It appears that Chrysler and GM are heading to bankruptcy protection and re-organizing under the bankruptcy laws. Ford sales are up in part because they didn’t take any bail-out money. How will this affect NA$CAR’s form of racer-tainment? Right now it won’t. But under the re-organization proposals, both brands may have to cut funding as suppliers and advertisers to NA$CAR. This means a big cut in money to the GM and Dodge teams which could, in theory, leave them withering on the vine. Sort of like what happened in the 1960’s when both GM and Chrysler pulled out of racing across the board. Except for Chevy’s stealthily funded Chevy Chaparral program that Jim Hall created. Only this time, there may not be a return to racing, especially if the Green Machine has its way. 3 cylinder European inspired death traps which use lots of plastic to make them light weight and get better gas mileage will become the call across DC by politicians trying to protect their jobs from the Green Machine and as we’ve seen with our politicians, the minority rules, despite the fact that more petroleum would be used in creating the plastics that would go into the 3 cylinder vehicles that can’t even outrun its own shadow and making them less safe than the vehicles we currently own and drive. As for myself, I’ll keep my car and truck, even if they don’t get 35 mpg. I’ll still be able to walk away from an accident with those 3 cylinder jokes. Maybe all I’ll need will be some bug and tar remover to clean them off my grill afterwards? Or I could take all the plastic down to the local recyclers? Either way, racer-tainment will be changing soon to a form which doesn’t even resemble its current image.
Another one of those rumors have popped up regarding just why Mayfield was tested. Besides the regular random testing one, there is still the reasonable suspicion clause and that’s what was supposedly used. The reasonable suspicion was because of Mayfield’s lackluster performance on the track. If that’s the case, then Dale Jr., Michael Waltrip, Awesome Bill, and a couple dozen other drivers should be tested for their lackluster performances. Too bad the higher ups in NA$CAR aren’t tested because you-know-who would be tested for being a dope, I mean being under the influence of dope. Or maybe just under the influence. Duck, here comes another palm tree.
There is another round of calls for shortening the races from several folks, both mainstream and those of us that are the unwashed and unannoited. OK, here’s my 2 cents worth. Keep the race lengths the way they are. Racing is supposed to be about the endurance of both man and machine. Just because what happens between Lap 2 and the next to last lap puts a lot of folks to sleep because the cookie cutter tracks and the Clone Cars have made things boring. There is still the endurance factor in there. Going to a shorter race length isn’t going to keep fans from showing up. If anything, fans will stay away because why should they pay big bucks for a race ticket, camping, fuel, and food only to see something that last 2 hours? You know NA$CAR isn’t going to lower their ticket prices either just because the race is shorter. So why pay high dollar for something that’s low budget? And it won’t save the teams any money either. They still have to lay out about $75,000 just to show up. They still have to pay for hotel rooms. The fuel and tires are furnished. So instead of shortening the races for those with the attention span of a gnat, do something to make the cars handle better so that the races will be more exciting for the fans at the track. I’ll admit there are some races that because of the way they’re broadcast and presented on TV, I have to record them just in case I should snooze. Darlington wasn’t that great on TV. But after talking with Race Mama and Laidback, there was a lot of racing we didn’t get to see on TV. Why? Because of Faux King Brian’s declaration of what will and won’t be covered. If they’re not showing the racing action at Darlington, you have to wonder what racing action at other tracks isn’t being shown because of His Highness ham-stringing the coverage.
One comment I read about this big meeting was that if there were going to be any changes made to the BOW WOW, they couldn’t be done before the play-offs started. Funny how NA$CAR can implement a safety improvement overnight but can’t implement a change to improve the handling of the Box With Wheels in the same time span. I guess it’s got to be run through the Japanese owned automaker first since they originally designed the farce, I mean car, to get their clearance before any changes are made. Heavens forbid they should lose the advantage they paid $93 million for. If they’re going to make some improvements, it needs to be with the steering, handling, and body. As I’ve said before, run stock sheet metal so the cars look like their street counterparts. Change the steering points to improve the handling. Get rid of that damnable wing. Some folks have said we’re stuck with the current vehicle because of the economic situation. Well, the teams couldn’t afford to switch from the last of the stock looking cars to the used bar of soap looking Taurus, Monte Carlo, and Gran Prix but they did. The teams couldn’t afford to switch to the current imitation car we have now but they did. So it’s not a stretch for them to use the safety features of the current car and use stock sheet metal. All it would take is the stroke of a half eaten crayon from His Highness to make the change. Of course, this might put a strain on one manufacturer who paid for their advantage with their design of the current faux car.
