posted
#9 is good. Although, I wish Bill Elliott were still driving it, Kasey Kahne always has a good thing to say about Bill Elliott after he wins a race.
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quote:Originally posted by DWE: Should NASCAR allow obviously injured drivers to take the green flag?
MY answer: NO
Tony Stewart just wants to be a "hard-head" on the track and make things worse for himself. Joe Gibbs should of allowed Ricky Rudd to drive the entire race but NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! With a broken leg, a broken arm, a broken jaw bone, and with only half a brain working, Tony Stewart just had to get his way. He probably voted for John Kerry in 2004 too.
With the condition Tony Stewart was in last Sunday at the Neighborhood Excellence 400 in Dover, he put 42 other lives in danger. You might as well had put Hank Williams Jr. in the driver's seat of the #20 car with a bottle of Jim Beam whiskey for "rehydration" purposes only!
This year belongs to JACK ROUSH and I don't even LIKE THE GUY!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO #6 ! ! ! AAA
Earnhardt Jr. is my LEAST favorite driver of all time. On the another hand, Tony Stewart is the driver of all time that PISSES me OFF every single time he's on the track. Give your body a rest, boy. You're going to need it. You may just need that "attitude adjustment".
Mark Martin ALL THE WAY, BABY!
Richard PETTY!!!!! Please come back to show Tony Stewart how to race!
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That is the question I have been asking myself a lot lately. Why do the thousands of NASCAR fans continue to support Republican candidates? The kneejerk, stereotypical answer is that "they are good `ole boys just like the Republicans" (I wouldn't be surprised if we get a comment or two like that here). However, with NASCAR's growth and expansion across the nation, it's hard to imagine this answer still being correct, certainly not the whole story.
It is understandable, perhaps, that the NASCAR owners, drivers, and teams who make millions of dollars would be supportive of Republicans who promise to lower their taxes. However, the average NASCAR fan who makes considerably less than that is probably not interested primarily in a capital gains tax cut or the estate tax. Rather, it appears that the average NASCAR fan votes Republican based on just a few, non-economic issues.
From speaking with my NASCAR friends, it seems to me that most of them who support Republican candidates do so based on two main issues: abortion and gay rights. In other words, they are interested in candidates who are generally anti-abortion and anti-gay marriage. Additionally, a couple of those people also care a great deal about gun rights, the death penalty, and affirmative action, and would consider voting Republican on these issues.
During these discussions one of my friends brought up a good point, that most people who follow NASCAR have heard of the "fan loyalty" concept. This is the reason hundreds of sponsors are happy to pour millions of dollars into NASCAR: fans are phenomenally loyal to their favorite driver's sponsor.
For example, even though I have disliked the taste of Coke for years and have preferred to drink Pepsi's Mountain Dew or Sierra Mist, I buy Coke. Why? Because Coke is a huge supporter of Kevin Harvick and Pepsi supports Jeff Gordon - everyone's favorite driver to dislike. Could it be that fans are just supporting Republicans because their favorite drivers are? If so, then a simple remedy is for the candidate to buy sponsorship on the race cars (or get it gave to them for free).
The "fan loyalty" theory is an interesting one and possibly part of the answer to why NASCAR fans tend to vote Republican. Another part of the answer could be that NASCAR fans equate Democratic candidates with the Hollywood type and do not want to be associated with those perceived ideals. NASCAR fans believe in hard work and feel that Hollywood folks are cashing in for doing very little work.
NASCAR fans believe that they can dig all the ditches, sweep all the streets, and pick up all the trash possible, but that they will still never make as much money as Ben Affleck does for one crappy movie. This is true, no question about it, but isn't it a strong economic argument for NASCAR fans to be supporting Democratic candidates?
The thing is, Republicans can talk about how they are good for the economy until they are blue in the face, but that is not going to change the facts. And the numbers don't lie: Democrats have proven that they are better for the economy, especially for the lower and middle classes that most NASCAR fans are members of. Given this strong economic reason to vote Democratic, why do so many blue-collar NASCAR fans continue to support Republicans who cater to rich folks and big corporations? Especially when these same big corporations are the ones that are putting the squeeze on the working class in this country?
