Rookie Hamlin Is For Real

The 2006 Budweiser Shootout is now in the books. It did not disappoint. An exciting race from start to finish, it was full of surprises, the biggest one, to many, being the emergence of young rookie Denny Hamlin as a driver to contend with in a restricter plate race.

This was Hamlin's first restricter plate race, and his first race at Daytona, in a Cup car. And he won. That is no easy task for a rookie. Restricter plate races are dangerous. The engine does not have the power to accelerate get out of a bad situation, and, with all the cars on the track being inches apart from each other at nearly 200 mph, the entire race is a bad situation. One mistake (cough Kyle Busch cough) may not wreck the driver who makes the mistake, but it could cause anaccordionn effect, where drivers three cars back get wrecked in chain reaction. The driver must exercise patience, must pick the right moment to move, and must have finely tuned reflexes to avoid running into the driver ahead of him (cough Brian Vickers cough). If the race itself isn't tough enough, the competition in the Shootout, even though it is not a points race, is probably the toughest in the entire racing season. Every driver there is one who has qualified in the pole position for at least one race during the previous season, or has previously won the Bud Shootout. Every driver is there to win, if only for bragging rights or honor, and it is no place for a rookie.

Denny Hamlin won his place in the Shootout by taking the pole position in the November 2005 Nextel Cup race at Phoenix. It was only his sixth start at the Cup level.

A driver can participate in up to seven races in a single season at Cup level, but more than that and the season becomes that driver's rookie year. For example, another young racing sensation, Carl Edwards, raced in eleven Nextel Cup events in 2004, eliminating him from rookie status in 2005. Hamlin, during the last half of the 2005 season, shared duties in the Joe Gibbs #11 Federal Express car with fellow Busch series driver JJ Yeley and veteran Cup icon Terry Labonte, limiting his participation to seven Nextel Cup races. Thus, he became one of the very few rookie drivers ever to become eligible for the Bud Shootout.

While Hamlin's performance in the Bud Shootout certainly drew the attention of fans and the media, more importantly, it drew the attention of the other drivers, even while the race was in progress. In restricter plate races, one needs the help of other drivers to get ahead of the competition; two cars are faster than one. A rookie has very little hope of finding drafting partners, what Darrell Waltrip refers to as "co-opetition." The yellow rookie stripe on a car is a warning to others that "This guy doesn't know what he is doing, and should be avoided." Prior to the race, Hamlin, himself, had told his crew to not expect him to do anything except hold his place, that he would probably spend the race as a "back marker."

But veteran crew chief, Mike Ford, had given Denny Hamlin an excellent car for the race. Realizing this, Denny quickly took advantage of his car's superiority and made his way to the front, avoiding accidents and errors. Once he got up toward the front, he did find drafting partners, in the persons of Gibbs Racing team mate and mentor Tony Stewart, and championship hopeful Jimmie Johnson. An excellent green flag pit stop, mandatory in the second segment of the Bud Shootout, put him in postition to take the lead. Stewart bump drafted Hamlin into the lead, telling him, via team radio communications, to "hold your line at the bottom, and I'll take care of the rest."

When a near accident shuffled Stewart toward the rear of the field, Hamlin felt that he had been "hung out to dry." But he took his mentor's advice and held the bottom line on the track, and Stewart, with the help of restricter plate ace Michael Waltrip, quickly made his way back to a position where he could help Denny. Also near the front were the acknowledged Master of restrictor plate racing, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and last year's "bad boy," Jimmy Johnson. Both were determined to win. Stewart took the lead, with 4 laps to go, but a caution flag came out for debris, after several cars brushed the wall in the melee to get to the front. The remaining 4 laps were consumed by the cleanup effort, but, by rule, the Shootout must end under a green flag, so the restart began a two lap sprint, known as a "green, white, checker" finish. Stewart took the lead, but was quickly overtaken by the very capable Earnhardt, Jr. However, Hamlin, who restarted first in the outside lane, was given a good push by Jimmy Johnson, putting him two full car lengths ahead of Earnhardt. Hamlin took the white flag, signaling the final lap, making his way back to the coveted inside lane. The final lap was very excitinMakingh Earnhardt, Jr. making a serious attempt to win, and Stewart trying both to beat Earnhardt and to protect his team mate's lead. Hamlin took the win, in what was only his eighth start in a Nextel Cup car, and he gained the respect of every other driver in the race. Stewart and Earnhardt finished side by side for second, electronic scoring giving Earnhardt the position.

