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Busch to share experience with new teammate  Kurt Busch says that everyone needs to stop seeking new formats and appreciate the run that Jimmie Johnson and his team have put together this year. Busch is working hard to narrow the list of things he thinks the No. 48 does better as he and his team prepare for next season, including the addition of Brad Keselowski as a teammate. Keselowski projected himself onto the 2010 Sprint Cup scene in a big way via his win at Talladega last spring and was recently announced as Busch and Sam Hornish's teammate for next season at Penske Racing. I always want the program to get stronger and Brad's going to do that for us. This week the process was accelerated by three races when Penske announced Keselowski's tenure would begin this weekend at Texas, when he replaced David Stremme in the No. 12 Dodge. It's a move Busch is all for as he looks toward next year. "It's a big step as things develop for 2010," Busch said. "I always want the program to get stronger and Brad's going to do that for us. And what better way to get him seat time in our cars and a feel -- that way he's got all winter to digest it and feel the differences between the Hendrick cars that he's driven, and what we have." Busch is intense in the middle of races and has proven he's diversified through the years into a compassionate, empathetic teammate who's willing to share his depth of experience. And so it was at Talladega after the last green flag lap, when Keselowski -- driving a Phoenix Racing Chevrolet supported by Hendrick Motorsports -- attempted to come up behind his future teammate and help him advance from eighth place. Instead, Keselowski turned Busch around in front of the field and created a 13-car pileup. "It's one of those things that you're doing the best that you can, as a teammate -- I understand what he was trying to do," Busch said. "Bump drafts are tough to do properly and he's learning how to do those things." Busch is no stranger to the learning process, citing his own performance at Daytona in 2008. "I pushed a teammate to win here with the bump draft," Busch said. "There are techniques to it and he'll [Keselowski] learn. It's a big mistake that he made but it's part of the situation that we're all in." And what advice did Busch have for his new teammate after Sunday's race at Talladega? "I put my arm around him and said 'Hey, you were doing the right thing and I would have done the same thing, except I would have done this' -- and that's where the two cars have to work together a little better Busch made sure Keselowski knew the hatchet was buried, so to speak, twice over. First, he offered him a seat on his jet going down to Daytona Beach on Monday morning. "There were five of us in the plane," Busch said, smiling. "I said, 'We've got four parachutes where's yours?' " But the Talladega miscue, in which Keselowski in his post-race television interview appeared devastated by the outcome, has been an isolated incident over the past couple months. Racing hard to get back into contention for the Nationwide Series title, Keselowski has raced aggressively, made no apologies and asked no quarter. To some insiders, Keselowski seems to have alienated quite a few people in both garage areas. Busch went through a rough stretch in his Cup career and can relate, though he did indicate that if Keselowski wanted counseling he'd be there if his new teammate asked. "Since I ended up on the bad end of the deal at Talladega, I felt like I was in the easy position of stepping up and saying something to him," Busch said. "And he accepted things. It's different for me, being 31 years old, giving a veteran speech to somebody. But I did. "I remember the speeches I got from veteran drivers when I first started out and the bottom line is, he just needs to find his front bumper a little better and everything will be fine." That's one less thing Busch needs to concern himself with in the stretch run of the 2009 season. He came to Talladega in sixth in the standings, 240 points out of the Chase lead and left 312 points out after points leader Jimmie Johnson finished sixth. That was even more of a reason for him to rue the Talladega finish. His team and crew chief Pat Tryson engineered one of the best potential comebacks of the season, regaining virtually three lost laps and putting Busch in eighth with less than a lap-and-a-half to go. "It was tough," Busch said. "I was right in front of or next to Jeff Burton and Jimmie Johnson [on the penultimate lap] and they ended up fifth and sixth." That performance, combined with five finishes between fifth and 11th to start the Chase, cemented one decision Busch and his organization had been faced with -- namely what to do about Tryson, who announced Sept. 11 that he would leave the team at the end of the season to go to Michael Waltrip Racing. The replacement process was muddied last week when veteran Steve Addington, Kyle Busch's crew chief at Joe Gibbs Racing, was replaced in that role and said he was open to all possibilities, including leaving JGR. "We've interviewed good, quality people and we've got good, quality people internally that could bump up to this position, but really we haven't made the decision," Kurt Busch said. "It's smart for us to talk to Steve Addington to see what he could bring to our program, and it doesn't seem like we have to be in a rush for this deal. "We're going to finish the season strong. We're not quite in Chase contention any more, and we said when we weren't, we were going to take Pat out. But I don't think that would be smart at this point. We've come this far, we may as well just finish it off." Busch shrugged off any thought of frustration over a championship shot that never materialized due to Johnson and his team's dominance -- a situation Busch said everyone should appreciate rather than seeking new formats. "There are areas that I feel like we can improve our program," Busch said. "And that's where we need to do that. If I feel like the 48 [Johnson] is better than us in a certain, specific area, then we need to take a look at that whether it's A through Z. "They're probably better than us at 20 of the things, and we're better than them at six of the things. So if we can get that list narrowed down, then we'll be more competitive, and we'll put up a better fight next year." |
