Adam’s Two Cents

“We’ll race like this until we kill somebody”, those words are what Carl Edwards said following last April’s Aaron’s 499 at Talladega, and after Sunday’s race at Atlanta, Edwards is lucky he wasn’t the one responsible for killing someone. After intentionally crashing Brad Keselowski with three laps left on Sunday, Carl Edwards’ actions and past record warrants nothing short of a suspension from NASCAR.

Carl’s suspension is warranted from past dangerous run ins, as well as Sunday’s incident. In 2006 at Pocono after being involved in a wreck caused by Tony Stewart, Carl spun Tony out on pit road during yellow flag pit stops. A move that could’ve injured someone had Stewart’s spinning car hit a defenseless pit crew. He followed that up later on in 2006 after a Nationwide Series race at Michigan. After on track contact sent Edwards spinning and Dale Earnhardt Jr. to victory lane, Edwards decided after Junior had taken the win under yellow to come back on track and slam into the side of Earnhardt’s car. The move could’ve ended Earnhardt’s career, because he had his hand out the window not knowing about Carl coming back to slam into him. That very well could’ve crushed Earnhardt’s hand. In 2007 Carl was at it again, almost punching teammate Matt Kenseth following a discussion after a race in Martinsville. In 2008 at Talladega, Edwards excessively bumped drafted teammate Greg Biffle setting off a 14-car crash that left many, including Kevin Harvick, fuming at Edwards. The following week the two got into a heated discussion and subsequent fight in the garage over the incident at Talladega. That brings us to Sunday’s incident at Atlanta. Without a doubt retaliation, but the fact of the matter is Keselowski could’ve been seriously hurt or killed, as could’ve spectator’s. Carl’s track record about dangerous situations speaks for itself. And it’s not the kind of attitude I would expect out of a new dad. Next time he should think about not only his family, but the other driver’s and spectator’s family too. It’s time to put a stop to Edwards raging before it ends up with someone on a stretcher in an ambulance.

The biggest cause of the craziness, or whatever else you want to call the finish at Talladega Sunday, is plain and simple pressure on the drivers. And leave it to a guy with no pressure what so ever in Jamie McMurray walk away with the victory.

Pressure on the drivers varied on Sunday, but the number one pressure on most drivers was the chance of winning that no other track besides Talladega offers. Which is why the racing at Talladega is great. Now, that pressure was on most drivers, guys that normally struggle at intermediate tracks can find themselves upfront, boosting that ego, as well as getting much deserved TV time for the sponsors, or getting that unsponsored machine TV time to pick up a sponsor. I’m talking about these guys: Michael Waltrip finished 7th, Brad Keselowski finished 8th, Elliott Sadler finished 9th, Bobby Labonte finished 10th, Reed Sorenson finished 16th, and Robert Richardson, Jr. finished 18th. Not to mention John Andretti and David Stremme ran up front for quite sometime during the 500-mile event.

Another pressure is expectation of winning. Let’s face it when your last name is Earnhardt, you’re expected to run well at Talladega. Add five W’s into the win column, and welcome more pressure from your fans to win, as well as your sponsor since it was their race. When one sees six-time Talladega winner in the stat line, one would think Jeff Gordon could be a contender.

Then add on the pressure of a “must win” for guys like Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Greg Biffle, and what do you get? A big pressure cooker that tends to overflow at the end of races.

Does it need to be changed? Yes, by whom though? Well drivers say NASCAR, but honestly can we say sponsors? Not really it’s their dollar they can do with it what they please. Let’s go back to NASCAR, can the sanctioning body change it? Not really. You put all rules in that you want and this will still happen due to our beloved pressure. So who can really change it? Drivers. Yes I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, drivers are the problem with Talladega. If every driver went into Sunday’s race with the feeling of no pressure, as Jamie McMurray did, the race would go alot smoother, and be better, and have less wrecks. Everyone would be having fun instead of feeling the need to get to the front right away. Why do you think the truck races turn out well at Talladega? No pressure for guys like Kyle Busch, Aric Almirola, and other drivers are having fun like Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday, Mike Skinner, and Johnny Sauter. They’re having fun because that Sprint Cup pressure isn’t there.

