There’s an old saying “with adversity comes opportunity”.

NASCAR has blown it before by perpetuating boring races. When something happens they come down hard on the drivers and teams and the results are bland and boring races. Didn’t we read and hear that the NASCAR brass want the drivers to be themselves? Now let’s see if they mean it.

Sure a competitor parking a driver as a form of payback is pretty much the norm in NASCAR ever since it started 50 years ago. And yes it’s very risky to pull it off on a super-speedway like Atlanta. But, we don’t think that Edwards meant to send Keselowski airborne. Luckily, nobody got hurt. So the punishment should fit the crime. It will be interesting to see what the NASCAR kluge decides.

Kurt Busch won the Cup race at Atlanta. And JJ wasn’t in the winners circle. Dale Jr. won the pole but had a lousy finish.

The first two things were great and the second was not so good.

While all of the seats were not full at Atlanta, the crowd didn’t look too bad.

On another ratings item, StockCarGazette.com linked a Boston Examiner story which tells of fans blaming the NASCAR TV ratings drop to Jimmy Johnson long string of wins from last season right up to the present. We agree with this hypothesis.

The race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which was broadcast on FOX, received an overnight TV rating of 4.1/8, down 25 percent from last year’s 5.5/10. Why such a sudden drop? The Shelby American 400 was running up against the gold medal hockey game in the Vancouver Winter Olympics, which received an overnight rating of 17.6/33. According to StockCarGazette.com.

The race improved by 20 percent in ratings once the hockey game was over, going from a 4.2/8 to 5.0/9 within 30 minutes. NASCAR has had three races run up against the Olympics this season, with the ratings down 14 percent in comparison to previous years.

Last weekend’s race at Atlanta Motor Speedway was the first race that is not competing with the Olympics.

This one came from AutoRacingSport.com. Going head-to-head for television viewers with the Olympic gold-medal hockey game between the United States and Canada, the Sprint Cup Series race Sunday garnered a 4.1 overnight rating on Fox, the SportsBusiness Daily reported. The rating was 25 percent lower than last year’s 5.5 overnight rating for the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The hockey game earned a 17.6 overnight rating. It’s going to see what happens to the NASCAR ratings when they don’t have to go up against the Winter Olympics.

Here’s another item from AutoRacingSport.com. Speed TV pit reporter and former Motor Racing Network announcer Adam Alexander will take over as play-by-play announcer for TNT’s coverage of NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series this summer, ThatsRacin.com and The Charlotte Observer learned that Alexander replaces veteran Bill Weber. Weber was removed from the broadcast team following a controversial off-track incident during the June race weekend in New Hampshire last season.

Multiple sources confirmed Alexander as TNT’s choice and that other changes to TNT’s crew could be in store when the official announcement is made later this week. TNT spokesman Jeff Pomeroy would not confirm Alexander’s hiring and said the network was not in position to make an announcement at this time.

The familiar faces of Bob Varsha, David Hobbs and Steve Matchett once again will lead the SPEED/FOX Sports Formula One broadcast team as SPEED rolls into its 15th year as the exclusive U.S. cable broadcaster of the FIA Formula One World Championship, beginning with live coverage of the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix on March 14 at 7:30 a.m. ET. One face, however, will be new to the U.S. viewing audience.

Will Buxton, the 29-year-old founding editor of GPWeek magazine, will report from the grid, replacing Peter Windsor, whose efforts remain focused on his start-up US F1 project.

“First up, I’ve got to admit that I’m just massively excited about the whole thing,” said Buxton, who will join the team shortly after he and wife Emma welcome their first child. “It’s a huge honor to be joining the SPEED team, and in particular to be doing so at the start of what could be an incredible era in the history of Formula 1.

“F1 is a bit of a soap opera at times,” Buxton added. “As a journalist it’s what makes the sport such a joy to report on. There’s always something going on in the background, and I won’t shy away from doing my best to get to the heart of every issue. That said, I don’t think that my job at SPEED is simply to report the news. Far from it. As one of the lucky few who can actually get into the F1 paddock, I think that probably my biggest responsibility is to open it all up to the American fans: to invite them in, sit them down, introduce them to a few people and show them what’s going on. It’s the fans that make this sport, so my job is to give them the access they deserve.”

According to Varsha, the SPEED team is welcoming its newest member with open arms.

“It’s always a good sign when a job interview turns into a ‘bench racing’ session that goes beyond the appointed time,” Varsha said. “That’s what we shared with Will when he visited our SPEED studios. Despite being the youngest member of our lineup, he’s a veteran of television and print with experience of both Formula One and GP2. I look forward to working with him on what should be another thrilling and unpredictable grand prix season.”

Buxton, from Great Britain, served as the GP2 press officer from 2004 to the end of the 2007 season, and was sole communications/media representative for 2006 and 2007 He has been covering single-seater racing (F1, GP2, F2 and F3) since 2002. Westbury Gillett will fill in for Buxton for the first few races of the season.