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Talladega and Chase need fixing The Chase, at least for 2009, is a complete failure for producing any season-ending drama. So where does NASCAR go from here? "I don't know. I really don't," Elliott Sadler told reporters about Talladega after the race Sunday. "I think NASCAR and all the drivers should sit in a private room, lock the doors, and have a discussion and try to fix this together." For many fans, the Talladega debacle and the snore of a Chase are not minor issues. Both are significant problems that need solutions. Or are they? Is this an overly critical assessment of both situations? Maybe it's an overreaction to Jimmie Johnson's dominance (something that deserves praise) and another typical Talladega day of destruction and danger (something drivers have experienced and griped about for years). One could argue that the best answer is to do nothing. Enjoying Johnson's historic run to a fourth consecutive title is good enough, even if the Chase playoff doesn't produce a points battle to the end. One solution being bandied about for fixing the racing at Talladega is to knock down the banking in the turns. But they may just yield worse results than fans and drivers get now. And Dega is Dega, as the saying goes, restrictor-plate racing with a strategic waiting game followed by out-of-control moments. Just leave things alone and they'll get better? Sorry, that's not good enough. It's the easy way out, the lazy response of expecting a different result from the same action or inaction. NASCAR took action at Talladega. In Sunday's case, too much action. NASCAR officials told the drivers that bump-drafting in the turns would result in a serious penalty. So the drivers obeyed, basically saying, "If that's what you want, that's what you'll get." The no-touch policy turned Cup's most exciting venue into cruise-control on the Interstate. An important race in the Chase was reduced to a show in which 90 percent of the event was virtually meaningless. "I'm as bored as [the fans] are," Denny Hamlin said when the race ended. "It could be 15 laps, and you would have a better show than it was at 188 [laps]." And bumping on the straights, which wasn't banned, was enough to produce the same horrific crashes at the end. NASCAR also reduced the opening of the plates, which slowed the cars down a little but accomplished nothing. "It was just kind of a terrible race today in general,'' David Ragan said after his 17th-place finish Sunday. "There was a lot of single-file racing. I know it's exciting at the end, but when NASCAR slows these cars down, they're too easy to drive and everyone just gets kind of crazy." Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's vice president of competition, said Sunday's race wasn't much different from most Talladega events, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Brad Keselowski gets an early jump at Penske Racing, Jimmie Johnson still doesn't feel safe, Ryan Newman is ticked about being flipped and AJ Allmendinger apologizes. Through more than two decades of restrictor-plate racing at Talladega, this endless game of minor rule changes has proved futile. But NASCAR is in a difficult position. Reducing the banking in the turns -- the logical step that could eliminate plate racing and make the races safer -- also could eliminate the excitement and drama at NASCAR's biggest track. Pack racing is dangerous, but it also is fun to watch at times, especially for the casual fans NASCAR needs to attract. Sunday's race had 58 passes for the lead among 25 drivers within the shifting parallel lines of cars. And no one wants to turn Talladega into Auto Club Speedway. Officials at ACS in Fontana, Calif., have lobbied for changes to become more like Dega. But maybe there's a happy medium, forcing the drivers to brake in the turns while retaining the ability to race closely and make passes up front. Changing the banking at Talladega would cost several million dollars when International Speedway Corp. already is spending $13 million to renovate the grandstand seating at the facility. Even if money isn't a factor, it's a big gamble. What if the changes don't work? What if it makes NASCAR's bad boy track into a boy scout? In some ways, this happened Sunday. Drivers, reporters and some fans insisted that changes take place after the April event when Carl Edwards' car flew into the catch fencing and injured some spectators. So changes came, as they always do at Dega. Higher catch fence, smaller plates and the no-bump-drafting edict. The result? Many fans, and even some drivers, complaining about how boring most of the race was, blaming NASCAR for over-regulating things. Now no one is happy, so something has to change. And a band-aid won't cure it. Twenty years of this proves