If you are like me, you can now hear Aretha Franklin singing in your head. I love inflicting earworms on people. If you don't know what an earworm is, it is basically reading or hearing something that puts the lyrics to some annoying song like YMCA in your head and no matter what you do, it won't go away!
Anyway, the point of this blog is not to fill your heads with earworms. I am talking about the lack of respect shown to Ken Schrader. Who happens to be my favourite NASCAR driver. Why you ask? Heck if I know. It was probably from watching him on Inside Winston Cup on Speedvision which has now morphed into Inside Nextel Cup on Speed Channel. It might also have something to do with cheering for underdogs and M&M's, his sponsor at the time.
It seems that if you aren't one of the "pretty boys" or a favourite of the TV announcers you can forget about being seen on television. Which makes it hard for your fans to follow you or to gain new fans. Is it fair? Probably not, but when the networks are after ratings a 52 year old driving for a single car team whose best years are behind them will not win you TV time.
I guess I don't understand why in a four hour long telecast they can't find a minute or two to talk about every driver in the race. Even if he (or she) is 43rd and 6 laps down. If they are on the track, talk about them. If they are off the track, tell us why. It'd be impossible to track how many times we've heard "Driver so-and-so has gone to the garage" Why? Tell us why he is in the garage dang it. Even if it's just his parents, someone wants to know.
This might be part of the reason why TV ratings are going down every year. People get sick of hearing about the same 10 drivers week after week and they use Trackpass or listen to the radio play-by-play to follow their favourite driver(s). I've actually done more of that this year now that NASCAR is on Sirius. Listen to the radio announcers while watching the pictures on TV.
And then if one of the "non pretty boys" has a good run then it doesn't get mentioned either. Most recent example, the charity race at Eldora Speedway. Schrader finished fourth with a real chance to win. Look at the post-race quotes, Top 3 get mentioned as do the drivers that finished 11th, 15th and 23rd.
I know, life isn't fair but I'll just plug along cheering for a driver whose career is winding down because he is a good guy and who doesn't love an underdog?
Showing posts with label NASCAR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASCAR. Show all posts
6/03/2007
4/29/2007
Get a brain, morans
To the morons in Talladega who were throwing crap on the track. Keep it up and you will ruin a very good thing for a lot of us. The very good thing I am talking about? Being able to bring your own food and drink to the races. Only in motor sports are you able to do this. A lot of people scrimp and save all year to attend one race and bringing their own sandwiches and beer helps them afford to be there. Not everyone wants to, or can afford to pay $6 for a beer or $10 for a bag of ice.
But you go ahead and act all offended because Jeff Gordon has now won more races that Dale Earnhardt. This may come as a surprise but there are other drivers with more wins than the Intimidator and Jeff might pass them too. Somehow I can't imagine DW or Cale Yarborough fans throwing beer cans when Jeff passes them on the all-time win list.
Even the man's son can't get it through your thick skulls not to do this. It is just racing. Democracy isn't going to fall if the 24 car ends up in Victory Lane. Do any of you recall 2001 when some "fans" threatened Sterling Marlin after we lost Dale Sr. Y'all listened when Dale Jr said it wasn't Sterling's fault and to leave him alone. Listen to him again now and chuck a couple of cans at your own cars if you feel the need. Not all of you are NFL quarterbacks and your throws aren't reaching the track. Most of them are ending up in the stands hitting other people who paid just as much as you did to watch a stock car race and not be hit in the head by a can of beer thrown from above.
NASCAR likes to compare itself to the stick and ball sports. The NHL had to erect netting at the ends of all the arenas after a puck went into the stands, hit a 13 year old girl in the head and killed her. People at baseball games are getting hurt by bats and get away and foul balls. NASCAR even has catchfences around all the tracks to keep car parts from sailing into the stands and hurting you. But you think it's OK to throw things from the stands at the competitors.
Now I want you to name me a single arena or stadium in North America thats hosts NHL, NFL, CFL, MLB or NBA games that allows you to bring your own snacks and drinks inside with you. If this keeps up, ISC and the other track operators will ban people from bringing coolers into the stands and you'll be complaining as you wait in line for a $6 warm draught beer that you won't normally drink because it sponsors a different driver. And it'll be served in a paper cup and they'll stop serving with 1/3 of the race left to run. Next time, it might be you in the first 10 rows getting a 10 stitch gash in the back of your head.
