Richmond race fallout, virtually meaningless

Michael Waltrip Racing
received harsh penalties

After all the dust has settled, the learning curve is over and it is now time to assess the damage. Long before I was a Ryan Newman fan, I have been devoted to fairness, truth, honesty, and justice.

For me, while I'm happy Ryan is in the chase, all is not good in the world of NASCAR, never a paragon of virtue.

After what transpired Saturday night at Richmond, with the obvious attempt to manipulate the race results in its favor, Michael Waltrip got what amounts to a slap on the wrist. It may be the biggest penalties NASCAR ever handed out, but it isn't enough. Damage remains. Questions are still unanswered. Justice has not prevailed.

What I believe NASCAR really did, with the aid of MWR, was analyze the best way to justify what happened and to repair the damage the quickest, not necessarily the best or fairest way possible. What resulted was flawed because NASCAR's motives are flawed; its methods are flawed. NASCAR brass did not seek justice or fairness; they simply set out to make a positive statement to the myriad fans that were horrified by the actions on the track Saturday. NASCAR had no choice but to do something. So they did.

While it appears the right thing was done by Ryan Newman, NASCAR didn't do it because it was the right thing to do; they did it because it was the most logical thing to do to made them look good.

Ask angry Jeff Gordon fans if justice was served. They continue petitioning in an effort to have Clint Bowyer removed from the Chase in order for Gordon to compete for the championship. Gordon has lots of fans and none of them are happy to see their driver ripped off the way he was.

Gordon was a victim. He was 10th in points until his position was manipulated when Brian Vickers was called into pit, allowing Joey Logano to assume 10th place. In car audio revealed Ty Norris directing Vickers to pit because one more point was needed--the point that would give Logano a chase position leaving the opening for Truex in the wildcard spot.

I feel bad for Martin Truex, Jr., who thought he raced his way into the Chase, not knowing that he was being manipulated by unfair circumstances. It is ironic that he was supposed to be the benefactor, but ended up being the fall guy for the company he works for. And I don't think he even knew at the time.

The result of the penalties assessed by NASCAR are basically meaningless. 

Points only matter to drivers trying to earn a place in the chase. With the chase field set, points are of no consequence. Without a place in the chase, Truex and Vickers are basically unaffected by a points penalty. In Bowyer's case, he lost nothing, beyond his reputation. He's in the chase and with the points reset, the result, his position too, is unaffected. With millions of dollars on the line, let's face it, a monetary penalty to Michael Waltrip Racing--$300,000--is chump change. It may be the largest penalty NASCAR has ever leveled, but that must be put into perspective. That is about the amount of one driver earns in one race or for one endorsement.

The bottom line is that nothing will change because of this action, except that Newman will be guaranteed the spot he earned by doing his job well Saturday night. NASCAR did make that right.

NASCAR held a news conference yesterday to make its reactions to this situation known to the media, but it was not broadcast live to the public. That tells me there is still a problem. NASCAR isn't unlike a political campaign that wants to control the message. In this day and age, that is just not possible, but they haven't figured that out yet.

There was no mention by NASCAR about Carl Edwards, in second place, beating Paul Menard, the leader, to the line on the final restart allowing him to win the race. That is illegal by NASCAR's own definition, and fines have been leveled for it. It was explained away this time. NASCAR continues making rules and then haphazardly enforcing them.

Did NASCAR's action deter future cheating? I don't think so. All they did was show that if you cheat, just don't get caught, or watch what you say on the radio so you don't put us in this position again. That was evident in the fact that Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers, who allegedly followed team orders to change the outcome of the race, were not fined or parked. It was evident in the fact that Clint Bowyer refused to admit that he spun out on purpose. Nothing has changed for Michael Watrip or for NASCAR, evident in Waltrip's twitter comments that claim Ty Norris made a split-second call. Norris was suspended indefinitely. That translates into Norris simply being the MWR scapegoat.

I suspect the flaws in this over-regulated, highly-manipulated sport will continue with business as usual.

Richmond race controversy, problems, solutions

It is almost 36 hours after the race at Richmond--the final race in the regular 2013 season--when Clint Bowyer spun out and changed the dynamic of the race, the season, and the potential championship.

Twitter is still abuzz with tweets moving faster than cars drive on the race track. NASCAR fans who are furious that the Chase for the Championship has seemingly been tainted.

