Talladega: One Last Look In The Rear View Mirror

The buzz from what happened at Talladega is still going strong. The fire has yet to die out and people are still talking. But some of the ideas being thrown around to ensure that this doesn't happen again are nothing short of ridiculous.

With that being said, did I hear Jimmie Johnson correctly? Did the reigning three-time champ say the only solution for the racing at Talladega is to bulldoze the place and turn it into another Indy or Pocono?

Aren't we over reacting just a little too much?

Look, Talladega is a wide fast race track where white knuckle racing is the norm; but to say the only logical solution is to bulldoze the place into a parking lot is a slap in the face of a community and 40 years of rich racing history not limited just to NASCAR.

Now let's not discount what happened on the last lap when Keselowski and Edwards got together sending Edwards into the catch fence. It was one of the most horrific things the sport has seen since Bobby Allison in 1987. What makes it even more unnerving is how close the 99 actually came to going into the stands. Fortunately it didn't and fortunately no one was seriously hurt; but let's not throw the track out with the bath water.

Rick Humphrey and his staff see a potential problem and they will fix it. The beauty of racing, and sports for that matter, is that when a situation like this occurs it presents an opportunity to make things better.

The tragedy during the IRL race at Charlotte where spectators were killed by an out of control car was a wake-up call to track officials. They concluded that the fence needed to be taller in order to protect the fans and ensure that never happens again. They fixed it and haven't had a problem since.

So, how does NASCAR fix this problem? What is the solution?

In his weekly press conference Dale Earnhardt, Jr agreed with those who want a smaller plate and want the speeds to come down. "NASCAR is really wanting to see cars run around 190 mile-per-hour range. We are doing 10 more miles an hour being able to tag up and bumper to bumper like we are," Earnhardt said. "That's where the threshold is for cars getting airborne, is about the 195 mile-an-hour range. We have to think what we can do to get back under that threshold a little bit and not create this situation in the future."

A smaller plate would choke the speeds back down to the 180-185 range so in the event that two cars do hook up bumper to bumper the speeds won't creep up into the magical 200 mph zone therefore putting the drivers and the fans in danger.

Perhaps the most logical solution to this mess would be to police the amount of blocking that goes on during the course of a race. All but a couple of the wrecks during the Aaron's 499 were caused by blocking. Matt Kenseth's barrel roll during the Nationwide race on Saturday was caused by him blocking the 18 and then the 6.

Let's not let Carl Edwards slide either. The catalyst for his wreck was his attempt to block the run the 09 had on him. If he doesn't block Keselowski then we aren't even talking about the race at this point during the week.

You want this to stop; then reduce the size of the plate and police the blocking. You get that under control and you have a strong possibility that what happened on Sunday won't happen again.

1986 Miller High Life 400 at Richmond: Earnhardt vs Waltrip

Good ol' fashioned short track racing at its best!!

David Poole: Never At A Loss For Words

Being from Alabama I knew there were two weeks out of the year that my favorite track would be on the chopping block. It wasn't personal it was simply his opinion. That's what made David Poole so genuine and so real. He spoke his mind and never wavered from how he truly felt. He wasn't just a journalist he was a fan. That's the beauty of being a fan. As fans we can speak our mind and argue our points and it helps strengthen and determine the fabric of our sport and our society.

David Poole used his writings, his site and his blog as his mountain top. In doing so it gained him respect in both the racing community and in the media; but most importantly it gained him credibility and respect from the fans.

I didn't know David Poole personally but the news of his untimely death hit close to home with me. Living in a family with a strong history of heart disease I know all too well the grip that deadly disease can have on an individual and on a family.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family during this time of sadness and grief. His style and his influence will be hard to replace. He will be missed.

Talladega: Who or What is to blame?

Its the Monday after Talladega and once again people are talking. Fans leaving the track yesterday definitely got their moneys worth and those at home were glued to the TV as the final laps unfolded. On the flip side, those in the media are taking a more critical approach when describing yesterday's race.

Is it the rules package these guys are forced to race under? NASCAR has a knack of painting drivers and teams into a corner. Once out on the track and in the heat of battle frustration sets in and drivers run out of patience. The end result has drivers taking matters into their own hands ultimately putting themselves and others in danger.

