Forum Activity for @dave-fulton

Today's IndyCar Meeting with Drivers

General

IndyCar bosses meet with drivers group

October 24, 2011, 3:51 PM

By John Oreovicz
ESPN.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- A group of about 20 IndyCar drivers met Monday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with series management to discuss safety initiatives in the wake of Dan Wheldon's fatal accident.


The three-hour meeting was termed "preliminary" but "constructive" by several IndyCar veterans.


"We all got to talk a lot and listen a lot and look at how we can improve things going forward in all areas," said four-time IndyCar Series champion Dario Franchitti. "I think it was a very positive and productive meeting and that's the first step. We all want to improve things. It was a massive shock what happened to Dan last week. But we saw in MotoGP yesterday (where rider Marco Simoncelli was killed during the Malaysian Grand Prix) that racing is a dangerous business.


"How we react to this is critical and I'm very encouraged by what I saw today," Franchitti added. "There's still a lot of heavy hearts -- massively -- but everyone is very positive about the outlook. This is the first step and we'll move forward with it."



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John Oreovicz/ESPN.com
Tony Kanaan, left, and Dario Franchitti speak to the media Monday after a three-hour meeting to discuss driver safety in Indianapolis.
Along with Tony Kanaan and Justin Wilson, Franchitti has served as an unofficial leader for the drivers over the past year or so. Kanaan also emerged from Monday's meeting with the belief that IndyCar is taking the drivers' safety concerns seriously.


Kanaan pointed out that IndyCar racing has historically been the source of many safety advancements, including the padded SAFER barrier that has been almost universally adopted by oval tracks.


"Everybody had a very positive attitude (at the meeting)," Kanaan said. "We have a new opportunity with a new car next year and everyone was trying to get on the same page and brainstorm for the future.


"We need to work with IndyCar to make the racing a little bit less dangerous. Racing has always been dangerous and that's how it always will be. What impresses me the most is that everyone is very unified and on the same page. We're not going to make motor racing 100 percent safe. That's a fact. But we can live with that fact as long as we can make it better."


Davey Hamilton, who returned to part-time competition after suffering severe leg injuries in a 2001 IndyCar race at Texas Motor Speedway, is encouraged by the reaction to the Wheldon tragedy.


"Dario, Tony and Justin Wilson have taken the lead in unifying us and we're in a great group," Hamilton observed. "We've been exchanging calls and emails in a very positive way. We're doing it for the wellness of our sport.


"The car we've been running has been safe, but Dallara is putting in extra work to make the new car even safer," he continued. "We have to take that to the next step and be the leader, on the cutting edge of safety. I think the IndyCar Series is up to that."


Graham Rahal said he believes that Wheldon's death has served as a wake-up call that will encourage IndyCar officials to work more closely with the drivers to ensure the safety of competitors and fans.


"It's sad to say that even up until this point, the things the drivers have said ... it's almost as if we don't matter," Rahal said. "Now that I think we have a little bit more power, I hope that as a driver's association we can stand up and make the changes that we all believe in. Everybody wants the same changes and hopefully we can make it happen. Now is the time to say the things that need to be said."


"As long as racing has been around, it has been a reactionary sport," Rahal added. "They react to the incidents, and we can't do that anymore. We've got to be ahead of the curve. Things have come a long way and I think they are going to continue to come a long way. We can make changes to make the racing better, safer and more exciting for the drivers, and more exciting for the fans. We lost a very good friend and that's not acceptable."


Franchitti defended IndyCar CEO Randy Bernard, who has received strong criticism from the mainstream press since Wheldon's death. Bernard has remained virtually silent in the last week until making an appearance at the public memorial held for Wheldon Sunday in Indianapolis.


"It's completely wrong to criticize Randy and finger-pointing isn't going to do anyone here any good at all," Franchitti said. "What's very clear to me is that we are all unified going forward -- the drivers and the IndyCar Series.


"Obviously knee-jerk reactions are not the thing we need," he added. "That's something everybody is very cognizant of. It's a difficult situation for everybody. We all still have Dan on our minds and we're going to do everything we can to make this sport as safe as possible."


Franchitti's mentor, three-time Formula One world champion Jackie Stewart, was vilified for being a safety advocate during his driving career in the 1960s and '70s. Dario said that he has reached out to Stewart in the wake of Wheldon's death and will continue to seek advice from his fellow Scotsman.


"There's a responsibility for all the drivers and that was very clear long before Dan's accident," Franchitti said. "We're very cognizant of that. The difference we have now that maybe Jackie didn't have is that the promoters and the sport in general were not supporting him.


"As drivers, we have the support of each other, the support of the IndyCar Series and the fans and everybody."


