Am I the only one who thinks Patrick Carpentier got a raw deal?
The rookie Sprint Cup driver -- who before switching to stock cars was an open-wheel champion -- was released unceremoniously by Gillett Evernham Motorsports on Tuesday. Despite missing this past weekend's AMP Energy 500 at Talladega, Carpentier had shown signs of progress as the season progressed, often managing to qualify on time because of the No. 10's standing outside the Top 35 in owner points.
After qualifying at Talladega on Friday, Carpentier apparently had words with crew chief/team director Mike Shiplett, who allegedly blamed Carpentier for not making the race. Carpentier, who won the pole for the June Cup race at New Hampshire, shot back by saying he took cars Shiplett said weren't fast enough at Dover and Atlanta and made both races.
After running in the No. 00 for Michael Waltrip Racing this weekend at Charlotte, A.J.Alllmendinger will run the No. 10 for the rest of the season. Carpentier's plans for 2009 are unknown, but I hope he doesn't return to open-wheel racing the way Dario Fanchitti did. Carpentier obviously loves and has a passion for stock car racing, and I think he has a chance to flourish under the right circumstances.
The reason open-wheel drivers struggle in NASCAR isn't a question of talent -- all of them that made the chance, Allmendinger aside, have won championships in other series around the world -- but experience. Open-wheel cars are night and day from stock cars, in terms of weight and handling and engine placement and all those other technical aspects. To expect someone to adapt almost immediately is insane.
Just because Tony Stewart made the switch with relative ease doesn't mean everyone else can. The open-wheel veterans need seat time, whether it's in the Cup, Truck or Nationwide Series. Hell, run some ARCA races if you have to. The open-wheel drivers also are, by and large, on teams that are struggling at the Cup level, which can't help matters.
Here's hoping Carpentier finds his way in NASCAR next season. His talent and personality would be great for the sport.
Pay Your Taxes
Memo to Helio Castroneves: you have to pay your taxes here in the United States. Washington gets kind of upset if you don't -- just ask Willie Nelson.
Some in the media -- okay, the guys of PTI -- expressed shock at how little coverage this has received. They point to Castroneves being one of the more recognizable names in the IndyCar Series, as well as the fact that he won the reality TV show Dancing With the Stars. While that may be true, the simple fact remains: he's an IRL driver, so his star power only reaches but so far.
Now, if this were an NFL or NBA player -- or even a high-profile NASCAR driver -- this would get a lot more attention. Think about it: say you flip on ESPN and see Jeff Gordon under investigation for tax fraud. That's a bigger deal, no? What about if the IRS started pounding on Ray Lewis' door?
Hell, Sidney Crosby would probably create more buzz over something like this.
Not only that, but compared to shootings, robbery and any number of other crimes (like getting all rebellion in the scrip club), tax fraud just isn't all that ... sexy. Sure, Castroneves forgot to pay the federal government, but he didn't kill anyone in doing so (we think).
Still, the PR hit IndyCar will take from this can't be good. That's a sport on the fringe of the national consciousness as it is -- it needs all the good pub it can get.
Impressive
Hey, I just went an entire post without mentioning Dale Earnhardt Jr. That's an accomplishment worth celebra -- oh, wait ...
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Four Down, Six to Go: Talladega Musings
Memo to Regan Smith: a rule is a rule, so shut your mouth and get over it.
The finish at Talladega on Sunday, while exciting as usual, wasn’t without controversy, as Smith ducked below the yellow line to pass Tony Stewart coming to the checkered flag and take what he thought was his first career win. Only problem was, Talladega has the “out of bounds” rule – no diving below the yellow line on the bottom of the race track to advance your position.
Both Talladega and Daytona – the only two tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit that run horsepower-robbing restrictor plates – have this rule, and it’s discussed ad nauseum every time the series visits either track.
Stewart bellowed after the checkered flag Smith passed him below the line; NASCAR officials agreed, and gave the victory to Stewart, who crossed the finish line second. Smith, as penalty for the move, finished 18th, the last car on the lead lap. Feeling he’d been robbed, a teary-eyed Smith told NASCAR officials he’d been forced below the line – NASCAR rules state a pass under the yellow line is legal if the driver who does the passing was forced down there.
No dice.
Looking at the replay, Stewart obviously ducked low on Smith in the tri-oval. He was blocking his position, which is what the leader at Talladega always does on the last lap. It’s the nature of plate racing. Did Stewart force Smith below the line? Possibly; you could argue he did. But being forced below the yellow line is so hard to quantify; it’s a judgment call. Only two people know for sure: Stewart and Smith. And I guarantee you they disagree.
