Screaming in Digital : CBSSports.com Blogs

Rethinking the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting process

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 15:54:13 EDT

When the NASCAR Hall of Fame decided it would induct a five-man class each year upon opening, I was on board. Though some thougt the first class should be 10 to 15 deep, I didn't see a problem.

Now I do.

With the announcement of the second class -- a class that doesn't include arguably NASCAR's greatest crew chief (at least statistically) Dale Inman and two of the top five drivers in all-time Cup wins and championships (Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough), I'm now fairly certain that the NASCAR HOF has goofed.

Mike Mulhern makes an excellent point that with 60 years of history, the HOF has a lot of catching up to do to induct all the deserving honorees -- http://www.mikemulhern.net/MikesTake/nascar-hall-fame-without-cale-yarborough-time-reconsider-whole-thing

My picks for the NASCAR HOF second class

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:19:38 EDT

Last year I thought it was pretty clear who should be chosen for the NASCAR Hall of Fame's inaugural class. The five chosen -- Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr. and Junior Johnson -- were the five I had pegged for the honor.

The selection of the second class seems a bit tougher. I'm not sure what the voting committee might be thinking, but here are the five I'd choose if I had a vote. 2011 NASCAR all of Fame nominees photo gallery

David Pearson -- Many felt the three-time Cup champion and winner of 105 races (second all-time) deserved to be recognized as part of the inaugural class. It would be a stunner if he wasn't chosen for the second class.

Dale Inman -- Richard Petty made the inaugural class, why not the crew chief who helped him to a majority of his 200 wins as part of the second class? He has more wins (193) and championships (8) than any other crew chief.

Don't know much about NASCAR's appeals process?

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 8:41:45 EDT

Clint Bowyer and Richard Childress Racing's appeal of their penalties after the No. 33 race-winning car failed inspection will be heard today (Wed., Sept. 29).

But what do you know about the NASCAR appeals process? PilotOnline's Dustin Long gives a thorough and very enlightening explanation of the process that I'd encourage you read.

Click here to check it out.

Hamlin comments on Bowyer penalty

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 1:18:04 EDT

Nobody had stronger comments regarding Clint Bowyer's penalty than Denny Hamlin, and he was strongly in NASCAR's corner.

Listen to the news conference or read selected comments below:

Denny Hamlin(12 minutes, 32 seconds)

Childress responds to penalty on Bowyer

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 16:57:34 EDT

Richard Childress, owner of Clint Bowyer's No. 33 car, met with media and discussed the infraction and penalties following Bowyer's win at Loudon last weekend.

Listen to the audio or read the full transcript below:

Richard Childress' news conference (9 minutes, 38 seconds)

Kenseth, Biffle comment on Bowyer penalty

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:40:51 EDT

Selected comments from Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle regarding Clint Bowyer's penalty ...

MATT KENSETH

SHOULD WINS BE TAKEN AWAY FROM TEAMS THAT ARE FOUND TO BE ILLEGAL AFTER THE RACE?

“I just think they should be consistent, what that is. I don’t know a lot about what was wrong or the penalty, but I think as long as they’re consistent everybody is happy with that.”

Harvick comments on Bowyer penalty

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:59:09 EDT

Listen to Kevin Harvick's complete Dover new conference or read selected comments below

Listen to Kevin Harvick's news conference in its entirety (12 minutes, 21 seconds)

ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT ANY OF YOUR CARS AT ALL AFTER WHAT HAPPENED LAST WEEKEND? “No”

Burton comments on Bowyer penalty

Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:52:36 EDT

Listen to Jeff Burton's complete Dover new conference or read selected comments below

Listen to Jeff Burton's news conference in its entirety (12 minutes, 21 seconds)

IN LIGHT OF CLINT’S PENALTY HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF YOUR CARS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT RCR’S REPUTATION?

2010 Chase predictions from 1st to 12th

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 5:52:21 EDT

With the start of the Chase just days away, it's prediction time again. Pete Pistone gave his predictions as part of our Chase driver profiles and here's my take on how the season winds up come November.

1. Jimmie Johnson -- Here was my comment from the preseason Power Rankings: Is there any reason to pick against him other than the belief that the law of averages eventually has to catch up to him?

The 48 team showed a bit of inconsistency during the regular season, but they were still quite strong, picking up five victories. The tracks still set up well for Johnson and I think a fifth consecutive title is well within his grasp.

