Happy Hour: Junior is what?
So in the last 12 months we've seen drivers fly through the air, land on top of other cars, get stuck upside down and slam into barriers pushing 200 mph – all without a single one getting injured. Meanwhile, Carl Edwards (who flew threw the air at Talladega) broke his foot playing Frisbee, and now Denny Hamlin tore his ACL playing basketball.
How ironic is it that the safest extracurricular activity for racers is … racing.
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T-minus 20 and counting
Really Jay? As a diehard fan of Dale Jr. I had been watching the countdown and had just figured that you guys were finally letting the stats and not the hype rule your predictions, but BAM, there is the No. 88 in front of several drivers who consistently run better than he does. I can't tell if you are trying to get all the haters fired up early or if you really think he could have a decent year. I guess time will tell. I hope he does but I would not bet much money on it.
Lloyd Diamond
Cape Girardeau, Mo.
I picked Junior to finish 12th for one reason: Rick Hendrick.
Hendrick has said he'll do everything he can to make sure Junior rebounds. This isn't an empty promise from some politician claiming he's going to bat for us, the people. This is the owner of the organization with the deepest resources in NASCAR. That's gotta count for something.
I also can't ignore how well Earnhardt ran in the first part of the 2008 season. Through the first 15 races of that campaign no driver was more consistent. I don't think that was a fluke.
What I do think is that Earnhardt's emotions play a big part in his successes and failures. The fact that he's a streaky driver shouldn't come as a surprise. The key for him will be getting off to a quick start. That will help him forget the misery of 2009. Conversely, if he has a finish in the Daytona 500 like he did last year, I'd be worried.
Dear Jay, Nate Ryan didn't rank Greg Biffle in his top 20 drivers for next season? Is this guy off his rocker? He finished 3rd in the Chase in '08 and was the best Roush Fenway racer in '09. I can get perhaps leaving him outside the top 12 (although even I think that's unfair), but outside the top 20 drivers? Not a chance.
John
Northbrook, Ill.
I can't speak for Nate's reasoning, but I can say this: in my years of following NASCAR, the field of quality drivers in quality rides is as deep as I can remember. Picking the top 20 was not easy. All five of us who participated in this exercise left top-quality drivers off our lists – Martin Truex Jr. didn't make mine – and picking the top 12 was even harder. In fact, I have four drivers who made the Chase in 2009 missing it in 2010, including Biffle who I picked to finish 13th. For me, this has more to do with a lack of faith in the organization as it does in the driver.
In a move to infuse personality back into the sport, Brian France announced that in 2010 NASCAR will not only allow but encourage drivers to police themselves.
(Getty)
It's nice to see NASCAR say that they will let the drivers police themselves, however, how many fans out there are going to complain about a driver being too rough or brash, after all these years of fans clamoring for a rough and tough driver and instead getting a vanilla one?
Scott Steudler
Lancaster, Pa.
You're right, Scott, and NASCAR knows it. In fact, this is exactly what they want – people talking. Sure there are going to be fans complaining that their driver was wronged, but then they'll tune in next week to see the payback.
While I think NASCAR's new position reeks of desperation, I applaud it wholeheartedly. The sport was built on personalities (read rubbin'). Can you imagine Dale Earnhardt Sr. becoming the icon he did in an environment where he got called into the principal's office every time he used his fender? Take the personalities away and you're left with cars going in circles, and for a lot of people that's not entertaining enough.
I realize you didn't write the article about NASCAR blaming the media, however you do host/write the article Happy Hour where we, the fans, get to send in our two cents worth which in our current economy is to some nearing a small fortune but that's another topic entirely.
If NASCAR wants to control what the race commentators have to say then maybe NASCAR should start broadcasting the races themselves. This showed me, a long-time fan of NASCAR, that those at the top of the NASCAR governing body are even more lost out in left field then we imagined.
Don't they realize that even if we turned the sound down, which by the way some of us actually do, we'd still come to the conclusion that the product they are trying to sell us is a far cry from what we grew up seeing and learning to love?
They can make all of the claims they want about how great the racing is but I don't see it. I see a parade of cars biding time for 90% of the race and then running only hard enough to give them the best, yet safest for the most part, finish that they can attain.
Please don't think I'm down on safety as I'm not. I want each and every driver and pit crew member to have as long and healthy of a career that they can possibly have.
But nobody could ever convince me that a car in the top 15 is trying to win the race like they did 10 years ago. They just aren't, for the most part, willing to take that risk and end up with a "bad" points day. And who is to blame them with how NASCAR has evolved to the point that it's so much better to run 5th in every race then to win any race.
