snafam

NASCAR's Battle at the Back

2010-10-18T21:06:00.007-05:00

~You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it. ~ Margaret Thatcher

At the front of the field lies fame and fortune. At the back lies heartbreak and broken dreams.

The last 10 races of the NASCAR season are called "The Chase." The top 12 drivers are put into a special points segment and race for the coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. With that Championship comes trophies, accolades, and the bragging rights of the drivers, the teams, the sponsors and their fans.

There is another race happening at the back of the field. Several team owners are competing for the goal of Top 35 in Owner's Points. The Top 35 is required if an owner wants to insure that their cars will make the race, even if they have issues during qualifying. Those teams are not racing just for that guaranteed spot, but are also racing for their futures.

On the back side of the garage, away from the media spotlight, there is an air of desperation for four teams trying to end the year on a positive note. A top 35 spot gives a team something to present to potential sponsors, to sell the primary advertising on their cars. A potential sponsor wants to know their dollars will give a return, and a guaranteed spot in the race is valued. The teams that are the 'contenders' for the Top 35 all appear to walk a very narrow path, one that may provide a reward at the end, but where one misstep can lead to a disastrous fall.

Latitude 43 Motorsports - Bill Jenkins purchased the #26 team from Roush Fenway Racing, when that organization was forced to drop one team by NASCAR. With that purchase came Top 35 owners points, and a 'technical alliance.' For a first year team, Latitude 43 showed moderate results, with finishes that SHOULD have kept them in the Top 35. Their Achilles Heel has been in qualifying, as the team failed to make the field in 8 races. There have been multiple driver changes: Boris Said, David Stremme, Jeff Green, Patrick Carpentier. Kenny Schrader is set to drive at Martinsville. At 177 points away from the Top 35, their hopes are diminishing for a recovery.

Front Row Motorsports - Bob Jenkins (not related to the above Bill Jenkins) is a restaurant entrepreneur who first brought teams to NASCAR in 2005. While never a front runner, he has shown a commitment to the sport by not resorting to the dreaded 'Start and Park' practice, even though it would be less costly than running full races. In 2010, Jenkins had a commitment with driver Travis Kvapil when he was approached by Kevin Conway and sponsor Biotab Nutraceuticals. Conway and the Biotab product ExtenZe wanted to make a run for Rookie of the Year, and according to sources, required that Conway remain in the Top 35. Front Row Motorsports agreed, and hired David Gilliland to be driver of the 3rd team, an arrangement made solely to support the Rookie title run by Conway.

After Bristol, Conway's points dropped within 9 points of falling out of the Top 35, and he changed to another FRM car. His car number was changed two more times to keep him as a locked-in driver. Disaster struck for the team after the first Pocono race, when the 38 team was assessed a fine of 150 points for illegal parts. This fine dropped them from the Top 35 into 37th. After Michigan, the team severed their contract with Kevin Conway, citing a lack of money owed, resulting in a lawsuit that has yet to be resolved.

Front Row has since brought in Tony Raines and Dave Blaney to drive the third car, while having primary drivers Gilliland and Kvapil take part in qualifying the 38. Several steady finishes have closed the gap considerably. The 38 has gained 139 points on the Top 35 since Bristol, and is now only 5 points away from the #7 car of Robby Gordon Motorsports.

Robby Gordon Motorsports - Robby Gordon has been cited as being one of the last of the owners/drivers in NASCAR. Known for his fiery temper, Robby has divided his passions into running a variety of races in both Off-road, Indy and NASCAR, and hoped to compete in Monster trucks. At the beginning of the year, Robby spoke with pride on how his team was building some of the finest of cars. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, mainly at road courses, that pride has not shown equal results on the track, with Robby's season needing his Top 35 spot to be able to race in 2 of the first 3 races. As the year progresses, Robby was outspoken on how Front Row Motorsports was moving their drivers around to help Kevin Conway, and he allowed his sponsor, Speedfactorytv.com, to post an unflattering video of the (then) RGM crew chief Gene Nead's opinion of the "Stiffiemobile" efforts. Robby has other commitments for certain races, and brought in PJ Jones and Bobby Labonte to fill the seat.

When Conway was released from FRM, Robby and Kevin partnered, and Conway proceeded to drive the 7 car. In six races, Conway had four "Start & Parks" and a blown engine. Robby stepped back into the 7, but was unable to catch or pass the 38. There has been a free-fall of 139 points to FRM since Bristol. There were hopes that RGM would catch the 34th place spot from TRG Motorsports, but has only gained a spot each in the last few races. The 7 is now 5 points ahead of FRM in the 35th spot, and 15 points behind TRG.

TRG Motorsports - Owner Kevin Buckler is in his second year of NASCAR Cup ownership. Placing hope that popular past champion Bobby Labonte would be able to pull in the sponsors, Buckler committed to running full races with Labonte. By Dover, the funding was getting sparse, and Buckler had to renege on the promise, starting the "Start and Park" dance. Labonte has since moved to the 09 car of James Finch for the majority of the races, with the 71 being filled in by Mike Bliss, Landon Cassill, Tony Raines and Andy Lally. Hermie Sadler is slated to drive for TRG at Martinsville. The 71 is currently 15 points ahead of the 7, and 20 points ahead of the 38.

With few exceptions, there is very little media coverage for these teams. (One notable exception is Brock Beard's weekly Bubble Breakdown from The Frontstretch.com) Both MRN & PRN radio reduced their qualifying coverage for races, a point where most drivers were interviewed. A television interview with any of the so called Bubble Teams is rare, and quite often their qualifying runs are reduced to a mention after a commercial break. Most of these cars get few mentions during a race, leaving their fans to surf the internet to discover information.

Every week, these underfunded teams plan their battles, hoping to end the year with a Top 35 banner. When they complete one battle, the plans for the next start immediately. For them, it IS war. It is also survival.

Back to Racing at Fontana!

2010-10-11T15:37:00.001-05:00

I have received emails asking why I am no longer blogging. For the last few years, I have been primary caretaker for my mother, an Alzheimer's patient. In the last year, we were forced to make several decisions to help her during her final days, and my priority was to take care of her. She passed last May, and while my interest in NASCAR has never faltered, it has taken me some time to get the energy to blog again.

This has been a good week for my return to the Blogoshere! The Pepsi Max 400 at Auto Club Speedway, in Fontana California, was a bit of a shocker! It was quite simply fantastic racing! This race was shortened from 500 to 400 miles, and it appears to have created race strategy that involved hustling for position, rather than riding around until the final parts of the race. With the advent of the Speedway losing one race in 2011, it is hopeful that the improved racing will help the fans return to the stands in March.

Sophomore team Stewart Hass Racing owner/driver Tony Stewart celebrated his return to Victory Lane! Jumping from 10th to 5th in the Chase, and team mate Ryan Newman's fifth place finish, is happening at a fabulous time for SHR, as they will be having an announcement this week, with rumors stating that it might be a sponsor deal with Mobil One.

Roush Fenway Racing had a very tough race. Greg Biffle's run ended early with a blown engine, and Carl Edward's car suffered from a malfunctioning distributor. Matt Kenseth had an engine trying to blow up, and David Ragan was involved in a crash with Kurt Busch.

Hendrick Motor Sports still has the 48 team with Jimmie Johnson leading the pack. When Jimmie and his Crew Chief Chad Knause get going, it is virtually impossible to stop the Juggernaut.

Richard Childress Racing watched as the beleaguered Clint Bowyer team finished second. In addition to the strong point penalty, Bowyer's team had a scare when Crew Chief Todd Berrier went to the hospital to be checked out for dizziness. Todd did make it back to the race in time to take over on the pit box.

Team mates Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya had strong qualfying efforts, but Montoya scraped the wall early, and Jamie fell back during the race. They still both finished Top 20.

Down at the bottom of the field, Front Row Motorsports made very strong gains towards regaining a Top 35 Owner's points spot. Chasing Robby Gordon Motorsports, who is using the 2010 lone ROTY contender Kevin Conway in the #7 car, David Gilliland piloted the #38 Taco Bell car to a 20th place finish. Using old generation chassis, and underpowered engines, FRM was heard to be hustling and scrounging tires from other teams to give David a chance to gain spots on the last 2 laps bonzai run.

On a sad note, USAC driver Shane Hmiel suffered life-threatening injuries while qualifying in Terra Haute, Indiana. Our thoughts and prayers go to him, and to his family and friends as Shane goes through surgery and recovery. To follow his progress, use the Shane Hmiel - Road to Recovery Facebook page.

Post Atlanta Observations, with a Dash of Unintended Consequences

2010-03-08T17:01:00.001-06:00

It has been a long off-season from NASCAR for me! I spent the majority of it moving my family from Vegas to Iowa, and trying to acclimate myself to a new environment. Yes, there was indeed some 'culture shock' in the move. I am not loving the snow, but I am loving the countryside and the pace of life here!

I found some highlights during the off season though! The most exciting for me was that David Gilliland found a ride with Front Row Motorsports. While he is once again with a team that is underfunded, I feel confident that David will continue to provide value for his efforts.

Apparently, Charter Air Transport also found value in David, as they were once again an associate sponsor on David's #38 car at Atlanta. Paul Kahalley from Charter 'has a past' in NASCAR, and it is great to see a driver who makes enough of an impression with a sponsor to bring them back into a sport.

Since I already had purchased my 2010 tickets for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway race, my family and I returned to Vegas to attend the race, this time as tourists. I have photos and observations in blogs later this week. We had a marvelous time, but I haven't been able to catch up to the world of NASCAR until this week.

Just when we thought NASCAR was going to shape up into another boring season, we have some great material. The NASCAR race at Atlanta, the Kobalt Tools 500, is one with enough fuel to "light up" NASCAR fans through a long off-week.

For me, the race brought excitement in seeing David Gilliland running so well with many fully funded teams, and after only the third race with his new organization. Sadly he was caught up in a wreck when Jamie McMurray got loose, and indeed was hit by Jamie. The damage to the right front of the car also knocked out 'the toe' and left them having to return to the track on their last set of tires, which were scuffs. He was going for a top 15 finish, but ended at 26th. This is a true case of racing not being a reflected in the finishing position.

It seems that tires were an issue, but not for everyone. It appeared that cars that were impacted were mostly from the Hendrick stable. My bet is that they had something in their set-up that caused the tires to blow. However, it did make it pretty predictable, that around 30 to 35 laps would be the point where a new caution would come out.