And on top of all that, you are helping to reinforce the stereotype that all NASCAR fans are inbred, slack-jawed, beer swilling yokels. I can say that the majority of people at Talladega today are nothing like that. Nor are the vast majority of NASCAR fans that I have met but you just wait until the video of this makes it was onto all the news channels with headlines like "Rednecks litter track after Gordon win".
Kudos to law enforcement at Talladega who were handcuffing people when they saw something thrown, whether it reached it's intended target or not.
But you go ahead and act all offended because Jeff Gordon has now won more races that Dale Earnhardt. This may come as a surprise but there are other drivers with more wins than the Intimidator and Jeff might pass them too. Somehow I can't imagine DW or Cale Yarborough fans throwing beer cans when Jeff passes them on the all-time win list.
Even the man's son can't get it through your thick skulls not to do this. It is just racing. Democracy isn't going to fall if the 24 car ends up in Victory Lane. Do any of you recall 2001 when some "fans" threatened Sterling Marlin after we lost Dale Sr. Y'all listened when Dale Jr said it wasn't Sterling's fault and to leave him alone. Listen to him again now and chuck a couple of cans at your own cars if you feel the need. Not all of you are NFL quarterbacks and your throws aren't reaching the track. Most of them are ending up in the stands hitting other people who paid just as much as you did to watch a stock car race and not be hit in the head by a can of beer thrown from above.
NASCAR likes to compare itself to the stick and ball sports. The NHL had to erect netting at the ends of all the arenas after a puck went into the stands, hit a 13 year old girl in the head and killed her. People at baseball games are getting hurt by bats and get away and foul balls. NASCAR even has catchfences around all the tracks to keep car parts from sailing into the stands and hurting you. But you think it's OK to throw things from the stands at the competitors.
Now I want you to name me a single arena or stadium in North America thats hosts NHL, NFL, CFL, MLB or NBA games that allows you to bring your own snacks and drinks inside with you. If this keeps up, ISC and the other track operators will ban people from bringing coolers into the stands and you'll be complaining as you wait in line for a $6 warm draught beer that you won't normally drink because it sponsors a different driver. And it'll be served in a paper cup and they'll stop serving with 1/3 of the race left to run. Next time, it might be you in the first 10 rows getting a 10 stitch gash in the back of your head.
And on top of all that, you are helping to reinforce the stereotype that all NASCAR fans are inbred, slack-jawed, beer swilling yokels. I can say that the majority of people at Talladega today are nothing like that. Nor are the vast majority of NASCAR fans that I have met but you just wait until the video of this makes it was onto all the news channels with headlines like "Rednecks litter track after Gordon win".
Kudos to law enforcement at Talladega who were handcuffing people when they saw something thrown, whether it reached it's intended target or not.
4/27/2007
Change of plans
I was going to write a blog about NASCAR and debris cautions and Tony Stewart's comments on his Sirius Satellite radio show Tuesday night but that has been beaten to death. Instead, after watching Nextel Cup qualifying today, I would like to offer this comment.
&^&^^%%*&^*%^^%&%&%*&^*^())((&&*%%$^$!!!
What the heck happened to the 21 car? Time wise they should have made the race, especially when you have a car that started on the front row driven by a past winner at the track, but no.... some teams wanted to do race runs in practice and since they are in the Top 35 in owner points a lot of faster cars went home. This just doesn't affect the 21 but also the 55, 83, 22, 84, 09 and 34. All of those cars were one of the 43 fastest in qualifying but they have all loaded up for the long drive back to Charlotte.
I will admit to being a fan of Ken Schrader, a peak at the links on this page should tell you that. But he was fast enough to make this race as were all the drivers listed above. I know that if all the cars were going to qualify the 7 teams that received gifts this week would probably qualify anyway but we don't know that for sure until they get on the track. In the case of the 55 car, it was 0.009 seconds between him making the race and going home. Written as a fraction, that would be 9/1000. Try doing anything in that period of time. In fact, the difference between Paul Menard, who made the race and Schrader, who is going home was a quarter of a second.