When I wrote about this yesterday, in Ryan Newman gets screwed again, I was unaware of Jeff Gordon's situation. He too was ripped off by seemingly unsavory action on the track by the Michael Waltrip Racing, (MWR) teammates--Clint Bowyer, #15; Brian Vickers, #55; and Martin Truex, Jr., #56. Personally, I don't think Truex did anything wrong, while the other two seemingly followed team orders.

To Jeff Gordon's credit, he tweeted yesterday, "Was feeling pretty bad about missing the #Chase but after seeing all the details coming out now I feel even worse for @RyanNewman39."
When I wrote about this yesterday, I had only seen the conversation and video replay where Bowyer seemingly jerked the wheel and manipulated the throttle to cause a spin just after he was briefed by his crew chief about Newman leading the race.

Clint Bowyer audio:

With nine laps to go

Spotter Brett Griffin: "#39 is going to win the race. … Well, that kinda sucks. Nine more right here."

Crew chief Brian Pattie: "Is your arm starting to hurt? I bet it's hot in there. Itch it."

Clint Bowyer: "Oh yeah."

Griffin: "Right with you, 88. Right with you, right with you, right with you."
Pattie: "I think that tire was going down the whole time, man."


Here is the video:

Brian Vickers audio:

With four laps to go

Crew: "We're probably going to pit here on green."

Vickers: "Are you talking to me?

Crew: "Yeah, we're going to pit."

Vickers: "What? I've got to pit? … I don't understand. Pit right now?"

Crew: "You've got to pit this time. We need that one point."

Vickers: "10-4. Do I got a tire going down?"

Crew: "Yeah. … Come down pit road right now, get a good look at it."

Vickers: "Did you find anything?"

Crew: "I'll see you after the race, Brian. I owe you a kiss."

Thanks to Jeff Gluck, USA Today Sports for this audio transcript

Race for the Chase was ever so close

Clint Bowyer was already slated to be in the Chase, despite the fact that he hadn't won a race all season. (Neither have Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or Kurt Busch, which is controversial in itself when they are contending for a championship over drivers who have won races!) Bowyer was solidly inside the top 10, so he had little to lose.

For Martin Truex, Jr. though, the second MWR racing team to potentially contend for a championship, he had to earn the final wildcard chase spot. To do so, Joey Logano would have to remain in the 10th place in points. Also, Truex would have to earn more points than Ryan Newman, with whom he had been so close, not just in this race, but throughout the year. Both had won a race during the season. 

Kasey Kahne with two wins was guaranteed a wildcard position. If Jeff Gordon raced his way into the top 10 in points, he would have knocked Logano out. Logano would have taken the second wildcard, knocking Truex and Newman out of contention. 

Ryan Newman was leading the race though, which would have guaranteed he would have the second wildcard, which would have knocked out Truex and Logano. It looked as though Newman would have won the race with 9 laps to go. That was when Bowyer spun and caused a caution resetting the field. Newman lost the lead after pitting.

By Bowyer spinning, Truex ended up tying with Newman in points. The tie went to him because he had one second place finish. Newman had none. It didn't matter that Newman finished ahead of him on the track or that Newman led several laps during that race. 

Tiebreaker: I find the tiebreaking criteria very disconcerting because NASCAR doesn't even keep a 2nd place finish statistic on their driver stats page. The criteria for a tiebreaker used to be the most top 5's and top 10's. In that case, Newman would have been the victor, since he had one more top 10 than Truex.

It is my contention that the position on the field at the conclusion of the race should be the tiebreaker. That would be logical, simple, straight forward, and not controversial. I guess NASCAR likes the controversy.

Although at first blush, NASCAR brass has stated there doesn't appear to be any wrongdoing, NASCAR fans and even the analysts Saturday night--Rusty Wallace, Brad Daughterty, and Ray Evernham--issued their opinion that Clint Bowyer definitely spun out on purpose to help his teammate Martin Truex, Jr.

That video can be seen here:

Not just Bowyer's spin to bring out the final caution, but the final restart is also questionable

When Carl Edwards, the eventual winner took the green flag, he was in the second position behind Paul Menard. Yet when the green flag waived, Edwards was clearly ahead of Menard. This observation was even pointed out by Dale Jarrett in the broadcast booth.

NASCAR fans are so upset they are petitioning Mike Helton to have Michael Waltrip Racing drivers disqualified from the Chase for the Championship.

The petition, as of Monday morning contained over 3,000 signatures. It is located at: here.

