The Unsung Heroes of Auto Racing9/26/2016
In light of the recent changes that NASCAR made with their laser inspection system after the Chicagoland Speedway event, the focus went from the product we see on the track to what happens behind the scenes at a race event.
That “behind the scenes” can almost provide the same feeling and effect if someone saw how a magician did their tricks. They lose their feeling of being a fan to someone who knows the details of how things are done and their attitude of magic takes a sad turn. From covering short tracks to Cup, one can easily see the tough job of a tech inspector. They are pretty much the law enforcement in racing. Their say and how they interpret rules is basically right up there with any law enforcement officer. When a driver drives on the highway and gets pulled over for just going a few miles over the speed limit, the tech official can relate to why they disqualified a driver for just being 0.3% over on their left side weight allowance at a short track event or millimeters over on a laser inspection machine. It’s a thankless job that the tech inspector has to do week in and week out. Yes, just like there are police officers who get a thrill of pulling someone over because of a violation, one can assume that there are tech inspectors who are out to find something illegal to disqualify a car. But, there are more law enforcement officers who don’t take pleasure in pulling someone over and yes, there are more tech officials who would rather congratulate a winner then tell them they can’t keep the victory. We are a society that has a little anarchy in our blood. We like to test the thresholds of what those limits are that we must abide too in anything we do in life. If the speed limit says 55, how many of us are thinking, it’s OK to do 60 and not get stopped? Race teams have the same thinking, how far can we go past what the rule states and not get into trouble? There are tech officials who see rules as black and white. If the rules give a little tolerance, that is the tolerance. Why is there a tolerance? Well, NASCAR pretty much answered that question with their recent adjustment to their LIS rules. Basically they said that anything within their P1 to P3 area really didn’t have anything to do with the performance on the track. But a P4 level could have that performance effect. Some could argue this when a car is disqualified in a short track race for just barely being over the allowance of left side weight. But tech officials may say different because of their tolerance limit. This is something more towards the short track level, but sometimes rules are put in place to help control the cost to go racing. One example of something in this area was when Chase Elliott was disqualified from the Snowball Derby in 2013 for having tungsten in his car. This expensive metal may or may not have played into his finish on the track, but the rules clearly stated that this piece of metal was and still is not allowed as weight in a car. The main reason it’s not allowed is because of the cost. Auto racing is basically a “monkey see, monkey do” society. When one person has or does something, everyone else has to do it. Tech officials have to stay on top of these changes, in fact, they practically have to be ahead of it. Many times, they are cutting off ideas at the pass to stop it from getting out of hand and them losing control. Especially when it comes to safety for the driver, there you find practically a zero tolerance for any safety apparatus that will protect a driver from a crash, fire or any other dangerous situation. They also are not afraid to talk amongst each other and share ideas or items that they are seeing come across their scales. Some may be surprised at the little fraternity that tech officials have among themselves, which is pretty funny when a team tries to pull the wool over one official’s eyes thinking that another doesn’t know something. Tech officials want to see an even playing field. They feel that if they get that even playing field, that they are doing their part for the promoter in presenting a quality, competitive event. They tolerate a lot of grief and at the same time…respect. It’s very rare when you see a team admit they didn’t follow a rule, get disqualified and shake the tech official’s hand in respect of doing their job. Because most of the time, the tech officials are getting yelled at worse than a Drill Sargent to a Private during Basic Training. Like law enforcement officers, they are there to uphold the rules set forth for everyone to compete in a race event. Give them a break…they are just doing their job.
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After winning the first race in the 2016 Chase for the Sprint Cup on Sunday, Martin Truex Jr. humbly answered a question regarding a comment that Furniture Row team owner Barney Visser made a few minutes earlier in the media center.
