Rather be Loose in Turn 3 or Tight in Turn 9?
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 20, 2008 9:31 am CDT 4 CommentsIf you’re new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Mike Helton’s much talked about meeting last Friday at MIS should go a long way toward keeping the weekend in wine country from turning into a Sunday of whine country. Maybe.
These Cup drivers just don’t like the new car at all. No amount of muzzling is likely to change that any time soon. I can’t decide if the underlying displeasure will be worse at Infineon or not. Somebody probably needs to wreck someone, just as a diversion.
Or maybe NASCAR could just ask the drivers a question, like this one.
Dale Earnhardt Jr broke a NASCAR rule at the end of Sunday’s race at MIS, went unpunished and won the race. Do you have a problem with that?
Charlie: Nope. I’ve been waiting for the NASCAR of the ’90s and early 2000’s to re-appear. That was the “charmed” NASCAR. The NASCAR that had Steve Park in a DEI car win the next race after Earnhardt Sr’s death. The same NASCAR that saw Dale Earnhardt Jr win in his return trip to the Daytona track that took his dad’s life. The NASCAR that had Richard Pettywin his 200 race at Daytona. It’s been a while since serendipity reined in the Cup Series. It was a feel good win, no doubt. I’m just surprised that it took so long.
Bruce: Nah, I don’t have a problem with Jr. not getting tagged for the infraction, but now NASCAR has set a precedence by this lack of action and to the best of their ability and their image, they now need to adhere to similar deeds and actions in future races, with any driver. Stick with the “charmed” approach as you put it Charlie. That’s all I ask.
TZ: I don’t know, really. I mean, my take on pretty much anything involving the NASCAR rulebook is that it’s open for interpretation, because that’s how they’ve set it up. What does the rulebook actually state that the rule is, and what are the consequences? To me, it’s maybe no more than the whole issue with aggressive driving. They tend to issue a warning, and then if the driver doesn’t adhere, then
we get to see what happens. Now, in terms of this whole “charmed” deal, I’ve gotta be honest - I could care less. If the only reason that NASCAR let it slide was because Dale Junior was the benefactor, then yes, I have a problem with it.
That’s what we think, but I want to hear from you. Let us know your thoughts by leaving feedback in the comment section. Then head over to TZ’s Do You NASCAR? to see what we said about this topic…
Joe Gibbs Racing has stated that we may see Joey Logano in a Cup car by the end of ‘08. Logano’s proven himself to be a rare talent, but is 2008 too early?
Then check out Bruce’s NASCAR Bits for our take on this…
NASCAR has asked teams and drivers to tone down their complaints about the COT. Do you think NASCAR has a valid point?
Who Will Be the Sprint Cup’s Next First-time Winner?
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 30, 2008 9:32 am CDT 6 CommentsMartin Truex Jr grabbed his first and, so far only, Cup Series win at Dover Downs in 2007. By my count, he was one of three drivers to accomplish that feat last year - Casey Mears and Clint Bowyer were the others.
I’m looking at the line up for this week’s tilt at the Monster Mile and wondering who will be the next first timer. The answer is not obvious. David Ragan would seem the best bet. He drives for one of the major teams, as did all of 2007’s first time winners. Ragan has lately been running up front and looked like a contender at Charlotte. But who else. Is there anybody else?
Before his injury, Dario Franchitti would have been my pick if only because of the two road courses where he should be one of the contenders. His lost seat-time may not hurt his chances at Sonoma and the Glen, but it steepens the learning curve elsewhere.
Fellow Dodger Reed Sorenson looked strong coming out of Daytona. Since then though, his team has been a big part of Ganassi’s funk. The stirring of that pot by Chip doesn’t bode well for the Target car.
Dave Blaney is the only non winner in a Toyota who seems a candidate. A J Allmendinger didn’t convince me at Lowes. David Reutimann looks like a journeyman.
Who do you like in a Chevy? All of 2007’s virgin winners were Bowtie Boys. But who’s left? Regan Smith? Too soon and not enough chances. Same for Aric Almirola. The Haas CNC teams probably killed their chances by losing crew and car chiefs for six races.
No, the next winner looks to be a Ford man. If not Ragan then maybe one of the Yates guys. Travis Kvapil looks primed.
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
Soliciting Solutions for Boring Racing - a Contest
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 3, 2008 6:34 am CDT 6 Comments
To paraphrase one of my favorite lines all-time from a racing movie…
“Pete, do you ever get tired of (substitute “bored with”) the racing? Lately, sometimes I get very tired.” (ditto)
Ferrari driver Jean Pierre Sarti to Yamura pilot Pete Aaron in “Grand Prix”.
