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Midweek observations

Bob Margolis

It's time for midweek observations, where we take a look at last weekend's action, the latest news, rumors and gossip, and what's on deck for this weekend.

  • Everyone has had a few days to digest last Saturday night's race, and opinions have ranged from it being NASCAR's worst black eye (hardly) to Jack Roush's take: "I knew that there would be winners and losers, [that] there would be people that would adapt to the different circumstances on the race track and the risk and the peril. Some would adapt to it different than others or be luckier than others with it."

I guess the viewpoints differ between those who took the checkered flag sitting while inside of a race car as opposed to watching the checkers fly while sitting inside of a motor home in the infield.

Charlotte race winner Jimmie Johnson, who came from the back of the field to win his fourth consecutive race at the track, said it best: "I think that one of the good things in our sport is that there's always next weekend. You could see some lingering effects at the start of the next race weekend, but it disappears."

  • Ryan Newman blames Goodyear for bringing the wrong tire to Lowe's. I agree. The tire was bad in May, it was bad in testing in September and it was bad for the race.

By the way, Newman likes to cut the grass on his farm to relax.

  • Wondering if there will be any lingering effects at Martinsville? Let's see, a short track with tight racing, crumpled race cars and hot tempers ... those lingering effects will disappear just as soon as a whole new batch of reasons to get angry emerges.

  • The future of ownership in NASCAR has rapidly become the hot topic in the garage – especially amongst the owners themselves. With Jack Roush saying he's spent more time talking to Rick Hendrick in the past 10 days than he has in the past 10 years, it can only mean one thing: two of the sports biggest owners will be fighting with a united front against any proposed ownership rule changes.

  • I happened to watch some of the action being shot for the upcoming and still-untitled NASCAR comedy at Lowe's over the weekend and believe me, what I saw won't be very flattering for NASCAR. I understand that the movie's producers pitched the film as "Will Farrell as a NASCAR driver." That just goes to show how lame Hollywood producers are. Ferrell told one reporter that the reason they're making the movie is because "nobody had done a NASCAR comedy."

Sorry, Will, but you need to go to your local Blockbuster and rent "Stroker Ace" with Burt Reynolds, which is by far THE definitive NASCAR comedy.

With Ferrell's character being named Ricky Bobby, it's obvious that this movie will go a long way toward reinforcing the existing redneck, Southern good-ol'-boy stereotypes that NASCAR is working so hard to overcome.

  • When NASCAR first announced its Drive for Diversity, initial reactions to the program designed to bring minorities into NASCAR were lukewarm at best. NASCAR honchos are determined to prove that those reactions were unfounded by putting their money where their mouth is and moving this program forward.

This week, the third annual Drive for Diversity combine took place at South Boston (Va.) Speedway. Included in the program was the hiring of a media firm for professional media training. Bottom line: It gives some of America's best unknown drivers a shot at the big time. Maybe it's time for the critics to zip it and let this program work.

  • Erin Crocker gets another shot in a Busch car this weekend at Memphis. Ray Evernham already has announced that he's shifted gears with her program for next year by having her focus on the Craftsman Truck Series in an attempt to give her more track time. Newsflash: It won't be any easier in the Trucks, Erin.

  • Nextel Cup teams tested at Atlanta Motor Speedway this week with J.J. Yeley topping the charts at 188.636 mph. That was about five mph slower than the qualifying speed at Lowe's this past weekend. Don't look for a repeat of Saturday night's Lowe's race.

  • Have you noticed that there has been a new controversy every week since the start of this year's Chase? Isn't it great?

  • Attention Richard Childress: Now is the time to put Allison Duncan, a Drive for Diversity candidate herself, in one of your Busch cars. She's got the talent and can get up on the wheel. Sorry, but this is one bandwagon I'll not be getting off anytime soon.

  • Well, so much for all the hoopla about Jack Roush's five cars in the Chase. There are just two currently in the top five (Greg Biffle and Mark Martin). And while both have been consistent and still may have a shot at the title, the rest (Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch) are anchoring the standings. For them, time is running out.

  • Stick and ball athletes say that it's an honor just to make it to the championship (Super Bowl, World Series, etc). Some might claim the same goes for making the Chase. I've been meaning to ask Jeremy Mayfield how he feels about that.

  • Sadly, I expect that both the mainstream and racing media will jump all over the one-year anniversary of the Hendrick tragedy this weekend. What's worse is that those closest to the people who died in that horrible accident will be asked over and over how they are feeling. Is it really news when you open old wounds and revive sad memories?

  • Both the Formula One and Indy Racing League seasons ended this past weekend. Can you name the drivers that won each series' respective championship? Does anybody care?

  • Speaking of Drive for Diversity candidates, I hear that Aric Almirola, who is part of the Joe Gibbs/Reggie White Diversity Program, will qualify the No. 20 Busch Series car for Denny Hamlin in Memphis. Hamlin will concentrate on making sure Gibbs' No. 11 Chevy, which currently sits 35th in owner points, gets a good starting spot in the Cup race.