This Week it’s Firecracker Fast Laps
by Charlie Turner
Thanks for stopping by OnPitRow.com and the Bench Racing with Steve and Charlie blog. The best NASCAR and IndyCar news and opinion, exclusive pictures and video. I'm Charlie Turner. Follow me on Twitter @onpitrow
June 30, 2008 10:59 pm CDT 5 Comments
I wonder if those fortunate rains that fell on, and brought the win to, Kurt Busch at New Hampshire International Speedway yesterday will be the start of KB 1’s resurgence?
In case you forgot, Busch the Elder finished second - right on the rear bumper of Ryan Newman - the last time NASCAR saw Daytona. Just because Kurt won in unconventional fashion, by playing the rain game, doesn’t mean this won’t start a streak. Kasey Kahne got rolling after being VOTED into a race. Kurt’s competitors may regret the awakening of the ex-champ.
There were other stories out of Loudon. We’ll get to some of them. But it’s Fourth of July week. That used to mean it was Firecracker 400 week. I loved that name. That one and the Rebel 400. Classic. But those are gone. Instead, you get the Firecracker Fast Lap. Four, high banked, fast and hopefully, controversial corners for you to tackle. Remember, 100 words or less on the answers themselves. Unlimited words for taunting and smack-talk.
1. What would it mean to teams if NASCAR went to unlimited testing?
2. Would an official announcement about 2009 allow the #20 team to get on with 2008?
3. Who should Jack Roush keep around when he has to eliminate one of his teams after 2009 - Jamie McMurray or David Ragan?
4. Who’s your bet to join Tony Stewart as the number two driver at the proposed Tony Stewart Racing?
We have a plan to incorporate the best comments - and commentary - into a new feature ON PIT ROW or OnPitRow.com. I haven’t, totally, figured it out as yet. But an announcement of some kind is coming. In the mean time, have fun with the Fast Lap. We do.
Photo credit: Icon Sports Media, Inc.
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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. What would it mean to teams if NASCAR went to unlimited testing?
On paper it would look like the ‘haves’ would get better while the ‘have nots’ would get broke. With that being said, there is already unlimted testing going on, as each team is allowed to test as many hours they want on non-cup tracks like Kentucky etc. so this means they’ll be able to test on regular Cup tracks instead.
You want to know the real reason behind this? Money. Not for the teams, but the track owners - that’s who is really driving this idea. All the track owners are losing money by having teams test elsewhere because you have to pay for your test time, unless you are testing for someone else (ie Goodyear) so by having umlimited testing the race teams will then go to the ‘official’ tracks to test and pay to do it making the track owners very happy. That’s the bottom line.
2. Would an official announcement about 2009 allow the #20 team to get on with 2008?
No, I don’t think so.
3. Who should Jack Roush keep around when he has to eliminate one of his teams after 2009 - Jamie McMurray or David Ragan?
No offense to Jamie, I actually like him more than David, but if I were Roush I would be keeping Ragan - he’s statistically done better than Jamie.
Hmmm … maybe Roush should have the drivers switch teams to see who does better, then and if Ragan still comes out on top then the ax should rightly fall on Jamie.
4. Who’s your bet to join Tony Stewart as the number two driver at the proposed Tony Stewart Racing?
No one, because Stewart will be in the #5 Hendrick car. With that being said Tony will still own his own team but he’ll have either McMurray or Newman paired with Truex driving those cars under the Hendrick umbrella, sort of what Dale Earnhardt did with DEI while he was still driving for RCR.
1) What would it mean to teams if NASCAR went to unlimited testing?
2) Would an official announcement about 2009 allow the #20 team to get on with 2008?
3) Who should Jack Roush keep around when he has to eliminate one of his teams after 2009 - Jamie McMurray or David Ragan?
4) Who’s your bet to join Tony Stewart as the number two driver at the proposed Tony Stewart Racing?
Look up “idiot in the dictionary, and I swear there’s a picture of Steve.
Teams folding up shop because of “unlimited” testing?
Um, the “theatrics” are on Broadway.
Teams are already testing unlimited. What’s the difference in location? None.
If a team isn’t testing now, then that won’t change.
If they are testing, the only the location(s) will change.
Um, DUH!
Too many two-fers over the weekend?
Luke–
Where’s the love dude? You’re ripping on me for asking the questions. I haven’t even answered yet. Let me impart my knowledge, such as it is–then let er rip.
1– Unlimited testing opens up racetracks that teams will actually race on. Therefore the unlimited amounts of money that some teams will spend won’t change.
But the lower echelon’s teams will at least be spending their money where it will do some good–on the track they will race on.
2– Anytime the face of an organization looks to make a move–everything gets disrupted. At least if Tony said yeah or nay the team could focus on the rest of 2008 and let Tony go on his usual mid summer win-fest. Until then there are distractions a-plenty and there will be no win streak.
3– Mac has to go–go right over to Roush Lite aka Yates. Thats one sure way for jack to keep a strangle hold on all things Ford. Don’t be surprised to see Yates fielding four cars in the sooner or later. The 38 an 28 could be joined by the 26 and 21. –I’m just sayin’–
4– Newman–Newman and more Newman. He is the best bet to be able to qualify a non-privileged car into the races on a consistent basis. Nobody else comes close.
Sorry I’m late. The dog ate my laptop. Where were we.
1. I agree with Bob that some of this is being driven by the two big promoters, ISC and SMI. These guys don’t like to see NASCAR Cup Series money going anywhere but into their coffers. That said, testing where you race just makes sense.
2. Not unless the official announcement is that Tony Stewart has signed an extension with JGR. Any other news will just diffuse the focus, of all involved, on this season’s championship.
3. Ragan. Jamie’s going to RCR.
4. Martin Truex Jr. That Bass Pro Shops sponsorship is already on a bunch of Tony Stewart Racing machines. It just makes sense. Which means they will probably announce Ryan Newman next week with Jack Daniels on the hood. What do I know?