Visser was asked about the success the team is having in 2016 with three wins, six top-five’s and 13 top-ten finishes in 27 starts, and whether or not he was living a dream. “Yeah, I do feel like I'm living a dream. But that's why we do it,” Visser said. “Most of the other things that I've done in life have been a little bit like this, but nothing right to the very top of the best racing in the world here, very exciting.” Visser then made this statement. “I have to thank Toyota and Martin. Like I said, I think he's pure athlete. He drove for a little bit less this year than I think a lot of the drivers in his class have, and he did it because he wanted to be here. I can't thank him enough for all that.” When Truex took to the stage, Kenny Bruce of NASCAR.com asked Truex about Visser’s comment of driving for a little bit less this year. “It's not something I normally talk about. Since he brought it up...Barney has put a lot into his race team over the years obviously. Seeing Furniture Row on that racecar each and every year, that's Barney's racecar and Barney is the one funding it,” Truex explained. “He had to change some things in the way he was running his race team. He asked me if I would kind of not take the hit, but be the one that took a little bit of a hit for the team to make sure we could keep the competition up and make sure we could continue to get the things we needed to be competitive and win races and hopefully go after a championship. “There were other opportunities that were out there. I believe this is the best team I've ever had. This is my best opportunity to win races. We've proven that. It's my best opportunity, and really only my second opportunity, since last year, to go for a championship. That wasn't something I was willing to get rid of or throw away. I made the commitment to Barney we were going to do it, we were going to work together and make it work for everybody.” In an era where fans only read or hear about the money that an athlete makes, along with questioning their loyalty to a team, stories like Truex’s typically don’t make headlines. But they need to be told more and more. Martin Truex Jr.’s Cup career can easily be classified as a roller coaster ride. But now those twists and turns and slow uphill climbs are now smoothing out to a rocket ride to the top of the Chase ladder. And it’s not just what is happening on track but off the track as well as he continues to stand alongside his longtime girlfriend Sherry Pollex and her battle with ovarian cancer. What we all are seeing now is a driver who is well grounded in all aspects of his life allowing him to focus on nine more weeks to bring home a NASCAR Sprint Cup title for everyone that has made an impact on his life. Winning at Chicagoland Speedway is a good way to start that goal. September is both childhood cancer awareness month along with ovarian cancer awareness month. You can learn more by reading Sherry’s message at: http://www.sherrystrong.org/2016/09/i-need-you-this-september/
Some of you are probably humming the famous Andy Williams or Johnny Mathis version of a famous holiday song in your head now. But, it is a great time of the year for auto racing.
From the local tracks deciding their championships, classic annual events to the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, there is plenty to be happy about over the next few months. But first, auto racing needs to congratulate itself; we made it through the month of August where tensions usually tend to be high, people at their breaking point with the long season, etc. How many of you heard, “I am never coming back to this place ever again!!” only to see that person be the first one in line next week? We are at the point of the year where we transition from weekly racing to special events. Race teams are deciding where they want to run for the last part of the year and requests are being put in at workplaces for days off to attend multi-day events. What makes this time of the year different is that the focus is just on the event. The stress of looking at “Big Picture” racing is not really on anyone’s mind. Their focus is that event, that weekend. Some events will give teams multiple opportunities to race at a multi-day event. One example of this is at the Oktoberfest Race Weekend at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in West Salem, Wisconsin on October 6, 7, 8, and 9. They have 17 different divisions racing over four days. A young Super Late Model driver has the potential of racing all four days in three different divisions. On the first day, they could compete in the “The Futures” division which is designed for basically first time competitors at the event. They are under the age of 30 and never competed in NASCAR’s top three series or never started their main event on Sunday. The second day they can compete in the Dick Trickle 99 Super Late Model race. A unique race that is 99 laps but is broken into three 33-lap segments follows the basic format of the famous Milk Bowl (another great fall event on October 2) at ThunderRoad in Barre, Vermont. The third and fourth day is for qualifying to make the ARCA Midwest Tour Oktoberfest 200 finale. If you are in the Midwest, there is an opportunity to get the most racing you can before that white stuff fills up the ground. Some will go to the aforementioned Milk Bowl in Vermont and some will go to the Winchester 400 (October 9) in Winchester, Indiana. Many dirt competitors will go to the World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway (November 6-8). As the weather gets colder in the upper part of the United States more teams will migrate down to New Smyrna Speedway for the Governor’s Cup 200 (November 13) and then the granddaddy of all end of season event’s, the Snowball Derby (December 1-4). Yes, there are many other events out there and some are near your backyard. But auto racing has become a year-round following rather than a seasonal following. The internet is helping all of us stay within the racing pulse all 12 months of the year. For those who cover racing, there is really no time to relax and recharge the batteries. Race teams really have no downtime at all. Many will spend a few days at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas from November 1-4 as well as the Performance Racing Industry Trade Show in Indianapolis on December 8-10. Promoters will head to Las Vegas for the Racing Promotion Monthly Workshops on November 13-15 as well as the Race Track Business Conference in Indianapolis on December 7th. So, some are wondering when will the 2017 racing season start for many? Don’t be surprised if New Smyrna Speedway in Florida schedules the Red Eye 100 on Saturday, January 7th. In essence, racing season isn’t winding down; it’s just going to get more fun and entertaining. You may want to review your work schedules and grab some time-off request forms now and be a part of it.
