take a drug test every week in order to compete then so be it. As I see it, the decision is between him, NASCAR and his fellow drivers. I know too many men and women who have had alcohol and drug problems who have sought treatment and turned into viable, successful citizens.
I love Ken Schrader. Regardless of what series or make of vehicle he’s in I always wish him well. He, like Mark Martin, are in the twilight of their stellar careers and it would be great to see either of them get that last, belated win. Having said that, Johnny Sauter, once again, comes out on the short end of the stick. Sauter is a talented, capable driver who put the 70 car inside the top thirty five last year and was let go. Hass CNC is a relatively new team trying to compete at the top level and seem to have expected Sauter to turn a pigs ear into a silk purse. Johnny should have been given the chance to run Talladega. If Ken has a top five run there I’ll give this matter a second look.
David Pearson wasn’t one of my favorite drivers. In fact, he was one of the drivers I loved to hate because he drove Fords and Mercurys and whupped up on my Chevy guys. I gained a whole lot of respect for this former great when he spoke his mind Wednesday evening on SPEEDS NASCAR Now. The look on Carl Edwards face was priceless when David basically said today’s NA$CAR sucked and wasn’t fun like it used to be. Here at home I could hear the chorus of Amens emanating throughout the NA$CAR Nation as us old timers were in full agreement. Too bad they couldn’t have had a one hour special in which David could have been turned loose to tell us what he really thinks.
What a rarity. NA$CAR made a sensible decision by allowing an open test session at the Charlotte track on May 5 & 6. Since the majority of the teams are located mere miles from the facility the reduction in costs of towing to more distant tracks makes good sense. In addition, Kentucky had to cancel all testing for two weeks due to heavy rains and ground water seeping up through the track. I am all for limited testing but until the teams get a handle on the new car this is smart move that doesn’t entail huge expense and keeps most of the team members sleeping in their own beds.
So Junior is opening his own bar. Did Willie Nelson let him use Whiskey River for the name? A bar with a Western theme that plays heavy rock instead of Country Western?
With Junior’s huge fan base I’m sure the place will be successful but I’m left wondering if this is a tax write off or a means to further increase his fortune? Would the Intimidator approve of his music selection? With all Junior has going with his driving and team ownership plus his sponsor commitments I don’t really understand this. Were he ready to retire that would be something different but that’s just me.
Are the chickens going home to roost? I’ve never seen such a small crowd at a CUP Lite race as the one at Phoenix. Maybe the track promoters want the Claims Jumpers to attract a crowd but maybe the fans supporting the regular drivers decided, 'Why bother'?
It’s becoming more and more apparent that there is simply no interest when one out of three or four of the invaders is sure to win. It appears the same thing happened last year with the CUP Series when it was a Hendrick show. Junior is running well and the crowds and viewers seem on the upswing in general but no where near on par of a few years back.
Its off to Mexico City Sunday for the Cup Lite race. There are only four CUP regulars entered but a ton of road course ringers. I’ve read several accounts about how demanding it is for our lesser funded Nationwide regulars in time and expense. I’m more concerned with their safety on the road. I’ll be more interested in the ARCA in Iowa race Saturday. I expected Ken Schrader to be there but he’s not on the entry list.
Sadly, the new car hasn’t provided it's promises.
While the safety aspects of the car is
unquestioned, the drive-ability doesn’t seem to
be there. The splitter and limited front end travel
has put the teams in a very small box. Why is it
the Trucks can put on such good races while the
new car isn’t working out? I’ve previously
expressed several options but NAZICAR is
adamant that they aren’t going to change
anything. They’ve gone from almost weekly
changes with the old car to none allowed now.
We can only hope that the R&D Center is
working behind the scene to find solutions. With
all the sharp crew chiefs and over abundance of
the dreaded engineers seemingly baffled at how to fix the thing we are left wondering where we are headed. On the other hand, Carl Edwards seems to have a handle on his ride and he’s able to drive through the field. So, is it the car or the drivers? Are all those high priced engineers totally lost or could it be they are the problem?
That’s it for now. I’m really getting worn out with the current state of our beloved sport. The time may soon arise where I’ll give up writing as I did some years back. I was cleaning out my mail box a couple of days ago since it was becoming too cluttered with old stuff. I was touched by the many kind words of support upon my return to writing. I was also very touched by those concerned about my health and their well wishes. But the difficulty I’ve had getting to this point may be telling me Its time to hang it up once again. Well see what the near future holds in the way of bringing back the excitement we once enjoyed.
May God bless you and yours. Watch after your little ones and never forget 911.
Take care and God bless you and yours. Watch over those little ones and always remember who attacked who on 911.
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