Others take the stance that the track is to blame for the type of mayhem and destruction that comes after each race there. Jack Roush agrees. He commented that the track is outdated and was built for the cars of that era rather than the current stock cars raced today. He also went on to say that since its first race in 1969 Talladega has always been dangerous.

Jack is right, Talladega is dangerous; but is it more dangerous than Charlotte, Daytona, Loudon or Indy? If you look at the statistics then the answer is No. Of the top five most dangerous tracks in all of motorsports two host NASCAR sanctioned events: Indianapolis and Daytona. Talladega doesn't even come close to the number of racing deaths those two tracks have seen.

Carl Edwards said something interesting yesterday in his post-race interview when said NASCAR has put the drivers in a box but "it's something we'll do...until somebody gets killed, and then we'll change it."

He's right. By creating a boxy car with a restrictor plate that chokes speed and horsepower at a track designed to see speeds in excess of 200 mph you have a recipe for disaster. Throw in the yellow line and you basically have 43 caged animals trying to fight and claw their way out danger. The end result is what you saw Sunday on lap 7, lap 180 and lap 188.

Changing Talladega is not the answer; changing the rules package is the answer.

Dale Jr took a different approach when addressing the problem. He believes the media, the networks and NASCAR are just as much to blame as anyone else.

"You have to understand that, for years, we have had wrecks like this every time we come to Talladega, ever since the plate got here. And for years it was celebrated. The media celebrated it, the networks celebrated it – calling it ‘The Big One’ – just trying to attract attention and trying to bring people's attention to the race," Earnhardt said.

What is the answer? What is the solution? There really isn't an answer or a solution. Changes have been made, rules have been implemented but the result still ends up the same: Intense, fierce and close racing at the world's most competitive track.

"This is the way it's been for a long time," Earnhardt, Jr said. "Didn't just happen. Didn't just get worse. Didn't just start happening."It's been like this since the mid-90s."

Taking a negative and turning it into a positive has been the cornerstone of the NASCAR sanctioning body for years. Since Bobby Allison's horrific wreck in 1987 NASCAR has worked to keep both the fans and the drivers safe. Since the fatalities of 2000 and 2001 the focus on fan safety, the implementation of the SAFER walls and head & neck restraints has kept those on both side of the catch fence safe.

After Sunday's race NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter says he doesn't see anything that could have been done differently or any better. The fence did its job and the COT did its job by keeping Edwards safe. That's what matters most.

Look we all know sports, as a whole, is dangerous. It's why only a small percentage has the privilege of playing professional sports. As fans we know the dangers of sitting down the foul lines at a baseball game or on the first few rows at a race; but we do it any way because we love the thrill and we love the excitement.

Its a major sacrifice for a great reward.

Once Again Talladega Lives Up To Its Billing

After the dust had settled, the doors had closed, and the post-race meeting by race officials had begun I'm sure smiles could been seen on the faces of those gathered in the NASCAR hauler.

What had just taken place was exactly what the doctor ordered. NASCAR and its fans were treated to the best race in four or five years and the drama that the sport so desperately needed was back.

Sunday's Aaron's 499 started off and ended with a bang. On lap 7 as many as 16 cars were involved in a wreck that started when Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon got together heading into turn 3. The contact triggered a chain reaction wreck that took out a handful of drivers in the top 12 in points.

It didn't stop there.

The racing stayed fast and furious and as the laps counted down the tension and pressure began to mount. Another late race caution set the stage for a four lap shootout and one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the Sprint Cup Series.

Using a technique that originated during last year's Aaron's 499, Dale Earnhardt, Jr locked his National Guard Chevy to the rear bumper of Ryan Newman on the restart and pushed the two out to a big lead as they headed down the backstretch. The only problem was that Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski had done the same and were running down the leaders at an impressive rate.

As Newman and Earnhardt, Jr took the white flag Edwards and Keselowski were there. Then they were gone. The front two had hooked up and were pulling away. As the 99 and 09 came out of 4 Newman and Junior were there but were not a factor. Keselowski then made a move below the 99 in the tri-oval, Edwards went to block, and the two got together. The contact sent Edwards car up in the air and in front of the 39 and 88. Newman and Edwards then got together with Newman punting Edwards airborne and into the catch fence.