In 2010, SPEEDtv.com will increase its Formula One offerings, highlighted by a new fantasy game — SPEED Fantasy Racing: GP Edition — and a selection of video clips from practice, qualifying and race coverage. In addition SPEEDtv.com will introduce an enhanced stats package and continue with RaceCast timing and scoring from all sessions, as well as providing Matchett’s popular post-event “Chalk Talk” wrap-ups.

SPEED will air 15 races live, complete with practice and qualifying coverage, and for the fourth year, FOX will air four consecutive events, beginning with the Canadian Grand Prix, using the same on-air team. Practice and qualifying for those four events will be live on SPEED. Formula One broadcast schedule (subject to change; late night/early morning airings are listed as part of ‘broadcast day’):

Bahrain Grand Prix

· Practice – March 12, 6 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – March 13, 6 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – March 14, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Australian Grand Prix

· Practice – March 25, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – March 26, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – March 27, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

Malaysian Grand Prix

· Practice – April 1, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – April 2, 4 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – April 3, 3:30 a.m. ET, Live

Chinese Grand Prix

· Practice – April 15, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – April 16, 2 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – April 17, 2:30 a.m. ET, Live

Spanish Grand Prix

· Practice – May 7, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – May 8, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – May 9, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Grand Prix of Monaco

· Practice – May 13, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – May 15, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – May 16, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Turkish Grand Prix

· Practice – May 28, 7 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – May 29, 7 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – May 30, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Canadian Grand Prix

· Practice – June 11, 2 p.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – June 12, 4:30 p.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – June 13, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/ 9 to 11 a.m. PT, Live on FOX

European Grand Prix

· Practice – June 25, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – June 26, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – June 27, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/9 to 11 a.m. PT, SDD on FOX

British Grand Prix

· Practice – July 9, 9 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – July 10, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – July 11, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/9 to 11 a.m. PT, SDD on FOX

German Grand Prix

· Practice – July 23, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – July 24, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – July 25, Noon to 2 p.m. ET/9 to 11 a.m. PT, SDD on FOX

Hungarian Grand Prix

· Practice – July 30, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – July 31, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – August 1, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Belgian Grand Prix

· Practice – August 27, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – August 28, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – August 29, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Italian Grand Prix

· Practice – September 10, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – September 11, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – September 12, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Singapore Grand Prix

· Practice – September 24, 9:30 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – September 25, 10 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – September 26, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Japanese Grand Prix

· Practice – October 7, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – October 8, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – October 9, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

Korean Grand Prix

· Practice – October 21, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – October 22, 1 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – October 23, 1:30 a.m. ET, Live

Brazilian Grand Prix

· Practice – November 5, Noon, Live

· Qualifying – November 6, Noon, Live

· Race Coverage – November 7, 11 a.m. ET, Live

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

· Practice – November 12, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Qualifying – November 13, 8 a.m. ET, Live

· Race Coverage – November 14, 7:30 a.m. ET, Live

Racing luminaries Dale Armstrong, Joie Chitwood, Alan Kulwicki, Jeremy McGrath, Ken Squier, Jerry Titus and Rich Vogler will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America when the organization stages its annual induction ceremony on Aug. 25, 2010 at The Fillmore Detroit.
“The Motorsports Hall of Fame Class of 2010 features champion drivers who doubled as an innovative crew chief, a showman and stunt man, a race team owner and a magazine editor. Joining them are an all-time win leader in sprint cars and midgets, a ground breaking broadcaster and a legendary Supercross rider whose nickname was ‘Showtime.’ Their exploits on and around the race tracks of America make them true hall of famers,” said Ron Watson, president of the Hall of Fame.
2010 MSHFA Inductee Dale ArmstrongDale Armstrong – Credited with numerous innovations in drag racing technology, Armstrong was the first crew chief to use wind tunnels for improved aerodynamics. This mechanical genius tuned Kenny Bernstein to four consecutive Funny Car championships in 1985-1988, plus a total of 28 national event wins. Later, with Bernstein in the Top Fuel division, he became the first crew chief to break the 300 MPH barrier. The 1996 Top Fuel title placed Armstrong among the elite crew chiefs to have won championships in both Funny Car and Top Fuel. Armstrong had an outstanding driving career himself, winning 12 NHRA National events in the 1970s.

Victory Junction kicked off their “Keeping the Dream Alive” campaign by announcing that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will join the elite list of Victory Junction Founders, as he commits to donate $1,000,000 to build and maintain The Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheatre at the Randleman, N.C. camp for children with serious illnesses.

The US-based Formula One team USF1 will not race this season as planned, and the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) has said it will not be replaced by another team. “There were issues sponsor-wise in January that knocked us back a few weeks, and those meant we couldn’t make it in 2010,” the team’s principal Ken Anderson told the BBC. “No one said it was easy, and we went out on a limb to design and build our own car.”

Anderson said the team had submitted an application to the FIA to rejoin the series in 2011.
Bloomberg reports that a bid by a Serbian team, Stefan GP, to replace USF1 was rejected by the FIA. Stefan GP released a statement four days ago saying it had the “desire” and “ability” to race in 2010, and planned to use a car built by Toyota before that manufacturer withdrew from the racing series.

