Detriot's FAILURE

We as a nation are on the verge of bailing out (when you click on this link LOOK very carefully at the flags the workers are holding) General Motors, Chrysler, & Ford. Are we really bailing out the auto manufacturers or are we bailing out the United Auto Workers union ? I believe we are purchasing out the unions and not the manufacturer of the vehicles. The UAW much like our very own fire fighters & police pension system it is UNDERFUNDED !!!!!!!!! How did this happen you might ask, management wrote out checks post dated to the future without the knowledge of whether the future was going to be able to pay the bills.

I also have a theory as to why the manufacturers are having a hard time selling cars, it has nothing to do with the economy because personally our economy isn't in that bad of shape as compared to the same time frame before 9/11. Remember Bill Clinton got rid of the WORST economy in 50 years by defeating Bush 1.0. Once he was term limited his VP took the Democrat nomination for President and LOST (yes all you democrats I said LOST not stole) the election to Bush 2.0. Up until 9/11 we were in the economy which was created by President Bill Clinton and we all know it was better than the roaring 20's.

NASCAR unofficially got started when deep in the back woods, farmers around the depression era made moonshine to earn money to support their families. Money for the bare necessities was hard to come by. They learned to outrun the law by making their cars faster than what the lawmen had. One famous moonshine runner is Junior Johnson from Ingle Hollow, he was never caught while running moonshine.

As this sport has gained popularity so have the vehicles which have toured the track. In any given era the cars which dominate the highways and byways of America are the counterparts to their racing cousins. There are exceptions to this rule as well since Plymouth Superbirds and Dodge Charger Daytonas were designed strictly for the track with a limited production for purchase just in order to beat Ford and the racing Torino.
The long list of cars that have been on the track resemble a who's who of auto manufacturers nameplates. During anytime in NASCAR history the car which dominates the track also dominates the sales. This list includes such fantastic vehicles as:

General Motors

Buick Regal
Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme
Chevrolet Lumina/Monte Carlo
Chevrolet Malibu
Pontiac Grand Prix & the current model the Chevrolet Impala

Ford Motor Company

Mercury Montego
Mercury Cougar
Ford Torino
Ford Thunderbird
Ford Taurus & the current model the Ford Fusion

Chrylser Corporation

Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Charger & Charger Daytona
Plymouth Valiant
Plymouth Superbird

There are others that I'm missing but as you look through this list think about the cars you have seen in your lifetime. Ford Thunderbird dominated the track in the 80's and it sold up until the Ford Taurus took over NASCAR duties. The Thunderbird got a redesign and the sales hit the tiolet while the Taurus started to perform quite well on the track it also started performing well on the showroom floor. Same can be said for the Lumina, Monte Carlo, and the Dodge Intrepid.

What we have now is considered the car of tomorrow which has no defining body style and realistically has no defining front or rear tail clip. It is not by mistake that sales have dropped of the current models of NASCAR vehicles since they have NO definition on the highways and byways of America. NASCAR and cars sales work best when we have cars that LOOK like there race track counterparts.

NASCAR helps its own

Normally people want an industry that has benefited from their hard work to anti up into a retirement account as they view what they have done as being the pioneers of the industry. Nascar and early teams and ownership is no different, many believe they are owed a living for creating something which is reaping in the profits. This my friends is why drivers and owners along with team members should have a collective bargaining agreement with NASCAR with terms tied to profit revenue. Sorry to say but the teams are allowing NASCAR to get rich off of their blood, sweat, and tears and they(NASCAR) set the venues to what will transpire in the sport. This is the epitimy of hypocracy on the part of NASCAR and the France family. You just don't do this to long term people who have helped you reap profits which would have been unseen without them

Ards can't put price on Busch $100,000 donation

By The Associated Press
November 3, 2008
07:12 PM EST

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Sam Ard was unsettled late Saturday night, unable to sleep as he peppered his wife about things he couldn't remember.