Franchitti and Kanaan are both scheduled to participate in manufacturer tests of the 2012 Dallara Indy car next week at Sebring International Raceway. But there will be an increased emphasis on safety during the development phase of the new car prior to the IndyCar Series season opener on March 25 at St. Petersburg, Fla.


"We used to relax in the offseason, but now we have a new car and we have a lot of work to do," Kanaan said. "We're going to be testing a lot more than we used to and speaking about safety and things we need to change. I think we're actually going to be a lot busier now than we were during the season.


"We're not going to fix everything at once, or even next year," Kanaan added. "This is a starting point for a long process. But everyone has a positive attitude about making the effort to make it better."

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

Talladega & Daytona "Secret"

General

This is not about race cars, but rather a "secret" way that International Speedway Corporation, and by extension, NASCAR, "hooked up" with local law enforcement in Talladega and Daytona. I was remindedof it the other day when I saw a motorcycle officer on tv at Talladegafor a moment. It's something the common fan wouldn't know, but the sponsors who spent a lot of money (like I used to do back in day) were very dialed in. Why did the motorcycle officer at Talladega trigger a memory? Well, the fact is (unless there's been a big change) the Talladega event was staffed by local Sheriff's deputies and Alabama State Troopers. I used to take about 12 dozen Wrangler/Dale Earnhardt hats over to their command compound near the little airport when I'd first arrive on-site. Trust me, that little trip every race bearing gifts stood me in good stead. Even though you saw motorcycle officers all around the Talladega premises, fact is the local Sheriff's department had no motorcycles. So, where did the motorcycle guys come from? They were all Daytona Beach, Florida motorcycle officers on the payroll of the City of Daytona who worked the Daytona races AND the Talladega races. Every Talladega race weekend, a big trailer full of Harley-Davidson motorcycles arrived at the Talladega command center directly from the Daytona Beach police department. The motorcycles were all re-decalled with Talladega Sheriff's Dept. insignia and the Daytona Beach motorcycle officers were re-attired in Talladega Deputy Sheriff outfits and sworn in as Talladega deputies. I knew several of these officers very well, because I paid each of them several hundred dollars "under the table" at both Daytona and Talladega. If I had a busload of V.I.P. guests staying in an Orlando, Floridahotel or an airplane full of 7-Eleven executives landing just before the Daytona 500, one or more motorcycle officers would be dispatched for me to lead a "convoy" around traffic, through grass medians and directly to the track. I've actually had buses get from Orlando, down I-95. onto International Speedway Boulevard, through the Daytona Main gate and directly onto pit road during pre-race, led all the way by two Daytona Beach motorcycle officers stopping traffic and escorting the bus. You always tried to ask for the same officers. When we got to Talladega, they'd call you by name. In Talladega, the Sheriff's car also helped. I always had one Talladega Sheriff's deputy "guarding" my V.I.P. suite door down at turn 1. When Earnhardt won, he'd get us from the V.I.P. suite in the patrol car with motorcycles leading the way all the way to victory lane in the infield. When the race at Talladega was over, they'd get us on "closed" roads and quickly to the airport. It is absolutely amazing what spending a little money and being nice could accomplish. Those motorcycle cops were tough, but nice, and they loved Dale. Now you know what wasgoing on when you saw those cycles stoppingyou. It was just me trying to get home. Another little look at the "inner" workings of a race weekend.
updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

Duck Feathers, Spilled Candy, Team Orders, Drop to the Back = Worst Race I've Seen

General

Don't make it toooooo nice!

Duck Feathers, Spilled Candy, Team Orders, Drop to the Back = Worst Race I've Seen

General

Talladega took the cake. I am happy for Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. After 48 years of watching races however, I can say I saw the worst race I've ever seen Sunday. Worse than California Speedway, Kansas, Texas or Kentucky. Quite frankly, it was sooooooooo bad, I spent more time watching the Carolina Panthers beat the Washington Redskins. I've been to Talladega many times and watched many more. That crap yesterday wasn't racing. I never thought I'd see the day in NASCAR when drivers fought to fall to the back to make a finalten-lap charge. Trevor Bayne should have told Ford to stick it and stuck with Jeff Gordon. Maybe Hendrick has an extra ride... who knows. Can you imagine saving all year and taking your family to Talladega? If I had, it would have been my last trip. Hell, if all those teams and drivers want to start from the back, NASCAR should just do away with qualifying and do what the successful short tracks did for years. Run two heat races to determine starting spots, with heat race starting positions based on the money/points system. Then the pretty boys could start in the rear. Qualifying sucks and is boring anyhow.

