Saturday was an exciting race for me. Like many Talladega races there was something happening on every lap. Of course there were the normal crashes, big ones and small ones. I was spotting for Kyle Krisiloff, the #14 Clabber Girl entry. It was a great run for Kyle and his team as they came home fifth. Something else I really enjoyed was that another nice guy made it to the checkered flag.
Bobby Labonte has been around for a long time and in my mind is a great representative for this sport. He is rarely, if ever, controversial but he knows how to get the job done without being that way. Yesterday was a great example of the way you win. Bobby was around all day just seeing where his car worked the best and who he was working with the best. With plate racing there is always some timing and luck involved but Bobby was there to take advantage of the position he was in at the end of the race. He reminds me a lot of how my dad gets the job done. When they have the "chemistry" they win.
Now I agree that it would be boring if every driver was just like DJ and Labonte. I like these guys because when they put the helmet on it is all about business and when the race is over they are the nice guys they were before. People, whether it is fans, crew members, sponsors, or other competitors have a lot of respect for them. I like to hear all of their opinions and how they evaluate certain situations.
Every week I enjoy hearing what all of the drivers have to say even if I disagree with them. I like to take something from the driver's quotes and try to understand what made them look at a situation different that the next guy. They are all on the same track but rarely see situations the same as the next competitor. Most of the time when they speak up without seeing a replay they are just telling you what they saw from the seat. When they go back and watch it they often have a different opinion or quote. I remember wrecking at Kansas one time and I blamed someone else. Well, I saw the replay and had to make my way over to the other driver and apologize. It is easy to do when you do an interview right after exiting the car.
The controversy with Stewart last week was blown out of proportion a little but that is just the way it is when you are Tony Stewart. I don't believe that NASCAR is similar to any wrestling association but they do have some responsibility to keep things entertaining for the fans. What do you think would happen if someone reported debris and 3 laps later someone wrecks? Then you would have guys saying that NASCAR should have put the caution out 3 laps before they did. They understand better than fans, team owners, and competitors that they may have to make a quick call and if that means keeping the drivers safe, I am all for it.
The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure was at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Saturday and Sunday. It was a successful weekend as many customers were able to enjoy getting behind the wheel of a NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car. The next event will be held at Talladega Superspeedway on May 26 and 27. For details on how to join us at the track visit www.RacingAdventure.com or call 888-GO-RACE-1.
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Nice Guys Do Win
There are a lot of people out there that say "nice guys don't win." This weekend gave me reassurance of something I knew all along: nice guys do win. Racing has a persona of being made up of nothing but so called tough guys. I have know for a while that a number of racers are nice guys and great drivers. There are two that are on my radar right now for being good racers and good guys.
Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are the two guys I am referring to right now. There are many others but I think this weekend brought Burton and Earnhardt to the front of my mind. I heard some people say that Burton should have been more "aggressive" at Bristol. First of all, I hate that word when it is used to tell people how good of a race car driver someone is. The so called aggressive drivers get labeled that because they are in good equipment and have good people around them. Oh, and they can drive! Jeff Burton knew at Bristol he had the fastest car and he did everything he could to win short of wrecking himself or someone else. He also knew that a Nextel Cup victory was right around the corner for him and his RCR team. The nice guy thing works for Burton but don't think for a minute that he is laying back or not giving all he's got just because he doesn't bump someone or wreck someone to win. He knows how important it is to keep the fenders on these cars so he and his team can continue to make his cars drive better. There are guys that everyone loves and pulls for, and when they bump and wreck, it is exciting but they actually take a step back because his team then has to refocus on fixing equipment instead of making their car faster. Jeff Burton gets it and maybe now everyone else will too. This nice guy will continue winning and making his team better.
Some of you are wondering why I listed Dale Jr. in the "nice guys do win" category. Well, it is not everyday that you see people that willing to get in a competitor's race car, especially after wrecking out of the race yourself. He may of also had some other motives that drove him to jump in another car. But it comes down to him helping out some of his friends that happen to be on a different team. There was part of him that wanted to see how a Hendrick car drove, although it had been wrecked. There was part of him that wanted people to wonder exactly what his motive might be. He wanted to get the attention of the media, without saying a word, and he did. He wanted people to wonder if it had anything to do with his contract negotiations. He wanted to finish the race and he did just that. For me, I believe he knew a lot of different questions would be asked, but in the end, he was just doing two of his favorite things: helping out some friends and racing.