that tweaking things doesn't work. NASCAR has had only five years to tweak the Chase, but a major overall might be needed there, also. Jimmie Johnson should be celebrated for being on track to win a fourth straight Sprint Cup title, and maybe even for proving the Chase needs to be overhauled. Johnson has a 184-point lead: "I am good with that," Johnson said when reporters told him of his advantage Sunday. "That is a good number." He could clinch the title in Phoenix, one week before the season ends. In the old system of total points for the year, Johnson would have moved ahead of Tony Stewart on Sunday to hold a 7-point lead with three races to go. The Chase format was designed to produce a championship battle and bring more attention to NASCAR in the fall months after the NFL season started. Some have suggested the Chasers have their own points system. The top Chase finisher each race would receive 12 points, and the worst Chase finisher would earn one point. It's no good. That plan would keep the points closer, but it also would make it harder to gain ground on the leader. Johnson still would be comfortably in front. No matter what mathematical formula you employ, Johnson would run away with it because his average finish in the Chase is 3.4. The next best is Jeff Gordon at 7.7. One plan that could help is an elimination system, in which three or four drivers go to the last race with a shot at the championship after the other Chasers were knocked out earlier in the 10-race playoff. Talladega and the Chase should be two of the biggest and best things in NASCAR. But both are broken and need some smart people with good ideas to fix them. |
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Thousands attend chamber's Custom Car Show The event drew more than 1,000 people who gazed at 144 cars and pickup trucks on display inside two buildings and outside at the entrance to the fairgrounds. The vehicles came from as far away as Vallejo, Modesto, Redding and Medford, Ore. Even a car appraiser from Ashland, Ore., set up a vendor's booth. "It turned out absolutely fabulous," said Candice Anderson, Chamber secretary and event organizer. "Some people came back on Sunday and paid the entrance fee, again." Several cars were added to Sunday's show, she said.  Anderson and her husband, Bruce, put the show together with the help of Chamber members and nonmembers. "Bruce and I have done car shows for years," Anderson said. "You won't find a nicer group of people." Chamber board member Kevin Schindler was happy with the turnout, and impressed with the show pieces. "There are some neat vehicles here. It brings back some wonderful memories," he said. "Absolutely," the Chamber will do it again. They plan to make it an annual event. The oldest car in the show was a 1911 Ford. Several others came from the 1920s and '30s, and many were from the 1940s, '50s, '60s and '70s with a few newer models as well. Scott Conklin of Vallejo brought his 1937 Cabriolet convertible. He said he saw the show advertised in a driving magazine and thought it would be fun. Besides, a friend, who built the car for Conklin, lives in Orland, so it was a chance to catch up. Steve McClung traveled from Redding in his 1971 red Chevrolet Malibu SS because friends told him about the Chamber's show and "it sounded like fun on a nice autumn day." The Baby Boomer said he bought the car last year, because "I wanted a muscle car."  Among the 700 or so spectators on Saturday, Joel Beltran was especially excited about a 1954 Chevrolet Bel-Air. "I have the same car in restoration," he said. "I rescued it from a hot-rodder." Schindler said the Chamber chose the November date for the show, because "it is the last show of the year in Northern California that we know of." The group thought it would be a nice way to round the year and raise some money for Chamber projects, he said. Fifteen students in Orland High School's Auto Club helped at the swap meet and parked cars for visitors. Plus, they took the opportunity to raise some money with a 50/50 draw. Automotive instructor Travis Moore said the money will go toward Auto Club projects and field trips such as going to a go-cart event in Sacramento. The goal, however, is to restore cars. Unfortunately, the club does not have enough money to pursue that right now. One car stood out as more than a show piece. Max Loffgren's 1955 Chevrolet Bel-Air is a rolling memorial to people missing in action and prisoners of war during the Vietnam era. The names of 3,578 men and women are painted in silver on the black car that he still races when he gets a chance. It has an 1,100 horse power engine, he boasted. On a back spoiler, signatures of former POWs add to the historic significance of the vehicle. They are collected as Loffgren goes to car shows and military events. In February, the car will make a tour starting in Miami. Loffgren, a Vietnam veteran and Willows resident, shows the car all over the country to raise awareness for the National Alliance of Families, which supports veterans' causes. He plans to donate the vehicle to the Smithsonian Institute in a couple of years, he said. Contact Lydia Harris at 934-6800 or lharris@tcnpress.com. |
