Made for TV Fast Laps on the Menu
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.
May 12, 2008 10:22 pm CDT 6 CommentsIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Well Darlington didn’t disappoint did it? Between the edge-of-your-seat suspense of waiting for the next car to hit the Lady in Black’s turn four exit wall and the plain gorgeousness of the spectacle of Darlington at night - if Saturday didn’t have it all, it sure had most of it.
The popular favorite to win - Greg Biffle - made an early exit. Biffle edged out Elliott Sadler for pickle-boat status. Not at all what Greg’s fans pictured when he was topping 200 mph at the Darlington Speedway tire tests back in March.
The front of the race belonged to Kyle - boo me, throw beer at me, because I don’t care what you think - Busch. Again. NASCAR is better with someone successful to hate, don’t you think?
We’ll find out what you think. This is the Fast Lap after-all and that’s what the Fast Lap is all about. What do you think of the following four fast, made for the internet questions about what’s hot on the Cup Racing scene?
1. Should the Darlington race stay on Mothers Day weekend or move back to Labor Day?
2. Should NASCAR be concerned with Jeff Gordon’s complaint about Carl Edward’s car looking as if it is going down the track sideways?
3. Is Greg Biffle’s frustration with getting 2nd rate equipment a reason for not signing a contract extension yet?
4. Which retro paint scheme looked best at Darlington; Junior’s, Elliott’s or Kvapil’s?
Tell us what you think. Limit each answer to 100 words or less. Then come back often to defend your positions from the slings and arrows of your fellow Fast Lapper’s. This is the Fast Lap ON PIT ROW. We have plans for the best - and silliest - of the comments we get here. You might just get an invitation to defend yourself on the radio - live.
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6 Responses to “Made for TV Fast Laps on the Menu”
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About the Fast Lap blog
Fast Laps! Welcome to the On Pit Row Fast Lap blog. Every week On Pit Row we pose four Fast Lap questions. Four corners - four questions. On the radio show, Steve and I have 30 seconds each, to give our response to each of the four. If you are a listener, you already know that we rarely agree on any answer. The Fast Lap is NASCAR debate. Hannity and Colmes. Lincoln and Douglas. Wronkowicz and Turner. OK, maybe not Lincoln and Douglas. We have more fun than Lincoln and Douglas. Here's the challenge. We will post our Fast Lap questions some time each Monday. Four questions on topical NASCAR related subjects. Your mission is to comment with your answers and each answer is limited to 100 words. The questions, answers and comments will form the basis of this blog for that week. Comment on the Fast Lap questions. Comment on the comments. Insult the commenters. Witty ridicule is rated at least as highly as cogent commentary. Just remember that you have limited words and penalties are severe. Or not. Steve and I will select worthy blog entries to be featured on an edition of On Pit Row. That's the plan. I'm sure we will have some other things to post about each week but the intention is to pose most posts as questions. I want to argue with you! Bring it on.
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1) Move back? Hell no. In addition to is more like it. Do both, and leave Cali in the dust on Labor Day.
2) Considering Jeff admitted they played with that same thing and abandoned it last season, I think we’re pissing in the wind with this one.
3) I don’t think he’s being shorted. Matt, Cousin Carl, and Ragan reported the same problem. They just didn’t end up in the garage. Beats me what the difference is, but Biffle was fast. After hanging the sack out in that tire test, and praised for it from the other test participants as it helped Goodyear make the right decision, I sure would have liked to see him catch a break.
4) All three were cool, but I’ll take the Dew. Chug chug.
1. Should the Darlington race stay on Mothers Day weekend or move back to Labor Day?
I agree with Luke. Mother’s Day and Labour Day both at Darlington.
2. Should NASCAR be concerned with Jeff Gordon’s complaint about Carl Edward’s car looking as if it is going down the track sideways?
Yes, because these teams (not just Roush) are going to push it and push it until the car looks like a ‘L’. The best way to stop it is to change the rules a little bit like this: Make the direction of the race random and on’t tell the teams until they unload from the truck which direction they will be going for the race, either clockwise or counter-clock wise. So in some races they’ll have to trun left and in others they’ll have to turn right. That’ll make these guys show up with straight cars for sure. One of our local tracks started doing that for their endurance races because guys were showing up with frames bent so bad that only 3 wheels were touching the ground at one time so that they could turn in the corners better. I think I wrote more than 100 words, oops.
