Sometimes I Wonder

[AfterShock]

Sometimes I wonder how or why it is that some of the rookies and drivers who are new on the scene manage to finish ahead of the seasoned drivers with years of experience.

It hasn't always been like that. It used to take a few years to get dialed in as a driver. I'm thinking now-a-daze the young guns DO it, because they don't know they can't.

While coming up through the ranks, I imagine many, if not most, had somewhat limited budgets and learned early on to make do with what they had. Car handling differently with a set-up that worked before? Come in and change it? I dunno,.............I'm thinking it was more like figure out how to drive whatchagot -- the best way you can. Deal with it and get 'er done. Those with more skills and abilities to do that are the ones who get noticed because they are also the  one's in the winners circle most often.

Now, when they get to the big leagues and squeeze into a well sponsored race car with good crew chief, they are in hog heaven. With their coming-up years still pretty fresh in their minds, they may be able to take a race car the way it is and make it work because they don't know that a set up that feels like that isn't what has worked best in the past. Just deal with it and make it work.

Eventually, they discover and learn about the adjustments possible and what those adjustments will do for handling. Before too long, they've become accustomed to a car with the handling dialed in to the quarter pound and just the feel they like.

Then they remember that feel, -- and from then on, that's the feel they expect. If that feel can't be or isn't found, the driver and crew spend time trying to find the feel. Might be wasted time.

Instead of trying to find how to race another feel, they (might) be wasting their time trying to find that certain feel. The more versitle a driver can be, the more adaptable to change a driver can be, seems to me that driver would be more or most successful.

Am I making any sense?
If so, could someone explain it to me?

[Racergiant]

You're on track Shocky....

You also have to factor in the following....

The better a "Young Gun" seems is due to how much money he had as a lower series driver...

The more money the driver has when they are starting out (whether it's Mommy & Daddy's money or a good sponsor), the better car they have and the better they finish.  It just "snowballs" from there....

Look at some of these new drivers in the Busch series.  Danny O'Quinn, Auggie Vidovich etc..  Auggie came from the NA$CAR Grand National Division, West Series and I think Danny came from the NA$CAR Grand National Division, East Series (one step below the Craftsman trucks).

This will probably be some of the last more competent drivers available seeing how NA$CAR is doing away with the Autozone Elite Division.  Now there will be the no logical step between the weekly series racer and the Grand National series (and beyond...)   The only thing a West Coast driver could do is to go back east and race on the Hooters Pro Cup, the ASA, or the ARCA series.  A West Coast driver is seriously handicapped because of this...

[AfterShock]

What do you see in the near future RG?
Now that the feeder system has a kink in it -- or somebody's heel is stepping on it.
On purpose. Where will the stars of tomorrow come up from? I can't imagine the powers that be NA$CAR aren't aware of what the results of their actions will cause.

Mighty trees require roots. Cut one of the major roots and the tree could dry up. Cut several major roots and, unless that tree finds another way to drink -- quickly! -- it's days are numbered -- and counting down.

Unless Brian has plans to put robots in the driver's seats, it stands to reason NA$CAR will need more warm bodies to pilot those race cars around and around. Now, if Brian keeps running more Friday night races and Saturday and Saturday night races, won't that have a negative impact on the local tracks who's attendance is down as a result of NA$CAR's conflicting schedules?
No tracks open = no upcoming drivers = no "entertainment".
Is Brian running the well dry?
Nawww, he must have a plan.

I can imagine Brian having plans to donate millions of bucks to open a new Institute of Higher Learning -- just to educate the new crop of young-uns in the Science of Stock Car Auto Racing. Maybe something like,
French University -- Cup Campus and Busch Campus and Craftsman Campus. Ivy league all the way. This is where drivers will be taught to be successful racing "entertainers" in only a matter of several years. Several years of tuition too. BiG tuition. It'll probably cost at least what it used to cost for a driver to do it the old fashioned way -- working his way up on his own shoestring budget. I see instruction lasting around four years with tuitions of around, ......say,......fifteen thousand per semester. A buck twenty to run the full course.
Such a bargain!

Crew and crew chiefs would receive their specialized training at Crew University -- Crew-U for short.
All of them operated and directly controled by the Brian of France -- Dean of Destiny and Tycoon Super Deluxe. One in the same.
Who wants to be a billionaire.

As an added bonus, Brian would have even more control over his "entertainment" business. Possibly complete control.
From the cradle to the grave -- NA$CAR can have it's meat hooks into everything.

Or, do you see something else in the future?
I sure don't think I like what I see. 

[smyler]

The first thing I think of when seeing what NASCAR is doing with the feeder series is... foreign born drivers.  NA$CAR thinks that by bringing in drivers from South of the border they will broaden their fan base.  I don't know about you, but I don't think that change is always good.  Sometimes you don't know how good it is till it's gone. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm happy Juan is coming in.  I'd like to see if our best is really the best there is.  If this is just going to become Indy cars with a roof, forget about it.  This is and has been an American sport.  It would be like adding chili's to hot dogs at the baseball stadium.  What is wrong with embracing what we have? 

I sometimes wish I had my millions so I could start up an actual "stock" car league.  You know, modify for safety, but use primarily stock cars.  Wouldn't it be great to see a CTS against a Charger against a Camaro against a Mustang GT?  It would sure be cheaper for the teams and I think the manufacturers would like it too.

[Racergiant]

What do I see?  I see the West Coast drivers S.O.L. (unless they decide to move to the East Coast).

Out here if you want to race NA$CAR the only game in town (right now) above the Weekly Racing Series anyway - is the Autozone Elite Division, Featherlite Southwest Series & and the Raybestos Northwest Series and the Grand National Division, West Series.  THAT'S IT.....

East Coast NA$CAR opportunities? Arca (the majority of which is owned by, you guessed it, NA$CAR); the Autozone Elite Division, MidWest Series, SouthEast Series; Whelen Modified Touring Series & Whelen Modified Southern Series.  For non-NA$CAR major series you have ASA, Hooters ProCup.

It'll be easier for the East Coast drivers to adapt to the loss of the intermediate step up from weekly racing with so many other series available...

[Dustcloud]

I guess I just don't get why NASCAR's doing this in the first place. Ruined one lower series. Getting rid of another. Man, I needa find a Busch North race or local dirt track before I forget what real racing is O.o

[Racergiant]

I forgot to mention in my previous post - the Autozone Division nationwide will be axed after the 2006 season....   

4 series - dead....  Not so bad of a blow on the East Coast - I guess that's the point I was trying to make....