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Fans able to score seats for Cup awards ceremony  DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The race is on for fans to claim tickets to attend the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas -- a NASCAR first -- and the checkered flag isn't far away for some of those opportunities. This year's awards ceremony, scheduled for Dec. 4 at the Wynn Las Vegas, marks the first time in the sport's history that fans will join drivers, team owners and industry leaders in celebrating the Cup champion. Approximately 300 tickets are available for fans. Tracks, NASCAR partners and top-12 drivers and teams are distributing them through a variety of promotions. Thus far, 14 track operators, plus several NASCAR partners and top-12 drivers are participating in the 2009 fan ticket initiative. The tracks include Daytona International Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Phoenix International Raceway, Richmond International Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Michigan International Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Kansas Speedway. Participating NASCAR partners, to date, are Coors Light, Bank of America, Kellogg's, Ford, Ask.com and the NASCAR Foundation. Participating drivers, to date, are Jimmie Johnson, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin. Several fans already have scored some of the coveted tickets, thanks to earlier contests and charitable good works: During an Oct. 21 event for Talladega Superspeedway, Busch drew the winning names of two Las Vegas-based, Talladega season-ticket-holders, then called them with the good news. During the week of Oct. 5-9, reigning and three-time Cup champion Johnson auctioned off two sets of two tickets to this year's awards ceremony as part of a San Diego fund-raising event for the Jimmie Johnson Foundation. Thanks to the Kellogg's VIP Racing Awards Experience Sweepstakes, which ended recently, two grand-prize winners are receiving three-night accommodations in Las Vegas, $1,000 spending money and two tickets to the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. Multiple ticket opportunities still exist, however. So sharpen a pencil, prime your keyboard and peruse the list below. One big plus: Track season-ticket-holders already may be entered in their track's particular contest or promotion: Bristol will give four awards ceremony tickets to a selected fan who has attended every Cup Series race at Bristol since the track's 1961 opening (open to current ticket-holders). Daytona is using two different promotions involving two sets of two tickets. Fans should visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com to register for both random drawings. Indianapolis also is using two promotions involving two sets of two tickets. One is well on its way; interested fans were to visit IMS's administrative lobby on Oct. 14 to register to win. For the second promotion, fans should visit the track's Web site, www.brickyard.com, to complete an online registration form. Note: You can't win both promotions. Infineon is hosting a sealed bid auction for two awards ceremony tickets. The auction will benefit Speedway Children's Charities. Visit www.infineonraceway.com for more information. Kansas will use four tickets as part of an enter-to-win contest. Each fan winner will receive two tickets, plus spending money, airfare and hotel. Visit www.racintoday.com for more information. Las Vegas will use four tickets for its promotion. Visit www.lvms.com for more information. Lowe's Motor Speedway will use four tickets as a Speedway Club Members auction item, with proceeds benefitting Speedway Children's Charities. Visit www.lowesmotorspeedway.com for more information. Michigan two tickets will be distributed via a drawing. Included is a trip to Las Vegas. Season-ticket-holders who renew are automatically entered in the drawing. Visit www.mispeedway.com for more information. New Hampshire promotion was a part of its ongoing "FansFirst" initiative. Anyone who purchased tickets for the Sylvania 300 on Sept. 20 was eligible to win a trip to Las Vegas -- airfare, lodging, $1,000 in spending money and two tickets to the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. Phoenix is using two fan tickets as part of a ticket-purchase promotion. Visit www.phoenixraceway.com for more information. Richmond will reward one fan with two tickets, but if you want their seats, be prepared to do a little work. Fans must submit a video describing why they should be selected as Richmond's Fan Reporter in Las Vegas, plus include their most memorable moment at the track. Visit www.rir.com for more information. Texas is using two pairs of two tickets in separate promotions. One pair will be part of a live auction with proceeds benefitting the Texas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities. Fans must register for a chance to win the other pair of tickets. Visit www.texasmotorspeedway.com for more information. Watkins Glen is using a pair of tickets to reward a longtime fan of the track. Along with tickets to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, the winner will receive a trip to Las Vegas, which includes airfare, lodging and rental car expenses. Visit www.theglen.com for more information. Along with tracks, the following drivers and teams are pitching in to help fans attend the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony: Kurt Busch will auction off two fan packages during his charity golf tournament on Dec. 1 in Las Vegas. Both packages include two tickets to the awards ceremony and a meet-and-greet with Busch. Visit www.kurtbusch.com/foundation for more information. Greg Biffle is giving away a total of four fan tickets to the awards ceremony. He'll give away two tickets during his weekly internet radio show, Straight Talk with the Biff. Fans are encouraged to call and tell Biffle why they're his biggest supporters. He'll use the other two awards ceremony