As soon as the checkered flag flew on Sunday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, social media lit up with people quickly taking their sides as to whether or not John Hunter Nemechek was too rough to get the win.
Then it went really nuts when Cole Custer leaped over the pit wall and tackled Nemechek near the start/finish line. Since that time, many drivers and other have voiced their opinion if Nemechek was too rough on Custer. One of those was Kyle Larson, which is funny given how he won a Late Model race at the Battle of the Beach in 2013. We have seen it at the Cup level all the way down to our weekly street stock levels. How much is going too far in order to get a victory. Some people do look at the “big picture” in each situation. For the Nemechek/Custer situation, some are saying that Nemechek didn’t need to get that aggressive because he already has clinched a spot in the Chase while Custer was looking to lock up his spot with the win. Nemechek didn’t need to be that aggressive for that reason. We heard this last year when Matt Kenseth and Joey Logano got together in Kansas during the Chase. We saw the end result of that situation a few weeks later at Martinsville. Many even referenced in their social media post that Custer “owes” that to Nemechek now. Some would wonder why Nemechek was that aggressive given that situation. One thought would be that people within the Nemechek camp would tell you that they are an under budget team and victories could lead to sponsorship opportunities, thus their aggression to get the win. Custer going after Nemechek after the race, for many, was a surprise. But compare Custer to Kenseth, both took so much from other drivers that the patience gets to a point to where aggression takes over valor. This isn’t the first time that Custer was taken out of a victory. Gray Gaulding got aggressive on the final lap in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West finale in 2013 at Phoenix International Raceway. Even when you look back at the Battle of the Beach 2013 events, two of the three main event races had a “bump & run” pass for the win. Many would say that it makes for great television. It will definitely make the highlight reel on the news where the stick & ball sports anchor would usually leave it as the last thing, try to find humor from it or throw in the Benny Hill theme music. Aggressive driving is a staple in motorsports, and depending whose side you are on, your opinion will never be the same. Officials making decisions on whether or not a driver should be disqualified for aggressive driving will always be in a gray area. Each situation has been looked at on an individual basis. John Hunter Nemechek fans would tell you he did everything he could to win the race. He didn’t dump and run him and easily drive to the checkered flag, he dragged race him. Custer fans would say that he did a bump and run but went too far when he drove him into the wall and kept his steering wheel to the left. If the roles were reversed, Nemechek fans would probably be saying that he had to do what he had to do because they need the big paycheck to keep going and Custer has a solid sponsor, oh well. While we may never see this pattern of aggressive driving change, the attitude after could probably get better. If a driver purposely admitted to aggressively driving for a win, just admit it and if an apology is needed, apologize. But don’t do it a smart aleck, egotistical way. Be respectful and realize that you have one coming at you. Drivers expect some aggression when it comes to racing, and they realize there is a fine line to it. The argument comes in to how much is too far, and that is sometimes tough for officials to say as well. Officials do take into the background of the parties involved to make a decision. If both parties have a history of aggressive driving, the penalties will be higher than a first time offender. What’s funny is when someone is not too aggressive and gets questioned about it, for example, Kyle Larson racing Matt Kenseth at Dover a few months ago. Many said if Larson was a little more aggressive, like he was at the Battle of the Beach in 2013, he would have won that race. But, Kyle Larson taught something to everyone that day. He matured and looked at the big picture. He showed respect that day and when he won at Michigan a couple of weeks ago, just take a look at how many drivers came to congratulate him. Did his Battle at the Beach victory three years ago play a role to how he drove at Dover? Be an interesting question to ask him. How will John Hunter Nemechek and Cole Custer act going forward? Will Custer give him a payback and then be over or will Custer take a last stand and not retaliate but show Nemechek who wins more by being a respectful driver in future races? They both have our attention now; we just wait and see what each of them does next. It’s like that cliffhanger from the old Batman show, we have to wait until next week or the next race event. Each situation is unique and pretty tough to compare apples to apples. Aggressive driving, if done right, can make or break someone’s career. There is an art to it, and for many it takes years to master. Drivers expect to do it and be victims of it. In the end, the respect comes from how each driver handles themselves after the race. Take a moment and think about those finishes and how drivers handled themselves. One can guess where you notice a difference on your own opinion of each situation.
