Kyle Berck be the highest finishing local on Saturday night? Will a Nebraska driver crack the top ten? Lots of questions, be there for all the answers.
Tomorrow is day one of my new full-time permanent job. Yes, I am looking forward to going to work. My only regret is that I found the job when I was 65. I wish I had found it when I was 35.
Thanks for stopping by.
My Top 25, Some Cyberspace Races, And NASCAR Weirdness
Below is my www.DirtonDirt.com Top 25 ballot for the week. 23 of my top 25 are in the overall rankings. The other two-well, I was the only one who voted for Chub Frank. Actually, I was in a rush when I voted, and should have put Shannon Babb in instead. Steve Francis did have a few of the other 19 voters believing he was worthy of a top 25 spot.
| DirtonDirt.com Top 25 Voting Ballot | |
| Name: | Ron Meyer |
| Date: | 10/26/2015 |
| Position | |
| 1 | Scott Bloomquist |
| 2 | Jonathan Davenport |
| 3 | Mike Marlar |
| 4 | Shane Clanton |
| 5 | Jared Landers |
| 6 | Chris Madden |
| 7 | Don O’Neal |
| 8 | Billy Moyer |
| 9 | Jimmy Owens |
| 10 | Josh Richards |
| 11 | Bobby Pierce |
| 12 | Jesse Stovall |
| 13 | Brandon Sheppard |
| 14 | Dennis Erb Jr. |
| 15 | Earl Pearson Jr. |
| 16 | Dale McDowell |
| 17 | Billy Moyer Jr. |
| 18 | Rick Eckert |
| 19 | Darrell Lanigan |
| 20 | Chris Ferguson |
| 21 | Randy Weaver |
| 22 | Jason Feger |
| 23 | Chub Frank |
| 24 | Steve Francis |
| 25 | Frank Heckenast Jr. |
There are only two weekends of big time dirt late model racing remaining this season-and you can watch the action from both events on DOD. This weekend is the unsanctioned National 100 from East Alabama Speedway in Phenix City, and next weekend will be the WoO championships from the Dirt Track in Charlotte, and will also include 410 sprint car and big block modified action.
Although late model action will soon be ending, and Midwestern racing action is through for 2015, you can still get your internet racing fix after the late models chill until January. Speed Shift TV will show 10 races over 8 nights in November, while RACEFEEDX.com has 15 November races and 2 December races on their schedule, including the huge Duel in the Desert from Las Vegas. Check out all the websites for more information.
I feel like a scratched record-vinyl IS making a comeback, and if you don’t know what an LP is, I’ll show you my Davie Allan and the Arrows album. Anyway, I have said over and over that you can expect something bizarre to happen almost every week in NASCAR, and it is a better than even event something weird will happen when the Sprint Cup Series visits Alabama and the biggest track on the circuit.
Sunday was simply to strange for words. For a time it looked like Greg Biffle was going to steal a win on fuel mileage, and steal is the only way a Roush Fenway driver is going to win anything in 2015, but a late caution flag and lengthy clean-up under yellow took care of that problem.
Drivers lined up for a green-white-checkered finish at Talladega, and according to NASCAR there would only be one attempt at a green-white-checkered. Except there was two-well, apparently the first did not count as an attempt because the caution came out before leaders crossed the start line.
OK, NASCAR wanted to give fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. a chance at a win and in turn remain in the championship hunt. So, a second, ‘er first other restart. And true to form there was a big wreck almost immediately after the green flew this time, but the leaders had crossed the start line, so, it was yellow and checkered for the race.
Now, NASCAR had to want Earnhardt to remain in the Chase, for TV ratings alone. And if they had waited about two seconds longer to throw the caution, they would have got what they wanted. Instead, when they flew the yellow, Joey Logano was leading, giving him the win. Everyone likes Earnhardt, no one likes Logano-I mean he sells like two t-shirts a week at NASCAR races. Outside his family, Tony Anville might be his only real fan.
