Flash! Spy info from NASCAR R & D!
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
June 28, 2008 10:54 am CDT No CommentsIf you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
From the hills of California wine country to the highlands of New Hampshire is a bit over 3000 Mapquest miles. NASCAR must own a travel agency or something. How much sense does that make with diesel selling for $5 a gallon?
I wonder if there is any truth to the rumor that Brian France will announce a brand new program designed to save all of his minion’s teams even more money than the Car of Tomorrow - or CoT (or Cash outlay’s Till-we-get-it-right) has saved them?
The next rumored innovation is the - are you ready? - Hauler of Tomorrow! That’s right - the HoT!
No details were available at posting time, but we can surmise some things from past experience.
- Spoilers and splitters will be involved
- Most everybody will think the HoT’s are ugly
- Cash savings will be disguised as additional investment in R&D
- They won’t handle worth spit
- Only the big teams with the big sponsors will be able to afford them, but that won’t matter to NASCAR. Everybody saves!
- Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards will be fast in them
- Next year’s All Star week will feature a “jack-knifing” contest
- NASCAR will buy Mapquest and doctor the figures
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Earnhardt Jr Gets Lucky at MIS
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
June 16, 2008 9:33 am CDT 1 Comment
There are, according to Google, twenty permanent casinos in the state of Michigan. For dice rollin’, all-in plays, they had nothing on Michigan International Speedway on Fathers Day.
The #88 team of Dale Earnhardt Jr and Tony Eury Jr did their seniors proud, parlaying a gutsy fuel strategy into Junior’s first win for Rick Hendrick and the National Guard car. It was - needless to say - a very popular win with the majority of the MIS crowd.
Rock star Bob Seger - another of Michigan’s favorite sons - has a song that seems to fit Dale Jr this morning.
Got to keep movin’, never gonna slow down
You can have your funky world, see you ’round
Cause I got to ramble (Ramblin’ man)
I got to gamble (gamblin’ man)
I got to ramble (ramblin’ man)
Lord I’m a ramblin’, gamblin’ man
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
NASCAR Ups the Ante on Haas/CNC
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.
May 29, 2008 7:16 am CDT 3 CommentsNASCAR increases its points penalties for teams by fifty percent.
The going rate for infractions to the new car had been rather consistent at 100 owner and driver points, $100,000. fines for the crew chiefs and and 6 races suspensions for said crew chiefs. But with the Haas/CNC infractions on the Scott Riggs and Johnny Sauter cars come 150 point penalties. NASCAR PR released this statement:
The No. 66 car driven by Scott Riggs and the No. 70 car driven by Johnny Sauter were found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 20-3.1.3A (wing mounting locations were not as specified by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rule Book). The infractions were discovered May 24 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
As a result, Riggs and No. 66 car owner Joe Custer have been penalized 150 championship driver and 150 championship owner points, respectively, as have Sauter and No. 70 car owner Margaret Haas. Both the crew chiefs and the car chiefs for the two cars – Bootie Barker and Derick Jennings for the No. 66 and Dave Skog and Thomas Harris for the No. 70 – have been suspended from the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events, suspended from NASCAR until July 9 and placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Additionally, Barker and Skog have each been fined $100,000 apiece.
The penalty also includes NASCAR’s confiscation of team 66 Serial Number HMS 12 06 415 race car and team 70 Serial Number HMS 04 08 507 race car.
You have to wonder if adding 50 points to the penalties is because NASCAR sees two cars from the same stable as being more offensive than if it had been just one. Or were the penalties increased because it was the wing area that was violated. NASCAR has taken a dim view of messing with the wing and its fittings.
Then again, Barker claimed that they had been using the same wing brackets the entire season with no problems and not a mention from any tech inspector. And they had passed inspection three times that same day. NASCAR’s Kerry Tharpe said the garage is self policing. That has to be interpreted as saying some fellow team threw the Haas/CNC boys under the bus.
The most likely candidates would be those teams and cars most likely to benefit from the 66 and 70 cars falling down the points ladder. A hard look has to be taken at the #55 and #77 teams of Michael Waltrip Racing and Penske Racing. Those two teams stand to gain the most with the redone points. Whether either of those teams or some other are the “garage police” for NASCAR, the system stinks worse than moldy leftovers.