NASCAR made the best call it could with the information it had. There had been some rumblings that the yellow line rule went out the window once the checkered flag was in sight – a SPEED TV commentator said so during the Truck Series race on Saturday, and a NASCAR spokesman said the same after the Feb. 2007 Truck Series race at Daytona.
I’ll leave it to The Virginian-Pilot NASCAR writer Dustin Long – a veteran of covering motorsports, to explain what exactly is said in the drivers’ meeting in his blog.
And while taking the win away from Smith could affect his future with the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. – that No. 01 team needs a sponsor to keep running – the fact remains that he broke a rule and as such, didn’t deserve to win the race.
And considering all the bad luck Stewart’s had this year, doesn’t it seem fitting for a break to finally go his way?
Talladega Wild Card
Just how much can Talladega affect the Chase standings? When Carl Edwards bumped Greg Biffle in Turn 3 with 15 laps to go Sunday, he triggered The Big One – and took out seven of the 12 Chase drivers in the process.
Jeff Gordon found himself a victim of David Reutimann’s tire problem earlier in the day. Denny Hamlin, another Chase driver, smacked the wall while leading earlier in the day, when his right front tire exploded in Turn 2. More on that later.
So nine of the 12 drivers eligible for the Sprint Cup title had troubles Sunday. Jimmie Johnson didn’t, finishing ninth and opening up a 72-point lead over Edwards. Among those involved in the big crash: Edwards, Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.
No wonder everyone calls this race a wild card in the Chase. Martinsville, the Virginia short track the series will visit in two weeks, is also considered a wild card, given the unpredictable nature of short track racing, but in terms of shaking up the standings and turning everything on its head, nothing beats a good restrictor-plate race.
The tight packs, the constant three- and four-wide racing drives fans and television executives wild, and any sneeze could send as many as 25 cars to the hauler and the scrap heap. Everyone loves it but the vast majority of drivers, and Sunday’s wreck was exactly the reason why.
Credit goes to Edwards for manning up to his mistake, and I want to give Biffle credit too for not jumping down his Roush-Fenway teammate’s throat. Biffle would’ve been well within his rights to, considering Edwards’ bump sent him sideways, into Kenseth and all hell broke loose from there.
Still, if Edwards and Biffle fall short in their quest for the title this year, we can probably point to The Big One when explaining why.
Don’t Blame Goodyear This Time
Sure, there were a lot of blown tires on Sunday, but this wasn’t Indy Part II. The tire debacle at the Brickyard was entirely Goodyear’s fault for not bringing the right compound to the track after doing what they said was an exhaustive tire test.
Sunday’s issues – which led to blown tires for David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Mike Wallace and Denny Hamlin – were likely more an issue of either the track surface or car setups. Aggressive camber settings and low air pressures can sometimes lead to disastrous tire failure.
But think about this: Friday’s ARCA race at Talladega faced similar tire issues – the ARCA Series runs on Hoosier tires, so it wasn’t just Goodyear. The Truck Series race also saw its share of blown-out tires, running theoretically a different Goodyear compound than the Sprint Cup cars.
Something needs to be done, no doubt – Hamlin’s impact was so fierce, he wound up going to a Birmingham hospital overnight after complaining of headaches and a sore right ankle – but I don’t think the blame lies with Goodyear this time.
Again, look at either the track itself or have crews examine their setups a little closer.
Side Note
I just realized: this is the 43rd post in this blog. It could just be the fact that I'm a NASCAR geek, but I think that's pretty cool. Besides, if you're reading this and I have to explain to you why No. 43 is so freakin' cool when it comes to auto racing, then you really don't know anything about the sport, do you?
The finish at Talladega on Sunday, while exciting as usual, wasn’t without controversy, as Smith ducked below the yellow line to pass Tony Stewart coming to the checkered flag and take what he thought was his first career win. Only problem was, Talladega has the “out of bounds” rule – no diving below the yellow line on the bottom of the race track to advance your position.
Both Talladega and Daytona – the only two tracks on the Sprint Cup circuit that run horsepower-robbing restrictor plates – have this rule, and it’s discussed ad nauseum every time the series visits either track.
