Category: 2015

All posts from the year 2015

I’m a little stuck now…

BBC America air(ed) Top Gear on Monday nights. I don’t know what to do with Monday now…

It is out now that host Jeremy Clarkson has been “sacked” by the BBC. It is the result of a “fracas” which, apparently, involved some verbal and physical confrontations aimed at one of the “Top Gear” producers. There was a cancellation of the remaining episodes in the current season, an immediate suspension of Clarkson, an investigation and the the final report and result.

Clarkson himself did, from what accounts can be put together, the right things (mostly) in the aftermath of the “fracas”. He called and acknowledged the incident. He made apologies. He cooperated and kept his mouth off of commenting on the investigation, mostly. He did make some colorful comments at a fund raiser he was already booked into. People laughed. Money was raised.

Now that the BBC has taken the step of pulling Clarkson what happens? Co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond have not talked much, either. The common thread from the two is that the show is a package with all three and the question of making “Top Gear” with them and without Clarkson is a grey area neither has put a foot in. It is Clarkson that opens the show and welcomes the audience. He is the engine that has driven it with May and Hammond being the fuel and the spark.

As for the BBC… They have pulled the rug from their own gold mine. The show generates a bazillion dollars (pounds, if you like) and is aired with licensing all over the world. It is quite possibly the most watched TV show out there and certainly so for the BBC. Obviously they had to do some kind of thing but was that thing necessarily shooting themselves to make a point. Yes, Jeremy Clarkson certainly earned himself sanctions and or fines, community service and a giant helping of humble pie. He could have been forced to do the next season from the driver’s seat of a Morris Marina. There were, fans believe, other options available to address the seriousness of Clarkson’s actions.

Now the future of “Top Gear” hangs in the balance. The show could go on with May and Hammond and perhaps a new somebody. Fans, and Hammond and May, know it will not be close to what it was. The playful tension that makes the show work would be forever warped and likely broken.

Let’s also examine the money again. Not only is the cash flow to the BBC put down a hole but also the cash flow for the many people involved in making the show. Clarkson, May and Hammond have enough bank to be quite fine but what of the camera crews, logistics personnel, producers (including the one with the swollen lip), assistants, back stage crew, and all the others who made their living making sure those three idiots went to air?

What will become of the crew that maintain the Stig….? And what of him…? Will he put out in front of a Vauxhall dealership waving at passing potential customers…?

Jeremy Clarkson screwed up. It is possible, even with all the political correctness and fairness in the workplace considered, that the BBC has screwed up also.

Will there be a “Top Gear” going forward? Can there be any combination of personalities that will generate the devotion and following that has made the show what it is… or was…? Have you seen American “Top Gear”?

Uh…….. Yeah…. It is like “American Idol” doing a Beatles show… It isn’t necessarily bad it just suffers from the same thing that happens whenever American TV tries to do “British” TV… Americans.

Face it, “The Office” was unwatchable if you had ever seen the British original…

Can the BBC ride this out with millions of outraged fans instead of dealing with one “Jeremy C;arkson”?

How hard can it be…?

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The west coast swing, as it was labeled, offered up a final twist in the swing. It was Fontana, CA and the Auto Club 400 which went just a little over with a double-shot green-white-checker finish. It was the 2nd GWC that threw the twist in the end that was almost the first GWC…

They had raced all afternoon and it was, for the largest part, pole-sitter Kurt Busch and team mate Kevin Harvick leading the field. Harvick was after a west coast sweep having already won in Las Vegas and Phoenix. Busch was out to roll momentum into a late start for his season as Fontana was only his second time out in the #41.

The western twist came with pit strategies on late race pit stops. Two or four tires or none at all as many only had 10 or 11 laps on. Race off the line and Stewart and Gordon were left back as the newer tires pushed out front with Harvick chasing down Busch.

Coming up on the scheduled finish Kyle Larson was bumped a bit into scraping the wall and leaving his rear body panel behind which set up the first green-white-chedkered finish. The race out put Kurt Busch out in front again and it looked like his second race of the season was going to put him into Chase contention with a win.

However…

Another debris caution set the stage for the second green-white-checkered run. The debris might have been a piece of car or it might have been an official Auto Club Speedway soda cup. Either way, the restart again put Kurt Busch out front with Harvick close behind.