There will always be pressure to perform in NASCAR, as long as the dollars continue to flow in, but the way a driver feels it is up to himself. Since he’s leaving Roush-Fenway Racing at the end of the year, Jamie McMurray was just out having fun, and with a clear, pressure-less mind, was able to make the right moves to win. Something other drivers should look at.

Hey NASCAR, maybe you should mull this idea for the Nationwide Series. Any “Cup Regular” whom starts in a Nationwide Series race has to start from the rear of the field. The procedure would make for must see TV, as guys like Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kevin Harvick etc..must “earn” their finishing position in the race. Also, it would provide the Nationwide regulars, guys like Kenny Wallace, Trevor Bayne, Mike Bliss etc..much needed TV time and exposer for their cars and sponsors by running upfront for the beginning of the race.

You may think hogwash over the entire idea, but let’s face it the Cup guys sell tickets for the Nationwide races by being in them. They do take away points and starting spots away from very few of the other competitors, but they would still keep those valuable points away from those competitors even if you didn’t award points for the Cup regulars. You can’t force them to not race because you wouldn’t be able to draw the fans into the Nationwide races like you do now.

Most of the Cup regulars that compete in the Nationwide Series events are usually in far superior equipment than are those of just regular Nationwide teams, so while starting at the back might seem like a disadvantage, the Cup guys can make it up. We’ve already seen it time and again where the Cup guys have someone else qualify the car, and then come rocketing up from the back to still steal the show, like Carl Edwards at ORP, and again at Milwaukee.

With the Cup guys battling from the back, and the Nationwide guys getting much needed air time on TV and radio, hence, no more boring races. Of course there could always be tweaks to the keynote, this is just an idea to maybe draw more attention back to the Nationwide Series.

The fact that Juan Pablo Montoya is in the Chase isn’t the total reason for the slap in the face to Junior and his fans. The fact that Montoya drives for Earnhardt-Ganassi is where that slap comes from.

Back in 2007, Earnhardt, Jr. said that he was leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. to Hendrick to compete for both wins and championships. Now, while he also had maybe a relationship problem with his step-mother, bottom line he said the move was to give his fans something to cheer about. Fast forward to this year and we find quite the opposite from both standpoints.

Looking at statistics for both Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Earnhardt, Jr. to this point, we see that while Junior has won a race in that time span, his challenging for a title hasn’t really taken shape. Over the last nine races of a year ago, Junior limped home with a 12th-place points finish, and this whole season has been one closer to forgetting in Junior Nation. Not only has Junior not competed for wins, he has yet to compete for championships, something he said the move was for.

This season, however, Ganassi Racing merged with Earnhardt Inc. to form Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing. Even with the move the team drives Chevrolet’s and gets the engine power from Earnhardt-Childress engines. So with the majority of the team still being the old Dale Earnhardt Inc. one would’ve figured Earnhardt, Jr. still made the right move. Now we sit here ready to start the Chase at New Hampshire, and it’s Montoya the one competing for the championship not Junior.

For this season it has been Montoya and Earnhardt-Ganassi challenging for wins. He had the Brickyard 400 in his grasps, when a speeding penalty dropped him from that opportunity. Fact of the matter however was that he dominated that race. He followed that up with a 3rd-place showing at Pocono. Junior has two top five finishes, and aside from the 3rd place finish at Michigan in August, he hasn’t been a factor at the intermediate tracks the way that Montoya has been. While Montoya has only 12 top tens, he has seven more finishes in the top-15. Junior on the other hand has five top ten finishes, and only six more finishes outside the top ten, but inside the top 15.

