NASCAR Notebook: Darlington
Barry F. Hess
May 11, 2007
Lady in Black Attack
NASCAR returns to its roots this weekend at the famed Darlington Motor Speedway in not so sunny South Carolina.
With so much history richly embedded inside the Darlington gates NASCAR will roll out the Car of Tomorrow for the first time as the new era of racing takes on the very epitome of the sport.
With four of the most challenging turns of any track on the circuit combined with the brutally tough racing surface that turns fresh tires into smoking mounds of melted rubber before you can say ‘Darlington stripe’ and you’ve got all the elements for an exciting race.
Over the last two years you can’t mention Darlington without mentioning the driver of the No. 16 AmeriQuest Ford, Greg Biffle.
Biffle has taken the checkers two years in a row and will attempt to join Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to ever win three consecutive races at Darlington.
Currently 15th in points Biffle has little wiggle room remaining after finishes of 17th or worse in each of his last three starts.
While Biffle has had mixed results in the COT Kurt Busch and the rest of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge has strived in the new model.
Busch has skyrocketed up the point standings over the last five weeks with finishes of 12th or better in four of his last five starts, including a season best third place finish two weeks ago in Talladega.
Currently ninth in points Busch hasn’t run this well since the 2005 season, his last Chase for the Nextel Cup appearance.
Look for Busch to qualify inside the top 10 before keeping his car in contention for the win as the laps dwindle down.
To head into any race weekend without mentioning the chances of yet another Jimmie Johnson win would, at this point, be nothing less than dereliction of duty as a journalist.
Johnson drove to his fourth win of 2007 last weekend in Richmond and will likely have a strong shot at obtaining number five this week in Darlington.
The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy team has three consecutive top 10 finishes in Darlington, including a win in 2004.
With no one, except maybe his teammate Jeff Gordon, better than Johnson in the COT, or any car for that matter, look for last year’s champion to make a run at the pole before putting himself in position to win the race.
While Johnson may not be dominating the races he’s won this season as driver’s like Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon have done in past championship years he is keeping his nose clean and making a run late in the race to take the checkers, showing the type of veteran driving that will keep him atop the contenders for the 2007 championship.
With the dominance of Hendrick Motor Sports and the dynamic seasons being enjoyed by Johnson and Gordon it’s difficult to recognize some of the new talent maintaining a position inside the top 12 in the point standings.
Clint Bowyer is quietly sitting 10th in the point standings with four top 10 finishes thus far and an average finish of 16th after 10 races.
Look for the 2005 Busch Series runner-up to earn a solid qualifying position before running in and around the top 12 all afternoon.
With the unpredictability that comes with the grinding racing surface of Darlington as well as the ever changing weather conditions in South Carolina don’t be surprised to see Bowyer in position to earn his first Nextel Cup win at the expense of another top 12 driver that suffers from bad luck.
Prediction: While Gordon and Johnson have been raking in the checkered flags 10 races into the season Denny Hamlin and the rest of the No. 11 FedEx Chevy team can only sit back, shake their heads and wonder ‘What if”.
Hamlin, currently fourth in points, has run 99.9% of the possible laps thus far and has led an impressive 432 of them.
Unfortunately, however, for Hamlin bad luck and driver error have left him with nothing but lost opportunities lately.
Look for the 2006 Rookie of the Year to get back to Victory Lane this weekend with a solid night in Darlington.
With a Gibbs race car that has easily run second to Hendrick when it comes to COT performance Hamlin will challenge for his second pole of the year before looking for his first win of the season.
The End of an Era Brings the Beginning of a New One
Imagine you’re 33 years old, richer than beyond believe, popular and very good at what you do for a living, good enough to be ranked among the top 10-12 in your field every year.
Now imagine your father, who was the icon of the profession you have chosen to make a living, left you a company to continue the legacy of the family name for future generations.
The money is great, your co-worker’s are more like family, and in many cases they actually are family, and at the very least you are contending to be atop your field most years.
There’s just one problem, there is a gapping void in your life, you want to be the very best, a champion, and it’s just not happening.
The company isn’t running the way you think it should, it’s not as competitive as you think it can be and you don’t think it’s dedicated to make the necessary changes to make things better.
You can’t change things because your step mother, who owns the company, refuses to allow you to become a majority owner of the company and has refused to negotiate otherwise.
Okay so that’s like four problems but who’s counting.
So what do you do?
How do you react?
Sure that scenario may not seem all that bad from the outside but consider the fact that you are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the company is DEI, well now…whole new ball game.
Yesterday afternoon Dale Junior announced what many believed would never happen, though this skeptical sportswriter was not one of them, he was leaving DEI at the end of the year, thus making him a free agent.
After a year of intense negotiations and intense effort on behalf of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and JR Motorsports, we decided that it was time for us to move on and seek other opportunities for 2008,” said Earnhardt in what was obviously an emotional and difficult press conference. “We worked really hard, but we were never close [to making a new deal]. I am a little sad, but I am trying to remind myself to be excited about what's ahead.”