However…

Brad Keselowski and the #2 came from what seemed like nowhere to get by Harvick and challenge Kurt Busch. Busch went wide and loose driving hard giving Keselowski the line by while Greg Biffle was spinning back in the field. White flag lap and no caution and the race to the line went to the #2 with Harvick in second and Busch regaining a straight line to finish third.

Keselowski in California. The way the day had been for the Stewart-Haas duel of the #4 and #41 having the #2 in Victory Lane wasn’t on the radar.

Until the last lap which, apparently, is the one that really matters.

Where is…?

There seems to be a balance of events and personalities in motor racing this week. Replacements have been replaced while in other areas a vacuum has been created. With that we’ll simply look at where things are…

Where is Kurt Busch? He is back in the Stewart-Haas #41 for his first race of the season. Busch has been out while Regan Smith has been filling the seat. A “racas” with Busch and his former lady acquaintance led to courts and speculations and suspensions. The courts and speculations still float about while the suspension has been lifted with a lack of actual criminal charges while Busch maintains his faith in the truth and his team.

Where is Regan Smith? He is back and, one would assume, focused on his task of racing the #7 in the Xfinity series. He finished his ride in the #41 with 3 consecutive top-20 finishes.

Where is Kyle Busch? Still recovering from his leg injuries suffered in the Xfinity series Daytona opener.

Where is Kevin Harvick? Out in front. The defending champion is top of the points with and early season win and on pole for the start in Phoenix.

Where is Joey Logano? Off the points lead he held for the first 2 races after his win of the Daytona 500. He did, however, win the Xfinity race at Phoenix.

Formula 1 has started their season in Australia…

Where is Lewis Hamilton? Winning, again… He won in Australia.

Where is Nico Rosberg? Right behind Hamilton…

Where is Sebastion Vettel? Not in a Red Bull car… Vettel is in a Ferrari for 2015 and finished 3rd in the season opener.

Where is Fernando Alonso? Not in Australia. Not in a Ferrari. Alonso is now with McLaren-Honda but, somewhat similar to Kyle Busch of NASCAR, is recovering from a pre-season crash. He has said he will be on track for the next race in Malaysia but that is still on the desk of medical advisers and race officials.

These brief insights into the most watched racing series of the United States and Europe may be overshadowed by a question on the minds of automotive enthusiasts the world over.

Where is Jeremy Clarkson? Clarkson apparently had a “racas” with a producer after a day of filming allegedly over a lack of proper food for the crew. Harsh words and a reported instance of striking the producer have left Clarkson at odds with the BBC backers of the popular “Top Gear” motoring show. The BBC has suspended Clarkson and pulled the remaining “Top Gear” shows of the current season while an investigation is in ongoing. The future of the show could be in the garage. However, there is an enormous amount of revenue from the show that also hangs in the balance along with the jobs of the crew behind the scenes which must also be substantial.

We will get Kyle Busch back into NASCAR. We’ll get Fernando Alonso back into F1. We already have Kurt Busch back in the #41 for Phoenix and he allegedly hit a woman. What of Jeremy Clarkson and the future of “Top Gear”?

He allegedly only hit a producer…. How hard can it be?

Atlanta was a bit more damp, a bit more cold and bit more miserable for some on race day. The fans, of course, likely cleaned out the warm weather gear at Wal-Mart before coming in as Georgia is not known for the cold. Crashes and mechanical failures left some drivers out in the cold as well.

For a few that held it together and stayed clear of the crashes and had luck fall their way the temperature was just another variable to beat. Count race winner Jimmie Johnson in that group. Kevin Harvick, also, for starting in the back with a new engine and making his way to the second spot. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. also made a run finishing third to match the Daytona opener. Joey Logano ran fourth with his Penske Ford after starting on the pole and keeps a points lead following the Daytona 500 win. Matt kenseth was on the front row for the last restart but fell off and still managed a top-5.

It is a few of the mid-pack finishes that caught my eye as the season is off with some of the usual, and unusual, racing drama. As usual, for the past few seasons, the Danica Patrick chatter is there. With several mishaps on the track at Atlanta putting the #10 at risk she managed to get by and around clean. A 16th place finish is not necessarily spectacular but it is still top 20 in a 43 car field.

