I don't know Roger Penske, but like you, I see his name everywhere. Whether it is truck leasing, car dealerships, or motorsports Penske is a highly successful businessman. When I see the name Penske, I think of perfection and precision. As far as his race teams that I come into contact with they are always well dressed, polite, and successful. He handles winning with class and when his teams lose they just go back to work and try to win the next event. He and his teams and drivers have tried to win the Daytona 500 for a long time and Ryan Newman was able to carry on that Penske success by putting Penske Racing in victory lane at the 50th running of "The Great American Race."
Ryan Newman has had success in the past and will continue to be a winner at the NASCAR Sprint Cup level for a long time. We all say it, but he could not do it without the right people behind him. With that said, Roy McCauley and his team deserve a lot of credit for putting Newman in victory lane at Daytona. Roy has managed to put together that winning team while he and his wife fight her battle with cancer. It is admirable that people like Roy can continue competing at such a high level while dealing with a tough situation.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup garage is made up of the most competitive teams and individuals in all of motorsports but I have a feeling that this is one of those "popular" victories. Most people throughout the garage, from team owners, drivers, team members, and media members will be happy for Penske, Newman and their teams.
I don't know Ryan Newman personally but I did enjoy seeing that he won the Daytona 500. He and his wife are huge supporters of the Catawba County Humane Society. They helped build a beautiful "no kill" animal shelter close to my office and home in Hickory, NC. Also, I see Ryan's dad Greg on the spotter's stand every week. We have a conversation every now and then but I think his situation is similar to when I used to be the spotter for my dad. He and I just discussed the other day just how much fathers and sons think alike so the spotting thing seems to workout. I am glad they were able to make it to victory lane while working together. That may not be their first win working together but I know it is their biggest win so far.
Lastly, I want to give Kurt Busch credit for the teamwork he showed to push Newman across the line to win the Daytona 500. Busch often gets blasted in the media ( by causing some of the problems himself) but this time he has shown a different side. I know he did not want to finish second but he realized that his push was going to not only help his teammate but also would help his team in securing a top 35 spot in the points for the 2008 Sprint Cup Series. To cap off a successful Speedweeks for Penske Racing Sam Hornish Jr. also had a nice showing in his first Daytona 500 with a 15th place finish.
There will be more great races to come and I feel certain Penske and his success will continue for a long time to come. Congratulations to all of Penske Racing's employees and team members.
Join the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure at Talladega Superspeedway and experience what it is like to drive a real race car. The next event at Talladega Superspeedway is February 23 and 24. Call 888-Go-RACE-1 or log on to http://www.racingadventure.com/ for prices and other details.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
My Dale Jr. Opinion
I am paying close attention to Junior these days. Many of you out there in the world are doing the same. We all have our own opinions about him and how things are going to go for him now that he drives for a team that doesn't bear his last name. It was stunning news to some, but others, like myself were not surprise to hear that Dale Jr. would no longer drive for Dale Earnhardt Inc.
I have always kept up with Dale Jr. and his career. Way back in the 90's we both ran NASCAR late models but hardly ever raced at the same tracks. He stayed pretty much at Myrtle Beach Speedway. I raced mainly at Hickory Speedway and Tri-County Speedway with his brother and sister. Back then I wanted to keep up with what he was up to because we all had ambitions of ending up at the top level of NASCAR. Now I keep up with Junior because I like the way he drives and I like the way he handles all of the pressure that comes his way. He has a good attitude and people around him seem to have a lot of respect for him. For many years I have wanted Dale Jr. and the guys that I raced with to "make it." Well, needless to say, he has made it!
I saw a story a few weeks ago that said something like, "Can Junior make it at the varsity level." That might not be the exact quote but it is close. And I did not read the complete article because the title basically hit a bad nerve with me. He has NASCAR Busch Series Championships and NASCAR Nextel Cup wins at several types of tracks. He has handled the massive crowds and the neverending media requests with open and honest answers. I like to hear his opinions and perspectives on things. Plus, he brings a breath of fresh air to what can sometimes be an all too politically correct platform. He does this without offending sponsors or competitors.
There have been many opinions about his move to Hendrick Motorsports. I have heard the usual, "If he can't get it done at Hendrick, he can't get it done." He will get it done. Mr. Hendrick has proven that he creates winners. He hires winners and makes them champions. Dale Junior will achieve the same when all of the tools are used to there potential. I have even heard Dale Jr. himself say that one difference now is that he can be "fired." You don't believe that do you? He is a winner and a huge marketable personality.
