2010 NASCAR running thread

Sterling Marlin raced (and won) at one of the local short tracks two nights ago.

I'm a bit perturbed because there are people who have actually posted on Facebook that they didn't go to the track on Wednesday because "he killed Dale Earnhardt."

You don't want to see the races or, specifically, him? Hey, fine, each to their own. But for that reason, which is and has always been an absolute crock of shit?? You stupid, stunned, brain-dead motherfuckers.

 

It's probably best they stayed away, rather than to go there and confront him.

 

Maybe, but I'm just appalled that people are so wilfully fucking dumb.

 

Sad, isn't it.

 

The accident was a racin' deal. More than any one driver, it was NASCAR's fault for having a rule package which had drivers so close together, which led to The Big One about 25 laps earlier.
When you come right down to it, I still believe Earnhardt would have survived had head-and-neck restraints been required, especially in light of what happened in 2000. But Earnhardt hated those things (as evidenced by his noose comments) and NASCAR wasn't about to force a change that would upset Earnhardt, since that in turn would anger fellow drivers and (more importantly to NASCAR) his legion of fans. Not all, but some. Like the ones that refuse to attend a race starring Sterling Marlin nearly 10 years later.
Oh yeah, and if Earnhardt hadn't insisted his team install belts contrary to Simpson's recommendations, that would have helped.

 

Interesting story.

This excerpt popped out at me ...

"A man in a blue oxford shirt and khaki pants took the stage — Hendrick Motorsports’s chaplain. He thanked us for coming to meet the drivers and “eat free food.” Then he asked us to join him in a prayer for Pepsi, the team’s sponsor. The media prayed."

Uh, what? My dad worked for Pepsi for 35 years, hell, I worked at Pepsi for one summer and literally helped make the soda itself. Even given that, I would never say a prayer for a freaking soda brand.

 

To be fair, I'm assuming that was slight hyperbole. Pepsi was probably one of 18 things mentioned in that prayer. The writer took it out to make it more "rednecky."

That being said, one time at Charlotte, the chaplain did ask in the pre-race invocation that everyone pray for the sponsors. I don't pray, so I didn't partake. And then I mocked it for months afterward.

 

At IRP a few years ago, the local pastor giving the invocation before the Buschionwide Race said "and Lord, let these good ole' boys get it on. Amen."

It was the only time I'd heard it, but the old-school writers were recording the invocation just to have it on tape.

 

NASCAR is cutting Nationwide purses by 20 percent next year to make it more profitable for the tracks. Here's an idea: how about increasing the purses and reigning in the Buschwhackers so the stand alone Nationwide teams can stay alive and you actually have a Nationwide Series?

 

You "reign in" the Buschwhackers and those Nationwide teams aren't getting sponsorship to stay afloat, nor are people going to the races even at the pace they're attending now.

 

The rein in plain is mostly Dave Despain.

 

I don't think there is a need to totally stop Cup drivers from racing in support series,

"reining" does that make you happy? I missed a typo.