Santa Baby,

Just a few things I really do need.   I know I'm running late with my Christmas list this year, but I don't think any of these things will be too much trouble.  And I don't need delivery on Dec. 25th either.

1.  Less hysteria for Nascar Drivers.  Don't get me wrong, I know I am a contributing factor to the media frenzy that encompasses this beast called Nascar.  But some of these "fans" are out of control.  Reports of an actual life for the drivers i.e. dating, medical issues unrelated to driving, vacations, and eating habits are all fodder for the masses.  The reaction of the fans is not always pleasant.  And besides, does anyone really need to see pictures of Jeff Gordon's semi-nude girlfriend?  Do we need Elliott Sadler's family macaroni & cheese recipe?  Help us all to remember these people have lives and respect their privacy to some degree.

2.  More access but less hassle or cost.  Santa, I know this sounds contrary to what I just asked for, but it really isn't.  Nascar prides itself on the access fans have to the competitors.  However, with the explosion in fans, the teams have become increasingly reclusive (with good reason, see above).  Drivers are scurried to the car surrounded by PR men, bodyguards, friends and family.  Fans who want access have to pay a fee - in the form of fan club membership, or loyalty to a sponsor.  While the fees are not outrageous, this lack of "free" interaction creates the risk that Nascar will  lose what makes it unique in the arena of fan support.  A suggestion would be to have more online interaction via chats.  I know nothing compares with person to person contact, but online chats would also give those fans who can't get to the track the chance to "meet" their heros.

3.  More teams with wins.  Domination by definition kills competition.  This year saw several teams (Roush, Hendrick and Gibbs) post multiple wins; several other teams only had one win (Evernham, Yates, Childress, DEI).  Certain drivers had king's ransom in winnings due to multiple wins (Biffle, J. Gordon, Stewart, Johnson, Edwards).  Let's spread the wealth.  Parity for all!

4.  Diversity in the Chase.  Santa, I'd love to see more teams involved in the chase.  And by that I mean, more team owners involved.  I'd also like to see diversity in the tracks - could we add a road course? 

5.  Safer barriers for every track.  Progress on installing safer barriers has been made at many tracks.  However, it is not installed at every track, nor is it installed all-around the walls where it is in place.  I know it can mess up the racing groove, but I'd rather have my drivers around next year, than deal with the other alternative.

6.  A Great Race for Rookie of the Year.  This year's crop of rookies is amazing.  It could truly be a race to the finish.  Wouldn't it be great to have several of them have their first Cup wins this year?

7.  Part-timers show they can get it done.  I'd love to see wins for Bill Elliott, Terry LaBonte, Ricky Rudd (if he races), or Boris Said, to name a few.  Some prior winners, some prior non-winners, but how cool if they could come in and win?  Who says retirement has to be boring, right? An Old Guy like you, Santa, should appreciate that.

8.  Uniform penalties, or at least the perception of uniformity.  Nascar has typically had problems making penalties uniform, or at least appear uniform to the fans.  The penalty to Mark Martin of 46 points a few years ago, or Richard Petty's oversized engine, or Jimmie Johnson's win at Dover come to mind.  To the average, non-techincal minded fan, these penalties aren't fair (and I'm not sure they made a lot of sense to the technical minded fan either).  Nascar needs to explain them better to avoid the fan's flack or they need to devise and publize a penalty scheme that everyone can understand.

9.  Good drivers would find good rides.  It is a travesty that several good drivers are without employment - with Daytona less than 2 months away.  Ward Burton and Ricky Craven come to mind.   There's also Travis Kvapil and Bobby Hamilton Jr (although it looks like Travis now has Bobby's old ride). Santa, can't we find another couple teams to help these guys out?

10.  Victory Junction Gang Camp.  If you can only grant one item on my list Santa, this is it.  Help the Pettys to continue to make  Victory Junction Gang Camp a success.  Funds, volunteers, afghans, teddy bears, and medical equipment are in constant demand. The benfits to children and families helped by their experience at the camp  cannot be underestimated.

So, Santa, that's it.  All I want for Christmas.  I'm sure the elves can drop hints to the Nascar powers that be - and in a pinch a visit from Rudolf wouldn't hurt.

I'll leave out the usual cookies and cream ice cream and a glass of eggnog. Have a safe flight.

A very good Iowa Girl

Almost everything you need to know you learned in kindergarten.  Sometime we learn these lessons quickly, sometimes we take a few hard knocks before we realize their wisdom.  Kurt Busch took a few hard knocks this fall when he didn't apply the things he should have learned in kindergarten.

I'm no Kurt Busch fan - but regardless of my preferences, he is the 2004 Nextel Cup Champion.  He will continue to drive in the series for many years.  Hopefully, his run in with the Maricopa County Sheriff's department will encourage him to make some changes in his life and apply these kindergarten lessons.

In a nutshell the story of Busch's hard knock lesson is this:  Busch was pulled over by a sheriff's deputy for speeding.  He mouthed off to the officer and as a result was subjected to a breath test once the officer smelled alcohol on his breath.  After first reporting that the machine did not work, the sheriff's department later reported that it had worked and that Busch was well below the legal limit.  However, that bit of information did not come out until after his car owner and sponsors suspended him for the last two races of the year.  Busch's new car owner stood behind him.

Lesson #1:  Respect authority.  This whole mess could have possibly been avoided if Busch had not mouthed off to the officer when he was initially pulled over.  In kindergarten, you learn to respect the authority of the teacher - or you learn to respect the authority of the principal.  In any event, there are consequences ( immediate and collateral) on many levels for not being respectful.  I'm not advocating that you confess to officers - I'm merely suggesting that you maintain your cool, avoid calling people names, and be polite.  Simple enough - and usually will carry you through the situation without additional problems.  If things get out of hand, respectfully ask for a lawyer and let them sort things out. 

Lesson #2:  Play nice with others.  Busch's problem was compounded when his current car owner, Jack Roush did not back him up in the situation.  It appears that Roush and Busch had been at odds for some time, and that Roush's reaction was a payback for Busch's lack of loyalty and high-handed attitude in handling contract negotiations and the 2005 racing season.  Roush maintained (in all likelihood correctly) that it violated the contracts with sponsors, and he did not want to default on the agreements, so he suspended Busch.  In kindergarten, most kids learn that if they don't play nicely with the other kids they will eventually be excluded.  Busch learned the hard way not to burn bridges with others - especially if the others have a bit more power.

Lesson #3:  Don't lie.  Busch claimed that the incident had nothing to do with drinking, which was partially true.  However, it was the smell of alcohol that gave the officer more leverage and it was the smell of alcohol on his breath which violated his sponsorship agreements.  In kindergarten, most kids learn that lying may get you somewhere for a while, but the ultimate discovery of the falsehood has dire consequences.  While Busch was splitting hairs, it gave his detractors a lot of ammunition and gave his car owner the chance to impose some draconian consequences.

Lesson #4:  You really can't get by with anything.  Busch's attitude with the officer was that he should get a pass because he was the reigning nascar champion and a professional car race driver.  He apparently underestimated the publicity this incident would generate, and the opinion of the masses.  In kindergarten, there are so many other kids watching what you are doing, it is hard to get by with anything.  If the teacher or the aid doesn't catch you, someone will tattle. 

Lesson #5:  Bad news travels faster and farther than good news.  Time for reflections:  how many times did the teacher/ principal call to tell your parents that you had misbehaved?  And how many times did they call to say you were doing a wonderful job?  Bad news is a lot more entertaining than good news.  Watch the nightly news or read a newspaper/website if you doubt this.  According to Roger Penske, Busch's new car owner, Busch will be making things right with the Maricopa Sheriff's Department and the Phoenix community.  Unfortunately, this good behavior will probably be largely ignored by the media and by a large portion of the fans will never hear of it.

Lesson #6:  Mommy can fix anything; or in other words, your family and friends are worth their weight in gold.  Busch's fiance was with him at the time he was arrested and his family was quickly summoned to the scene.  They have remained supportive of him, as has Roger Penske.  Those are the people Busch needs to send HUGE thank you's to this holiday season.  Trying to mend that bridge to Jack Roush and the sponsors wouldn't hurt either.

Kurt Busch has a long way to go to rehabilitate his image with nascar fans.  He was not a fan favorite before this year, and many who at least respected that he was 2004 Champion were disguisted with his behavior this year .

Busch will have to eat a lot of humble pie in the upcoming months.  But if he just remembers back to those lessons from kindergarten, he'll realize that the greatest stories are those in which the bad guy redeems himself in the end.

I realized I had a problem when I watched the 1999 Daytona 500 _Qualifications_ on TV.  I was craving a racing fix, and the winter without a race had been tough.

Tony Stewart was a rookie in 1999.  He earned lots of money racing, I spent lots of time watching racing. 

It was a small addiction then.  Missing a race didn't bother me (especially in the summer stretch).  Sometimes I wouldn't even know who won until a week later.  Nascar racing was available most of the year - no worries on missing a race.

Eventually, that changed when I moved and didn't have cable or satellite TV.  As the weeks went by, I missed racing again.  I needed the high of seeing stock cars race.  So, like any junkie, I found a new "dealer" = the radio.  It got me through the part of the schedule when I couldn't get the race on TV.

Years had gone by since I discovered this euphoria called racing, and I thought I had been hiding my racing problem well.  I didn't discuss racing because no one knew or cared anything about it.  I realized I had failed at hiding the amount of time I was spending on  racing when my brother bought me tickets to a race for Christmas.  "You should probably see one live sometime." he said.

My persistant- yet almost manageable - addiction was about to get a lot worse.