Should cheaters be dealt with accordingly? Absolutely. Should NASCAR take a look at its inspection process? Absolutely. If what Bootie Barker says is entirely true, then the inspectors that have passed those cars for eleven of the first twelve races should be disciplined as well.
photo credit: Icon Sports Media
Coca Cola 600 Fantasy Thoughts
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
May 24, 2008 11:00 am CDT No Comments
I chose David Ragan to win the Coca Cola 600 during our picks weekly segment ON PIT ROW this week. What was I thinking? Admittedly that segment of the show is pretty “off the wall”. It isn’t meant to be serious fantasy racing analysis. It’s more about who can “out stupid” whom. Looking at NASCAR’s Loop Data this week makes me think maybe I have a lock on that for the 600. Ragan isn’t even on the sheet!
Now I will admit to being influenced by the Sprint Showdown - the qualifier for the Sprint All Star Race. David finished a strong third, just out of the last transfer spot. Then Sunday I got to watch him - in person - start from the back of a 35 car field and work to the front for third place finish in the ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Toledo Speedway. Plus I talked to him in the infield at Toledo. He’s a nice guy. But 200 laps at the Glass City half mile isn’t even close to 400 at Lowes. I may have over-bought.
If not Ragan, who?
Once again, Jimmy Johnson is the overwhelming leader of the Loop Data stats. If Dave Ragan is a stretch - and he is - then Johnson is a steal if you get to pick him. But J J has looked the part at many other races in 2008 too, only to disappoint. His Driver Rating of 120.2 - nearly 26 points better than second place Kyle Busch - is a big number. He has Series best stats in nine other Box Score categories including Ave Finish of 5.0, Ave Position 7.5, 246 Fastest Laps and 1956 Laps in the Top 15 for 88.6% of the last six Lowes races. Johnson’s 990 Ave Points Gained is 100 pts better than the next highest total - the 899 for Carl Edwards.
The Loop stats for Lowes are a bit strange though. As stated, Kyle Busch has the second best Driver Rating, but his Ave Points Gained per race is only 596 - almost 400 less than Johnson’s total. The Shrub will start from the pole and he has been one of the best this season but the Loop stats don’t point to consistency at Charlotte. His Ave Finish is only 23.5.
Carl Edwards’ Driver Rating, despite the second most Ave Points Gained per race, is even lower than Busch the Younger’s at 88.6. Carl has been strong on the intermediate tracks this year and I expect he’ll do well at Lowes too. Five top tens in his six starts are a good indication.
Veteran Mark Martin has the number three DR at 93.2 and he’s a four time winner at the N Carolina track. There hasn’t been much talk about Martin in 2008. He could make some noise this week though.
Kasey Kahne, winner of the Sprint All Star race and two time Lowes winner has a Driver Rating of 92.9 and has led the most Loop Laps with 338 to Johnson’s 298. If the Thursday ruling on suspension settings by NASCAR doesn’t throw the #9 teams setups off too much, Kahne could be the pick this week.
You can throw a Loop blanket over the next dozen contenders. The only stat of the bunch that jumps out at me is Bobby Labonte’s Ave Points Gained - 812 from the 13th overall DR ranking position.
I haven’t seen enough from the #9 to pick Kahne for a 600 mile race. To me it’s between Johnson and Edwards. I’ll go with Jimmy, the big stat advantage and the five wins. Carl could get his first Lowes win, but I have to see it first.
Dark horse pick - Kurt Busch.
The Darlington Stripe is Forever
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
May 11, 2008 10:54 pm CDT 1 Comment
Darlington Speedway no longer hosts the venerable Southern 500 on Labor Day weekend. NASCAR and International Speedway Corporation had good reasons for taking that date from the Lady in Black and giving it to California Speedway - or whatever they call the So-Cal track now.
The Rebel 400, Firecracker 400 and Rockingham are gone too, from NASCAR. The tradition trickles away.
But this past weekend stamped one NASCAR tradition emphatically on the sides of most of the Dodge Challenger 500 field. The Track Too Tough to Tame still puts her mark on those who want to challenge her. Long live the Darlington Stripe.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
My Window Net Came Loose in Turn Three
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
May 2, 2008 6:40 am CDT 3 Comments
Did you see the ARCA RE/MAX Series race from Kansas Speedway Saturday? Former Formula One driver Scott Speed won the thing but he had to come back from a black flag for a window net infraction. According to Speed’s crew chief, Patrick Donahue, there was no attempt to find a competitive advantage in tweaking the nets - even though Speed’s teammate nearly had the same fate. Nope, it was simple, human error, which I am intimately familiar with. I work with Steve.
Both Donahue and Speed were guests ON PIT ROW last night. Scott’s interview was short but memorable - “kick ass” according to Speed himself. Listen to it Thursday at 7pm edt at RaceTalkRadio.com.
So things got a little loose ON PIT ROW and now they will get Loose in Turn Three. TZ from Do You NASCAR?, Bruce of NASCAR Bits and Pieces and I will hash out some NASCAR opinion and you are REQUIRED to comment. Please.
Would NASCAR be better off if it had never instituted restrictor plates?
Charlie: In the era BCoT - Before the Car of Tomorrow - races at Daytona and Talladega were contested by plated cars and were pretty much universally complained about by owners, writers, bloggers and the drivers who drove the cars. Fans usually gasped in wonder at the close, three and four wide racing and the big wrecks that the plates promoted. I would say that more casual fans got their vision of what NASCAR is by seeing highlights of plate races than anything else.
Restrictor plates brought NASCAR more excitement and more fans per race than any other innovation the Frances tried. Plates also, almost certainly, saved lives at Talladega and Daytona, where unrestricted cars would have ended up in the stands at some point without action to slow the cars down. Plates are a good thing.
Bruce: I agree with Charlie. Without plates, it would have been a matter of time before a car ended up in the stands. I go back to pre-plate days, remembering a car pulling around another car on the backstretch of Talladega and doing it’s own backflip at 200+ mph. Thank God it wasn’t in the bootleg in front of the stands.
And for the record, I’ve always liked plate races. Even if the drivers don’t think it’s racing, it has to be some form of racing requiring the same degree of experience or the same names wouldn’t be up front in most of them.
TZ: Interesting question for me, because here’s the deal…restrictor plate races TYPICALLY bore me to tears - at least with the old car, anyway. And, really, I think my grudge against the plate races started back in 2003 when I made the trip out to Daytona to watch Greg Biffle win the race on fuel mileage, though I know that’s not really the norm. It’s just in the past there’s not a ton of passing, and the guys for the most part always seemed to play it overly safe through the first 7/8’s of the race but that doesn’t seem to be the case this year.
But really, even before this year, the plate races have been a great commodity for NASCAR to carry. Much like the road courses they bring a certain level of diversity to the schedule that really helps keep things interesting. I enjoy being able to watch a different type of race each week.
Once more, that’s what we think. What do you think? Let us know what your thoughts are on these two topics too.
TZ’s post at DoYouNascar.com : NASCAR recently took a win away from a driver in the Camping World Series on technical inspection grounds. Should this be the new practice?
Bruce’s Bits and Pieces post : Does Dale Earnhardt Day merit all the attention it gets on April 29th?
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Surprise…Surprise…Surprise at Talladega
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.
April 28, 2008 7:18 am CDT 5 CommentsThe Aaron’s 499 at Talladega SuperSpeedway was full of surprises.
“Front Row Joe” Nemechek took the pole as one of the drivers who had to qualify on time to make the race. Nemechek gave the Furniture Row team its first pole position.
Racing action through out the restrictor plate race was hotly contested all race long. Fifty-two lead changes among twenty drivers gave the fans their money’s worth.
Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 Fed\Ex Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, ran up front most of the day along with eventual race winner Kyle “Rowdy” Busch. Busch had never shown much, in any of his previous starts at the 2.66 mile tri-oval, while part of Hendrick Motorsports. Hamlin had this to say about the quality of racing:
“If the fans didn’t like that, then they don’t like racing. The whole race was crazy. We were having a lot of fun out there, trying to give the fans a good show.”
