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Lack of Respect Can Get You Loose in Turn 3

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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 6, 2008 8:32 am CDT 8 Comments

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Lack of Respect Can Get You Loose in Turn 3I have more fun than should be allowed. Steve and I get to talk to some big-time guests ON PIT ROW every week. Most of the time we get thoughtful, insightful answers to our questions. Every once in a while, we get one that blows us away.

We asked Speed TV’s Robin Miller what he thought of the field for this year’s version of the Indy 500. Though Miller respects many of the drivers, his comment about “milk’n donuts and a bunch of jack-offs” was priceless. If you missed it, you can listen to the whole thing here.

Seems that Robin thinks some of those guys are over-rated. That was the inspiration for my “Loose in Turn 3″ question this week. After you comment on mine, make sue you check out Do You NASCAR and NASCAR Bits and Pieces for more Looseness.

Who is the most under-rated driver in NASCAR and how is he over-looked relative to his talent/value?

Charlie:  Jimmy Johnson is appreciated less than any other multi-time Champion and perennial championship contender.  It is a phenomenon that Steve and I have discussed many times before ON PIT ROW.  In any other team sport, Johnson and the #48 team would be talked of as a dynasty.  In NASCAR, he is often an after-thought.  I think this comes from an impression that JJ’s success is the product of great equipment more than driving talent.  That is just wrong.

Bruce: Jeff Burton: In my mind he’s ignored while he’s turning in consistent finishes to put himself 2nd in the standings. The media HAS to mention him when they count down the top 12 drivers but there’s not much time to cover him when the media has to report everything Kyle Busch or how many races since his Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s last win. Heck for that matter, did you know that David Ragan is 8 points out of 12th? Sorry, I’ve diverged onto a rant… but I think regardless of who we pick, they’re victims of the media focus, or lens as you will.

TZ:  I like both of your answers to the question, but I’ve got to go with Jamie McMurray.  Folks think that just because he made the move to a Roush car that he should be winning all of these races.  The red flags went up when he didn’t even come close to the Chase last year and then when he fell outside of the top-35 after Bristol earlier this year.  To me, it’s just one of those deals that something hasn’t clicked between Jamie and Roush.  But, he’s already climbed himself back up to 22nd in points, and he’s actually still a 2008 Chase hopeful.  Plus, I figure if he can finish in the top-15 in points with Ganassi, then the guy’s obviously got a boat-load of talent.

That’s what we think.  What do you think.  Leave your feedback in the comment section then visit the other guys for their topics.  TZ’s question is…

Joe Gibbs Racing has won four times in the Sprint Cup Series this season, but in two years, they are the only Toyota team to win a race in Cup racing. Will a non-JGR driver reach Victory Lane in 2008? 

Bruce wants to know what you think about…

Hamlin passed a few cars that had avoided slamming into the melee at a rapid rate before hitting Sadler. So my question is more a statement, but I think Denny Hamlin could have avoided hitting as hard as he did because he probably could have slowed down a heck of a lot more… What’s your guys take? 

Filed under: Dave Blaney, Denny Hamlin, Jamie McMurray, Jeff Burton, Jimmy Johnson, Joe Gibbs Racing, On Pit Row The Fastest Two Hours on Radio, Sprint Cup Series, Toyota, Turn 3 posts 

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Comments

8 Responses to “Lack of Respect Can Get You Loose in Turn 3”

  1. User Avatar Marc on June 6th, 2008 12:47 pm

    Talk about a buzz killer!!.

    I was just getting wound up to let loose with both barrels on Robin Miller and you did the old Bait & Switch routine.

    Under-rated drivers, hmmm, let me see…

    Nope, I don’t see any, they are all in The Show, if there’s a perception of being under-rated it’s fostered by a media that fixates itself on the story of the week or month.

    And who give a damn what they think. They are as much of a jack-off as Miller is.

  2. Loose in Turn Three: Is Anyone Else Driving These Toyotas? on June 6th, 2008 5:11 pm

    [...] - Who is the most under-rated driver in NASCAR and how is he over-looked relative to his talent/value? [...]

  3. Tim Zaegel on June 6th, 2008 5:54 pm

    Btw, I didn’t get a chance to really address it in the article, but I like the analysis on Jimmie Jo’s status as an underrated driver. But, I was really struggling whether to go with McMurray or Kenseth … how early in the year so many people wanted to write off Matt is proof in itself as to what media perception is on Kenseth.

  4. User Avatar Charlie Turner on June 6th, 2008 9:39 pm

    I can buy Kenseth being underrated but not McMurray. Jamie has been over valued, IMO, ever since he won his second start. What’s he done since? The Daytona win was a case of plate-race good fortune - in other words, luck.

  5. User Avatar Matt Mercer on June 7th, 2008 12:52 am

    Underrated: Mark Martin

    All the accolades Mark has gotten over the years doesn’t do him justice. I may be biased a bit, but he could - and should - have won more races and and championship, but the pieces just never fit the way they needed to. There were so many races in the 90s that Mark should have won, but either the car failed or he was taken out by some dumb circumstance. How much different would his career have been if he hadn’t been given an arbitrary penalty of 46 points in 1990 when he lost the title by 26.

  6. Bruce Simmons on June 7th, 2008 12:02 pm

    There are plenty of underrated drivers out there, depending on how you look at it. I never felt Jimmy is underrated. I expect him to be up front, and when he’s not, it’s just not a good race for them…

    I’ve been thinking Jr. is overrated, but he may prove the validity of his move to HMS this year.

    i was actually surprised when I saw where David Ragan is in the standings. I rarely hear anything about him and yet there he lurks, just outside the top 12. Go David.

  7. Tim Zaegel on June 7th, 2008 3:00 pm

    Matt, I don’t really think it’s fair to say that Mark Martin’s really underrated. He’s probably the most highly recognized driver to have never won the Championship, and he’s a household name even for non-NASCAR fans. He’s kinda like the Dan Marino of racing.

    Charlie, it depends on how you look at it. Jamie Mac may not have ever done anything that would place him in the elite ranks of NASCAR, but people don’t really give him enough credit as even being a “good” driver. He’s had his struggles with Roush, for sure, but go back and look at his consistency when he was driving for Ganassi. The guy was solid.

  8. 2008 OPeR Award: Worst Post Race Interview | On Pit Row on January 3rd, 2009 8:21 pm

    [...] more Sprint Cup races the last four years and now, three straight Cup Series championships, just doesn’t get the respect he [...]

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