Of course, this is a question that has been raised in numerous recent articles and books, like Thomas Frank's "What's the Matter with Kansas" and George Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant." What both Frank and Lakoff say, in different ways, is that most Americans vote their values first and foremost, not necessarily their economic self interest. Lakoff argues that Republicans are winning in large part because they understand this and market accordingly, while Democrats are losing in large part because they don't. Frank argues that conservatives have tricked average Americans, in large part through clever, powerful, and sometimes deceptive marketing.
As far as marketing is concerned in this year's gubernatorial race, so far I (reluctantly) have to give the nod to the Kilgore campaign. In Virginia we have three tracks (counting Bristol, right across the border in Tennessee) that host major NASCAR events twice each year. So far, the Kilgore people seem to be the ones who have realized this opportunity and who have taken the best advantage of it. As a Democrat, I hope that Tim Kaine will start appealing to these thousands of prospective voters. In 2001, Mark Warner was highly effective doing this, and he has the results to show for it. Now it's time for Tim Kaine to do the same.
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quote:Please come back to show Tony Stewart how to race!
Last time I checked Tony Stewart had 2 Nascar championships. Won both championships within the last four years.
Let me ask you a question DWE, Where are Mark Martin's Nascar championships?
If Tony Stewart sucks so bad and doesnt know how to drive a race car, he wouldnt have two championships. Mark Martin doesnt even have one Nascar championship in 20 years of Winston/Nextel Cup racing while Stewart has won 2 of the last 4 championships. Now why would that be?
Posts: 216 | Registered: Mar 2006
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How many did Richard Petty win in his entire NASCAR career?
To Mark Martin, whether he wins or not, it's ALL ABOUT being on the track and RACING! That's what HIS dreams are made of!
So Tony Stewart can take is 2 championships and SHOVE IT! NO RESPECT, NO HONOR for TONY STEWART! STEWART is a "FINGER POINTER". Always blaming "others" when he knows he's the one who causes WRECKS!!!
I have just a litttttttttttttttle more "RESPECT" for Kurt Busch and HIS cup championship, AND I don't even LIKE THE GUY!
Joe Gibbs Racing is good, I must admit. And even though I DON'T LIKE Jack Roush either, Jack Roush Racing is better than the rest.
Roger Penske..... PICK IT UP A NOTCH! You did GREAT winning the Indy 500. Let's start winning in NASCAR!
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posted
Mark Martin starting 20th position on this Sunday's Pocono 500. Work it to first place brother at the checkered flag, so I can see you on "Victory Lane"!
Good luck and LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, MARK MARTIN!!! #6 AAA
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posted
DWE, please tell us you are leaving for Africa to promote Camel racing and will be gone for several years.
Also, heard of a new facility that treats the DWE disorder, it is located deep within the borders of Libya, it is called the "Sahara Palms Happy Farm" Try it while your there. Palm Fron weaving and date pit spiting should keep you occupied for years!
quote:Originally posted by Dustoff101: DWE, please tell us you are leaving for Africa to promote Camel racing and will be gone for several years.
Also, heard of a new facility that treats the DWE disorder, it is located deep within the borders of Libya, it is called the "Sahara Palms Happy Farm" Try it while your there. Palm Fron weaving and date pit spiting should keep you occupied for years!
No camel racing. Plus I think their sponsors pay too little. It's all NASCAR for me. However, I would like to go to Kenya, Africa one day to FEED THE CHILDREN and I mean that.
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posted
No camel racing. Plus I think their sponsors pay too little. It's all NASCAR for me. However, I would like to go to Kenya, Africa one day to FEED THE CHILDREN and I mean that.
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posted
Mark Martin..... I'm confident that you'll win this year's NEXTEL CUP Championship, BUT if you don't, I'd still consider you a champion of ALL champions! It "ain't" over til it's over. You've got the Busch Series, you've got the Craftsman's Truck Series and who knows, you may race in the IROC again or even Indy or Formula One! The point is, if you decide to even go go-cart racing, I'll be right here supporting you every step of the way!
Mark Martin..... You are what dreams ARE made of!!! You make Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. look like the scum of the Earth!