This week Montoya and the old Earnhardt Inc. are in the Chase, and Junior is the only Hendrick driver not in the Chase. That’s where the slap comes from, and the fact that Montoya won the pole, and might win the race, that slap will be more like a punch.

Who’s to blame for the problems at Talladega? The Drivers. Yeah I said it, and many people will disagree with that, but the facts are facts, people need to look at history before opening their mouths and sticking their shoes, sandals, boots, or whatever else they got on in it.

Today’s NASCAR media, and fans, and for that fact today’s NASCAR drivers “knee-jerk” reaction too much and NASCAR abides by them. The NASCAR media, fans, and drivers themselves have ruined NASCAR, at least the NASCAR I grew up watching.

As for the Talladega incidents, let’s start first by how they’re caused. BY THE DRIVERS. How so? Easy, you got 35 to 38 drivers who have it in their heads that they need to be infront of the pack to miss the “Big One” so what do you get, those 35 to 38 drivers going for the same piece of real estate at once, that real estate is the lead. When you’ve got 38 overly agressive drivers racing inches apart one will push the envelope to much and BAM the “Big One”

Don’t blame this on NASCAR, for one we’ve been racing at Talladega with the plate on for over 20 years, and we have had caution free plate races, when the DRIVERS learn to take their time and not go after the same real estate at once, it has happened 3 times since 1997.

Don’t blame this on the COT, because we had one race in 2007 with the COT at Talladega where everyone minded their p’s and q’s and everyone said it was BORING…the media called it BORING, the fans called it BORING, and oh yeah most of the DRIVERS called it BORING.

As for Edwards’ crash. WAH, WAH, WAH, my two year old niece doesn’t cry as much as you did. First of all Mr. Edwards you blocked Brad, which means you brought that crash upon yourself, no block, and no crash and a 2nd place finish. Instead YOU chose to block and YOU had to suffer the consequences of YOUR actions. As far as someone getting killed? Unless your car clears the catch fencing, I doubt that’ll happen. First off looking back in history you’ll see a crash similiar to yours in 1993, in the same spot, with eerily similiar results and the driver, just like you, walked away. If someone doesn’t know what I am talking about, then go to Youtube and type in Neil Bonnett 1993 DieHard 500 crash. Neil walked away from almost the same exact crash in a vastly less safe car.

As for those who want to change the racing or the race track. Hmmmm…..first off, the plates will NEVER come off the cars, and even if they do take them off they’ll reduce carberatour size which means you’ll still see pack racing. Change the track and you’ll see thousands of fans walk away from the sport. If you change something it’ll only be a few years before everyone adapts and we’re back to pack racing.

Bottom line is the DRIVERS, all 43 of them NEED TO USE THEIR HEADS, and when a day like Sunday happens, learn to SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

As for the 8 fans being injured, yeah they may sue, unfortunately that’s the kind of people we have in America now a days. But it hasn’t been the first time a wreck hurt fans, and the sport, and tracks have survived those previous incidents, I think they’ll survive this one. And on top of that, when was the last time a fan was hurt by debris from a car……..might be the 1997 Daytona 500 when Ernie Irvan’s hood cleared the catch fence on the back stretch during a wreck. So it’s been 12 years since that incident happened? I guess it’s safe to say they’re few and far between.

DRIVERS need to learn how to drive their cars, FANS need to choose a safe boring race, the MEDIA needs to learn from the writers of yester-year that sometimes when you think there is a problem there really isn’t, and you need to either write about something else or do something different. The DRIVERS ARE IN CONTROL, they want something to change, THEY NEED TO LEARN TO DO IT THEMSELVES, and quit being a bunch of cry-baby’s.

AND I LOVE Talladega, it has been my favorite track for 19 years now, and won’t change anytime soon unless they change the track.

