Feb. 28, 2008: Quite The Conundrum

This week, I was going to complain about NASCAR’s decision to wait until 2 a.m. Eastern Standard Time to postpone the rain-plagued Auto Club 500 until Monday afternoon, but that subject has already been well documented. Did anyone outside of the East Coast really care that it was 2 a.m. when Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond finally went off the air? I’m sure NASCAR fans in California didn’t.

However, sticking with the spoiled princess theme this week, I’m going to tackle another topic that’s been irritating me. Before I go any further, I’d like to say I’m sure I’m probably the only person in the world that is annoyed by this, but I’m still going to write about it.

My issue is that the O’Reilly NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol (Tenn.) Dragway is scheduled for May 16-18, which conflicts with Charlotte Speedweeks – namely the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Sprint All-Star Race events at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

What to choose: Sprint Cup chaos in the Sprint All-Star Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway or nitro-burning dragsters at Bristol Dragway?

This is a problem on several levels. Because Bristol is only four hours from the Charlotte area, any racing event in Thunder Valley is just a short drive away. Though Charlotte is known primarily as the home of NASCAR, readers of this publication are probably more aware than most that followers of one discipline of racing are also followers of other forms of motorsports, including drag racing. If you don’t believe me, look at the sell-out crowds that pack The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway for World of Outlaw sprint and late model events each year. Count how many times in a given season more than one type of racing is billed at the same track on the same weekend.

Essentially, fans are being asked to choose between going to a drag-racing event in Bristol and attending two weeks’ worth of NASCAR related activities in the Charlotte area. Maybe for some that’s an easy choice. Those who want to travel to Thunder Valley for the NHRA event may point out that the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide series make another stop at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in October (coincidentally, the same weekend as the NHRA event in Dinwiddie, Va., which is another doable drive for drag-racing fans). Those who skip the Thunder Valley Nationals can justify the NHRA’s inaugural visit to the new dragway at Lowe’s in September. Each side can have another opportunity to see the other race.

Personally, I’m torn. Part of me has taken a greater interest in NHRA lately because it’s new and fresh to me compared to NASCAR, which has oversaturated the world, it seems, since I began following it about 10 seasons ago. I would drive to Tennessee in a heartbeat for some nitro action. However, I’m reluctant to pass up on-track activity at Lowe’s, especially the All-Star and truck races, which make me salivate just thinking of them.

What gets me more than anything, though, is that both Bristol Motor Speedway – including the dragway – and Lowe’s Motor Speedway are owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. Wouldn’t someone in the company realize that scheduling races at both tracks on the same weekend is going to draw potential spectators away from both events? Why not work together to bring in the largest number of fans – and money – at each venue instead of competing against each other?

But, alas, I don’t make those types of decisions, and I’m fully aware that there are more important problems in the world than which motorsports event a poor, little sports journalist will attend. I suppose that the month of May is just a case where I can’t have my NASCAR and NHRA, too.

Feb. 21, 2008: ESPN Has Drained My Interest In NASCAR's No. 2 Series

Not only did Daytona Speedweeks kick off the 2008 season for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it also marked the beginning of the Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series seasons. Yet as thrilling as it was to have another Truck and Cup season under way, it was just as painful to realize NASCAR fans must endure another year of ESPN’s nauseating Nationwide Series broadcasts.

ESPN TEAM: Rusty Wallace, Dr. Jerry Punch and Andy Petree. (ESPN Photo)

The return of the Speed/Fox broadcasts gives the impression of a family reunion of sorts, as if those watching at home are getting the privilege of an inside look into some close fraternity or brotherhood. The interaction between Speed’s veteran crew seems genuine and leads one to believe that they are more than just colleagues but are more likely pals away from the track and the type of fun-loving people you could really have a good time with.

And then you have the ESPN cast of characters. Instead of imparting the kind of fun-loving feeling that the Speed folks provide, the ESPN broadcast team leaves more of a slick, superficial impression comparable to that of a glossy magazine ad that’s dressed up to sell the most uninteresting item or, better yet, a sleazy car salesman whose sole goal is to move a run-down, poorly functioning “lemon” off a car lot.