Stewart bellowed after the checkered flag Smith passed him below the line; NASCAR officials agreed, and gave the victory to Stewart, who crossed the finish line second. Smith, as penalty for the move, finished 18th, the last car on the lead lap. Feeling he’d been robbed, a teary-eyed Smith told NASCAR officials he’d been forced below the line – NASCAR rules state a pass under the yellow line is legal if the driver who does the passing was forced down there.
No dice.
Looking at the replay, Stewart obviously ducked low on Smith in the tri-oval. He was blocking his position, which is what the leader at Talladega always does on the last lap. It’s the nature of plate racing. Did Stewart force Smith below the line? Possibly; you could argue he did. But being forced below the yellow line is so hard to quantify; it’s a judgment call. Only two people know for sure: Stewart and Smith. And I guarantee you they disagree.
NASCAR made the best call it could with the information it had. There had been some rumblings that the yellow line rule went out the window once the checkered flag was in sight – a SPEED TV commentator said so during the Truck Series race on Saturday, and a NASCAR spokesman said the same after the Feb. 2007 Truck Series race at Daytona.
I’ll leave it to The Virginian-Pilot NASCAR writer Dustin Long – a veteran of covering motorsports, to explain what exactly is said in the drivers’ meeting in his blog.
And while taking the win away from Smith could affect his future with the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. – that No. 01 team needs a sponsor to keep running – the fact remains that he broke a rule and as such, didn’t deserve to win the race.
And considering all the bad luck Stewart’s had this year, doesn’t it seem fitting for a break to finally go his way?
Talladega Wild Card
Just how much can Talladega affect the Chase standings? When Carl Edwards bumped Greg Biffle in Turn 3 with 15 laps to go Sunday, he triggered The Big One – and took out seven of the 12 Chase drivers in the process.
Jeff Gordon found himself a victim of David Reutimann’s tire problem earlier in the day. Denny Hamlin, another Chase driver, smacked the wall while leading earlier in the day, when his right front tire exploded in Turn 2. More on that later.
So nine of the 12 drivers eligible for the Sprint Cup title had troubles Sunday. Jimmie Johnson didn’t, finishing ninth and opening up a 72-point lead over Edwards. Among those involved in the big crash: Edwards, Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.
No wonder everyone calls this race a wild card in the Chase. Martinsville, the Virginia short track the series will visit in two weeks, is also considered a wild card, given the unpredictable nature of short track racing, but in terms of shaking up the standings and turning everything on its head, nothing beats a good restrictor-plate race.
The tight packs, the constant three- and four-wide racing drives fans and television executives wild, and any sneeze could send as many as 25 cars to the hauler and the scrap heap. Everyone loves it but the vast majority of drivers, and Sunday’s wreck was exactly the reason why.
Credit goes to Edwards for manning up to his mistake, and I want to give Biffle credit too for not jumping down his Roush-Fenway teammate’s throat. Biffle would’ve been well within his rights to, considering Edwards’ bump sent him sideways, into Kenseth and all hell broke loose from there.
Still, if Edwards and Biffle fall short in their quest for the title this year, we can probably point to The Big One when explaining why.
Don’t Blame Goodyear This Time
Sure, there were a lot of blown tires on Sunday, but this wasn’t Indy Part II. The tire debacle at the Brickyard was entirely Goodyear’s fault for not bringing the right compound to the track after doing what they said was an exhaustive tire test.
Sunday’s issues – which led to blown tires for David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Mike Wallace and Denny Hamlin – were likely more an issue of either the track surface or car setups. Aggressive camber settings and low air pressures can sometimes lead to disastrous tire failure.
But think about this: Friday’s ARCA race at Talladega faced similar tire issues – the ARCA Series runs on Hoosier tires, so it wasn’t just Goodyear. The Truck Series race also saw its share of blown-out tires, running theoretically a different Goodyear compound than the Sprint Cup cars.
Something needs to be done, no doubt – Hamlin’s impact was so fierce, he wound up going to a Birmingham hospital overnight after complaining of headaches and a sore right ankle – but I don’t think the blame lies with Goodyear this time.
Again, look at either the track itself or have crews examine their setups a little closer.
Side Note
I just realized: this is the 43rd post in this blog. It could just be the fact that I'm a NASCAR geek, but I think that's pretty cool. Besides, if you're reading this and I have to explain to you why No. 43 is so freakin' cool when it comes to auto racing, then you really don't know anything about the sport, do you?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Three Down, Seven to Go: Kansas Musings
Following Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway, I just have one question: how different would the Chase look if Carl Edwards didn't smack the fence in the final corner and managed to win the race?