When the smoke cleared Brad Keselowski had taken the checkered flag for his first Sprint Cup win in only his 5th start. In doing so he became the 8th driver to get his first win at Talladega.

The win also marked the first for long time NASCAR owner James Finch.

On a more somber note, seven fans were injured when Edwards car made contact with the tri-oval catch fence. Debris and parts of the fence went flying into the stands hitting those sitting in the lower rows of the grandstands. Fortunately no one was seriously injured as all but one was treated and released. One fan was transported to Birmingham via helicopter due to traffic and a pre-existing condition.

Dixon wins at Kansas

In his 99th career start in the IRL Scott Dixon held off a hard charging Helio Castroneves in the final lap of the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300 to win at Kansas Speedway. Dixon's win was his 17th overall and his 11th on oval tracks.

Castroneves, in only his second race of the season, made a run at Dixon on the final lap but came up 0.7 tenths of a second short in his bid to beat reigning IRL champ Scott Dixon Sunday in Kansas.

Sunday's finish was a much needed shot in the arm for both drivers who started the year towards the back in the championship standings. The strong showing at Kansas is just what both drivers need heading into the month surrounding the Indianapolis 500.

With the win, and most laps lead bonus, Dixon jumped from 17th to 4th in points.

Coming home in 3rd was Tony Kanaan followed by Ryan Briscoe, Danica Patrick and Marco Andretti. Kanaan now leads Briscoe by one point in the championship standings as the series heads to The Brickyard.

Race Morning at Talladega

Going to the Back:Robby Gordon and Reed Sorenson failed post-qualifying inspection Saturday and will have to go to the back at the start of the race. Sorenson was already going to the back after an engine change Friday after practice.

Also going to the back and joining the 7 and 43 will be the 44, 9, 19 and 12. Apparently the Dodge teams found something in their motors Friday that bothered them.

Nick Saban is in the House, Aight!: Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban will give the command to fire engines Sunday. Joining Saban as honorary guests Sunday will be UFC founder Dana White, UFC legend Chuck Lidell and Atlanta Falcons running back Jerious Norwood.

Truck Race Postponed til Monday: Severe Weather forced the Truck Series to postpone the conclusion of the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 in Kansas after just 52 laps. Strong winds and a possible tornado in the area forced officials to stop the race for the safety of the fans and the drivers.

The Race will resume Monday at 10:00 AM est with Mike Skinner as the leader followed by Brian Ickler, Matt Crafton, Ron Hornaday and Brian Scott.

Ragan Breaks Through For First Win

With help from Joey Logano, David Ragan shot through a hole that opened up when Ryan Newman and Dale Earnhardt, Jr got together in the tri-oval battling for the lead on the final lap. Ragan then held off Newman at the line for his first career win in any of the top three NASCAR series.

In what was typical Talladega-style racing, the Aaron's 312 saw 34 lead changes among 15 drivers. The 34 lead changes fell two short of the series record held at the Alabama super speedway. Although racing was fast and intense, drivers managed to get through the day without triggering the notorious "big one."

Perhaps the best story of the day was that of Tony Raines. Raines made his way to the front late and was able to stay there coming home in 4th place.

The Top-Five finish was a real shot in the arm for a team that is severely underfunded.

The series heads to Richmond next week with Kyle Busch holding a 62 pt edge over 2nd place Carl Edwards.

1984 Winston 500: NASCAR's Greatest Race?

Races come and races go but only a handful stand out when it comes to the discussion of which race is the greatest of all time. Most NASCAR historians agree on two or three races when it comes to the title of "NASCAR's Greatest Race."

The 1992 Hooters 500 was important for many reasons. Six drivers had a legitimate shot at winning the championship when the race started, Alan Kulwicki won the championship as an owner/driver in his "Underbird," and the story lines surrounding Richard Petty's last race and Jeff Gordon's first race make for a strong argument.

The 2007 Daytona 500 is a solid choice, but is only in the discussion because of what happened on the last lap off of turn 4. Kevin Harvick beating out Mark Martin by inches at the line while a big wreck is happening behind them made for a great finish more so than a great race.

The wild card in the discussion would have to be the 2003 Darlington Race. Watching Kurt Busch beat and bang with Ricky Craven was, without a doubt, intense and spectacular; but like the '07 Daytona 500 you are only talking about a five to ten lap stretch of racing.

