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How To Fix NASCAR: 5. Field-Filler Frenzy

by Chris Leone, Special To NASCAR commentary and pictures,2010 NASCAR schedule,NASCAR video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

I do weekly Fantasy Pick'Em columns here at OPR, as well as the occasional opinion and analysis piece. I also provide the IZOD IndyCar Series coverage. For more on that, head to my site, OpenWheelAmerica.com. My Twitter handle is @christopherlion.

January 30, 2009 5:36 pm CST 13 Comments

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Not that, you know, we need more of them - it’s just what’s been happening lately.

With the formation of an as-yet-to-be-named team by Larry Gunselman, the car count at Daytona is going to be in the high 50s. It’s going to be higher than in 2007, when we had 49 fully-funded teams competing for st- I mean, 14 fully-funded teams attempting to steal points from 35 other fully-funded teams with guaranteed starting spots. (Cough.)

Either way, new teams involved in the sport is a good thing, right? They provide emplyoment to a lot of guys who have been/may be getting displaced, such as Dave Blaney, Todd Bodine, Geoff Bodine, Joe Nemechek, Jeremy Mayfield, Mike Skinner, Kirk Shelmerdine, Kelly Bires, and Derrike Cope. Don’t forget crew chiefs like Phillippe Lopez and Doug Richert, as well as (assumedly) a lot of those displaced in this offseason’s merger mania. That can only help the sport, right?

Wrong.

Gunselman put it best when he told NASCAR.com, “Right now we’re looking at running for purse money while we try to come up with sponsorship dollars. The more sponsor dollars you get, the harder you can run. I tell people all the time, if you don’t have money, you’ve got to race smart, and you can race hard if you do have money.”

These guys - most likely every single one of them - will be utilizing Gunselman’s strategy. (Sorry, Phil Parsons, I don’t believe you for one second when you say that No. 66 is going to run legitimately at Daytona.) They’re field fillers, and they make their living by showing up, qualifying, and running twenty laps before parking the car and lying to NASCAR officials about why the car “broke.”

Not only are they playing a game to try and pocket purse money, they’re potential safety hazards on the track. Remember the 2004 Darlington race where Jeff Gordon and Andy Hillenburg wrecked pretty early on? There were eight field-fillers in the race that day. It’s a wonder that cars citing brake issues at Darlington didn’t cause more problems.

I’ve heard theories that NASCAR promises the TV networks 43-car fields every race. If that’s true, why? What makes 43 cars so special? Champ Car had some awesome races with between 15 and 20. It’s not necessary to set car counts so high that field fillers are required to fulfill the television contract. Someone needs to go in and rewrite those contracts if that’s the case. Quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

Of course, I do have sympathy for these guys. Todd Bodine was a Truck Series champion in 2006. Mayfield made two consecutive Chases in 2004 and 2005 before his team was pulled out from under him. Nemechek and Skinner still have plenty left in the tank, and Bires is an up-and-coming talent. All of them are certainly deserving of rides in some series. It’s a messy situation, especially for those teams whose employees have no other sources of income to fall back on. (Parsons? Eeeeigh. No sympathy, especially when you deny having any part in the team.)

So here’s the best solution I can come up with: Any car that exits the race for good within the first 25% of the scheduled distance has a NASCAR official in their pit stall/garage to verify that the reason for pulling the car from the race is legitimate. The teams that are running legitimately will just regard it as standard protocol, and have no problems. Those who are “racing smart” (cough) lose all accumulated points and get their walking papers from the next race, entry blank filled in or not.

As in, don’t even bother showing up. We’re not going to let you in.

Starting and parking for 36 races may be attractive to some guys. But starting and parking for 18 or less? This doesn’t cater to those “smart” owners at all. They’re not going to run the car beyond its means on one set of tires, as that risks totaling it and coming out with a loss.

I’d say the teams have to forfeit the prize money as well, but those crew members - as many or as few of them the team employs - need to make a living too, like I said.

There’s no perfect solution to the field-filler problem. There likely never will be. But at least by severely limiting the amount of races a field filler can enter, it discourages those owners from trying to form that sort of operation, and only running the races (if any) they can afford to run properly.

It’s a start.

Filed under: Darlington Speedway, Daytona 500, How to fix NASCAR, Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, NASCAR, Phil Parsons, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: field fillers, How to fix NASCAR

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NASCAR’s Version of Homer Simpson

by Charlie Turner

Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow

January 30, 2009 4:09 pm CST 3 Comments

Mindy would like to say that Jimmie Johnson sliced his way through traffic at the Rolex 24 in Daytona last weekend. But she just isn’t that kind.

The newest Monday Morning Crew Chief is a bit more critical of the three time Sprint Cup champ than that. Although there was some slicing involved.

She also has some advice for Joey “Sliced Bread” Logano.

Watch the latest from Mindy right here , right now.

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, Daytona International Speedway, Irwindale Speedway, Jimmy Johnson, Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR, NASCAR video

Tagged with: Bench Racing TV, David Donahue, Grand Am, Joey Logano, Mark Donahue, Mindy Monday, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR video, Rolex 24, Toyota All Star

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NASCAR’s Return of the One Car Wonders

by Charlie Turner

January 29, 2009 6:02 pm CST No Comments

Who said the single car NASCAR Sprint Cup team was dead? Not our own Mindy Monday.

