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NASCAR Can Afford to Tighten Belt More

Posted: Apr 2nd 2009 4:30PM by Dave Despain (author feed)
Filed under: David Gilliland, SPEED TV

During the NASCAR offseason - November to February - as the U.S. and world economies headed deeper into the tank, we heard a lot of gloom and doom about the future of America's most popular motor sport. Corporate sponsorship, the lifeblood of racing, is currently hard to come by and the '09 season opened with an unhealthy number of cars lacking high-dollar logos on their hoods.

Though I am no economist, I have, through all the naysaying, remained bullish on stock car racing. Harvard MBAs, correct me if I'm wrong, I believe when there is less money to spend, a wise strategy is to spend less money. And at risk of curmudgeonry, I believe the stock car economy, bloated through more than two decades of runaway success, has plenty of room to tighten the old belt.

Continue Reading NASCAR Can Afford to Tighten Belt More

10 from '08: 'Monster Mile' Starts Carnage Early at Dover

Posted: Dec 2nd 2008 3:00PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Elliott Sadler, NASCAR Crashes, NASCAR Videos, Sprint Cup

1 COMMENT

With NASCAR's awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 5 (stop by for the live blog!), here's a look at 10 from '08 -- 10 of the NASCAR season's best moments.

With 43 cars on track, it's not too often that TV cameras catch a wreck live for the audience at home, but June's Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway was a little different.

FOX Sports was riding along with Elliott Sadler in his No. 19 Dodge on the in-car camera when the car suddenly broke loose and slapped the outside Turn 2 wall. What we saw next was also atypical of crashes at Dover.

Instead of following the general rule that Dover is a "self-cleaning" race track that forces crashed cars to the bottom of the race track because of the banked corners and straightaways, Sadler's car opted to slide precariously into the middle of the track and into what is best described as a blind spot for race cars traveling at speed.

And so, as the video below shows, Tony Stewart slammed into Sadler, followed by Denny Hamlin, Scott Riggs, Kevin Harvick, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Bobby Labonte to leave the track virtually blocked and multiple pre-race favorites done for the day after just 19 laps of the 400-lap race.

Continue Reading 10 from '08: 'Monster Mile' Starts Carnage Early at Dover

10 from '08: K-Harv's Infineon Dive Bomb

Posted: Nov 30th 2008 3:00PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Videos, Sprint Cup

2 COMMENTS

With NASCAR's awards banquet on Friday, Dec. 5 (stop by for the live blog!), here's a look at 10 from '08 -- 10 of the NASCAR season's best moments.

Looking back at the race stats of June's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma County, Calif. tells you that Kyle Busch walked away with a race victory after a dominating performance that saw the No. 18 out front for 78 of 112 laps.

What the stats don't show was how Yates Racing's David Gilliland finished second or how Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon -- the longtime road course king -- didn't lead a lap but finished third. They also don't show how both drivers moved up some four spots in the final six laps without actually making a green flag pass.

The reason for that? Mr. Kevin Harvick.

Harvick, running fifth at the time, entered Turn No. 7 at Infineon (a 90-degree right hand turn) just a little too hot while looking under Gilliland for a pass. Harvick's No. 29 spun sideways (video below) to collect third-place Jamie McMurray, who, in turn, collected second-place Tony Stewart.

The result was a synchronized spin that many synchronized swimmers would have been proud of, and one that drastically changed the race's Top-5 finishing order.

Continue Reading 10 from '08: K-Harv's Infineon Dive Bomb

Video: Gilliland's Intentional Wreck of Montoya

Posted: Nov 3rd 2008 8:32PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: David Gilliland, Juan Pablo Montoya, NASCAR Crashes

8 COMMENTS

Sunday's race at Texas Motor Speedway had a grand total of two cautions for actual on-track wrecks, and had David Gilliland not intentionally wrecked Juan Pablo Montoya, that number would have been cut in half.

First, the video:

I saw Montoya's crash live Sunday during our live blog here on the 'House, and immediately felt my stomach drop for how blatantly intentional Gilliiland's move was.

Who knew David Gilliland was that type of racer?

Continue Reading Video: Gilliland's Intentional Wreck of Montoya

Bobby Labonte at Hospital Following Crash

Posted: Aug 10th 2008 6:50PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Bobby Labonte, NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

9 COMMENTS

UPDATE: ESPN.com is reporting the Labonte has been released from the hospital and is making his way home with no injuries.

Sunday's Sprint Cup road course race at Watkins Glen was going along quite smoothly until a big crash took out nine cars running in the middle of the field.

In that crash, Bobby Labonte likely took the hardest direct hit as he plowed into the nose of a spinning David Gilliland. The No. 43 of Labonte then spun towards the inside the wall where it came to a rest while the wreck continued in front of him.

When the carnage stopped, Labonte emerged quite gingerly from his Petty Enterprises Dodge with a big grimace on his face prior to any safety crews arriving on scene. By the time they arrived, Labonte was already long gone from his race car and walking towards the pit area.

On television, it appeared Labonte was favoring his pelvis as he was stopped by NASCAR officials who soon found him a ride to the Watkins Glen International Raceway infield care center. From there, Labonte was quickly transferred to a local hospital for a further look at his condition.

Continue Reading Bobby Labonte at Hospital Following Crash

Lap 83 Brings Watkins Glen Demolition Derby

Posted: Aug 10th 2008 4:26PM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Bobby Labonte, David Gilliland, Ryan Newman, Sam Hornish Jr., NASCAR Crashes, Sprint Cup

0 COMMENTS

A huge wreck coming off of Turn 11 at Watkins Glen International Raceway put the Sprint Cup Series' Centurion Boats at the Glen under the red flag with just eight laps to go Sunday.