tickets as part of an auction to raise funds for the Greg Biffle Foundation. Visit www.gregbiffle.com for more information on both contests. Penske -- Contest involving Las Vegas-based Ferrari dealership. Coors Light, Bank of America, the NASCAR Foundation, Ask.com and Ford all are sponsoring fan-ticket programs for the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony. Visit those entities' Web sites for more information: Coors Light (Brookshire's Food & Pharmacy) -- Two tickets awarded as part of the company's retail program around the Dickies 500 race weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. Ford "I'm Driving One" Online Sweepstakes -- One grand-prize winner (and one guest) receives a 2010 Ford Taurus, plus an Ultimate Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week Experience, including an all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas, two tickets to the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony, and special recognition during the NASCAR After the Lap presented by Tissot program. Visit www.imdrivingone.com for more information. Bank of America (NASCAR RacePoints) -- Two Champion's Week VIP packages were made available for redemption that included tickets and access to the awards ceremony. Visit http://www.nascarracepoints.com for more information on the NASCAR RacePoints program. Ask.com NASCAR Trivia Challenge -- Two tickets to the Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony to the winner of the Ask.com NASCAR Trivia Challenge The NASCAR Foundation -- Ten tickets will be auctioned as part of the Foundation's Champion's Week package fund-raiser. The auction is from Nov. 9-23 and will be hosted on NASCAR.COM. Visit www.NASCAR.COM/foundation for more information. Last April, NASCAR made the decision to move the awards ceremony to Las Vegas after holding the prestigious event in New York City for the past 27 years. After considering several options for the 2009 awards ceremony, NASCAR formed a partnership with Las Vegas Events, with Las Vegas becoming the "Official Host City of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion's Week." In coming weeks there will be additional announcements about the events planned for Champion's Week in Las Vegas and other fan event opportunities. |
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Schedule released for Champion's Week in Vegas  -DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- The site awaits, the schedule is set. All that's required is a champion. As the Sprint Cup Series season nears conclusion -- the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway just a few weeks away -- 2009 Champion's Week celebrations have taken shape. TWEET 2 VEGAS From the track straight to the stage ... as part of the 2009 Champions Week celebration in Las Vegas, NASCAR will be hosting the top 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers in a live and candid interview session at NASCAR After the Lap presented by Tissot. Fans will have the opportunity to hear their favorite drivers answer questions ranging from favorite racing moments to what the Sprint Cup Series champion plans to do post-season. Las Vegas is the host city for this year's Champion's Week festivities, which culminates on Friday, Dec. 4, with the 2009 Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, SPEED will televise the awards ceremony live from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. ET. It will re-air from 1-5 a.m. ET, on Dec. 5 and from 1-5 p.m. ET on Dec. 6. The awards ceremony is the series champion's formal celebration. "With the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony moving from New York to Las Vegas this year, there continues to be a great deal of buzz about how things are going to be different," SPEED president Hunter Nickell said. "So, when the opportunity came for SPEED to be the television home for the event, it was an easy 'yes' from us. "SPEED now opens the year with the Gatorade Duel at Daytona, carries it through the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race and NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremonies in the spring and wraps it up with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony in Las Vegas without missing a single week of coverage." The awards ceremony also can be heard on Sirius (Channel 128) and XM (Channel 128 with the "Best of Sirius") and on MRN Radio. Though the awards ceremony is the traditional focal point, a full roster of exciting events is planned for this year's Champion's Week, many with fan involvement. Wednesday, Dec. 2 Chasers for Charity Fanfest at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- This event includes a free-admission fan event, plus a charity roast of the 2009 Sprint Cup champion. For the Fanfest, gates open at 9 a.m. PT Access to the speedway's Neon Garage begins at 11 a.m. This portion of the event includes a red-carpet walk by the champion and the other 2009 Chase drivers, car displays, live music, reduced-price concessions and a raffle drawing. The Charity Roast takes place in the speedway's Blackjack Club, located in the infield media center. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. The roast includes a private reception with the Sprint Cup Series champion and Chase participants, plus reserved seats and parking. It will be shown on closed-circuit television in the Neon Garage. Due to space considerations, it's limited to the first 300 people who respond. Cost is a $250 tax-deductible donation to Speedway Children's Charities. Visit www.lvms.com for more information. Thursday, Dec. 3 Top 12 Victory Lap Parade -- All 12 Chase participants will drive a lap in their show cars on Las Vegas Boulevard, or "The Strip." The parade begins at 3:30 p.m. at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, proceeding north to Spring Mountain Road before returning to MGM. Includes a pit stop and a "burnout" at the Spring Mountain Road intersection and ends at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony at Wynn Las Vegas, from 6-9:40 p.m. -- This year's awards ceremony marks the first time in the sport's history that fans will join drivers, team owners and industry leaders in celebrating the Cup Series champion. Approximately 300 tickets are available to fans, which are being distributed by tracks, NASCAR partners, top-12 drivers and teams through various fan promotions. |
