A Voice for the fans ~ The gen 6 after six
4/5/2013
PattyKay
Lilley
Good day race fans and welcome to what always strives to be a fair
and honest assessment of what you, the fans, are thinking... or as my friend
Matt always calls it, what you're talking about around the water cooler the
next day. A warm welcome also to our assigned reader this
week in the Fan and Media Espionage Center in beautiful Charlotte, NC. I
do hope you find your task a pleasant one. Ah, the race this week was at the track I've always called
"Pretty Little Martinsville", the sweetest little short track ever
raced upon by motorized vehicles; wearing a pretty black asphalt dress trimmed
with white concrete at each corner, she is always ready for the prom. She goes
dancing these days though, without the beautiful azalea corsage that used to
grace her corners. Mr. Campbell, please put them back. We understand the need
for the SAFER barriers... all too well since being reminded by Denny's wreck at
Fontana, where the barriers were not, but those bushes were an integral part of
what made Martinsville so very special. They need to return to where your
Grandpa put them. Did the fans enjoy the race? Well, for sure, this one did, and
just about every fan I've talked to since did as well. There was of course, one
constant bit of grumbling, but we do understand that NASCAR cannot keep the
Johnson/Knaus combo from entering races. The other
teams just have to get on the ball and figure out how to go that fast. Yes, it
was another case of "Follow the leader", but in this instance, it
wasn't because no one could pass him; it was because no one could catch
him. That has nothing to do with the new cars. I suspect it has a lot to do
with Chad Knaus' ability to hit the ground running
and adjust on the fly. With eight wins at the Paperclip, the #48 team isn't
even close to setting a precedent though. Richard Petty has won 15 of those
gorgeous Ridgeway Grandfather clocks. Lawd, I'd just
like to have the space to put one! Putting the winner aside for a bit, there were other highlights on
the day, not the least of which being the pyrotechnics display put on by Kurt Busch as he rode his flaming
steed into the SAFER barrier and proceeded to extinguish most of the flames
with an in-car fire extinguisher before making a clean and uninjured getaway.
That was about the scariest fire I've seen in many years, with flames engulfing
the car, front to rear and left side to right side. Kudos to Kurt for keeping a
cool head in a panic situation, and blessings and thanks to whomever
designed that safety feature. Now about those missing SAFER barriers at some
tracks... Casting an eye back to all the pre-race hype we heard and read for
two weeks about "payback" and "feuds", we saw little or
none of that on Sunday. One thing that did strike me though; all during the
pre-race, which I admit to watching some of just because it was Martinsville,
that word "feud" was mysteriously missing from the conversation. I
believe we spoke of that some weeks back in this column, saying it was an
inappropriate word or feeling to describe the relationship between drivers that
would be, if not friends, at least not enemies by the next race. It seems we
now have a new buzz word replacing "feud" and that word is "rivalry."
Yes, thank you, I like that much better. In sports, a rivalry is a good and
natural thing; something to be expected and appreciated, not feared or
disliked. Petty and Pearson had a rivalry, but never a feud. They always liked
and respected each other... off the track. The Hatfields
and the McCoys had a feud; they killed each other for
several generations. Very different. Good thinking,
whoever came up with that small improvement. My guess would be Mike Joy, but
thanks to whomever. And now, not because it can't be avoided, but because I want to,
let's talk for a minute about the gal some folks love to hate... Danica
Patrick. You all watched the same race I did. I heard snickers and snide
remarks when she had to have an engine replaced and won the honor of starting
dead last at Martinsville, which is something akin to the kiss of death. Perhaps
because of that out-back start, she spun out very
early in the going, bringing out the first caution at lap 17. Though she
struggled early, she later made up for lost time and lost laps, as she and her
car seemed to become accustomed to the short track together. Near the end, it looked as though she had a top-10 finish in hand,
save for a rude move by Brian Vickers, which shoved her into the #88, causing
Junior to spin and fall a lap behind. Danica however, righted her car and
continued on, at one point routing her car owner in the #14 up the track to pass
him on the low side. If you didn't think she could or would do that, now you
know better. Congratulations little girl. You're not just good for NASCAR;
you're just plain good. Danica finished 12th on Sunday in case anyone missed
the memo, and is now 26th in points after six races, only a few points behind
teammates Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in 22nd and 23rd respectively. It's a long way to Homestead... Mr. Helton, Sir, and all involved in bringing the Gen-6 cars to
fruition, from most everyone I've talked with about them, the general consensus
is that all is well with the Gen-6 after six. [races]
I did hear one fan opine that Texas would be the first real test for the new
cars on what was termed a "cookie-cutter" type track. Guess that fan
was still hibernating when they raced at Las Vegas and Fontana. We're seeing
racing; we're seeing passing... not in the pits, but on the tracks... all
tracks, of every configuration. I can't
even comment on the size of the crowd at Martinsville, because quite frankly, I
never noticed. I was watching the race. It seems to me that's
the way it should be. FOX Network, we, the fans are liking the
wider camera shots that allow us to see more of the racing than merely
following the two or three lead cars. Please, keep it up and give us more.
There's nothing like seeing the race to bring more fans to the stands and the
TV. All in all, this has been the "happiest" column I've written in
this series. Why? Because no one is complaining... well, except for that Jimmie
Johnson thing we spoke of in the beginning. Maybe it's an age thing, but it
doesn't bother me one tiny bit that Jimmie wins what some see as more than his
share of races. Over 60-some years, there have been others that seemingly
"won them all." Richard Petty won 27 races one year. Care to talk
"boring" there? So-called "dynasties" come and go. It wasn't always easy
being a Dale Earnhardt fan... until he wasn't with us anymore and everyone
jumped on the bandwagon. There was a time when all the fans disliked Darrell
Waltrip... until "The Winston" in 1989, when he was spun out by Rusty
Wallace for the win. Suddenly, all sympathy was with DW and Wallace was odd-man
out with the fickle race fans. More recently, it was Jeff Gordon receiving all the boos, with anyone named Busch succeeding him. Jimmie is
different; the fans don't even bother to boo. It's as though, after winning 5
Championships in a row, 62 races and 30 poles, they just don't notice him.
Jimmie is quiet, unassuming, seemingly never temperamental, a sponsor's dream,
and oh, by the way, one helluva driver! He and lovely
wife Chandra just announced there will soon be another addition to the Johnson
family, a playmate for pretty little Genevieve. Really...
I don't believe he cares if the fans don't notice him. I think he's happy under
the radar, and quite comfortable there. Congratulations Jimmie and Chandra. Some
of us really like vanilla best. All right then race fans, it's your turn. Agree? Disagree? Have it
your way! This is the place to be heard. Comments left here will be read by the
folks that matter; I promise. They even read my comments on racing Forums, and
let me know about it from time to time. Right now, this race fan thinks things
are going in the right direction, with much improvement over what we've seen
the past several years. The COT is dead! Long live Gen-6!
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep
smiling. It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay