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I Hope Jeremy Mayfield isn’t Drowning Face Down

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

May 13, 2009 2:48 pm UTC 5 Comments

The stormy rumors that a Sprint Cup driver had been busted for a positive drug test started flooding twitter Saturday afternoon. The news that the culprit was Jeremy Mayfield hit sometime after 5 PM here.

Since then, the ratio of condemnation to care for Mayfield has been – by my unofficial tally – 100 percent against the man. Scanning the internet, scanning Jayski’s article list and twitter, I didn’t find many writers or fans as willing to look at the story somewhat objectively as Marc of Full Throttle. Now Marc is no Mayfield fan – and hasn’t been for as long as I’ve been reading him. But he is equally critical of NASCAR and its testing policies, so there is a balance. But mostly, this has been torches and pitchforks.

We had ESPN the Magazine’s Ryan McGee On Pit Row Tuesday night. The topic was Mayfield and the test. Ryan had written about this on Sunday. His column shows that the negative vibe extends to the garage too. [media id=1] Listen to the Ryan McGee interview On Pit Row here.

A couple weeks ago, I got an email from the PR people for the band Saving Able. They had a new video coming out for a song and since the video featured some NASCAR drivers, they thought OnPitRow.com might want to feature the new vid for our readers. So being the old guy that I am, I asked my kids what they thought. They said the band was cool and I had permission to post the vid. And the video is cool.

It features several drivers. But the main guy – the focus of the video – is Jeremy Mayfield. The song is called Drowning (Face Down). Weird. Watch the video here.

Photo credit: Screen shots from the video for Drowning (Face Down) by Saving Abel

Filed under: It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, Jeremy Mayfield, NASCAR, NASCAR & the Media, NASCAR Rumors, NASCAR video, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio

Tagged with: Drowning (Face Down), drug testing, Jeremy Mayfield, NASCAR video, racing music, Ryan McGee, Saving Abel

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Old School Racing Thanks to Jimmy Watts

by Charlie Turner

March 12, 2009 1:07 pm UTC 6 Comments

Can you use Jocko Flocko, Bruton Smith and Jimmy Watts all in one sentence? I didn’t think so. But Mindy Monday tried, in the latest episode of the Monday Morning Crew Chief.

Mindy even has a NASCAR trivia question for you fans of such stuff.

There’s that, assorted brain farts and how not to win fans and influence holiday giving. Watch it all right here on Bench Racing TV.

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, Brian France, Bruton Smith, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, JTG Racing, Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Marcos Ambrose, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR Trivia, NASCAR video, Sprint Cup Series, The Busch Bros

Tagged with: Fonty Flock, Jimmy Watts, Jocko Flocko, Tim Flock

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Kurt Busch Out Runs the Competition with Help from a Gasman

by Steve Wronkowicz

I am co-host of the syndicated radio show: ON PIT ROW. Over ten years on the air and three on the net; see what can happen when I don't let the facts get in the way of my opinions.

March 10, 2009 7:04 am UTC 3 Comments

The complexion of the race in Atlanta on Sunday changed faster than a teenager with a Hershey bar.

Jimmy Watts, gasman for Marcos Ambrose, took off after an errant tire that was headed for the racing surface. NASCAR saw Watts sprinting after the Goodyear and threw a caution flag during the round of green flag pit stops. The caution threw a monkey wrench into many teams strategies as some very good race cars went a lap down to the leaders.

Only nine cars remained on the lead lap after the Watts inspired caution. Thanks to the “lucky dog rule” those nine swelled back to fourteen later in the race, but Kurt Busch help off late race challenges from Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards to gain the win. Busch dominated the activities on Sunday leading on six different occasions for more laps than anyone.

Busch’s crew chief Pat Tryson had Kurt still on the race track when the Watts caution was thrown by NASCAR–good luck. Luck plays a part in all of racing. Just ask Bill Elliott who was caught up in an accident that was not of his doing–bad luck. But, that is part of racing and how teams deal with adversity is what will separate winners from also rans.

Did luck need to play into this race however; as we look at this week’s BUZZ ON PIT ROW:

Did NASCAR over react with its yellow flag for the loose tire chased down by Marcos Ambrose’s gasman Jimmy Watts?

Let us know what you think and we could use your thoughts on this weeks ON PIT ROW. Listen live from 5-7pm ET every Tuesday at www.onpitrow.com.

photo credit: Icon Sports Media

Filed under: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Carl Edwards, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, Kurt Busch, NASCAR, NASCAR Bidness, NASCAR officials, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Penske Racing

Tagged with: Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Jimmy Watts, Kurt Busch, Marcos Ambrose, Pat Tryson

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Mindy Thinks Brian France was Late for his Soup

by Charlie Turner

February 21, 2009 10:54 am UTC 3 Comments

The 2009 Daytona 500 - or is it Daytona 380? – is history.

Intrepid ON PIT ROW reporter Mindy Monday apparently paid attention to the details and has more pithy commentary this week.

Watch the latest Monday Morning Crew Chief right here and remember: don’t pit outside the box!

Filed under: Bench Racing TV, Brian France, Brian Vickers, Dale Earnhardt, Inc., Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, Martin Truex Jr., Matt Kenseth, Monday Morning Crew Chief, NASCAR, NASCAR video

Tagged with: Brian France, Dale Jr, Daytona 500, go or go homers, Junior, Mindy Monday, Monday Morning Crew Chief

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Admit it Earnhardt Fans: You Blame Tony Jr for the Pink Pit Signs

by Charlie Turner

February 20, 2009 7:21 am UTC 6 Comments

Did you see the reaction of Tony Eury Jr when his cuz’ Dale Earnhardt Jr over-shot his pit during last Sunday’s Daytona 500?

The Fox Sports cameras caught Eury Jr turning away and burying face in hands. I can only imagine what he was thinking. Mostly, I’m sure, he was planning the team’s strategy for getting lost track position back and getting the No 88 into contention again.

But it was almost funny, in a bloggishly sick way. I mean, part of him had to at least think “now how are they going to blame THIS ONE on me?”

And then his driver – the guy who has never done anything wrong – at least not unforgivably so – blames the whole thing on too many pink pit boards. Well, who chose PINK!?

It was Eury!

GET A ROPE!

Could be a long season for Tony Jr.

Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.

Filed under: Dale Earnhardt Jr., Daytona 500, Daytona International Speedway, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, NASCAR, Sprint Cup Series

Tagged with: Junior, pink pit boards, Tony Eury Jr

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One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing from OnPitRow.com

by Charlie Turner

February 3, 2009 10:27 pm UTC 2 Comments

NASCAR fantasy racing for dummies. That’s one way our old NASCAR Chain Game fantasy game was described. I took comfort in that.

Quite a few astute players of the game took home some very nice prizes. And then, we lost the ability to offer it to OnPitRow.com readers and ON PIT ROW listeners.

Well, it’s back. Actually, we have a new, upgraded, fancified version that required renaming.

We call the new game One and Done, the NASCAR fantasy racing game from ON PIT ROW and OnPitRow.com.

It will be a bit flashier looking. And we will have stats and commentary that just wasn’t there in the old game. A weekly newsletter will recap the results and preview the upcoming race. We’ll laugh at Steve. And me. But, if you like your fantasy NASCAR simple – if you want your fantasy racing picks to be easy, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing is the game for you. It truly is, NASCAR fantasy racing for dummies. No offense.

Pick one driver, every week – but choose wisely Obi Wan, you can only use a driver once – and that’s it. Get it right often enough, and you will be rewarded with terrific prizes.

We will run three games. Two 13 week segments and then the Chase for the One and Done Cup.

The winners of each segment will get a fantastic Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure package. And the first ten finishers in each segment will win a prize package from OnPitRow.com. Details to follow.

So play One and Done fantasy NASCAR. Tell your friends and co-workers to play too. This is the perfect, NASCAR trash talkin’, water cooler braggin’, Monday morning conversation starter. It takes about 30 seconds to sign up. Tell your friends. It’s fun. I wouldn’t lie to you.

Photo credit: Icon Sports media, Inc.

Filed under: Bench Racing Contests, Dale Jarrett, It's Only Cheating if You Get Caught, Nascaholics, NASCAR, NASCAR Fantasy Gaming, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, One and Done NASCAR Fantasy Racing, Prelude to the Dream, Sprint Cup Series, Stewart Haas Racing, The Pettys, Tony Stewart