3. Is Greg Biffle’s frustration with getting 2nd rate equipment a reason for not signing a contract extension yet?
Probably in part, but I think there is more to it than just that.
4. Which retro paint scheme looked best at Darlington; Junior’s, Elliott’s or Kvapil’s?
In order of apperance: Jr’s, Kvapil’s, and Elliott’s
In order of significance to NASCAR’s history: Kvapil’s, Elliott’s, Jr’s
1. Stay as it is, it’s the forth straight sellout and the TV ratings were thru the roof.
2. Is it in the rulebook? Apparently not so what the hay let’em have their fun.
Besides, what seems lost with reference to Gordons comments is he made them about the NNS cars and was quoted prior to the 500. When he shook the “tree” then the “controversy” started over the new car.
3. No, car chief change maybe but even that would be like trying to shoot a guppy with a bb gun in a 55 gal drum. He’s with a winner with as much or more support from the manufacturer than anyone else on the grid. And he will be close to naming his price to stay. (but a flip of the hand and you could see his car/team getting the axe in the cut down to four teams next year)
4. The 28 but I was a fan of The Elmhurst Express.
Note to 4ever3: “Make the direction of the race random and don’t tell the teams until they unload from the truck which direction they will be going for the race,”
As Charlie can attest I made that smart-alec suggestion a few days ago.
But taking it seriously for a moment, it wouldn’t work. The teams that are driving Twisted Sisters are doing it via trackbar adjustments not in how they hang the body.
1. Yes. Of all the tracks that don’t have second dates Darlington deserves it the most. It should be a night race, though. Heat is what did it in in the first place.
2. No. The teams can only go so far with that kind of adjustment before they break axles and/or make the car undriveable for any driver. Things will even out as other teams find other ways to suit their own drivers’ abilities, using the leeway they have in adjusting the suspension. Tinkering within the “gray area” is good.
3. That is part of it, but he may be looking for a different status in pecking order before he retires. I think he has been talking to Haas/CNC about a part owner deal.
4. All three of them were awesome, but I liked the #21 the best because David Pearson was one of my first favorite drivers. I never liked Darrell Waltrip when he was racing, so the Mountain Dew was a great paint scheme but my least favorite.
1– While I love the idea of moving the race back to Labor Day, it’s hard to argue with success. This race has sold out on Mothers Day weekend four straight years. Without an entire schedule overhaul, going back to an off weekend on MD weekend is not an alternative. Keep it where it is and let it build a new tradition. But lets find something different than Cali for Labor Day.
2– NASCAR doesn’t seem concerned at all. But don’t be surprised if it isn’t addressed in the off season. Why is Jeff so concerned anyway? He said his team tried it and couldn’t make it work.. I haven’t used this one in a while–JEFF-SHUT UP AND DRIVE.
3– The Biff really took the team to task for having race cars not able to finish races. He had a car that was fast–pole winner fast–but stuff happens. Look for Biff to be the next Hamburger Helper.
4– I liked all three as well and it’s hard to pick one as the best. The #28 was great from its simplicity. The MD car was good, but not great, as it wasn’t as true to the original. The #21 was my favorite even though its getting harder and harder to watch my favorite driver struggle in 4th rate equipment.
I’m late. Shoot me and put me out of my misery. The All Star weekend has taken the life out of me.
1. The old-school part of me that Steve is forever ridiculing would love to see NASCAR restore the traditional Darlington-Southern 500-Labor Day weekend. The practical me, that my kids dislike so much, read that former Darlington GM and current NASCAR official and ISC stockholder, Jim Hunter, admits that this will not happen. Rejoice in the fact that Darlington will at least keep one Cup date, and move on.
2. No. NASCAR should be concerned with the fact that Jeff Gordon once again, may miss it’s Chase for the Cup. Let him cheat if he needs to.
3. If he really believes that he is getting bad stuff, then yeah. But I don’t believe that he does. I think Biffle will stay. But I’ve been wrong about just about everything this year, so take that for what it’s worth.
4. I like White race cars. All three sport a basic white theme but the #28 was my favorite. It’s that old school thing again. Stuff it Steve.