So, no Earnhardt running for a championship. BUT, should Kevin Harvick be blamed for the 88 missing a win? Harvick’s engine was about to expire at the end of the race. If the race had not ended in a caution, Harvick likely would have faded to a poor finish, and the past champion would have been out of the championship picture. So, conspiracy buffs suggest that Harvick intentionally wrecked Roush Fenway driver Trevor Bayne to cause a caution so he would finish higher.
Interesting theory, but I would say if Bayne gets wrecked trying to pass a car that couldn’t go over 30 miles per hour, it says more about the current status of RFR, than about Harvick.
So, Jeff Gordon is still in the championship hunt-along with Logano, Brad Keselowski, Harvick, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Martin Truex Jr. With any luck Logano will get his much deserved payback from Matt Kenseth this weekend at Martinsville. And with a lot of luck, the final four at Homestead will be Gordon, Harvick, Truex, and Kyle Busch.
I’ll be watching the Sprint Cup race this weekend, but how many of the Jr. Nation will be watching? Fingers crossed for a 24 win, and Logano meeting the Martinsville wall courtesy of Kenseth.
Thanks for stopping by.
Baseball, Bold Predictions, Brian Birkhofer, And Bad Cities,
From the “just when you thought it was safe to get back in the water” department-Nebraska’s primary is over and the only Nebraska political ads are from the Democratic candidate for Governor, Chuck Hassebrook. Unfortunately, the Iowa primary is yet to come-it will be held on June 3rd. Since the Omaha TV stations serve southwest Iowa too, we are now getting Iowa political ads. It was bad enough having to watch ads of people I don’t like, but know. Now I have to watch ads of people I probably wouldn’t like, but don’t know. What a waste of money.
Apparently the other 22 voters in this week’s www.DirtonDirt.com Top 25 poll are very wise. I don’t want to offend Jeff Broeg by bragging, so I won’t mention how many of the Top 25 in my ballot were on the overall Top 25.
By the time you read this I will be headed to Omaha to take in some Big 10 baseball. I am looking forward to Nebraska winning four games and capturing the tournament championship-and maybe even earning the right to host an NCAA regional next weekend.
I wish I could also say I was going racing this weekend, but the only racing it appears I may watch is the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 from Charlotte on FOX Sports-listening to Larry and his brother Darrell and his other brother Darrell. I am voting with my entertainment dollars, and right now dirt track racing hasn’t been much of a candidate. Other than the Silver Dollar Nationals in July, I don’t have any local racing planned.
Some predictions:
-Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Coca-Cola 600. Just as long as it isn’t a Roush driver, I don’t really care. I don’t know why I am picking Earnhardt, but it is not to jinx him like it is when I pick Carl Edwards.
-Juan Pablo Montoya in the Indy 500. Mainly because other than Kurt Busch-who won’t win-I don’t really know any of the Indy Car drivers. Montoya is fast and will do OK-as long as there are no jet dryers on the track.
Lee Ackerman emailed me about listening to the Indy 500 in days when both of us were much younger, and the event was televised. I remember those days, and that it was exciting. This Sunday? I’ll be in Omaha watching Nebraska beat Indiana for the Big 10 championship, and no I won’t DVR the race to watch on Monday.
-Brian Birkhofer in the Show-Me 100 (I told you Birkhofer would not be off my Top 25 ballot for long).
Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, North Carolina is one of the 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S. for walkers. New York and Chicago are among the safest for walkers. Interesting. I don’t know how I transition to wondering about what it would be like to have a condo at Charlotte Motor Speedway during race weeks, but I wonder what it would be like to have a condo at CMS during race weeks. Maybe the Speedway Club could cater for all of your guests-you can belong to the fine dining at a race track club for a mere $2,500 initiation fee and $250 a year renewal fee. Sounds like a Tony Anville deal, not a Ron Meyer deal. I probably couldn’t even afford a hot dog at the track.
Back in the days before I became a big-time writer I used to do the books for North Bend Mini-Mart. I would get up at 5:00 a.m. and work a few hours there before heading to my “day job.” The piped in music used to play “Walking in Memphis.” I didn’t like the song, and wouldn’t like walking there either-it is the fifth most dangerous U.S. city for walkers.