There is a fix for NASCAR's troubles, but it's plain to see that NASCAR isn't willing to make the changes to fix what they broke. They want it all to be about the chase and the excitement that hopefully the last 10 races of the year creates. Increase the pay out for winning the 14 races significantly, dump the chase, whoever wins the Cup title at the end of the year get's a million bucks from NASCAR's coffers and each and every race is worth a whole lot more for the team that won it. Sort of like each race is all that more important because winning each race pays the most money all year long. Hmmm, sounds kind of like how it was before the Chase. Back when guys actually raced to win every single race.
Dave Garnett
Lufkin, Texas
It's never a winning strategy when you start blaming your troubles on other people, because it doesn't change anything even if you're right. In this case, NASCAR likes to point to the "loop" data as evidence that the racing has never been better. To that I say two things: first, if you can understand the loop data then please contact NASA immediately; second, who cares what the numbers say? The folks will decide what they like and what they don't like, and from the majority of emails I get the folks don't like what they're seeing.
To blame it on the media is to insult the fans' ability to form their own opinion. Yes, we have the ability to influence opinion, but I like to think the folks are smart enough to smell bull when it's being fed to them.
This and that …
Is it just me, or there others out there that think they should do a 20 years later version of "Days of Thunder"? Cole Trickle is now the crusty veteran who has won a number of championships and must re-team with Harry Hogge to put down and/or train an upstart rookie (woman?). It could be a little more technical and a LOT less cheesy. Just an idea.
It's been 20 years since Tom Cruise starred as Cole Trickle in the cult classic "Days of Thunder."
(Getty)
P.S. Who might they get to play these parts?
Thom Crosslin
Pensacola, Fla.
I love it. Alright, let's have at it. Playing Cole Trickle: Let's stick with Tom Cruise. Yeah, he's annoying, but I hate when they switch up the cast. (This is my main problem with European Vacation.) With that in mind, Robert Duval stays, too. But I say ditch Dr. Lewicki (Nicole Kidman). Cole dumped her a while ago for a younger model (Katie Holmes). Makes sense, right? Okay, the upstart rookie – let's call him Kyle Busch played by, of course, Kyle Busch. I'd pay to see it.
By the way, can't wait for June 11. The A-Team, baby, The A-Team.
Jay, I am a big 48 fan and was telling anyone that would listen, after Jimmie's first championship, that he would beat Jeff Gordon to five championships. I still believe he will, BUT, I can honestly say that I don't believe Jimmie will win the championship this year. The last few years Jimmie and Chad gave absolutely everything they had to the chase. I don't believe they will do that this year. I truly believe they will race just hard enough to finish in the top five, understanding the sport as a whole, needs a new champion.
Jimmie and Chad are great champions but the sport needs a change. Call it what you will but it is what it is. Having said that, who then becomes the new champ?
1. Carl Edwards was so bad last year that I don't believe it's possible for him to turn it around SO much that he is holding up the trophy after Homestead.
2. Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin will definitely be in the hunt but they have one problem … each other. There is a big difference between humble teammates (Hendrick) and arrogant teammates (Gibbs). Denny and Kyle will have too many issues with each other (whether we here about them or not) to get the job done.
3. Tony and Ryan had better than expected years last year so we can't expect the same this year.
4. With regard to Kurt Busch see No. 3.
5. Jeff Gordon will be consistent like always and finish in the top five like always. Nothing more, nothing less.
So where does that leave us? With most other drivers thinking more about 2011 than 2010, I believe you may see an expected championship contender and an unexpected one, both from the same stable with the best equipment. The obvious contender is Mark Martin. He will be so pumped up after 2009 that his new found confidence will keep him in the hunt into Homestead. No more Eeyore for Mark.
Rick
Colorado
While I love your breakdown, there is no way – NO WAY – he and Knaus are lying down. This is their one chance to go on a run like this – to raise the bar high enough that no one else will ever be able to clear it – and they're not going to let it end without a fight.
And while we're on the subject, has there been a surer bet in sports than Johnson over the past few years? Is anyone else kicking themselves for not going all in on that one the last two years?
Last call …
Why do you write stuff about Jr. that is not good. When did you become the one who says what Jr. is? Give him Johnson's car and a decent crew and chief and owner … then he will show you what he can do. Not give him the left overs from the other driver. He should go to JR Motorsports and Pops then he will have it all. Any way we will always support only Jr. Good luck Dale. Maybe the gods will be with you. You are just to good.
Bonnie McCoy
Otis Orchards, Wash.