Were his parents still alive when he married Jo nearly 50 years ago? Were they doing a good job raising their children?

“

I asked him what he wanted to do with Kyle's money, and he said for me to do whatever I wanted. He just wanted a couple hundred dollars to put in his wallet.

”

-- JO ARD

"He asked me 'What if I go back racing?' " Jo Ard said Monday. "I said 'If you go back racing, I'm going to hand you divorce papers. Nobody is going to let you go racing.' "

Ard's racing days are indeed long over.

He's 69 years old and suffering from both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. He's not permitted to drive anywhere anymore, and no one is exactly sure how much Ard understands about the latest push to help his crumbling finances and mounting medical bills.

Kevin Harvick, a champion of Ard's plight, donated a 2007 Chevrolet van last month to Ard's family that solved the transportation woes that plagued the couple since Jo's car died five months ago. Then the NASCAR Foundation and Motor Racing Outreach teamed for an online auction to benefit the Sam Ard Fund.

The largest gesture, though, came Saturday afternoon when Kyle Busch committed $100,000 to Ard moments after winning the Nationwide Series race. The win at Texas Motor Speedway tied Ard's mark of 10 series victories in a season.

"Sam Ard is one of the pioneers of this [series], and to be tied with him at 10 wins is something that's pretty spectacular and really, really special to me," Busch said. "I'm going to try to help him out and see what I can do. It's not much, but it's something that can try to help."

But to the Ard's, the gesture was enormous.

Ard didn't have a particularly long NASCAR career, but his three seasons netted him two championships in the second-tier series now sponsored by Nationwide. He never got rich from racing, and collected roughly 25 percent of the $378,765 he made in winnings before suffering severe head trauma in a 1984 accident.

Unable to secure a consistent income after the accident, the Ards blew through their children's college funds to cover everyday expenses. Unlike every other major professional league, NASCAR does not provide a pension to its participants and has not been on the hook for Ard or any other former driver facing financial difficulties.

The NASCAR community has occasionally stepped in to help, and a 2006 plea to their peers by Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. led to a significant donation to Ard's care fund. That gesture and Ard's fight were the centerpiece of a 2007 Associated Press examination of NASCAR's indifference toward financially supporting its veterans.

Jo used the money to pay off the mortgage on their doublewide trailer in Pamplico, S.C., repay debts and collect the two championship rings that Ard was forced to turn over as collateral on a loan. Then Ard was seriously injured in an April 2007, accident on an all-terrain vehicle that gobbled up the last of the money.

When the balance in the fund dipped below $200 earlier this year, Jo Ard had to close the account before Wachovia's $35 monthly maintenance fee gobbled what remained. Social Security, Ard's veterans benefits and the little bit Jo brings home from cleaning houses and taking care of some hunting dogs is the only money currently coming in.

So when Busch pledged his assistance, Jo Ard said the 23-year-old racer had no idea the magnitude of his gesture. She said she'll use a chunk of the money to make their bathroom handicap accessible so Ard can use it alone.

"Kyle doesn't know what he's done. He really, truly does not know what he's done to take the load and the pressure off of me," Jo Ard said by telephone Monday. "We can do the bathroom. I can maybe get someone to come to the house and help me if I need them, because we're here day in and day out because Sammy can't be left alone. He falls. He can't drive. He'll tell you he feels fine, but every day is different."

Ard watched Saturday's race at Texas with his grandson, aware that Busch was chasing his 1983 mark for wins in a season. Jo was with her sister for a rare dinner out when son, Robert, called her.

"Mama, are you sitting down?" Robert told her. "Well, Kyle tied Daddy's record, and I had someone call me and tell me that Kyle is going to give Daddy $100,000."

Hours later, when a fidgety Ard kept Jo up talking until 2:30 a.m., she sensed he understood Busch's contribution.