It isn’t summer yet, but I am giving up on smelling like dirt at the end of a spring day. No seeds I planted and nourished have grown, so why bother? Obviously the universe is conspiring against me. I just hope it conspires in favor of the Huskers and Brian Birkhofer this weekend.
Thanks for stopping by.
Phoenix, Las Vegas, Las Cruces, Gaffney, Chicago, Melbourne X 2, Kansas City, And No Weather Complaints
I watched much of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race from Phoenix yesterday, only falling asleep for a few minutes. Without question Kevin Harvick had the dominant car, and his back stretch below the yellow line passes were classic.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. backed up his Daytona win with a stout second place Phoenix finish, and Jeff Gordon made a dandy late lap pass to move from 7th to 5th, getting his second top five early in the season. I have liked Gordon for many years, and though the Junior Nation is whacky, I really don’t mind the driver of the 88 car.
Moving on to Las Vegas this weekend, Earnhardt is the Sprint Cup point leader, followed by Brad Keselowski, Gordon, Harvick, and Jimmie Johnson. Yes I do envy the Nebraskan who will be in Las Vegas this week-for at least the WoO Sprint Car races at the nearby dirt track.
FOX NASCAR coverage always irritates me, but now they have grown lazy too. Several segments shown on the NASCAR Countdown on FSN1 were also shown on the FOX prerace show. If they are important enough to be shown on the FOX prerace show, then don’t show them earlier. Showing them twice says there is way too much time being spent on prerace programming. If I have the titles of the two programs mixed, I apologize. Actually, if there had been any basketball games on that I wanted to watch, I would not have watched the show on FSN1 at all.
Although it is only March 3rd, one regional racing championship has already been determined. Stormy Scott is the USMTS MVT Gulf Coast Border Region Champion. This puts Scott in position to win $100,000 is USMTS point money by winning an additional three regional championships. Two additional regional championships would garner the Las Cruces, New Mexico driver $75,000, while a second regional championship would have Scott leaving the USMTS season ending banquet with a $50,000 check.
Scott won Saturday’s USMTS feature at Southern New Mexico Speedway, while his twin brother Johnny won the Friday night feature there. I only mention that because I would be getting an email from my friend Tony Anville if I didn’t. Other than Austin and Ty Dillon, the Scotts are Anville’s favorite brother drivers.
Notice how long it took me to mention late models in this post. It probably has something to do with the winners of the two big late model races this weekend. Chris Madden won the NDRL Bama Bash at East Alabama Speedway, with Jonathan Davenport finishing second. Davenport won the March Madness race at Cherokee Speedway in South Carolina. While this may offend some, I really do not like Chris Madden, and can’t say I like Davenport much better. The only thing I can say about Davenport is he is not on the same level I put Jared Landers, and Madden is. Reluctantly I put both Madden and Davenport in my Top 25 Ballot for http://www.DirtonDirt.com this week, but I suspect I did not rank them as high as the other 20 who have votes.
My Pro Blogger email today gave information for their 5th Annual Training Event at Queensland, Australia. The information just came this morning, I checked to see what ticket prices were and four of the five types of tickets were already sold out and only one ticket remained of the other type. Say what? Well, I probably would have had to use GoFundMe.com to come up with the money anyway. I am thinking economy for about 18 hours of flying time would be a killer, but the cheapest business class fare is almost $5,000.
It wouldn’t work anyway, because it would conflict with two very important September events. No, not my birthday, not Matt’s birthday either, rather Henry’s birthday and my going to a Chicago Cubs game, and I am not missing either of those events. Anyway, I probably wouldn’t have been able to raise enough money to get to Melbourne, Florida let alone Melbourne, Australia, which is still 850 miles from Queensland. This event does remain on my “if I win the lottery” bucket list though.
After my friend Tony finished whining about how NASCAR must fix races in which Roush-Fenway drivers have less than stellar finishes, he sent me a link for an interview Joe Kosiski did upon being inducted into a Kansas City area racing Hall of Fame. Here is the link:
Thanks for stopping by.
