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Focus on 'Bigger' Reveals Bigger NASCAR Problem

An Opinion



May 29, 2009

By Rebecca Gladden

Rebecca Gladden



The Coca-Cola 600 is supposed to be one of the biggest races in the NASCAR season.

In his race preview last week, Kurt Busch described it as a "prestigious" event and one of the sport's "crown jewels."

So how come the hottest topic after this week's running of the Coca-Cola 600 wasn't the race itself, but a minor pit road spat between Tony Stewart and a relatively unknown crew member from Michael Waltrip Racing?

No doubt part of the reason was that FOX Sports stayed on the air all afternoon Monday during a couple of long rain delays at Charlotte and was desperate for just about anything to fill all that air time.

So, at one point, cameras spotted Tony Stewart and David Reutimann having what appeared to be an amicable chat on pit road. But, as Stewart turned to walk away, a member of Reutimann's crew approached the duo and apparently added his two cents to the discussion.

That's when Stewart's demeanor changed from friendly to testy and the two exchanged words. Reutimann tried to gently guide Stewart away from the fray, but the crew member - later revealed to be No. 00 team member Dwayne Bigger - knelt down in front of Stewart, sarcastically kissing the ground Stewart walks on.

As he was strapping back into his car a few minutes later, Stewart told FOX's Matt Yocum that the conversation with Reutimann concerned the fact that Tony felt David was racing him too hard too early in the race: "There's 43 of us out here and we all have to work together, and he's having a hard time understanding that , I think. I mean, he says he gets it, but if he gets it, he's holding up a whole line of cars every time they get to him and it just gets frustrating. And then he's got a bald crew guy down there that wants to jump up there and be 'Billy Bad Butt,' and maybe he needs to ride in there with him, since they both seem to have it all figured out together."

Within minutes, the incident was a hot topic among fans on the internet and was the lead story on several NASCAR-related websites after the race. Video of the incident quickly found its way to YouTube, while a cottage industry of 'Billy Bad Butt' merchandise sprang up literally overnight.

Part of the reason this story has legs is because of the two colorful characters involved - with Bigger mock-worshipping at Stewart's feet and Tony's creative and spontaneous moniker for Dwayne.

But the 'bigger' problem, it seems to me, is the fact that the race itself was so very boring. Kyle Busch, who started on the outside pole, took the lead from polesitter Ryan Newman on lap 3 and stayed out front for most of the next 200 or so laps, until rain forced the race to be halted. Busch finished sixth while Reutimann, who stayed out during the final caution, was declared the winner, though he hadn't led a single lap under green. Stewart was running ahead of Reutimann at the time the pit road incident occurred, but finished 19th.

NASCAR has had a persistent problem with boring races at the mile and a half tracks, exacerbated by the COT. The car that gets out front with clean air on the nose pulls away from the pack, and more often than not, it happens to be Kyle Busch, who's led 798 laps so far this season (Jeff Gordon is second with just 496). Under these conditions, the majority of passing for the lead takes place on pit road.

But beyond the lackluster races, NASCAR fans are absolutely ravenous for someone to inject some real personality back into this sport - be it a good argument, some genuine hostility, or an old-fashioned all-out rivalry.

They used to say rubbing is racing, but these days it seems racing is apologizing, as drivers apparently don't want anyone to be 'mad' at them for too long.

And that's the one thing NASCAR should be apologizing for - and remedying.




You can contact Rebecca at.. Insider Racing News



You Can Read Other Articles By Rebecca

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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