The following is the text, which includes the above video of Bowyer's spin: 

Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman have been screwed out of Chase spots through the work of cheaters. Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex deserve to lose their chance at a championship for their actions at Richmond on Saturday, September 7. There is video evidence of Clint Bowyer spinning himself out to bring out a caution, which can be penalized at NASCAR's discretion. Bowyer's team also kept him in pit road for longer than necessary, and Vickers slowed down on the last lap to ensure Logano would make the top ten. Michael Waltrip Racing fixed the race and the championship and should be punished accordingly. NASCAR needs to put an end to teams and drivers who play by their own rules. This is not just for Jeff Gordon. This is not just for Ryan Newman. This is for the fans. We watch NASCAR expecting fair and competitive races, and that clearly did not happen at Richmond. Michael Waltrip Racing did not just affect the outcome of one race; they affected the next ten races AND the entire season. 

Earlier this year, NASCAR penalized Jimmie Johnson for jumping the restart. This should be done to Carl Edwards as well. Clearly, he should not have overtaken Menard in the final restart. 

If NASCAR penalizes Edwards, that would give the win to Kurt Busch and put Ryan Newman in second place. Newman would then tie with Martin Truex, Jr. in that category. They each have 6 top-5's finishes. Newman has one more tenth place finish, therefore, Newman should occupy the final Chase spot. Newman should be in; Truex would be out.

NASCAR says it is taking this situation under review and will not comment until a decision is reached. In the meantime, the beat goes on.

My view: Cheating to help yourself advance is one thing, but cheating to screw all others is quite another. I believe a line has been drawn for NASCAR to maintain any kind of credibility. Something needs to be done before the Chase commences next week at Chicagoland Speedway. There are already plenty of empty seats at race venues. That will only continue if this kind of blatant activity isn't addressed. 

I believe Carl Edwards should be penalized for his faulty restart. Ryan Newman earned and should be awarded the final wildcard place in the Championship Chase since he bested Truex during the final race. Clint Bowyer should be parked, for as long as NASCAR determines. And Michael Waltrip Racing should be penalized. 

Add interest in NASCAR; drop the Chase

nascar (Photo credit: rogerblake2)

I dislike NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. I'll tell you why!

First off, NASCAR isn't like football. I'm not sure it needs a Super Bowl.

While it may very well be a team sport, few fans see it that way. NASCAR fans focus on their favorite drivers--period.

So, when only 12 of them matter, which is what happens during the final 10 races of the season--the Chase for the Championship--that leaves 31 other drivers and their fan base out in the cold.

With the number of empty seats at races, it seems that NASCAR can ill afford preferential treatment of just a few drivers. With all the changes that have come to NASCAR in the past several years, mostly due to the leveling of competitiveness through NASCAR-imposed rules both in the car and the teams, the sport is seeming losing fans around every turn. I would think the last thing NASCAR would want to do is whittle away at its shrinking audience. Yet that is exactly what the Chase does.

While some small changes have been made in order to appease fans, most of NASCAR's changes are profit-driven. From a fan's perspective, one step forward is taken, but always followed by ten steps back. NASCAR's quest for every dollar they can get their hands on has made them far less appealing to so many.

Focus on the drivers

Let's face it; if my driver isn't in the Chase, he is far from Sunday's spotlight. That isn't fair to the sport, the drivers, or the fans of the 31 other drivers.

Because fans of the sport are focused on their favorite drivers, those whose drivers are not among the 'elite', may not bother to watch or attend the last ten races, especially if one or two drivers have dominated the season and the final ten races. By dominating, I don't mean winning. While the current points structure finally rewards race winners, it still isn't an assurance that the winning-est driver will become the champion. A consistent driver may trump a winning driver in the battle for the best. That leaves a bad taste in the mouths of fans who expect the best to be the winning-est as well.

Yet, if the same driver wins consistently, the sport becomes too predictable, and loses its appeal. Now last year, when Tony Stewart came from behind to win five out of the last ten races--that was one to watch.

Certain race tracks

Oh, there will always be certain tracks that promise excitement. Talladega and Daytona are always unpredictable, which makes them exciting. The short tracks, with their beatin' an bangin' are a real draw. Road courses are fun to watch too, as somewhat of a novelty. The key to a good race is its unpredictable nature. NASCAR had done everything in its power, to make racing predictable. But let's face it, watching a bunch of drivers turning left has little appeal to anyone. It is also pretty boring when a driver obviously and knowingly, lays back to wait for the last 100 laps.

Favorite driver


Let's face it--if my favorite driver is virtually ignored during the pre-race shows which focuses on the top drivers, why should I watch the last ten races? If my favorite driver is never shown on TV, cameras rarely follow him on the track, none of the commentators talk about him, or he is never interviewed, what is my incentive to watch? I don't particularly like Jimmy Johnson. I've seen him win often. One time is just like the next. I am not a Dale, Jr. fan and frankly am sick of hearing NASCAR and its favorite commentators gush over him. I'm embarrassed for him.