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Danica Patrick hasn't jumped to NASCAR yet, but Danicamania has arrived in full force.   With the 2009 season winding down and the IndyCar star talking with NASCAR teams about driving in the Nationwide Series for next season, the Cup garage is awash in rumor and innuendo over when and where she might finally sign. Patrick's representatives are negotiating with Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s organization over a potential ride at JR Motorsports for part of next season, but a team spokesman said this week there was nothing to report. So that leaves the waiting, the watching, and the lingering questions. Will this be sewn up in time to make an announcement two weeks from now at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the logical place to unveil a Patrick car for Speed Weeks 2010? Will talks break down due to Patrick's reportedly exorbitant salary demands? Will a driver with one career IndyCar victory be able to successfully transition into heavier stock-cars without the glue-like grip and steering-assist devices she's accustomed to in open-wheel? Heading to JRM? Rumors were circulating that Danica Patrick was going to sign with JR Motorsports. Bill Kimm and CNN's Michael Jones discuss the possible partnership of Patrick and Junior. Listen to the audio JRM talking to Danica Stewart says Danica interested "The cars are so drastically different," Jeff Gordon, who drove sprint and midget cars before breaking into NASCAR, said at Texas Motor Speedway. "Going from one type of a car to another that is that drastically different is only going to make it that much more challenging. But she's never going to know what it's like to drive one of these cars until she gets out there and does it in competition. And, you know, so again I give her credit for trying. You can only wait and see how it goes." Tony Stewart said in late August that Patrick was serious about running a partial NASCAR schedule in addition to her full slate in the IndyCar Series -- a plan identical to the one Stewart himself used to transition from open-wheel into stock cars. In the weeks since, the speculation has only intensified, with a handful of teams talking with her representatives at some level. In early October, Rick Hendrick told SI.com that Patrick's representatives at International Management Group were negotiating with JR Motorsports about a limited slate of ARCA and Nationwide events in a car sponsored by GoDaddy.com. "Obviously, I can see where her motivation is," Brian Vickers said. "IndyCars, that series has been struggling a lot, especially ever since the [1996 open-wheel] split. It's only getting worse right now. NASCAR is the predominant motorsports here in America. She's seeing that as an opportunity. I think she can bring a lot to our sport, especially if she can be successful." Can Patrick succeed in NASCAR? As far as victories go, her resume is somewhat light -- one win in 81 starts on the IndyCar circuit, at Motegi, Japan, last season. Much more accomplished open-wheel drivers, from Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti to multiple Champ Car race winner Patrick Carpentier, have come to NASCAR and experienced only moderate success. It's taken three years for Sam Hornish Jr. and Juan Montoya, both former Indy 500 champions, to find their footing in stock cars. "The biggest thing for her is going to be patience," Vickers said. "It has nothing to do with being her, she really just has [only] IndyCar experience, which is absolutely nothing to do with our cars. They're complete opposites. We have a lot of power, little to no downforce. Big, heavy cars, very different driving style and different races. Double-file restarts. We're door-to-door and three-wide, beating and banging in very close contact. Coming from open-wheel, there's a long learning experience there if they ever can adapt. Even the ones that do, I think Juan has proven to be the most successful of them recently. It still took him three years to even get to where he is now." Many drivers believe that with time, she could adapt. But she will also attempt a foray into NASCAR while still competing on the 17-race IndyCar schedule, which means leaping back and forth between two entirely different cars. What if she doesn't do well? "Then she doesn't do well," Carl Edwards said. "There are a lot of people who have come over here and not been able to do well, and I think Juan Montoya is the best example, to me, of a guy who has huge talent, who came over and had a mass of success in other things, and was able to do it. He's as good as any of us over here now, so if she doesn't do it, I don't think it would be a huge surprise." |
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