And speaking of their advantage, despite His Royal Highness issuing a Royal Edict stating that the Japanese branded manufacturer must play by the rules and run different engines in all three series as is required by NA$CAR rules, they’re still running the same engine in all 3 series. But once again, nothing out of the mainstream media because of the other Royal Edicts which state that the mainstream media can only print/say what is approved by His Highness and that they must drink the purple Kool Aid. So it’s up to us fans that aren’t in the good graces of His Majesty to get the word out. And despite the indignation we fans will feel about the rules being ignored, as we usually do, it will be business as usual in the Ivory Towers and Royal Bank Vault as Faux King Brian counts his shiny pennies and keeps eating his crayons. I can just hear Mafia Mike saying, “No Your Highness, the orange crayons don’t taste like an orange”.
In the What the Heck Department, you have to wonder just what is the logic behind the thinking of Carl Long’s fine and penalties versus that of Robby Gordon. Long got fined $200,000, docked more points than he has, and a 12 race suspension. Robby was fined $50,000, docked points, and his crew chief was placed on probation til December 31st. Based on what NA$CAR has said regarding any modifications to the Can of Tuna, both fines should’ve been the same. Both should have been docked the same amount of points and both should’ve had the same probation or suspension. Both were sited under the usual “actions detrimental” clause. Robby got dinged for the axle exceeding the specified toe. Carl got one for exceeding the engine size on an engine which had less horsepower than his competitors. If you’re going to cheat with a bigger engine, you'd think there would be more horsepower. Robby got docked 50 owner and driver points. Carl got dinged 200 owner and driver points. Both were modifications to the Car of Travesty and both should’ve been treated the same. But as we know, the All Seeing, All Knowing Mr. Magoo, NA$CAR’s head official, always makes the right call. Whether it’s Ms Terry DeBris or punting another car out of the way, Magoo always makes the right call.
Well, things were supposed to change on Jr.’s crew after Phoenix and now things have changed before Dover with Lance McGrew being named interim crew chief on the 88. Let’s give it 6 weeks and see if it’s the car, driver, crew chief, or none of the above. Obviously Rick Hendrick didn’t stick to his guns about his faith in Eury Jr. They should’ve brought Pops in as I suggested.
I like how one writer described NA$CAR’s leadership. “A benevolent dictatorship”. It’s definitely a dictatorship and is only benevolent to itself.
I had an offer from a magazine that also has a web site to write for them. Sure, it would’ve meant I might get some honest-to-goodness credentials (which would be revoked in about 5 seconds by HRH). It would mean getting better access to the teams and drivers. But it also means I’d sacrifice my loyalty to Laidback Racing and to all the folks out there who, like me or not, read my ramblings every week. Not to mention I’d have to follow Article 4 which means I’d be sacrificing my honest opinions of what’s going on and become a Kool Aid drinker. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll stick to my coffee, occasional moonshine, and unsweetened tea. Besides, there are folks on the “inside of the beast” who like me where I am and are willing to pass along things they couldn‘t pass along to the Kool Aid drinkers out of fear of being outted.
Once again, the ugly specter of a protest and/or boycott about the Confederate flag has reared its ugly head. This is not a good move. The last time Faux King Brian made a remark about the Confederate flag; more fans went and bought them to fly at their camp sites just to spite His Royal Highness than normally fly it anyways. I can see a repeat of this happening again because of the protests/boycotts. The right to fly the Confederate flag, whether you agree with it or not, is protected as “freedom of expression”. I’ve seen enough bumper stickers saying “You lost, get over it” when it comes to the Confederate flag. And the supposed dislike comes from the slavery issue that existed before and during the Civil War. A little bit of a history lesson here for you folks not familiar with the Civil War era and the revisionism or ignoring of what went on back then. The North was just as guilty about slavery as the South. Both sides had slaves. Only one side refuses to recognize the fact and the other is continuously reminded of it. The South may have had more but the enslavement of one person is one too many and so the North is just as guilty as the South.
Let me tell you a little history about my family. They were used as slaves, serfs, and indentured servants until they were able to come to the American colonies in the 1600‘s from Ireland. Should I be demanding that the British flag be removed from around the country because of their using my ancestors as well as others of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh descent as slaves? Should I be demanding a boycott of British products? Should I demand every car that has a British decal on it be crushed? Should I demand that every person who owns a British manufactured car, truck, SUV, or motorcycle take them to the junk yard? Should I be demanding payment from the British government for the enslavement of all these people? Should I still be upset with the British for burning down the White House during the War of 1812? Should I be demanding payment from the British for the slave trade from Africa they established long before my ancestors ever set foot on the shores of the Americas? Should I be boycotting products from Africa from the countries where the slave traders there sold their fellow Africans into slavery to the British? I could go on and on about this, just as some groups keep going on and on about the Confederate flag, the South, and slavery.
So let’s get back to what the Confederate flag is about to the folks that I’ve talked to about it when I’m at the track. To some, it’s a sign of their heritage, about being born in the South. It has nothing to do with the Civil War or slavery or racial prejudice. It’s just a symbol of their being born and raised in the South. To others, it’s a sign of defiance to The Crown of the Emperor of All Things NA$CAR, Faux King Brian, and his views on the Confederate flag and his either destroying the traditions and customs of racing or his revising the history of the sport. Or both. It has nothing to do with any sort of racial views or racial bias. I’m sure there are a few out there who are the hard-core racists who may not even be from the South who spew their venom and hide behind a Confederate flag as justification for their views, but they are in the minority. So far, I haven’t come across any of these types at the track. And yes, there are racists out there in all colors, religions, and ethnicities who raise a variety of flags from a variety of nations and causes in support of their racism. But nobody says anything about that. It only seems to be the Confederate flag which arouses the ire of some.
The bottom line comes down to the actual flag and protests/boycotts themselves. If NA$CAR tries to ban the flag from its property, they will be shooting themselves in the foot and violating the 1st Amendment right to freedom of expression which would involve a lengthy court case and a loss for them. They will also have fans not renewing their tickets or camping out on track property because of it that may not even be directly tied into a ban
on the Confederate flag. The bank ledgers rears
its ugly head and as we all know, “cash is king“
when it comes to NA$CAR. So there won’t be a
ban. As to the group protesting/boycotting, well,
there have been protests and boycotts in the
past and the racing fans have proven to be quite
tolerant and even ignore the protestors resulting
in nothing happening. No fights, no incidents, no
shouting matches. The exact opposite of what
the protest groups had hoped for. So for all fans,
and not just those flying or wearing the
Confederate flag or sporting a Confederate flag
decal on their vehicles, just keep a cool head, be
patient, and ignore the protestors and/or
boycotters. They have a right to protest or
boycott just as fans have a right to fly the Confederate flag. And if they step over the line, call 911 and leave it to law enforcement to deal with. Don’t provoke them; just ignore them, no matter how hard or tempting it may be to do otherwise.
I realize that Memorial Day has passed, but I want to recognize Ron, all of the Bills, Laidback, Big Al, Navy Paul, my good buddy C. Paul up in New York, and all of the other military veterans and present service members out there for their service to our country. I had a lady thank me for my service when I was doing some of my “Christmas shopping” at Charlotte with a big hug. I spotted a gent with a Vietnam Veteran hat sitting near us and thanked him for his service and shook his hand. A little bit of recognition for the sacrifices made by our service members, past and present, goes a long way.
Another anniversary of D-Day is approaching and there are fewer and fewer of these brave veterans who served during this time around. So take a few minutes on D-Day to remember them and the sacrifices they made for us and our nation. They truly are the greatest generation.
Motherhood, Apple Pie, and John Wayne
Mad Mikie, Curmudgeon at Large
Gotta comment, question or want to say hey there...email Mike here
Want to chat with other race fans about this article and other NASCAR stuff?
Go visit our home page, called appropriately The Pits & check out our photos & pages. Our most popular page; Race Recon is where you get all the info you need to go to the races including local camping, hotels, bars, restaurants, tracks, golf & other important race weekend information. We also have attending a NASCAR Race tips, tailgating tips & recipes, stories, trivia, quotes & more! While you are surfing see if you are a REAL RACE FAN. Be sure to read the Fan Fables, LAIDBACK RACING’S adventures with the tailgating race fan at NASCAR tracks.