Competition is the draw

Actually, the best part of the season occurred, not in the top one or two spots, but just beyond the top 10. That momentum and the excitement it provided, died when the chase began.

When Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Kurt Busch, Paul Menard, Kasey Kahne, and others fought hard for the wildcard spot in the Chase, that was exciting. All the fans for all of those drivers bit fingernails, as they watched points add up with each car their favorite driver passed on the track.

Eliminate the Chase

For me and the millions like me whose drivers suddenly become irrelevant after September at Richmond, the season is over anyway. During the regular season, I make time to watch practices and qualifying. I usually catch most of the pre-race shows and of course the race. I'd love to see that excitement last until Homestead in November. I believe that fight for points should last for the entire season.

What would be wrong with continuing the regular season to Homestead?

Or, if a championship run has to take place, why not one final race with just the top 12 drivers. One final race with only 12 drivers would be a winner takes all. Changes such as these might make for a more interesting, dynamic experience for race fans. Perhaps they would come back to watch again.

Newman demonstrates class; Montoya, not so much; Jury still out on NASCAR

Ryan Newman tries to maintain his composure, evidenced in this video, when reporters ask him about multiple confrontations on the track with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Montoya clearly and intentionally destroyed Newman's chances for a top-10 or better finish at Saturday night's race at Richmond.

Newman indicated frustration on the radio as he predicted the #42 would intentionally come after him and try to wreck him--not once but twice. 

That wasn't so much prophetic as it was simply knowing Montoya's modus operandi.

Montoya is known for aggressive, driving. 

The incident occurred just after the first 100-lap mark when Newman, running in the top 10, got into the back of Montoya. According to Newman, it was unintentional. At the time it occurred, Fox commentator Darrell Waltrip noted that Newman's brakes were aglow, indicated that Newman attempted to avoid hitting Montoya. The incident was clearly unintentional at the fast-paced short track.

Montoya's reaction however, was clearly deliberate one hundred laps later when he aimed his car directly at Newman's #39 car, causing it to spin. Newman hit the wall, got the car stopped, and was then hit by Kurt Busch who apparently couldn't avoid it.

Newman's pit crew did a yeoman's job at making repairs. Several stops on pit road allowed Newman to stay on the lead lap. He even got back into the top 10 at one point, although the damage was so extensive that speed and handling he enjoyed during the first portion of the race caused him to finish in 20th position.

Newman was clearly frustrated during and after the race. 

It is one thing to be caught up in an incident caused by someone else, but to be intentionally wrecked is quite another. He went to the NASCAR hauler directly after the race, seeking fairness from the sanctioning body. NASCAR has been known to penalize drivers for unnecessary aggression on the race track. 

It is not clear if anything will come of it. 

I can just about predict that nothing will come of this. I would hope that NASCAR would evaluate the circumstances of this incident and penalize Montoya for his bad attitude on the race track--a bad attitude that can get somebody hurt. They have instituted a new policy however, which is known as 'boys have at it.' To me, that is little more than a loophole in the rule book that allows NASCAR officials to remain arbitrary in their handling of these kinds of situations.

Newman is not one of the 'chosen' drivers.

Sadly, I doubt anything will happen. After all, this dustup between Newman and Montoya makes for good headlines. 

It was the interesting 'news' coming out of the Richmond race. It is almost common occurrence for Kyle Busch to win there. Another Busch win isn't going to boost ticket sales, but a race track feud just might.

NASCAR Race to the Chase

Could it be that I actually slept better last night, after watching the satisfying conclusion of NASCAR's race to the chase at Richmond?

A good outcome

Except for a few glitches, the outcome of the race was very satisfying.

My own personal satisfaction

Ryan Newman overcame immense obstacles to make the Chase. I have chronicled some of them in this blog. I predicted he would accomplish his goal to make the chase early in the year. I never gave up, because he never gave up.

Over the course of this season I have heard Ryan's voice on the radio exhibit frustration and anger, that accompanies falling short, being victimized by Lady Luck, or a bad-handling race car, or making an uncharacteristic mistake.

I've heard him sound defeated, exhausted, and sickened.

But I've heard the exhilaration and hope that comes from a job well done. I've seen him place in the top 10 with a car capable of running no better than the 20th spot.