Close your eyes a minute and try to picture these 3 scenarios:

1) Neil Bonnett pulls out of line at Talladega and drops to the rear. He is looking for teammateDarrell Waltrip so he can pull him back to the front.

2) Buddy Baker pulls out of line at Talladega and drops to the rear. He is looking for teammate Richard Petty so he can pull him back to the front.

3) Dale Earnhardt pulls out of line at Talladega and drops to the rear. He is looking for teammate Mike Skinner so he can pull him to the front.

You don't remember those incidents, because they never happened and never would have happened.

I respect Richard Childress' take on the race as reported in the Charlotte paper,

One thing Childress was adamant his teams would not do was ride around in the back of the pack waiting until late in the race to make a run to the front.

Several championship contenders including Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Earnhardt and Gordon spent time running in the back of the pack.

These fans pay a lot of money. I hate it for Kevin, but he was doing what he was supposed to be doing. All of our RCR cars race to give these fans a show, Childress said.

We didnt sit in the back and ride until the last minute. Our cars ran all day long. We dont get paid to ride in the back.


We started calling drivers who went over from Cup and won in Busch Series, "Buschwhackers." Well all those guys like Jimmie Johnson and Carl Edwards are what I'm now calling "Backpackers." Thank you Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton for Racing yesterday and Richard Childress for telling your teams to race. For Hendrick, Gibbs and Roush... get a life.

updated by @dave-fulton: 12/05/16 04:02:07PM

October 24, 1976 - RP sweeps The Rock

Stock Car Racing History

I was there, too, that day in the Rockingham pits as a guest with buddy Frank, who at that time was Sports Editor for the Siler City, NC paper and teaching Journalism at the University of North Carolina in nearby Chapel Hill. I was pulling as usual for any Chevy I could find and one of our local Richmond weekly track Southside Speedway heroes didn't disappoint.

Car owner Ronnie Elder had picked up some sponsorship from the Petersburg, Virginia Pepsi bottler and his driver, Lennie Pond brought the independent Pepsi #54 ride home second to Richard that day at Rockingham.

It was hard not to cheer as a credentialed guest of a working journalist on pit road as our local boy Lennie led 113 laps.

As the news article read, NASCAR was unable to explain how Richard finished ahead of Lennie without passing him on the track and made three green flag pit stops totaling 125 seconds while Lennie was in the pits under green just 54 seconds. "The Lord moves in mysterious ways his wonders to perform!"

2nd place Rockingham finisher Lennie Pond in Pepsi Monte Carlo high, winner Richard Petty low in photo posted by Bernie427 at Randy Ayers Modeling site. Track unknown.

2 car push racing

General

I guess we've all got an opinion - some quite different from others.

2 car push racing

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I will say this, in my humble opinion, the racing on the original lower banked Bristol and Rockingham tracks was much superior to what takes place at those venues today. I have 8mm color film footage I took at Rockingham in March 1966 of Cale Yarborough in the red #27Banjo Matthews Ford and Jim Paschal in the maroon #14 Friedken Enterprises Plymouth running side-by-side for the lead lap after lap after lap after lap. That never happened at Rockingham after the banking was increased. Ditto the racing at Bristol. They upped the banking and turned it into a crash fest.

2 car push racing

General

I have been a longtime fan of Jeff Burton and here's his take on two-car tandems, which I will continue to oppose.

Jeff Burton says keep the two-car tandem at Talladega
Published: Monday, October 24, 2011, 10:40 AM
By Doug Demmons - The Birmingham News al.com

TALLADEGA, Alabama -- Count Jeff Burton as a big advocate of two-car tandem racing at Talladega.

The driver known as the Mayor of the Garage for his thoughtful views said he thinks tandem racing is safer than the old days of big drafting packs and the Big One.

"I personally think that there is an advantage to the tandem thing," Burton said. "There's some disadvantages to it. The one thing it does do is it does separate the field a little bit."

He said tandem racing creates wrecks but "there's less cars wrecked because of the tandem thing versus not having it."

"To me this accomplishes a little bit of spreading the pack out without making the racing boring," he said. "Because of that I think they ought to keep it the way it is and not hamper our ability to tandem draft because it doesn't hurt the quality of racing."

2 car push racing

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Slow 'em down 30 mph or so, but with V-8 power. If you ever went to a Busch Series race during the "6 Cylinder Experiment," that was the most irritating sound I have ever heard at a racetrack.

2 car push racing

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Turn the clock back 45 years to 1966 and we have Richard Petty winning his second Daytona 500with the "downsized" 405 cubic inch hemi under his hood. He won his first in 1964 with a 426 cubic inch hemi that was reduced to 405 after the 1965 Chrysler boycott.