2. Kevin Harvick -- He has been the most consistent driver all season, leading the series with 17 top 10s and 22 top 15 finishes. There's no reason to believe that won't continue in the Chase, would should keep him in the hunt throught.

Flourishing Five honorable mention

Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:41:09 EDT

Over the past three weeks we've run a series on CBSSports.com ranking the five schools we believe have the best combined football/basketball programs. Not surprisingly, it stirred much debate regarding the order of the top five and the teams that got left out.

Flourishing Five series rundown No. 5 Pittsburgh: Football | Basketball

No. 4 Wisconsin: Football | Basketball

No. 3 Ohio State: Football | Basketball

Worst combined NCAA football/basketball schools

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 23:47:53 EST

It's pretty clear which schools are among the best combined football/basketball programs, but what about the worst?

Flourishing Five series rundown No. 5 Pittsburgh: Football | Basketball

No. 4 Wisconsin: Football | Basketball

No. 3 Ohio State: Football | Basketball

NASCAR racing in 3D on its way

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:34:27 EDT

Ever wanted to watch a NASCAR race in 3D? Well, if you have the right equipment, you'll have the opportunity for this year's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona on July 3.

NASCAR Media Group is offering a 3D presentation of the race through DirecTV as well as TNT RaceBuddy on NASCAR.com (NASCAR.COM/RaceBuddy3D).

The catch is that you need a 3D TV or PC display with matching 3D glasses. I do not have a 3D TV and my computer is not up to snuff either, so I will not be able to check it out. But I do like how NASCAR and its partners are trying to push the envelope.

Press release follows:

Not your ordinary NASCAR story/video

Fri, 21 May 2010 11:22:16 EDT

As sports fans were often so focused on the results and debating who's best, who's right and who's wrong; I think some forget these games/matches/races are actually supposed to be fun and entertaining. It's outside the field/court/track where the real problems reside.

So I found it quite interesting the Inside NASCAR segment we're running on Jeff Kerr, a veteran NASCAR crew man. I don't know how many of you are familiar with his story, but I highly recommend taking a few minutes to watch.

R.I.P. Sir Lancelot, 1998-2010

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:29:11 EDT

Amidst all the hoopla of March Madness, they daily grind of life goes on. And on Saturday, that grind had me burying a good friend.

Sir Lancelot, better know as Lance, was a Welsh Corgi mix that my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I adopted from the humane society in 1999. If I recall correctly, he was about eight months old.

Like many young boys, I had always wanted a dog growing up, but things just never quite worked out. Finally as I transitioned out of college into the real world and had a steady job, the timing seemed to be right.

A German Shephard or a Doberman was my desire, but living in a small apartment that just wasn't going to happen. I also didn't want a pup as I didn't have the time to properly break him in. For me, adoption through the Humane Society was the way to go.

History lesson of 9 seeds to upset 1 seeds

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:21:39 EDT

In the history of the NCAA tournament, a No. 9 seed had beaten a No. 1 seed in the second round just three times. Northern Iowa's 69-67 victory over Kansas on Saturday made it four. But what does the future hold for the Panthers? Well, history says momentum is fleeting.

1992

Gregg Doyel

Not sure where this ranks on the NCAA Tournament Upset Meter -- but it's somewhere near the top. Read more Video

Daytona 500 prerace blog

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:21:48 EST

9 a.m. ET

So I've made it to the track.

Looks to be a great day for racing albeit a bit on the chilly side. The sun is shining, the skies are a bright blue and temps are supposed to be climbing into the mid-50s by race time (currently we're still in the low 40s).

I'll be dropping some notes here and there throughout the morning, but I welcome any questions or comments you may want to throw my way.

Nationwide qualifying canceled, Trucks postponed

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 22:49:38 EST

A cold, dreary, rainy day here at Daytona International Speedway has finally come to an end.

It appeared there was a chance to get the Truck race in tonight, but after a couple of hours of clears skies, the rain returned. So the Truck race has been postponed until 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Daytona 500 practice, which was scheduled from 1:40 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. ET had to be canceled as well as Nationwide qualifying, which was set for 3 p.m. ET. Kyle Busch will start from the pole for the Nationwide race, based on last year's owner points.