Remarkable to note is that Denny Hamlin ran the entire Busch Series circuit last year without a single win.

As expected, it was an emotional win. Not for Denny Hamlin; the enormity of his accomplishment had not yet sunk in. He showed his teammanship by congsponsoring his team and sponser, Federal Express, on finally getting a much deserved win. He declared that he would win Rookie of the Year honors for the 2006 season, not out of unqualified egotism, but out of pride for his team. He was happy that he had won, but had not yet overwhelmed by his accomplishment. The emotion was evident in his parents, who made no attempt to hide profuse tears of pride and joy. Their son, who had nearly ended his racing career in 2003, due to lack of funding for his short track team, had proven himself to the world.

Last Minute Pre-Season RantnRaving

Green flag! The 2006 Budweiser Shoot Out is less than 2 hrs away, weather permitting. Here are a few preseason questions and comments before it begins.
What I Like:
ARCA's Bobby Venturini is fully recovered from his injuries suffered in a very scary wreck a year ago at Daytona. His sister, Speed's Wendy Venturini got the honors of welcoming him back to racing on live TV.
Carl Edwards is always happy.
Ken Schrader looks good in any driver's suit.
Ken Schrader loods great in the #21 Wood Brothers Ford.
Mark Martin is still racing.
Tony Stewart is still Tony Stewart.
They showed the drawing for the Shootout starting line up on TV. I don't remember them doing that before. I'll probably say the same thing next year.
Jeff Gordon has a good car and is whining about it. Welcome back to the same ol' Jeff.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has a good car and will be a contender for another win at Daytona.
It will be a breakout season for Casey Mears.
It will be a breakout season for Jamie McMurray.
It will be a comeback season for Petty Racing.
Richard Petty's grin which outshines the sun (as long as the sun is behind the clouds)
Kyle Petty's grin which outshines his father's.
And I like this article I found on SI.com:
Jamie McMurray makes his Roush Racing debut in Saturday night's Bud Shootout, a non-points all-star race that launches the season. The car has a new number -- 26 instead of 97 -- at least in part because team owner Jack Roush wants to distance himself from Kurt Busch, a driver he considered a headache. -- Tampa Tribune
What Seems Strange to Me:
Matt Kenseth in a white car.
Bobby Labonte in a yellow driver's suit.
Carl Edwards is always happy.

Finally, A Few Questions:
Will Happy Harvick ever really be happy?
When will people realize that more Toyotas are made in America by American workers than are Fords?
Why is Carl Edwards always so happy?

We'll tune in and see anwers to these and many other questions. Right now, it's time to go racing!!!

Last Political Commentary

This is my last mention of political issues in this blog. I will continue to post my articles on racing and articles on entertainment here, but any political commentary I have will, from now on, be on my blog titled “Lift That Torch, Ring That Bell.” I realize that it is inappropriate to present my “outside the box” political views to those who came here to enjoy commentaries on racing, as it is to present my NASCAR commentaries to those who came to discuss political issues. There is a link on the sidebar here for “Lift That Torch,” and one on “Lift That Torch” for this blog, for those of you who enjoy both. My evil twin hopes that I may have influenced some of my NASCAR friends to think outside the politics-as-usual box, and that I have aroused some interest in NASCAR in those who were not previously NASCAR fans. “It’s a small world, after all,” and we’re all in it together. Peace.

NASCAR Drivers: Having What It Takes

What does it take to be a race car driver? In the upper tiers of automobile racing, it takes a person who is very different from the ordinary. The level of racing in NASCAR, IRL, OWCCS (Champ Car, formerly CART), and Formula One requires perception, stamina, concentration, and instinct that goes far beyond what most of us are capable of. At speeds approaching, and exceeding, 200 mph, half a second may seem like several minutes to a race car driver.

Most of the NASCAR drivers started racing at a very early age. Jeff Gordon was practically born with a steering wheel in his hands, beginning his stellar career racing go-carts at the age of five. Tony Stewart wasn’t far behind, winning his first go-cart race at the age of seven. NASCAR driver Scott Riggs didn’t start in cars, but competed in Motocross motorcycle racing starting at the age of six. If you look at the careers of all of the drivers currently in NASCAR, the average age these professionals embarked upon their path is around 14 years. Many of the drivers grew up in racing families, most notably, Dale Jarrett, Kyle Petty, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Racing is literally in their blood.