Chad Knause, from the #48 Championship team, thought life was going to be good for them on pit road, when he found out Gilliland was pitting in front of him. Sadly for Knause, Gilly did not fall off the lead lap, and Chad was vocal in his complaints that David was in their way. The #9 team of Kasey Kahne was also giving the #48 fits, as they were pitting too close to the front of the pit box, thereby making the 48 challenges even more difficult. David and his crew chief, Randy Seals, did everything they could to stay out of their way, and went so far as to stay out several times while the other cars where on the lead lap, and still could not satisfy the Champ's team. Finally, according to the scanner chatter, Randy basically said that the 48 team was going to have to live with it. They had already pulled so far to the front of their pit box that David had to be backed up. It was no longer worth the effort of keeping the other team quiet.

The incident creating the most noise from Atlanta, however, was the Carl Edwards/Brad Keselowski wreck.

The internet/twitter buzz on the evening of the incident was mostly from those who wanted to hang Carl for his transgressions, or at least suspend him for a year. Some blame the wing for the flying car, but we have to remember that cars with spoilers also 'took air.' Others think that the 'have at it' policy is to blame. But when NASCAR announced the 'have at it' policy, Mike Helton also said "It doesn't mean these guys have a get-out-of-jail-free card." I would expect that there will be some sanctions against Edwards, but not enough to take him out of the car.

I do have to note that David Gilliland's wreck probably would not have happened if it had not been for the CE/BK wreck. But I also have to keep in mind that Brad has made some enemies in the past, and I also have sympathy for Carl, as fans of Gilliland are all too aware of this type of situation.

And finally, I have to note that I had a 'discussion' with another blogger/tweeter last night, that left the other blogger requesting that I unfollow him. I did so, but was surprised this morning to receive several notes from friends that the other blogger had posted selective parts of our conversation on his blog. The result was that I received a profanity-laced comment on a press release I wrote for a sponsor. That was not the proper place to post the response, but if that same 'anonymous' person would care to post the same response here, I will be glad to publish it, to show the quality of fans who jumped to defense of the other blogger. Finally, I do have to thank that other blogger. Just like Carl Edwards did not anticipate the unintended consequences of his actions, the other blogger drove more traffic to my site, along with many positive emails. I am pretty sure that was not his intent! Thank you, JD!

David Gilliland: Welcome Back, Charter!

2010-03-03T10:11:00.000-06:00

NASCAR fans are notorious for the zeal and dedication in following their drivers and their sport. One fan of David Gilliland, though, has combined his passion for the sport with his business. Paul Kahalley, director of Jet Charter Sales for Charter Air Transport, has networked his business and sports relationships into a viable business entity.

I first wrote about Paul last year, when Charter Air Transport agreed to fly David and Michelle Gilliland to Dover for the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Since then, the relationship continued to grow. Front Row Motorsports with Doug Yates Racing was researching travel costs for the 2010 season, having added two new cars and teams to their operation. Gilliland was able to personally vouch for the quality of Charter Air Transport. Front Row Motorsports and Charter Air Transport reached an agreement, making C.A.T the Official Air Carrier of FRM. The FRM team will use Charter Air for 23 of the NASCAR Sprint Cup races in 2010.

Kahalley states "All of us at Charter Air Transport are excited about our partnership with Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing. We have been flying NASCAR teams for the last few years, and it is such a perfect fit for our 30 passenger aircraft. At the same time, we are moving these large groups in a safe and cost effective way. FRM recognized this, and reached out to us, and we are very appreciative of the opportunity. We had the pleasure of flying David Gilliland last season, and it is truly an honor to have our logo on the side of the #38 Charter Air Transport/Taco Bell Ford at Atlanta."

Paul reports that Charter Air Transport's fleet of EMB-120 turbo props are configured for 30 passengers and boast an environmentally friendly mode of transportation by only burning 150 gallons of fuel per hour, compared to 450 gallons per hour on other aircraft configured for 30-50 passenger lifts. Their services include charters for various sports teams, casino junkets, vacations, and managed aircraft revenue opportunities. They are very proud of their safe, reliable, outstanding service with an impeccable 'on-time' performance.

David Gilliland welcomes the return of Charter Air Transport. " It's nice to see Charter Air Transport on the car this weekend. I've flown on their planes in the past and they are a great way to travel. They have helped us out already in the early going. It's always nice not to have to worry about travel and how you are getting from one track to the next. They do a great job."

FRM will display the Charter Air Transport logo on the #38 Sprint cup car, on the rear quarter panels and front of the hood, This paint scheme will be used March 7, 2010 at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speeway.

Welcome back, Charter!

David and Michelle Gilliland: Making it Real for their Fans!

2010-01-14T16:10:00.000-06:00

Over the years, many NASCAR fans have picked drivers to follow. The internet has made it even easier for fans to connect with their drivers. In earlier times, websites were created, and some drivers added message boards and forums. Those forums became a place for their fans to meet each other, and chat about their driver and the racing world.

Today, many drivers have moved on to new internet media. Facebook and Twitter are both used extensively to inform the fans and media of activities. Sadly, many of the NASCAR world moved away from message boards and towards using the social media sites. Many fans enjoy the social media fun, but also mention missing the friendliness of the forums. Driver message boards used to be the first place to go for information.

One driver who still connects well with his fans is David Gilliland. Twice last year, he and his wife Michelle held an online chat with their fans at DavidGilliland.com. Last night, the Gillilands held their first chat of 2010.

In these chats, topics range from David's driving season, opinions on racing action and rules, family activities and vacation plans. In previous chats, we learned who David idolizes, how he and Michelle met, and how their family is doing. This week, we learned of possible plans for David's 2010 ride, and what the family did over the holiday season. Each chat leaves his fans exhilarated and excited! After much research on the 'net, I am unable to find any driver who responds at such a personal level.

If you wish to join in, go to DavidGilliland.com and register for the Fan Circuit. (Registration is free!) Gilly's Gang will welcome you with open arms. Clicking here will lead you to the transcript of last night's chats! There is some interesting information there! You REALLY should check it out!

Chasing Twelve of NASCAR's NeverEnding Stories

2010-01-09T16:34:00.000-06:00

A new year, and technically, a new decade! It is time to look at those persistent NASCAR stories that we suffered through last year, and that we will be digesting this year, too! Twelve stories, representing a Chase-full!

The Economy. Yes, it is still looming it's nasty head over the world in general, and NASCAR specifically. Off season conversation still talks about the need for teams to merge or form alliances. Team members are still losing their jobs. Start up teams are succeeding or dying. Sadly, this is a truism all through the country, in all sectors. While there are glimmers of hope, we will still have to listen to this story for several months.

Jeremy Mayfield. *Sigh* (That sigh is exactly what I did when I typed his name.) The Great Drug Testing Debate will continue, at least, until September. In the meantime, we will be subjected to dribbles of information whenever NASCAR and Mayfield attorneys go to court. One has to wonder if Mayfield's wallet will be depleted before September.

The COT. It looks as if the furor and angst over the COT will be renewed for a few months, as NASCAR is reported to be considering a return to the spoiler, replacing the despised wing. I doubt though, that it will ensure that drivers at Talladega will always drive side by side.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. This debate has been years in the making, and it is a no-win situation. If Dale Jr continues to struggle this year, we will hear that either he is not talented, or he is not getting the right equipment. If he succeeds, his detractors will claim it IS the equipment. The Jr Nation is getting tired of Jr being blamed for lack of attendance at races, and yet we will continue to see stands empty out if Jr does not complete a race. No winners predicted!

Jimmy Johnson. It is astonishing that such a mild mannered Clark Kent of a man turns into Superman on the track, much to the ire of any non-JJ fans. All 2009, we heard how horrible it would be for him to make history and win a 4th championship. Now, in 2010, we will hear the speculation of how the impending baby arrival will ensure that there will not be 5 championships in a row.

Race broadcasts. NASCAR has a huge problem. None of the three (four, counting Speed, even though it is technically FOX) broadcast partners are popular with the fans. Each have good and bad issues, but none are universally popular. And yet, the NASCAR franchise appears to be strong enough for Showtime to want an exclusive show.

Danica Patrick. Can she? Will she? And the marketing machine that is part of her image will still raise the hackles of many fans. Many are tired of Danica Mania, yet few dispute that she will bring some much needed attention on the stock car side of the motorsports industry.

Nationwide series: Is it a driver development series? Is it fair of Cup drivers to usurp the money and the fame from the lower tier? It depends on if you are a sponsor of one of those big names who bring fame to their brand, or if you are a struggling team trying to cover your tire bill.

Start and Parks. See #1, blame the economy. Yet some of those teams will be back in 2010, with a few of them expanding and having sponsors. Perhaps the Start and Parks have a few good ideas on basic survival.

Social media. Facebook and Twitter are being used extensively by NASCAR, journalists, bloggers, teams, and drivers. Sadly, some of the best journalists in the industry lost their jobs when NASCAR Scene planned huge cutbacks. Curiously, they may be victims of their social media skills, as the printed media is going away since the internet provides instant gratification to the fans.

Credibility. Many fans of NASCAR are loudly protesting that NASCAR is not credible, and is indeed turning the sport into a clone of professional wrestling. Debris cautions, inspection penalties, driver penalties and drug testing are among the most discussed and contested subjects. NASCAR has a huge job to do, but it appears that fixing their reputation may be at the top of the list.

The Chase. The debate continues on the 'fairness' of the Chase, with particular emphasis on the resetting of points at the beginning of the Chase for the Cup. Listeners to SiriusXM128 know that it brings a constant stream of commentary. Will it end? The complaints will be around as long as there is a Chase.

As I review the list, I am convinced that the vast majority of these stories will survive well into next year. Good, bad or ugly, these topics will continue to be at the forefront of our sport.

Petty Blue and the Blue Oval to team up!

2009-09-10T14:34:00.000-05:00

It has been a quiet Thursday, with little to no NASCAR news, except for the non-news of anything pertaining to Jeremy Mayfield.

Watching Twitter, I noticed Marty Smith of ESPN comment he was working on a big story. Less than an hour later, the news broke on Twitter, Facebook and SiriusXM radio 128. The press releases states:

Today at 11:54am

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing announced today they have signed a letter of intent to merge operations in time for the 2010 season. The four-car team will race Fords under the Richard Petty Motorsports banner.

Richard Petty: “This is a pretty big deal for us. We’re thrilled to partner with Ford. We’ve talked with a lot of folks, but in the end it came down to the success the Gilletts and I think we can achieve with Ford Racing. Right now this deal is real new. There are lots of details still left to be ironed out so we don’t have a lot of answers for anyone right now. We’ll be working on all that in the coming days, weeks and months, but we do intend to have everything in place before the start of next season. I’ve won races with Ford and plan to again.”