I understand why NASCAR changed the provisional rules when they did and why they did it. But times have changed when you have 50 full-time sponsored cars showing up every week and these rules need to be changed too. Maybe make it Top 25 in points, or let the "go or go home" cars all qualify at once. It's been reported Michael Waltrip has to return $300,000 dollars to NAPA everytime he doesn't make a race. So far he is up to $2.4 million dollars. Is the deal the same for the UPS and Domino's/Burger King cars?
Anyway, I'll probably still watch the race but not really pull for anyone to win. I just hope no one is hurt and whoever ends up in Victory Lane is someone who hasn't been there for a while.
&^&^^%%*&^*%^^%&%&%*&^*^())((&&*%%$^$!!!
What the heck happened to the 21 car? Time wise they should have made the race, especially when you have a car that started on the front row driven by a past winner at the track, but no.... some teams wanted to do race runs in practice and since they are in the Top 35 in owner points a lot of faster cars went home. This just doesn't affect the 21 but also the 55, 83, 22, 84, 09 and 34. All of those cars were one of the 43 fastest in qualifying but they have all loaded up for the long drive back to Charlotte.
I will admit to being a fan of Ken Schrader, a peak at the links on this page should tell you that. But he was fast enough to make this race as were all the drivers listed above. I know that if all the cars were going to qualify the 7 teams that received gifts this week would probably qualify anyway but we don't know that for sure until they get on the track. In the case of the 55 car, it was 0.009 seconds between him making the race and going home. Written as a fraction, that would be 9/1000. Try doing anything in that period of time. In fact, the difference between Paul Menard, who made the race and Schrader, who is going home was a quarter of a second.
I understand why NASCAR changed the provisional rules when they did and why they did it. But times have changed when you have 50 full-time sponsored cars showing up every week and these rules need to be changed too. Maybe make it Top 25 in points, or let the "go or go home" cars all qualify at once. It's been reported Michael Waltrip has to return $300,000 dollars to NAPA everytime he doesn't make a race. So far he is up to $2.4 million dollars. Is the deal the same for the UPS and Domino's/Burger King cars?
Anyway, I'll probably still watch the race but not really pull for anyone to win. I just hope no one is hurt and whoever ends up in Victory Lane is someone who hasn't been there for a while.
3/29/2007
Slight retraction about Red Bull
It appears that AJ Allmendinger wasn't totally responsible for the pit road woes Ken Schrader and the Wood Brothers team experienced at Bristol this past weekend. That said, I am still ticked at Brian Vickers for pushing the 21 car out of the way and nearly causing him to crash. If the burns he suffered were caused by a broken exhaust from that push then I have no sympathy for him. And I still think Red Bull tastes like cough syrup!
3/26/2007
Not a fan of Red Bull
I tried their product once, tasted like cough syrup. Blech! And also not very happy with the drivers they employ in NASCAR. Vickers just about spun my boy Schrader out on the track. Fortunately, Ken was able to save the car after losing about 12 positions on the track. Then the 80-some laps off the pace AJ Allmendinger (or Wallmendinger as Mike Joy called him) kept getting in the way on pit stops and ended up costing the Wood Brothers at least 3 laps on the track including a 1 lap penalty for pitting outside his box. Now it is being reported that Vickers suffered burns after an exhaust part failed. If that failure was caused by his hitting the 21 car then I have no sympathy for him.
3/25/2007
Welcome to my humble abode.
I have no idea who may or may not read this blog. Who knows, it may only be little old me but I guess it won't be the first time. Maybe some friends from various message boards may stumble across this and I promise that I will try to not embarrass you too much.
I guess this is where I tell you all about myself and what I hope to talk about on here. Well, I was born in the same small town I currently live in. My parents and grandparents are all deceased, I have a younger brother and sister and 2 teenage nieces and a young nephew along with a golden retriever named Angel. I was born the same year as the Ford Mustang and the original Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
I am tall, 190.5 cm to be precise, or 6'3" for those of you who live in the only country who refuses to use metric, right Kate? Maybe I'll upload a photo of myself someday, but I don't want to be blamed for breaking the internet. Mostly dark hair with a little red mixed in and even a little *gasp* gray! I remember my Grade 1 teacher telling my mom that she could tell my mood that my hair was more red when I was happy. Who knew I was a walking mood ring?