This is an unedited audio interview I did with Ken Squier in February, 2015 when I saw him at New Smyrna Speedway covering Speedweeks for Speed51.com. Some of the topics we talked about including broadcasting short track events, promotion and track announcers. He is not only a famous for his broadcasting background but also as a track/series promoter. I am very grateful for his time and his message is still worth listening too today.
With NASCAR promoting a Throwback Weekend with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, this writer thought it would be fun to share a few personal throwback memories.
There are a few memories worth sharing about Dick Trickle. His stories and thoughts will always stick in someone’s head. The first interview with him, he was asked about winning the first National Short Track Championship at Rockford Speedway in Illinois. Trickle said he remembered it very well, right down to the exact amount he won because Hugh Deery, Rockford Speedway Promoter at the time, paid him in $5 bills. The first time meeting Tony Stewart, to say you were nervous, would be an understatement. But, those nerves went away when Tony invited me into the motorhome and had a few minutes just to talk. Over the next five years, Stewart would visit Madison International Speedway with Matt Kenseth every year for a special race event. It’s cool to be part of a group of people who know who the real Tony Stewart is versus those who don’t know him. One of the great things about short track racing is that fans can watch drivers race at their local tracks one day and the next, they are watching them on television every weekend in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In the 1990’s many of us in Wisconsin can say that with Matt Kenseth. We all would watch him race at Madison, Jefferson Speedway, Wisconsin International Raceway and La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway. In 1993, he won the ARTGO main event at the famous Oktoberfest Race Weekend. Ten years later, we were watching him get crowned as the last NASCAR Winston Cup champion. In 2003, this writer had the opportunity to work with Roy Kenseth at Madison as the track’s public relations representative. Working side-by-side with Roy during the year was something that no one will ever forget. Here is a dad trying to promote a track while his son races week after week as the point leader. When Kenseth claimed the championship at Rockingham Speedway, they interviewed an emotional dad. Like many others, tears were being shed at home as well. The insight of watching a father seeing his son accomplish this goal was one of the more unique things in my career. Speaking of Oktoberfest, it was in 2006 where we all witnessed something could almost be compared to when Dale Earnhardt finally winning the Daytona 500. For many years, Steve Holzhausen always was looking to add his name to that list. That goal was finally realized in a 100-lap caution free race. Holzhausen was exhausted as he exited his car, but was relieved that his name was finally in the history books. The same feeling was felt for Nathan Haseleu in 2013. Haseleu took over the lead after Johnny Sauter was leading and got tangled up with his nephew Travis Sauter in the closing laps of the race. Haseleu came out of his car, after doing a burnout that he promised to his kids. He started talking about winning and it hit him and he went speechless. His name is forever etched in the history book along with being the first ever ARCA Midwest Tour champion in 2007. In October 2012, there was a phone call from Bob Dillner inviting me to help Speed51.com at the Snowball Derby. A day before the big event, Dillner knew my experience with running victory lane, kind of like what Bill Broderick used to do at Cup races. The challenge was given to me to do the same for the big Super Late Model event. It was that race that put Erik Jones in the spotlight as he made a late pass on Kyle Busch to win the 300-lap race. Before Erik got out of the car, Kyle came over and stood next to me and congratulated him. The next day, while on a plane from Pensacola to Atlanta, there was a passenger reading the newspaper. The passenger opens up the paper, and right there in full color is a photo Kyle and me standing next to Erik’s car. For the rest of that flight, I kept my eye on that paper. The passenger left the paper on the plane when he got off; I walked by and grabbed it. This is just a small sampling of some of my memories from covering auto racing events. Could this be expanded into a book? Probably, but still have some space left in my mental database to add some more before it is written. This website is privately owned and updated by me. Any donations would be greatly appreciated to help maintain and make improvements. Thank you.
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