Team Managing Partner Foster Gillett: “Richard and Kasey (Kahne) showed us Sunday night in Atlanta that they like winning quite a bit and Ford is going to provide the support that we need to go to victory lane more often. If you are going to compete with the other teams in this sport you need a lot of support. We bring a lot to this relationship as well. We’ve won twice this season and the power of Richard Petty is hard to beat, plus we have the support of some of the biggest names in corporate America.”

Yates Racing Co-owner Max Jones: “This is certainly a great opportunity for both Yates Racing as well as Ford Racing. I have had a long-term relationship with Ford and look forward to continuing that relationship at Richard Petty Motorsports. Over the coming weeks we will continue to work with Ford and Richard Petty to lay out the best plan for Paul Menard and all of the employees at Yates Racing. We will continue to field both the No. 98 and No. 96 Ford Fusions for the remainder of the season and look forward to continued success on the track with Paul, Bobby Labonte and Erik Darnell.”

Yates Racing Co-owner Doug Yates: “This plan is clearly in the best interest of the Ford Racing community. On a personal level, I am excited about the opportunity to focus my full energy on building Ford horsepower. We look forward to working with Richard Petty Motorsports to produce power second to none. There are many details to be worked out with Richard Petty Motorsports and as we finalize those details we will keep everyone informed.”

Director of Ford North America Motorsports Brian Wolfe: "I am very pleased that Richard Petty Motorsports has made the decision to switch to Ford for the 2010 season. They had choices to consider other than Ford and it's gratifying to us that they have enough faith in the Ford Motor Company and what we're doing to make the switch. We believe we can provide them with superior analytical tools and powertrain, and we will work with them closely on the technical front to help them become even more competitive than they are. What's also really cool to me is the chance to have someone with the class and the legacy of Richard Petty involved with Ford. Combine that with the chance to work with the Gillett family, who we have great respect for, and add some great drivers to the Ford camp, well, it's hard not to be excited about this opportunity."

Notes:

• Paul Menard will be one of the drivers in the Petty team joining Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler and AJ Allmendinger.

This is a huge shock, mainly because no one was expecting this. Some questions remain. What happens to the 26 from Roush-Fenway Racing. What happens to the relationship with RFR. And what happens to Reed Sorenson?

According to Reed on Sirius today, at 3:37 PM, he declared that he has known for a few weeks that he would be looking for another job. He won't be the only one to experience job loss, as a merger will certainly mean that others in the two organizations will be drawing unemployment.

This news is still shaking up the internet and the NASCAR world. More to come!

Blind Faith or Being a NASCAR Fan?

2009-09-06T14:13:00.000-05:00

A few days ago, I blogged a scathing commentary about David Gilliland losing his seat for a few races this year. While this was the most prominent of my printed feelings, I also sent a private email to TRG CEO, Kevin Buckler. Many members of David Gilliland's fans wrote to various principles of TRG, all expressing our shock and displeasure over the actions of the team.

I am going to give major credit to Kevin Buckler, as he and his wife Debra have been responding, one by one, to all of our emails. As he pointed out, there are not many team owners who would do that.

I agree. Kevin's responses are very unusual among team owners. But, TRG and David's fans, aka Gilly's Gang, have had a special relationship this year. We embraced Kevin as part of our family. We had some very special communications with members of his organization coming to our forum, and talking about some of the inner scenes. Indeed, one of our members became an associate sponsor of the #71 car.

In his email, Kevin gave some background information of the decision, which I don't feel privileged to reveal. Much of what he said, though, was already mentioned on his interview on Friday's Sirius NASCAR show, Trading Paint. He expressed that he has a family, employees,and a very large group of investors that he needs to keep paramount in his decisions. He considers David to be a likable friend, and hopes to have him back in the car for about three more races.

We had a discussion about how the fans blindly lashed out at his decision. I took quite a bit of time to think about that, and responded with some thoughts about how we as fans DO react blindly. After all, we can only react to what we see and hear, as we are not privy to the background information.

Our sport is really an anathema for the idols and the fans. We seem to have much more access to our stars than many other sports fans. Our driver autograph signings are usually free. Some drivers, with extreme popularity, have such a vocal group of fans that they can often help sway the decisions of team owners. (Tony Eury, Jr at Hendrick, for example!)

Yet, really, what do we know about the drivers and the others who make this sport work? We rarely hear details about their personal lives, and what we do know is just brushed across the surface. Press Releases are cleaned and sanitized to prevent negative comments. Few drivers want to create negative vibes with fans, and therefor watch everything they say carefully. Sponsors will send their drivers through carefully crafted media-training sessions. Most sponsors also have a brand manager at the driver's side to keep anything negative from falling on the brand.

Because of that, we do react blindly to situations that involve our favorite drivers. It is the only way we CAN react, because we don't have access to the intricacies of how these decisions are made. Nor should we, yet we will still react.

We will follow our driver from team to team. We will defend that driver and the team with the best of our abilities. We trust that the media releases we hear are true. We will line up hours ahead of time to get a chance to meet our driver. We embrace team owners, since they have the excellent taste to hire our driver. And when we perceive something is not right, and it is a negative for our idol, we will 'blindly lash out.'

This is called being a fan.

Bobby Labonte's fans have experienced some pretty big ups and downs. They were upset with Yates, and thrilled with TRG. Gilly's fans are upset with TRG, and thrilled with Wood Brothers, Joe Gibbs, and Robby Gordon. Erik Darnell's fans are just plain thrilled! But each of those drivers does have a fan base, and the fans ultimately are the ones who make the loudest noise! And with the internet, Twitter, blogging and Facebook, fans have even more noise than ever before.

And if any of the above mentioned teams have problems? The fans will blame the team, the owner, the crew chief, the car, the tires, the weather....anything but our driver. I for one, hate to think of the fans 'blindly lashing out' if Labonte has to do a start and park!

I would like to thank Kevin Buckler for taking the time to respond to me and to the other fans of Gilliland. While we are not cured of our hurt, the wound has a makeshift bandage. Many of us are feeling better. For now!

A Black Letter Day for Gilliland Fans...AGAIN!

2009-09-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Sometimes my favorite sport, NASCAR, is brutal. Today was especially harsh!

Fans of David Gilliland have been upset over the Watkins Glen incident where David was given a second car to drive, so that TRGMotorsports could showcase Andy Lally in the #71 car. There was a certain level of fan understanding on this deal, as Lally had a much longer relationship with TRG than David. The execution of owner Kevin Buckler's two car plan was a huge fail! There was only one crew chief, as the person assigned to CC David's car had never had that experience. Crew Chief Slugger Labbe admitted, during a Sirius interview on the Monday following The Glen, that he was supposed to work on both cars, and got stuck on working on Lally's car for the whole practice session. The result was that David's car received little attention, and he went out to qualify in a 'scary loose' car, and barely avoided wrecking on each turn. David went home, and his sponsor was transferred to the car driven by Lally.

David has continue to remain faithful to TRG. A recent online chat with his fans showed David to be very supportive of the efforts of TRG and their driver:

"I think everyone needs to know that everyone at TRG works day and night to be able to race every week. We go to the track with the cars ready to race. Whether we get to or not comes down to if we have the money."

This support is laudable, but appears to be misplaced. An owner is truly allowed to do what he pleases. However, the owner needs to be prepared for the fallout. A press release early on Thursday, September 3rd loudly declares how exciting it is for Team TRG and David to be going to Atlanta, and a few short hours later, the news leaks out that David is out, and Bobby is in. I heard about it as a breaking news item while half awake, listening to it at 745 AM Pacific. Things moved very fast.

Fans of David Gilliland were already feeling burned. Now, they are upset in defense of their driver. First, early this year, they endured the last minute decision at Yates Racing, to replace David with Bobby Labonte. Now, it is happening again. A different owner, but the same drivers.

I understand that money is needed to drive those bright billboards in circles. I understand that Labonte had a long streak of NASCAR starts going, and it would be a shame to break that statistic. I understand that Bobby is a great guy. (I have met him twice, and he is a gentleman!) I understand the nasty necessities of this sport.

But do I have to like it? No, I don't. As a fan, I am taking my prerogative to display my anger towards the team owner, towards the 'new' driver, and towards the sponsor that seems to believe the hype from the owner.

A good guy is getting the shaft. Again.

I only hope that Labonte understands that if he couldn't equal Gilliland's results at Yates, he certainly won't be happy at TRG. Their cars are three generations old. The parts on the 71 have been used all season long, with the stress and wear showing up at the worst times, like Bristol. As bad as Yates looks, it is certainly worse at TRG.

David will take the high road when interviewed this weekend. He IS that kind of person. Fortunately, I don't have to answer to a sponsor.
Therefor, I will be taking a different road.

I was proud to be a part of Gilly's Gang when we presented Kevin Buckler with our hard earned cash to buy a set of tires for one of David's races. I think I want my money back! And judging from the temperment at DavidGilliland.com, I do believe that most of David's fans feel the same way.

When Driver and Fans meet! Gilliland Chats with Gilly's Gang!

2009-08-13T08:15:00.000-05:00

Many fans of NASCAR drivers crave the chance to meet their driver. They spend hours in line waiting for autographs, they will spend huge amounts of money for fan events, and will find the most strategic locations at the track to catch a glimpse of their idol. For many fans, they rarely get a chance to see past the corporate-babble that comes from race time interviews. But sometimes, drivers remember who their fans are, and want to interact with them!

Something pretty special happened at DavidGilliland.com on Wednesday evening. David made room in his schedule, and agreed to spend an hour with his fans in a chat room! A full chat room saw David busy typing for an hour, responding to 45 of the 65+ fan-submitted questions!

Post-chat, fans were raving over the experience. "Tonight's chat was the best ever!" "Tonight was the best I have felt about NASCAR all year! THANKS DAVID FOR BEING OUR DRIVER!" "I am just amazed at what a terrific guy David is. What a breath of fresh air to have someone who is so appreciative of his fans. That was just the coolest chat ever -- and I am so grateful that David took the time out of his schedule to do that with us."

Gilliland's fans, self-proclaimed as Gilly's Gang, earlier this year banded together to donate enough money for a set of tires, amassing the needed amount in less than 48 hours. As a reward, Kevin Buckler of TRG Motorsports, used the rear deck to sport a fan-designed sticker for the car for a race. Gilly's Gang showed up in force for several races this year, peppering the background of the SpeedTV broadcasts with Gilly related signs. David also sends periodic messages to his fans via his message board, and is very aware that every race has a race chat in progress, with fans watching every step of David's cars on the track!

