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Mowing down the competition one Fast Lap at a time

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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.

October 22, 2007 4:21 pm CDT 7 Comments

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martinsville-fast-lap.jpg 

If you are any kind of NASCAR stat junky at all you certainly were not surprised by Jimmy Johnson’s victory at Martinsville Speedway this past weekend.  Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon owned all the possitive statistics going into the race and have an even firmer grip upon them now that the actual race is over.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, you better respect what they are doing to the competition in the Nextel Cup Series this year.  It is, basically, no contest.

Ryan Newman looked like he might have a chance to shake things up with a surprise win.  The late - some think very late - yellow on the last lap killed that chance.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. blew another motor.  Ho hum - is it over yet?  Junior is starting to talk like a victim, after going stoically and silently forward until up to now.  I wish he would just get his revenge next year.  Like send Theresa a bank statement or something.

On to Atlanta, one of my favorite tracks.  I know, but I don’t care that it’s a mile and a half - there’s nothing cookie-cutter about Hot-lanta!

High banked and faster than heck - try these four Fast Lap questions on for grins.

1)  With all the cautions for single-car spins early on;why was NASCAR so slow in throwing one when David Ragan’s car was ready to be T-boned at the end?

2) Was the Carl Edward-Matt Kenseth “Fist-Conference” for real or a joke?

3) How could, or should, The Chase be fixed?

4) What would you like to see done with the CoT?

Tell us what you think.  I already know that Steve will be wrong.  It’s the Fast Lap and we want to use your best stuff ON PIT ROW. 

Filed under: Fast Lap Questions, NASCAR, On Pit Row the Fastest two hours on radio 

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Comments

7 Responses to “Mowing down the competition one Fast Lap at a time”

  1. User Avatar Luke on October 22nd, 2007 6:37 pm

    1) It wasn’t actually a GWC, was it? Once the leader takes the white hanky, that’s the ballgame and it can finish under caution. See where I’m going with that? After 21 cautions, it seems NASCAR had flat out had enough and wanted to make sure that was it.

    2) Oh, it was real. There may have been some horseplay on top of it for looks, but there’s an issue there. If there wasn’t, would Roush be forcing the two together this week to fix it?

    3) Who knows. Look at the trucks, 5 drivers within as many points as the 12 Chasers, then look at the Busch and the snoozefest going on.

    To be honest, the Chase is fine. Leave it alone and quit devaluing the Championship.

    4) It’s safer, but other than that it doesn’t have many fans. So whatever it takes to fix it need to be done. It was supposed to “cure” or “remedy” this aero tight/loose crap, and make the car more capable of passing. It ain’t really happening, and when a guy has one of the best cars in the field, gets rotated back into traffic and can’t pass for 25th, there’s a problem.

  2. User Avatar Charlie on October 22nd, 2007 9:49 pm

    I am not allowed - by statute - to answer any of these questions until after ON PIT ROW airs on Tuesday. I am, however, expected to answer before the next week’s questions are posed. I have not done very well at the latter the last few weeks. Sorry.

    Here’s what I think on Monday, 10/23/2007.
    NASCAR officials are pretty good, there should be more punching in NASCAR, with four races to go, the two best drivers are within a minor mistake of each other in points and next year’s car is being talked about on it’s own merits.

    NASCAR has a very good gig.

  3. User Avatar Luke on October 22nd, 2007 10:12 pm

    I don’t think the car has issues to where it should be scrapped all together, but there are some things that will need to be addressed.

    If history is any indication, they will work on it and modify the package as needed to make the car better.

    It will also most certainly improve as the teams learn more about the car as well.

    Overall, for it’s first year on the track (in part), I’d give it a C after all the reading I’ve done on it. It isn’t bad, but as with anything there is room for improvement.

    Oh yeah, I’ve got that cold crap that’s been going around, and miserable as hell, but I’m still typing away. What’s up with that? :P

  4. User Avatar Luke on October 25th, 2007 12:17 pm

    Well, it’s Thusday Charlie…

    Let us have it!

    Where’s Steve? He get too drunk to taste my Chicken?

  5. User Avatar Charlie on October 25th, 2007 7:53 pm

    Nag, nag, nag.

    1. It sure looked to me like the flag man just plain gave up. No mas! I think he was trying to leave the tower and they forced him to wave the yellow.

    2. With the benefit of a few more days, it sure looks like it was real. Now, was it any more serious than the hundred other squabbles that take place in this, or any other competitive venue. That I doubt. It doesn’t sound like Carl is the most popular guy at Roush - but so what. He has the most wins this year. Jack ain’t kicking him out.

    3. I like it the way it is now. Period.

    4. Jeff Hammond says they need to change the front of the car. MacReynolds says it’s the tires, mostly. The key is, these and other guys know what it needs. That is 90 % of the solution. I think NASCAR will get the other ten percent - the actual fix - right before Daytona.

  6. User Avatar Steve on October 25th, 2007 9:27 pm

    Yeah–yeah–yeah…

    1– The record for cautions had already been set. There was no need for another. But really, if NASCAR is all about safty first, then how in hell can they let the field get so close to a prone car? Its not like they couldn’t see him sitting there. NASCAR was looking for a way to have an exciting finish without going G-W-C and almost had a Joey Chitwood moment.

    2–It sure doesn;t seen that the boys at Rousch like each other much. This deal goes back a ways and Jack is not going to be able to fix it completely. But he was able to let ‘em know that they can’t be wrecking his race cars to settle their wild west-like fued.

    3– Here is my solution for once and for all.
    …Let the chasers have their own set of points.
    …Top 14 get into tThe Chase
    …last guy each week is eliminated.

    That makes the chase tighter and each position is of utmost importance.

    4– I’ll go with the experts. Change the splitter to a more protruding nose, as per Jeff Hammond. Give ‘em a better (stickier) tire, as per Larry McReynolds and let ‘em go racing. If that doesn’t work go back to what I proposed 3 years ago. Must use factory sheet metal from the top of the roof to the top of the door, including stock front and rear facia and front and rear shaped glass (plex).

  7. User Avatar Luke on October 25th, 2007 10:56 pm

    Steve, your math skills ain’t too good are they?

    If the Chasers had their own point system, while it would “look” closer, in all reality it would take a miracle to make up any points.

    I don’t care if your buddy Tony wants it, it just doesn’t make any sense.

    Either leave it alone, or get rid of it.

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