Today, we're talking fightin', body shapes and nervous Jimmie fans. If you want to add your voice to the mix, write nascarmail@yahoogroups.com or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, Let's lead off with a bang:
Once again KyBu proved that the Busch family is a bunch of babies.� If KyBu is such a big man to wreck people on the track, he better be man enough to�defend himself�off the track. Clearly he's not.� How is it that KuBu is so mellow, boring and fake in interviews and such an animated�crybaby on the radio?� I think they are both great drivers, and that's why their owners put up with their attitudes, but where are their parents?
? Scott
Nashville, TN
I have nothing to add to this one, except to say that there's no way on Earth Kyle could possibly defend himself against Childress without making this a huge story. Or is there? We consulted our pal Maggie Hendricks of Yahoo! Sports' Cagewriter blog for what Kyle could have done in this situation. Her recommendation?
"I'd go for a rear-naked choke, where Busch would slip behind Childress, put his forearm underneath old man's chin, and use the other forearm to apply pressure. If done right, it can choke somebody out, but would more just be demoralizing to Childress. If Busch wanted to, he could whisper trash talk into Childress's ear."
OK, on second thought, that would probably be a terrible thing to happen. Let's go to a little more measured approach.
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NASCAR should come up with a Participants' Code of Conduct.� It should outline what behavior is unacceptable, i.e. physically assaulting another participant in the garage, bumping other cars on pit road post race, etc.� That shouldn't be hard to define.� If you they say "don't do this off of the track," then we leave it to the drivers to handle and won't have situations where owners are taking it in to their own hands ... "Boys, have at it" should only apply on the track and to verbal confrontations.� Physically assaulting people in the garage is not my idea of good competition or good entertainment, and personally I think anyone who thinks it is should take up watching UFC or boxing instead of NASCAR.� NASCAR is about racing, not fighting.
? Patricia Augusta
Simi Valley, CA
I like it. I proposed something similar the other day, bringing in multiple stakeholders to have a voice. The problem is, that assumes NASCAR wants anybody but itself to have a voice. But we're at a crisis point now. There have to be at least some kind of guidelines, or else you end up where we're going next...
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Talk about a no-win. On probation and against a 65 year old legend of NASCAR?!? Not a Moobs [Kyle Busch] fan but have to say I felt like he got set up. I'm sure RCR feels $150,000 was worth every penny for how this whole thing went down. A headlock and sucker punch! I say Vince McMahon gives Moobs his shot at next year's Wrestlemania, Rowdy Rowdy Busch v. Dick "The Bruiser" Childress, or better yet, why not Team Gibbs v. Team RCR. Level playing field, and beating up 60+ year old men not only allowed but encouraged. NASCAR's punishment was not sufficient and this battle cannot be over. My money is on Team Gibbs.
? Tony Manns
Hmm. Let's break this down. Three-and-one brawl, drivers and owner, winner take all. (This is going to make Patricia from Simi Valley's skin crawl, but so be it.) Team Gibbs, you've got Coach, Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano. Team RCR, you've got Childress, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton. (We'll leave Menard off this to keep the numbers right.) Coach v. Childress, that goes for Childress. Harvick v. Busch, that's Harvick in a rout. Bowyer v. Hamlin goes to Bowyer. Burton v. Logano again goes Childress's way. The only wins I see for Gibbs in this scenario are if you concede one or two matches, say, let Gibbs fight a driver and sacrifice Logano to Harvick. Or if you allow Gibbs to tag in a replacement, like his old player Dexter Manley. Then it gets interesting.
Which brings up another question: which team do you think could field the toughest top four? Pound for pound, it's got to be Stewart-Haas, but they're hamstrung by only having two guys to fight four positions. I say it's probably going to be RCR, with Roush-Fenway coming in second and maybe, maybe sneaking in a surprise win. No way Hendrick is even in the conversation. You?
And now, since we have run this topic so deep into the earth's crust we're starting to hit magma, let's roll on with a new subject.
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A couple months back, big news was that GM might bust out the Camaro in the NSCS and NNS leagues due to new rules allowing the manufactuers to go wild, in a sense, with their designs. Since I haven't heard a lick about it since then, are they still discussing it, or did GM cop out and go with the Impala again? Thanks!
? Luke Simmons
The Impala/Camaro debate is still out there, largely because GM isn't sure that it can fit the Camaro into NASCAR specs while still preserving the distinctive "Camaro-ness" of the car. I've read that GM may be preparing two different car specs to submit to NASCAR on the chance that NASCAR doesn't sign off on the Camaro. Either way, the NNS and NSCS series will look far different in the next few years than they did last year.
