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| | Thursday, August 10 Weber opens up his mailbag | |||||
| ESPN.com If there is one thing ESPN auto racing analyst Bill Weber loves more than being down in the pits for a NASCAR race, it's giving the fans the inside scoop. So he's opened up his email to you, the fans, this season. The Winston Cup season is in full swing and Weber is following the circuit -- this week he'll be watching the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. But before he green flag drops, Weber took the time to answer a few of your questions. "I desperately want Dave Marcis to continue racing next season. Has there been any talk of hangin' it up?" Steve Smith,Phoenix, Ariz. RPM 2Night recently ran a two-part series with Dave. He wants to continue racing but needs money, just like everyone else. Still, he loves to race, that's what he does and despite his disappointing season, he hopes to be back again next year. "How do you feel about aero-matching in Winston Cup? I've heard a lot of owners and drivers complaining that aero-matching the body templates would remove manufacturer identity. Today's WC cars hardly represent what's being driven on the road. When a team changes manufacturers I have a hard time noticing it on the track." Tom Mailhiot, USAF Academy, Colo. Hey Tom, The USAF, now talk about some guys that REALLY go fast. The only thing "stock" about stock cars these days is the name. If a "common template" will eliminate all the professional complaining (whining) about aerodynamics, then I am all for it. With decals and head lamps and logos, manufacturers will still get their identification and drivers will still support their manufacturer. The Dodge nose is the Taurus nose. Same template. Same piece. That's the beginning. The end is near. "With the recent big-money deal between Viagra and Roush Racing, is it time to consider a 'salary-cap' type of arrangement for sponsorship? Even though Mark Martin happens to be my favorite driver, I'm getting worried about the gulf between the haves and have-nots and what it means for the long-term health and competitiveness of NASCAR. Am I alone in this?" Jon Stewart, Gainesville, Fla. I'm with you. But a "cap" isn't really possible because there would be too many cash avenues to try and cover. I have thought about this for quite a while, but what it could ultimately come down to is this: The best racers don't win races, the best marketing guy wins races. If you put a recent Winston Cup champion in a so-so car without much financial support and without a good crew chief (who has to get a good paycheck), you are not going to win. And clearly, the financially strong are usually the ones who get financially stronger. The gap between the "haves" and "have-nots" is growing and NASCAR needs to remember you cannot have good racing in that world. "Rumor has it that Kurt Busch might be the next driver in Chad Little's ride. I have been to four truck races live this year and watched every one on TV. I think Kurt does not have enough experience to go to Winston Cup. He seems to take a lot of stupid moves on the track. How would the Winston Cup drivers feel about driving with a guy with so little experience? Jack Roush says it would be great experience for him. I think it would be to dangerous." Al Ozanich, Lansing Mich. Kurt Busch is heading for Winston Cup, and he might even race there this season. Here is the new line of thinking: If you've got a guy who is going to race Winston Cup, then let's get him into Winston Cup and get him on-the-job experience. Busch has shown talent coming up through the ranks and the next step is Winston Cup. What you call "stupid" moves could be "inexperienced" moves. If you remember, Jeff Gordon wrecked a few cars as a Winston Cup rookie, so has every other Winston Cup rookie. When Busch gets to WC, you should have the opportunity to watch him grow, and then make you decisions. "Johnny Benson has had a solid, if not consistent season thus far and has looked like a contender in many races. Because of the problems with his sponsors and the Brickyard possibly being his last full-time race, are there any sponsors willing to take a chance on the former ASA and Busch Series Champion? It would be a shame to see Benson's season cut short." Jason Kennedy, Lansing, Mich. Rece Davis had the best answer for this situation, let's have a telethon for Johnny and those guys. I get all busted-up every time I think about how close Benson has been to becoming a big-timer in Winston Cup racing, but always seems to hit a dead end on the road to winning. If only my time machine was working, I would put him in it, send him back to Bahari and the 30 car and watch them race together for a couple of more years. Now Bahari is gone and Johnny is sailing on another rocky ship. Johnny will be okay for next year. But if he's not racing in all the events of this year, the sport suffers. "Do you think Bobby Labonte will be able to hold on for his first championship, or do you think a veteran like Earnhardt, Jarrett, or even Mark Martin will surpass Bobby and take the championship?" Jared Shanker, Edison, N.J. I don't know the answer to this, but I am excited to watch it play out. If I had to place a bet, I would go for experience. But I think we'll know in the next three of four weeks if Labonte will be in the fight down to the end. I have talked to crew chief Jimmy Makar about this, and the one thing the 18 team has lacked has been consistency. This year they may have found it. And while they have struggled at some track where you would have expected them to run well, in the second half, going back to those track, with notes about car and tires, I think they will improve. If you are asking me to go against Earnhardt when he's 45 points out with 16 to go, or against Jarrett when he is just 68 points out with 16 to go, I'm not going to do that. Too much talent in the seat, too much talent on the crew. But for Labonte and Makar and company, that's a lot of motivation because they know to be a champion, they'll have to be some champions head-to-head. "How is