What’s ahead is the most exciting and unique time in the history of NASCAR.
Already stating that he will listen to any and every offer out there Earnhardt did not announce where or when a decision would be made as far as what team he drives for in 2008.
What won’t weigh in on Junior’s decision is the amount of zeros on the paycheck he will soon be receiving.
It's not the guy who gives me the biggest paycheck," he said. "It's the person I feel like will allow me to accomplish what I want to in my career, on the race track, in this shop itself. There are some things you can't get with money - peace of mind and satisfaction in what you do every day.”
While we have yet to see how the decision will effect DEI in the long term most have to think it will not be very good, making Junior solely responsible for the failure of the team his late father left for him and ending an era in NASCAR.
Junior’s courage to leave DEI and compete for a championship every year, something doesn’t believe is happening in his current situation is immeasurable.
When your last name is Earnhardt and you drive race cars for a living the pressure to succeed is enormous and like his father Junior has the desire to win like few others in the sport.
I can’t help but think this drastic move has Dale Sr. chuckling up in the pearly white race track above the sky because it’s exactly the type of thing he would have done if he were in the situation.
Of course it’s unfortunate that Junior is leaving the company that bears his name and sure its sad that he couldn’t work something out with his own step mother to avoid all of this but in the end he made the correct choice.
Ultimately Junior couldn’t look himself in the mirror and feel he was doing everything in his power to win a championship for himself and his millions of fans when he was driving for a race team that he openly admitted was flawed in several key competitive areas with no change in sight.
It may not have been the easy choice but leaving DEI may prove to be the best decision Dale Junior makes in his entire NASCAR career.
Random thoughts
While no one has a clue who Junior will sign with next I would venture to say we will all know one way or another by August at the latest. That is usually the deadline for all merchandising programs that want to be ready for the public by the next year’s Daytona 500.
If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a million times, there is absolutely no reason on earth why Darlington Motor Speedway is not scheduled twice on the current Nextel Cup schedule.
The recent domination by Chevy has nothing to do with the fact that the cars winning the races are Chevy’s and not Fords or Dodges or dare I say, Toyotas. It has everything to do with the people working for those Chevy race teams and little or nothing to do with the fact that it says Monte Carlo (or Impala) on the hood.
In a previous Random Thoughts segment I wondered why the No. 16 team has had so much trouble maintaining a primary sponsor lately. This week I found the answer, AmeriQuest, who was scheduled to be the team’s primary sponsor for the next three years, is having significant financial trouble and was forced to back out of much of the deal.
NASCAR returns to its roots this weekend at the famed Darlington Motor Speedway in not so sunny South Carolina.
With so much history richly embedded inside the Darlington gates NASCAR will roll out the Car of Tomorrow for the first time as the new era of racing takes on the very epitome of the sport.
With four of the most challenging turns of any track on the circuit combined with the brutally tough racing surface that turns fresh tires into smoking mounds of melted rubber before you can say ‘Darlington stripe’ and you’ve got all the elements for an exciting race.
Over the last two years you can’t mention Darlington without mentioning the driver of the No. 16 AmeriQuest Ford, Greg Biffle.
Biffle has taken the checkers two years in a row and will attempt to join Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon as the only drivers to ever win three consecutive races at Darlington.
Currently 15th in points Biffle has little wiggle room remaining after finishes of 17th or worse in each of his last three starts.
While Biffle has had mixed results in the COT Kurt Busch and the rest of the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge has strived in the new model.
Busch has skyrocketed up the point standings over the last five weeks with finishes of 12th or better in four of his last five starts, including a season best third place finish two weeks ago in Talladega.
Currently ninth in points Busch hasn’t run this well since the 2005 season, his last Chase for the Nextel Cup appearance.
Look for Busch to qualify inside the top 10 before keeping his car in contention for the win as the laps dwindle down.
To head into any race weekend without mentioning the chances of yet another Jimmie Johnson win would, at this point, be nothing less than dereliction of duty as a journalist.
Johnson drove to his fourth win of 2007 last weekend in Richmond and will likely have a strong shot at obtaining number five this week in Darlington.
The driver of the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevy team has three consecutive top 10 finishes in Darlington, including a win in 2004.
With no one, except maybe his teammate Jeff Gordon, better than Johnson in the COT, or any car for that matter, look for last year’s champion to make a run at the pole before putting himself in position to win the race.
While Johnson may not be dominating the races he’s won this season as driver’s like Tony Stewart or Jeff Gordon have done in past championship years he is keeping his nose clean and making a run late in the race to take the checkers, showing the type of veteran driving that will keep him atop the contenders for the 2007 championship.
With the dominance of Hendrick Motor Sports and the dynamic seasons being enjoyed by Johnson and Gordon it’s difficult to recognize some of the new talent maintaining a position inside the top 12 in the point standings.
Clint Bowyer is quietly sitting 10th in the point standings with four top 10 finishes thus far and an average finish of 16th after 10 races.
Look for the 2005 Busch Series runner-up to earn a solid qualifying position before running in and around the top 12 all afternoon.
