Tony George not talking to CART
September 10, 2003
Tony George denies merger talks with CART…and fires a few cheap shots across their bow…
AutoWeek.com: George denies CART/IRL merger talks
NASCAR’s hot-heads
September 10, 2003
AP writer Steve Wilstein had a piece run in the South Bend Tribune yesterday about the possibility of a “kinder, gentler” NASCAR. I agree with him that the on track offenders need to be punished (i.e. Ricky Rudd at Richmond this past weekend) as much as the people who punch, curse, and smash into or jump on people cars after the race. If you handle the root cause of the fighting, in theory the fighting should lessen, right? Maybe.
If you give race officials more power and ability to critique driver actions on the track, how do you draw the line there? What is to keep and over zealous official from calling stupid penalties and throwing unjust black flags? This happens all the time in the world of “ball sports” and it is something that NASCAR will need to learn to deal with. However, part of the appeal of NASCAR is the chaotic environment that is created by 200 mph traffic jams. NASCAR will need to learn how to preserve this type of excitement while justly policing the actions of less-than-sportsmanlike drivers.
My favorite park about the latest Harvick deal is that he had the nerve to call Kurt Busch a “punk” after his latest run-in with Jimmy Spencer…
SouthBendTribune.com: Racing’s big question: Is kinder, gentler NASCAR possible?
FayettevilleNC.com: Hotheads need to be put on ice
SportsLine.com: Feud of the Week: Harvick vs. Rudd
Alex Job Racing Unofficial GT Champs
September 9, 2003
Alex Job Racing co-drivers Lucas Luhr and Sascha Maassen are the unofficial GT driver co-champions for a second year after their American Le Mans Series GT class win this past weekend at Laguna Seca…
TheRaceSite.com: Alex Job Racing Drivers Unofficial GT Driver Champions After Latest Win
NASCAR Nextel Cup 2004 schedule released
September 9, 2003
NASCAR has released the schedule for the 2004 Nextel Cup series…
NASCAR.com: 2004 Nextel Cup Schedule
RacingOne.com: 2004 Nextel Cup Schedule Released
Where’s the beef?
September 9, 2003
Paraphrasing the old Wendy’s commercial and refering to any news on the forthcoming buyout of the series. Sounds like a deliberate ploy to scare shareholders and drive down the current stock price. Nothing makes a shareholder more nervous than a lack of information in a volatile situation.
cart-racing.com: Where’s the news?
Martin to start 500th consecutive race
September 9, 2003
This weekend at Louden Mark Martin will make his 500th consecutive Winston Cup race start. Mark is third among drivers with consecutive starts, trailing Rusty Wallace (616 this weekend) and Ricky Rudd (707 at New Hampshire)…
RoushRacing.com: Martin Set to Start 500th Consecutive Winston Cup Race at Loudon
Gray resigns CSK blue team seat
September 9, 2003
Funny Car driver Johnny Gray announced yesterday that he has resigned from his driving duties with the Worsham Racing CSK Blue Team. Johnny cited his busy schedule running his family oil business as his reason for stepping aside prior to the end of the season. Plans were originally to have Johnny finish out the season before transitioning out of the ride, but Johnny felt it best for all parties if he left early…
DelWorsham.com: JOHNNY GRAY RESIGNS AS CSK BLUE TEAM DRIVER
RacingOne.com: Gray Resigns from Team CSK
DragRaceCentral.com: Johnny Gray Resigns as CSK Blue Team Driver
Fantastic Finishes
September 9, 2003
IndyRacing.com is patting itself on the back for one of the closest 1-2-3 finishes in oval racing history this past weekend in the Delphi Indy 300. Such shameless chest pounding would be ignorable if it wasn’t so damn true.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll agree with the IRL’s PR department and say it again; the IRL is the best show on an oval these days, bar none. There are currently no other big time professional racing series out there that make me sit on the edge of my seat for the last 50 laps of just about every event. It’s not so much the great finishes that this series provides, but the consistency with which it does so.
How to save CART
September 9, 2003
Larry Manch of RacingNewsOnline.com has a very well thought out piece this month on the steps he feels must be taken if the CART series is to be saved from what currently appears to be inevitable extinction…
RacingNewsOnline.com: How To Save CART
Not yet, Fernando!
September 8, 2003
Please Fernando, don’t loose your budding credibility as a top F1 shoe by entering the tire fray. Stay above it until you’ve won at least two races, then you will be a certified expert on everything. Just ask Eddie Irvine, the man who won less and talked more than any driver in F1 history.
uk.sports.yahoo.com: Alonso slams Ferrari as bad loosers