Earnhardt Jr. Not Championship Favorite-I’m Not Lying
A prominent journalist had an interesting article on a certain motorsports website today. I can say prominent because this writer is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association, and it is my understanding that I am the only NMPA member who is not a prominent journalist. That was meant as a denigrating remark to me, not a brag. Anyway, I won’t mention his name and I won’t mention the site-well, here is a clue if you are old like me. This site was once a print publication that went strictly digital in 2013. Prior to that it was a monthly magazine. Before that it was a biweekly magazine. And for 122 years before it became a magazine, it was a weekly newspaper, mainly covering one sport. I will be shocked if more than a handful of you can guess the name without Googling it. So shocked that I will offer a free trip to Melbourne, Florida to the first person who can correctly identify the publication/site-AND convince me they did not use Google.
Anyway, this prominent journalist wrote an article titled: “Checkered flag at Daytona does not make Earnhardt Jr. Championship favorite.” Really? Ain’t that a shock? With one race down and 35 to go, the 88 car isn’t the favorite? Amazing.
OK, I know these guys have to come up with so many words a day and that isn’t as easy as it sounds. But sometimes these people make less sense than me, and even my newest readers understand that occasionally my passion takes over and I put myself out on a limb with a saw in hand (however just because it appears I make no sense doesn’t mean I am wrong). Why even write the “Earnhardt Jr. isn’t a favorite article?” Everyone but Junior Nation members understand that, and even after he is mathematically eliminated from championship contention year after year, they still believe he will be annointed king of NASCAR’s most important division.
With 25 races before The Chase, lots of bad things can happen. Think of Denny Hamlin’s compression fracture last year that kept him out of the car for weeks and eliminated him from championship contention. For that matter, think of Earnhardt’s concussions several years ago that sat him for several races. Such unfortunate happenings could keep the 88 out of The Chase even under the new format.
And even if the 88 makes The Chase, even if he would win the first two races of The Chase, pundits still shouldn’t name him or anyone else a favorite. Remember how Matt Kenseth was crowned Sprint Cup Champion by the media after just two Chase races last year, and where did he finish in the championship? So, no, Earnhardt Jr. isn’t the favorite. Not even Jimmie Johnson is the favorite so early in the season. I think Earnhardt Jr. will do well this season. Maybe it will finally be his championship season. Or maybe not. Just give some NASCAR fans credit for having half of a brain.
Now if the NASCAR writers want something to waste our time with, talk about shortening all but a handful of races-the Daytona 500, the Southern 500 at Darlington, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, and the Bristol night race-to a number of miles or laps that can be readily completed in 3 hours. Add a pre-race show of 20 minutes and a post-race show of 10 minutes and you have a TV package completed in about the same time as a football game. This would be for the casual fan.
There could still be hours and hours and hours of Sprint Cup pre-race shows on the oddball networks so the hard core can find out if Junior has a hang nail, what Chad Knaus eats for breakfast, if Ricky Stenhouse is in Danica’s dog house, etc. Would this help with ratings? I don’t know. It wouldn’t hurt them. I got the above in an email from someone I always thought was smarter than 99% of promoters and after last week who I know is smarter than 99% of promoters, so I figured I should use it.
It was not easy coming up with 700 words today.
Thanks for stopping by.
Daytona 500 is NASCAR Sprint Cup’s Version Of The Silver Dollar Nationals
Yes, the title was just a sleazy way of pushing up my numbers for the day. I am so ashamed.
One member of my family calls Dale Earnhardt Jr. “a nice young man,” and was happy to see him win the Daytona 500 last night. No, I don’t talk like that-and it wasn’t Matt either. Still, I was happy to see the 88 car cross the Daytona International finish line first. With his name he carries a burden few people could, and at least for the next few months this will end the constant speculation about when he will win another race. Plus, the way the “new” Chase is set up he very likely has garnered a spot in NASCAR’s run to the Sprint Cup Championship. And, it was the one race that every driver wants to win.