If you are wondering about the title of this blog, it is because I spend a lot of time on the highway, specifically the MacDonald-Cartier Freeway in Ontario or "the 4-0h-1" as it is popularly known. Especially the stretch between Highway 409 in the west end of Toronto to Kingston. My employment comes from driving an airport shuttle van taking people to and from the airport. I get to meet a lot of nice, generous folks, some nice folks and some others. I also get to see a lot of strange sights on the highway and if I get a camera phone I may share some of those photos with you.
I am a big, and big in a couple different ways, fan of hockey and stock car racing. Even though I cannot skate an inch, I love the game of hockey, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs who may one day stop wandering in the wilderness and bring Lord Stanley's Cup home to Toronto. And in NASCAR, my favourite driver is Ken Schrader. Did you know he was the first driver ever to win a race in all 3 national touring series when he won the third race ever run in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1995. An don't worry with NHL playoffs starting and teams still looking for playoff spots and all the fun in NASCAR I'll be sure to have a few things to say.
And finally, assuming I haven't bored you to tears yet, I am hoping to use this to document my battle of the bulge. I have always been heavy but it has gotten extreme in the last few months. The doctor has put me on high blood pressure medication that goes away when I lose weight. One of my co-workers who I would consider to be much healthier than me had a mini-stroke last month and needless to say, it scared the hell out of me. So to make a long, internationally copywritten story short I bought a scale on March 5/07 and was disgusted by the number I saw there. I then bought an exercise bike and resolved to lose a lot of blubber. So far, I am down 6.4 kgs from that original number and leaves me 0.5 kg shy of my first goal of 5. The ultimate being a somewhat svelte 100 kg (220 lbs for those in State College).
I guess this is where I tell you all about myself and what I hope to talk about on here. Well, I was born in the same small town I currently live in. My parents and grandparents are all deceased, I have a younger brother and sister and 2 teenage nieces and a young nephew along with a golden retriever named Angel. I was born the same year as the Ford Mustang and the original Terminal 1 at Pearson International Airport in Toronto.
I am tall, 190.5 cm to be precise, or 6'3" for those of you who live in the only country who refuses to use metric, right Kate? Maybe I'll upload a photo of myself someday, but I don't want to be blamed for breaking the internet. Mostly dark hair with a little red mixed in and even a little *gasp* gray! I remember my Grade 1 teacher telling my mom that she could tell my mood that my hair was more red when I was happy. Who knew I was a walking mood ring?
If you are wondering about the title of this blog, it is because I spend a lot of time on the highway, specifically the MacDonald-Cartier Freeway in Ontario or "the 4-0h-1" as it is popularly known. Especially the stretch between Highway 409 in the west end of Toronto to Kingston. My employment comes from driving an airport shuttle van taking people to and from the airport. I get to meet a lot of nice, generous folks, some nice folks and some others. I also get to see a lot of strange sights on the highway and if I get a camera phone I may share some of those photos with you.
I am a big, and big in a couple different ways, fan of hockey and stock car racing. Even though I cannot skate an inch, I love the game of hockey, especially the Toronto Maple Leafs who may one day stop wandering in the wilderness and bring Lord Stanley's Cup home to Toronto. And in NASCAR, my favourite driver is Ken Schrader. Did you know he was the first driver ever to win a race in all 3 national touring series when he won the third race ever run in the Craftsman Truck Series in 1995. An don't worry with NHL playoffs starting and teams still looking for playoff spots and all the fun in NASCAR I'll be sure to have a few things to say.
And finally, assuming I haven't bored you to tears yet, I am hoping to use this to document my battle of the bulge. I have always been heavy but it has gotten extreme in the last few months. The doctor has put me on high blood pressure medication that goes away when I lose weight. One of my co-workers who I would consider to be much healthier than me had a mini-stroke last month and needless to say, it scared the hell out of me. So to make a long, internationally copywritten story short I bought a scale on March 5/07 and was disgusted by the number I saw there. I then bought an exercise bike and resolved to lose a lot of blubber. So far, I am down 6.4 kgs from that original number and leaves me 0.5 kg shy of my first goal of 5. The ultimate being a somewhat svelte 100 kg (220 lbs for those in State College).
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