If you want to talk competition, lead changes, minimal caution periods and a powerhouse line-up it's hard to argue against the 1984 Winston 500 as being the greatest race ever.

Of the 40 drivers that started the race 10 drivers were, or would become, Cup Champions; 10 were Daytona 500 winners; 16 were later named to NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers list in 1998; and 24 drivers would later account for over 900 wins in the sport.

That is simply unbelievable!

The only thing that rivaled the line-up was the racing itself. The May race had 4 cautions for 17 laps and saw 75 official lead changes among 13 drivers. That breaks down to a new leader coming every 2 1/2 laps (a NASCAR record). Race officials also estimated that well over a 100 passes for the lead took place around the track during the 188 lap event.

To this day the 75 lead changes still stand as the most during a NASCAR Sprint Cup Race. The only races to come close to that feat were later that year at the 1984 Talladega 500 with 68 lead changes and the most recent race at Talladega, the 2008 Amp Energy 500, which saw 64 lead changes.

Statistically and historically it's hard to go against giving the title of "NASCAR's Greatest Race" to the 1984 Winston 500.

Rookie Report: Talladega

Joey Logano comes into Talladega with a 12 pt lead over fellow rookie Scott Speed in the Raybestos Rookie of the Year standings. Logano will be making his first Sprint Cup start at the 2.66 mile super speedway while Scott Speed, Brad Keselowski and Max Papis will be in the go-or-go home group come qualifying.

Logano, Speed and Keselowski have competed at Talladega before in either the ARCA, Nationwide or Truck Series with Max Papis being the lone exception. Max Papis, a road-racer mostly, will be visiting Talladega for the first time.

Qualifying is set for 10:15 AM CST Saturday with the green flag dropping at 1:00 PM CST on Sunday.

RCR Announces Crew Swap

Crew swaps are nothing new to the sport, but the recent announcement from Richard Childress Racing came as quite a shock. The fact that Todd Barrier and Kevin Harvick will no longer be working together is pretty big news.

With Barrier calling the shots Harvick scored victories in three of the sport's biggest events, the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400 and the All-Star Race. The swap tells me that things must be at rock-bottom for RCR to seperate such a successful duo.

For Casey Mears the move is the 5th in four years to a different team/crew.

The teams will swap over every member of the crew, with the exception of the spotters, starting the week after the Talladega race.

Is the clock ticking on Eury, Jr?

Doug Demmons posted an interesting story on his Al.com Blog of Tomorrow page earlier today in regards to Tony Eury, Jr's future as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Citing Captain Thunder's Racing Blog, Demmons wrote that during the week of Easter talks began between Rick Hendrick, Tony Eury, Jr and Alan Gustafson over swapping crew chief duties between the 5 and 88. According to sources, Captain Thunder was told that Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr were on board with the move as well. Talks ended with the agreement that if things did not improve between the two teams within 3 weeks that a swap was imminent by the All-Star break.

Captain Thunder went on to say that Saturday night's dominating performance by the 5 team could remove Gustafson from the mix and put car chiefs Ron Malec of the 48 or Jason Burdett of the 24 at the top of the list to replace Eury, Jr over at the 88.

With the All-Star Race as a back drop, it will be interesting to see how this unfolds at Hendrick Motorsports.

Vintage Earnhardt: 1999 IROC race at Talladega

Was there anyone better?

Earnhardt, Jr: Fallen Hero or Sacrificial Lamb

Did Dale Earnhardt, Jr forget how to drive and how to win? Some say he never had it while some say his best days are behind him. Junior nation is split on who really is to blame. Is it Tony Eury, Jr? Is it Dale Jr? Or does the blame fall squarely on Rick Hendrick?

Who really is at fault for the demise of the 88 bunch?

In 2004 Dale Jr was on top of his game. He scored six victories and was in contention for the championship until his profanity slip-up during the Talladega victory lane interview cost him a 25-point penalty from NASCAR. That, coupled with two devastating DNF's, brought the dream of a championship in '04 back down to earth. At the end of the '04 season Tony Eury, Sr was promoted and his son, then car chief, Tony Eury, Jr took over the crew chief duties on the Budweiser Chevy for DEI.