The chat provided enough information for a few days worth of blogs, but here are some of the highlights!

David talked about his current season. He had nothing but raves for his crew chief Slugger Labbe! "Slugger has a ton of experience. He is a great guy, and we get along well. He is very competitive just like me. We want to do well. I think he is a great crew chief." David was asked a few questions about the Start and Park situation that has been occurring with TRG Motorsports. "Start and Parking SUCKS (excuse my French) I would never do it full time. Remember, we do it to race, 1 or 2 start and parks so we can race. (It is) the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I am a very competitive person" When asked "David, I saw how fast the car was at Dover in practice. Is there ever a time when the owners might say 'Man, we are fast, we better go ahead and race?'" David responded "I think everyone needs to know that everyone at TRG works day and night to be able to race every week. We go to the track with the cars ready to race. Whether we get to or not comes down to if we have the money. (But) there is a possibility that it could happen."

Fans tried to pin David down on his future. He responded to questions about the rumor of being in a 4th Joe Gibbs Racing car for three races with "(I'm) working very hard on lots of things. But that would be awesome though, wouldn't it?" He also said that if he gets something with Gibbs, it would be one of the most competitive rides, as they are on top of their game. When pressed about next year, he stated his goals for 2010 were to be in a competitive car where he has a chance to win.

David continued to answer questions for the rest of the hour, visiting with family and friends alike, many of those friends coming from his early racing days.

In a future blog, I will reveal more information about this driver, one who tells us he appreciates his fans as much as they appreciate their driver.

Gilliland and TRG Motorsports Ready for Home Track

2009-06-15T21:47:00.000-05:00

Monday June 15, 2009

Gilliland Second at Infineon Last Year

Mooresville, North Carolina (June 15, 2009) – David Gilliland and TRG Motorsports are ready for the Toyota SaveMart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The track is the home circuit for TRG Motorsports and driver David Gilliland returns to the site of his best NASCAR finish to date, second place last year.

TRG’s corporate offices are headquartered just over the hill in Turn Three a few miles away from the track in Petaluma. Team principals Kevin and Debra Buckler live in Marin, County so this is very much a home event for the entire team.

Gilliland, of Riverside, California, is looking forward to racing the 10-turn, 1.99 mile undulating road course located in the heart of wine country. Last year he qualified 32nd and was able to improve the car and finish second.

“I can’t wait for this weekend,” Gilliland said. “Last year with qualifying on Friday, we fought being loose with the car. On Saturday in the final practice we got the car really good and were third in practice. That gave us a lot of confidence going into the race. We took our time and got to the front. We played the fuel mileage game right, half-way through the race we got into the top five and stayed there and made a run at the end. I have won there in two other series and ran second last year in the Cup race. I’m going to Infineon with a lot of confidence. It is a lot of fun for me to go there, I really enjoy it.”

The team tested at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) with TRG veteran sports car driver Andy Lally.

“The car drove well at VIR. VIR is not Infineon, but we were able to test brakes and made some changes that will make us that much closer when we unload on Friday. We came back and changed the car and we feel we have a better car as a result of the test. The TRG sports car ace, Andy Lally, was there as well and definitely added value to the test.”

Crew chief Richard “Slugger” Labbe will have to be on his game with strategy, fuel mileage and track position.

“At any road race, strategy and fuel mileage play a big role. We will work very hard on making sure we are maximizing the fuel mileage. You also need a good handling car of course. In road racing there are so many opportunities to make mistakes. You have to have a car with brakes on it at the end and four fenders to be in a position to win at the end.”

Car setup is key to having a good day on a road course.

“The car has to be balanced everywhere. You have to be able to get off of Turn Seven and Turn 11. Getting off of those corners in low gear is a challenge. We have to get forward traction off those corners to make the run the down the straights.”

Double wide restarts will play a factor in the race this weekend.

“It will work fine as long as you are on the inside. If you are on the outside it will be a challenge. Almost every Cup race at Infineon there is an accident on the first lap in Turn Two it just gets so tight. Even though you are on the outside going across the line, which should put you on the inside into Turn Two, I would prefer the inside. It is all part of having the four fenders on the car at the end.”

Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is excited to be running at his home track. He will also be a key element in strategy with his years of driving road courses as a driver.

“It will be great to compete with our new NASCAR team in front of our home town crowd,” Buckler said. “We have been planning for this weekend for most of the year. We will have an event pretty much every night leading up to the race and a large contingent of supporters at the top of Turn Two. David is really excited to come back here and try to improve one more position from his best ever NASCAR finish. The team has witnessed a ground swell of support from local businesses and we are proud to be the home town team. We have tested the road course car and we are very confident in our driver and our approach to the weekend. I can’t wait! We will have our brain trust of road racing veterans to help in any way they can so we can have the best day possible. My career as a driver for TRG was launched with a big upset win here in 1995. Let’s see if we can try to do the same with our NASCAR program.”

Gilliland will also be in the No. 89 car of the Camping World West Series on Saturday driving for Daryl Wong. The last time Gilliland drove the 89 was at Phoenix where he put it on the pole.

The SaveMart 350 from Infineon Raceway will be televised live on TNT starting at 4:30 p.m. ET.
The team would like to thank the Fairfield in Vacaville for their support.

TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG’s Porsche sports car program is run out of the company’s headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 28, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

For more information please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com. Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.com and www.theracersgroup.com.

The Death Knell for Two NASCAR Series?

2009-06-11T22:26:00.001-05:00

For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

On the eve of the spring pilgrimage to Michigan International Speedway, a link is gleaned from the chaff of Twitter Tweets. Reports are surfacing that one of the car manufacturers investing heavily in NASCAR, General Motors, will be cutting back sponsorship, and both the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck Series will feel the greatest pinch. From the article by Reid Spencer, it appears that it will impact the larger teams, such as Kevin Harvick, Inc., Rusty Wallace, Inc., and JR Motorsports. If true, GM will not be supporting any teams except at the Cup level.

Full details should be revealed on Friday, in an article written by Michael Smith, of Sports Business Journal. From Spencer's article "As Smith points out, support from manufacturers typically comes in the forms of engines, parts and cash. In most cases, factory support goes to larger, more substantial organizations, while smaller teams receive little assistance, if any?"

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

There have been many complaints over the last few years that the NASCAR Cup drivers/teams are taking over the two lower series. While some will say that the upper tier drivers "raise the competition level" and 'bring bigger crowds,' it is true that the cars from Cup mega-teams have dominated both series. Swimming upstream are the teams that are independently owned, unaffiliated with the big teams, who don't have access to the biggest, best and latest gizmo that costs money and yet gives a competitive advantage.

The smaller teams have received very little in the way of resources. Left out of the mainstream of technology, the little guys have watched the purses erode and the competition get overwhelmingly hard. Working at a grass roots level, they are scrabbling to stay in a sport they live, eat, drink, and breath. They dreamed of getting as big as a Hendrick, Roush or Gibbs organization but cannot see their way to climb past the first hurdles, money and support.

The best of sponsorship deals in the lower series will not even cover the C-post on a Cup car. Bobby Hamilton, Jr, today on Sirius "The Morning Drive" lamented that if they get a chance at a sponsor, that sponsor wants a Cup driver in a Nationwide car. No problem? Sure. except the sponsor is not paying enough to compensate that Cup driver!

If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.

Consequently, regular watchers of the Nationwide and Camping World Truck series, over the years, have seen an erosion of the "little guy." The worst example came last weekend. The Truck race had 33 starters (not a full field) with 10 being start-and-park entries. The Nationwide race had 43 entries, with 11 out of the race by Lap 80. (There were some accidents in here, so all were not S&P cars.)

As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend's were.
Each man's death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.

An immediate thought is that the races may become more competitive without the big teams, and that those grassroots teams may be able to make inroads into the standings. Yet, some of those big teams bring in fans of those big name drivers and with their loss ...who is left to watch?

If the big teams decide to abandon the two lower tier series, where does that leave the teams that run exclusively in the lower series? And where will it leave the Cup teams, especially those that are struggling against the tide of the big team wealth. Hopefully, not washed out to sea.

Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.
John Donne

NASCAR Media all A-Twitter!

2009-06-09T23:52:00.000-05:00

I am finding it increasingly more interesting to follow the NASCAR media in the last few weeks. As an 'older generation' fan, and most certainly an older generation 'blogger.' I find that I am not on the same side of many of the bloggers and even some of the media who write about NASCAR.

But what the heck! This is the new age, and I have just as much right to express an opinion as anyone. As an observer, I found the recent Kyle Busch 'Guitar Gate' event to be an astounding mass of misinformation!

I recently discovered Twitter, and Lo! The media is all a-twitter!!!! The media was Aghast at the Smash of the Axe! (So was I!) Immediately after the guitar smash, I sent a 'tweet' to the Gibbs media representative who reports during the race. (Yes, I sent my displeasure, and I am sure many other Tweeps did the same! ) Within minutes, there was a steady stream of "Sam Bass loved it" and "The Sponsors Loved It!" I could see the spin happening! In fact, the spin happened for several hours into the next day.

Monday morning, listening to Sirius Radio's The Morning Drive, I heard NASCAR writer Nate Ryan as a guest host, declare the party line: "Sam approved of this a year in advance." After Sam came on the air on the later broadcast, Sirius Speedway, we found the whole story, as Sam did not know about the future trophy destruction at any time before the event. When it happened, Sam was stunned, heartbroken, and disheartened. He declared that Kyle told him LATER that he did not mean disrespect, but Sam was still upset. Sam, for those of you who have yet to meet him, is a humble and private man. He will do anything to help anyone, but even he said that the smashed guitar was not replaceable, it was one of a kind.

At that point, the Twittering Media was responding with..."What?!! Sam was not happy!!!???" Until Sam appeared on a few select shows, no one had asked Sam Bass how he felt, and no one asked the venue operator, and no one asked Federated Auto Parts. RESEARCH is important!

I woke up this morning with Sirius in my ear, and heard Nate Ryan continue with his philosophy. He and Mike Bagley decided that anyone who disagreed with their opinion would be discounted. I have to wonder, how would David Poole react? Encountered with evidence that what they had espoused the previous day was not true, they continue blindly in the same incorrect direction, picking apart any argument that did not agree with them. Indeed, Bagley went through a mass deletion of detractors on his Facebook page.

