I have a question.
I just noted that the first sentance of the first post in this thread ("Unlike a recently posted Editorial by a Charlotte Observer writer who knows nothing of NASCAR,") was a direct comment regarding a professional writers lack of knowledge.
I am confused. Are there different rules for different posters?
I still like the word 'sanctimonious'!
I appreciate your pointing that out to me. I have great respect for both Mr. Johnsons, and you as well.
I find it very offensive personally to see a post that is so overtly sanctimonious as to say, ""I can build a race car and you can't so your opinion doesn't count."
That was NOT my intent!
I would ask that folks look at the percentages of effort.
Chad probably did hundreds and perhaps thousands of things right, including a large number of 'questionable' ideas and NO ONE took the time to research and expose those good things that made Jimmy Johnson a winner, but when some one (NASCAR) exposes a questionable issue, eveyone and their brother feels inclined to comment on it.
If i could spell 'sanctimonious' I would use it at this time.
Many articles have been written concerning my involvement in NASCAR, and they ALL were kindly written by knowledgeable sports writersand were appreciated greatly. I am NOT dumping on writers! But, my one burning memory that continues to this day, is that it seems to appear impossible or at least very difficult to write about the technical and competative aspects of competition, particular team sports.
Nothing is written regarding all the hundreds and hundreds of things Chad did back at the shop that were right and led to many races and championships, that were all appreciated by his team members and owners and driver, but when the less than 1/2 of one percent of his efforts that were debated by NASCAR that appears in public, he is subjected to 'knowledgeable' reporting.
The 'summation' at the start of the earlier post is not mine originnaly, but written concerning a football writer, I stand by my OPINION that is is a common occurance in other sports activities as well.
I do however, wish these conversations could be held face to face. I feel certain that I would be able to maintain a pleasant and ongoing conversation puncuated with many smiles and nods of the heads. I do not feel like the person that I seem to be portrayed as on thethis site.I converse daily on metal shaping sites and Model A restoration sites with no such feedback. I will strive harder to just read hereon this siteand not post too often.
I did not mean for any of this to seem unkind, only wanted to express the issue from my viewpoint. I see many forms of opinions expressed that I think are 'unusual', but make no comment.
My question regarding which point was asked because it seemed quite open ended. I did not understand what point you thought was the correct 'point'.
I have no issue with you thinking something wasn't nice, but what part did you think was untrue?
In re-reading my post,I would not have been so proud of the no-brain part, but this discussion was just so remindful of the times that i was involved, how outlandish some of the writing was because of the absolute lack of knowledge that some folks assumed that they had about a subject when they wrote about it. There is an emotional ,dedicated and focused approach to those that are actually involved that is rarely noticed by the folks that are not 'deep' into it. My guess is that it is not easily recognized.
To those folks that don't understand that, and I apparantly am unable to communicate it very well, I am just going to move on. If some one is not able tolook up atthe trees, it will be difficult to explain the clouds!
I have a different thought on this subject.
Folks that frown on 'cheating' (read intellectual/mechanical exploration)and are willing to verbalize it in any way, have no idea how to build a car, prepare a car and have no respect to gain from making it go fast, and will never derive any satisfaction from actually accomplishing anthing important where actual skill is required.
I have said this often as i grow older and have the benefit of hindsight. Those folks with brains and money can own cars. Those with brains and talent build cars. Those with skills and courage drive cars. Those with none of the above simply write about it!
I have a favorite quote that I draw from when thisattitude is observed,that was provided by Teddy Roosevelt.
It is not the critic who counts, not the person who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes up short again and again because there is no effort without error and shortcomings; but who actually strives to do the deeds, who knows the great devotion; who spends himself in a worthy cause. Who at the least knows in the end the high achievement of triumph or at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows that his place will never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
"Let the crew chiefs play with them, to a point" .... which point?
That is what I took from Dan's comments.
Cody, maybe you can confirm or deny something that I remember Dan telling me one day. I was down there picking up another car to make into a show car, and when I noticed all the cars in the old building supply 'yard', I asked Dan what all the cars were doing there and he said take a good look at them. All I could see was the fact that they were all / mostly all Fords, and his response was that they were all cars that Bill had wrecked, most on route #9, and that their dad felt it was going to be less expensive to have Bill drive a race car, than keep him in street cars.
Hey Cody, thanks for your response. We did a large number of repairs and re-bodies for Bill after we re-skinned this car.
We modified the two new 'bird' cars for the Universal Studios movie Stroker Ace with Bert Reynolds before they were available at the dealers. We became very familiar with the new, smaller 'birds'. When Bill was making his run for the million dollar season, we were constantly on the road to his shop picking up and delivering rebuilt and/or re-skinned cars. Of particular interest was when Dan took me across the road to the old lumber yard(?) and I saw all the wrecked street cars.
We also restored the car that he won the million dollars with. I'm not sure where it is on display now, but you can tell which one it is by the fact that there was a dash plaque noting that it was rebuilt at our shop. We made it ready for a 'reveal' at some downtown convention center / motel and Bill was kind enough to permit me to attach the plaque.
By the way, I also did the restoration for the Petty car that is/was(?) in the Smithsonian Institute in DC.
Also, the 'bad guy' car(s) in that Stroker Ace movie were my actual race cars and I drove the 7-eleven car in the movie and provided eight additional cars, two tractor trailers and all the pit equipment.
I was at the car show in Hickory last week to meet with "Humpy" Wheeler. I wanted to get a copy of his new book and he wanted to see the new die cast car. He was very generous to write some kind words in the book, the wrote some more nice things on the cover of the die cast box and gave the box back to me. When I got home and started reading the book, I saw that he continues to mis-spell my last name, LOL.
Cody: I took one of the cars to my friend 'Buzz' McCall at the NASCAR HOF museum, and I went up on the 'track' to take a closer look at the Elliot car they have on display after he mentioned that it was the car he won his first race with at Riverside. I wanted to take a closer look at the car because Bill had brought that car to my shop after returning from Riverside to have another body put on it. The car had different inner 'panels' in it, but I saw some of my particular tell tale details and recognized that he was correct about it being the Riverside car.
I have some items that I am going to donate to the museum from some Dale 'stuff' that I have.
Yesterday, I stopped at Dale's shop to chat with Randy and give him one of the cars and I was hoping to get to see the 7-post shaker that they have being used. DEI has a contract with GM to do all their race teams 7-post work. I never got to see a 7-post machine actually working, but I did spend some time observing the installation of one when the Ginn trace team was installing their machine (I'm certain that it is the one that DEI uses now)