As popular as NASCAR is, people are never satisfied. That’s probably good. Mike Mulhern has a proposition to make things more exciting…
A simple proposition – give one bonus point for each lap a driver leads. If a man leads 150 laps at Daytona, he gets 150 bonus points, for example.
Or perhaps, considering tracks are different lengths, give one bonus point for each mile a driver leads.
Mike contends, and I agree, that putting all of that value on leading laps would make for much more competitive racing for the lead. More lead passes - more exciting races.
That’s what he thinks. What about you? How would you spice up Cup racing?
Put your suggestion in the comment section and I’ll pick a favorite or two and send those people a copy of “Daytona 500: 50 Years of the Great American Race” from A&E
Home Video.
Our last contest was won by the Reverend Jim. Don’t let him win again.
Loose in Turn Three-peat
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 18, 2008 3:12 pm CDT 3 CommentsSo, you tell me which is right - the old “third time’s a charm” saying or is my
Grandmother’s favorite - “bad things happen in threes” - more appropriate for our ” Loose in Turn Three” project?
Check out hosts, Bruce Simmons’ Bruce’s Bits & Pieces, Tim Zaegel’s Do You NASCAR, and me, Bench Racing Charlie to get caught up on the complete discussion on this week’s three topics and please leave plenty of feedback. Thanks and enjoy!
Should NASCAR go to a more structured drug testing policy?
Charlie: Aaron Fike admitted last week that he had raced his Craftsman Truck while under the influence of heroin. Kevin Harvick stated that he is convinced that at least one other driver had raced while under some substance’s influence. NASCAR currently tests when they become suspicious. That is just too loose a policy for a major league sport – especially one that features its performers driving potentially lethal weapons. It’s time to do something more structured.
Random testing for narcotics and alcohol would be a place to start. I know it’s not simple. But figure it out, you know.
TZ: Ya know, I can actually go either way on this one. In NASCAR’s defense, being a former service member, I can say that when done properly, random testing can be very effective. When I look at the crews and drivers in the garage, I also believe that this is still the “clean” sport that it’s always been perceived to be, and these strike me as the type of guys that are more than capable of policing their
own. The only potential issue I can really see with drug use in this sport is the fact that the field keeps getting younger and younger, so you may have a red flag there. Overall – more structured? Yes. Strictly enforcing mandatory weekly testing? No.
Bruce: I’m with Charlie on this one. I’d like to think that when I’m hurtling along at 120 to 180 mph going into a corner, that there is some semblance of calm knowing that the guy next to or behind me isn’t hopped up and seeing giant butterflies sitting on the deck lid of the car in front of him. But how far NASCAR wants to go with this is the big question. Do you tag first, fifth, fifteenth and twenty-fifth finishing spots every week or pull short straws? It’s going to be how
they deploy the process of random testing that’s going to catch heat, no matter what.
That’s what we think. What do you think?
If you haven’t already, click over to TZ’s post on:
Will Tony Stewart Still Be 100% Committed to Toyota in Cup Series in 2009?
Then check out Bruce’s bits on this one:
What Do You Guys Think of the Fox Coverage at the Beginning of the Phoenix Race?
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media , Inc.
NASCAR Non-News Now
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.
March 26, 2008 11:58 am CDT 15 CommentsI feel so used. Sucked in by the implied respectability of network television coverage of our beloved sport and the desperation of one of the biggest players in NASCAR media to invent stories when they are tough to find. Nice job ESPN.
I admit it. I bit. Shortly before leaving to get to our ON PIT ROW broadcast location Tuesday, I saw a blurb about MRN stalwart and Sirius Satellite radio host Dave Moody checking on a report that ESPN the Magazine was breaking a story about some Toyota team being caught red-handed with a top-secret Jack Roush Racing part.
Now we broadcast the show from our winter home, a sports bar called Frickers, just outside the right field wall at Fifith Third Field - the home of the Toledo Mud Hen’s and like all respectable sports bars, it’s full of TV’s - and one radio show that’s full of….itself. Just before our scheduled air time, ESPN’s NASCAR Now was on the tube, with a “special breaking news” report from Terry Blount. My suspicion level began to tick upward.
The Daly Planet actually watched the whole thing and JD seems disappointed that the show, formerly hosted by Eric “the Awful” has slipped from some recently reached level of credibility. Despite Alan Bestwick’s arrival, NASCAR Now is still a hype-laden shill-show and using a jaded, J-school ……. using Terry Blount for their investigative reporter says it all. If Jerry wasn’t laid up with a bad back, he’d say it better, but when I saw Blount was behind it, I should have let the story go.
So I apologize to ON PIT ROW listeners for wasting the time that Steve and I spent talking about this non-story last night. I wonder if ESPN will do the same?
NASCAR–Be Careful What You Ask For
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.
March 9, 2008 11:14 pm CDT 8 CommentsNASCAR officials, during the off season, told their drivers to show more personality. “Be more controversial,” NASCAR told its drivers.
Now everyone from Tony Stewart to Elliott Sadler has an opinion about something, and isn’t afraid to voice it. Stewart has been a huge critic of Goodyear in 2008 and has ripped the tire manufacturer to anyone who would listen.
“There isn’t anybody, I don’t think, who is happy with the tires we have got,” Stewart said. “After 10 years in the Cup Series, you learn to be highly disappointed with everything that Goodyear does.”
“I expect it to be wacky this week, too. I hate to say it, but the best thing that Goodyear does is make that gold trophy at the end of the year.”
“That is one thing that they always do right. Everything from that moment on until the end of the year, it’s a crap shoot. You never know what you’re going to get when you get here.
“This weekend is proof of it. I don’t think you will hear a driver here who is happy with the tires we got this weekend.”
Elliott Sadler took a few pot shots at fellow driver Carl Edwards saying that Edwards and his car owner Jack Roush were insulting his and other driver’s intelligence by trying to pass off the loose oil cooler bolt as a natural vibration occurrence.
“I think that it insults my intelligence as a race car driver when you try and tell me that you accidentally left the oil tank lid off. If you go to any owner, any engineer, any driver any crew chief and ask them is that an advantage, ‘heck yeah it’s an advantage’. I’ve been doing that half of my career. When driving the 21 and 38 car, we pulled the shifter boot off and the oil tank lid off until NASCAR started to tech it. It’s 100 lbs of down force.”
So this week the BUZZ ON PIT ROW is:
Will NASCAR regret its decision to let drivers, owners and employees speak their minds?
photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Was Earnhardt Jr out-cheated by Carl Edwards and Roush-Fenway?
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.
March 7, 2008 11:35 pm CST 4 Comments
Does this sound like a guy who has just been denied his first win for a new team - first in a couple years - because the guy that beat him, out-cheated him?
“I applaud them for being creative, and that’s how we got to where we are today because guys are creative to find ways to get an advantage,” Earnhardt said. “That’s what makes our cars drive better, drive faster. Like I said, I applaud them for doing that and trying to get that edge.”
That quote is from Lee Spencer’s great Foxsports.com article about the latest outbreak in hostilities between Jack Roush and Toyota - this time in the person of Lee White, GM of Toyota Racing Development and former Roushy himself.
This skirmish started with a USA Today story where White claimed that Edward’s oil tank violation at Las Vegas was intentional and referenced wind tunnel tests that Toyota ran in Germany; tests that “resulted in 170 extra pounds of down-force” when the lid was removed.
There is more and Marc has most of it but that was enough to set off Bulldog Jack - he is more of a bulldog than a cat, don’tcha think? How’s this, from Jack, for a start - also from Spencer’s piece.
“my guess is that sometime last year they tested with that cover off, realizing it was illegal to find out what the effect was. Now why would they do that? “
“I wonder how many times they tested the rocket fuel for Michael Waltrip’s car before they decided to take that chance at Daytona”
This is getting pretty good you know? Just when you think it’s a Ford vs Toyota cage match featuring a bulldog or a cat against a… a what… a samurai? What the hell is that thing on the Toyota emblem anyway? Then along comes the Rocket Man himself, Ryan Newman with a rather disgusted reaction to the Roush excuse that the bolt holding the lid on the oil tank worked loose due to vibration. Thanks to Scene Daily..
“My car vibrates the same way, and my bolts were still in good condition,” and “If that was the case, they should have picked a different style bolt … so that it didn’t happen.”
Newman weighed in on the penalties too - saying he agrees with them.
… They’re putting their foot down, and it doesn’t pay to cheat.”
Carl Edwards doesn’t have a problem with that. Scene Daily..
“It’s fine with me if folks want to get worked up about it,” … We’re just racing hard. Something came loose, didn’t pass inspection and we got penalized.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr represented the Chevy camp and seems to agree that for Roush-Fenway to feign innocence is pretty lame. More quotes from Lee’s article..
“..the guy that runs Roush, saying it was a bolt failure, that was ridiculous. He should just come out and be honest about it. ….saying NASCAR assures every bolt won’t fail. The guy doesn’t even know how many bolts hold the lid on, so how can he make any comment on it.”
Junior complimented Edwards, calling him a great driver and conceding that Carl likely would have won even with the oil tank secured. It was typically frank talk by one of NASCAR’s real gentlemen. And this last bit was all Junior too.
“When it comes down to it, you line them up and you race and the guy that crosses the finish line first is the winner. If you got out-cheated, you didn’t do your homework — you know what I mean? You didn’t do your homework.”
NASCAR would be better off if Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt Jr did more of the talking and the cats, dogs and whatever those other things are, quieted down some.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Was Robby Gordon’s relief paid for by Gillette?
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.
March 6, 2008 10:50 pm CST 7 Comments
The decision by the National Stock Car Racing Commission to rescind most of the penalties that NASCAR had levied on Robby Gordon Motorsports for failed Daytona 500 inspections seems to be meeting with almost universal approval around NASCAR Nation.
The NSCRC gave Robby back his crew chief and his 100 points. The points were crucial as they put Gordon 21st in the Sprint Cup standings, well clear of the 35th place cliff-edge that he flirted with before the appeal was heard. Crew chiefs are a plus too.
But curiously, the Commission increased the amount of the original fine from $100 grand to $150 thousand bucks. That has had most of the folks I have talked to scratching their heads. Sure there was a rules infraction. The car went to pre-race inspection with an unapproved part - a nose piece - on the car. The part had been supplied by Gillette-Evernham Motorsports and Dodge. It was a prototype part and, although virtually identical to the current nose, not approved for competition. Essentially, RGM didn’t know any better. Dodge and GEM should have.
All along I have had the feeling that Dodge and or GEM were going to stand the direct financial impact of the mistakes made in this deal. By waving the points and crew chief penalties, the NSCRC took the cheating shadow off of RGM and relieved the team of sponsor complications from that. It also gave the team back the points it had earned - points that should keep RGM in the money; the money being the top thirty five in owner’s points. Those are indirect financial impacts.
If Dodge or GEM are writing the check -and there are lots of ways to write that check - for the penalties, maybe NASCAR and the NSCRC know and are making sure that the real culprits in this circus get slapped hard. It’s a good rumor if nothing else.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
Robby’s Season has Hope–Again
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.
March 6, 2008 7:33 am CST No Comments
NASCAR overturned much of the penalty assessed to Robby Gordon Motorsports for an unapproved part prior to the Daytona 500.
Holy Cow! Can you believe it? NASCAR did the right thing.
What is going on here? The powers that be have overruled fines and penalties in what seems like wholesale lots in the last week. In the process of these landmark decisions, Robby Gordon has his season back.
Robby was facing the prospect of having to qualify his way into races, after NASCAR slapped his race team with points penalties that sent him to thirty-seventh in points. On Wednesday, The National Stock Car Racing Commission, rescinded the points penalties to Gordon and to Robby Gordon Motorsports. They also reversed the suspension of crew chief, Frank Kerr, while keeping him on probation for the remainder of the season and increasing his fine to $150,000, from one hundred thousand dollars.
Gordon, happy with the ruling for the most part, had this to say:
“We see this as good news. We are grateful the commissioners rescinded the points penalty and suspension but disappointed by the fine. Still, we see this as a victory for Robby Gordon Motorsports. We feel like justice was done and appreciate NASCAR creating a system that allowed us to take our appeal to the National Stock Car Racing Commission. Now we plan to put this issue behind us and concentrate on making the “Chase” in 2008 as well as getting the Jim Beam Dodge into victory lane. I want to thank the thousands of fans and our sponsors who have supported us through this episode and want everyone of you to know how much we appreciate all that you have done. Our goal is to be a model team in the future and never go through something like this again.”
Why the increase in the fine when the points penalties and the suspension were lifted? I have to believe it was a face saving move on NASCAR’s part. There was an unapproved part used. Robby never disputed that fact. NASCAR had him red-handed on that fact. Because it was not an intentional act to gain an advantage, NASCAR could see to relax the penalties. But, once again to prove that they run their sport, they made sure that everyone in the garage area knew they would police their sport. Thus the fine increase to Frank Kerr.
Gordon now moves back up to 21st in points, well within the top 35 rule. Who is the big loser in all this? IndyCar, comes out the loser as they won’t have an entry for the Indianapolis 500 with Robby Gordon listed as the driver. A small price to pay for justice.
The bottom line is, NASCAR can still show they are in charge, while allowing for their over zealous interpretation and enforcement of their rule book.
Let’s give NASCAR credit for seeing that they had erred and for having the gumption to reverse most of the penalty.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.







