I’m hard-pressed to pick my favorite NASCAR event of the year. The Daytona 500 wakes me from my winter NASCAR drought, the Brickyard is iconic, the Coke 600 is a Decoration Day classic.
But, for slam-bam balls out racing, Bristol is hard to beat. 500 laps. 36o banked concrete. 165000 fans. Under the lights. Saturday night.
Only way to beat that is to add a few beers, and some good spareribs. Oh, wait. We’re doing that here at tbbs WorldHQ.
Enjoy the spectacle! Racin’ the way it oughta be.
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The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing announced “NASCAR Green Clean Air” — a program to help capture the carbon emissions produced by racing. Under a pilot program that will expand significantly next year, NASCAR will plant 10 new trees for each green flag that drops during Cup Series events.
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Google the title.
GM cutting support for Nationwide, Truck teams
General Motors is cutting factory support for Chevrolet teams competing in the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series as the automaker restructures under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to a story that will appear in Friday’s edition of SportsBusiness Journal.
This is a sad day; the trucks have provided the best pure racing in NASCAR’s Touring Series, in my opinion. The Nationwide Series has been in trouble for years; NASCAR has been unsure how to promote them; the result has been that the usual Sprint Cup suspects have turned Nationwide into a training camp.
Lack of support will doubtless kill off the trucks before long; the Nationwide Series will morph to the Sprint Cup Junior Varsity team even more.
Maybe it’s time for localization; I’ve watched cars sponsored by local diners and barber shops race on dirt tracks in small towns. And it was great. Pack the cooler, the wife and kids, and go to the local dirt track.
I’ve heard it said that the production of the first car was a remarkable event; somebody produced the second car, and they raced.
Factory backing or not, the racing will go on. And I’ll be there to watch.
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If you tune in to FOX for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race tonight, they will tell you that this is the Southern 500. And so the race is named.
In the spirit of being true to NASCAR roots, if not a little Shiner fueled you kids get off my lawn rant, I’ll say that the Southern 500 is an historic jewel in NASCAR racing’s Triple Crown of not-too-many-years ago. The Winston Million1 paid a million dollars to whoever could win 3 of 4 of the Daytona 500, the Coca-Cola 6002, the Winston 5003, and the Southern 5004. The Southern 500 was run on Labor Day weekend, in Darlington SC. In the heat. In the humidity. On a track born out of a desire to provide a speedway where it was all about the driver, his skill and daring. As times rolled on, Darlington, an aging venue in the hard scrabble sand country of South Carolina, where racing is second only to family, community, and faith, fell from favor with NASCAR. Historic Darlington, where fans turned out through good times and bad, and were treated to racing spectacles unequalled virtually anywhere, was all of a sudden not Hollywood trendy enough to compete in NASCAR’s never-ending quest to ring the cash register more frequently, and with more green in the till. I’ve never understood teevee marketing; they always say the “Darlington market” was too small, too homogeneous, too whatever. I’ve watched races from Darlington on teevee in Norton KS, Urbandale IA, Simi Valley CA, Glen Rock PA, and Reston VA. Never once did the “Darlington market” cross my mind. I saw exciting racing, on a track made for racing. This track could have been in BFE for all I cared; it was exciting.
Formerly hosting two races per season, Darlington was cut to one race several years back. And it’s a night race. On Mother’s Day weekend. A weekend in which NASCAR formerly did not race. But in the “let’s throw Darlington a bone” mood, we race there. Tonight. And I’ll watch. And it will be exciting. To my regret, I passed within 10 miles of the track a few years ago, on a Search for America tour. I wanted to turn off, go by the track, and just bask in the glow of this historic old venue. Alas, time didn’t permit.
I owe it to myself, as a race fan, to attend a race there before NASCAR decides that the venue is totally unworthy. Maybe next Mother’s Day weekend. MLB likes racin’, too.
