The Frontstretch: sidebyside by -- Friday August 29, 2008

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Side By Side: Should Kyle Busch And Carl Edwards Have Been Penalized?

Phil Allaway and Vito Pugliese · Thursday August 28, 2008

Today’s Question: Following Saturday’s on-track altercation after the race between Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards, NASCAR chose to penalize both drivers for their transgressions. On Wednesday, they announced the two men would be put on probation for six straight races — although they determined there’d be no fines or loss of points for either of them. Did the sport stop short by not producing a harsher penalty? Or should Busch and Edwards have never been penalized at all?

Phil: It’s not like Edwards’ bump on lap 470 resulted in Busch crashing — he still finished a strong second, and had enough time to run Edwards back down if only his car was handling as good. Historically, this type of maneuver is typical at Bristol — even with the new repaving job — and the point leader should have expected something like this. But instead of taking it all in stride, Busch decided to essentially ram Edwards after the checkered flag in a display of petulance not seen in the Sprint Cup Series in quite awhile. It was the motorsports equivalent of throwing a hissy fit — and Busch should have paid for it.

Vito: Kyle Busch was summoned to the officials’ trailer Saturday night, but not before he got in his digs on Edwards with a Mr. Ed quote heard around the NASCAR world. Following Edwards’ unapologetic remark that all he would do differently next time is hit him harder, both were slapped with a six-race probation. Considering the broad scope of the incident, some are wondering if the penalties were not harsh enough.

Are you kidding?

Read more Side By Side: Should Kyle Busch And Carl Edwards Have Been Penalized? ...

Side By Side: Were The Gibbs Penalties Too Harsh?

Bryan Davis Keith and Mike Neff · Thursday August 21, 2008

Today’s Question: Following Saturday’s Nationwide Series event, Joe Gibbs Racing was accused of tampering with their race cars during post-race inspection. By placing magnets underneath the accelerator pedals, JGR hoped to reduce the amount of horsepower NASCAR would read off their chassis dyno as they researched whether more rules changes were needed to equalize horsepower between manufacturers.

The sport’s reaction to this transgression was swift — and it was severe. Crew chiefs Jason Ratcliff and Dave Rogers have been indefinitely suspended, along with five other crew members accused of participating in the project. Both the No. 18 and No. 20 cars lost 150 championship car owner points, and drivers Joey Logano and Tony Stewart lost 150 driver points as a result of the incident.

It was one of the harshest penalties handed down by the sport this decade; but were those penalties far too much for a scenario that didn’t occur until after the race? Or did NASCAR let JGR get off easy for a deliberate violation that — if left undetected — could have kept the sport from permanently changing the rules to level the playing field?

Bryan: Throughout the 2008 Nationwide Series season, Joe Gibbs Racing has made it look so simple. But just as they have made competing in the series look easy, NASCAR let JGR off easy on Wednesday when they announced penalties for the most blatant episode of cheating seen in NASCAR this season. At first glance, the penalties laid down by the sport seem harsh enough. You’ve got points deductions … heavy fines… and indefinite suspensions of crew chiefs and other key race personnel. But upon further review, this punishment does not come close to fitting the crime.

Mike: Of course, NASCAR has to rule the sport with an iron fist, and their implementation of penalties will certainly determine how seriously teams look at cheating. However, handing down suspensions that are open ended for activities that relate to teams trying to gain an advantage with their race cars is simply unreasonable.

Read more Side By Side: Were The Gibbs Penalties Too Harsh? ...

Side By Side: Is NASCAR Doing Enough For Diversity?

Doug Turnbull And Bryan Davis Keith · Thursday August 14, 2008

Today’s Question : Are the new accounts of racial and gender discrimination that have surfaced proof NASCAR needs to take action? Or is NASCAR doing all it can as far as the issue of diversity is concerned?

NASCAR Is Lagging When It Comes To Diversity
Doug Turnbull

Boom! The last time the Sprint Cup Series raced in the Motor City, news of former Nationwide Series official Mauricia Grant, a black female, and her $225 million discrimination lawsuit against NASCAR, was the talk of garage. So serious and grave were the accusations in the suit that not only did two Nationwide Series officials named in the suit get sent home on suspension, but Brian France decided to meet with the media to address the issue.

NASCAR’s Diversity Efforts More Than Adequate, Reported
Bryan Davis Keith

In a recent interview on ESPN’s Outside the Lines, Antonio Morrison, a crew member on the No. 59 Nationwide Series team, concluded that NASCAR will always be a “good ole boy sport.”