I don't mean the standings themselves -- Edwards would still be atop the standings with Johnson a very close second -- but the outlook heading into the final seven races. It would have been a nice bit of momentum for Edwards, and it would've also been one more race Jimmie Johnson didn't win.
Everyone knows the Chase is Johnson's time of year. He's never finished worse than fourth in the playoff, and has won the last two Sprint Cup titles. His win on Sunday put Johnson atop the points going into Talladega, and Johnson has shown more often than not that once he's on top, it's almost impossible to knock him off.
Edwards and Greg Biffle -- who finished third on Sunday -- will still contend, and this championship has all the signs of coming down to the wire in Homestead. But Johnson has the momentum, and if he becomes the only man other than Cale Yarborough to win three consecutive Cup championships, we can probably point to Kansas as why.
That said, let's not hold Edwards' banzai move against him. He wanted to win that race badly, and not just because of the points, either. Edwards wanted to win in front of what is the closest thing he'll have to a home crowd. He wanted the checkered flag, which in an era of points racers, is a refreshing sight.
If only more guys in the Sprint Cup Series would show such a passion for winning. An already exciting series might be even more entertaining.
Down and Out -- And This Time, We Mean It
Remember last week, when I said counting out Kyle Busch, even after back-to-back horrible finishes was foolish, and that he still had a good shot of getting on a roll and winning the title?
Yeah, scratch that. He's done.
That 28th-place egg at Kansas leaves Busch 311 points out of the lead, in 12th place in the standings. More importantly, it shows that whatever the team had before the Chase started is gone.
For the third straight week, Busch's car had a mechanical issue, a fuel pickup malfunction that caused the engine to sputter. Even when the crew fixed that, the car didn't have the speed we've grown accustomed to seeing this season. While I find it hard to believe the No. 18 team has suddenly lost whatever it had earlier in the year, when it won eight races, the fact is other teams -- the No. 99, No. 48 and No. 16, specifically -- have caught up.
Busch might win another race or two in the final seven, but the best driver with the best crew and the best car for much of the season won't be hoisting the Sprint Cup Series trophy in Homestead. Some will love that, but others will point to this as the flaw of the Chase. But the fact is, even without the Chase, Busch would no longer be the points leader, and Edwards, Johnson and Biffle would still have all the momentum.
Seeing Red ... Bull
It was bad enough Red Bull Racing told A.J. Allmendinger he wouldn't be returning to the No. 84 car after the end of this season, but Tuesday's announcement he wouldn't be in that car anymore this year -- after a career-best ninth-place finish at Kansas -- seems disrespectful on so many levels.
Credit to Allmendinger for not phoning it in and driving like he meant it on Sunday -- that will go a long way in convincing another car owner to take a chance on him in the future. I realize Red Bull Racing wants to get Scott Speed to the Sprint Cup level as soon as possible, but at the expense of Allmendinger, who since being benched for Mike Skinner at the beginning of the season has qualified for every race and managed six top-15 finishes in the last nine races?
RBR never gave Allmendinger a shot -- adding an unproven open-wheel driver to a new team in the Sprint Cup Series will never lead to instant success, but Allmendinger was starting to get a handle on the whole stock car thing. Allmendinger deserves to be in the Cup Series full-time, and don't be surprised if in the next couple years he finds Victory Lane.
He just got a raw deal over at RBR. Not to take anything away from Speed, but Allmendinger deserves to be in that ride.
Taking His Sponsor and Going Home
According to the Associated Press on Tuesday, Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc. at the end of the season to drive for Robert Yates Racing. Menard will bring his sponsor, the home improvement outlet carrying the family name, with him.
While that could spell good news for Yates, that possibly leaves DEI in a bit of a pickle. The team did manage to sign Martin Truex Jr. for next season, but he's the only driver on the team now with guaranteed sponsorship for next season. Sure, Aric Almirola will be in the No. 8, but rumors persist the Army won't be with him. And considering how Regan Smith has used a patchwork of sponsors this season, things look bleak.
It does provide an interesting option for Allmendinger (see above), but he's probably more likely to wind up at either Chip Ganassi Racing in the No. 41 or at Petty Enterprises. If I had to guess right now, I'd say Allmendinger's heading for Ganassi.
Three drivers, four cars, one sponsor. Was this really what the late Dale Earnhardt had in mind when he founded this company? Probably not -- then again, he probably didn't envision his own son driving for Hendrick Motorsports, either.