The one disappointment came in the last lap as much of the field was crashing behind the leaders, NASCAR threw the yellow flag after the white had been shown; thus eliminating any suspense for what would have assuredly been a great finish.
That leads us to this weeks BUZZ ON PIT ROW:
With the last lap wreck behind the leaders, why didn’t NASCAR allow the race to continue under green, to get a winner, like it did in 2007 at Daytona?
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Impound THIS–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.
April 26, 2008 5:40 am CDT 3 CommentsNext to the “Top 35 Rule’ the “Impound Race” has to be one of NASCAR most ridiculous concepts going.
Talladega is the first of NASCAR’s five Impound races, originally designed to save teams money and drivers time at the race track. The original idea had some merit. If NASCAR teams weren’t allowed to touch their cars after qualifying; then there would be no need for special qualifying setups. That would save the teams money. No more special this, or special that to gain an advantage for the run to the pole. In theory teams would make their car setups based on what they thought would be good for race day not qualifying day.
In theory a good idea–I say. Letting teams, especially low funded teams, only have to worry about one setup would indeed save them not only cash but would also give their much overworked staff a little time to relax between qualifying and race day. Yes indeed a great plan.
But hold on here a minute cowboy. Let’s take that great concept–a worthy and noble gesture on NASCARs part and screw it sideways into the very teams that could most benefit from it–”the go or go homers”.
This group that resides outside the top 35; a group that must week in and week out spend more money qualifying for races and devote more time for that process than any of the big boys do, must now make some hard decisions. They are forced to set their cars up to qualify so as to be included in the 43 car field. If they become one of the three unlucky souls to miss the race, they will, and most likely have already been relegated to a season of qualifying disparity.
But, the impound rule now makes it doubly difficult to be able to race into good finishes thus elevating oneself into the top 35. The car that has been setup to qualify to just make the race, must run until the first yellow flag pit stops with a less than ideal qualifying setup in the car. All the while the big boys that didn’t have to worry about qualifying are out on the track running up front with the same setups that they were able to run with during practice and qualifying.
The gap between the haves and the have-nots is an ever widening one. NASCAR is seeing to it. Not only are they making life impossible for anyone outside the top 35 to make it into the top 35; they are imparting needless time and money constraints on those that can least afford it.
Come on NASCAR, if you must keep one of these silly rules, get rid of the other. Everyone is at the track already–let them work on the car to get them race ready. Maybe - just maybe - one of those back markers might have a chance.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Talladega Fantasy Thoughts While Waiting for the Big One
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
April 25, 2008 9:48 am CDT No CommentsJimmy Johnson says that Talladega Super Speedway is the perfect race track for NASCAR’s new car. JJ claims that the new pavement and the wide open spaces of Talladega will make for exciting four-wide racing, with more drivers taking chances in the relatively early championship season. The fall race - the first CoT restrictor plate experiment - was notably boring. Jimmy blamed that on a tight, late season, Chase for the Cup which forced drivers to be protective of their point standings and eschew risking involvement in Talladega’s famous “big one” wreck.
Johnson went on to say that the #48 team’s win at Phoenix International Raceway in the Cup Series’ most recent race was a confidence booster but maybe as important was the team’s second place finish the week before at Texas Motor Speedway. Success on the intermediate Super Speedways has lagged behind Hendrick Motorsports’ prowess on short tracks, road courses and plate tracks.
All of that adds up to a confident defending Cup Series Champion. But Johnson doesn’t have the best NASCAR Loop stats at Talladega. He is in fact tied for sixth best Driver Rating with Denny Hamlin. Neither driver leads any of the significant Loop stat categories. Johnson has led only 38 laps in the last six races at the Alabama track while Hamlin had 90 in only four races. Johnson’s results are more impressive with one win, four top fives and five top tens. Hamlin has one top five finish.
The Once and Future King of Talladega
The current king of Talladega is Johnson’s teammate Jeff Gordon. His top Driver rating of 98.5 is supported by Loop leading Ave. Mid Race Position of 8.3 and significantly, 300 laps led - 26.3% of all Loop laps - by far the most of any driver. Add in six career wins, 13 top fives and 16 top tens. Gordon would be the easy pick this week.