In my opinion, from a family side of the issue, I believe Dale Jr. will be more relaxed than ever. There will always be pressure on the guys at the top, but that pressure does not come close to the pressure "family business" relationships can create. I don't mean that he will have ill will toward his old company nor will they toward him. It will release pressure from both sides. In my own experiences I drove for a family owned team in 1999 and 2000 before moving to ML Motorsports in 2001. To this day, going to drive for ML Motorsports was a great experience for me personally. I had some things to prove to myself and I had relationships that I wanted to form without too much family influence or opinion. I still relied on my family for a lot things but without the pressures of actually working for my own family. Those few years of not working for them actually opened up a lot of lines of communication that we did not have before. I came full circle as I was the spotter for my dad for the past two years and now work at his office full time once again. We have a stronger relationship than ever. Family is always family! My situation was on a much smaller scale but I think that is why I respect so many things about Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This is what I think: Dale Jr. did what he had to for his own personal reasons. He doesn't have to tell any of us what those reasons are. The best thing about him is he knows how bad he wants to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup and he has now put himself in a better position to do just that. These guys take huge risks to try to be the best and no matter what his last name he wants it as bad if not worse than any other driver out there.
Visit www.RacingAdventure.com to get your lastest fix of what we like to call "Full Throttle Living." Many new dates added for the 2008 schedule. Check out the prices and packages that best fit you and your budget. You can also call 888-GO-RACE-1 to speak with a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure representative to book your next RacingAdventure.com.
I have always kept up with Dale Jr. and his career. Way back in the 90's we both ran NASCAR late models but hardly ever raced at the same tracks. He stayed pretty much at Myrtle Beach Speedway. I raced mainly at Hickory Speedway and Tri-County Speedway with his brother and sister. Back then I wanted to keep up with what he was up to because we all had ambitions of ending up at the top level of NASCAR. Now I keep up with Junior because I like the way he drives and I like the way he handles all of the pressure that comes his way. He has a good attitude and people around him seem to have a lot of respect for him. For many years I have wanted Dale Jr. and the guys that I raced with to "make it." Well, needless to say, he has made it!
I saw a story a few weeks ago that said something like, "Can Junior make it at the varsity level." That might not be the exact quote but it is close. And I did not read the complete article because the title basically hit a bad nerve with me. He has NASCAR Busch Series Championships and NASCAR Nextel Cup wins at several types of tracks. He has handled the massive crowds and the neverending media requests with open and honest answers. I like to hear his opinions and perspectives on things. Plus, he brings a breath of fresh air to what can sometimes be an all too politically correct platform. He does this without offending sponsors or competitors.
There have been many opinions about his move to Hendrick Motorsports. I have heard the usual, "If he can't get it done at Hendrick, he can't get it done." He will get it done. Mr. Hendrick has proven that he creates winners. He hires winners and makes them champions. Dale Junior will achieve the same when all of the tools are used to there potential. I have even heard Dale Jr. himself say that one difference now is that he can be "fired." You don't believe that do you? He is a winner and a huge marketable personality.
In my opinion, from a family side of the issue, I believe Dale Jr. will be more relaxed than ever. There will always be pressure on the guys at the top, but that pressure does not come close to the pressure "family business" relationships can create. I don't mean that he will have ill will toward his old company nor will they toward him. It will release pressure from both sides. In my own experiences I drove for a family owned team in 1999 and 2000 before moving to ML Motorsports in 2001. To this day, going to drive for ML Motorsports was a great experience for me personally. I had some things to prove to myself and I had relationships that I wanted to form without too much family influence or opinion. I still relied on my family for a lot things but without the pressures of actually working for my own family. Those few years of not working for them actually opened up a lot of lines of communication that we did not have before. I came full circle as I was the spotter for my dad for the past two years and now work at his office full time once again. We have a stronger relationship than ever. Family is always family! My situation was on a much smaller scale but I think that is why I respect so many things about Dale Earnhardt Jr.
This is what I think: Dale Jr. did what he had to for his own personal reasons. He doesn't have to tell any of us what those reasons are. The best thing about him is he knows how bad he wants to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup and he has now put himself in a better position to do just that. These guys take huge risks to try to be the best and no matter what his last name he wants it as bad if not worse than any other driver out there.
Visit www.RacingAdventure.com to get your lastest fix of what we like to call "Full Throttle Living." Many new dates added for the 2008 schedule. Check out the prices and packages that best fit you and your budget. You can also call 888-GO-RACE-1 to speak with a Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure representative to book your next RacingAdventure.com.
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