I don't mean the standings themselves -- Edwards would still be atop the standings with Johnson a very close second -- but the outlook heading into the final seven races. It would have been a nice bit of momentum for Edwards, and it would've also been one more race Jimmie Johnson didn't win.
Everyone knows the Chase is Johnson's time of year. He's never finished worse than fourth in the playoff, and has won the last two Sprint Cup titles. His win on Sunday put Johnson atop the points going into Talladega, and Johnson has shown more often than not that once he's on top, it's almost impossible to knock him off.
Edwards and Greg Biffle -- who finished third on Sunday -- will still contend, and this championship has all the signs of coming down to the wire in Homestead. But Johnson has the momentum, and if he becomes the only man other than Cale Yarborough to win three consecutive Cup championships, we can probably point to Kansas as why.
That said, let's not hold Edwards' banzai move against him. He wanted to win that race badly, and not just because of the points, either. Edwards wanted to win in front of what is the closest thing he'll have to a home crowd. He wanted the checkered flag, which in an era of points racers, is a refreshing sight.
If only more guys in the Sprint Cup Series would show such a passion for winning. An already exciting series might be even more entertaining.
Down and Out -- And This Time, We Mean It
Remember last week, when I said counting out Kyle Busch, even after back-to-back horrible finishes was foolish, and that he still had a good shot of getting on a roll and winning the title?
Yeah, scratch that. He's done.
That 28th-place egg at Kansas leaves Busch 311 points out of the lead, in 12th place in the standings. More importantly, it shows that whatever the team had before the Chase started is gone.
For the third straight week, Busch's car had a mechanical issue, a fuel pickup malfunction that caused the engine to sputter. Even when the crew fixed that, the car didn't have the speed we've grown accustomed to seeing this season. While I find it hard to believe the No. 18 team has suddenly lost whatever it had earlier in the year, when it won eight races, the fact is other teams -- the No. 99, No. 48 and No. 16, specifically -- have caught up.
Busch might win another race or two in the final seven, but the best driver with the best crew and the best car for much of the season won't be hoisting the Sprint Cup Series trophy in Homestead. Some will love that, but others will point to this as the flaw of the Chase. But the fact is, even without the Chase, Busch would no longer be the points leader, and Edwards, Johnson and Biffle would still have all the momentum.
Seeing Red ... Bull
It was bad enough Red Bull Racing told A.J. Allmendinger he wouldn't be returning to the No. 84 car after the end of this season, but Tuesday's announcement he wouldn't be in that car anymore this year -- after a career-best ninth-place finish at Kansas -- seems disrespectful on so many levels.
Credit to Allmendinger for not phoning it in and driving like he meant it on Sunday -- that will go a long way in convincing another car owner to take a chance on him in the future. I realize Red Bull Racing wants to get Scott Speed to the Sprint Cup level as soon as possible, but at the expense of Allmendinger, who since being benched for Mike Skinner at the beginning of the season has qualified for every race and managed six top-15 finishes in the last nine races?
RBR never gave Allmendinger a shot -- adding an unproven open-wheel driver to a new team in the Sprint Cup Series will never lead to instant success, but Allmendinger was starting to get a handle on the whole stock car thing. Allmendinger deserves to be in the Cup Series full-time, and don't be surprised if in the next couple years he finds Victory Lane.
He just got a raw deal over at RBR. Not to take anything away from Speed, but Allmendinger deserves to be in that ride.
Taking His Sponsor and Going Home
According to the Associated Press on Tuesday, Paul Menard will leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc. at the end of the season to drive for Robert Yates Racing. Menard will bring his sponsor, the home improvement outlet carrying the family name, with him.
While that could spell good news for Yates, that possibly leaves DEI in a bit of a pickle. The team did manage to sign Martin Truex Jr. for next season, but he's the only driver on the team now with guaranteed sponsorship for next season. Sure, Aric Almirola will be in the No. 8, but rumors persist the Army won't be with him. And considering how Regan Smith has used a patchwork of sponsors this season, things look bleak.
It does provide an interesting option for Allmendinger (see above), but he's probably more likely to wind up at either Chip Ganassi Racing in the No. 41 or at Petty Enterprises. If I had to guess right now, I'd say Allmendinger's heading for Ganassi.
Three drivers, four cars, one sponsor. Was this really what the late Dale Earnhardt had in mind when he founded this company? Probably not -- then again, he probably didn't envision his own son driving for Hendrick Motorsports, either.
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