To take it to the other side of journalistic integrity, I had an encounter with an individual who writes for the blog compiler "The Bleacher Report" who made some statements about what he thinks should happen in a particular NASCAR ride. He had several facts wrong, and after several dialogues back and forth, where I, and others, presented facts, he finally gave up and deleted his blog. For someone who claims they are planning on a career in "Mass Communications" perhaps they should be prepared to RESEARCH and RESPOND with FACTS! If one has the courage of convictions, one should not need to delete the blog when overwhelmed with facts.

Hubris is not permanently attached, it can be pulled from your psyche to reveal humility and the desire to find out the truth.

Meandering among the Marbles! Pocono Weekend

2009-06-06T18:41:00.000-05:00

Notes and Observations from Pocono Weekend

ESPN is up to their shenanigans from last year, by not starting the Nationwide Qualifying on time. This time, it was a regional baseball tourney. It would not have been so bad, if they had considered moving the qualifying to another channel. Even the watchers most ignorant of baseball will see that when the team is at the top of the 8th with one out, that the Qualifying will not be coming up soon, unlike the scroll at the bottom of the screen kept proclaiming. I gave up after 40 minutes, and went about my life. When ESPN takes over the Cup season, we will have more of the same.

A requirement of the contract to sing our Anthem for a NASCAR race is that it MUST be sung properly. This is not an audition for American Idol or America's Got Talent!

In pre-race, Kyle Busch told of his last Dover Nationwide race, where he was 'moved' out of the way by his team mate. He admitted that he had a tire going down, and then dropped a bombshell by saying he didn't tell anyone, because he wanted to drag out the start and hope there was a wreck behind him.

"I have no issues with Joey at all," Busch said Friday at Pocono Raceway. "I must have punctured a tire I because I felt it in the last two corners before the caution came out that the right-front was getting soft. I didn't call it over the radio because I didn't want to give everybody Christmas and say that I had a tire going down.

"If I could have jacked up the restart enough and caused a wreck then I would have been fine, I would have been golden — it was a green-white-checkered so I would have won the race. That didn't happen.

"I went off into turn one and Joey was going to follow me and that's why I was as high as I was because I wasn't expecting him to follow. He got in the back of me a little bit (but) it was no fault whatsoever of Joey." (From USA Today)

Rusty Wallace called him out for it, and Kyle deserved everything that Rusty said, and all that he didn't say. Brad Daugherty even called Kyle out for not stopping to talk to the media. If Joe Gibbs Racing and M&M's haven't listened to the fans comment on Kyle's behavior, perhaps they will hear the commentary from the booth, and act on it. It is one thing to be a polarizing player in the sport, it is another to try and deliberately wreck the field. And the worst part, is that he didn't wait to talk to the media, and left his young team mate, Joey Logano thinking that he was totally at fault for the messed up restart.

Kyle further stunned the fans by smashing his guitar in Victory Lane. Forty-eight hours later, there are mixed stories on how much of this was planned, and how much was spur-of-the-moment. Sam Bass admitted that the act stunned him, but that he and Kyle talked in VL, and Sam is OK with it since Kyle has ordered two replacements. It is indeed Kyle's trophy, and he can do what he wishes with it. However, combined with the above tire issue, the guitar smashing, the refusing to talk to the press, and the general attitude that whatever he does is ok do not endear him to me, or to many fans of the sport. He may think he is a rock star, but this is racing, not rock 'n' roll!

The new restart procedures did help to jazz up the middle of the race. The long green flag runs, however, were still there, and the restarts did not counter the boredom that ensues for the hours and hours of cars all strung out.

There has been a tremendous amount of time given to the trials and tribulations of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and the crew chief changes. There has been little discussion on the crew changes for Kevin Harvick. Both will take time for changes to make an impact. Hopefully, the fans of both drivers show patience.

John Daly's blog, The Daly Planet, spent the weekend dissecting the three races. Much talk in all three events centered on Start and Parks. I am sensitive to this subject, since one of my favorite drivers and teams recently had to resort to this practice. I do not like it, and I am sure the driver and crew don't like it either. But, the economy has hit, and hit hard, among the teams on the lower echelon of each series. It is a hard decision to make, but my team is picking their races, and hope to make a showing in markets that are important to them. Frankly, I don't see many cars standing in the wings that will be able to move up to full-time racing, to replace the start and park cars.

On the Michigan!

NASCAR Sponsor Takes Over!

2009-06-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

NASCAR sponsors have a way of becoming a focus of NASCAR fans. We generally support the sponsors of both the teams and the sport.

As a fan of Yates Racing, there was initial excitement at the beginning of 2009 when it was announced that Bobby Labonte had signed with Yates, and brought Ask.com to the table as a sponsor. That excitement quickly turned to dismay when I discovered that Bobby was 'in', and David Gilliland was 'out' of his ride. While I entirely understand the financial side of the deal, it left me feeling disgruntled.

Ask.com, formerly known as Ask Jeeves, has made a huge mark in the NASCAR world. Not only are they sponsoring the 96, they have become the Official Search Engine of NASCAR. They are the 'go-to' source for trivia questions on television broadcasts. They have a browser toolbar that is configured for NASCAR fans. They were at each track I attended this year (California, Vegas, and Texas) handing out CD's with a contest opportunity and most likely, their toolbar.

I never loaded that CD, in part because of the YR deal with David Gilliland losing his ride. And because of a recent experience, I am glad that I left that CD sitting in my track backpack.

About two weeks ago, I downloaded a game from Facebook. It was a game from a company I had used several times, and indeed a company whose games are good enough that I have purchased three of their selections. This download, however, had a special little add-on....an opportunity to download ask.com. In a hurry, I did not take the time to read what I was installing, and therefor neglected to un-check the box.

Suddenly, my Firefox browser directed me to Ask.com. Internet Explorer did the same. Both had the toolbar loaded. And both had the search engine default switched from google to ask.com. Arrrgggg!

That hurried and totally stupid download has reminded me that I need to slow down. I managed to remove the toolbar, and I managed to changed the default search engines back to google. I have, however, been wrestling with one last vestige of this pesky software, as everytime I mistyped something in my url box, it redirected me to ask.com.

After two weeks, I found that removing that redirect from Firefox is an exercise in itself. You have to use the "about:config" function in a tab, to change the strings. Very scary for an Internet Apprentice (which is way below Internet Wizard on the Savvy Scale) and one that helped to increase my high-blood pressure. I stressed at the moment I saw how changing those settings could upset the stability of my machine. My MACHINE? What about MY stability?

Sadly, the easiest way to remove it is to go to Ask.com, and beg them for help. There have apparently been so many problems, that they developed a special removal tool. Since it was an executable file, I was worried about downloading that one, too. But quite a bit of research gave me some courage to try it, and it seems to have worked.

While I like Bobby Labonte, I am still peeved over the Yates Racing Deal. Now I am just as peeved over the sponsor taking over my computer. For me, DON'T Ask.com!

Meandering among the Marbles! Coca-cola 600!

2009-05-25T21:29:00.000-05:00

The Coca-Cola 600 may be remembered as one with sadness, jubilation, reverence, and of course, controversy.

Sadness? I still find myself reading articles critically, and comparing them to the articles by recently departed David Poole. Lowes Motorspeedway dedicated the Media Deadline room to the memory of Poole, a very fitting tribute. Poole continues to be missed by fans and peers alike.

Jubilation? The look on Buzzy Ruetimann's face while his son David was being interviewed after being announced as race winner. Our parents are always proud of us, but Buzzy was so proud to be sharing this moment-in-time with his boy!

Reverence? NASCAR decided to take part in the National Moment of Remembrance. Stopping the cars on the front-stretch, and asking pit crew members to stand on the wall, and the fans to stand for a full minute was very touching. Sadly, I have seen many complaints on the internet that it 'robbed' the fans of 25 laps of racing. When so many of our service members have fallen, perhaps some of the fans in our sport need to realize there are far more important things in life than a moment taken away of our enjoyment.

Controversy? Check it out!

Rainy Daze? Fans have short memories. When the 2008 race in California went late before being called, we complained that NASCAR waited too long. When the Daytona race was cut short, we complained it was called too soon. And now, fans are making both of those complaints about the 600! Apparently, it depended on where you driver was finishing if it was called too soon, too late, or just right.

Looming Lawsuit? The Jeremy Mayfield drug testing scandal still looms over the NASCAR Nation. Mayfield's attorney, Bill Diehl hinted that he was prepared to file a law suit on Friday. However, it is likely that he thought better of it, as the holiday and the race weekend would over shadow the suit. In the meantime, NASCAR tested ten crew members for substance abuse, which would never have been newsworthy if it hadn't been for the Mayfield case. And one can't help but ponder....if Mayfields test was invalid, does that make all of the 'clean' tests of the other drivers invalid also?

No emotions? Tony Stewart and David Reutimann had a discussion on pit road, with Tony once again expressing displease with drivers who don't move out of his way. A crewman,Dwayne Bigger, from the #00 team interjected, and we saw him genuflect and bow to Tony, as if he were worshiping Tony's footsteps. Tony's response was to call the team member Big Bad Butt, which is a name that will always stay with that crewman! Look for it on the back of his uniform at Dover!

Start and Park to make money? The Start and Park controversy continues, as Scott Riggs announced that he was parting ways with Tommy Baldwins team. "It kills my soul to know that we go to the race track and we’re not going to be competitive. Even if the car is competitive, we’re not going to be there around at the end to be competitive." We watch as race after race, the same cars will run a few laps and then exit the track. Even the 'grass roots' team of TRG Motorsports had to resort to a couple of races where they 'developed problems' and left the race early.

Today, we saw the 09 entry of James Finch leave the race after 42 laps. It was noted by at least one crew member that they were packed up to leave before the end of the first red flag. Finch has qualified successfully for 8 of the 12 races this season. His car has been running at the end for two of those eight. Granted, one of those was a win, but the truth of it is the vast majority of his entries have been Start & Park. Then, when you look at the prize money for this race, you discover that a car that finished the whole race, and finished 15 spots ahead brought home less than $1400 more in prize money for all of that extra racing. Since the #71 entry used up five sets of tires that were not even purchased by the 09 entry, it doesn't make sense for a team to run the whole race! NASCAR promised they would research this, but no action has been taken. At this point, they really show that it is not important to them.

Ad naseum? Don't forget! We still have the great debate about the two Jr's of the 99 team. Also, will Jeff Gordon retire early? Is a rain finish or a fuel finish a true finish? And, there are plenty more stories where those came from!

On to Dover! The one thing about NASCAR fans, is that we are resilient. We will find something new to discuss after the race next week! Thank heavens! Because once we look at these few items, there really was not much exciting about this race. It will remain largely forgettable!