Driving in a field of forty-three cars, inches apart, at 198 plus mph, also requires patient aggression. The whole point of racing is to finish ahead of all the others. No driver wants to finish second, everyone is there to win. So, when there is an opportunity to pass another car, the driver must take it. In a 200 mph parking lot, such as the races at Daytona, that opportunity is not taken easily. The driver must be patient for the opening, and be able to anticipate where the other cars are going to be at the time he makes his move. Experience is very much the key in this case, plus an almost unnatural instinct. If there is the slightest error in judgement, a crash is certain to happen. Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr have shown the most skill recently in applying patient aggression at the restrictor plate races, such as the ones at Daytona.

It is not that these drivers don't know fear. They definately do feel fear when they get into a car, preparing for a race. There are too many variables in racing to be totally unafraid. But, the best drivers have the natural ability to transform fear into adreneline and concentration, which are very necessary to finish a race unharmed. Sometimes there are accidents which, to the observer, may seem careless or avoidable, but there is absolutely no room in racing for carelessness. Most drivers trust and expect that every one of the other drivers will be driving at the same level of concentration he or she has.

There are no NASCAR drivers who are Atheists. Before every race, as part of the opening ceremonies, a prayer is given for all the drivers, crew, and fans. This has been part of the opening ceremonies at every level of NASCAR, since the very beginning of NASCAR sanctioned racing. Jeff Gordon's testimony of Christ is well known, and Tony Stewart has also testified that the power of prayer has helped his team. Even after the opening ceremonies, as the drivers get into their cars, the observer can see every crew member of every team in prayer. "You learn to pray a lot, when you work for Joe Gibbs," Stewart remarked toward the end of the 2005 season. Both football and racing fans know about Gibbs' conviction for the power of prayer.

All of us want to go fast. It is in our dreams. There are very many in the world who race cars, but a very small percentage of those drivers have what it takes to race at the Formula One or NASCAR level. That is why most of us fans are happy to watch the ones that can do, do what they do the best.

Busting a Myth (Depolarizing Politics Pt. II)

