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closeQuestions and answers from NASCAR and the auto racing world at large
DAVE KALLMANN
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Friday, Mar. 14, 2008
MILWAUKEE – A dozen questions (and answers) following Tony Stewart’s post-Atlanta tire tirade Sunday:
How come it’s always “My crew gave me a great car,” but “Boy, those tires were awful"? (A winning quarterback thanks his linemen and receivers, not the groundskeeper, too; that’s the nature of team sports.)
Didn’t actual Sprint Cup Series teams test for Goodyear with the new-generation car at Atlanta Motor Speedway? (Yes.)
Were excessive wear or failures a problem? (No.)
Wasn’t the race reasonably competitive? (Yes.)
Aren’t Cup cars supposed to be challenging to drive? (Yes.)
Didn’t all 43 drivers have to deal with the same issues? (Presumably.)
So doesn’t that make for a level playing field, and isn’t that what everyone wants? (Yes and yes, but it’s not all everyone wants.)
Isn’t safety the No. 1 priority for NASCAR and a critical reason for having one official tire manufacturer? (Of course.)
Is there such a thing as too safe? (Apparently. Drivers – everyone, not just Stewart – wanted more grip, even at the expense of worrying about blown right-front tires.)
What will drivers, crews, fans in the stands or television viewers find to complain about next? (Check back Sunday night.)
Did Stewart go overboard? (Absolutely.)
Can’t everyone be as clear and true to their convictions as Stewart? (Sadly, no. His point was made.)
Lewis Hamilton entered Formula One a year ago, promising but unproven, and emerged with four victories and within two points of winning the title as a rookie. This year the 23-year old Brit will instantly be viewed as a championship contender.
Pressure? What pressure? There’s less, Hamilton said, this time around.
“Last year there was a huge build-up and just a lot of weight hanging on my shoulders, really, because no one really knew if I was going to do well or what,” Hamilton said Thursday. “And neither did I.
“I know even more now knowing what a season feels like. I am even hungrier, and I feel even more determined and just more excited about racing. It just seems forever since we raced last.”
The wait ends Saturday night (3:30 p.m. Sunday there) with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
The American Le Mans Series also takes the green flag this weekend with its most important race, the 12 Hours of Sebring.
Among the newcomers is IndyCar Series driver Marco Andretti, whose grandfather Mario Andretti won the sports-car event three times. Marco will team with Bryan Herta and Christian Fittipaldi in the Andretti Green entry that won the LMP2 class last year.
"The car has been really quick, fun to drive and has been incredibly durable,” Andretti said. “I think I’ll be able to contribute and, hopefully, run up front.”
Derrick Walker’s partnership with Australian businessman Craig Gore is over, and Gore has taken the Team Australia name, his Aussie Vineyards sponsorship and driver Will Power to the IndyCar Series with KV Racing Technology. Power will team with Oriol Servia in the IndyCar Series.
Walker tends to resurface; don’t expect him to be away for long.
Meanwhile, HVM Racing, most recently known as Team Minardi USA, plans to field at least one IndyCar entry. No driver was named.
After 667 starts – including 32 victories and a championship – Dale Jarrett is set to start his final regular-season race in NASCAR’s top division.
“It is starting to hit home, probably even a little more so after watching Brett Favre talk about his retirement on television last week,” Jarrett said, referring to the Green Bay Packer’ quarterback who was once his business partner.
“When Brett talked about how you know you can still do it but he was just tired, I understood that exactly.” Jarrett, who is moving to the ESPN booth, is scheduled to drive in the All-Star Race in May at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Travis Kvapil’s Yates Racing Ford will carry the phrase “11 Million” on its hood this weekend in Bristol, Tenn., pointing out to potential sponsors the size of the audience they would reach during a Sprint Cup broadcast.
Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has threatened to pull the Australian Grand Prix after 2009 if organizers don’t make it a night race for the convenience of television viewers in Europe.