With the unpredictability that comes with the grinding racing surface of Darlington as well as the ever changing weather conditions in South Carolina don’t be surprised to see Bowyer in position to earn his first Nextel Cup win at the expense of another top 12 driver that suffers from bad luck.
Prediction: While Gordon and Johnson have been raking in the checkered flags 10 races into the season Denny Hamlin and the rest of the No. 11 FedEx Chevy team can only sit back, shake their heads and wonder ‘What if”.
Hamlin, currently fourth in points, has run 99.9% of the possible laps thus far and has led an impressive 432 of them.
Unfortunately, however, for Hamlin bad luck and driver error have left him with nothing but lost opportunities lately.
Look for the 2006 Rookie of the Year to get back to Victory Lane this weekend with a solid night in Darlington.
With a Gibbs race car that has easily run second to Hendrick when it comes to COT performance Hamlin will challenge for his second pole of the year before looking for his first win of the season.
The End of an Era Brings the Beginning of a New One
Imagine you’re 33 years old, richer than beyond believe, popular and very good at what you do for a living, good enough to be ranked among the top 10-12 in your field every year.
Now imagine your father, who was the icon of the profession you have chosen to make a living, left you a company to continue the legacy of the family name for future generations.
The money is great, your co-worker’s are more like family, and in many cases they actually are family, and at the very least you are contending to be atop your field most years.
There’s just one problem, there is a gapping void in your life, you want to be the very best, a champion, and it’s just not happening.
The company isn’t running the way you think it should, it’s not as competitive as you think it can be and you don’t think it’s dedicated to make the necessary changes to make things better.
You can’t change things because your step mother, who owns the company, refuses to allow you to become a majority owner of the company and has refused to negotiate otherwise.
Okay so that’s like four problems but who’s counting.
So what do you do?
How do you react?
Sure that scenario may not seem all that bad from the outside but consider the fact that you are Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the company is DEI, well now…whole new ball game.
Yesterday afternoon Dale Junior announced what many believed would never happen, though this skeptical sportswriter was not one of them, he was leaving DEI at the end of the year, thus making him a free agent.
After a year of intense negotiations and intense effort on behalf of Dale Earnhardt Inc. and JR Motorsports, we decided that it was time for us to move on and seek other opportunities for 2008,” said Earnhardt in what was obviously an emotional and difficult press conference. “We worked really hard, but we were never close [to making a new deal]. I am a little sad, but I am trying to remind myself to be excited about what's ahead.”
What’s ahead is the most exciting and unique time in the history of NASCAR.
Already stating that he will listen to any and every offer out there Earnhardt did not announce where or when a decision would be made as far as what team he drives for in 2008.
What won’t weigh in on Junior’s decision is the amount of zeros on the paycheck he will soon be receiving.
It's not the guy who gives me the biggest paycheck," he said. "It's the person I feel like will allow me to accomplish what I want to in my career, on the race track, in this shop itself. There are some things you can't get with money - peace of mind and satisfaction in what you do every day.”
While we have yet to see how the decision will effect DEI in the long term most have to think it will not be very good, making Junior solely responsible for the failure of the team his late father left for him and ending an era in NASCAR.
Junior’s courage to leave DEI and compete for a championship every year, something doesn’t believe is happening in his current situation is immeasurable.
When your last name is Earnhardt and you drive race cars for a living the pressure to succeed is enormous and like his father Junior has the desire to win like few others in the sport.
I can’t help but think this drastic move has Dale Sr. chuckling up in the pearly white race track above the sky because it’s exactly the type of thing he would have done if he were in the situation.
Of course it’s unfortunate that Junior is leaving the company that bears his name and sure its sad that he couldn’t work something out with his own step mother to avoid all of this but in the end he made the correct choice.
Ultimately Junior couldn’t look himself in the mirror and feel he was doing everything in his power to win a championship for himself and his millions of fans when he was driving for a race team that he openly admitted was flawed in several key competitive areas with no change in sight.
It may not have been the easy choice but leaving DEI may prove to be the best decision Dale Junior makes in his entire NASCAR career.
Random thoughts
While no one has a clue who Junior will sign with next I would venture to say we will all know one way or another by August at the latest. That is usually the deadline for all merchandising programs that want to be ready for the public by the next year’s Daytona 500.
If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a million times, there is absolutely no reason on earth why Darlington Motor Speedway is not scheduled twice on the current Nextel Cup schedule.
The recent domination by Chevy has nothing to do with the fact that the cars winning the races are Chevy’s and not Fords or Dodges or dare I say, Toyotas. It has everything to do with the people working for those Chevy race teams and little or nothing to do with the fact that it says Monte Carlo (or Impala) on the hood.
In a previous Random Thoughts segment I wondered why the No. 16 team has had so much trouble maintaining a primary sponsor lately. This week I found the answer, AmeriQuest, who was scheduled to be the team’s primary sponsor for the next three years, is having significant financial trouble and was forced to back out of much of the deal.
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