I had a dream ...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 8:22:58 EST

And I felt compelled to share with y'all (especially the NASCAR-philes out there) because it was such a strange dream to be having at all let alone mid-December.

Anyhow, my dream entailed David Reutimann winning the 2010 Daytona Truck race in February. And he won because it was shortened by rain. For some reason the race was taking place during the day (the race is typically run on Friday night), which leads me to believe rain must have moved it from Friday. He was driving a truck sponsored by Micosukee (I didn't catch a number) and for some reason Kevin Harvick was congratulating him.

I thought maybe there might be something prophetic about it, but the pieces just don't seem to align with what we currently know about the parties involved to make it actually come to be. For instance, Reutimann doesn't drive in the truck series and why would Harvick be happy about it?

Image shows Danica in Nationwide uniform

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 7:36:45 EST

While Danica Patrick made no mention of her NASCAR plans during her announcement of a three-year extension with Andretti Autosport, it sure "looks" like a part-time Nationwide deal with JR Motorsports is forthcoming.

Sure we've heard Patrick to NASCAR reports for months and months, but as her website updated with images of Patrick and her new IndyCar ride, eagle-eyed fan also spotted a small image of Patrick in a GoDaddy uniform bearing a Chevy logo, a Nationwide Series logo and the JR Motorsports logo.

It only appeared briefly before it was pulled from the site, but it's a good bet it will be back up when an official announcement is made in the coming days regarding her future in NASCAR.

I did not see the image on her site myself, but Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site has a screen cap of the image:

NASCAR Hall of Fame voters get it right

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 8:51:59 EDT

Well, I called it.

Back in July we debated about the five who should be inducted into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in an edition of the Feud of the Week. I figured the Frances, Earnhardt and Petty were no brainers, while I chose Junior Johnson based on his contributions as an owner and driver.

Sure enough, those that actually had a voice in the matter agreed.

But you can't please everybody, and there are some out there unhappy with some of the selections. Johnson is the only one I think you could possibly quibble with, but you're really picking nits.

My preseason NASCAR rankings in review

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:39:30 EDT

Yesterday I gave my Chase predictions, but I thought today we'd look back on my preseason top 15, for better or for worse.

It's rare that a season plays out exactly as one thought it would. You try to make judgments based on late season momentum from the previous season and driver history, but rarely is it that easy. More often than not, the prediction biz is a lesson in futility. But year after year, I take a good look into the crystal ball.

Without further adieu, here's how I ranked them and what I wrote back in February:

1 Carl Edwards: "Winning nine races and having a great year and all that is fine," Edwards said, "but I’d take a championship with no wins rather than another nine-win season because I really want to accomplish that goal.”

Chase predictions from 1st to 12th

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 10:47:09 EDT

In case you haven't seen it, Pete Pistone gave his full field Chase predictions as part of our Chase driver profiles package.

Well, I want to get in on the fun, so here's my predictions on how the final 12 shake out.

1. Jimmie Johnson -- I think the 48 team's recent struggles of late are misleading. He took a couple of disappointing finishes in races that he dominated because of miscues or bad pit decisions. I don't think you'll see 48 team making those same mistake during. As I said in this week's Feud, I expect they'll pick up at least three wins during the Chase.

2. Denny Hamlin -- The 11 team has really gotten it's act together over the past couple of months and I expect he'll continue his run of top level consistency throughout the Chase and give Johnson a run for his money.

Observations on the Yates/RPM merger

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:59:42 EST

So yesterday's news regarding the merger of Richard Petty Motorsports and Yates Racing came as quite a surprise. It's rare that such big news sneaks up on the NASCAR media like it did on Thursday. Usually there's a leak somewhere resulting in rumors around the garage. Not since Kurt Busch left Roush Racing for Penske Racing have I been like, "Woah, where did that come from?"

Now I'm not really surprised by the actual news. It's no secret that RPM and Yates were both hurting financially. My surprise was that they were able to keep it hush-hush that they were working on a deal.

Considering the two teams' financial situations and the marketplace, I can't find any fault with the merger. Seems like a good idea. But it does mean two fewer rides available in a shrinking Cup field.

NASCAR Hall of Fame class to be announced Oct. 14

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 0:12:33 EDT

In case you were wondering when NASCAR was planning to announce the inaugural class for its new Hall of Fame, mark down Oct. 14 on your calendar.