Gilliland Finishes Rain Shortened Coke 600 in 27th

2009-05-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

Press Release
May 25, 2009

David Gilliland

Charlotte, North Carolina, (May 25, 2009) - David Gilliland finished the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS, carrying the CompUSA.com colors, in 27th at a rained shortened Coca-Cola 600 today at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

Gilliland, who also qualified 29th, had the “best race car of the year” in the 600 today, running as high as 14th. He was a fixture in the top 20 and moving toward the front. Crew chief, Slugger Labbe, made a call for two tires early to help with track position, but Gilliland did the rest on the track. On lap 180 during a restart Gilliland had transmission problems which dropped him back in the running order, which later manifested itself into a broken second and third gear. The team kept Gilliland out during the last caution, low on fuel, to eventually take 27th position.

“We had the best car of the year here today,” Gilliland said. “The car could turn really well and it was fun to drive. We were making very small adjustments on the pit stops setting ourselves up for the end of the race. The guys were doing great pit stops and it was looking like a great run for the team. The rain cautions were helping us because we took two tires early and things were falling into place.”

The team pitted on lap 131 and Gilliland was on a charge and had a small amount of wheel hop under braking which caused him to speed on pit lane, resulting in a drive-thru penalty.

“That was my mistake. I came in too hot and got some wheel hop in the car and it jumped out of gear. We had ourselves positioned to make up the lap when NASCAR decided to call the race. Ending the race early really was a blessing for us, as I had only high gear left and I would have been a sitting duck on restarts and out of the pits.”

Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is happy with the team’s performance today.

“We showed, once again, that with our limited resources that we can field a very competitive car and run with most of the top teams, which is fantastic,” Buckler said. “We were flat-out better than a lot of big names today. The team did a great job working through the struggles in practice and getting the car right for race day, which is what counts. David was running strong at the beginning and had a lot of confidence in the car. We had the drive-thru penalty, which was a real bummer, but Slugger had us on course to make the lap back. The transmission was going, so we will take our 27th place and go onto Dover. We are still looking for that sponsor partner to help carry this team forward into the future. It is a great group and we showed a little of what the future holds for this team today running so strong.”

Up next on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule is the Autism Speaks 400 at Dover International Speedway to be run on Sunday, May 31.

TRG Motorsports would like to thank associate sponsor Charter Air Transport.

TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer’s Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG’s Porsche sports car program is run out of the company’s headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 27, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

- TRG Motorsports, Press Release

The Wheels in the Sky Keep on Turning

2009-05-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

The recent announcement of Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor of David Gilliland's #71 TRG Motorsports NASCAR entry is exciting for David's fans, but for one of the partners of the company, it is the closing of a circle that started in 1990.

For Paul Kahalley, the summer day at Pensacola Air Center was like any other Florida day, hot and humid, air feeling thick under a blue sky that beckoned pilots to go for a spin in a flying machine. Paul was introduced to a young 29 year old who was at PAC to purchase an airplane. When hearing the name and occupation of the young man, Paul asked him if he was related to Bobby Allison. Laughing, Davey laughingly replied "Yeah, I am related to him a bit." Paul had no knowledge of NASCAR, but meeting Davey Allison was the catalyst for a new career.

Kahalley talks fondly of his early flight experiences. As a teenager, he took flight lessons at every opportunity. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Paul holds a degree in PR, but being young and hyper, hated the thought of flying a desk. After graduation, he took a job with a produce company. "My first job out of college was flying a Cessna Caravan, loaded with bananas, five times daily from St. Croix to a produce hangar in St. Thomas...I had no idea how good I had it! I was done at 1:00 PM everyday, and spent the rest of the day either fishing, or on the beach!"

Paul remembers meeting Davey in 1990. "I was there doing some training, he was there buying an airplane. Sam Manz worked for Pensacola Air Center and handled all of Davey's airplane stuff, and flew for him. Davey and I shared the same flight instructor at PAC, Craig Osburn. I had no idea who Davey was really, as I was not a NASCAR fan." Paul, Davey and Sam would all fly together, working as a team, switching off on piloting and radio duties.

Paul's first race was at Indianapolis Raceway Park, where Davey was entered in the (then) Busch Series for the 1990 Kroger 200. Davey finished 19th at the race, but Paul was fascinated by the sights, the sounds, and the speed! "For a pilot, speed is intriguing. The impact of seeing the speed of the cars on track cannot be reproduced on television." Before Paul knew it, he was recruited into his first pit crew experience as a catch can man. "I was scared to death!" Entranced, Paul became addicted to racing, and claims the aroma of fuel and tires to be better than any cologne!

When Davey died in 1993, Paul drifted away from NASCAR. Continuing to fly random corporate charters, he started to fly PGA Golf players. Eventually, he built enough of a base of clients, aircraft, and destinations to strike out on his own in 1996. Recently, his company merged with Charter Air Transport, owned by Mike Hoyle of Cleveland, Ohio. This merger brought him full circle back to NASCAR.

Charter Air Transport is the contracted charter company for Rusty Wallace, Inc, flying the RWI Nationwide series teams from track to track. The company has a solid business model to offer to race teams. Rather than exclusively using their jets that burn 450 gallons of fuel per hour, they quite often use the more efficient Embraer Brasilia. While this aircraft may need to make an extra stop to pick up fuel, it uses 150 gallons an hour. This savings to the client's bottom line makes up for the extra stop on some of the trips. The business model is one that works for both the client and CAT. "We do it in a way that works for them and for us, and we won't put either of us in debt!" says Kahalley.

While not active in the industry, Paul maintained his interest in NASCAR, watching races on television for years. Because of Davey, Paul followed Robert Yates Racing and his drivers. And because of RYR, Paul started following David Gilliland, and keeps up with David's career on the fan forum at DavidGilliland.com.

As an associate sponsor of the TRG #71 entry at the Dover International Speedway, Paul will personally be flying David and Michelle Gilliland to Dover. This will be the first time he has flown a NASCAR Cup driver since the passing of Davey Allison. "There will be some great memories of a great friend that will enter my mind when we fly David, and his wife to Dover" reflects Kahalley. "When Davey died, part of my love for racing died also. Now it is re-kindled with David, and TRG!"

Paul is excited to have his company sponsor David Gilliland. He is also looking forward to returning to the sights, the sounds, and the speed of racing.

TRG Motorsports Signs Charter Air Transport on 71

2009-05-21T15:58:00.000-05:00

Mooresville, North Carolina, (May 21, 2009) - TRG Motorsports has signed Charter Air Transport as an associate sponsor on the No. 71 TRG Motorsports Chevrolet Impala SS starting this weekend at the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Charter Air Transport will help the team get the next races at Dover International Speedway, Pocono Raceway and Michigan International Speedway.
The Cleveland, Ohio based Charter Air Transport operates a fleet of fuel efficient Embraer 120 Brasilia turboprop planes as well as Citation private jet air craft, offering an affordable solution to team transport.

"Charter Air Transport, Inc. is thrilled to be a sponsor for TRG Motorsports and David Gilliland" Mike Hoyle, president and CEO said. "We are pleased that our 30-passenger aircraft are the right solution for the No. 71 team's travel to and from the Dover, Pocono, and Michigan Sprint Cup races. We are excited to have the CharterAirTransport.com logo on the car and look forward to flying everyone from TRG Motorsports safely and efficiently in the coming weeks."
Charter Air Transport familiarized themselves with the team through David Gilliland's web site.
"It is nice that my web site was a conduit for Charter Air Transport to form a relationship with the team," Gilliland said. "Having the right flight service in NASCAR makes life so much easier. I am looking forward to our first ride to Dover."
Kevin Buckler, TRG Motorsports team principal, is proud to have Charter Air Transport onboard.
"The movement of the team is one of the most important aspects of NASCAR racing," Buckler said. "The wear-and-tear on the human aspect of the team is very grueling when you are running 38 weekends a year. The availability of the Charter Air Transport fleet makes working in the series that much easier. We are looking forward to our first ride to Dover in one week and to our new partnership."
Founded in 1997, Charter Air Transport, Inc., a subsidiary of Business Aircraft Group, Inc., which provides aircraft management and charter on our fleet of 30-seat airliners and 9-seat business jets. With a "Gold" rating from ARG/US, our team of aviation and travel experts supports the private air travel needs of individuals and groups in the United States and throughout the world. Visit us on the web at www.charterairtransport.com.
TRG Motorsports is based in Mooresville, North Carolina. Currently the team fields a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry as well as a Camping World Truck Series effort and an ARCA RE/MAX Series team. The Racer's Group was founded in 1993 and has been competing at the top level of sports car racing. TRG's Porsche sports car program is run out of the company's headquarters in Petaluma, California. The team has the most wins of any team in the Grand-Am Rolex Series with 27, including the 2005 and 2006 Rolex Series GT championship trophy to go along with wins in the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona (three) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
For more information please contact Kyle Chura at (248) 821-0468 or chura@aol.com. Detailed team info can be viewed at www.trgmotorsports.comand www.theracersgroup.com.

David Poole: The Passing of a Voice of NASCAR!

2009-04-28T20:49:00.000-05:00

There are certain people in my beloved world of NASCAR who have impacted me on a personal level, without ever meeting one on one. David Poole, Charlotte Observer beat writer and Sirius The Morning Drive co-host, is one such person.

I listened, stunned and in shock, when I tuned into Sirius Speedway, and heard a grieving Mike Bagley discussing the sudden passing of his partner and good friend, David Poole. Mr. Poole died today from a massive heart attack shortly after the conclusion of his morning radio show. Becoming very emotional myself, I listened to the memories and tributes to Mr. Poole for the rest of the afternoon, quietly wiping away tears in the midst of my spreadsheets and reports for work.

David Poole was a media man who was known for being a grumpy ole curmudgeon. Once you got past his gruff exterior, and really studied his arguments, you realized that not only could he turn a pretty phrase, he came to work armed with the research to back up his arguments. Quite frequently, I would disagree with what he wrote, and would go and do my own research, only to find that Poole's points were logical and well made. Indeed, he frequently changed my mind on individual subjects, but even more importantly, I changed the way I viewed NASCAR because of his influence.

That same curmudgeon had a heart of gold. He adored his grandson Eli, and he went out of his way to create the Pennies for Wesa charity. Today, we heard stories from fans who told David of their own challenges, and how David went out of his way to help them. And those who knew David best, his peers, would claim that David would be mortified to know that he was being revealed to be a soft touch.

Mr. Gruff also had a subtle yet devilish sense of humor. It came out the most during his weekly 'Dramatic Reads' where David would take pop music and read the lyrics with the attempted flair of a Shakespearean actor. His attempts would be enhanced by the outbursts of laughter and wheezing from his co-host, Mike Bagley. Listeners knew with certainty that he was planning his reads with Mr. Bagley's reaction in mind.

