Forum Activity for @andy-denardi

First Race on Radial Tires---you remember it??

Stock Car Racing History

Goodyear had obvious reasons to move to radial tires but I've always thought that radials contributed to the loss of racing as I knew it. Even with the notorious Hendrick rear end linkage, I don't see cars hanging the back end out the way that they used to. Maybe it's just the angles that the TV networks are using. If you look at the old films on YouTube, it looks like those guys are showing some real talent getting the car through the corner. These days you hardly ever see a driver lose the back end all by himself.

Mike Harmon Arrested; Charged in Theft of Jennifer Jo Cobb's Hauler

Current NASCAR

From what I've read, both parties are guilty in this melodrama. The sad part is that it has to be played out on a national stage. In trying to defend their innocence each of them comes off looking worse. Whether business or marriage, breaking up is hard to do and the worst comes out in both sides.

Mike Harmon Arrested; Charged in Theft of Jennifer Jo Cobb's Hauler

Current NASCAR

I remember reading about the Daytona incident. This is likely one of those deals where you can make a case for both sides.

Dick Trickle commits suicide

Stock Car Racing History

Trickle's death is getting a lot of press and I don't understand why. It can't just be that he was an excellent short track racer. Should we expect the same when Dave Marcis dies? Kenny Schrader? Kenny Wallace? I don't expect to see this many stories when Cale Yarborough passes.

Dick Trickle commits suicide

Stock Car Racing History

It's a shame that there isn't a more humane way to go when you've made that decision.

Is Jeff Gordon Fer it? Agin it? or Whichever Way the Money $$$ Blows?

General

It's so stupid. Do they think we don't notice that he's not really drinking the soda? For a time Coca-Cola used opaque bottles in Victory Lane. I always figured that they were filled with water. Beer cans too, although Keselowski definitely had the real stuff.

The driver dance has become so routine and lacking in sincerity that I doubt it does anyone any good. I think there would be more respect for the sport if they cut back on the constant advertising by drivers and broadcast crew. There are logos all over the cars and uniforms, we've received the message long ago.

When the wife wants to paint the living room, do you really think that some guy can steer her to a different color because Sherwin-Williams (official sponsor of NASCAR) doesn't make that shade?

Is Jeff Gordon Fer it? Agin it? or Whichever Way the Money $$$ Blows?

General

I know that a lot of fans support the sponsors on their favorite driver's cars (or claim to). But things like this are the reason that I've never jumped on that bandwagon. I remember Bobby Allison coming up North to road race Porsches with EZ-Wider rolling paper as the sponsor. He probably wouldn't have dared to run that scheme in NASCAR even if Bill France allowed it. I always chuckle when the sport that was founded on moonshine tries to restrict hard liquor sponsorship. Or when they ban smoking at Charlotte Motor Speedway, in a state that survived on tobacco money, in a sport that based the majority of their success on tobacco money.

Many of the anti-smoking brigade are self-righteous and self-involved. There aren't enough smokers left to make the campaign worthwhile, and those folks are going to get antsy for another target. Anybody who's more than ten pounds overweight should take a look over their shoulder once in a while. It started with super-size soft drinks, but it won't stop there. Then there are the environmental people who are up in arms over the amount of corn, water and land it takes to raise a pound of beef; they want their place in the spotlight too.

Danica? What say you?

Current NASCAR

Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports

CHARLOTTE It will be decades before she likely will be eligible or perhaps even worthy of induction, but Danica Patrick is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

The Charlotte shrine to stock car history added a display saluting her as the first woman in the 65-year history of NASCAR's premier series to qualify first for a Sprint Cup race.

Patrick donated the trophy from her Daytona 500 pole position along with a few hats from the victory lane celebration after being asked for some mementos by Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley.

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There's no mention in the article, but let's hope that some of the other women who came before her will get a footnote. I think they could have waited until she'd won a race.

I'm anxiously anticipating exhibit for Boris Said's victory in the truck series. Then we have Ron Bouchard and Jody Ridley, one for the 1st Canadian in NASCAR, the 1st non-North American competitor, the 1st redhead...

Danica? What say you?

Current NASCAR

I presume that they're using every other pit stall so they think that they have a buffer to offer some protection. I guess they don't want the outcome to be affected by a pit road speeding penalty. I think the whole all-star race thing is ridiculous anyway, especially when half the field is eligible. The all-stars race each other every weekend.

I'm in favor of limiting pit road speeds but I wish that they had a different way to control them. I think open wheel racers have a rev-limiter button or send a signal to a black box common to all cars. NASCAR's method of watching the tach and trying to game the scoring loops is ineffective. I believe that like debris cautions, it's a gimmick they use to make the "race" more random.

Danica? What say you?

Current NASCAR

With Junior already in the race and not in play for the fan vote, I think Danica is so far ahead that it's a foregone conclusion who the winner would be. NASCAR has been seeding the clouds for the All-Star race since Daytona. I've read numerous articles about the potential battle between Junebug and Princess Sparklepony for this year's title of "most popular driver".I'd read yesterday's statement that the fan-vote winner had to be on the lead lap and I thought it was a good one. I was curious if the winner would default to 2nd place in votes if they were on the leap lap and the vote winner was not. I agree that the rule was changed for Danica's benefit. Seeing the poor performance of the SHR cars this year, including Talladega, I'm thinking she got a special pink restrictor plate for Daytona qualifying.Have you noticed that the Go Daddy Indycar has won two of four races this year?And none were fuel mileage races? He didn't win any in his first year in the car but he's showing that it wasn't the car that was holding Danica back. He's very popular and I think he's beginning to cast a shadow at Go Daddy headquarters.The best thing Danica could do is to run the Indy 500 next year. She doesn't even need to do the double. She's very good on that track and could push her stock back up a few points. If she doesn't produce some kind of results by the end of next year then her career is over. Nobody was pulling harder for her than me when she almost won Indy on her first time out. I wanted to see her win Daytona this year to shut up all of the haters. But she just isn't worthy of the hype.She's good enough to hit the top ten regularly and she's excellent at getting a car to the end of the race, but she's not a racer. She doesn't have that extra element to take chances and push a car to the front. She can't get a good finish out of a bad car.Brian France and Darryl Waltrip are going to be very disappointed in their little girl. I hope they don't pack up the media circus and move it to Johanna Long's transporter instead. Nobody deserves the constant attention that's been focused on Danica. Have you noticed how well Junior has been running since the spotlight shifted away?