"I guess his mind was just thinking because he said 'I've been praying that something could come along that we could pay the bills and you can get a car,' " Jo said. "So he's aware of what's going. I asked him what he wanted to do with Kyle's money, and he said for me to do whatever I wanted. He just wanted a couple hundred dollars to put in his wallet."

Many view the Ard's predicament as NASCAR turning a blind eye toward its pioneers with its refusal to pay a pension plan to its athletes. NASCAR's direct employees are eligible for both a pension and retirement fund, but drivers and crew members are viewed as "independent contractors" and aren't covered for any sort of assistance.

The Ards have gone through stages where they've been angry at NASCAR and its antiquated policies. But Jo Ard isn't bitter right now, instead so grateful to the community help they've received. Although the sanctioning body does not specifically contribute anything, individual high-ranking officials have made personal financial donations for his care.

"There's been some good boys," Jo said, "and we're just so thankful for their help."

One only need look at your last name

Earnhardt believes Smith won Talladega

By JENNA FRYER, AP Auto Racing Writer 5 hours, 8 minutes ago

• Print

CONCORD, N.C. (AP)—Dale Earnhardt Jr. once used a questionable pass below the yellow line to beat Matt Kenseth at Talladega.

Looking back at that 2003 victory, Earnhardt can’t figure out what he did differently than Regan Smith did last week at the same track. Smith’s last-lap pass of Tony Stewart was below the out-of-bounds line and ruled illegal, which denied Smith his first victory.

“It was exactly the same. I was forced below (the yellow line) and that was declared OK,” Earnhardt Jr. said Friday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.

“I know for a fact Regan didn’t go down the front straightaway with a plan to pass (Stewart) on the apron. He was under (Stewart) on the race track when Tony came down and he was forced onto the apron.”

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Earnhardt strongly believed that NASCAR wronged Smith by ruling his move Sunday was illegal.

Smith ducked below the yellow line to pass Stewart, returned to the racing surface and crossed the finish line first. But NASCAR doesn’t permit passing below the line, but occasionally makes an exception if officials believe the driver was forced onto the apron.

Officials said they did not believe Stewart forced Smith under the line, but Earnhardt disagreed.

“What is unclear is what being forced below the yellow line is,” Earnhardt said. “In my opinion, (Smith) was forced below the yellow line. The two did make contact. He was on the inside of Tony. In my opinion (Smith) wins the race. I feel like Tony did what he had to do. In the car, everyone would have done what Tony did and everyone would have done what (Smith) did.

“What’s curious is, when are you forced? Show me some video of what’s forced and what’s not.”

Earnhardt said he felt for Smith, who is essentially a free agent right now because his ride at Dale Earnhardt Inc. doesn’t have sponsorship lined up for 2009. Earnhardt is no longer affiliated with DEI, and said he doesn’t pay much attention to the sponsorship woes the team is currently battling.

As of right now, DEI has just one full sponsor lined up for four race cars next season and Earnhardt said a win by Smith could have put a positive spotlight on the slumping organization.

“It definitely would have impressed a lot of people for Regan’s sake,” Earnhardt said. “I think he’s a really, really good guy and I think he’s got a lot of talent. There’s a lot of drivers in the sport with jobs that he probably deserves. There’s also the chance that it would help DEI nail down some money for next year for that team.”

Earnhardt left DEI at the end of last season to join Hendrick Motorsports, and said he won’t be running back to his late father’s race team to rescue it.

“The way the economy is working, and the way things are looking on Wall Street … as delicate the situation is financially across the country, across the world, I think I would be best to be idle,” he said. “I haven’t pushed my nose in there and asked many questions what the situation is. It’s obviously, the team, from the outside looking in is pretty dire.”

TOUGH SELL: Marcus Smith picked a fine time to take over Lowe’s Motor Speedway, inheriting a huge race track and the responsibility of filling it during dire economic times.

But the new president of Lowe’s is tackling the challenge head-on, devising plans that will convince fans they won’t be disappointed if they choose to spend their entertainment dollars at any of the Speedway Motorsports Inc. tracks.