David will be missed, not only for his holding NASCAR accountable for their decisions, but for providing so many thought-provoking subjects, and for making me laugh. It will be sad tomorrow, to listen to his show, and to the many members of NASCAR who will be giving tribute to a great writer, a great critic, and a great man.

Service information, charity information, and family information.
The Best of David's articles.
David's blog, Life in the Turnlane
Post your condolences.

(photo and links courtesy of ThatsRacin.com)

Meandering among the Marbles!

2009-04-25T16:41:00.000-05:00

Random thoughts and mutterings from Saturday afternoon of Talledage weekend!

NASCAR Nextel Sprint Cup-Talladega

My driver David Gilliland made it into the race. Watching the Non-top 35 qualifications as a fan is almost as stressful as it has to be for the driver, crew chief and team owners.

I enjoyed hearing MRN radio interview both David and his crew chief, Slugger Labbe, prior to the qualification run by the #71 TRG Chevy. MRN did a fabulous job on interviewing everyone on pit road, prior to each car hitting the track for their runs.

There is no excuse, though, for the Fox/SpeedTV announcers to NOT interview ANY of the Go or Go Home drivers prior to their runs. When it takes a car almost a full minute to make their warm-up run, there is plenty of time to have a few words. Even worse, there was quite a bit of time for track clean-up, and the talking heads just kept yammering on about other tidbits that had already been mentioned. Is it any wonder why the cars in the back have trouble finding sponsors?

Juan Pablo Montoya won the pole! One cannot help but wonder, with the Target Bulls-eye on that car, and with JPM's reputation with many of the drivers on the track, how that Bulls-eye will provide a 'Target' of Opportunity for those drivers!

Dodge engines have been blowing up this weekend. Five Dodge cars will have to go to the back of the field on Sunday. With the advent of Chrysler's demise at the hands of the economy, it looks like this weekend is a sobering omen of 'what is to come.'

Having my favorite driver outside of the Top 35, and struggling for sponsorship puts me in an uncomfortable spot. I am now having to hope for the bad runs, bad luck, or parts failure of several other cars or drivers or teams. My discomfort comes from being pretty sure that wishing bad luck on someone else gets returned to you!

After watching Matt Kenseth rolling and bouncing around the track in the Nationwide race, I find myself thankful for the COT. There has been no car rolling, flipping and tumbling at a plate track since the COT first rolled out on those tracks in 2007. Indeed the only time a COT has tumbled was Michael McDowell, making a rookie mistake during qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway.

NASCAR Nationwide Race-Talladega

Matt Kenseth joined the long list of drivers who have taken the Talledega Tumble. Always bad to see by fans and by family members, it seems that much worse when you know that Katie Kenseth is pregnant.

Many fans want to point fingers at David Ragan for causing Kenseth's wreck. Even more fans point even longer digits in the direction of Kyle Busch for tapping Jason Allgeier. As a fan, I find it hard to judge those situations. The NASCAR drivers in the top series are driving 180+ mph, inches apart! I sometimes make errors in judgement going 55 mph, with car lengths between me and the cars around. While I don't wreck, I come danged close. At those speeds, the wreck is done before one can even form the thought that there is something happening, let alone reacting to it. Of course, the driver doing the tapping usually does not have any damage from this type of wreck.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series-Kansas Speedway

I find amusement in the Race Analysis SpeedTV pop-up being sponsored by World of Warcraft, and the Todd Bodine truck being sponsored by Ventrilo, a chat application used by WoW players! WoW has gone redneck? Who knew? (My WoW'ing spouse commented on how often the Ventrilo application crashes right before Bodine's Ventrilo entry crashed at lap 10. Amazing, he says!)

Friday listeners to Sirius Speedway heard many callers berating the Kansas Speedway ticket office, refusing to sell any tickets to anyone wanting to view truck practice on Friday. They had customers with money in hand being turned away, with the claim, as heard on Sirius, that race fans MUST buy tickets for the whole weekend. While that is certainly their right, it certainly does not appear to be smart to alienate fans who MIGHT end up buying tickets for the rest of the weekend if allowed in on the slowest day, gate-wise, of the whole weekend. Perhaps the economy in Kansas is just fine! Or perhaps they are resting on their laurels, knowing they have an 'in' to a second date with the building of the new casino, sponsored in part by ISC.

Have a good evening, and let's hope the racing at Talladega is great on Sunday. And, let's hope for a safe race!

2009-04-18T15:51:00.001-05:00

David Gilliland, in his NASCAR career, has often been referred to as a David slaying Goliath! Now, it appears David becomes a Monster, as he and TRG Motorsports have announced sponsorship from American Monster, a new television show coming in Fall of 2009.

TRG, known also as The Racer's Group, has been lauded for their NASCAR on a Dime program. They have few employees, fewer cars, and yet still make an impact every week at the highest level of NASCAR, the Nextel Sprint Cup series. Kevin Buckler and his small marketing and public relations team have been busier than most teams in making sure the word gets out about being sponsor-worthy. They have been creative in bringing their message to the media.

David Gilliland brings along a large fan contingent, some recent, some who have raced with David over the years, and even some who competed against David and his father, Butch Gilliland. The fans however, all have united into a strong support network for their driver and his endeavors. The racecar at Martinsville had the back deck proudly emblazoned with a "Gilly's Gang" sticker.

This sticker was paid for by the members of Gilly's Gang, who raised nearly $3000 in just a few days. When the cashiers check was delivered in Texas, the Marketing Director arranged for Kevin Buckler and David Gilliland to meet with two representatives of the Gang.

Speaking as a member of Gilly's Gang, it is only fitting that we are glad to show our pride in our driver. We are all thrilled with this new partnership.

TRG's owner, Kevin Buckler, emphasized the perfect fit for American Monster and TRG.

"The very definition of an American Monster is what we portray in our team. What we have been able to do, with 11 Monsters on the crew, against the large well funded teams has earned us a place in this sport. It was a huge risk to get involved when we did, but that risk is now rewarded with a great looking blue and silver No. 71 American Monster Chevrolet."

Gilliland, on NASCAR's Raceday Real Deal show, hosted by Wendy Venturini, states "...really, this is the way I have raced all my life...all of the racing I have ever done has been two guys in the shop, myself building on my own racecars and another guy."

American Monster PR has stated "To be an American Monster is to defy the odds and compete at the highest levels relying on little more than your tools, natural talent, and pure determination"

It appears that this is a marriage made in heaven, a perfect fit all around!

(photo credits and quotes from Americanmonstertv.com, TRGMotorsports.com, SpeedTV, and Snafam!)

TRG, David Gilliland & Gilly's Gang: A Kind of Magic!

2009-03-24T22:07:00.000-05:00

Proposed sticker for #71 TRG car at Martinsville.

Its a kind of magic
Its a kind of magic
A kind of magic
One dream one soul one prize one goal
One golden glance of what should be
Its a kind of magic
One shaft of light that shows the way!

(from A Kind of Magic, by Queen, movie Highlander)

Yesterday, I blogged a comparison of Yates Racing and TRG (The Racer's Group)! I discussed the magic that appears to be brewing at TRG, with wonderful chemistry between Driver, Crew Chief and Owner. Today, I want the NASCAR world to know that the magic continues. A special Kind of Magic.

Last year, the fans of David Gilliland, calling ourselves Gilly's Gang, attempted to contribute financially to David's team. We knew that it took a lot of money, but the dollar figure we were given was daunting. Frankly, we gave up!

This year, David has a new ride and a new owner. We wanted to reach out, but after the reaction to our attempts last year, we expected nothing different from TRG. One member pressed forward anyway, and on Monday of this week, received a response from Lloyd Wideman, TRG Marketing Director! His response:

Good Morning and Happy Monday!

My name is Lloyd Wideman, I am the Director of Marketing for TRG Motorsports. I spoke with Daniela just before getting out and on the road to Bristol about getting the Fan Club on the race car for one or more events... How could I turn down a fellow Missourian???

I ran some concepts past the ownership and spoke to David about the ideas... Here is what we have to work with:

What ever the amount of money you raise, $5 or $5000... we will provide you with the Deck Lid (trunk) for a race. The entire space is yours to do whatever you want with it.

We can put Martinsville together pretty quickly if ya'll would like to do it there!

If you need help developing a concept, please let me know.
Lloyd

As we speak, Gilly's Gang is in the process of gathering funds. There is an amazing amount of interest, and members are contributing whatever they can, and the Gang is accepting ANY amount!

Marketing folks are the unsung heroes of most businesses, and most especially in NASCAR. This sport does not run entirely on good looks, good faith, and good results. It takes real money to get those rolling billboards on the track. The marketing department of any race team is busy finding ways to persuade sponsors that their team is a good deal. Deals can be on the verge of a signature, and then get hijacked by other teams and THEIR marketing departments. The marketing teams are the ones chasing the leads, following up, and helping to negotiate the deals, while the owners and drivers get all of the attention during the announcements.

It is understandable that some of the larger teams might be reluctant to have a 'fan sticker' on a car. Accepting a less-than-market-value amount might cause a reaction similar to Retail Sale Syndrome (where buyers will hold off purchasing because they know it will be cheaper in the future) and cause other potential sponsors to balk at paying the amount that is really needed. This is probably the reason for the response from Yates last year, and is totally understandable.

The other part of being a Marketing Guru is in knowing that there are opportunities with any idea. And sometimes, the simplest idea can turn into a huge opportunity to sell a story, or a concept, or a sponsorship. It is always challenging for Marketing folks who have to prove to the owners that there is 'value' in any idea. But savvy marketers will at least try the idea, and see if it works. Taking chances is part of any NASCAR driver's race, but the marketing team finds it harder to present those dangerous chances to the owners, as they are never sure how ANY deal will work out. TRG is taking a chance with this concept, but the fan response has been energetic and exciting to watch!

David's fans know that it may be challenging to come up with the amount of money that TRG REALLY needs for the whole deck lid, or even the stickers on the wing mounts. But, we do know that we are being heard as fans, and we are excited to know that we indeed have an opportunity to contribute. Racing would not exist without it's fans, and TRG seems to understand that fans want to participate on a grass roots level.

Kevin Buckler of TRG told SpeedTV's Dave Despain that he has no problems with tweaking the angle of a team and driver in the middle of a Cinderella Story. However, Cinderella did not find her Prince without the help of Magic! And the fans, in this case, are providing Magic to help their driver, and his team! A Kind of Magic, indeed!

