Full Throttle

The title is a little off topic as the term “Brolly Babes¹” isn’t used in NASCAR and normally is in association to Formula One, but it fits, sort of. Trust me.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A well-known NASCAR publicist was arrested Tuesday and charged with statutory rape and soliciting a minor for sex over the Internet, authorities said.

Richard Norman “Chip” Williams Jr., of Mooresville, was arrested in the parking lot of a Guilford County church where he had arranged to meet what he believed was a 14-year-old girl with whom he had been conversing in an Internet chat room, Sheriff B.J. Barnes said.

Williams’ firm, Williams Company of America, Inc., handles media and public relations for drivers Kyle Petty, Bobby Labonte, Derrike Cope and John Andretti, among others. Williams also formerly worked for NASCAR, where he handled public relations for the top-level Winston Cup racing series.

1. Brolly Babes are the women that hold umbrellas over the heads of the F1 Prima Donnas drivers on the starting grid. [back]

I suspect the percentage of people that haven’t read, or at least heard of, George Orwell’s classic book 1984 is fairly small. Based on my experience it was required reading in most schools and remains popular today and led to the introduction of a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control such as Newspeak, doublethink and thoughtcrime.

Orwell’s world containing a grim city and a terrifying country, where Big Brother is always Watching You and the Thought Police can practically read your mind came to mind reading this piece by Meridith Levinson Senior Writer for CIO.com. (Also linked in the “Recently Read” section of the sidebar.)

The article notes the explosive growth of NASCAR in the last ten years of it’s fan base and also the number of corporations that have become involved. (in 2004, 97 Fortune 500 companies were involved with Nascar; in 2005, that number jumped to 106). One of the corporations it singles out is Nextel:

Nextel pays Nascar $75 million a year to sponsor the Nextel Cup Series of races (Nextel took over the sponsorship from cigarette-maker Winston) and provides the technology that enables fans to listen to conversations between drivers and their crews during races, Nascar hasn’t been able to use Nextel’s vast customer base to bring new fans into the racing fold mainly because of the privacy concerns that arise around sharing customer data, says VanDerSnick [Roger VanDerSnick, Nascar’s vice president of marketing]. Nor has it been able to reach out in any comprehensive fashion to any of its other sponsors’ consumers, such as Allstate, The Home Depot and Exxon/Mobil. VanDerSnick says Nascar hasn’t yet figured out how to market itself to Nextel customers while respecting Nextel’s customer privacy agreements. He admits that database marketing is an area where Nascar is playing catch-up. Until recently, Nascar thought database marketing was up to sponsors or to the tracks as part of their ticket selling efforts.

And thus - entry into NASCAR’s world of “catch-up,” A/K/A Big Brother is always Watching You, on page 5 of the article.

As the 2006 season gets under way, VanDerSnick says Nascar will begin exploring the possibility of consolidating all the disparate databases in the stock car racing industry that contain fan information so that it and its partners can market to those fans. “All the drivers have their own fan clubs; Nascar.com has its own database; the Nascar members club has a database,” says VanDerSnick. “We want to, as best we can because we don’t have complete control here, consolidate all those databases so everyone can leverage it and target existing Nascar fans to improve marketing program execution.”

The idea behind the database consolidation effort is that if Nascar has a better understanding of its fans

YippeeNet.com will become the first online community to have a major presence in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing

I have long believed - if fall of 2004 can be considered long - that something is rotten over at Teresa’s toy DEI and not afraid to express it. In fact I believe Dale Earnhardt Jr’s first steps away from DEI were when he formed the JR Motorsports Busch team.

That has led to some debate and alot of hate mail mostly of the deranged variety. You know the type, they contain all the logic and factuality of the Tasmanian Devil on crack.

That aside it seems I’m not alone in my DEI assessment and have a new roommate for my padded cell. Welcome Larry McReynolds, you can hang your straight jacket on the hook behind the door:

“I don’t know the whole story, but I was told was that Earnhardt attempted to try to do a program with DEI for JR Motorsports. They kept hemming and hawing and wouldn’t really give them an answer. Finally, the sands in the hourglass were running, and Earnhardt was trying to run the final race of 2005 at Homestead. He finally had to do something. In a very short time, like hours, he put a program together with Childress.”

“In my opinion, it’s a perfect example that Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s time at DEI is short. There’s such a separation between him and the management/ownership structure, and you can’t have success when you’ve got that separation. As Darrell Waltrip has taught me, there’s always more to the story. But the handwriting is on the wall that Earnhardt will not be there for his entire career.”

Family life, isn’t it wonderful?

And BTW Larry, you’re in luck. The attendants said tonight’s dinner is beans and wienies. You arrived just in time for the best the Home for Wayward NASCAR Pundits has to offer.

SAN BERNARDINO - A few years ago, as little as five, Carl Edwards would have schemed on how to get into Orange Show Speedway and how to talk some car owner into a ride.
That certainly wasn’t the case on Saturday. Edwards, who got his racing start at tracks similar to the quarter-mile oval, was enjoying the amenities that a NASCAR Nextel Cup driver receives while filming a commerical.

Such is the life for one of NASCAR’s most personable drivers. Edwards, who finished third in the Nextel Cup points race in 2005, flew in from Charlotte, N.C., Saturday for the start of a three-week road trip that will include stops in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Mexico City before winding up in Daytona to begin preparation for the season opener.

While waiting for his call, Edwards did take time to drive a Mustang around the track, although not at speeds he is accustomed to or may have wanted to reach.

“It’s pretty awesome, if it were dirt, this would remind me of a lot of tracks,” Edwards said. “Actually, this is something I’ve never seen. A track right in the middle of town. I would love to race here.

“Maybe I can come out on Saturday night after the (September) Busch race.”

Just what Edwards needs, another race to his schedule. Last year, in addition to his stellar Cup season, he also finished third in the Busch Series despite missing a race due to his complex travel itinerary.

His dual race life has already claimed a race. He bowed out of the International Race of Champions because of a scheduling conflict.

Edwards, who won four times in Nextel competition last season and five on the Busch circuit, said he just can’t get enough of racing.

“David Ragan (Jack Roush Racing teammate) and I went and ran street stocks the other night at Volusia (Ga.),” Edwards said. “It paid $5,000 to win. There were 27 cars, only six finished. Mine broke.”

Whether it’s $5,000 or the $1 million Nextel bonus, it’s all the same for Edwards.

“I love racing. I feel like the rest of these guys that I have an amazing opportunity to drive for the best team in the world, and I can’t even describe it,” Edwards said. “I think in general that running both series helps me a ton. I can’t stand to sit around on a day and watch people race. You guys know me, I’m ready to go racing. This is going to be fun.”

In 2001, Edwards and actor Race Owen headed West from Missouri to race in the USAC Silver Crown Series. The season opener was the Copper World Classic in Phoenix, and it was Edwards’ introduction to pavement.

Following a 19th-place finish, Edwards and Owen headed to Irwindale Speedway for the second race of the season.

Five years later, both Edwards and Owen have reached the top. Following the commercial, Edwards will have a walk-on role in “The Disciple,” the first major lead for Owen. Later in the week, Edwards may have another walk-on role in an episode of the Fox series “24.”

“If I would have written down five years ago what I thought was going to do,” Edwards said, “I don’t think I would have written down any of this.”

The commercial, which will also feature Edwards’ mother, Nancy Sterling, driving a Mustang, is one of four featuring Edwards. He has also been in five photo shoots and made several appearances in support of the new Ford Fusion, which he will drive this year with Office Depot sponsorship.

Why is the pertinent question.

Why after making a fool of oneself and publicly admitting guilt would Kurt Busch, and his shysters, ask for a delay in his reckless driving hearing?

If nothing else this confirms my belief lawyers shysters will do and say anything to stay on retainer and suck as much cash from their client as possible.

Hey Kurt, first of all fire the shysters to sever their cash lifeline and secondly get back in court, plead guilty, and be done with it! It’s reckless driving stupid not capital murder.

It’s not worth keeping this story in the headlines.

On the other hand he could note legal precedence and hope for the best.

Maintaining the strength shown in the first half of the season, A1 Team France will start the Sprint race for tomorrow

Official NEXTEL Cup testing is limited to six tracks for the 2006 season, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Earlier this month the #99 of Carl Edwards and #2 Dodge of Kurt Busch completed “tire testing” for Goodyear at Atlanta Motor Speedway a non-approved venue for testing.

The well publicized testing policy has once again been compromised by Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Bobby Labonte after both tested at Texas Motor Speedway, again under the ruse of a “special two day test” for Goodyear.

First the snarky question: Did these four drivers and their respective teams have to lease the tires provided?

But more importantly just how much of an edge does this give those four drivers over the rest of the field?

Loopholes, loopholes, everywhere you turn you find loopholes. And the simple solution? Put retired drivers under contract to both NASCAR and Goodyear to conduct these tests.

I have no reason to post this except my smart-assed title: Playboy Goes Full Speed With Grand American Racing

Taking a lead from the residents of Monaco, Durbanites owning property overlooking the temporary street circuit laid out on Snell Parade having been renting out their views for this weekend