Backfire

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4.13.2006

by Terrell Davis

Racing in Jericho

If the walls in turns one and two at Highland Rim Speedway aren’t properly repaired in the very near future, drivers and fans could give the tough quarter-mile track a new nickname…Jericho…as in the walls came tumbling down.

Track owner Larry Gerleve was forced to cancel the April 8th races at the track located in Ridgetop, Tennessee after an Open Wheel Modified that was attempting a qualifying run, slammed into the turn one wall ripping a huge section out. As the wall collapsed, the racecar flew outside the track and landed on a pickup truck in the parking lot. Reportedly, the racecar’s throttle stuck causing it to hit the wall. In addition to the wall, two light poles and a section of catch fence were also damaged.

The walls in turns one and two have given way several times over the past few years and were, according to what Gerleve said at the end of last season, scheduled to be replaced during the off season. Obviously the new walls were not replaced, but patched instead.

Highland Rim is a historic track that has been in operation for a long time, but its fences can’t stand to many more hits….nor can its reputation. Let’s hope track management will make necessary repairs before drivers, for their own safety, are forced to race somewhere else.

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MCM rainouts just a part of racing

The rains came and then they came again. For the second week in a row, foul weather forced the Music City Motorplex at the Fairgrounds to cancel its Friday night stockcar races.

But, as the track’s promoter, Joe Mattioli, said, “There’s not much that can be done about races being rained out, so why worry?”

And, in the big picture, the rains proved to be only a minor inconvenience to race participants and fans. Many families can’t say the same thing as storms in Tennessee and some surrounding states have, over the past two weeks, taken their toll in property damage, and unfortunately, life.

So, the next time a race is rained out, don’t complain. In the scheme of things, as we have been reminded recently, rainouts really aren’t a big deal.

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Martin truckin’ with Ford

Mark Martin has finished first, first, second and fourth in his four starts in the NASCAR Truck Series so far this year, and that got Ford excited about the possibility of out pointing Toyota to win the manufacturer's championship in that series.

So Ford asked Martin to add at least seven more races to the seven Truck races he'd planned to run. And that, for Martin, presented an opportunity for negotiations.

"I used that as a tool to get my deal in place for 2007 and 2008," said Martin, who plans to run full time in the Truck Series after leaving full-time Cup competition after this year.

"I said, 'There won't be more unless ... you do commit to '07 and '08. Then I'll do seven more and look at the possibility of others."

Martin said he will not do any triple-header weekends where he'll race in the Truck, Busch and Cup series at the same track.

"It's way too much," he said.

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Confrontation now a part of NASCAR’s PR formula

It’s not difficult to see a rub or two in a NASCAR race. Drivers see them and they let them go. Occasionally they really do get angry, but often as not, the anger is more controlled than the drivers admit. Week after week, one driver gets hot at another for bumping, cutting off, mouthing, crashing (okay, that one may be legit) or generally doing something that makes another driver mad enough to say something or do a little something…a push, a shove, a half hearted confrontation. And guess where the drivers end up? That’s right bunko….as the lead to most racing stories for the remainder of the week and right up to the next race when two other drivers get their turn in the spotlight.

But with all the spotlight and press these drivers get, they are really not doing their sponsors justice. Other than the logos and company names that are sewn on their uniforms, during these little tizzy fits, there isn’t one mention of their money spending sponsors. How ungrateful can they be?

At the very least after the Texas race, Greg Biffle should have told Kurt Busch that he was going to get a bunch of National Guardsmen and shove a Subway down his no driving throat.

Busch, on the other hand could have gotten a plug or two in for his sponsor by telling Biffle to go grab a cool, tall Miller Light and cool off.

Now, doesn’t that make more sense than just calling each other names like a couple of middle school kids at recess?

I mean come on guys, if you’re gonna act out these PR stunts, you’ve really got to start thinking of your sponsors.

Malcolm in the Middle

That’s Malcolm, as in Malcolm West, and he is in the middle of all kinds of racing related activities. He works for Brewco Motorsports, he travels to a lot of races, and he still manages to squeeze in some track announcing duties at Music City Motorplex, Nashville Superspeedway and a race or two a year at Memphis Motorsports Park. And, there is the radio show that he does at 7 pm Sunday nights live from the Motorplex on one of the nation’s premier radio stations, WSM. Race fans, as well as country music fans in 28 states can hear the pleasant, slightly southern accent saying, “Hi, I’m Malcolm West and this is Race Night on WSM.”

If Malcolm sounds like he is a busy man, that’s because he is. In next week’s RDMTRN, we’ll tell you how Malcolm landed smack dab in the middle of the racing business when we profile “Malcolm in the Middle”.

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John Andretti; more than his name implies

One doesn’t think of anyone named Andretti as being a rookie at anything racing related. After all, the name is one of the most recognizable in any sport. In American racing circles, the Andretti name ranks right in there with Petty and Foyt. Worldwide, the Andretti name is likely the most recognizable in any sport.

So, how does someone named Andretti, whose godfather is A J Foyt, end up as a rookie in the NASCAR Busch Series after having successfully driven sprint cars, Indy cars and, of course, NASCAR’s Nextel Stock cars?

“Well, I’m a rookie because I’ve never raced in the series,” he said matter-of-factly at a recent Nashville Superspeedway press luncheon.

Andretti, who drives for ppc Racing, is third in the Busch Series rookie-of-the-year standings and says he feels his team is “getting better ever race”.

Andretti came to NASCAR’s Cup Series from the open wheel racing ranks shortly after another open wheel driver, Jeff Gordon, became a huge success in the world of stock car racing beginning in the early 1990’s. He had moderate success driving for several NASCAR legends including Cale Yarbrough, Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. Along the way he won two Cup races.

In addition to the two cup wins, his career highlights include:
• First driver to compete in Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 on same day (1994)
• Finished fifth in 1991 Indianapolis 500
• Co-drove to Rolex 24 victory at Daytona International Speedway in 1989
• Versatile driver who also has competed in Sprint Cars, Champ Cars and NHRA Top-Fuel dragsters

And while he would like to return to the Nextel Cup Series, he says he’s content in the Busch Series, where he feels he has a “top-ten” car that is capable of winning “sometimes this season”.

Our final impression of Andretti….he is a top level racer that is capable of driving his equipment to its maximum capabilities.

He does, as we say in the south, the name “Andretti” proud.