ESPN does have, I’ll admit, some experience on its side. Dr. Jerry Punch, Alan Bestwick and Mike Massaro have been covering auto racing for many years, and Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree and Tim Brewer add necessary inside perspectives to the network’s coverage. Yet ESPN’s coverage is still lacking, even with the addition of pit reporters and commentators who were most likely included in the network’s NASCAR team as much for profiling purposes as for already being on payroll. Brent Musburger and Suzy Kolber are more than capable on-air talents, but neither have any real motorsports experience. Could Kolber have been added to ESPN’s NASCAR team because she has a knack for sports coverage, or has she been included because she’s a woman? Could it be that Brad Daugherty was added to the broadcast team more because of his skin color than his limited success as a NASCAR team owner?

Altogether, the group is a mismatch of personalities and experience levels. Is it any wonder they don’t mesh as well as the Speed team?

I was excited for Nationwide Series action last week. I tuned into qualifying Friday afternoon to get myself reacquainted with the recently renamed series. But less than an hour into the second season of ESPN’s eight-year contract of NASCAR coverage, less than an hour into Punch’s exaggerated inflections and Wallace’s tales of yesteryear, I was ready to pull my hair from my scalp. I blurted out, “I can’t take another year of this!”

It’s sad that an entire broadcast team can completely suck out the desire to watch a racing series, to make tuning into an event a chore rather than a pleasure. That’s what ESPN has done for me.

Obviously, I’m fully aware that others aren’t fans of the Speed/Fox team. They complain about the way Larry McReynolds talks or the countless times Darrell Waltrip uses the word ‘boogity’ during a race. Those people have the right to have their own opinions. But frankly, I’d rather have an entire season of McReynolds’s Alabama accent and Waltripisms than 20 minutes of Wallace’s tales of “fast hot rods,” Daugherty’s uneducated opinions and Punch’s voice making every lap sound like it’s the final lap of the 1976 Daytona 500.

Feb. 14, 2008: Baker vs. Kulikowski

This week, I’m squaring off with fellow journalist Adam Kulikowski, author of an auto racing blog for the Chambersburg (Pa.) Public Opinion, on the upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

BAKER: Let’s start with your pick for the 2008 Cup champion.

Adam's picking Tony Stewart to win the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup title. I'm taking Jeff Gordon. (Autostock Photos)

KULIKOWSKI: I’m taking Tony Stewart. He’ll climb plenty of fences in 2008 and benefit greatly from Joe Gibbs Racing’s role as the alpha dog with Toyota.

BAKER: Tony Stewart? Ordinarily, that would be a safe choice, but that’s a little risky this season. I’m taking Jeff Gordon. He was so strong last year and would’ve won under the old system. You watch. This season, Gordon will prove he’s still the top dog at Hendrick.

KULIKOWSKI: Risky, I think not! The CoT levels the playing field and eliminates the disadvantage Toyota had in its first season in Cup. Plus, given the manufacture support both financially and technically, the advantage in 2008 is in the Toyota camp.

BAKER: So you’re saying this is going to be a breakthrough year for Toyota?

KULIKOWSKI: Without a doubt. Toyota learned a great deal about what it takes to succeed in NASCAR’s top division last year. The addition of Joe Gibbs Racing and the maturation of Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull will give Toyota four strong teams, including Bill Davis Racing. I expect Dave Blaney, Michael Waltrip, Brian Vickers and the Gibbs drivers to all claim wins in 2008. That spells a manufacturers’ championship for Toyota.

BAKER: Wow. The manufacturers’ title? That’s bolder than picking Stewart for the champion — about as bold as Jimmy Spencer picking Kyle Busch (in a Camry) to take the title in ‘08. And I’m in no way picking on Toyota here. I love Toyota, especially the ‘dear Darrell’ commercials. But even when Stewart, Busch, Denny Hamlin, Dave Blaney and maybe David Reutimann or Michael McDowell win races, there’s no way Toyota can knock off Chevrolet in the manufacturers’ battle, not with Hendrick Motorsports. Toyota may get second, though, because Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards alone can’t carry a title for Ford, and Dodge will be all but non-existent if Kurt Busch comes near Stewart’s fist again.