Below, via Ultimate Sports Talk, a look at what those cars might look like:
Sweet.
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I hope all the 48 haters are enjoying this season so far. As a Johnson fan, I'm not. It's the old "other side of the coin" story. I miss the domination, the destroying of the competition I've enjoyed for the last 5 years.� I'm still holding out hope that when the Chase starts the old 48 team returns. Who knows? Maybe they are just playing possum right now to make all the Junior fans happy. At least Hamlin isn't at the top of the list.
? Tim Palmer
Ah, a nervous Jimmie Johnson fan. I like it. (And that'll make the 48 fans fire up their emails: "OH MA GAWD BUSBEE IS A JOHNSON HATER I KNEW IT") Nope. I like Jimmie a lot as a dude; his Twitter is must-follow. But I also like good stories, and relentless victory isn't much of a story if you're not invested as a fan. Now, if my Atlanta Braves went on a relentless victory streak, I'd be just fine with that, but we all know how likely that is.
Anyway, Vader will be fine. He's shown he can take a punch and face down a challenge. But the rest of the pack has caught up to him now, and it'll be a fine few weeks of Chase time. Next up: trollbait!
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How come all the big names have raced in�and are supporing Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream to raise money for childrens hospitals except Dale Earnhardt Jr.? Gordon, Johnson, Kurt, Kyle, Denny, Edwards have all helped, but Dale Jr has never once participated. Wouldn't more money be raised if the sport's most popular driver participated?
? Turk from Michigan
Junior Haters love to trot out this old chestnut: "He doesn't go to the Prelude, so he must hate children! Why do you like a guy who hates children?" (Aside: we're not idiots here, friends. Don't try to sneak a borderline-libelous email in, like "Do you think _____ is drinking and beating his wife in the hauler after races?") Anyway, Junior has been asked about this in the past, and there are a few convincing reasons. One, he doesn't get much time off, so he takes it when he can. Two, he gives plenty to charity on his own. Three, he doesn't like racing on dirt and may not want to embarrass himself. Four, after a huge 2004 wreck off-track his sponsors have strongly hinted that they don't want him racing outside of NASCAR cars. So, bottom line...no scandal here, just a business decision.
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Busbee, you're an idiot.�Isn't that how you're supposed to start these email? I don't see fuel mileage races, or rain shortened races, to be any less valid than a regular win.� It is all about strategy. If somebody gambles on 2 tires on the final pit stop, nobody says that that win is cheapened because they were the only one to take 2 tires.�Strategy is strategy.�Fuel and weather are just as much factors in a race as tires, and whoever picks the winning strategy should be rewarded.
? Jerry Hicks
Ardmore, Oklahoma
Jerry also had some kind words for our Sunday chat; if you're not coming here on race days and hanging with us, you're missing out. Anyway, he makes some good points here. Bottom line, a win is a win is a win, and who cares how you get it? Particularly now when wins mean so much to the second tier of drivers. You can bet that Brad Keselowski will be praying for rain every single week from here till the Chase to vulture a quick win.
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Two weeks, two close calls for Junior. If he and Steve Letarte ever get it nailed down they'll be dangerous. Here's the question: If [Keselowski] pitted earlier than Junior and Hamster, and he was conserving fuel, why did Junior hold back for a couple laps with five to go? If he'd raced pedal to the medal for at least one more lap, he nails Keselowski. Also, it seems like both cars had enough fuel left to do a burnout (K) and get back to the pits (Jr).
? Sarge
Statesboro, GA
The question of whether Junior could have caught Keselowski will haunt the 88 team all week. But the truth is, he was doing the smart thing by conserving, perhaps because he remembered the agony of running out of gas within sight of the finish line last week. Also, I'm not sure the 88 team necessarily knew what Keselowski was doing in terms of conserving fuel; the guy was pretty masterfully working the throttle, as we noted earlier this week. And, mathematically, he was only slated to catch Jet Ski on the last lap even at full throttle, so it's not a certainty he would've caught him. This is definitely a greater-good kind of race, where playing it smart resulted in a much better guaranteed finish.
And on that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at nascarmail@yahoogroups.com, find us on Facebook right here, or hit us up on Twitter at @jaybusbee. Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!
Kelly Rowland Danica Patrick Josie Maran Leighton Meester Dominique Swain
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