Thirsty race fans taking in the action at some of the most popular NASCAR racetracks can continue to enjoy an ice-cold Coca-Cola for years to come. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) and Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) are extending their long-term partnership through 2015, ensuring NASCAR fans who visit premier speedways in locations such as Charlotte, Atlanta and Las Vegas can open a Coke and Open Happiness as they cheer on their favorite drivers.

Under the terms of the new agreement, CCNA brands will continue as the “Official Soft Drink,” “Official Sparkling Beverage,” “Official Water, “Official Sports Drink” and “Official Enhanced Water” for six SMI tracks, which include:

· Atlanta Motor Speedway (Hampton, GA)

· New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, NH)

· Infineon Raceway Speedway (Sonoma, CA)

· Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, NV)

· Charlotte Motor Speedway (Concord, NC)

· Texas Motor Speedway (Ft. Worth, TX)

The agreement also features title sponsorship of the Coca-Cola 600 — the longest continuous sponsorship of any race in NASCAR — at Charlotte Motor Speedway through 2015.

This following came from ESPN. The annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., is one of the biggest events of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series season, and ESPN2 airs three hours of final eliminations action this Sunday, March 14, at 6 p.m. ET. Gatornationals qualifying highlights air Sunday at midnight (late Saturday night), re-airing at 10 a.m. Sunday

The traditional East Coast opener, this event is one of the sport’s most revered with a rich tradition of history-making performances. This hallowed quarter-mile has entertained spring-break-loving fans for decades with such notable occasions as the first 260-mph Top Fuel and Funny Car runs in 1984 and the first 270-mph and 300-mph Top Fuel passes, in 1986 and 1992, respectively (all on the quarter-mile). Its 675-foot concrete launchpad is one of the longest on the tour.

Paul Page anchors ESPN2’s coverage with analysis by 22-time NHRA winner Mike Dunn. Gary Gerould, John Kernan and Dave Rieff report from the pits. Rieff and Dunn host NHRA RaceDay on Sunday at 11 a.m. to set the stage for that day’s eliminations action.

The March 28 event in St. Petersburg, Fla., is the first of five races in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season that will be produced by ESPN and air on ABC. The schedule also includes the Indianapolis 500 on May 30, marking the 46th consecutive year that the “Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will air on ABC, as well as events at Kansas Speedway, Watkins Glen International and Toronto.

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now airs a four-day schedule this week due to the open weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series and ESPN’s coverage of college basketball’s Championship Week

Following the Monday roundtable, Mike Massaro hosts half-hour episodes of NASCAR Now airing Tuesday, March 9, at 6 p.m. ET, Wednesday at 5 p.m. and Friday at midnight (late Thursday night). The show will take Friday off and there will be no roundtable edition on Monday, March 15. NASCAR Now returns on Tuesday, March 16.

NASCAR Now is hosted by Massaro, Allen Bestwick and Nicole Briscoe and originates from ESPN’s high definition studios in Bristol, Conn. Contributors include reporters Marty Smith, Shannon Spake and Angelique Chengelis, analysts Ray Evernham, Tim Brewer, Brad Daugherty, Ricky Craven and Randy LaJoie, and ESPN.com reporters Ed Hinton, Terry Blount and David Newton. The NASCAR on ESPN team event coverage team of Rusty Wallace, Dale Jarrett, Marty Reid, Dr. Jerry Punch, Andy Petree, Dave Burns, Jamie Little, and Vince Welch also make frequent contributions to NASCAR Now.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has another weekend off before returning to action on Saturday, March 20, at Bristol (TN) Motor Speedway. The race will air on ABC, with NASCAR Countdown beginning the telecast at 2 p.m. ESPN2 is the home of the series all season, with select races airing on ESPN and ABC.

Also from Bristol, ESPN2 will air live coverage of a special 35-lap race featuring some of the great NASCAR drivers of the past in a return to action. David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Harry Gant are among the drivers competing in the Saturday Night Showdown, airing at 5:30 p.m. on March 20.

The USF1 team is probaly finito, due to sponsorship for this year and who knows about next season? According to various news outlets, the Formula Atlantic Series won’t answer the bell in 2010, due to the lack of entries, and we’re not so sure about 2011 either. In both cases it can be tied to the ailing global economy.

Checking to see what’s happening on the racing scene this weekend, F1 opens the season in Bahrain with Schuie in the MB car and the IRL also opens the season in Sao Paulo. Also, the NASCAR Cup has the weekend off. The NHRA is in Gainsville, FL, the World of Outlaws will perform in Houston and the AMA SuperX will be in Toronto. To get all of the specific TV details, times and networks check out racefantv.com on the internet. (END)

NOTE: INFORMATION FOR THIS COLUMN CAME FROM VARIOUS REFERENCED SOURCES, PRESS RELEASES, NOTES AND OTHER SOURCES.