I enjoyed the genuine joy Earnhardt Jr. showed after winning the race, plus his finish meant no one from Roush-Fenway Racing won, nor did anyone named Keselowski. I am what I am and no one ever said TRODT was unbiased. I like side by side racing, and last night it was often side by side by side-three wide racing. No complaints from me there, nor was there a shortage of lead changes during the race. NASCAR had to be happy because the fan favorite won the race and that should spike ticket sales for the coming races, and increase TV ratings too. Like me, they had to be pleased with the side by side racing and lead changes, but unlike me, I suspect they weren’t terribly unhappy with the number of multi-car crashes in the 500 since no one was hurt. Rednecks like crashes.
There are times I wonder if the world’s greatest drivers aren’t unlike 43 rednecks racing to the liquor store for a cold 12-pack of Bud Light, but restrictor plate racing bunches the field and if one driver makes even a tiny mistake, it likely means 5-6 or more cars go careening across the track, tires smoking, sparks flying. Like I said above, I don’t particularly like crashes and seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment torn up, but it is going to be a part of Daytona and Talladega until other rules are devised.
The only real complaint I have about the wrecks last night was there was no SAFER barrier where Danica Patrick’s car hit the wall hard. Because of improved in-car safety she was able to walk away from a terrible hit. Ten years ago I am not so sure she would have. I am trying to figure out a reason why this of all tracks does not have the SAFER barrier around every foot of walls. Yes it is expensive, but what would it mean to spend to make the track safer? That some member of the France family would have to do without a new jet this year? Come on.
Random thoughts:
-I enjoyed Matt Kenseth’s Blues Brothers act, spinning into his pit backwards on an early stop. I did not enjoy his incessant whining about his car, especially when it happens every week, and especially when he seems to almost always end up near the front at the end of the race.
-I try not to agree with FOX announcer Darrell Waltrip, but he was right about Earnhardt Jr. and Crew Chief Steve Letarte doing special things in Letarte’s last year with the 88 car. Letarte moving on has to be big motivation for both him and Earnhardt Jr. to work even harder than they have in the past, and the old cliché is “success breeds success.
-I am not a great Denny Hamlin fan, but his performance the entire Speedweeks serves notice he intends to be a force in this year’s Sprint Cup Series.
-I always enjoy Jeff Gordon doing well. There is simply no better spokesman for NASCAR than the driver of the 24 car, and I think the work of the Jeff Gordon Foundation is simply outstanding. Gordon finished 4th, a nice start for the season.
-It was a tough night for Tony Stewart. Even though his race ended because of mechanical issues, I don’t think he is back to the Stewart everyone saw before his serious sprint car crash in Iowa last year. I hope he is back in stride sooner rather than later because NASCAR needs not just his attitude, but his car up front in races.
-Perhaps it was just me, but Austin Dillon seemed to be near a lot of the on track carnage last night. I am not saying he caused all of it or any of it, but I am also not saying he didn’t cause some of it. Maybe someone smarter than me can make that determination. It did seem like he had a bubble around the car protecting him-I thought there were three times when cars were wrecking all around him, and his car escaped with no damage. Dillon finished 9th.
-Finally, Matt emailed me and suggested that the Daytona 500 be run at night every year. The 160 laps run at night were much better than the 40 that were run before the rain delay. That is a good idea, but knowing NASCAR it will never happen.
Thanks for stopping by.
I Guarantee This Has NEVER Been Seen Nor Heard Before
I guarantee you have never read what you are about to read-not in another blog, not in a magazine article, not in a book. You have never heard this on the radio, nor have you ever watched it on TV even though there are thousands and thousands of hours of NASCAR over the air coverage.
If you don’t already think I am crazy, you probably will after reading this. As happens so many times, I woke up in the middle of the night last night. And like other times, I woke up with an idea for a blog post. I started comparing NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers with Civil War generals.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be J.E.B. Stuart, the Confederate cavalry leaders. Stuart was known for exciting forays against Union troops, but at times-most memorably at Gettysburg-he was absent from the action. That certainly sounds like NASCAR’s most popular driver.