Getting rid of Tony Eury Jr. is not the solution for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s supposed “poor” start to 2009. We have been down this road before. For the majority of 2005, Dale Earnhardt Jr. worked without Tony Eury Jr. and it didn’t seem to help. He had 1 win in those 26 races without Tony Jr. and missed the “Chase”. Replacing Tony Jr. wouldn’t help at all, and past experiences have taught that.

People need to stop comparing him to his father, that’s what really ruined Kyle Petty. Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. the most over-rated driver in NASCAR? That’s some people’s “opinion”. And that “opinion” is based off of comparison with his dad. While he bears his fathers name there is one seperation between them, and that’s the JR. part. He’s not Dale Earnhardt, he’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. and to expect him to walk away at the end of his career with more wins and championships than his dad are unfair expectations. His popularity may have came with his name, but when his dad died, I didn’t choose him based on name alone. I became a fan because of the person he is off the track more than on the track, I feel like I can relate to him more than I could to others, that more than results on the track is why I am a fan of his.

Secondly, it isn’t even that bad of a start. One race he had a blown motor, Tony Jr. can’t control that. In Daytona, Dale Jr. missed his pit, then parked on the line, Tony Jr. can’t control those either. And since then he has gone from 35th in points to 19th after Bristol. It’s a slow climb up to the top. The thing that counts now is that he’s getting better little by little.

Over last season many of Jeff Gordon fans were calling for Steve Letarte’s head, and Hendrick and Gordon stuck by Letarte, and now look Gordon’s leading the points standings. Just because people want to get better, sometimes a knee-jerk reaction isn’t the way to go. Others have learned it in racing, and in other sports people have learned it.

My argument, stick with Tony Jr. and be patient.

Sam Ard, Tommy Houston, Jack Ingram, Mark Martin are names that are associated with greatness in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. But, is it possible there may be someone greater and he’s in the early stages of his career. That’s right I’m talking about Kyle Busch.

Busch’s dominance of Saturday nights Stater Bros. 300 brought me to think that he could be the best Nationwide driver of all time and yet still have more years ahead of him than behind him. If he wins the championship this season, I have no problem lifting him above Mark Martin as the best Nationwide Series driver of all-time. Right now he’s Sam Ard, Tommy Houston, and Jack Ingram level, and by season’s end might be above Mark Martin.

Now ranking the greastest of all-time is self-opinionated. Obviously you can make an argument of who’s the greatest between Houston, Ingram, Ard, and Martin and make great points about each driver. For me, it was mostly about wins in the Series. While Martin didn’t win a Nationwide Title, imagine had he drove a full season a couple of time, we could be talking about a two-to-three time champ.

Busch has only raced one full season in the Nationwide Series, that coming in 2004 when he finished second to Martin Truex Jr. by 230 points. Now he’s in a Joe Gibbs Toyota which has been the dominator of the Series now going on its second season, and his only competition is probably Carl Edwards, who over the last season plus has been good but not good enough to beat Busch week in and week out. The dominance of Busch has gotten to the point of his crew chief asking him to slow down a bit to make it more fun.

When all is said and done at the end of the 2009 season, and Kyle Busch is raising the Nationwide Series Championship Trophy, with who knows how many wins in the season (I’d say around 12) I can put him in the books as the best Nationwide Series driver of all-time.

Didn’t get on yesterday, so here is the blog for the Daytona 500 weekend. Todd Bodine won the Truck Series race, I had gone with Kyle Busch who ended up second. I think when it’s all said and done in November that Bodine will win the Truck title.

For the Nationwide Series, today I like Tony Stewart to win the race. Since Kyle Busch is running all the races, I think it’ll be hard to beat him at season’s end, he’ll win the championship over Brad Keselowski.

As for the Sprint Cup, if the Gatorade Duels were a sign of things to come, I think we’ll have a great 51st annual event. I like Mark Martin to win the Daytona 500, and at season’s end I expect Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win the championship.

Tune in Sunday after the race to catch my take on the 500. Have a great weekend.