Forum Activity for @bobby-williamson

A "rustyracer" Feel Good Story

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A neighborhood kid has been following me around the vintage racing scene for several years, now. He began driving my race car, last year, in the novice division, when he finally got to be 14.... A few years ago, BB heard the story of my apprentice.........and promptly delivered (all the way from Denton to Shallotte) an old, rolling, go-kart frame, a gift for my young helper. That's BB, heart of gold!

Childress Punches Kyle Busch?

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Back in the day, for such an 'intolerable example of owner-behavior', soccer-mom wannabee, Helton, would have had to restrict and punish Mrs. Elizabeth Petty!! LOL

Contingency Sponsors

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It seems there's less contingency decals on the front fenders of current Sprint Cup cars. Couldn't help but notice Regan Smith, with all the recent Darlington victory lane footage, his car's front fenders were essentially void of stickers. Don't the logos have to be displayed in order to receive contingency funding? So, are 'Cup racers declining to participate with the contingency sponsor program (an unlikely scenario) ,or are there just fewer of them?
updated by @bobby-williamson: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

Editorial Cartoonists Weigh In

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Exactly, Dave. Nobody questions the talent of Kyle Busch, he's already had a fantastic career, and his future is even brighter...if he don't derail his own destiny. He really needs a mentor, and to fully understand that NASCAR has been in business for over 60 years, most of them without Kyle Busch. It may be hard tmes, but he needs them a lot more than the other way around.

Editorial Cartoonists Weigh In

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So, selling tickets and "being one of the most talented and competitive drivers on the NASCAR tracks........." absolves everything? And where, or what, other sanctioning body would he GO TO? Hmm? UARA STARS or the PASS Series or ARCA or Indy Cars? Nada. Zilch. ZERO. Not a snowball's chance of that happening. Although he admitted to "getting a little carried away........" KB was counting on his elevated status. He did not "mistakingly" drive three times the speed limit, and the fact he's a race car driver has nothing to do with anything. This case is scheduled for the NC court system in July, and we'll see if they cave in too....to prevent the proliferation of empty seat syndrome.

Editorial Cartoonists Weigh In

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If NASCAR fines drivers for "Tweeting" negatively.......just seems a disconnect to brush a 128 in a 45 mph zone under the rug.

Editorial Cartoonists Weigh In

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The artist's depiction of Kyle is off, but the logo's are dead-on. Although "he can drive....", Kyle Busch is a loose cannon, and that's one of the reasons he's no longer at Hendrick. This incident is eerily similar to that of Rob Moroso, only the ending is different. It is, what it is, but NASCAR's stance is the most curios of all. For all of their total dependence on corporate America, and the constant effort to homogenize stock car racing into the American psyche, the lack of a stern NASCAR-response is puzzling.

It's only 1.5 Million

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I agree, Dave, Richard Howard was a dear friend to CMS, AIR, and stock car racing in general. You're right, he's another huge player that has fallen through the cracks.

It's only 1.5 Million

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According to the Charlotte Observer, Speedway Motorsports reported a loss of 1.5 million dollars for the first quarter of 2011. I guess that don't amount to much, after alll,Ol' Dr. Einstein maintains everything is relative. But, still, 1.5 million more dollars left the coffers than entered. According to the late Senator Everette Dirckson: "a million here and a million there..... pretty soon you talking real money........."

Not counting Exxon, negative financial numbers a'int exactly news, anymore, and every business except the federal government and their Wall Street pals, must eventually stop the slide. BUT, Speedway Motorsports is Bruton Smith, and all that Humpy Wheeler started, and they're razzle-dazzlers. What's more, SMI execs predict more of the same, blaming the weak economy and "soaring gas prices".

What to make of all this? What happens if auto racing's atrocious financial reality finallymakes its presence felt? Back in the stone-age, Richard Petty always maintained it cost $2.00 for every $1.00 he won. Who made up the slack? Balanced the budget? Stopped the slide? Well, (surprise) it was somebody else's (Joe Sponsor) money. Joe Sponsor, (not too mention his customers) now-a-days, is on the ropes.

Could auto racing actually operate as a business? Nobody really knows, cause they've never tried it. But, if the slide continues, some real-serious sipherin' is gonna happen. Might take Jethro Bodine to figure it out.

updated by @bobby-williamson: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

"Racing Through History", May 3: Harold Brasington, III

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BB, great idea...world famous minnows!

Harold Brasington, unquestionably, is one of the iconic figures of stock car racing that has been lost in the shuffle. However, his vision created our sport. True, stock car racing was notnecessarily unique to the South, but high-banked, paved mega tracks was...paving the way for Detroit and all that have followed. The timing of the early 1950's was absolutely perfect, and Big Bill France was quick to recognize the ultra significance of Darlington Raceway and the future it represented.