qualifying done on the second day. Does everyone that did not qualify during the first round have to run another lap? What are the rules determining the order until you get to provisionals?" David T. Horne, Birmingham, Ala. You don't have to run in second round. You can "stand" on your first-round time if think it is fast enough to get you in the top 36. That's how many cars make the field on speed, the fastest 36 cars get in on their qualifying time. The top 25 cars are locked in following first round, no matter what happens. Technically, 30 cars could run in the second round and all post faster speeds than the guys in the top 25, but since the top 25 are locked in following the first round, only 11 cars would fill out the top 36 spots. After that, there are seven provisional spots based on the current OWNER points. The higher you are in owner points, the better your chance of getting a provisional. "What will happen to Kenny Irwin's ride? Will Felix get another driver or will he sit the Bell South car for the rest of the season?" Butch Banker, Hamlin N.Y. As I'm sure you've heard by now the 42 car will now permanently be the "01" car and Ted Musgrave will drive the next two races at Pocono and Indy. Future plans have not been announced. "Do the Winston Cup teams have to pay an entry fee for each race?" Kevin Mulrooney, Birmingham, Ala. Yes. It is on the entry form for every race. It's a "token" fee sent with the entry form. "What are your thoughts on what NASCAR is proposing to do with New Hampshire Speedway? Will NASCAR remove the track from the circuit? Will they ask for the track configuration to be modified? Will they continue to race as is and take the chance of claiming the life of another driver? I'm a longtime NASCAR fan and it absolutely tears me up to see anybody be lost forever that's involved in the greatest sport on Earth." Bill Peruti, North Las Vegas I think everyone has to take a deep breath here. This week, the circuit faces one of the most dangerous corners in all of racing -- Turn 1 at Pocono. Last year, Rusty cut a tire and slammed the wall there. He told me that was the hardest hit he's ever taken. Ricky Rudd tells the story of the hardest hit he's ever taken, it came at Martinsville, when his throttle hung up. Pocono is one of the longest tracks on the circuit. Martinsville is the shortest track on the circuit. Every race track is dangerous. The sport is dangerous by nature. So is football, so is ice hockey. It is truly unfortunate what has happened at the NHIS, but it's not the racing surface or the design of the layout or the degree of difficulty in Turn 3. It's a combination of high speed and rock solid walls. I'm not smart enough to fix the problem, but I am willing to listen to people that are. They say softer walls. I say, let's at least try. "I've worked on pit crews for both the Daytona 24 hour, and Sebring 12 hour races. I want to know why NASCAR is the only sanctioning body that still uses dump cans to fuel the cars. There is a tremendous amount of fuel spilled. Why don't they go to a dry break system like CART, and the sportscar series do? To me it seems like it's just a matter of time until fuel spills and there is a huge fire in the pits." John Snodgrass, Casselberry, Fla. I don't have any "hard" numbers to back this up, but I believe you'll find that fuel spills and pit fires are more common in other forms of racing than they are in NASCAR. I admit, that's a lot of fuel sitting around in the pits, especially when people are allowed to smoke in the pits at many tracks. (Now THAT'S unbelievable.) But the fashion that the cars are fueled in NASCAR I find more challenging and exciting. There is a greater opportunity for error, so a good gas man is critical to be successful. I would like to see a rule modification that would make fueling safer, only the gas man can touch to the dump can when it's "over the wall." Often the catch can man is holding the gas can. That's not good. "What is the longest streak of qualifying for a race without having to use a Provisional start?" Sean Smith, Rochester, Minn. Great question Sean, I will ask our two stat gurus Leny Thatcher and Bill Sloboda to figure that out. But I can tell you that Jeff Gordon has never taken a provisional in 241 career starts. He came close at Talladega, qualifying 36th, but according to my records, he has never used a provisional starting spot. "With the points lead so close between Labonte, Earnhardt and Jarrett, why doesn't Earnhardt stay out to lead a lap and get 5 bonus points when all the drivers start coming in for pit stops. There have been a couple of races that if he had just stayed out 1 or 2 more laps he could have got those bonus points. I am a big Earnhardt fan and would love to see him get that 8th championship, but when he has the opportunity to get those 5 points, I don't understand why he doesn't take it." Heather, Kansas City, Mo. Believe me Heather, the 3 team is always looking for that situation. Too often, "staying out" for the extra lap or two can do more harm than good: running out of fuel, not pitting with a partner, losing time on the track because the rest of the leaders have fresher tires and of course, track position. Earnhardt has a sharp mind, and a lot of smart people in the pits. The next time he pits when you think he should have stayed out there for another lap or two, relax, "The Man" made the right choice. "What about Alex Zanardi driving for Chip Ganassi in Winston Cup next year? Zanardi needs a job, and has already won everything CART has to offer. Plus if he hooks up with Ganassi, he can go to Indy too. Whatcha think?" Jason Scott, Green Bay, Wis. Oh boy! I'm all for it. Alex is a good guy and think of all the exciting conversations he and Sterling Marlin could have! | ALSO SEE Weber's mailbag: June 21 Weber's mailbag: June 7 Weber's mailbag: June 1 Weber's mailbag: May 3 Weber's mailbag: April 27 Weber's mailbag: April 12 Weber's mailbag: April 6 Weber's mailbag: March 29 Weber's mailbag: March 22 Weber's mailbag: March 15 Weber's mailbag: March 8 Weber's mailbag: March 1 Ask Bill Weber | |||||