Full Throttle

It just never ends!

Just when you think you can take a rest from whiny, bitchy fans crying about “their” driver not making the Chase, moaning crew chiefs wailing about their latest fine for an illegal some kind of sumthin’ or driver of #159 complaining about a “bump and run” move put on him, up pops the devil in the form of NASCAR’s Jim Hunter. Somebody toss him a crying towel. A LARGE one!

He’s crying about absentee drivers who failed to attend NASCAR’s extended corporate commercial that passes for an awards banquet.

NASCAR officials are “extremely disappointed” in Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and other drivers who failed to attend the season-ending awards ceremonies.

“It was very disappointing to NASCAR and the entire industry that drivers did not show up for various awards,” spokesman Jim Hunter said Tuesday. “It shows a lack of respect for the history and tradition of the sport.”

That last quote is a real knee slapper isn’t it? I didn’t realize Hunter could even spell tradition (some spell it Darlington 500) let alone use it in a sentence!

While I won’t defend Dale Jr. I will say what’s the big deal? Yes I know, he just won another fans choice, or favorite driver, or whatever that “award” is called. So what, who cares? Excuse me, let me check something…. Yep that’s what I thought.

19^th in points 2753 behind the Champion with 1 win, 7 top fives and 13 top tens. That’s called a mediocre season or put another way, by his standards, it sucked. So leave him to lick his wounds. Despite all the naysayers and chicken littles the Chase increased it’s overall TV ratings without NASCAR’s “favorite son.”

That should be a clue, the 18^th loser on the year wasn’t needed. And honestly, was it neccessary to play the “guilt card,” did Hunter have to invoke the name of the dearly departed: “Dale Earnhardt went to New York every year whether he won the championship or not. It meant a lot to him to represent the sport and we expect that from all our competitors,” Hunter said. “All our competitors?” Can we assume then that all, means all, and with the exception of Gordon and Dale Jr. their were 49 other drivers that attended NYC’s black-tie affair? Was Joey McCarthy or Stuart Kirby there? All means all correct? Somehow I doubt it. All means NASCAR’s “most popular driver” and poster child.

And that pretty much can be said for Jeff Gordon as well. The Chase did just fine without him. There was no mass exodus at the turnstiles or loss of TV ratings with his absence from the Chase. And truth be known Gordon did have a valid reason for not attending NYC’s roast beef buffet even if he was the 10^th loser for 2005 and had a reserved seat at the head table.

Just a week ago “HE, Who Shall be Obeyed” was touting NASCAR as having a “long-range international strategy” and Europe and South America were places of interest for possible NASCAR expansion.

AP Motorsports Writer Jenna Fryer called Gordons absence “glaring.” I would call Gordon’s absence highly appropriate considering he competed on an international stage as not only a representive of NASCAR ,but America as well, in the Race of Champions in Paris France the same weekend. And he did very well thank you!

Gordon and teammate Travis Pastrana made the semi-finals in the Nations Cup with Gordon matching that performance in the Race of Champions, where a gearbox fault stopped his progress through the field of international stars. Progress that included beating F1