For the unusual, it is the stand-ins for the Busch brothers putting their borrowed rides in the slots directly behind Patrick. Regan Smith drove suspended Kurt’s #41 Chevy to 17th and David Ragan put injured Kyle’s #18 in at 18th. Kurt Busch is out indefinitely with this domestic court issue and it is likely Kyle Busch could be out for a long recovery after the XFinity crash at Daytona.

For the next race at Las Vegas Stewart-Haas has again put Smith in the #41. It is not yet a solid decision on whose name will be over the window beyond the Kobalt 400. For Ragan, his place in the #18 is just a little bit more solid. Of course it is Kyle’s car when he recovers but for the immediate future it appears Ragan will be dressed in M&Ms colors. Joe Gibbs Racing could put someone else in it before Kyle is given a medical green but pickings are slim. Good results by Ragan in the next couple of races could keep that decision in the desk.

Atlanta also put some big names off with crash damage. Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray and Jeff Gordon were caught up and either in the garage or running laps down at the finish.

Gordon, in particular, is feeling the slips of the season as he was also out at Daytona with crash damage. It’s only two races down but his retirement season is off to a flat start.

The car changes, some of the rules changes and the “win in” CHASE format is still fresh so it is entirely too early to count anyone out. Only the racing will tell.

Well then. That was Daytona.

Florida has been the focus of racing for over a month. From the ROLEX 24 to the Sprint Unlimited to the Budweiser Duels and the Daytona 500. The Camping World Truck Series and now XFINITY Series were thrown in as well.

The Camping World and XFINITY Series were not only the open for their seasons they played a role on race day for the “500”.

For those races, 19 year old Tyler Reddick took the win for the NCWTS NextEra Energy Resources 250. The XFINITY – Alert Today Florida 300 saw Rousch-Fenway young drivers Ryan Reed and Chris Buescher take the race win and runner up slot.

Of course it is common for Sprint Cup drivers to run in the other series. However, it was the other series’ drivers that found they had suddenly been given a ride in the Daytona 500. Oddly enough, they both found their rides in seats vacated by both of the Busch brothers.

Kurt Busch was forced out of the #41 Chevy due to allegations of domestic violence. Busch denies the claims but the courts have put the charges and ongoing restraining order on the books. NASCAR had little choice but put Busch on indefinite suspension. Team owners at Stewart-Haas had no choice either and had to either drop the #41 or find a driver with race weekend heating up. The driver in the #41 was Regan Smith, currently full time in the XFINITY Series with the #7 TaxSlayer.com Camaro with JR Motorsports. Smith has raced the Cup series previously and has a series win from Darlington.

Kyle Busch was put out of his Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Crispy M&Ms Toyota and into the hospital. Kyle was driving in the Alert Today Florida 300 (XFINITY) Saturday when a multi-car crash put him nose first at speed into one of the inner barriers. He was treated for fractured leg and foot injuries and criticisms are on concerning the situation of SAFER barriers not being in place in that area of the track. Matt Crafton, 2 time Camping World Series Champion, was called to fill the #18. While being a test driver for the Cup series he had never raced in the series. This Daytona 500 saw his first start in a car that was not built for him.

It is also noteworthy that Regan Smith was also caught in a crash in the same race that injured Kyle Busch which put his #7 car upside down in an airborne rollover back to the wheels only to be knocked around like a pinball…

So… Kurt Busch is suspended with legal trouble and XFINITY driver Regan Smith takes over. Kyle Busch is injured in the XFINITY race and Camping World driver Matt Crafton takes over. How long the Busch brothers are out is anybody’s guess. The courts can be slow and healing an injury is definitely slow.

Smith and Crafton started in the back regardless of the original qualifying order due to the driver changes. Regan Smith drove the #41 to a respectable 16th spot and Matt Crafton put the #18 over just 2 slots behind in 18th. When you consider both of them had no practice time in these cars and had no real time with the teams and crew and the cars were not built or set up with them in mind then top 20 finishes can be listed as phenomenal.

Joey Logano put Team Penske in Victory Lane with the #22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford. Logano made the front and held off a 3 wide charge in a green-white-checkered finish. Defending Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick finished second and 2014 Daytona winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. finished third. Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson filled out the top 5.

