The Colorado license plate gives away the final destination. Other transporters leave the racetrack and head east on the Interstate, toward North Carolina and the hub of NASCAR nation. But the brown and black truck turns west, on the lonely road toward the only Nextel Cup shop nestled on the front range of the Rocky Mountains.
Furniture Row is owned by Barney Visser, a Denver-based businessman who has fielded cars on NASCAR's top circuit since 2005. The attempt to go full-time has been a difficult one, with the team making just 10 events this season. The organization split with driver Kenny Wallace after the Aug. 12 race at Watkins Glen, failed to make Michigan with Scott Wimmer in the seat, and will have Sterling Marlin in the No. 78 car for this weekend's event at Bristol.
"The common thought is, there are a lot of negative things, maybe all negative things, about being out in that area. What we're finding is, there are some positives," Team Manager Joe Garone said. "Once you have your people, and whether you train them or whether you hire them, once they're there, they're more apt to be focused more on their program. They don't have any race teams there to be interrupting their work or their thought process.
"We've gotten some people from some big organizations to come here, and they were in the same boat that I was -- tired of being in the rat race in Mooresville, where people are jumping ship all the time and all that," Crew Chief Jay Guy said. "This is kind of refreshing, because there are no other race teams around here on this level. You can work on a lot of projects and keep secrets that will help the car go fast from getting out by lunchtime."
They rave about the skiing, and the landscape, and the fact that you don't bump into employees from other shops in line at the grocery store. But the distance clearly presents hurdles, most of them logistical for a team much father removed from eastern races than its competitors. Cars are prepared not two weeks out, but four weeks. Parts have to be ordered a week earlier than they would be for a team based near Charlotte, where many of the sport's vendors are located as well. Cars have to be loaded a day earlier on the transporters, which have to depart the race shop a day earlier than their eastern counterparts.
"The location is not a problem at all, because we have both trucks running up and down the road," Guy said. "You just have to have enough good people in place to where your stuff is done a little ahead of everybody else. Anywhere from like Texas west, we're a lot closer than anybody else."
"Some people, and I've found this surprising, would rather live in Denver than in North Carolina. A lot of skiers and a lot of people who like that dry air. It's not been a bad deal."
"Obviously, you want to compete to run up front," Guy said. "But you've got to be realistic with your goals. Lately, we've fallen short on our goals in qualifying, and haven't really been able to work on anything race-related. But we've got a seven-post shaker machine installed [in Denver], and we're working on that a little better, the guys in the engine shop are working harder and harder to get us more horsepower.
14Falcons
There's been more partings within NASCAR as of late than there were at the parting of the Red Sea by Moses.
Can't say that one couldn't see it coming as if it weren't about talent. It was about the sponsors not being satisfied with the results of the teams they were involved with.
And if it wasn't about drivers not being satisfied wih the way they were being treated. Then it was about certain cliques within teams and allegations of favoritism.
It's everything that NASCAR could wish for and more ! As it adds intensity and more interest amongst the fans as to what's going on within the sport.
tophatal
Last edited by tophatal on August 24th at 11:35 AM.
I know logistically N.C. is the optimun place to have a team headquartered but the idea of open spaces and the mountain air can certainly have a more attractive benefit for the team. Just a bit more costly in transportation logistics.
A down side on the Furniture Row Team being so far west is they don't get the latest scoops or insider information on car set ups from the other teams loose mouths.
Ideally, Kansas City might make the most since logisitcally. However, the best people are in NorthCarolina and want to stay there for upward mobility in their careers.
Today's DNQ says it all.
Goodbye Sterling Marlin. I have had enough. You should have gone Busch racing with Armando Fitz and your son Steadman two years ago.
He did have a terrible draw. But he has put himself in this situation by making poor choices over the last few years in my opinion. I have been as patient as I can. Choosing to drive for a team that can not give you good enough equipment to make a race is a very poor business decision in my opinion. After 14 years this is the last straw.
I wish he would have retired with dignity from Cup racing after 05. He also did a dis-service to his son in my opinion by not giving him his best chance ever at decent equipment. I will pull for him when he makes races at this point as a second favorite. But my wife swore me in as a Jamie McMurray fan over pizza at dinner. Jamie now has a contract through 2012 with me.
Last edited by 14Falcons on August 24th at 7:00 PM.
Falc - Reading it, they say how they got to load the car up a day before eveyone else and miss an extra day to work on cars, Then it say's how its ok cause we got 2 trucks.
It seems they say why its so bad to have shop far away, then say how they can cope with it.
No, it doesn't and will not show. I do not understand why they don't just run a serious Busch team. I had a tough time last year when Kenny Wallace was my favorite Busch driver, dealing with the fact that so many Herman fans were pulling for him in Cup too and I just couldn't do that with him driving for Furniture Row. The team just wasn't and isn't a serious contender in my opinion.
I hate Sterling is choosing to end his career this way. It lacks dignity.
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