Mr. Morrison, how you can work in the NASCAR garage and in the racing industry in general and make that statement honestly blows my mind.

Read more Side By Side: Is NASCAR Doing Enough For Diversity? ...

Side By Side : Should Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Buy DEI?

Tommy Thompson and Amy Henderson · Thursday July 17, 2008

Editor’s Note : The following is a special edition of Frontstretch’s Side By Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though…be sure to read both sides and let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below!

Today’s Question : If DEI is indeed for sale, should Dale Earnhardt, Jr. be the one to buy it and keep it in the family name?

Tommy:Yes. Indeed, a purchase of the company outright would be the ideal way for Earnhardt, Jr. to accomplish for DEI all that he purported to be interested in when he sought to have power over its direction during his contentious negotiations with his stepmother last year. What better way to realize those dreams than to buy that position in the company? It’s as cut and dried as you can get. No favors, no arguments concerning sibling shares or concerns over his father’s desires. Teresa chooses to sell… and Earnhardt, Jr. simply buys.

Amy: No. Junior is building another team, in his own vision this time, from the ground up. That’s not easy — and there have been bumps in the road — but there were bumps in the road for DEI, too, in the beginning. The team is showing real growth, and especially with the guidance of Junior’s new boss, Rick Hendrick, it has the potential to keep right on growing — right into the Cup Series someday if that’s what Junior wants. Junior is picking up right where his father left off, growing a company in his vision, developing drivers and teams for a long-term future.

Read more Side By Side : Should Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Buy DEI? ...

Side By Side: Should Roush Let Jamie McMurray Go?

Doug Turnbull And Bryan Davis Keith · Thursday June 5, 2008

Editor’s Note : The following is a special edition of Frontstretch’s Side-By-Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though…be sure to read both sides and let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below!

Today’s Question : There’s much speculation that Jamie McMurray will lose his ride at Roush Fenway Racing. You make the call : should he be retained in the No. 26 car for 2009? Or if you were in charge, would you be sending him to the unemployment line?

Doug: These are not the results that McMurray is getting paid to put up. He joined a team that was a year and a half removed from a championship. Granted, Roush Racing struggled mightily as a whole for McMurray’s first year, but the driver’s inconsistency has proven to be more than a result of a transitional slump.

Bryan: It’s beyond debate that Jamie McMurray’s tenure at Roush Fenway Racing has not lived up to the expectations which were set when the deal was announced in 2005. That said, given the unique situation the No. 26 team finds itself in, there really isn’t any reason for McMurray to be released from his driving duties at the house of Roush.

Read more Side By Side: Should Roush Let Jamie McMurray Go? ...

Side By Side : Is It Too Much, Too Soon For Joey Logano?

Phil Allaway and Doug Turnbull · Thursday May 29, 2008

Editor’s Note : The following is a special edition of Frontstretch’s Side-By-Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though…be sure to read both sides and let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below!

Today’s Question : Joey Logano makes his long-anticipated debut in the Nationwide Series this weekend, just one week after he turned 18. Is he being brought up too fast, too soon, or is this kid being rewarded for his unprecedented success in the lower ranks — with the knowledge he can handle the pressure?

Phil: Right now, Logano has a clean slate in the Nationwide Series — nothing more, nothing less — and we just don’t know yet whether potential will turn into reality. But the pundits are already looking for immediate success; and at 18, that’s just not a guarantee.

Yes, Logano is talented; but it’s not out of the question Gibbs could be putting him in a bad spot far too early.

Doug: On Saturday, a new era in NASCAR history begins as Joey Logano makes his much anticipated debut in the Nationwide Series for Joe Gibbs Racing. With the kind of pressure and fanfare that Logano faces, he has a tall order to fill; but unlike some past up-and-comers, he’ll be exactly what he is prescribed to be.

Read more Side By Side : Is It Too Much, Too Soon For Joey Logano? ...

Side by Side : Who Got The Better Deal -- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Or Kyle Busch?

Doug Turnbull and Tom Bowles · Thursday May 8, 2008

Editor’s Note : The following is a special edition of Frontstretch’s Side-By-Side. Occasionally throughout the season, two of your favorite Frontstretch writers will duke it out in a debate concerning one of NASCAR’s biggest stories. Don’t let us be the only ones to speak our minds, though…be sure to read both sides and let us know what you think about the situation in the comment section below!

Today’s Question : Three months into one of the biggest free agent moves in history, which one of NASCAR’s two biggest drivers has the upper hand (i.e. better deal)? Is it “Good Guy” Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver — or resident “Bad Boy” Kyle Busch — its most aggressive?