KULIKOWSKI: Dodges are going to be non-existent? Now that’s a harsh statement. I see Kahne reverting back to his 2006 six-win form. Maybe he won’t win six races, but he will again be a consistent factor on the track. I also think the addition of Dario Franchitti and Patrick Carpentier will add another dimension to the Dodge front. Also look for Ryan Newman and Bobby Labonte to show a bit more muscle in 2008.

BAKER: Kahne will get a win or two, but Dodge as a whole is weak. And before you get completely on one of your Petty Enterprises love kicks, there’s no way Bobby Labonte will return to form, even with Petty now in Mooresville. Now let’s talk about who’s going to make The Chase.

KULIKOWSKI: I agree. The Dodge camp is not near the strength of Chevrolet or Toyota. OK, in 2008, The Chase drivers will be: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne and Greg Biffle. That means that Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex, Jr. will miss the top 12.

BAKER: I’ll agree with you on some of those, but I think you’re way off on a couple, too. Here’s my list of The Chase drivers this season: Gordon, Johnson, Kenseth, Stewart, Kurt Busch, Burton, Kyle Busch, Bowyer, Harvick, Hamlin, Earnhardt and Truex. First of all, there’s no way that Bobby Labonte is going to make The Chase, and this is coming from a long-time Labonte fan. As I already said, Dodge doesn’t have its act together. Kahne will miss The Chase by a spot or two, as will Newman. The Biff won’t make The Chase either, and that will lead him to leave Roush Fenway after the season, which will be convenient since the team has to consolidate to four teams by season’s end. And how can you say that Hamlin won’t make The Chase when you’ve been preaching Toyota dominance in 2008?

KULIKOWSKI: Denny Hamlin will have a solid season. He’ll win a race or two and have solid runs. That said, he will fall short of The Chase. Toyota success does not translate to a guaranteed position in the top 12 for Hamlin. He posted consistent runs throughout the 2007 season, but I question whether he can duplicate the feat in 2008. Will Hamlin be the driver that posted nine top fives in the first 26 races and entered The Chase in sixth in the standings, or the driver that concluded the season last among The Chase contenders? Don’t you think the pressure on Truex, Jr. to “fill” Little E’s shoes will impact his performance in 2008?

BAKER: Pressure to fill his shoes? If we’re talking performance, those weren’t very big shoes from last year. Truex was the top performing driver at DEI, posting the team’s lone victory — you were there, as I recall — and seven top fives and 14 top 10s. Earnhardt finished 16th in the standings with seven top fives and 12 top-10 finishes.

KULIKOWSKI: Good points, but don’t you think Earnhardt’s experience in the series aided Truex? What help will he receive from his teammates this year? Paul Menard does not belong in the Cup series and Regan Smith is talented, but a rookie driver. I’m not saying Truex will have a monumental collapse — he may even defend his Cup victory at Dover — but he will not show the consistency necessary to make The Chase for a second year. Earnhardt’s departure will hurt DEI both in the short-term and the long-term.

BAKER: Did I miss something? Has Mark Martin become invisible?

KULIKOWSKI: Mark Martin will definitely help, but in a limited role. He won’t be the full-time teammate on the track that Truex needs to bounce ideas off each week. Also, I expect Petty Enterprises to turn the corner this year. Bobby Labonte, teamed with new crew chief Jeff Meendering, is going to surprise a slew by sneaking into The Chase. That’s right — a Petty car will make The Chase. The Pettys believe Meendering will be better than former No. 43 crew chief Doug Randolph both at the track and at the shop. The former Hendrick car chief brings knowledge of Hendrick Motorsports and can help Robbie Loomis implement techniques used to propel Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson to championships to Labonte’s No. 43. The Pettys’ move from Level Cross to Mooresville also will provide a boost to the organization in ‘08 and beyond. No longer more than 70 miles from the hub of NASCAR, the organization will have a better opportunity to recruit personnel. After more than a decade of "five-year" plans set in place by CEO Kyle Petty to restore the organization, this is one that will hold water. Make no mistake though. PE still has a long way to go to reach the Hendricks, Gibbs and Roush teams, but I believe the move to Mooresville, the addition of Meendering and other crew members will propel Labonte into The Chase.