Why do I think he won? Because he just loves to race and be involved in this sport. He is living his dream. Sure there are bad days for him just like anyone else but not many guys would have stuck around for friends or anyone at this point. He did and I think that is another reason he is so popular. I don't really know him now but I do know as we both grew up in the infields around the country that Dale Jr. wanted to race worse than any other kid in the infield.
These are two total different guys. They probably don't many other common interests other than race cars. On Sunday they were on different ends of the score board but that didn't change the fact that they are both nice guys that win.
Want to take a test drive? Call 888-GO-RACE-1 or visit www.RacingAdventure.com to sign up today. The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure will be visiting Atlanta Motor Speedway next week and Talladega Super Speedway in May. Join us at the race track and remember, "Don't Do Anything Half Fast!"
Jeff Burton and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. are the two guys I am referring to right now. There are many others but I think this weekend brought Burton and Earnhardt to the front of my mind. I heard some people say that Burton should have been more "aggressive" at Bristol. First of all, I hate that word when it is used to tell people how good of a race car driver someone is. The so called aggressive drivers get labeled that because they are in good equipment and have good people around them. Oh, and they can drive! Jeff Burton knew at Bristol he had the fastest car and he did everything he could to win short of wrecking himself or someone else. He also knew that a Nextel Cup victory was right around the corner for him and his RCR team. The nice guy thing works for Burton but don't think for a minute that he is laying back or not giving all he's got just because he doesn't bump someone or wreck someone to win. He knows how important it is to keep the fenders on these cars so he and his team can continue to make his cars drive better. There are guys that everyone loves and pulls for, and when they bump and wreck, it is exciting but they actually take a step back because his team then has to refocus on fixing equipment instead of making their car faster. Jeff Burton gets it and maybe now everyone else will too. This nice guy will continue winning and making his team better.
Some of you are wondering why I listed Dale Jr. in the "nice guys do win" category. Well, it is not everyday that you see people that willing to get in a competitor's race car, especially after wrecking out of the race yourself. He may of also had some other motives that drove him to jump in another car. But it comes down to him helping out some of his friends that happen to be on a different team. There was part of him that wanted to see how a Hendrick car drove, although it had been wrecked. There was part of him that wanted people to wonder exactly what his motive might be. He wanted to get the attention of the media, without saying a word, and he did. He wanted people to wonder if it had anything to do with his contract negotiations. He wanted to finish the race and he did just that. For me, I believe he knew a lot of different questions would be asked, but in the end, he was just doing two of his favorite things: helping out some friends and racing.
Why do I think he won? Because he just loves to race and be involved in this sport. He is living his dream. Sure there are bad days for him just like anyone else but not many guys would have stuck around for friends or anyone at this point. He did and I think that is another reason he is so popular. I don't really know him now but I do know as we both grew up in the infields around the country that Dale Jr. wanted to race worse than any other kid in the infield.
These are two total different guys. They probably don't many other common interests other than race cars. On Sunday they were on different ends of the score board but that didn't change the fact that they are both nice guys that win.
Want to take a test drive? Call 888-GO-RACE-1 or visit www.RacingAdventure.com to sign up today. The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure will be visiting Atlanta Motor Speedway next week and Talladega Super Speedway in May. Join us at the race track and remember, "Don't Do Anything Half Fast!"
Monday, April 09, 2007
Both Sides of the Track
As we all know, there was no Nextel Cup race this weekend. So, the racing was left up to the NASCAR Busch Series and the ARCA Re/Max Series at the Nashville Superspeedway. I have a couple things that really stick out in my mind about this past weekend. It was cold and the racing wasn't especially great. That is not the two things.
First, the argument always comes up that the "Buschwackers" are invading on the Busch Series regulars. Yes, they win a lot of the races. I don't have official records but I think a Nextel Cup driver has won every Busch Series race this year. This is not a big surprise to me and probably not to anyone else. At one time, way back in 2000, I was looking at this situation differently. I was wanting NASCAR to make a rule to limit the number of Nextel Cup drivers because I was one of the cars getting bumped from the field. Things have changed now and it is not that the Busch Series regulars are going home but they are not winning the races. Back in 2000 I would have traded almost anything for this situation. Now, instead of missing the race, the Busch regulars make the races, they just don't win. There is no need to make a rule right now. NASCAR probably saw this coming and that is why they didn't make a rule then.