Tim Richmond could have been General George Amstrong Custer. Custer was a brevet general-meaning a war-time only promotion, and to call him flamboyant would be an understatement. Richmond was like nothing before him in NASCAR, and proved it ain’t bragging if you can do it. Both died controversial and tragic deaths. Richmond deserved better from NASCAR.
Clint Bowyer could be Rebel General James Longstreet. Longstreet was Lee’s right hand man after the death of Stonewall Jackson, but regrettably is best known for his actions at Gettysburg. Though Lee accepted the blame for the defeat on the fields near this Pennsylvania town, many in the south blamed Longstreet. Longstreet may have done a mediocre job of carrying out Lee’s instructions, but the plan came from Lee. We all know what Bowyer has been blamed for this season.
I suppose Brad Keselowski could be compared with the North’s William Tecumseh Sherman of Sherman’s March to the Sea fame. In my book though, Keselowski would be more like a soldier’s bayonet, or better (worse?) a Civil War cannon. Definitely a loose cannon.
I would compare Carl Edwards with the Union’s George McClellan. McClellan had everything he needed to win battles, to win the war, but always seemed to be out-generaled. That seems to be the case of Edwards during NASCAR’s Chase.
Current driver Jeff Gordon and seven time champion Richard Petty would be NASCAR’s version of Robert E. Lee. Though not totally correct, it has been said that Lee never lost a battle before Gettysburg and never won one after. Gordon and Petty won many races and championships but not so many in the twilight of Hall of Fame careers. I still don’t believe Gordon is through winning, though the best he can do in 2013 is 3rd in The Chase. Petty showed great dignity in winning and through adversity and Gordon is simply the best spokesman NASCAR has had in years, truly a class act.
To Ulysses S. Grant, victory was everything and he was willing to pay whatever the price was to win on the battlefield. He did not care what any other general or any politician thought of him or his efforts. Obviously Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be NASCAR’s version of Grant. It seems almost impossible that Earnhardt has been gone for over a dozen years.
Of today’s drivers, Tony Stewart would best fit Grant. Certainly for the reasons listed above, but Grant was able to win battles in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Virginia. Stewart has won on asphalt and on dirt, in stock cars and Indy cars and sprint cars and late models.
I haven’t mentioned Jimmie Johnson. The five-time Sprint Cup champion is well on his way to a 6th championship. I couldn’t come up with a general to match with Johnson. Perhaps with his beard, the most famous of all Civil War personages would fit Johnson. Call him Abe Lincoln, the Commander in Chief.
Hopefully, for my sake and for yours, I will get a good night’s sleep tonight. Thanks for stopping by.
P.S. This really wasn’t that crazy.
Cost Per Win Plus Autographs
A recent study showed how much each win cost a major league baseball team in 2013. The lowly Houston Astros spent $432,600 per win. Of course they only won 51 games, so there is probably some correlation between low total payroll and talent on the team. At the other end of the scale was the New York Yankees who spent $2,692,182 per win-and did not make the play-offs this season, so having the highest payroll doesn’t always guarantee the success owners like Hank Steinbrenner expect.
Being a numbers person I wondered how much NASCAR Sprint Cup teams spent per win. According to a 2012 Jacksonville Florida Times-Union article, it costs a championship caliber team $400,000 per week to compete in the series. There will be 37 point races and 2 non-point races in 2013, so factoring in $400,000 per week from the Jacksonville paper’s article it costs a NASCAR team $15,600,000 to make a top notch effort.
Matt Kenseth has 7 wins in 2013, so Joe Gibbs Racing spends roughly $2,228,571 per win, though Kenseth is liable to win more races as the season winds down. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not won a race in 2013, and won just one time in 2012. By my calculations it costs Hendrick Racing $31,200,000 per Earnhardt Jr. victory.