It was quite satisfying -- to hear the sound of Ryan's voice following the Richmond race, the happy banter between he and Crew Chief Tony Gibson as the last lap pass that put Ryan into 10th place in the race.

There was no doubt that this race was adrenalin-driven, perhaps even more so than usual. That translated to the fans. Not only was there a race to watch, but for me, it was also the numbers element. I watched the performance of each of the drivers around the latter end of the top 12 on the leader board.

I didn't see qualifying, but when I learned that Ryan was to start 21st, I was nervous. It was said that he'd have to finish 16th to remain in the chase. But as I watched, I realized that figure was meaningless. It failed to take the other drivers' performance into account. I soon realized this would not be as difficult as predicted.

Other goals were achieved

Denny Hamlin won his first race at his home town track.

Tony Stewart accomplished greatness, both as a team owner and driver this year. Not only did he win the points battle overall, but both of his cars made the chase in Stewart-Haas Racing's first season.

Mark Martin had a great night -- and a great season. He is genuine when he says this is the best season of his career. He has worked very hard and done very well.

Juan Pablo Montoya accomplished his 3-year goal.

Brian Vickers worked his butt off to make the chase this year. And he did it, by just 8 points.

Not everyone had a good night

It was not a satisfying race for Matt Kenseth or Kyle Busch.

Matt Kenseth had no preconceived notions about this race. His team had not been performing well all season. While he had a few good runs, he had more that were not. He is a past champion and certainly championship caliber. So, he knows what he has to do in the future.

Kyle Busch was a gentleman about his near miss. He finished eight points out. That fact paled in comparison to the good run he had that caused him to finish in the top five. I admit being surprised by his reaction. The Kyle Busch we saw a few months ago would not have been so genial about his loss. This was good to see.

Will the Sprint Cup Champion be the Best of the Best?

It is entirely possible that the new champion may be one who has not won a race. So the burning question that must be asked, however: With four wins this season, why isn't Kyle Busch in contention for the Sprint Cup Championship? There are those who believe that the championship should be based on wins, not some arbitrary points system.

This debate will likely rage on just as it did in 2003 when Kenseth became the Champion with one win while Ryan Newman won eight races.

Racing at Richmond

originally written May 21, 2009
There is nothing like short track racing under the lights. Richmond, Virginia was host this weekend on May 1 and 2, to the NASCAR Nationwide and Sprint Cup series races.

A race at Richmond offers drivers and fans a back-to-basics kind of racing that is a favorite among them. It often reminds some of the sports' premier drivers of their own humble beginnings when they began their racing career on a neighborhood short track.

The weekend culminated with the Sprint Cup race, NASCAR's top series, where the drivers are arguably the best in the country. The Richmond International Raceway is a D-shaped oval with fourteen-degrees of banking in the turns and room for more than 112,000 fans. Sprint Cup cars are engineered to exact standards, using precision tools and years of innovation, not to mention millions of development dollars. Race teams hire pit crew members which consists of the best and most consistent in their field.

These refinements are in direct contrast to local dirt-track racing where race cars often begin as junkers, but are artfully transformed in a garage, backyard, or carport by men who turn wrenches for fun. Usually on a shoestring budget, they work hard to enter a local race, where they can earn enough in winnings to buy more or better parts to improve on what they have. Despite the sharp contrast, there is an element of similarity in the feel of a professional race at Richmond and those amateur Saturday night venues.

Short-track racing is a fan favorite as it offers close side-by-side racing, passing, and the proverbial 'beatin' and bangin' that has come to be expected at a track like Richmond.

Drivers' skills are always put to the test at the three-quarter-mile oval. Patience is necessary in the 400-lap race, as drivers in the rear of the field try methodically to pass the cars in front of them, one at a time, always trying to advance positions. They are intent on working their way to the front, in anticipation of being the first to take the checkered flag.

Each position is nearly a race in itself as drivers battle one another for each coveted position. The give and take sometimes causes problems as the cars become two- three- and four-wide across the track. Something has to give and usually does. And then there are times that patience simply runs out. The result is often crumpled fenders, flattened tires, visible sparks, and smoke billowing from beneath the car as one or more limps its way to pit road.

Richmond is a feel-good race track. And that translated into the top five finishers at Saturday's race. Kyle Busch won the race. And what could be better than winning a race on your twenty-fourth birthday? He also won Friday night's Nationwide series event on the same track.

In second place was Tony Stewart who is enjoying a phenomenal first year as a team owner/driver. Stewart left the comfort of Joe Gibbs Racing last year after a 10 year association to become co-owner in his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing.