by: Tim Leeming
As I sit here in The Lair the Monday after what we call “Speedweeks” at Daytona have concluded, there are many thoughts running through my mind. Some of those I will share with you now.
First and foremost in these thoughts is the prayer of thanks that no one was killed in the horrendous end to the Nationwide race this past Saturday. For those of us watching it live, it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever seen. I doubt there is anyone in the civilized world who has not yet seen the replay of that accident or, at the very least, the still photographs that are, themselves, terrifying. I have had folks who have never given a hoot about racing asking me what I think of the fact that fans in the grandstands were injured and could have easily been killed. I have, in the past three days, heard from more “experts” in the fields of catch fencing and crossover gates than I even knew existed. Seems everyone now wants to jump on the bandwagon to criticize NASCAR and Daytona International Speedway for what happened there Saturday. I am not one of those. Please allow me to explain that statement.
I have been critical, and with just cause, of NASCAR’s less than stellar efforts in the past to improve the safety for the drivers. We lost several good drivers because of the failure by NASCAR to implement certain improvements in the tracks and, from what I understand, the HANS device could have saved the lives of all those drivers we lost, including Dale, Sr. I’m no expert, of course, but that is what I have been told by more than one person far more educated in such areas of driver safety. The efforts made by NASCAR to that end are to be applauded.
Now, as for fan safety in the grandstands, that should be a “given”. A fan should be able to bring his family into the track, sit back, and enjoy the spectacle of speed, color and sound before him with no fear of having a flying racecar land in his lap. I know this. You know this. NASCAR knows this. So, here’s where I’ll get blasted for this opinion but I’m going to say it anyway. I feel that NASCAR has taken every possible precaution for the safety of the fans, as has Daytona International Speedway. What happened Saturday was a freak accident. Sure, over the years, cars and parts have come into the stands and each time NASCAR has taken safety measures as far as their technology allows, to see that it doesn’t happen again. Saturday’s accident was a circumstance that hasn’t happened in thousands of laps around the speedways across the country and is unlikely to happen again. Please note that the catch fence DID stop the main part of the debris from flying into the stands. The errant tire that launched itself into the stands apparently cleared the fence. I’m sure NASCAR is already looking into how much higher they would need the fence to have prevented that or other measures to prevent tires and wheels from becoming airborne missiles of destruction..
From what I have seen and read, the fans, as almost is always the case with NASCAR fans, jumped in to provide immediate assistance to the injured. Watch some of the video shot from a person in the stands right where the tire landed. Did you read about the one fan who was in the hospital and his main complaint was that he was having to miss the race? Not trying to make light of this tragic situation, but that’s what NASCAR fans are about. Did you ever stop to think that YOU are in more danger driving down the highway to the grocery store than you are sitting on the front row of the grandstands at a NASCAR race? Yep, that’s a fact.
Ok, let’s look at this from the drivers’ standpoint. I think Tony Stewart’s actions and remarks after the race show absolute class. He didn’t have time to rehearse his remarks or be tele-prompted with what to say. He spoke from his heart and said all the right things. Makes you know he appreciates the fans. What about Kyle Larson? The only interview I saw with him, he appeared to be in shock. I know, from personal experience, what it is to cause injury to a fan. That ended my budding racing career, not that I would have ever been a star, but I couldn’t bear what I had done to another human being with a racecar. After that accident, which by the way, was at Myrtle Beach Speedway, my life took a drastic turn. Took five years to get back on course and then The Good Lord opened up doors for me and I found Ann and now, 30 years later, I can look at things much differently. Even so, I will never forget that night in June, 1973, when my racecar went through the infield fence.
I’m asking that we all please allow NASCAR time to assess what happened Saturday and we can all be assured appropriate actions will be taken to do everything humanly possible to see such a thing does not happen again.
Now, let’s talk about the racing. I’m going to call it as I saw it here. If you don’t like it, jump up and say something. Many of you already have, through emails and comments on the site and on the other Social Media site I frequent. As for the Twins, or the Duels, or the Duals (with an “a”) or whatever the 150s on Thursday were called, I thought we had some good racing. Competitive and exciting. The Camping World Truck race, good racing and I was satisfied. Nationwide, but for the accident, some good competitive racing. I saw passing, pack racing, tandem racing… just about everything. I think those boys put on a great race except for that ending. The Daytona 500? Well, what do you folks think? I watched every lap that FOX allowed us to see and several times there I thought it was Thanksgiving Day and I was watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. I kept waiting for Santa Claus to come along. As for the hot air balloons, they weren’t missing, especially considering who was in the booth for the broadcast. I’ve already heard the comments about what is it going to take to please us fans. I’m not sure what it will take to please most of you but for me, I want to see some racing. I watched 43 cars start a race that almost immediately settled into a follow the leader, do not dare move out to pass, parade. Nowhere in my definition of “racing” does that come into focus. The last few laps were pretty good, but the end result was almost predictable when Jimmie got the lead with the restart coming up. Maybe if Denny Hamlin could learn to draft up on the back of someone, Brad K may have won in that battered Ford of his. I would have hated it if I had paid good money for a ticket to that race and watched a parade of cars for 490 miles with only 10 miles of racing. What the Bell and Bell boys did on the beach last week had to be FAR more exciting than what I watched on television Sunday. I was let down, tremendously, after anticipating a very exciting race in the 500. By lap 50, my hot air balloon had burst and I resigned myself to watching Thomas the Tank Engine perform as I used to do with the grandson Sam. He really loved that Thomas the Tank Engine.