Kurt Busch has the second best Driver Rating at 95.0 and has the best Ave Finish and Position - 5.8 and 11.3. His 890 laps in the top 15 - 78.1% - and 1794 Quality Passes are series best as well. Busch has six top fives and 11 top tens at Talladega but has never won a restrictor plate race. The Blue Deuce has had a poor 2008 so far. There hasn’t been much evidence to make me think this will be the turn-a-round week.
Tony Stewart is third in Driver Rating at 93.1. Smoke has eight top fives, 11 top tens and zero ‘Dega wins. It’s hard to believe he can be kept out of victory lane much longer - this season or at this track.
The other drivers in the Talladega top five are Jamie McMurray and Brian Vickers. There’s nothing fluky about it either as they both have solid stats. First, they’ve both won restrictor plate races - McMurray at Daytona last July and Vickers at Talladega in 2006. Their Loop Driver Ratings are 92.6 and 91.5. Jamie has three top fives and four top tens while Vickers owns two top fives and three top tens at TSS.
Dale Earnhardt Jr is always a tempting choice at a plate race. He is a five time winner with seven top fives and nine top tens to temper his 11th best Driver Rating of 81.2. Junior was the top finishing Hendrick Motorsport driver at Daytona and he has been running up front all 2008 long. It would be hard to pick a more likely place for Jr to break his winless streak than at Talladega.
Who else? Points leader Jeff Burton is right behind Earnhardt with the 12th best DR of 79.3. Two top fives and ten top tens are pretty stout, but five DNF’s indicate plenty of involvement in Dega’s big ones.
Kevin Harvick has been a rock so far in 2008. His Driver Rating is 13th at 76.3 for Talladega and he has three top fives and seven top tens. Harvick is winless at Talladega - as are all of the other top twelve in Cup Series points besides Johnson and Jr. But Harvick won at Daytona and knows how to stay out of trouble with no DNF’s in 14 Talladega races.
This one looks like a Hendrick Motorsports win to me. I’m thinking Junior gets his win. Dark horse pick - McMurray.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Third race at Phoenix was the New Car charm
by Charlie Turner
I'm Charlie Turner co-host of the syndicated, mostly NASCAR radio show On Pit Row. Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. Oh yeah, Steve is an idiot.
April 17, 2008 12:41 am CDT 2 CommentsSaturday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500 - which was actually the Phoenix 312 in non-metric stock-car lingo - was race number three for the racer formerly known around these parts as the “Ugly Little Freakin’ Toad” on dessert flat track.
If the occasional fuel mileage race doesn’t bother you - and it doesn’t me - then you probably liked the SSFF 500 (or 312) just like me. That would make you pretty darn astute, in my opinion. My buddy Steve hates economy runs of any kind, any time. If you are like him, well, Steve has a deserved reputation in ON PIT ROW land. You would be wrong, just like El Idioto.
Did you like the way I set up my segue to the Nationwide Series (maybe it should be the Continent-wide Series) trip to Mexico City for the rematch of Scott Pruett and Juan Pablo Montoya. What a great story that shapes up to be.
What? Whaddaya mean Juan’s not going to MayHeeCo? What PR Bozo blew this deal? Don’t they know how long Pruett’s been planning his revenge? It’s not fair!
I guess JPM will spend the week bonding with new Cup crew chief Jimmy Elledge. Thank you Chip Ganassi (with Felix Sabates).
OK, I’m going back to watching “Daytona 500: 50 Years of the Great American Race” that the folks at A&E Home Video sent me to review. Disc one is pretty darned awesome so far, which means I’m not gonna get a whole lot of sleep tonight. It features the broadcast of the 50th ever Daytona 500 in a multi-media format where you can switch from several vantage points to watch the action. You get the Fox team’s coverage but you can switch to the in-car camera - and driver audio - of Dale Jr, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman and more. It is really cool stuff.
I’ll never get to disc two tonight, so I’ll pass along my thoughts on that later. But the race coverage alone is worth the money. Buy it. Check it out here.