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posted
I hate to break this to you but, Mark Martin will not be known as an elite driver unless he wins a Nextel Cup championship. Mark Martin has never even won a Daytona 500 or Brickyard 400 either. He will always be known for being a good consistent driver but, Martin has the reputation of the guy that could never win the big one. After a 20 year+ Cup career, there are no excuses for not winning a title. He just simply couldnt get it done when it mattered...
But you never know maybe he pulls off a John Elway this year and finally wins the title.
Posts: 216 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Kurt Busch's second-place run at Pocono was just his third top-10 of the season.
Busch thinking Chase after runner-up finish No. 2 team staying within reach but still has ground to gain.
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM June 12, 2006 09:57 AM EDT (13:57 GMT)
LONG POND, Pa. -- Two weekends ago Kurt Busch's crew chief, Roy McCauley, used some aggressive pit strategy at Dover to salvage a 16th-place finish and pick up a spot in the point standings.
Busch, who in that race, adamantly demanded some new settings in his No. 2 Dodge's front end for this weekend at Pocono Raceway, got what he wanted and used it to good effect Sunday, grabbing a second-place finish in the Pocono 500.
And more importantly for the 2004 Nextel Cup champion, he picked up another spot in the standings, from 18th to 17th -- 187 points out of 10th with 12 races remaining until the cutoff for the Chase for the Nextel Cup.
If Dover was a microcosm of the season so far -- with Busch so frustrated at his car's ill handling that he seemingly was ready to park it -- Pocono was a revelation.
Busch was most pleased that, after leading as early as Lap 51 and leading seven different times, when the pressure was on in the last cycle of green-flag stops, at Lap 166, his team got him out in 12.3 seconds, he said. When the stops cycled around, he was right back behind race winner Denny Hamlin.
"I think it builds a solid foundation in being able to know the team put me back out front when we came in [the pits] leading," Busch said. "They turned a top-five car into a second-place finish.
"They felt that adrenalin of running up front. This is a nice, solid run. Some of the setup we learned today and this whole weekend will help us at Michigan. We tested at VIR [Virginia International Raceway road course]. We felt like we were fast.
"I just think it's a great group of tracks coming up for us. We're back in June and we're ready to rock 'n roll."
Busch's debut with Penske Racing South at Daytona's Speedweeks was not the greatest. A 38th-place finish in the Daytona 500 was offset by a victory at Bristol in the season's fifth race, which elevated Busch to 16th in the standings.
But since then, he's had only one top-10 finish before Sunday and only four top-20 finishes in eight races. If there was a bright side, he never fell lower than 19th in the standings, which holds him in position to make his third consecutive Chase.
Busch said it's significant given that his team is a very different group than that which made the Chase a year ago in Rusty Wallace's swan song in the No. 2 Dodge.
"This is a whole new group of guys, a new crew chief -- everybody over the wall is in different spots," Busch said. "We might have one guy the same [so] just to have that overall feeling to know we can do it [is big].
"We won at Bristol earlier this year. We've been on poles before. We've just had a string of bad luck, initiated by cars not handling well."
Busch said he hoped that was ancient history, despite having nothing for Hamlin in a five-lap shootout Sunday.
"We had a good weekend," Busch said. "I really enjoy racing at Pocono. We had solid practices. I was bummed we didn't quite get the pole, [which Hamlin also won]. But now I feel better about it.
"Denny definitely had the car that was capable of sitting on the pole and winning the race, and we were second best to him. That's more of a win for our group because of our recent struggles up and down.
"I finished 16th last week. We struggled at Charlotte with that real hard tire. This was a nice, solid car. It turned when I needed it to. It stuck with the rear end when I needed it to.
"We changed a couple of things in it, and we'll just take that to Michigan and see how we do. These are two good tracks to try to get ourselves back on track.
"We've got a good stretch of tracks coming up, and I really hope we're able to put some impact in as far as our finish to gain some points."
A personal note to Roger Penske..... You are a winner I know, but you need to pick it up a notch in NASCAR!!! Forget about the Indy races!!! You should of convinced Rusty Wallace to race for 5 more years.
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