Note: I'm getting radical here, this is my Libertarian Activist side coming out. Just for fun, please check out "The World's Smallest Politcal Quiz."and click on the tab marked "Quiz"
I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but there is no Easter Bunny. And, by the way, there really is no difference between the Democrat Party and the Republican Party. They are two factions of the same mega-party, representing the oxymoronical philosophy of Social Capitalism. This “Demopublican,” or, if you will, “Republocrat” Party represents the Government and stands for rubber stamping the individual, that is, it tends to eliminate individuality and attempts to force everyone to think, talk, and act exactly the same.
“The scariest words in the English language have to be ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help’ ” - Ronald Reagan
I’m not referring to the individuals within the Administration or Congress, as there are several people of character and integrity within these organizations, who actually do, or attempt to, serve the public. But the Demopublican party, as a whole, is more inclined to serve the Government. The Government, as it stands today isn’t the combination of the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches we learned about in Civics, but is a giant amorphous entity made up of these branches plus the huge bureaucracy that has grown within it. It doesn’t matter who is in the White House, or who is in control of Congress, the Government tends to acquire and consume capitol and private property. By way of explanation, consider this: the Federal income tax code defines income tax as a “voluntary” tax. But what happens when you choose not to volunteer? The Government takes your money and your property.
Do you own a car? Only if you don’t leave your driveway. Things that common sense and personal responsibility tell you to do anyway have been made into laws. Mandatory insurance laws have subsidized the insurance companies to the point where they can charge unreasonably high rates. I remember when comprehensive auto insurance was $600 a year rather than $300 a month. You don’t even have to commit a crime to get stopped and checked for compliance. You can get stopped for a crooked or bent license plate, a “soft tire,” or a “cracked taillight.” And then, if your papers aren’t in order, the government gets to keep the money it gets for selling the car at an auction, along with what fines you have to pay.
If you own real estate, you can’t cut trees, build, or hunt on your own property without the government’s permission. You have to have a license, a permit, or sometimes, an environmental impact study in order to use your own property as you see fit.
Eminent domain gives the government the right to take your property, but only if you get just compensation for it and if it is for public use. A park, a highway, or a wildlife refuge would reasonably be considered “for public use,” but a shopping mall, a football stadium, or an oil drilling operation may be for the “public good,” due to tax revenues and added government income, are not for “public use.” Yet recently, there have been several cases of private property confiscation for uses other than by the public. Furthermore, the Government avoids paying just compensation by condemning property and artificially devaluing it.
“You don’t want the Government to ‘legalize freedom.’ They legalized Civil Rights and look how they screwed that up.” - Russell Means
And, yet the Demopublican party goes along with this practice of government as usual. It continues to demand more “food” or money for the Government, so the Government may continue growing. The Government will never have enough money, its hunger for power and control is never satiated. Part of it is our own fault. Rather than deal with a problem at the community level, we sigh, declare “there oughta be a law,” and elect the same status-quo politicians to the same status-quo government. Consider the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Because of a combination, and culmination, of mismoves, misjudgement, and incompetence, on both state and federal levels, the evacuation of the flooded areas of New Orleans was seriously mismanaged, leaving thousands of people stranded for days. There arose a huge public outcry that the Federal Government come up with a viable emergency actions plan. The public got what it asked for; in the future, in case of a disaster, the military will wrest control of the stricken state or states from the respective governor(s) and impose martial law. There is nothing wrong with that from the status-quo vision, but it seriously oversteps the bounds and responsibilities of the Federal Government, as outlined in the Constitution.
“A man who is younger than thirty years old and is not a liberal has no heart. A man who is older than thirty and is not a conservative has no brain.” - Winston Churchill
Socialism, as economic policy, has been tried on many levels of Government, and has failed. Socialism requires that the Government choose who gets the money and who doesn’t, thus creating even more bureaucracy. It ties up and delays aid and benefits to those who need it, and restricts industrial innovations and productivity due to lack of incentive. It artificially sets price restrictions, which often creates a supply and demand crisis, and often results in high unemployment and inflation rates. A Socialist economy, in a Capitalist world, will inevitably face gigantic trade deficits.
Free Market Capitalism, on the other hand, has never been tried. Theoretically, a Free Market would be controlled by the laws of supply and demand. Witness, for example, the subtle and deft manipulation of capital supply by the former Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan, who successfully avoided inflation of the American economy for nearly 20 years. What Greenspan did was exert a very minute and limited control of the market, and let the economy take care of itself, which it did, in spite of high oil prices, stock market crashes, 9/11, and natural disasters. With Greenspan, we caught a glimpse of what a Free Market could do. Ultimately, the consumer, the common man, if you will, would have some control over the economy, being able to cast a vote with his or her purse as to what prices and product quality are appropriate. I will venture this: It wasn’t Wal-Mart or Home Depot which put Mom and Pop out of business. Instead, it was the combination of payroll taxes, minimum wage, licensing, and other Government restrictions and requirements which restricted the small business’s ability to compete reasonably and fairly.
If there is to be a distiction between the two factions of the Republicrat Party, at least one of the factions must remember that a Constitutional government is one which is “of the people, by the people, and for the people,” rather than the current concept of government of, by, and for the government. A place to start would be to re-create government that works from the bottom up, rather than from the top down. Many of the responsibilities Big Government has taken from the states and the smaller communities, could be returned to the states and the smallest communities possible. Federal bureaucracy, and by result, spending could be drastically reduced. The Government could be eventually weaned from the Federal Income Tax. To head in that direction, with that goal would be a drastic change from the status-quo, but should result in a positive end.

