The Things We Did for Earnhardt & Childress to Keep Them Going
Stock Car Racing History
I love playing this role:
Forum Activity for @tmc-chase
Stock Car Racing History
The Things We Did for Earnhardt & Childress to Keep Them Going
Stock Car Racing History
Did you check the book?
Monte Dutton's new blog
Current NASCAR
While I haven't talked to Monte specifically about his layoff, I can read between the lines. More than once, he explained their business model. The Gazette is simply not that big. On their own, they couldn't afford Monte's salary, benefits, and travel expenses. But they syndicated his content to a few hundred other papers. As THOSE papers have gone belly up or cut costs to the bone, I'm sure they cut out purchased content. As the syndication revenue shrunk, the cost to be absorbed by the Gazette would go up significantly. In the end, it just wasn't a good biz situation for the paper. And poof like that, out went Monte.
Monte Dutton's new blog
Current NASCAR
Try www.montedutton.com . Thought almost all sites were such that the www was no longer necessary. Apparently not.
Monte Dutton's new blog
Current NASCAR
For those who don't know, syndicated NASCAR writer Monte Dutton's position was eliminated by the Gaston Gazette earlier this month. Just a sign of the times perhaps as the newspaper business continues to shrink into an increasingly irrelevant oligopoly.
He is working on moving forward with new perspectives. From what I can tell, he plans to continue covering NASCAR to some level. He recently set up a blog where he'll post columns from time to time. They can be read at montedutton.com .
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM
More info about NASCAR's new track drying system
Current NASCAR
Well, the book DOES say its for dummies...
It ain't exactly Bill Shakespeare. hahahahaha
The really sad part is its the SECOND edition. A double FAIL.
More info about NASCAR's new track drying system
Current NASCAR
" Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals."?? You mean ... like this procedure manual?
More info about NASCAR's new track drying system
Current NASCAR
Restoration personnel?? What is this - racing's version of This Old House?
More info about NASCAR's new track drying system
Current NASCAR
Z-man teased about this on Eli Gold's NASCAR Live radio show a few weeks ago. Sounds like NASCAR is now more certainty about its readiness. But one quip caught my eye:
"Unlike jet dryers, which were owned by individual tracks, he said the governing body has a patent on the new machine that gives it proprietary rights."
Hmm, proprietary. OK, for the SYSTEM. But can they mandate its use at tracks (ahem, um, Bruton's tracks ?) as part of the races' sanctioning fees/agreements? Something tells me Bruton has his engineers hard at work designing something comparable yet with enough difference so as not to infringe on NASCAR's patent. No way will be want to pay for a system out of SMI's bank account to NASCAR's/ISC's coffers.
http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/8872139/nascar-new-compressed-air-machines-dry-tracks-faster
New dryers to be unveiled atDaytona
Updated: January 23, 2013, 11:09 AM ET
By David Newton | ESPN.com CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR will unveil next month at Daytona International Speedway a new piece of equipment that could revolutionize track drying.
Twenty-four machines will be ready for Speedweeks events leading up to the Feb. 24 Daytona 500, executive Steve O'Donnell said.
The equipment will rely on compressed air moving water off the track in a squeegee effect as opposed to traditional jet dryers that blow hot air onto the track.
It also will include vacuums that will work in conjunction with the compressed air that would help dry a 2.5-mile track such as DIS in about 30 minutes -- 20 percent of the current time.
DIS typically takes about 2.5 hours to dry. Last year's Daytona 500 was delayed until Monday night because of rain.
"There's a few faces out here that will remember when we used to dry tracks off with just a fleet of vehicles going around the racetrack, or dragging tires behind pickup trucks,'' NASCAR president Mike Helton said. "And then someone came along with the jet dryer that expedited it quite a bit and served its purpose for a long period of time.
"But in today's world with the expectations of getting the show done and getting it on, there was a high priority placed by [chairman] Brian [France] and the rest of us to come up with a way that we could expedite that. The R & D Center responded to that and come up with ideas, and this one seems to have quite a bit of validity to it.''
O'Donnell said the new device does not have a name yet. Unlike jet dryers, which were owned by individual tracks, he said the governing body has a patent on the new machine that gives it proprietary rights.
O'Donnell said the equipment isn't quite to the level of efficiency that France asked for.
Because of that, jet dryers also will be used at Daytona and perhaps ensuing races to help with the drying process.
O'Donnell said the equipment could revolutionize the drying procedure for other venues in sports.
updated by @tmc-chase: 12/05/16 04:04:08PM