Another short edition of Right Sides Only. I've tried to post a longer version but it will not go through. So, just a couple of thoughts on the bombshell stories from earlier this week. Sorry, no Jamie McMurray updates, but if you search the NASCAR category I'm sure you can find 10 or 12 this week.
Petty Enterprises has sold a majority interest to an investment group, Boston Ventures. This is the best thing that could happen to the Pettys if they want to stay in racing. The Pettys have shown over the last two decades that they have no clue how to run a winning race organization. They always were famous for taking big money from their sponsors and putting little of it towards winning. The playing field changed in the early 1980s, and they didn't change with it. I'm surprised that they have survived this long.
All the other teams that want to survive have had to go to outside investors. When even Jack Roush had to do it that served as a wake up call to any others who had not done it yet. I believe Richard Childress was the first to do this. About 4 or 5 years ago RCR sold off a large minority percentage of itself to outside interests. It remains to be seen if this will be good for NASCAR or not.
I'm already sick of reading about it, but I'll throw my oppinion out there as to Mauricia Grant and her $225 million lawsuit. I feel that NASCAR has to settle this out of court and quickly. There is no way for NASCAR to come away from this smelling good. Her lawyers know that. I'm not saying who is right, and who is wrong. I don't have the facts. I do know the Duke lacrosse team went through a couple of years of hell just because of public perception. No facts were needed. NASCAR will go through much worse.
At the very least, NASCAR is once again viewed as a bunch of backwards ####, ####, hillbillies. Some of the posts I've read on Grant do nothing but confirm that as fact. People, no matter what we think, we don't know all the facts. NASCAR management does not look very professional at all if only one of her claims is true. In today's business world you have to be professional. You have to keep detailed records and reviews of your employees. You must have documentation that shows how you reacted to your employee's concerns.
This will be my only post on Grant, unless another bombshell happens. We can argue this to death, but it doesn't matter, unless NASCAR does have all that documentation, they're going down.
Good read Han. Fox sports blog must be having problems today none of my pics would load with many tries. But it is friday the 13th.
Petty finally did what they have needed to do for some time. Hopefully the influx of money will help Bobby become competitive. They have been behind the other teams in technology and money for quite a while.
I agree whole heartedly with your assessment of the lawsuit. They need to make it go away as quickly and quietly as possible. There is no win in this for NASCAR.
Everyone have a great fathers day and enjoy the race.
Hanny,
Without debating the merits of THIS case, it is well known that companies often settle for large amounts rather than drag cases like this through the court system for years at huge expense. This case may be totally valid and, if so, NASCAR should pay until they bleed BUT it is also possible that someone could see what's happened in similar cases and grab for the gold ring. In spite of the old cliche' that where there is smoke there is fire, that isn't ALWAYS the case.
It is ridiculous that organizations never learn. I've been through tons of training from lawyers who specialize in these cases in various stops along my career with some very large and well-known companies and then seen a manager get fired less than 90 days after the training for doing exactly what we are all told were offenses that created a hostile work environmnet. None of us can know the whole truth here but it certainly appears you are correct, this is a scenario where NASCAR can't possibly win in the court of public opinion so make it go away as quickly and quietly as possible no matter the cost. Good stuff as always Han.
Hanahan-glad to see mines not the only counter thats messed up if you click on it say critacle error im thinking of removinng mine and good right sides and if the Woman is telling the truth pay up I say and i agree with HR13 they will settle to keep it out of the costly court system..
Good post Hanahan. I keep hearing that NASCAR and France want to get back to the Family atmosphere that made the sport what it is, but everytime i see another team fade away due to lack of funds trying to keep up with the $$$$$$, it says differently.
I liked Lee Spencer's take on the Petty situation and the Lawsuit.
Franchising, if done right, would help everyone in NASCAR, but i dont see it happening any time soon.
Han, NASCAR is inherently presumed to be full of racist, sexist ####, even though there are plenty of ####s like myself who love it. This is the age of media perception, stereotypes, and lawsuits--lots of lawsuits. Ever see that South Park episode with Sexual Harrassment Panda, who changes his name to Dont-Sue-Everyone's-#### Panda? Where is he now?
Check out what I am up to, come support me and sign my petition to have Stern removed from office:
Everyone who thinks David Stern should be fired go sign this petition!
I am sticking to left side only bro, That way I don't hit my front tire changer when the jack gose's down. I agree on all and all the comments. takecare and I will see you at the track.
elad...would love to see Bobby contend again. I just don't think they will be able to compete with JGR, HMS, RFR, RCR, GEM, and Penske. That's a lot of cars still ahead of them on a weekly basis. Happy dad's day to you.
TWF13...Correct as usual. I find myself cringing from time to time when I hear a colleague addressing a woman direct report in a non-professional manner. Some people just don't get it.
cuda...Haven't read Lee's take yet. I'll check it out. Petty has been calling for franchising for years. Funny that the deep pocket teams never bring it up.
Its on the main Fox NASCAR page down near Kristen's Hot-or-Not pics.
BTW, stop by my blog and check out the GGW post-race party from last weeks race... and bring a banana. It's a bit long, but you're in it, so i thought you'd like to know.
Hanahan...sorry so late to post. Good stuff as always and still from vacation no less! Impressive!
I wouldn't doubt some of her claims, during my first weekend in the garage I was told the only reason Kurt and crew is so nice to me is b/c I have boobs, and I was asking 3 officials questions about tech inspection and they asked me who I was etc and the first thing they launched into was could I help them with their marriage so they could get their wives to let them sleep with other women, hopefully me and went on and on laughing about it.
Now I can play that off, esp. if I think I might be able to get some good scoops for us (!!) but to work in that day after day would be really annoying. Not saying anythign specific about this case but just thought I would offer my experiences.
I am hoping to get an interview with one of Ryan Newman's mechanics who is a woman and will get her take on it too.
Kristen,
That kind of stuff infuriates me and it reinforces her claims from the standpoint of it just being standard operating procedure. Hope they nail them for the full amount if her allegations are proven which I suspect they will be. Maybe you should testify for her side and garner a 10% share or something then give me 10% of your 10% for suggesting it. Sounds like a win-win-win to me - you??? Seriously, that is so unacceptable and should be dealt with as severely as the law allows. Thanks for sharing.
Oh another thing I wanted to promote...just not big enough for me to do a blog about it!!
There is a TV show on the travel channel called "Lawrence of America", a British guy going throughout the States and he has one in NC and all about NASCAR. It is a riot!!!
TWFMAOE- I am still trying to figure out what your new name stands for...but anyway, thanks for the support. I think its their "old school" and ignorant way of flirting, it didnt feel hostile but boy could it easily go there if I didnt play along I bet. Lets see 10% of 10% of bucketloads would be....hmmmmm....
Kristen,
Well I sc rew ed up my new screen name and couldn't change it but it is for:
The World's Foremost Authority On Everything
just got that extra M for most in there and couldn't get it out - I'm not a smart man you know - lol Great weather in San Fran now huh? My son just got back to Indiana last night for a weekend wedding and said it has been perfect out there - no not HIS wedding - thank goodness
BTW my cut would be $2,250,000 while yours would be $22,500,000. I'm not a greedy man either you know.
kris....sorry to hear that that kind of behavior is still so widespread in the garage. It's not surprising though. It could be stopped if NASCAR wanted to stop it.
TWFAOE- There...I got your name *right* LOL!! We are indeed having amazing weather here although looks purty toasty for Sonoma race weekend. Ok, I can spare that $$ for ya.
Hanahan- Looks like Nascar is trying to stop it! I think its very hard for women who want to fit in. I can joke around with the best of them at my expense for a bit but once you start laughing with them its hard to step in and tell them they have crossed the line, takes a lot of assertiveness to do so...I can understand how those situations can get out of control fast.
Han - In your short RSO you hit on the big scoops ofthe week anyway. For Petty's sake, I hope that the investment group will pay back some dividends for the team in terms of better success on the track each week.
As for the lawsuit...you hit the nail on the head...don't think that we'll ever know all the facts, but sure doesnt help NASCAR's image any.
I don't have the firsthand experience Kristen does but, as I said on my blog, I want to call B.S. on a lot of things in the case solely because (and this is nearly verbatim from what I said) the lawsuit itself actually reads like a joint press release between the NAACP and the Women's Lib movement. She may very well be telling the truth, but based on how it reads I have to say it sounds like she has a very large political agenda. Point #23 in the lawsuit is a perfect example:
"... insidious and pervasive race discrimination reflective of a former, uglier era in our nation’s history when Blacks were denied the most fundamental civil rights, including equal protection under the law. Such conduct should have been eradicated from the workplace long ago."
I'm not saying she's lying, I'm just saying things like that make it sound shady to me.
IM,
That's just lawyer talk meaning you guys sc rew ed up big time and you better pay up - don't waste hundreds of thousands of more dollars trying to fight us because we have you by the tenderest part of the male anatomy - lol.
