NBC Television and their networks, and especially Bob Costas, are very good at digging up the most heart wrenching stories of the participants. Some of the stories I’ve heard in the past week are beyond any reasonable expectation of possibility, yet, there is the athlete performing most difficult feats. Whatever NBC can dig up to present, I’m sure, can’t begin to equal the sacrifice the athlete, their families and the coaches have made. While it makes for good conversation in the NBC studio, the real true story would be even better without the embellishments made for television purposes.
Yes, I am aware that there is no venue in the Olympics for Stock Car Racing. Duh! But the point I am hoping to make here is this: The athletes who participate in the Games are trained to the max, they are coached to the max, and they have to EARN their spot on the team. The athletes chosen for each sport are chosen after repeated try-outs in different competitions for at least two years, or more, before the teams are picked to represent the countries. There is no “buy in” for Michael Phelps because he WAS good, or because he has a lot of money. He is there because he can swim and he can swim well. He is a winner. He is, he says, retiring at age 27, having accomplished all he wanted to accomplish. Good for him, but the point is, he earned everything he accomplished. Not one medal was given to him, he earned it. The berth on the USA swim team was not given to him, he earned it. Money couldn’t buy it.
But what about our sport? What about stock car racing? What about up and coming stock car drivers? Well, as usual, here I go about to get in trouble, but I’m going to spout off anyway. After all, it is MY 15 minutes of air time here. What brings this Legendtorial about this week is the attempt to have a driver, whom I will not name, qualify for the Cup Race at Pocono and sticking the car in the wall on the first lap. That particular driver has not been impressive to me in the Truck Series, nor in his Nationwide attempts. It is, without a doubt, Daddy’s money that is buying him the seat in whatever series he wishes to compete. I’m sure if Daddy starts running short of funds, he can make a statement about same sex marriage and have his restaurant chain enjoy record sales for a day. All of this is notwithstanding the issue of that particular driver and TWO offensives for driving while impaired. Perhaps his biggest impairment is being behind the wheel of anything with an motor.
PattyKay, I believe, added a Forum Post this week about the Nationwide Race in Iowa and the fact the place sold out. Granted, only 56,000 seats were for sale and they sold standing room space. PattyKay pointed out that there was almost a total lack of Cup drivers filtering down to that race and as the result, a Darrell Wallace, Jr. (another D.W.) led early and did well. An 18 year old driver, Brett Moffitt, running his first Nationwide race also finished in the top 10. Ryan Blaney was a top ten finisher after driving a very competitive race. Johanna Long, every time I saw her, was running well, passing cars but getting killed on pit stops because, as Dave Fulton pointed out in a Forum post, hers was not composed of the “big money, fully trained men”. All of that is good for the sport. It was also good for Elliott Sadler to make up for the huge miscarriage of justice from the Nationwide race at Indy the week before. Whatever the reason, the Iowa race drew the fans and it was a good race. Isn’t that the same area where the magic baseball field was built in the cornfield? But, even with all that went on Saturday night, I could not help but wonder how many of those guys would get the chance to move on up to Cup. How many of those guys have backing, meaning big dollars, to buy into a Rousch, Hendrick, Gibbs or Childress ride? Ryan Blaney, possibly.
The point here is, and here I go again, there is no provision for talent in the sport anymore as a requirement to move up to Cup. Let’s get real. If his name was not Dale Earnhardt, Jr., would sponsors have jumped on his back as they did? He is leading the points now, and is running good this year, but what about the past four years. What about the days in the minor leagues. He used to run at the Myrtle Beach Speedway and although I never saw him run there, I have heard repeatedly that he was no star by any means.
While I’m naming names, I’ll mention Joey Logano. He came into the series with the nickname of “Sliced Bread” as in “the best thing since”. I heard it was Mark Martin who gave him that nick, and Mark is responsible for several drivers getting a break, but sliced bread? Really? The kid has never showed me anything. Period.
Ok, I’ll get off the naming of names before the Connecticut Mafia comes after me, but you can see my point if you care about racing. Right here tonight, listening to this show, we have Billy Biscoe, Johnny Mallonee, and Tommie Clinard, among others, who fought the battles and earned their way up as far as they chose to go, although I’m still not sure that within each of them there was the hope for a Cup ride at one point. Back in the day when they ran, when I ran, there was the option, with talent, to be discovered by a team owner and move up to a good ride. I remember the stories of Fred Lorenzen sweeping the floors at Holman-Moody and working his way into a ride. I remember the trials Dale Earnhardt endured to become the Legend he is. Rex White, a small man in statute but a giant in personality, slightly impaired by polio, yet he is a Grand National Champion (Cup Champion to you younger folks).
Yet, as I sit here writing this Legendtorial, I think back over the past 15 years and the number of drivers I’ve seen in the lower divisions, K&N, Late Model, the now defunct Goody’s Dash series, who could have been running for the Chase and doing very well. I personally know, and have associated quite closely with, three men in the same family, all of whom could have been contenders for the Cup but for the lack of money to support them. What they did achieve, they did with their hands and desire and dedication. These men have class. These men have character. These men have what NASCAR claims it wants but flatly denies.
There are good stories of drivers getting a chance and Carl Edwards comes to mind. Handing out business cards to anyone and everyone until he finally got an opportunity to prove he could do it. Roush, Hendrick and Gibbs all have “development programs” but much of that “development” from what I can determine, is exactly how much it will develop the bank accounts of the respective organization. True, money drives the sport! Not Sunoco Racing Fuel with Ethanol. NASCAR is going “green” alright, but the green has pictures of Lincoln, Franklin, Grant, and other such American notables included.
I would be willing to bet that anyone of you listening who attends a local short track anywhere in the country, or the world, knows at least one driver who would make a good bet for a ride in Cup. Think about that. They can race until doomsday, win every race they enter, rack up titles and trophies to fill a warehouse, but if a young gun comes along with big dollar backing, he’s got the ride (or she) whether or not they can drive as well.
It’s not like it used to be in the old days. Johnny, Tommie, Billy and I will all attest to that. It’s not now, for the most part, how well you can drive the car, but how well you can fill a bank account and how well you can make commercials for your sponsor. If you look good before a camera, your chances of getting a top ride are enhanced far beyond the guy who looks only average. Dave Fulton mentioned, I think it was Dave, how it would be next to impossible to get Dale Earnhardt a ride in Cup today with the rough edges he had when he came into the sport.
So, to all you young aspiring race drivers, keep plugging away on the short tracks. Also, learn accounting, business management, public relations, and a dozen other things that 20 years ago had nothing to do with being a champion. Back then, you needed to know how to set up and drive a race car. Some of today’s drivers hardly know how to take the cap off the Coke bottle before getting that famous interview shot drinking the product for the bucks.
Remember, you can e-mail me at: legendtim83@yahoo.com. I guess I’m just really in the mood to speak out against the way the big teams are choosing drivers to put behind the wheel. Not to criticize or degrade the number 6 currently running Nationwide, but I think it is going to be an interesting trip around the circuit next year watching that kid.
-Tim
Email: legendtim83@yahoo.com
Twitter: @legendtim83
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