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Rock Chalk Jayhawk! The Kansas Jayhawks have advanced to the Sweet 16 in the Men’s NCAA Basketball championship, with a 60-43 win over Dayton. My brackets have them advancing to the Elite 8 next weekend, and falling a bit short against Louisville in Midwest Regional Championship game next weekend.
No money is at stake this year; CBS Sportsline was on the fritz the other night, and wouldn’t let MLB and me play in the pool run by her former co-workers. Whether or not there’s money on the line, I’m a Jayhawk fan, and I hope my prognostications for the Hawks were too pessimistic.
However it sugars off, March Madness is a great time of year. And I’m bleeding Crimson and Blue again.
Now, to Bristol, and the roar of powerful engines.
Next weekend, to Indy, and I hope, more Flying Jayhawks!
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Reverend Hal Marchman, who for decades delivered the invocation before the races at Daytona International Speedway, has passed away.
NASCAR races start with the presentation of colors, an invocation and prayer, the National Anthem, and usually, a flyover of military aircraft. From the inaugural Daytona 500 in 1959 to the 46th running in 2004, Rev. Marchman delivered the invocation and prayer. He had been in poor health for the last several years; his death, however, was sudden.
Thanks, Rev. Marchman. You’ve been missed through your years of poor health, and are most sorely missed now.
In my own little tribute, I’ll conclude this post with words I’ve heard him utter many times:
“Shalom and amen.”
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More about Rev. Hal here.
I like Matt Kenseth, this year’s Daytona 500 winner. I also respect NASCAR’s weather prognistication acumen, for calling the race when they did1. I thought it might get better; wishful thinking is just that.
Kevin Harvick was 2nd at the time; Mark Martin was back 16th, with the freshest tires of the lot of them. Matt was in the right place at the right time; race strategy is important. There’s no way to guarantee that every lap of every race will be run, and the last 20 or so laps were run under the threat of approaching rain. If Ifs and buts was candy and nuts, etc ..
Still, I’d give a hundred bucks to see how that last 48 laps would have worked out.
Hats off to Matt and the Roush Fenway bunch, on their first win in the Great American Race. The Cat in the Hat deserves one.
And they’ll be strong at Fontana next week, too. It never rains in Southern California. I think there was a song that proclaimed that. Blue skies next weekend, guys! Rock on!
I still wish I had a sister to kiss.
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First Crank it Up of the NASCAR season, and MLB is on the phone with Elder Daughter. Shoulda’ cranked it up anyhow; I’ve gotten Billy de’ darn for lesser offenses..
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From Reason Magazine: Your Official Stimulus Request Generator. Try it yourself; no one reads these bills anyhow. You may just cash in.
I tried it, and here’s what I got:
wireless and broadband deployment grant programs
(including transfer of funds to Ken Nelson for the Ken Nelson Personal Economic Stimulus Program)
For necessary and unnecessary expenses related to the Wireless and Broadband Deployment Grant Programs established by section 6002 of division B of this Act, $2,825,000,000, of which $1,000,000,000 shall be for Wireless Deployment Grants and $1,825,000,000 shall be for Broadband Deployment Grants: Provided, That an additional $10,000 shall be paid directly to Ken Nelson in the form of subsidized loans that do not require repayment. Provided Further, That the funds be used by Ken Nelson to acquire a Pony or for whatever. Provided Even Further, That Ken Nelson will receive free NASCAR tickets for life. Provided Even Further Still, That Ken Nelson shall be treated as a cabinet-level appointment for the purpose of income tax reporting, and therefore no taxes shall be paid on any of the aformentioned benefits. And one more thing: Nancy Pelosi is hereby expelled from Congress, effective immediately upon enactment.
Hot damn! Free NASCAR tickets for life. And a pony! I think I’ll head back to the well, and go for the motorhome to transport me to all these races I’ll be attending.
What a country! Thanks, America!
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The 51st running of the Daytona 500 goes green in about an hour. Just a few observations:
Boogity-boogity-boogity!
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