I don’t have an actual estimate on how much it costs to race a dirt late model in one of that national touring series, but I have heard the figure $250,000 per season bandied about. At roughly 40 nights racing that figures out to be $6,250 per race. A second place finish at all but a dozen races a year does not pay that much, so to make a living racing a dirt late model you have to have a good sponsor-maybe more than one good sponsor, along with good fortune. Driving a late model on dirt is not an easy way to make a living, though most of us which we could do just that.
www.DirtonDirt.com will be showing both nights of the NDRL Pittsburgher 100 this weekend. Cost for a two package is $35.99, while either night can be had for $19.99. Crate late models and modifieds will be support classes at the event, and their races will also be part of the PPV.
According to the NDRL website, drivers like Josh Richards, Billy Moyer, Jimmy Mars, Scott Bloomquist, Steve Francis, Dale McDowell, Rick Eckert, Shane Clanton, and Gregg Satterlee will be on hand. Friday’s 50 lap feature pays $10,000 to win, while the 100 laps A main on Saturday pays $25,000 to the first place finisher.
Finally, back to NASCAR for a brief rant. A friend who went to the Sprint Cup race in Kansas last Sunday stated that many drivers totally ignored fans clamoring for autographs during the hours preceding the race. So now NASCAR drivers are becoming like stars in the NFL and NBA, too good to associate with the riff raff who pay damn good money to see them up close and personal. As a matter of fact, I do get somewhat surly when I hear such stories. Without the fans who love the sport, most of these drivers would be mechanics, truck drivers, or working on the line at some manufacturing plant, NOT living in million dollar mansions at Lake Norman.
Others feel this way. Here is a link to an article in the Charlotte newspaper:
Responding to the article on his NASCAR radio program, Chocolate Myers went off on “these 20 and 30 something drivers who don’t know a damn thing about the sport before they came into it” and told them to “go to Caraway Speedway where no media will be, you’ll only have to do 1 or 2 pictures, and your foundation won’t be what it is, and you’ll have to fly commercial, and have a camper instead of a motor coach” so “the next time somebody asks you for an autograph or photo shut the you know what up and do it so you can keep your 6 or 7 figure job.”
Myers is a former Dale Earnhardt crew member and an NMPA award-The Myer Brothers Award is given in honor of his family. The award has been given since 1958, and past recipients include Ned Jarrett, the Wood Brothers, ESPN, Dale Earnhardt, and the 2012 winner, Jeff Gordon. My point is that the man does have credibility; he is no blogger that is easily ignored.
Anyway, as Myers said, shut up and sign the autographs.
Thanks for stopping by.
Is Earnhardt Coming To Silver Dollar Nationals III?
My friend Tony Anville donated vacation leave to a state employee with cancer. Occasionally I have to admit I am glad he is a friend, and this is one of those times.
Since several well known members of the Midwest racing family struck out in their attempt to bring big name NASCAR drivers to the area, Anville suggested that I-80 Speedway go after someone named Earnhardt to appear at Silver Dollar Nationals III. No, the one worth several hundred million dollars is not interested. Yes, I did make that statement as fact not speculation. However, Anville thinks the track should go after Bobby Dale Earnhardt instead. Who is he? Check out the links below:
http://www.bobbydaleearnhardt.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjVdiZcBY0Y
Anville has been drinking too much eggnog as he suggested I say something nice about everyone in my pre-Christmas post, even a track I try not to mention. His exact words were “at least Stan Cisar is the announcer,” and “you can give Stan a shout-out since you’ll be eating free off of him tomorrow.”
It has been a busy week in the Meyer house. Not many blogs were posted, but my numbers were better on days I didn’t post. Hopefully that was because readers checked back a time or two to see if I did post. My to-do list has shrunk dramatically in the last eight days. Mostly I just supervised carpenters and plumbers, but I did replace a light bulb. And no Randy, I do not need to know how many late model fans it takes to change a light bulb. The blog is going to be hit and miss in the coming weeks too, with the holidays and my trip to the NMX in Las Vegas coming up.
I do want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. There are so many negatives happening in the world that a day to pause, reflect, and enjoy our family is much needed. Thanks to all of you for your loyalty to The Rest of the Dirt, and thank you for stopping by even when I don’t write.
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