Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
Just then flew down a monstrous crow,
As black as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
When last we gathered 'round this column, all the buzz was about a fine levied upon poor little Denny Hamlin for bad-mouthing the new Gen-6 cars. This week, as I promised, that is no longer the discussion at the water cooler. Oh, Denny's still talking... or should I say tweeting, and NASCAR, bless its corporate little heart, is trying to make a full-blown feud out of a bit of sass between Denny and ex-teammate Joey Logano. I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to look at those two and see it as anything beyond a little spat during kindergarten recess. "Am not!" "Are so!" "Says who?" "Says me." "Oh yeah?" "Yeah!"
Tell you what... if they ever confront each other without helmets and teams, just let 'em have at it. I promise, it will be worth the price of admission watching them try to figure out their next move when no one makes a move to hold them back. Once or twice over the years, I've written post-Bristol columns entitled, "Who's Not Speaking to Whom?" Those two are like a pair of annoying little gnats, just buzzing around and being pesky. It would be nicer if they weren't speaking to each other, don't you know. Tweedledum and Tweedledee indeed... but as Solomon often stated, "This too shall pass."
And hopefully we've heard the last of that. Did you enjoy the race at Bristol? I did! I'd say that was probably the best race I've watched since the one at Watkins Glen last August... and they won't be topping that one any time soon, but I do hope they keep trying!
Does anyone remember these words, dropped in the middle of a discussion about something else in last week's column? "We saw passing... record numbers of passes in fact. Well, that is, we at home would have seen it if FOX were capable of taking their cameras off the first 3 cars and showing the field once in a while. But you get the idea." Imagine my elation when I heard Darrell Waltrip say on national TV... FOX TV of course... something of the ilk "I wish our cameras were showing something besides the first two or three cars so you all could see the passing and three-wide stuff we're talking about that's going on behind that."
Gentle readers, at times I have not been kind to Ol' DW, but I believe in always giving credit where it's due. Darrell, I don't know if you ever read these columns, but it surely sounded like it on Sunday, as that is exactly what I wrote and what I've been saying for years. Maybe you can convince them to actually show the action. Fans at home already know who the leader is. Show him again when that may be about to change. Those other 42 drivers have fans too.
I've tried for more years than I care to count, to get the idea across that the fans at home want to "feel" as if they are at the track. No one at the track watches only the leader. We do our darnedest to crane our necks to see every second of the action, everywhere on the track. Pull those cameras back and let us see the cars, the track and in essence, the race. All the networks seem to have a love affair with in-car cameras, but none of the viewers do... until maybe this year. I'm hearing nothing but good things from the fans about that gyro-cam. All in-car shots should be done with that, but they should only be used as a complement to the overhead and long shots from outside. Back in the day, as it's become chic to say, the best shots of all were from the Goodyear Blimp. They missed nothing. We miss the Blimp!
"Rubbin', Son, is racin'." Anyone that's ever been to a race or watched a race has probably heard those words. The movie, Days of Thunder, gave credit to Harry Hyde, thinly disguised as Harry Hogg, for uttering them to a character that kinda reminded one of Tim Richmond, perhaps with a bit of Dale Earnhardt mixed in for spice. I'm pretty sure they were first spoken sometime before the birth of William H.G. (Big Bill) France. So... what happened? I remember, and so do all of you, when rubbing was indeed racing, and the shorter the track, the more of it occurred. What did not happen, was that every time two cars rubbed, at least one wound up with a flat tire.
Something is different, and I'm not competent to say exactly what. My suspicion is that in the name of aerodynamics, the fender skirt that once would have protected the tires from incidental side contact has been shortened, moved or removed entirely. What say you, my more mechanical-minded readers? Isn't that something someone should be looking at? There's enough that can go wrong in a race without having casual contact ruining the days of so many drivers. Can the skirts be lengthened? Flared out more? They had a purpose once, but it's obvious that they are no longer serving that purpose.
Mind you, that is a different problem than the blown right fronts, which were abundant again this week at Bristol. This one I do understand and I'd offer some simple advice to a few chosen crew chiefs. Cut back on the camber a little and give your driver a chance to finish the race unscathed, and yes, Alan Gustafson, I'm including you in that group. The blown right front on the #24 took out arguably the best two cars in Sunday's race. That probably won't be a problem at Fontana. Do they even use brakes there?
As happy as I was with Bristol, I've heard one thing pointed out over and over again... empty seats. OK, let's look at that, shall we? NASCAR racing has been in a downward spiral since 2004, meaning it took nine long years to get to what hopefully is rock bottom. Yes, the new cars are pretty, and yes, they look much more like their street counterparts than did the ugly plump little COTs. They have even evinced the ability to run side by side and pass each other. That's nice, but it doesn't go a long way toward soothing the hurt feelings or just flat out resentment felt by the older generations... at least two of them... that were unceremoniously discarded in a play to entice all of the 18-35 group into racing... many of which weren't buying.
Demographics present an ever-changing target. Those 35-year olds are now 44-year olds, and their kids are now the 18-year olds. Those nine years were not just wasted, but actually destroyed the base of the "fan base", if that makes any sense. There are a lot of one-time fans that will never come back. They have found other amusements, and probably cheaper ones at that.
No one here needs me to tell him or her that this country has come upon hard times. A quick visit to either your local gas station or grocery store will confirm that. If memory serves, the ticket prices at Bristol, along with many other tracks, have been lowered. That's nice, but Bristol Tennessee or Bristol Virginia, right across the street, is not exactly Metropolis, USA. It's a small town in the mountains, quite removed from any large city where travelers might find amenities. If the prices I've heard quoted for lodging anywhere near the track are to be believed, I'm surprised that any seats had fannies in them, other than those occupied by locals.
Seriously, over $400 for a single night's stay? Want to bring along the kids? That will get you a bill in excess of $1000... and that is just to sleep. Eating presents another problem. There is not a plethora of choices, and those that are nearby suddenly offer fast food at Four-Star prices, especially for the race fans. Apparently, those folks have never heard the words "fan-friendly", or have chosen to ignore them. Methinks a whole lot of track owners and promoters should be out there getting acquainted with the local hospitality industry and talking over the benefits of one hand washing the other. The folks in North Wilkesboro, another small mountain town, can tell you all about what happens to those hotels, motels, restaurants and service stations when the racing goes away. They will also tell you that once it goes away, it's not likely to return.
One other complaint I've heard from fans is the weather. Does anyone realize that it's usually cold in those mountains in mid-March? The Bristol spring race used to be in April, and it wasn't any too warm most years, even then. I guess Tennessee sounds "south" to a lot of folks, but sitting out in the open in 40 - 50º temperatures with an icy wind blowing in your face for several hours is not most folks' idea of a great time, even if there is a race going on. This is one race where a little scheduling help could be used.
Some or most of that is out of our hands, gentle readers, but our voices are being heard. When I hear Darrell Waltrip quoting me, I know we're on the right track. Remember, keep it civil and constructive, but bring all of your thoughts and suggestions here and they will be read. Not only will they be read, but for this writer, they will be a welcome respite from the constant little nips and snips about Danica Patrick continuously heard in these parts. She has taken off the training wheels boys, and it's all up to her, but it would be nice to wait until perhaps mid-season before assessing so harshly. You may be pleasantly surprised by then... or you may not. That's up to her.
Mr. Helton Sir, I know it is your fine hand behind the progress being made in retrieving our sport from the scrap heap and putting it back on top where it has always belonged. We, the fans, are here and more than willing to work with you and meet you half-way. Thank you Sir, and I do mean that sincerely.
Have there been any confirmed sightings of Brian France this past week?
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