BAKER: Easy there, killer. I’m still sticking with the fact that Dodge as a whole is weak. If Kahne and Newman and Elliott Sadler can’t make The Chase, there’s no way that a Petty driver – former champion or no – is going to make the top 12 in points. Next thing you’ll be saying a Dodge driver will win rookie of the year honors.

KULIKOWSKI: A Dodge driver will win rookie of the year honors! Dario Franchitti will be the best of the open wheelers and edge Regan Smith and Michael McDowell. Franchitti proved his abilities as a driver in CART and IRL, but he also competed for the German Touring Car championship and the International Touring Car Championship where he registered top-five finishes in the series standings each year (1995-96) he competed. Both series run heavier, closed-wheel cars. Kahne and Gillett-Evernham Motorsports will prove Kahne’s six-win season in 2006 was not a fluke. Evernham’s partnership with Gillett will add resources to the team and will go a long way to improve the team’s performance. While I don’t expect Kahne and his Budweiser No. 9 to visit victory lane six times in 2008, I do believe he will get there at least once and run consistently in the top 15.

BAKER: I’m taking Regan Smith for rookie of the year. Smith has more starts in NASCAR’s top three series than any of the other rookie candidates. He’s also competed in the Hooters Pro Cup Series and he’s a former WKA and Allison Legacy champion. Don’t forget that he has Doug Richert as his crew chief. I’m not saying that Franchitti won’t be good; I think he’ll be the runner up. I just think that there will be a pretty steep learning curve for the IRL champ. While we’re on the subject of rookies, I think Sam Hornish, Jr. will have a dismal season – just look at his ARCA, Nationwide and Cup stats — and the other candidates won’t make enough races to be serious contenders for the title. However – and this will probably come as a shock to you – I do think one of the big surprises in 2008 will be Michael McDowell. He may even find himself in victory lane by the end of the season.

KULIKOWSKI: I agree with your thoughts on Hornish. Dismal says it all. I like the long-term upside of McDowell too, but to say he will reach victory lane in 2008 seems a bit of a stretch to me. Reed Sorenson is going to shock a lot of people, too. I expect him to step up in what could be a make-or-break season for him and show some consistency. Look for him to claim a few top fives and finish in the top 20 in the standings.

BAKER: No way! Reed Sorenson will be done by the end of the season. Dan Wheldon will make the move to NASCAR in 2009. I think the open-wheel drivers will be, as a whole, disappointing. Franchitti will be the best one, coming in maybe 18th in the final standings. And I think that Yates Racing will close by the end of the year.

KULIKOWSKI: I agree with you concerning Yates. Their time has passed. What do you think about Dale, Jr.? Will he meet expectations?

BAKER: I think he’ll win a few races and squeak into The Chase, but I don’t really see him being a true Chase contender. What’s your pick for the biggest story in 2008?

KULIKOWSKI: I love Earnhardt, but I couldn’t agree with you more. I just don’t see him as a dominant force in the series. He will perform well at Daytona and Talladega as he has in the past, but he is certainly not his father, Jeff Gordon or an elite. I see the loss of teams such as the Wood Brothers and Yates Racing in 2008. Both have some help from Roush Racing, but neither have been able to produce results. With an economic downturn in full swing making sponsors difficult to secure, even the addition of the CoT full-time won’t prevent the closure of these once proud teams.

BAKER: Well, we only have a few more days to wait and see what will happen this season, don’t we?

KULIKOWSKI: Yes, and who knows what’s going to happen? Afterall, who saw Bowyer emerging as a title contender. I can’t wait to see the King drop the green flag on 2008!

BAKER: Yes! In the words of DW, boogity, boogity, boogity!

Feb. 7, 2008: Looking Into My Crystal Ball

Yesterday the Motorsports Authentics haulers hit the road and there were enough airplanes flying out of Concord Regional to reenact a scene from “Pearl Harbor.” All of that means just one thing: the next NASCAR season is upon us.

Ready or not, the teams have made their way to Daytona Int’l Speedway, and in a blink of an eye, the green flag will wave on the 30th annual Budweiser Shootout. Just yesterday, it seems, the checkered flag was flying over Homestead-Miami Speedway and Jimmie Johnson captured his second-straight NASCAR title.