From NASCAR press release:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept 10, 2009) – The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has announced that “Voting Day” for the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be Oct. 14 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, will meet in a closed session to deliberate and vote on the 25 candidates eligible for this first class. The vote will be followed by a press conference announcing the inaugural class of 2010.

Yet another Earnhardt coaster in the works

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:48:02 EDT

It seems DEI is getting into the coaster/amusement park business as a second Dale Earnhardt-inspired coaster was announced today.

Last week I blogged about a coaster dubbed Intimidator 305 being constructed at Kings Dominion in Virginia.

Well, a little bit closer to the NASCAR homebase in Charlotte, N.C., another Intimidator is going up at Carowinds, a sister park of Kings Dominion.

Carowinds is dubbing their Intimidator as "the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in the southeast", though it won't be quite as tall or as fast as the 305. I guess "southeast" is the keyword there. It will have a slighly longer track and running time than the 305.

Earnhardt Sr. inspiration for new roller-coaster

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:45:38 EDT

As a coaster enthusiast and Dale Earnhardt Sr. fan, imagine my intrigue when an e-mail came through my inbox announcing an Earnhardt-inspired coaster dubbed Intimidator 305.

And this thing sounds awesome. Set to open in April of 2010 at Kings Dominion in Virginia, it features a 300 foot first drop and reaches speeds in excess of 90 mph with a ride time of three minutes. The ride trains will take inspiration from Earnhardt's famed black No. 3 car (though from the virtual renderings it doesn't appears as if the No. 3 appears on the actual train). The coaster is being built in parternship with Dale Earnhardt Inc.

You can check out a web site dedicated to the ride featuring artist renderings, virtual ride video and more: http://www.intimidator305.com/

Vickers "feels sorry" for Kyle Busch

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:49:58 EDT

While reading the post-race transcripts from Sunday's Cup race at Michigan I came across this gem from Brian Vickers regarding his battle with Kyle Busch from Saturday's Nationwide race. Vickers is only one year older than Busch, yet displays so much more maturity.

Q. Brian, how much more comfortable are you on the post race podium today as opposed to yesterday? How did the emotions of yesterday play into today?

BRIAN VICKERS: You know, there's some people that you meet in life that are just gonna do stupid things. You just learn to accept it. You just don't let it bother you. You know, you have patience. You just live your life and run your race.

I mean, yesterday was ridiculous. It was unnecessary. I had a lot of fun. It was a hard race. I wanted to win bad. Congratulations to the 88. He did his job. We ended up second. I let it go at that.

A fond farewell to the Arena Football League

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 9:23:54 EDT

So the Arena Football League is dead.

I know most people could care less, but I for one am disappointed to see it go. Perhaps its because I grew up in a city that featured one of the league's all time great franchises -- the Orlando Predators.

For a couple of years in the mid to late '90s I actually had season tickets. Predators games were great fun and ticket prices reasonable.

It almost had a college football type atmosphere, especially games against the rival just up I-4, the Tampa Bay Storm. No wine and cheese crowds at Predators games that's for sure.

Former Indy 500 champ races at X-Games

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:52:17 EDT

So I was watching the rally car competition at the X-Games on Sunday, and who to my surprise was a competitor ....

Kenny Brack.

A successful open-wheel racer, Brack was the 1998 IndyCar Series champion and 1999 Indy 500 champion. But his open-wheel racing career all but ended after a terrifying crash in the IRL season finale in 2003.

See the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2ORmCDb_sM

Hope you were paying attention Saturday

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 9:53:33 EDT

If you like racing it doesn't get much better than the action and history that ensued on Saturday.

First up was the Nationwide Series paying a visit to Iowa Speedway for the first time. While Newton, Iowa, isn't exactly a hot spot destination, if Saturday's race was any indication, it could become a hot ticket for NASCAR fans. The race featured plenty of side-by-side racing including an excellent duel between Brad Keselowski and Kyle Busch for the win. Cup fans should be envious of the show Iowa was able to put on with the Nationwide cars.

But the Nationwide race in Iowa was merely the appetizer. Over at Kentucky Speedway, the IRL debuted the "Push to Pass" button in an effort to create more compelling racing. In large part the move came as a reaction to the June race at Richmond after which drivers were actually apologizing for the lack of passing and excitement.