Now let's stop right there; Could this be the straw that broke the camel's back? Let's weigh the facts and see for ourselves.

Under Tony Eury, Sr Dale Earnhardt, Jr scored 15 Cup wins, 1 Bud Shootout win, 1 All-Star Race win, 21 Nationwide wins, 6 poles and 2 Nationwide Championships. Under Tony Eury, Jr Dale Earnhardt, Jr has only 2 Cup wins, 1 Bud Shootout win, 1 Nationwide win and 2 poles. The other win for Dale, Jr came with Steve Hmiel at Chicago after Pete Rondeau had been relieved of his duties earlier in the year.

From a statistical standpoint it seems apparent that Dale, Jr's struggles come from atop the pit box. Since the switch after the '04 season Dale Jr's struggles seem to come back to one person. Even with the best equipment in the garage the 88 is getting worse and worse. Couple that with a revolving door of personnel and you can see why this team is struggling and the negativity continues to pile up.

The wonderful world of DirectTv HotPass gives fans a glimpse into the race day fish bowl that is a Sprint Cup Race Team. Fans get the chance to watch the broadcast of the race and hear radio chatter amongst the team. If you really want to know what's wrong with the 88 tune into HotPass for a race.

One of the knocks on Dale, Jr is that he isn't detailed enough in his feedback to his crew. One hour of DirectTv HotPass and you will quickly see that this is not the case. The feedback between Dale, Jr and Tony, Jr is no different than that of the 11,48, or 99. At times Dale, Jr can get a bit chippy with his guys but it is no different that any other chatter on pit-road. The problem appears to be that the changes to the car are not helping make the car better as the race unfolds. The one thing Dale, Jr gripes about the most in every race is forward bite. The car just won't bite off the corner. With the exception of the plate tracks, the constant complaint from Dale, Jr is that the nose is constantly sliding. Spring rubbers, track-bar, air pressure and wedge adjustments seem to be making things worse rather than better.

Could this all be the fault of Tony, Jr? I don't think so. Something is coherently wrong and most of the blame needs to fall back on the owner, Rick Hendrick. How did this team go from best of the Hendrick cars for the first half of last year to it's current spot in the HMS stables? Some say (and I tend to agree) that once Darian Grubb started flirting with the idea of going over to the newly formed Stewart-Haas team driven by Tony Stewart things started going south. Since that move Rick Hendrick has changed the car chief/engineer on the team 3 times and most recently changed out tire changers on the team. However, the results are the same and team continues to go backwards rather than forward.

Since the opening race of the year the 24 team has gotten better and so has the 5 bunch. The 48 is still strong and the new alliance with Stewart-Haas racing seems to benefiting the 14 and the 39. If those guys are getting better then why does the the Amp/National Guard team continue to struggle? Are they getting second-hand equipment? Are the engineers at HMS experimenting with the 88 team for the benefit of the 24, 48 and the 5? Something is wrong and personally I don't think Rick Hendrick is safe from blame or fault. He told the media last year that if Dale, Jr fails he fails; well at the moment he is failing despite what is going on with the other HMS teams.

If you take a look at the race cars and team uniforms of Hendrick Motor Sports you see a common thread. National Guard, Adidas, Amp, Wrangler, Delphi and Go Daddy all adorn the cars, uniforms and pit boxes. What do those have in common? They all have ties to Dale, Jr and his ability to land big time sponsors.

Is that why Rick Hendrick jumped at the chance to bring in the hottest free agent in the history of the sport in 2007? Maybe so; but to only bring in a guy for monetary assistance seems far fetched and unrealistic. What it does show is that Dale,Jr is not getting a solid return on his investment in HMS. For all he brings to the team and to the sport he deserves a lot better than what he is getting. The guy didn't just win races and championships by luck, he won them because he has the talent and the capability to run up front and be a factor week in and week out.

The main point here is that Dale, Jr and the 88 team are in inferior equipment. Bottom Line. Tony Eury, Jr is a good crew chief but not a great one. Now days you need to be great to be up front. Couple that with sub-par equipment and you have a recipe for disaster. Drastic Changes have to be made in order for Dale, Jr to be successful again. The blame centers on everyone involved with that team.