“My job is to be the best host of the greatest party in the world,” who will mark his first race at track president with Saturday night’s event. “My No. 1 focus, regardless of the economy or number of tickets sold, is to make sure every single fan has a great time and says `Wow, I’m glad we came.’ “

Smith, the son of SMI billionaire owner Bruton Smith, replaced Humpy Wheeler following the Coca-Cola 600 in May. Wheeler retired after 33 years running the crown jewel of Bruton Smith’s empire.

Among Marcus Smith’s fan-first trends is a 4-pack of tickets that includes four sodas and four hot dogs for $39.75, and reduced costs on souvenirs.

Concessions have been reduced, and LMS officials partnered with area hotels to reduce rates and waive minimum stay requirements.

There’s a new pass that gives fans access to pit road during pre-race and an on-track Jessica Simpson concert that will also put them front and center for driver introductions.

LMS also allowed anyone with a ticket to Saturday night’s race pit road access to the Sprint Cup Series test session last month, and introduced a van package that takes fans on a tour at both Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing.

HALL OF FAME ADDITION: The winningest car in NASCAR Cup history will be on display at the new NASCAR Hall of Fame—without the scuff marks.

Seven-time points champion Richard Petty unveiled his blue No. 43 Plymouth in which he won 36 races in 1966-67, including a record 10 straight on the way to his 1967 championship. Petty agreed to lend the car from his own museum to the Hall of Fame, set to open in 2010 in downtown Charlotte.

“Really that was when we really built our career,” Petty said Friday as he pointed to the car outside the Charlotte Convention Center. “Even though we had done pretty good, I think that pretty much cemented us in and we were able to go from there.”

But Bobby Allison, a longtime rival of Petty, joked that the car was missing something.

“I’m so pleased to see this thing as one of the first things going in, but it’s not really authentic,” Allison said. “I put lots of wheel marks (on it), and they’re not there. Maybe I can get them on there later today.”

The Hall of Fame also announced a program where fans will able to buy commemorative bricks with their names that will be on the outside of the main entrance to the facility. Petty, Allison, Donnie Allison and Ned Jarrett were among the old drivers on hand Friday to receive their bricks.

The ceremony allowed the old-timers to swap stories of their days racing— and scuffling.

“I didn’t know if Bobby and Richard were going to get in a fight before I got down here,” joked Donnie Allison.

AP Sports Writer Mike Cranston contributed to this report.

Daytona 500

While watching the Daytona 500 I just couldn't believe the strides Toyota has made to become a competitor in the NASCAR series. I'm still not a huge fan of the COT, but it did make for some good racing and it also allowed for breakaways in the field which the older bodied cars couldn't do because of the restrictor plate.
These cars also have a restrictor plate but because the cars are much bulkier NASCAR has allowed for a larger hole opening in the plate which allows for more horsepower. Kyle Busch looked like the car to beat except with a late race blocking strategy by Jeff Burton it cost young Kyle the race. As a former driver and a former owner of a race car I hate the blocking aspect of this sport and have always believed if the person behind you is faster then race them straight up, don't block them from passing.
To Ryan Newman congrads on breaking your winless streak. Kudos to Dodge for having what it takes at the proper time to pull out this victory. Kurt Busch you clearly have matured quite a bit, with an occasional temper tantrum. Reed Sorenson looks to be a front runner all season long, he will be battling the regulars as this season progresses.

Jeff Gordon won't be down long, neither will Jimmie Johnson, tough break for Casey Mears but he waited just a split second too long before jumping up in front of Tony Stewart, only to be put into the wall and then have his night come to an end.

It would have been nice to see Kenny Wallace get some television time, more so then pulling into the garage when his day was over.
What happened to Michael Waltrip Racings three entries, they weren't even competitive after lap 2. Next up is California where Ford seems to have the magic.