In the latest - and apologetically late - Monday Morning Crew Chief, Mindy tips her hat to several, brand new one car operators. She also disses Brian France. But what else is new?

Watch Mindy’s latest right here. Sorry we’re late.

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, Brad Kesolowski, Brian France, Car of Tomorrow, Jeremy Mayfield, Joe Nemechek, Mike Wallace, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR video, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Phil Parsons, Sprint Cup Series, TRG Motorsports, Terry Labonte, Tommy Baldwin, Tommy Baldwin Racing, Warren Wallace

Tagged with: Jeremy Mayfield, Mike Wallace, Mindy Monday, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR video, Tommy Baldwin

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NASCAR’s Most Improved Driver: Casey Mears?

by Charlie Turner

January 29, 2009 4:10 pm CST No Comments

NASCAR’s 2009 Sprint Cup Series is revving up all the usual suspects picked by someone to grab the France Family jewels. But who is your version of the Phoenix - the legendary bird that rises from the ashes?

Bram that sage Scottish Racer of Backstretch Motorsports acclaim asked just that over at the BenchRacers forum . Who has the chance to be most improved? Here’s a bit of Bram’s answer to his own question…

“no one stands a better chance at brass-covered tin-ring than Casey Mears.. he’s fully funded and from all outward signs, has a much stronger support system behind him at the Welcome, NC shops as opposed to the ‘and we must mention…’ status he got at Hendrick.. and this is his last chance…”

Is this Casey Mears’ last chance in Cup? It’s hard to argue that logic. Mears has had what seemed at the time, to be very good rides. The second car at Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates Racing and then the No 5 car at Hendrick Motorsports. But, the results of the Ganassi team show that they have been annually overrated and Hendrick has never gotten the fourth car up to the level of the No 24 or 48.

Mears seems the perfect fit for Richard Childress Racing. He reminds me of Jeff Burton, in fact. I’ve had to opportunity to interview Mears and it would be tough to come away from that experience with anything but hope for his success.

It would seem that all is in place for Casey to have that “Most Improved Driver” kind of season. The caveat is that RCR has never run four cars for a full season. It can be argued that only Jack Roush has done so successfully. I like Casey’s chances though.

Photo credit: BethAnne Heisler - ON PIT ROW

Filed under: Casey Mears, Chip Ganassi Racing, Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, NASCAR, Richard Childress Racing, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: BenchRacers, BethAnne, Bram Hume, Heisler, most improved driver, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series

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RACE FANS ‘N GAS CANS!

by Art Almond, Special To NASCAR commentary and pictures,2010 NASCAR schedule,NASCAR video, Bench Racing With Steve and Charlie

Awright y'all... I'm tha crazy dude that is known as... "Drawer-Dude" I draw funny pictures of this racin' cartoon character that I created... known as "PIT-ROAD-TOAD! You can see more Toad-Toons at my blog site... RACIN' RUCKUS

January 28, 2009 4:30 pm CST 3 Comments

Juss… doin’ a lil’ research on tha gas cans currently bein’ used in SPRINT CUP. Hopefully… some of ya’ll here can help with the facts.

My understanding is that NASCAR has gone to a 12 Gallon Can recently?

I also understand that these cans are manufactured by Richardson Racing Products, and retail for around $340.00 with the neck and valve. Let’s learn more… I need yer input!

Fact 1) It takes around 6 seconds for the Gas Man to empty one of these cans into the car.

Fact 2) It takes tha TOAD around 2 seconds to “shotgun” ahh brew!

Filed under: Comics, NASCAR Tech, Nextel Cup Series, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Pit Road Toad

Tagged with: Art Almond, Pit Road Toad, Richardson Racing Products

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Opportunities Ripe for Change Throughout NASCAR

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Charlie likes to call me an "idiot". I'm not an "idiot"; I just prefer not to let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

January 26, 2009 9:33 pm CST 2 Comments

Things are starting to come together for all the teams trying to make the Daytona 500.

The big four have been set for a while. Rick Hendrick Motorsports has his four cars all set with Mark Martin coming on board to run the full season. Jack Roush has had his five teams ready since getting the UPS sponsorship lined up at the end of the 2008 season. Richard Childress Racing has expanded his group to include a fourth car with Clint Bowyer moving over from the #07 to the new #33 car with General Mills sponsorship. Joe Gibbs Racing has the kiddie corp of Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and ROTY contender Joey Logano ready to hit the track.

After those four owners has been where all the craziness of the off season has revolved. It has been well documented the strife a mergers that have surrounded Chip Ganassi, Dale Earnhardt, Inc, Gillet-Evernham and Petty Enterprises. For better or worse success or failure will follow the mergered teams depending on their ability to adapt to their new surroundings, management teams and driving team mates.

With the loss of teams like Bill Davis Racing and part time seasons from Furnature Row and The Wood Brothers, the bottom feeders saw much of the change revolve around them. There has been an odd resurgence of single car–privateer teams spearheaded by Tommy Baldwin’s new entry in the Sprint Cup. While many if not most of these new teams may not even make it past Daytona; it would seem to make the fields easier for the big boys to become bigger.

Less competition outside the top four teams could make it easier for a first time winner in both the 500 and the championship. Which leads us to this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW: