As a response to Forensic's blog about the new car looking eerily similar to the cars used in the Australian V8 Supercar series, I thought I might share with you guys (and girls) another idea NASCAR might want to consider borrowing from us; a new rule.
Now I know what you're thinking, "there's too many freaking rules and no consistancy...the last thing we need is another rule, Tez!" and, ordinarily, you'd be spot on.
However, this ain't no ordinary rule that got introduced at the last round held in Darwin. No, this rule put the V8 Supercar series on the map as the only sport where the competitors are allowed to criticise the officials (and fellow competitors) without getting a fine or a points deduction.
Oh, so you're interested now are you? Think that sounds pretty good huh?
Well, allow me to clarify it then.
Before the first race on the Saturday (the V8's have rounds, consisting of 2 or 3 races as opposed to a single race on the Sunday), the head honchos of the series dragged all the teams behind semi-closed doors (some of the media were allowed in) and told everyone that they were going to drop the shackles they had felt for years, namely fear of being charged with bringing the sport into disrepute, and that they were allowed to speak their minds freely and frequently.
It took all of four corners into the first race before we got the pleasure of seeing this rule come into effect.
Mark Winterbottom got turned around by Will Davison and collected Russell Ingall (the 2005 series Champion. His nickname is 'The Enforcer' and he's never been backwards in coming forwards...Tony Stewart reminds me a lot of him actually) in the process. Ingall slammed both drivers, saying things like; "They can't drive, what are they thinking on lap one?" and "If this is where the sport's future is, we're all in deep trouble."
Suddenly, we had a completely new angle to look at the V8's from and the headlines became; "The Gloves Come Off!" and "The Old Guard verses the Young Guns!"
We had fresh excitement back in the series...and it added a whole new (and ####y) dimension to the racing since you knew that the drivers weren't going to hold back anymore when a microphone got shoved in their face after crashing out.
Now, let's compare that to NASCAR. All the talk about how boring the drivers are starting to become and how refreshing it is whenever Tony (or Kyle Busch) say what's on their minds...and they usually wind up apologising to everyone and being fined, all for saying the things that we, the fans, were probably shouting at the TV (and at the track) not a few minutes earlier.
If you have doubts, just imagine what Denny Hamlin might have said had he been given free reign after being wrecked by Tony at Daytona a couple races ago...mmm, I thought you'd see things my way.
So I'm telling you, if NASCAR want to copy the Aussie V8's, go ahead...just make sure you take this rule too as I reckon it'll win a truckload of points with the fans.
I like it ! NASCAR has always been strong on mouthing off cause they try to say its a family sport. You got 43 cars racing as fast as they can and as close as a papper clip and on the ferge of out of control at 190 MPH and yes maybe death. So even the GENTALMEN START YOUR ENGINES is wrong. That's not a place I want my very young child tobe at. Im sure a few saw the crash of Dale Sr. Plus if they say anything bad about NASCAR they get dock points too.
Dale Jr in victory lane was so happy about the win he slip a few words and for most adults and any die hard nascar fan it was ok, nascar dock him 100 points for being happy really and the race was over. ROBOTS talking to the mic's.
Tez - I loved reading this, I could tell you had some passion behind it. Since you brought up Tony mostly, I listened to his talk show on Sirius the other night and Darrell Waltrip called in. Darrell told Tony that his biggest asset was his biggest liability - which is his passion for racing. It was a really good part of the show, and I think true fans appreciate him and the fact that he IS afforded the opportunity to speak his mind.
However, all drivers ARE welcomed to the NASCAR trailer when there is an issue, and I don't think that will ever change.
JJ was right on Jr.s penalty of 25 points. None of the drivers have been fined on their comments but it seems NASCAR or the owners finds other ways to dock the drivers for dissing the powers such as the case of Kyle Busch.
Good idea on that rule change.. Now what about the grid gals.. Don't need to be on the track. They can be in the stands with me.. HE HE
Forensic; no grid girls....photo has nicked them all :P
JJD; no idea about NASCAR, but Craig Lowndes got forced to apologise after last years Gold Coast round or risk losing points which would have cost him a shot of winning the title going into the final round....needless to say, he apologised :P
photo; ok, you can have the V8 grid girls while I get the Gold Coast Indy ones, lol
and correct me if I'm wrong about Tony (Lori I know you probably will, lol), but didn't he get fined earlier this year for something he said on his radio station?
Getting fined isn't the same as docking points. People in all walks of sport get fined for criticizing officials but they don't get their results impacted.
Jay - July 9 2002, Kurt Busch was not fined by NASCAR for bad mouthing NASCAR over his car radio, but was penalized 3 laps from that race, droping him to a 31 in that Pepsi 400. Thats points taken away. Why do the drivers always apologise the next day or two. You dont get told what is said in the NASCAR hauler when bad boys go after races.
Yeah I got the points wrong on Jr, still was bad for them todo that for saying #### Dale Jarret slip and said hell that night and nothing was done about that.
Tez, I guess my point is threatening to take points away and actually doing it are two different things. Is that a regular thing in the Supercars or an isolated incident? What I was trying to say is that, for example, Phil Jackson rips the referees the NBA fines him $25k, but they don't take any of the Lakers' wins away.
Good call on the Kurt Busch-incident, Forensic, but I still don't think NASCAR would ever take away points (in the literal sense) from a driver or owner just because they criticized NASCAR or their officials. Tony Stewart would have gotten the biggest penalty ever for saying the rigged the sport, otherwise, don't you think?
Your right on that Jay- Tony would be the bigest one for fines on that. They are not even to say that goodyear had a bad tire at track. Jr even mock them once in a race that had tire issues, them being one and a few others, Goodyear was quick to say the team must have too much camber in the front wheel, One team had a rear go too after they said that during the race.lol. opps. They had intervie Jr after his second blow out took him out of race. He started to walk away and yelled back in the camera GOODYEAR brought a good tire. I do think it is a nospeak thing anyway.
ahh, fair enough I get your point, JJD. I'm not sure if it is a "usual" thing or not....while I get decent coverage living in NZ we don't hear all the little going ons since the series is in Aussie. We only got the Lowndes one since it was high profile.
One would *hope* they wouldn't just threaten them with points and not back it up....however, the V8's are rather different to NASCAR so you never know, lol.
Mind you, the two leading teams this year were nearly thrown out as it was rumoured they are owned by the same person (everyone knows they are, and they just stuck a different name on the front page, lol). In V8's one cannot own more than 1 team (so only 2 cars)....wonder how that would go down in NASCAR if (say) HMS and RCR got booted out, lol
I should clarify that; they must have put the same name for both teams instead of a different one like they usually do....someone needed to check the bill before it got posted :P
To all the fine NASCAR fans. Tony was fined for not showing up at the post race press conference ( he finished 3rd.) Just looked like he was drug into the yellow trailer at 6:00 am for the penalty.. That was to chew him a new rear end for his mouth.
Tez is a rare creature; an Australian who was living in New Zealand before moving to Canada. He's also a Civil Engineer who is hoping to spend his Monday to Friday sitting in front of a computer surfing the inter...uh, working hard for an Engineering Consultant or Contractor when he finds a job. His heart is torn between his two loves; F1 and NASCAR.
Due to his high interest in those, his blogs will likely focus on them with the occasional foray into sports that don't get much (if any) mention on this website. All blogs and/or comments will more than likely have his usual dollop of sarcasm and general Aussie spin on them.
Amazingly, he also managed to score 2 MiB nominations on consecutive days (August 5 & 6, 2007) after announcing he had been keeping track of them...he's considering hiding under his bed as a result.