Now, moving on. If you’ve never read the Harry Potter series of books, you may not know of the person “who shall not be named” as was the villain in the Potter saga referenced. Although I do not consider her a “villain” I will not name a certain driver, as my e-mails and even a couple of telephone calls have assured me that if her name is never heard again by those parties it will be too soon. After listening to D.W. go into hysterics several times Sunday, I can understand the comments I’ve heard. I was even tired of it. I understand D.W. is going to get a promotional deal with Depends for the rest of the FOX season as he wet his pants when “she who shall not be named” took the lead. I said, in last week’s Legendtorial, that she who shall not be named is good for the sport and I think that was proved Sunday. I’ve read that television ratings were up 30% from last year’s telecast. Stands looked pretty good too. She is good for the sport, she can drive a racecar, and she handles pressures very well. But I do not, and I think most of us do not, need to be reminded every 20 seconds that “she is in third”, “she is running in the top five”, “she can win this race” (comment from D.W. at least four times). I want you all to think of this. She who shall not be named finished 8th. Regan Smith was 7th, Michael McDowell was 9th and J.J. Yeley was 10th. I would bet that those three teams had less money, total, in all three cars than she who shall not be named had in hers. That’s my gripe. Those three got hardly any attention during the race or afterwards.
Now we move away from Daytona and hit the circuit. We shall see what transpires as the series moves along. I think that Brad Keselowski showed yesterday why he is the reigning champion and I would not be the least surprised to see him do it again this year. I’m sure D.W. has another opinion, but considering his constant state of swooning these days, I wouldn’t bank a lot on what he has to say. If you want to consider the overwhelming opinion of those who e-mailed, called me, and talked to me since Sunday, it may be a good idea for FOX to poll the audience to see how D.W. goes over. Between FOX and Sprint, they sure poll everything else.
I am looking forward to this season. I like the new cars and I like to think the performance of those cars on tracks other than Daytona International Parade Grounds and Talladega Super Parade Park is going to be worth watching. Oh, and as for “Racing Through History”, how many times this past week did you hear the word “historic” used in relation to the Daytona 500? That proves I’m on point!!!
-Tim
Email: legendtim83@yahoo.com
Twitter: @legendtim83
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When this Legendtorial was delivered on Racing Through History Tuesday evening, our own version of “the boys in the booth” thought it would be fun to add sound effects to the part of Tim’s segment dealing with Danica Patrick. My fondest hope is that everyone that heard it then will come read it now. It was never intended as a joke or farce, but as a serious comment on a topic of current events. Yes, I got the joke, but here is the text, as it was intended.
Tim, as you said, we do not agree on every point, but you have every right to make your points in the manner intended. I hope I managed to do that here today.
~PK
PattyKay,
Thanks for posting the Legendtorial so quickly. I apologize for the qualify of the microphone last night but I have taken care of that situation. I am now the owner of a brand new mic that seems to work really well. I Skyped my friend in Turkey today and she says it is as clear as a bell. In fact, we had a long conversation and it was amazing how clearly I could hear her.
The point I was trying to make with the “she who shall not be named” is that I’ve had too many people tell me they can’t stand to hear that name any more. Not her fault, per se, it is the fault of the over-hyped media. She was doing what she was hired to do and was doing it well. As I had said previously, she is good for NASCAR. Now this is positive proof of that statement. Ann and I were at church tonight when an 88 year old lady came up to me and said that she tuned into the Daytona 500 Sunday because she knew I was so into racing. She said she was surprised there was a woman in the race and she chose the woman to pull for. She says that she will be watching all the Sunday races she can now. I guess Danica has a fan she doesn’t even know about.
Again, thanks for all you do.
Tim
Tim, I always get the Legendtorial up as soon as possible, and this week especially. With your mic breaking up, someone screaming every time you “didn’t” mention Danica and a round of artillery fire near the end, I thought those that care deserved to know what you were saying. I am SO glad you got the mic fixed. I’ve tried for the past 3 weeks to get that idea across. It just kept getting worse and worse.
Obviously, I get those same comments, and this week, they seemed to escalate to include about anything NASCAR has to offer. I was pretty much ready to throw up my hands and walk away, but I chose to write instead. You read the result. Of course it’s not her fault! As I told one of my readers this morning, she is going quietly about the business of proving herself amid all the crap the media is piling up around her.
I heard the most ridiculous argument to date last night, from one of our own. Do remind me to tell you privately about that. It will leave you shaking your head in wonderment… and the teller was serious. I keep hearing the word “polarizing.” I keep asking the question, “Why?”
Oh, I do hope when they read these comments… and they do… that someone will pass along to Danica the tale about the 88-year old lady. How perfectly precious!