The Champ

Any professional sport likes to celebrate its champions. Hopefully the champion has a positive demeanor, and is a respectful, and respectable, representative of the sport. Sometimes, that isn’t the case, but for NASCAR, Tony Stewart has been an ideal champion. His personality has shone brightly, as he has gone to various promotional and press events, during the off-season. His often self-deprecating sense of humor is infectuous, his honesty is profound, and his love for the sport is obvious. He absolutely adores children, and throughout his career, he has donated millions of dollars in support of children’s charities, particularly the Victory Junction Gang Camp, which was founded by Kyle and Patty Petty, in honor of their son, Adam, who was tragically killed in a racing accident in 1999. He has also joined his sponsor, Home Depot, in building playgrounds in "high risk" neighborhoods for children around the country.
It hasn't always been this way for Tony. It is the same Tony Stewart, but the perception of him has been different in the past. Not long ago, he was thought of as NASCAR's "Bad-Boy." He wasn't seen as media friendly, actually shoving a photographer and knocking the tape recorder out of a reporter's hands when they each picked bad moments to interview the driver. His temper flared often, when he had a bad day racing, and his answers were often short and acerbic.
Now, since the end of the 2004 NASCAR season, that has changed. Realizing that he needed an attitude adjustment Tony "Smoke" Stewart moved away from the racing community in North Carolina, back to his boyhood home in Columbus, Indiana, near Indianapolis. There, he is treated as a friend and neighbor, rather than as a racing celebrity. As he relaxed, the "real" Tony Stewart became more visible, and, as those of us who have been Smoke fans for a while already knew, he rapidly began gaining respect and a liking among the fans, the public, and the press.
Probably one of the most memorable moments in the history of NASCAR came last July, when Stewart finally realized his boyhood dream of winning a race at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Tens of thousands of race fans, Stewart fans or not, stood and cheered as Smoke took an emotional victory lap. Stopping his car in turn two, he exited the car to receive congratulations and a Coke from his father. He considers that day the most important of his life, even more so than any of his championships.
And what did he do during the off season? Sometimes, he raced. Tony Stewart is the kind of driver who can get in any type of race car and win, or at least try to. In 1994, he won the USAC Midget Car championship, which he repeated in 1995, the same year he won championships in the USAC Silver Crown series and the USAC Sprint Car series, becoming the first driver ever to win the USAC triple crown in a single season. In 1997, he won the Indianapolis Racing League (IRL) championship, and in 2002, he one the first of two NASCAR Cup championships. He will get in any of these cars at a moment's notice and race, so great is his love for racing.
A little over a month ago, Stewart entered a Midget Car event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as the Chile Bowl. This is a prestigeous race in the world of open wheel racing, drawing hundreds of entants and thousands of fans. Unfortunately, during a qualifying run, his car flipped and crashed into the fence, injuring several ribs on his right side. Although he didn't qualify for the main event, Tony stayed the entire weekend to watch the event, his right arm in a cast as a precaution, signing autographs for fans and quipping, "It's a good thing I'm left-handed."
And the injury didn't keep him from racing, either. Two weeks later, he was racing again, in the Rolex GrandAmerican 24 Hours at Daytona, a sports car race drawing some of the most famous drivers in the world.
"Really, the only time I didn't think about the pain from the ribs was when I was in the race car," he told reporters. "That's pretty much the best time for me, when I'm in a race car."
Probably one of the most significant indicators of Tony's new popularity is the press itself. Carol Einarsson, a writer for the on-line racing journal Inside Racing News.Com, has long been a detractor of Tony Stewart. But recently, she published an article titled "What I Like About You: Tony Stewart." This is an excellent article, describing the Champ's qualities, and may be read by clicking on the article title. It is definately a turn-around point of view by Einarsson.
All in all, Tony Stewart has been an outstanding representative of NASCAR, drawing new fans for both himself and the sport, proving to be everything a Champion should be.

A Tribute

Joe Clark loved to build things. A free lance carpenter, he built cabinets for new and remodeled homes, and did restoration work in older houses. He loved music, and you could tell where he was on a job site just by following the sound of Classical symphonic music coming from his radio. He also loved the Blues, and made his appreciation of it known to me whenever he heard me play harmonica. And he loved people, never having a bad word to say about others, and always being interesting to talk to. Although somewhat shy, he enjoyed the company of others and his company was always enjoyable. His testimony of the Spiritual was personal, genuine, and very strong. When he fell ill, he regretted not being able to work, and not being able to go fishing, for he also loved being with Nature.
I learned yesterday that Joe had fallen to Lymphomia last Saturday, January 28. He was only 64. For his friends, family and myself, it is not a time of mourning, but a time of celebration, and Joe would think it silly for us to mourn him. No-one has said, “He is with God, now,” because he has always been with God. Indeed, the sense of God’s Presence was always strong when Joe was around. He didn’t fear death, he didn’t even acknowledge death. His life showed greatness without fame. His generousity provided gifts far beyond the Material. He lived well and died well. We who love him will sorely miss him, but we will not mourn him. Instead, we will celebrate, and congratulate him, for he has passed his final exam and graduated from this school called “life” with flying colors.