Jeff Gordon started on the pole to start the race and his announced final season. He was out front for a race high 87 laps but was caught up in a last lap mash up that put him back in the 33rd position.

Daytona began the season with driver drama and a batch of wrecked cars. Nobody wants their cars wrecked but that is a side effect of racing. NASCAR certainly could have begun the season without some of the domestic drama issues that only reinforce the negative on those that are critical of the sport to begin with.

The season is on. Possibly with a little more baggage than usual but sports in general have taken a hit in this respect.

The next batch of races get the season into rhythm with Atlanta, Vegas, Phoenix and Fontana. Martinsville falls before Bristol this season with a side trip to Texas between them. Richmond, Talladega and Kansas get us into May and 2 weeks in Charlotte.

There is a lot going on with racing in the middle and the season has only just begun!

Thursday and the Bud Duels. The races between qualifying and the Daytona 500 to set the field behind the top two from the qualifying. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson caught those top two slots with Gordon on the pole. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the first Duel. Jimmie Johnson won the second. There were some crashes.

The second Bud Duel, however, is the one people are focused on from the incident with Danica Patrick and Denny Hamlin. Likely it would have gone down as an instance of pack racing and down force and drafting and move on. The post race confrontation and exchange between Patrick and Hamlin has kept it alive in conversation.

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Was the #10 loose already? Did Hamlin get too close in a spot on the track that had already created similar incidents? (Harvick / Logano – Sprint Unlimited) Would another driver have been able to keep the car on the track? Was it mere coincidence that the #11 and the #10 had already scraped up earlier in the week? Is Danica only there to add some estrogen interest to the sport?

It is another tangent of the drama that is Daytona. It should be noted that Danica drove the #10 from the back well into the top 10. The incident with the #11 put her in the back again with a damaged car and time running out and she still managed to get back to a 10th place finish and a mid pack start in the Daytona 500.

Does Danica Patrick have the skill set to run in Sprint Cup? Yes, and that skill set is growing and getting better. She has made mistakes but so has every other driver getting into a Sprint Cup car. Does she grab attention far beyond what any other driver would be getting in her position? Yes. Much more so. The only woman in the field is going to generate interest. There are other drivers with similar Cup histories that get hardly a mention. They have caused incidents and crashes and get some criticism for it but Danica seems to draw the finger for every thing that happens.

“Did you see the ‘big one’ at the race yesterday?”
“Yeah… It was Danica’s fault…”
“Why…?”
“She was there…”

Concerning the post race “conversation” with Hamlin…  Yes, her frustration with essentially having to race into the race and having previous damage from proximity to the #11 put her temper on the edge. Any other driver in that position would have had similar words.

Or, because of her gender, would we expect her to throw on an apron, go back to the Go Daddy trailer, make a batch of chocolate chip cookies and invite Hamlin over for “female trouble” apologies with ice cream?
It’s Daytona. Tempers and pressure are up. The first points race of the season puts everyone in a pack at 200mph.

kurtbusch01Oh… In case you haven’t noticed with all of the #10 vs #11 talk, some guy named Kurt Busch has been suspended because of some domestic incident with a woman.

 

Apparently, women are evil. Stay away from them.

The Daytona 500 is set and ready to roll Sunday. If you do have a woman around I suppose you better put her in the kitchen now to start getting the food ready for the “watch party”. Just keep an eye out for the “evil”…

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 has taken a turn for the strange. Most of the drivers, if they understood the point of it, were not pleased with it.

I’m not going to even try to explain it. There were groups that had a limited time to roll laps and get times. Drivers tried to play the system with some kind of “who’s on first” strategy.

I think it is supposed to be more fun to watch. It wasn’t. It was kind of like the hype and expectation for the “50 Shades Of Grey” movie which was released the same weekend as Daytona 500 qualifying. From what I’ve read the movie was less than expected…

So was Daytona qualifying…

I don’t know exactly how but Jeff Gordon is on the pole. Jimmie Johnson is beside him. The rest of the field race in during the Budweiser Duels later this week. There should be a little more to watch for the “Duels”.

Until then, ponder this…  How many shades of grey are there on the track at Daytona from pit road to the checkered flag…? Hmmmmmmm….?

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