Thanks for all you do as well Tim. It is appreciated.
~PK
Thanks, PattyKay. That 88 year old lady is a true saint. I was so blown away when she told me she watched the Daytona 500. She didn’t understand a thing about the race, BUT, she did know Danica led it, ran third most of it, and finished 8th. Now that is what I call NASCAR getting the max out of something.
Tim
Tim, thanks for your thoughts here. While I enjoyed watching Danica run the kind of race that’s been hyped all along, the amount of coverage did get tiring. I’ve been here in Daytona for all of Speedweeks and I love the coverage in the Sports Section and on the front page of the newspaper that I just don’t get in my NJ hometown. The color pictures of her on the front page drew attention to the race, but there were many other racecar drivers around town who should have received a lot more attention than they did. I did enjoy the fact the history of the sport here in Daytona was highlighted all through the time leading up to the race. I was lucky to be there for the beach parade on Feb 16 and the fans loved it! I don’t think you can call the beach course a ghost track, but trust me the spirits were there with us that day.
Hope,
Thanks for taking time to read and to comment on that Legendtorial. You are right about the spirits that must have been on that beach course the day the old cars made their parade lap. I fully intend to be there next year, God willing, so I can at least witness that. I never got to actually see a race on the beach and that is one of the biggest voids in my racing history. I always brag about having actually seen the Hudson Hornets race, but I never got to see the beach race.
Thanks for your support of RacersReunion.
Tim
I’ve been lucky to have been to Talladega, in the infield, on the frontstretch / Turn 4 side, right up next to the track. The bummer is the year the wife & I went (to celebrate our 1st anniversary) was 2009, when the drivers were told no bump drafting in the corners. The drivers drove single file for seemingly hours. Not the most exciting race, but Talladega was a heck of an anniversary trip!
So this year’s Daytona 500 wasn’t the best race, but I’m sure for those who were there, it was something pretty great.
Michael,
You can bet that being there made it great even if watching it on television was not so entertaining. I remember all the years I was in the infield at Daytona (Talladega too) and just the sounds and sights were awesome. Nothing like being there in person. These days I’m sort of limited to my recliner, but I still enjoy the races. I was disappointed by the 500 because I really believed the Gen-6 car was going to give us some awesome racing. I’m sure on all the other tracks it will live up to what we expected.
Thanks for reading and for taking time to comment.
Tim
Tim, I enjoyed your article and feel you made some good points.
I think the racing we see or don’t see in most cases is because the networks and broadcasters limit what they “choose” to show us. We have gone from good announcers like Ned Jarrett, Buddy Baker, Benny Parsons and others to the Waltrips and their cronies. IMO, they are self serving, have their own agenda, will tell you who your favorites should be based on their feelings, show you bias because they prefer to talk about their favorites and they will advertise for their select companies because they think the following of themselves: I am someone who can do this because I am the greatest and know it all when it comes to racing. I will decide what and who to show fans during the broadcast and I will jump to conclusions as to who is at fault in crashes, who drives the best and who you will cheer for, and you will listen to me because I have conditioned you to believe me because I know NASCAR better than anyone. You will like who I like and I will keep shoving them down your throat until you believe me. IMO, that is the mentality of most of the announcers now and they are slowly shaping the fans to believe them always. The overall sport suffers because of them.
There is racing and passing on the track. We just don’t get to see it on tv. The media hype is what turns me off as it does a lot of other fans. It is not the drivers such as the one you choose not to name.
Thanks for letting me rant on that subject.
Vivian,
Thank YOU for ranting! That is a most excellent addition to my humble attempts to call it as I saw it. We are being fed what the networks want us to see. Remember the first year FOX had Daytona. They got in a huge fight with some of the race team sponsors because the sponsor would not buy commercial time on the 500 telecast.
Ned Jarrett and Benny Parsons were the best! Buddy wasn’t bad but you just can’t beat Ned and Benny. Ned told me once that he was so proud to be allowed to “call Dale (his son)” home on the 500 telecast but that afterwards he felt he did wrong by displaying that bit of “favortism” on a live broadcast. Obviously the Waltrips have no such values.
I will restate this one more time. I believe Danica is good for NASCAR. I do, however, get very tired of hearing the repeated comments of how talented she is. I get tired of hearing D.W. squeal that she just passed a car or just made a perfect pit stop. She is what the press has made her. She is taking advantage of that and good for her. I am The Legend only because Jeff named me such. I see the connection.
Thanks for taking time to read and to comment.
Tim
I know a Regularly Scheduled Nighttime Daytona 500 will be in progress, because that choice was won via default. But, I feel that if we the fans got better racers and racing, at least have the decency to tell us who won and not bring Erin Andrews into this circus and scream whenever we see Danica versus the Other 42 Drivers doing good.
Tony,
Thanks for reading and commenting. I think you’re right that NASCAR will be looking at a primetime Daytona 500 after the success of the Monday night race a couple years ago. They are already scheduling the Thursday Duals for night time next year.
I appreciate your support in reading and commenting.
Tim