But who will hoist that Cup in nine months when the series returns to south Florida? A lot can happen over the course of a season. Just a few phrases from last season — Car of Tomorrow, mergers, Toyota, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — can attest to that.

Still, who are the favorites in 2008? According to members of the media who voted in a recent poll on NASCARmedia.com, Jeff Gordon is going to capture his fifth championship this season. Johnson, Tony Stewart, Earnhardt and Matt Kenseth round out the top five.

While those are all fair picks – with the exception of Earnhardt, who may be more of a sentimental favorite this season because of his move to Hendrick Motorsports than a legitimate choice — here’s how I voted:

1. Jeff Gordon: Gordon could’ve had the title last season – especially under the pre-Chase format – but lost out to his protégé Johnson. This season, Gordon will say ‘enough is enough’ and will end all question of who is the real top dog at Hendrick Motorsports.

2. Jimmie Johnson: Winning back-to-back championships is a difficult enough feat, but three in a row? No one has done that since Cale Yarborough did it in the ’70s (1975-1977). Johnson’s not that good… is he?

3. Matt Kenseth: Even without Robbie Reiser calling the shots this season, Kenseth will still run strong as the lead driver at Roush Fenway.

4. Tony Stewart: The curveball for Stewart this season will be Joe Gibbs Racing’s switch to Toyota. It shouldn’t keep Stewart from victory lane, but the No. 20 team just hasn’t been up to its championship-winning caliber in the last two seasons.

5. Kurt Busch: Busch should improve his position this season after scoring only four top 10s in 16 CoT races in 2007, but his Dodge will be no match for the Chevys of Gordon and Johnson.

6. Jeff Burton: With age comes experience, and though Burton will be 41 years old when The Chase rolls around in September, he’ll show the kids what consistency is all about.

7. Kyle Busch: Though some have picked the youngster to capture the 2008 Cup, Rowdy, Shrub or whatever you want to call him will show promise with his new team but won’t have enough to get the title.

8. Clint Bowyer: Bowyer impressed many in 2007, putting his name on the map by “sneaking” into The Chase (despite being in the top 10 in points since the season’s fourth race). But Bowyer will have a few more growing pains this season and will slip from third to eighth.

9. Kevin Harvick: Happy Harvick will be right in line with teammates Burton and Bowyer and will keep on pace with his 10th-place finish in 2007.

10. Denny Hamlin: For his third full season in Cup, I predict a Stewart-like season for Hamlin. Though he’ll get hot at a certain point in the season, the low points of the rest of the year will be too detrimental and will keep the Virginian from being a true title contender.

11. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.: Obviously, all eyes are on Earnhardt this season as 2008 will be the ultimate put-up-or-shut-up for racing’s most popular driver. Earnhardt will see some success and will return to Chase contention for the first time since 2006.

12. Martin Truex, Jr.: Truex will prove that his 2007 season – his coming out party, really – was not a fluke. As the lead driver for Dale Earnhardt, Inc., he’ll make The Chase for the second-straight year.

For the 2008 rookie of the year, I chose DEI’s Regan Smith, who will drive the No. 01 Chevrolet full time this season. Smith has the most stock-car experience out of the rookie class, which includes former open-wheel stars Dario Franchitti, Sam Hornish, Jr., Jacques Villeneuve, Patrick Carpentier and Michael McDowell. In fact, Smith is the only rookie contender without an open-wheel background. Franchitti, the 2008 IndyCar Series champion and Indianapolis 500 winner, will also have a shot at the title, thanks in part to his overall ability to race sensibly. Hornish, based on his limited appearances in stock-car events, is still unpredictable. As for the other three contenders, I’m afraid they won’t qualify for enough races to actually be contenders.

Of course, all of these predictions could very well be wrong. Someone could – and probably will – come along and surprise everyone in 2008. Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman may regain their winning ways and make the Chase. Earnhardt could very well fall flat on his face and finish 18th in points this season. Perhaps Rowdy Busch will win 13 events and earn Toyota its first title in its second season in NASCAR’s highest season.

No one can really predict what will happen between now and Homestead. All we can do is sit back, buckle in and watch.