Doug: In Junior’s new situation at Hendrick Motorsports, he is teammates with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, meaning that he can flee from some of the pressure of being a team’s only marquia driver — a pressure that he wanted to avoid at times at DEI. His transition also did not cost him a dime, as the No. 88 AMP Energy /N ational Guard souvenir sales are through the roofs simply because of the driver change. He shed the image of a crazed, partying Bud-drinker, then rebranded his image by switching to a more clean-cut team, with tamer and more lucrative sponsorship.

Tom: Of course, the difference between Junior and Busch is that Busch has cashed in on his opportunities to win; while the No. 88 car has had a tendency to fade over a race’s final segment, the No. 18 simply turns it on when it matters most. And while Junior has faced quite a rebuilding job at Hendrick (the No. 88 was the former No. 25 car that missed the Chase last year), the task faced by Busch at Gibbs was just as difficult … if not more so.

Read more Side by Side : Who Got The Better Deal -- Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Or Kyle Busch? ...

Side by Side: Is The Risk Of Injury Enough To Keep Cup Drivers Out Of The Nationwide Series?

Bryan Davis Keith and Tom Bowles · Thursday May 1, 2008

Today’s Question : Dario Franchitti’s Talladega injury reminded us of the dangers of Cup drivers competing in a lower series. Is it worth it for Cup drivers to run races in that lower series — especially at a track like Talladega — considering the additional injury risk involved?

Bryan: Had Franchitti been a Dale Earnhardt, Jr. or a Tony Stewart, he’d have had no business running in any Nationwide race — much less a restrictor plate one. But in Franchitti’s case, he not only had a reason to run on Saturday … but an obligation.

Tom: The overriding wisdom is that Dario Franchitti would benefit from time in a lower series in order to gain the experience he needs in Sprint Cup. But after a scary wreck at Talladega, Franchitti won’t be getting any experience at all; on the sidelines for up to six weeks, he’s now the poster child for why Cup drivers taking time away from their primary focus to horse around in a lower series can really be a bad idea in the long run.

Read more Side by Side: Is The Risk Of Injury Enough To Keep Cup Drivers Out Of The Nationwide Series? ...

Side by Side : Restrictor Plates; Should They Stay or Should They Go

Phil Allaway and Vito Pugliese · Thursday April 24, 2008

Today’s Question : Last Fall’s race at Talladega was a freight train event, in part due to the drivers’ fears surrounding restrictor plate racing. Is it just time to take the plates off, or are the plates a necessary evil in order for speeds to stay down and drivers to stay safe?

Phil Allaway: A necessary evil to slow the cars down, the restrictor plate is being blamed for something that it’s not responsible for. Because unlike the previous time that the rules were changed to increase on-track passing (October 2000, when the roof spoilers were introduced), the lack of passing has nothing to do with the current aerodynamic rules… or the cars.

Vito Pugliese: It’s been over 20 years since Bobby Allison’s Miller Lite Buick lifted off the ground and nearly planted itself in the front grandstands at Talladega. That, of course, was the defining moment when NASCAR saw fit to equip the superspeedway cars with restrictor plates.

But a lot has changed since then.

Read more Side by Side : Restrictor Plates; Should They Stay or Should They Go ...

Side-By-Side : Should Sam Hornish, Jr. Leave NASCAR?

Bryan Davis Keith and Tom Bowles · Thursday April 17, 2008

Today’s Question : Recent rumors have Sam Hornish, Jr. considering dropping his stock car career for a full-time move back to Indy Cars. After just eight races, is it too soon for Hornish to back away? Or is this the move he should have made all along?

Bryan:
With the signing of David Stremme as Penske Racing's test driver, speculation is running rampant that Sam Hornish, Jr., the 2006 Indy Racing League champion and Sprint Cup rookie, is already preparing to throw in the towel on his stock car racing career. Here's hoping that's not the case; for Hornish has made a lot of progress even eight races into the season. No question, the talent is there for Hornish to make it in NASCAR if he continues to stay the course.

Tom:
By no means do I want to rush Sam Hornish, Jr. back to Indy Cars. If successful, his presence in NASCAR will lure a legion full of IRL aficionados to pay attention to a different kind of racing — perhaps more than any of the other open wheel converts for 2008. With an Indy 500 victory and two IRL championships to his credit, Hornish has proven to be one heck of a racing talent; and, by all accounts, an even better guy.

With that said, a sudden departure from NASCAR, while shocking, may not be a bad thing for his career; and frankly, it's not unprecedented.

Read more Side-By-Side : Should Sam Hornish, Jr. Leave NASCAR? ...

More Side by Sides!