Nine cars were involved in the big crash that saw David Gililland and Bobby Labonte take some of the hardest hits the NASCAR world has seen at a road course in a long time. Labonte walked away from his car but will be transferred to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Continue Reading Lap 83 Brings Watkins Glen Demolition Derby

Video: Kevin Harvick's Infineon Dive Bomb

Posted: Jun 24th 2008 11:59AM by Geoffrey Miller (author feed)
Filed under: Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, NASCAR Videos

8 COMMENTS

Kevin Harvick was on a mission during the closing laps of Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350k at Infineon Raceway. Simply, the Richard Childress Racing driver wanted to gain as many spots as possible before the checkers waved.

With that in mind, Harvick was passing David Gilliland coming in to turn 7 and forgot about the brake pedal -- until it was too late. Watch below at 0:45.

The casualties from the move included Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray and Ron Fellows. Harvick spun as well. Somehow, Gilliland and Jeff Gordon managed to squeak by.

Continue Reading Video: Kevin Harvick's Infineon Dive Bomb

Will NASCAR's Increased Safety Efforts Increase Accidents?

Posted: Mar 26th 2007 2:50PM by tallglassofmilk (author feed)
Filed under: Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR Crashes, Nextel Cup

1 COMMENT

Yes. There will be increased accidents in NASCAR, despite increased safety efforts--at least according to two college economics professor who produced a study in 2006 that explored how drivers react to having cars so safe that they can generally walk away with no injuries after crashing into a concrete wall or another car at a very high rate of speed.

Based on the results of the study, Todd Nesbit, Assistant Professor of Economics at Penn State Behrend and an avid NASCAR fan, projects that drivers will drive more recklessly and take more risks while driving the Car of Tomorrow:

"Initially, there will be a learning curve for everyone, which will likely increase the number of accidents as drivers and crews get used to the vehicles. Once the learning curve has passed, we predict that the new normal rate of crashes will be higher than it is currently because of the response to additional safety features on the Car of Tomorrow."

The study, "Automobile safety regulation and the incentive to drive recklessly: Evidence from NASCAR," shows that NASCAR drivers, in fact, do drive more recklessly in response to the increased safety of their vehicles. However, even with an increase in accidents, there is a reduction in total injuries-because the increase in riskier driving is not enough to offset the benefits from an increase in safety features.

Nesbit also noted that while NASCAR promises the COT will save the teams money, profitability could be offset by the cost of repairs due to increased accidents.

So ... let me get this straight. NASCAR exhausts all of this effort to improve safety just so the drivers can drive more recklessly?

Hell yeah! You wouldn't expect 'em to get off the gas, would you?

Live-Blogging: Daytona 500: Lap 101 - 150

Posted: Feb 18th 2007 5:10PM by tallglassofmilk (author feed)
Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, Nextel Cup

140 COMMENTS

Daytona Live Blog: Pre-race | Lap 1-100 | 101-150 | 151-200 | Victory Lane

Lap 101: Kurt Busch maintains the lead, with baby brother in his rear view. The last time brothers finished 1 and 2 was the 1999 Las Vegas 400--Jeff Burton with Ward behind him.

Lap 106: Kevin Harvick gets loose and almost takes out David Stremme.

Lap 117: Denny Hamlin takes Kyle Busch for the #2 spot. By lap 125 Kyle has fallen to 10th.

Lap 126: Green flag pit stops. 39 cars remain on the lead lap.

Lap 131: Pit stops complete. Restart order: Kurt Busch, Denny Hamlin, Ricky Rudd, Kyle Busch, Johnny Sauter. Ryan Newman led a lap during the pit cycle.

Lap 137: Polesitter David Gilliland gets lapped in the 41st position. Mike Wallace, Clint Bowyer and Michael Waltip have also fallen off the lead lap.

Lap 148: Jeff Gordon is the fastest car on the track despite being in the 27th position.

Live-Blogging: Daytona 500: Lap 1 - 100

Posted: Feb 18th 2007 3:32PM by tallglassofmilk (author feed)
Filed under: Daytona Int'l Speedway, Nextel Cup

6 COMMENTS

Daytona Live Blog: Pre-race | Lap 1-100 | 101-150 | 151-200 | Victory Lane

Laps 1-16: Pole-sitter David Gilliland maintains the lead.

In case you hadn't noticed, the new NASCAR.com sucks. It is sucking exponentially at this moment because it's not allowing the tallglassofmilk to log in.

Lap 6: The #8 Budweiser of Dale Earnhardt Jr. appears to be smoking

Lap 16: First caution, brought out by the #60 of Boris Said who bumped the #00 of David Reutimann. The #00 recovered nicely. The #60 went flying. Gilliland is still the leader.

Lap 19: The #38 team gave up the lead to the #2 of Kurt Busch in the pits.

Lap 21: Green flag

Lap 48: Kurt Busch maintains the lead.

Lap 49: Tony Stewart takes the lead.

Lap 51: NASCAR.com Trackpass PitCommand up and running. They must've been busy. Don't get me wrong, the new site still needs an overhaul, but as long as the critical parts work during the race, I can be content for the moment.

Lap 66: Green flag pit stops

Commercial Break: Is it just me, or does the little girl in the DLP ads girl look like Macy Waltrip?

Lap 80: Caution flag. Dale Jr. told his crew his was tight in the center and during an in-car interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr., he was asked what changes were made. He said unless there's trouble, he don't ask questions. He leaves it all up to crew chief and cousin Tony Eury Jr.--the one who'll go with him should Junior decide to leave DEI.

Lap 82: The #20 was penalized for speeding on pit road and will restart at the tail end of the longest line. New leader: Kurt Busch.

Lap 87: The #10 of Scott Riggs is the second car to go to the garage, following Kyle Petty's #45 which lasted 81 laps.