February 11, 2004

45, 43, 38, I'm not talking pistols here folks.

Good Day.. Entertainment Tonight Fans, notice I didn't say Racing fans. Racing fans are a breed that has seemingly been left out of NASCAR’s playbook of the future.

I noticed today that there were 45 cars entered for the “Great American Race.” What a bunch of Howdy Doody! I have seen 50+ cars entered in the Daytona 500 many times. It appears that there will be fewer than 43 cars, real cars, not field fillers, in some races this season. What does this bode for the future of our beloved entertainment?

I also read that NASCAR is considering making 38 cars a “Full Field.” And this comes from a “Racing” organization that once started 50+ cars at a race in Talladega. I'll admit this was a major mistake on NASCAR’s part, because one of the nicest drivers ever, died in this “Cluster Flop.”

In case you “New Fans” don't know, this was Dewayne “Tiny” Lund, the winner of the 1963 Daytona 500 in the No. 21 Wood Brothers car. Lund took over for a driver who he had pulled out of a burning race car a couple of weeks before the 500. “Tiny” was a true Southern Gentleman and a darn good race driver. He had one chance at a first class car and he made the most of it. He also ran the entire race on one set of Firestones. That's right, one set of Firestones.

If you ever get a chance to look at the cars they ran in that period, you will realize that these guys were real drivers. "Stock Cars" were a whole lot different then. I would like to put the "Young Pop Guns" in one of them and listen to the whining over the radios after about 200 miles. I can't think of one of these guys that would even get in one, much less try to drive one 500 miles.

Enough history lessons for today. NASCAR is considering this move to do a CYA maneuver in its contract with the real arbiters of racing today, the television networks. If NASCAR doesn't have a “full field” it has to pay back a large chunk of cash to the network covering the “race.” Voila, call 38 cars a “full field” and you are home free.

If this doesn't occur, this opens up a great opportunity for ___________________ (fill in the name of your favorite field filler here). Send in your entry, be there on Thursday, pass inspection, make a half-a-       - ed attempt at qualification, and start the race. Then all you have to do is run a couple of laps, pull in to the pits with “rear-end problems”, go pick up your check, and leave before the crowds. What a sweet heart deal!

I can see it now, ______________ (fill in the name of your favorite field filler) strikes a deal with the ___________________Racing Team (fill in your favorite multi-car team here) to be the 4th, 5th, 6th, etc. team for the multi-car team and the multi-car team doesn’t even have to claim it. This would be great in the final “Playoff” 10 race series. You could have another road block out there to cover for your guy.

Also this would allow the ______________Racing Team (fill in your favorite multi-car team here) to have a lot of free testing days also. It would even be better testing than having one of your team cars out there risking its position in the points. And your chauffer wouldn't complain about testing being so boring and taking up so much of his valuable time.

Let “Mr. Field Filler” test engines, rear ends, body mods., etc. If it doesn’t work, it's no big deal for your teams. “Mr. Field Filler” has taken the money, tested your pieces, and your cars have not blown up and cost you points. A great deal for all concerned.

Do I sound like a conspiracy nut? You want to bet that the__________Racing Team (fill in the name of your favorite racing team here) hasn’t been thinking the same things? If you think not, I have some ocean front property in Talladega that I will sell you real cheap.

As to the why's of short fields, it all comes down to money! There isn’t enough of it available to go around. NASCAR has priced itself out of the market. Why is it that when there were many more teams, there were only a few that won, sort of like today, that there was never a talk of short fields? There were short fields, but no one cared much. It didn't take millions of dollars to run a year and even the smaller teams could make enough money to get to the next race.

When Jack Roush, DEI, and other big names can’t even get anyone to put up the big bucks required to sponsor a top-flight car, it sorta’ makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What is wrong with this picture?

Big companies are getting tired of no coverage, except when they pay the networks to talk about their cars, and performances not up to their expectations. The bottom line is the determining factors when advertising dollars are passed out. And NASCAR isn’t the bottom line biggie it used to be in the days before big-time TV contracts.

I used to be against spec car racing. But if that is what it takes to get NASCAR back to some good racing, so be it! And if you think I mean that, you have been smoking the back yard again.

Back to qualifying, I saw an article on a site, which shall remain nameless, that asked the question, “What does it take to qualify?” In Thursday's "Twin 125's"' all it will take is to finish in front of 1 or 2 cars, depending on which "Twin" you are in. Everywhere else the answer is simply, “SHOW UP!”

Those are my thoughts on the subject, what are yours? I like the come-backs I get.

College Spring Football practice stats next week! AW-right!

You can send feedback to Rob at: Insider Racing News

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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. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.

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