I see the fire in Dale, Jr; but I also see a guy who is taking one step forward and 5 steps back each race. If good things don't happen soon then the sport's most popular driver will always have a big question mark beside his name instead of the word Champion.

No Penalties for Mears and Earnhardt, Jr

Let the conspiracy theories and "Jr can do no wrong" talk begin.

NASCAR came out Monday and said no further penalties would be handed down to the 07 and 88 teams after Saturday night's post-race skirmish on the cool down lap. Blogs and forums are lit up with posts and discussions about Dale Jr and his untouchable status with the powers that be in the sport.

If the guy was so "untouchable" and is getting help from NASCAR then why is his team struggling so bad? Why didn't he get a timely caution during the last 50 laps of the race? Debris popped up on the track twice during the last 60 laps and race officials failed to throw the yellow. Seems to me that if he is the so-called "golden boy of NASCAR" then a timely caution with under 60 laps to go could have given him the win and at worst given him a top 5 Saturday night. Instead the 88 took the lead after the final green flag stops of the night and proceeded to drop like a rock. He went from the lead to a lap down under green during the final run of the night.

One final reminder, the 18 and 99 got into it on the cool down lap at Bristol last fall and nothing happened to them. Have we forgotten that NASCAR unofficially encouraged drivers to show emotions last year in the attempt to create buzz and/or a rivalry?

So, please, spare me the conspiracy theories; NASCAR is not the WWE.

Franchitti wins at Long Beach

After an unsuccessful stint in the Sprint Cup Series, Dario Franchitti rose from the ashes and captured his first win with Target-Chip Ganassi Racing Sunday afternoon in Long Beach, California. Sunday's win was Franchitti's first since leaving for NASCAR and the first road/street course win of his career

Riding the momentum of his 2007 Championship season, Franchitti left for the bright lights and big bucks of NASCAR in '08 hoping to find success where other open-wheelers had not. However, a lack of sponsorship, the team's failure to make races, multiple DNF's, and his inconsistency to adapt to the heavier stock cars forced Ganassi-Sabates Racing to shut the 40 car down.

Franchitti resurfaced during the 2009 24-Hours of Daytona in which he and TCGR teammates captured the overall win for car owner Chip Ganassi. Sporting a new hair style and the famous Target colors, Franchitti came out of the gate strong and is currently the point-leader by 15 points over Will Power.

With the win on Sunday Franchitti was able to deliver a birthday gift to his wife/actress Ashley Judd and also win a friendly bet with fellow competitor Tony Kanaan. Kanaan now has to grow his hair out until he wins again. If and when Kanaan finds Victory Lane Franchitti will then have to cut his hair off thus ending the bet.

Will Power finished 2nd followed by Tony Kanaan, Danica Patrick and Dan Wheldon. Next up for the IRL is Kansas Speedway for the Road Runner Turbo Indy 300.

NASCAR Bailout Plan

Let's not kid ourselves anymore, NASCAR is struggling. Yes, people still come to races and people still buy souvenirs, but the excitement and popularity that NASCAR carried into the 2001 season has dwindled away. The fire has slowly burned out and the time has come for a drastic change.

I hate to steal the theme of the last presidential election and apply it to the Sprint Cup Series, but change is needed to overhaul and re-energize a sport once thought had the capability to compete year in and year out with the traditional "stick and ball" sports.

It's time we roll up our sleeves and help rebuild a sport that's struggling and in need of a competition bailout.

Regional Racing-Economically this makes a lot of sense. Instead of starting the year in Daytona and then turning around and traveling out to Las Vegas and California lets work on keeping the races in a regional setting as the year progresses. For example, after Daytona the series could then head to Homestead. After Homestead the series could make an east coast swing through Charlotte, Bristol, Richmond and Martinsville. After the east coast swing head down to Atlanta and then on to Talladega and once the southeastern swing is complete head over to the mid-west and then out west. This would save teams money and could help free up finances to do more testing, put better equipment under a driver, and even pay crews competitive salaries to keep talent around or bring better talent in.

Shorter races-With TV ratings down and attendance dropping, NASCAR needs to look at shortening races to keep fans interested in each race. Spending 4 hours watching a race unfold is not very appealing. As fans we all hope for that exciting ten-lap dash for the cash or an intense green, white, checker finish that has everyone buzzing the next day. Sadly, the first 2-3 hours of a race have become so uneventful that people turn the race off and ultimately miss the finish. Shortening a race to 300 miles or 300 laps instead of 500 would be just long enough to keep the intensity up on the track and the fans in the seats from green to checkers.

Halftime-Each major sport has a built in rest period that allows teams a chance to adjust for the final part of the game. This is something NASCAR might want to take a good, long look at. How many times have you watched a race and your favorite driver spends 100-150 laps struggling through minor changes hoping the car will come to life? With a halftime break of 10 to 15 minutes, teams can look at notes, chat with teammates and then make the necessary changes to the set-up to make the car competitive for when it counts. Having 15-20 cars fighting it out for the win sounds more appealing than 3-5.

Double flag restarts/Caution laps don't count-The IROC, Bud Shootout and All-Star Race promoters have it figured out. Instead of lining up lead-lap cars on the outside with lap cars on the inside, essentially in the way, NASCAR needs to let guys line up double-file according to position. With the Lucky Dog in play lap cars now would have a chance to race each other without the risk of taking out the leaders.

Another way NASCAR could tweak the yellow flag period would be not counting caution laps. Using laps during a caution period goes back decades, but now days it's taking way too long to clean up wrecks and blown motors and it's not fair to the fans who pay to see a full race at the track. Those fans, more so than those at home, travel to the track and drop hard earned money at the track and they deserve to see a full race start to finish. They don't deserve to see cars ride around for 5-8 laps while the safety crews clean up and load up wrecked race cars.

Bring back IROC-This option is obviously the most difficult part of the NASCAR Bailout Plan, but it would certainly be the most fun if pulled off. Bringing the best race car drivers in North America together for essentially a continental all-star race could really boost Saturday ticket sales for both NASCAR and IRL racetrack promoters. Who wouldn't want to see Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon, Ryan Briscoe, Jeff Gordon, Scott Pruett and the like in equally prepared cars at different types of tracks racing to see who's the best of the best. When I was a kid there was nothing better than an IROC race at Talladega. Dale Earnhardt going up against Davey Allison and Emerson Fittipaldi and Steve Kinser was worth the price of admission. There's just something about the best of the best flexing their muscles and showing what they got without any points on the line. Those were the good ol days.

Can't Talk Can't Race

Friday afternoon I decided to take a trip over to NASCAR.com for a glance at the entry list for Saturday's Nationwide race in Nashville. One entry really rubbed me the wrong way. The KHI #33 entry listed Kelly Bires as the driver. Now, why is this a big deal? Well the answer is simple; its become apparent that its not longer about how well you can drive it's about what sponsors think about you.

Before I go on any further let me first say that this has nothing to do with Kelly Bires or his ability to drive a race car. The young man is a talented driver and was simply asked to get behind the wheel. One would be a fool not to jump at the chance to seize such an opportunity. This, however, has more to do with the current state of the sport and how some one's ability to drive has been replaced with his/her ability to say the sponsor's name, conduct a pit-road interview, and hold a product in a cardboard cut-out.

Last year Cale Gale split time with Kevin Harvick, Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in KHI Chevys. Gale only made a handful of starts in both the Truck Series and Nationwide Series, but he made the most of those starts capturing a pole, one top-five and four top-tens. Gale was described by most in the KHI camp as the "future of Kevin Harvick, Inc." All indications had Gale splitting time with Harvick and company in '09 and then going full time in '10; but it was the comment Delana Harvick made to Matt Yocum prior to the '08 Bristol fall race that spoke volumes for Gale's future in the sport.

Delana Harvick stated that she and Kevin loved Cale and his potential, they loved what he brought to the organization and loved his work ethic and talent, but they were having trouble selling him to sponsors. In a 30-45 second stretch Cale Gale's future in the sport went from promising to questionable. No longer was it about what he could do on the track in front of the fans it was about what he could do in the board room in front of sponsors.

This isn't a new trend in the sport. This has been going on for years. The current economic structure of the country is forcing car owners to go after guys who appeal to sponsors or can bring their own sponsorship package to the table. Quality starts have been replaced by "start and parks" and purchasing of owner points from the previous year. Circumstances like these leave guys like Cale Gale, Stephen Leicht, Danny O'Quinn and Chad McCumbee relegated to part-time or low-budget rides barely making it in the sport.

The end result is a downward spiral that the sport can't seen to overcome. Races are not very exciting, attendance is down and not many people are watching the races on TV either. NASCAR has lost touch with its core values, its roots and with its fans. Its reasons like this that NASCAR is dying a slow death.

Parking Aric Almirola could park Earnhardt-Ganassi for good

Word came this week that Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing would be shutting down the 8 car driven by Aric Almirola. The decision came on the basis of low funding due to a lack of sponsorship. With the history of DEI and the historical significance of the number 8 that alone makes this a bigger story than just the parking of a number made famous by Ralph Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt,Jr. This apparently is shaping up to be quite a bombshell in the sport.

Race City, USA is all abuzz with details surrounding the 8 car officially shutting down. Most of the rumors center around the fact that it could ultimately void Martin Truex's current contract. You see back in 2007 Max Siegel and DEI put together a new contract for Truex after word had gotten out that Dale Jr was leaving DEI. One of the clauses in the contract states that Truex should have no less than two full-time teammates during the course of the year. If such a situation were to occur it would void Truex's contract thus allowing him to vacate the Bass Pro Shops Chevy he currently drives.

This is significant in that if Truex decides to enforce the clause it could shut down EGR for good. One rumor that won't go away has Truex leaving for the 20 car to replace Joey Logano. With Logano struggling to get a handle on the COT car Joe Gibbs Racing has entertained the idea of adding a fourth team to help Logano slowly transition into full-time Cup Racing.

Another rumor out there has Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats leaving the 1 car to pick up the sponsorship slack for the 39 car driven by Ryan Newman. Tony Stewart and Bass Pro Shops already have a working relationship going back to his time at JGR and his days as a USAC and World of Outlaws car owner.

Whatever is or is not the truth we already know that the first domino has fallen. It will be interesting to see how this plays out by next week's race at Phoenix. If Truex decides to pull the trigger it could be the beginning of something big but more importantly the end of something great.

Hey! Looky there! Danica is mad at another Driver

When is Danica Patrick going to look at Anna Kournikova and say, "Hey, you may be on to something there" and give up racing for modeling or acting. Don't get me wrong I like Danica and I respect what she has done with her career but it seems once or twice a year she gets wrecked and its always someone Else's fault.

Take for instance DP's quick exit from IRL season opener in St Petersburg. She was in 9th when she and Raphael Matos got tangled and went crashing into the tire barrier. Of course it was Matos' fault as “It’s not exactly the ideal spot to pass,” she said. Both were going for the same spot in one of the tightest corners on the track when they crashed out.

As both were walking away from their battered cars the two eventually stopped to wait for the safety crew and Patrick could be seen tapping Matos on the helmet. It was assumed she was telling him to use his head.

Now this isn't the first time DP has had a complaint with another drive. Last year at the Indy 500 she was stopped by pit road security after she attempted to confront a driver who had run her the wrong way. And who could forget her attempt to get in Dan Wheldon's face after an IRL race two years ago.

The girl has spunk but it really stops there. She should stick to her real talent and that is modeling. One day she is going to tick off the wrong driver and try the macho stunt one time too many and get embarrassed.

NASCAR Fans sent for a ride

I'm sure by now you've heard the Car and Driver hoax about President Obama forcing GM and Chrysler to pull out of NASCAR by the start of the 2010 season. If not you've been under a pretty big rock.

As the story went NASCAR was told that GM and Chrysler was being forced to leave the sport due to their recent economical downfall. This supposedly left NASCAR scrambling and potential suitors to replace GM and Chrysler were none other than Hyundai and Audi. The story broke early this morning and by lunch time the Internet was abuzz about the story and race fans were not happy.

Obviously it wasn't true but the damage had already been done. The best part about the story is that the first line even mentioned that it was an April Fool's story. Guess you have to give Car and Driver credit. Considering it was April Fool's Day they were still able to pull one over on the unsuspecting and ultimately piss off and upset the NASCAR world for a good 3 or 4 hours Wednesday Morning.

In all reality its probably best that it wasn't true. I fear that such a situation could send the world of racing into an uncontrollable spin.

And so we race on!!