I am going to jump to the other side of the track now. There are people that say if the Busch Series were to have events that are not in conjunction with Nextel Cup then the Cup drivers would not dominate. I think this weekend proves that they are going to race. I think the crowd, or lack of, proves that the Busch Series needs to just keep going like it is. It is very fortunate to ride the waves that the Nextel Cup Series produces. Yes, a Cup driver still finished 1-2 but their owners are going to find a way to race in as many of NASCAR's series no matter what the rules are or when the races take place. More than likely, if you are a team owner or driver in the Busch Series you know things are not going to change. There will always be the ones that think that NASCAR should change the rules, but like in 2000, it is just for our own selfish reasons.
The ARCA race also took place on Saturday. I have to admit that it was one of the few times in the last year or so that I really wanted to be on the track. I was able to spot for Tim Andrews. He ran a good race and probably should have finish in the top 3 had he not gotten a penalty on pit road. The penalty was for not using the access road leaving the pits. Part of that was my fault for not discussing that before the race went green. You have to know and discuss the rules so everyone gets a few reminders. He was probably overly excited because his crew had done an excellent job and got him off pit road in first or second. In the end he finished sixth. For no more than he has had a chance to race this year that was a great finish. It really was fun spotting for someone that was appreciating every lap he was running whether it was in practice, qualifying, or the race. I am sure being in good equipment was part of his excitement. Listening to Paul Andrews on the radio with Tim was also a good experience. I really felt like I learned some things by listening to the way he was talking and thinking through any changes they were making to the car. I hope Tim will have a chance to race more this year.
No matter how big or small the crowd is I still enjoy the Nashville Superspeedway. It is not the best racing in the world but it is a neat track. There has always been a lot of interest for racing around that area and I am sure there always will be. Maybe the crowd was down because of the cold weather or because of it being Easter weekend. I just happen to like the area and the track no matter which side of it I am on.
The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure would like to invite you out to the track. For information please check out our website at http://www.racingadventure.com/ or call 888-GO-RACE-1 for a schedule of dates and tracks.
First, the argument always comes up that the "Buschwackers" are invading on the Busch Series regulars. Yes, they win a lot of the races. I don't have official records but I think a Nextel Cup driver has won every Busch Series race this year. This is not a big surprise to me and probably not to anyone else. At one time, way back in 2000, I was looking at this situation differently. I was wanting NASCAR to make a rule to limit the number of Nextel Cup drivers because I was one of the cars getting bumped from the field. Things have changed now and it is not that the Busch Series regulars are going home but they are not winning the races. Back in 2000 I would have traded almost anything for this situation. Now, instead of missing the race, the Busch regulars make the races, they just don't win. There is no need to make a rule right now. NASCAR probably saw this coming and that is why they didn't make a rule then.
I am going to jump to the other side of the track now. There are people that say if the Busch Series were to have events that are not in conjunction with Nextel Cup then the Cup drivers would not dominate. I think this weekend proves that they are going to race. I think the crowd, or lack of, proves that the Busch Series needs to just keep going like it is. It is very fortunate to ride the waves that the Nextel Cup Series produces. Yes, a Cup driver still finished 1-2 but their owners are going to find a way to race in as many of NASCAR's series no matter what the rules are or when the races take place. More than likely, if you are a team owner or driver in the Busch Series you know things are not going to change. There will always be the ones that think that NASCAR should change the rules, but like in 2000, it is just for our own selfish reasons.
The ARCA race also took place on Saturday. I have to admit that it was one of the few times in the last year or so that I really wanted to be on the track. I was able to spot for Tim Andrews. He ran a good race and probably should have finish in the top 3 had he not gotten a penalty on pit road. The penalty was for not using the access road leaving the pits. Part of that was my fault for not discussing that before the race went green. You have to know and discuss the rules so everyone gets a few reminders. He was probably overly excited because his crew had done an excellent job and got him off pit road in first or second. In the end he finished sixth. For no more than he has had a chance to race this year that was a great finish. It really was fun spotting for someone that was appreciating every lap he was running whether it was in practice, qualifying, or the race. I am sure being in good equipment was part of his excitement. Listening to Paul Andrews on the radio with Tim was also a good experience. I really felt like I learned some things by listening to the way he was talking and thinking through any changes they were making to the car. I hope Tim will have a chance to race more this year.
No matter how big or small the crowd is I still enjoy the Nashville Superspeedway. It is not the best racing in the world but it is a neat track. There has always been a lot of interest for racing around that area and I am sure there always will be. Maybe the crowd was down because of the cold weather or because of it being Easter weekend. I just happen to like the area and the track no matter which side of it I am on.
The Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure would like to invite you out to the track. For information please check out our website at http://www.racingadventure.com/ or call 888-GO-RACE-1 for a schedule of dates and tracks.
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