If you wish to be a part of the magic, go to www.davidgilliland.com, and sign up for the Fan Circuit. On that message board, you will see instructions on how to contribute. If you wish to not join but want to contribute, please feel free to email me, and I will give you all of the needed information! Join in the magic!

David Gilliland: Another Cinderella Story?

2009-03-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Photo by Snafam

Bristol has taken its toll on many of the competitors. The #82 Red Bull car, driven by Scott Speed, is below the Go or Go Home bubble, tied with the #8 car of the Ganassi/DEI stable, driven by Aric Almirola. Two of the 3 Yates Racing entries, the 28 of Travis Kvapil and the 98 of Paul Menard, are still solidly below the bubble. More on that subject coming up!

We have good news this week, and we have bad news! First the bad news!

Travis Kvapil will most likely not be in the 28 car at Martinsville. Multiple sources on the web report that Yates Racing will suspend operations for the 28, unless a miracle happens and a sponsor shows up with dollars in hand, by Wednesday of this week.

This has been a source of frustration for many on the web, especially long-time fans of the storied #28 of Robert Yates Racing fame. Last year, David Gilliland and Travis Kvapil performed exactly to their instructions, to get the most out of the car and to do everything they could to grab the attention of sponsors. Both drivers had their cars solidly in the Top 35. For this year, due to a reported lack of sponsorship, David Gilliland was given his walking papers, and his points were given to the #96 car of Bobby Labonte. Travis was given a 5 race bye to perform and find a sponsor, but his points were transferred to the #98 car of Paul Menard.

After the first 5 races, Travis suffered from not qualifying for the Vegas race and a blown engine at Atlanta. He had, however, a splendid run at Bristol, with a 10 to 15 lap battle with Kyle Busch, to try and maintain his lead lap. Finishing 18th, it may be too little, too late. And after the first five races, team mate Paul Menard now joins the ranks of those who have to qualify on merit, rather than inheriting the efforts of someone else. (To be fair, he would have been 'in' the race if he could have used his points from DEI, but he also stated on Sirius, over the off-season, his contract required that he would have Top 35 points available to him for the first five races of 2009.

Many feel that Travis is getting the short end of the stick, when it is obvious that he can get the job done, and when it is widely felt that Paul Menard has squandered away the points, and the opportunity that was provided to him from other than his own efforts.

As a David Gilliland fan, I too should be feeling the same way. However, David opted out of his contract with Yates Racing, missing the Daytona 500. By the time that the Auto Club Speedway race rolled around, David had a 4 race deal with start-up team TRG, The Racers Group, led by motorsports enthusiast Kevin Buckler. And that, leads to the good news! TRG team 71 left Bristol in the top 35 in owner's points, thereby insuring that they have a qualifying spot reserved for them at Martinsville!

Start up, or upstart?

Is TRG a start up team, or an upstart team? A bit of both, it appears! Buckler has a solid racing history, dating back to 1988, and most recently in the Grand-Am series, with his GT cars winning 1st and 2nd at the 2009 24 hours of Daytona. Started from a garage operation in 1994, Kevin and wife Debra built their businesses to success in many areas, including the TRG enterprise, and the Adobe Road Wines. Kevin dangled his toes in the NASCAR pool last year, with 1 win in the (then) Craftsman Truck Series, by driver Donny Lia.

The 'bad' economy, which has so negatively impacted many both in and out of racing, gave Buckler the opportunity to jump into Cup racing. Starting with a single car, the team failed to qualify for the Daytona 500. Buckler then hired David Gilliland, and brought in crew chief Slugger Labbe. Both Gilliland and Labbe have proven to be a cohesive force, and dropping the cars firmly into the Top 35 after Bristol. They now have 4 cars, and ten employees!

It's a kind of magic!

There appears to be a certain magic with this team. Even though they did not have the best of runs at Bristol, (a lugnut penalty and two green flag flat tire changes were to blame!) they stuck it out and still finished in the Top 35. The chemistry between Gilliland and Labbe is amazing! Many reports have statements from Driver, Crew Chief and Owner, all saying how much fun they are having. This team is the epitome of grass roots racing. Gilliland's first three races were in the same car. And the first two races were on the same transmission. The team left California, headed to Vegas, and spent a few days in a casino parking lot preparing and painting the car for the Las Vegas event. Very old school! Their pit crew is rented, and they have been know to hustle for tires on pit road, from competitors who have fallen out of the race early. They are bare bones, with a plain pit box. However, it is apparent that they are not scrimping on parts, as their runs have been good, but tied up with misfortune not of their making!

Magic, or a hunger to succeed?

Perhaps it is not all magic! TRG recently took the time to send out a press release in an off week. The whole purpose of the release was to remind the media that there was a Cinderella story brewing. Since the NASCAR teams were on an off-week, this placed the TRG firmly in the middle of the mind of the media, resulting in multiple articles and interviews, leading up to race day. Even late last night, after the race, TRG was busy making sure that all of the media outlets had their post-race reports in their email boxes by the start of today's business day.

Evidently, it takes work to make magic! Perhaps the Yates Racing team needs to look at what is happening with The Racers Group, as they are doing better than two of the Yates cars, with even less funding. They are most certainly working to make that magic! As for Slugger Labbe, David Gilliland and TRG, magic indeed! And as for the fans of the 71 team, we are all completely enchanted!

Loyalty in NASCAR

2009-03-09T22:34:00.000-05:00

It is no secret that I am a fan of David Gilliland, and a downright proud fan, too! We have reason to be proud right now, as David has performed especially well in his new ride, the TRG #71 car, which has the audacity to be in the Top 35 in points after 3 out of 4 races, with David at the helm! I must admit, this has created a quandary, as I started following the drivers for Robert Yates Racing a few years, and when David opted out of his ride, I had to put my allegiance to Yates on hold! (And I put it on hold just before Yates Racing put out a kick*** black jacket!)

I found myself wanting to talk about it, but never could quite find the words to express how I feel. Today, someone found the words I have been unable to find. The following post was found on David Gilliland's Fan Circuit message board. I have received permission from the member David H who is also known as 'azzkickin68." Here, in his unedited words, are his emotions over trying to be a loyal fan to a team, and to a driver.

***********

Loyalty in Nascar

As a fan of Nascar throughout the years there has been one team and only one team that I have watched on Sunday and that is those of Yates Racing formally Robert Yates Racing. I have known about Yates before it was even a race team in Nascar. I knew of the great mastermind behind the engines while working at my grandfather’s shop in the early 80’s I was a very young child and loved racing.

I started watching Nascar off and on in the early 90’s. The first race I watched from flag to flag was the 1998 Daytona 500. I know some of you may have seen that one. I fell in love with the box like cars and fell out of love with the Indy Cars that I grew up watching as a kid.

I followed every driver that went through the RYR organization. I was a fan of all them. It didn’t matter who they were or what team they came from, I knew that in those cars were the best the drivers on the track driving the cars with the best engines in Nascar.

One day in June I watched the Nationwide race(formally Busch) and sat there stunned that a little team with no Cup affiliation, no big name driver or budget at all was about to upset the world of Nascar as we know it. Remember we know the teams that will win and be contenders but on this night a guy from Riverside, Ca broke the rules and won which to me and the fans of racing will know as the greatest upset in Nascar history. Some might say otherwise but in this era with mega teams it is.

When David Gilliland got the call to drive the 38 car I was thrilled. I said hey this guy is good. I watched every race till the checkered flag regardless if the 88(28) or 38 was in contention or not. It didn’t matter to me because I was loyal to Yates. Those were my guys. When anyone asked who my favorite driver was I said Kvapil, Gilliland, Rudd, Jarrett, or whoever was with Yates at the time. I would get two different responses. Either it was “Why?” Or it was “Who is Kvapil?” It didn’t matter to me, but like life things change.

I have always been the guy that followed the underdogs. I always want the underdog to win. They are there to prove something. Prove that they belong. Prove to the naysayers that they can be just as good as the other guy. For some reason watching the Daytona 500 this year I followed one guy around on the Pit Command program and that was Kvapil. Don’t get me wrong I was happy that Labonte was with Hall of Fame racing which is more than less a Yates car. Menard, well he’s probably good at some racing but in Cup he has proved nothing. This is when I noticed that my Loyalty for Yates has gone to the wayside. The driver I wanted to watch was David Gilliland. The underdog. The guy who upset big time teams in Kentucky a few years prior. That was the guy that should have been given a chance to run the 28 car or at least a 4th Yates car.

The news came that David Gilliland was going to run the 71 car for TRG. I was thrilled yet again but at the same time I had my doubts. Here is a team that is underfunded and borrowing equipment. They are running RCR engines but I still was worried about Gilliland making races. After 3 weeks I am amazed. The team is doing something other teams in the garage don’t do. Run the same car every week. Run a transmission for 1400 miles. Doing more with less. But I noticed something. I was watching a guy run a car that wasn’t a Yates car and on top of all that he is running a Chevy. I am a diehard Ford fan. I have had nothing but Ford’s my entire life. My grandfather worked at the Milpitas, Ca Ford plant for 30 years. That is all we drove in the family. Loyalty shifted. It went from a team to a driver for the first time in my life.

David Gilliland is a driver that can go around and say “Hey not only can I drive the car but if I have to I can build it, set it up, and if I can’t drive it I can sit on the pit box and make the calls as a crew chief. There might be a handful of drivers that can do that. It takes talent my friend to do all that.

I will never lose heart for Yates. I still wear my RYR shirts that I got years ago. I still cherish my sheet metal off an old 88 car that I have signed by Dale Jarrett, Todd Parrott, and Robert Yates. I consider it my most prized Nascar piece of memorabilia. I am disappointed with Yates that they let go a talented driver but in Nascar money is top priority. They got a so-so driver but they got the $20 million sponsor to go with it. I am also disappointed that after a long struggling year building owner points that Kvapil and Gilliland lost them all.

After a year of getting hammered by the media and being questioned about his driving ability the media is now saying. “Hey look at this guy. Single underfunded car doing what they can and not only are they making races but they are finishing them in the Top 25.” The same media that blamed David Gilliland for wrecking cars and other people is now telling us this? What a shame. Maybe someone should send them the clip of him winning in Kentucky. Maybe someone should show him his stats when he ran out here in California. Ignorance is bliss when you’re in the media isn’t it?

I usually don’t write and go off on a rant but there it is. A true hardcore Ford racing Yates fan that is following a guy in a Chevy, but it’s kind of hard not to follow a guy with talent. I wish nothing but the best of luck for David Gilliland and the 71 team this year.