A Bikini at the Races?? maybe ------if you are a Go Daddy girl

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

You prove yourself through hard work, courage, success. There is glory in making the climb to the top, not through cutting in line.-------REMEMBER THIS LITTLE PHRASE

best of danica

Danica's best

There's no one like Danica, both on and off the track.

Danica Patrick , with the help of her team owner, Tony Stewart , bought her way into the Daytona 500 . Simple as that.

She is going to the Super Bowl of racing not because she drives a car well but because she looks great on top of one in a bikini. This turns Patrick into a gimmick. She now is a GoDaddy babe who happens to be driving, instead of the other way around. I always thought of her as a driver first.

Its hard to find the right balance when youre combining sex and sport. Credibility is questioned, probably unfairly. But Maria Sharapova won Wimbledon and was No. 1 before she hit magazines in a bikini. Thats the right direction, anyway.

Patrick has landed at the top. She has never raced at the top level of NASCAR, only done OK at the next level down the Nationwide Series. Her average finish is farther back than her average starting position.

She did not earn her way into the Daytona 500 and will run qualifying only to determine her starting position. Someone else earned enough points to get in, but Patricks team, Stewart-Haas Racing, bought that someones points, painted another car with that someones number and called Patrick a success.

Patrick is doing this with the blessing of NASCAR rules . Crummy rules. Nearly every year, something similar happens, though this one has its own special twists.

In fact, last years Daytona 500 winner, Trevor Bayne , got into the race when his team bought someone elses points. But no one will accuse him of getting in for his Q rating. Instead, Richard Petty Motorsports decided to reduce the number of cars it ran, so it sold some of its points. The plan was that Bayne, in one car, would use his points to get into Daytona and then race a partial season. By doing so, Bayne's team didn't accumulate enough points to stay in the top 35 to automatically qualify for races.

But in Patricks case, they are taking this ridiculous points thing a little farther. Her plan is to use the points to get into the big race in car No. 10, then drop back to the Nationwide Series for a while, then pop back up at different times for nine more Sprint Cup events.

While shes in Nationwide, the team that Stewart bought the points from, Tommy Baldwin Racing , will field the No. 10 car. But it will be another machine with another crew and another driver, David Reutimann . Hell be in 26 races. And when Patrick returns, she will have the benefit of the points Reutimann has earned. That way, shell probably never have to run qualifying to get locked into the field of any race.

The top level of sport is supposed to be for champions, without exception for favoritism, personality or looks.

The Daytona 500 should be bigger than this. It should be for the fastest 43 cars. Instead, there is always some form of points swapping to help get the biggest names in ...

Patricks name is huge. I understand the marketing value of sex. Organizers of a great event can hope that the most marketable people do well. But you cant invent rules to make it happen. This just makes the race, and Patrick, look terrible.

Its just business. Thats what NASCAR people say. But, no, the business of a race like this is to put the fastest cars with the best drivers and the best crews and the best teams on the track. You can sell out everything around a sport, everything around the fringes. Thats business. But you cannot sell out the core of the competition.

Meanwhile, Patrick might go on to be a legendary driver. In fact, heres to hoping she does. But shes not there now. And while you cant blame her for taking everything she can get, it also puts her in a spot, adds pressure, sets her up to look like a failure. Its not always good for someone to be given too much.

The truth is, in a lot of ways, nearly everyone involved with the Patrick deal benefits. What happened is this: The top 35 finishers in owner points from last year are locked into this years Daytona 500 . Eight more can get in through qualifying.

Well, the Tommy Baldwin Racing Team, with driver Dave Blaney , got into the top 35. Under NASCAR rules , the points Blaney earned can be sold, roughly, as long as the Baldwin team remains at least a part-owner with the team that bought the points. So Stewart-Haas formed a partnership with Baldwin.

If these swaps are done all the time, the difference in this situation is Patrick. Its done for marketing purposes, not for racing. And perception means plenty: Non-racing fans will see it as Patrick getting preferential treatment.

Meanwhile, not long ago, Baldwin was such a little guy in the business that it was doing the start-and-park thing, meaning it would start a race and then just pull over and claim some other problem. It couldnt afford to run a full race.

Now, Baldwin is growing, evidenced by Blaneys success. But by selling its points and we dont know how much the sale was for Baldwin gets financial help . Blaney surely feels ripped off, but this move helps his team, which, theoretically, helps him. He can still qualify to get in.

The Big Race gets the Big Draw. Patrick gets into the race, as her team needs her to do.

GoDaddy gets a nice bump. Its win, win, win, right?

I dont know. Patrick the driver/sex symbol seemed much more interesting, much more fun to cheer for than Patrick the total gimmick. Or maybe you see this a Different way.....................!!! Tell us so we may see another view of this

Portions of above came from Greg Couch column


updated by @johnny-mallonee: 03/10/17 12:14:41PM
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

I'm sure many of us have fond memories of the Hoss Ellington Hawaiian Tropic Donnie Allison sponsorship and Ron Rice's bevy of bikini clad beauties. Some of the pre-Danica bikini days.

Those ladies parading around representing the mysterious and unknown Tuf-Lon product when it sponsored the #28 Black & Silver Pontiac for brother Bobby Allison were none too shabby, either.

Guess those Allison brothers were just plain bikini babe magnets!

There was life before Danica and bikinis in NASCAR back in the day. The bikinis just weren't in the driver's seat!




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

Your words of wit seem to always fit like a Bikini SHOWING ALL WHAT YOU MEAN

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

And, Johnny... Lesa France Kennedy and brother Brian are not about to let Danica have all the bare midriff fun. Check out the photo of our boy Kasey at the grand opening yesterday of the Kansas Speedway casino!

Sprint Cup driver Kasey Kahne is escorted into the Hollywood Casino at Kansas Speedway for Friday's official opening. (Photos courtesy of Kansas Speedway)




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

The views at Las Vegas are really into defining the curves of the track too. they all flow accordingly -----on and off the track

Christopher Krul
@christopher-krul
12 years ago
119 posts

I have always regarded Danica as like the AnnaKournikova of Motorsports. Pretty and talented but cannot reach the top.

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

She could reach the top only by a Pyramid of supporters---and you all know how that works. ONE weak link and Jack n Jill will come tumbling down

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

(May 29, 2005) Anna Kournikova played a celebrity tennis exhibition at noon on May 28 at Charlotte, NC, against NASCAR drivers Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray, and Charlotte Observer columnist Scott Fowler.




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

And she had no mercy on either of them.

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

Dave,was you in Daytona the year Pamala Anderson was Grande Marshal ?? She was there in a short skirt and parked on the front row. It was commented later on that this was the first time several drivers, including Tony Stewart and Dale jr was "early" for a drivers meeting.. I thought Mike Helton would never look back in the rear of the room

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

After my time at Daytona.... too bad for me!




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

Pamela at Charlotte




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

And speaking of bikinis and stock car racing, we have to give credit where credit is due. Even though drag racing has for years mightily tried to claim her, the First Lady of Motorsports, Linda Vaughn's roots are in NASCAR stock car racing, having gotten her start at Atlanta.




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Mike Ashley
@mike-ashley
12 years ago
37 posts

Not wanting to sound like a real jerk, everytime big money, and girls who chase big money get involved things will get screwed up and the little guy will get left out in the cold (or out of the starting field). I have a really great daughter who has risen to the top in her sports career (basketball), she made her on way begining in high school, then playing college ball, now coaching in division 1 college level. With that being said there is places for women in racing in the drivers seat, owners, crew positions, but they must be earned not bought.

The top 35 starting postions being a given stinks anyway you go about it. NASCAR will never get back its heart and soul that it has sold out to corporate America.

Being part of a racing family begining in 1951 what has happened to starting the fastest 43 cars that show up on a given day.

Oh well we can't go back in time but NASCAR could make things right by going back to some of the old rule books.

Mike Ashley, Rome GA

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

Dave,shame on you its never to late to return to daytona and share in the memories. true its not like the old days but its still a high for me


Maybe a flock of us should desend on Daytona one year and go in the pits andjust soak in memories .. you are still a card carrier arent you?


Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

Many female drivers through the years best left their bikinis at home. Danica is an exception. I look forward to the day when her racing is what sells rather than the bikini shots.




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

I'm sure Danica would have made an excellent impression with mom once she put her clothes back on!




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

At least the non-tobacco advertisers are able to use real drivers in their ads. Remember all the hokey Winston & Camel stock car, drag racing and IMSA ads that were full of the cheesy pretty boy male model "drivers" and "crew." Those ads really used to make me want to puke. They were awful. They were off in a real "league of their own."




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts

Johnny, I can't even begin to imagine the hassle of fighting Daytona traffic again, arranging lodging, getting restaurant reservations, etc. Maybe one day we could have a RR seniors tour and the bus would take us straight to the garage!




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

FYI MILKA is meaner then Adams house cat dragging that feline home could cause scratches where it dont itch

Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

I will take the first one,.she may be 55 years old but its a keeper i got my woman,the 57 is the keeper in the photo

Dave Fulton
@dave-fulton
12 years ago
9,137 posts




--
"Any Day is Good for Stock Car Racing"
Johnny Mallonee
@johnny-mallonee
12 years ago
3,259 posts

Yes I have met her also--seen her race in fla and also saw how she treated her crew there. ive read other accounts about her and danica having cat fights --I did not say she was bad just mean and feisty around others at least at the track


Christopher Krul
@christopher-krul
12 years ago
119 posts

Glad to see this. Most of the women interviewed sounded very mature. The thing I noticed when I listen to the scanner is that Danica always whines. She is not as focused. She is a fiesty one. I have this Indy racing t-shirt and it has all the Indy car drivers on it. This one sums up Danica.