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| | Wednesday, September 13 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 e-mail to you, the fans, this season. The Winston Cup season is in full swing and Weber is following the circuit -- this week he's in Richmond, Va., for the Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400. But before he made his way to the Richmond International Raceway pits, Weber took the time to answer a few of your questions. "The fastest way through the turns at most tracks is at the bottom. Why is Darlington so different?" Todd Weimer,Eastpointe, Mich. Momentum. The design of the track, combined with the speeds, naturally sweeps you up to the high side of the track. That's why the "Darlington Stripe" became so famous. Drivers used to have to run right up against what was a steel guard rail and sometimes they got just a little too close! "If a NASCAR race is postponed do to rain and must be restarted the next day, do all cars get to restart even if they had a problem in the first start? Example: Mike Skinner lost his motor early in the Darlington race, because it may not have been an official race and continued on Monday, does he get to change motors and line up for a restart or do the cars restart where they left off? Thank you for your time and look forward to your answer." Chris Tash, Reva, Va. Once a car is officially listed as "out," they are finished for the competition. More importantly, no team can work on a car during a red-flag period -- no a car currently in the race, or one "behind the wall." So, if the race was delayed a day, a team could not work into the evening in the garage to repair or rebuild a car. Once a race starts, that's the beginning of the race, even if it is stopped and postponed to the next day, the race resumes from where it was halted. A "new" race does not begin, the original race resumes. "What was Bobby Hamilton thinking when he slammed into Jeremy Mayfield at Bristol? I understand that drivers often try to make up a lap during cautions, but this was way out of line. ... I was hoping to see some post-race comments from him or Jeremy but I have not seen any yet. What did Jeremy have to say about this incident?" Gary DeLong, Phoenix, Ariz. Jeremy was disappointed. Hamilton apologized on the ESPN live broadcast, saying he made a mistake. He was trying to get a lap back. His spotter had talked it over with Rusty's spotter. Hamilton thought he could make it, he didn't. Racing back to the caution is always a danger situation, especially at a short track. What was Bobby thinking? He was thinking if I can get a lap back here, I'll have a better finish. "I'm a big Mark Martin fan and I would like too know why Valvoline would stop sponsoring a race car driver like Mark? Sure, he's had his ups and downs, but he's been very consistent. Johnny Benson has shown improvement in the past, but who has been around the front longer: Mark or Johnny?" Eric Mabus, Millmont,Pa. I assume that's a rhetorical question, Eric. Here's the word in the garage. Roush wanted more money than Valvoline was willing to part with. Now Valvoline will be the primary sponsor on a good car with a popular young driver on the rise. Valvoline will get its exposure in the future on the 10 car for less money, be able to use the additional money that they would have had to give to Roush to support Benson and his team, and for hospitality for clients and prospects, and in the long run probably get more for spending less. It's the same reason Exide is leaving the 99 car as a primary sponsor after this season with one year left on their contract. They already have decided they are not going to pay the "going-rate" for a primary sponsorship in 2002, so they have started to find other avenues to showcase their name and product. "Why do the older guys in NASCAR -- Dave Marcis, Darryl Waltrip, etc. -- struggle against the younger guys in NASCAR today?" Rob, Santa Rosa, Calif. Rob, it's talent and time. Jack Nicklaus is a great golfer, but it's Tiger who is winning. "Is there any news on a possible use for the old North Wilkesboro Speedway. The track is just sitting there, totally inactive. Can't the owners agree on opening it for a Busch or Craftsman Truck race? It is a great facility (though I will admit small by today's Winston Cup standards), has a ton of history, and the folks up there really miss racing." Henry Gaither, PSC 1013, Military serving in Iceland Always great to hear from our folks in the service. I really miss North Wilkesboro, too. But I don't see much of a future for the track. It was already rundown when the Winston Cup Series left and could even be considered an antique by today's standards. To reopen there, there would have to be updates to the facility, more access roads, and insurance costs. There were great races at North Wilkesboro, now we'll have to live with the great memories. Stay safe. "During the race at Michigan, they said the track will be renamed to Michigan International Speedway. They just dropped the 'International' from the track about two years ago. My question: What makes a track 'International'?" Dan Clodfelter, Columbia City, Ind. Some P.R. person with no better idea of how to promote a track. There might be some "other" reason, but it simply makes a place sound more impressive, or at least some people think so. "You guessed it. I live in Peoria, home of Caterpillar, and of course my favorite driver is Ward Burton. My question is: What has happened to Ward? Lately his driving is so laid back everyone passes him. It is almost like, and I don't even like to say it, he has lost his nerve. Anyway, since his friend was killed, he hasn't done well in any race. When he went from 13th to 9th at Michigan on the last lap, that was great, but why didn't he drive like that for more of the race? I would appreciate any insight you can give me on what is going on. Make no mistake, I am still a fan of the 'CAT' car and Ward. I just wish he would be in the front more often." Calvin Webber, E. Peoria, Ill. Don't give up on this bunch. It would have been hard for this team to maintain the pace they started the season, especially while making the transition to Dodge for 2001. I think Ward will finish strong, showing much of the form you saw earlier in the season. He had a very good race Sunday. Had a bad pit stop at the end of the race. And lost Johnny Benson as a fan. "I'm sure this has been asked before but I can't remember. How many tires total are allotted each team for race day?" Ken Clark, St. Louis Mo. It varies by race. The one hard rule is just three sets until after second-round qualifying. "With all the talk about slowing the cars down, how come NASCAR does not try putting groves in the tire like F1?" Gary Thomson, Palmyra Va. Tire temperatures would probably be the number one reason. The combination of weight and speed on a treaded tire would really challenge the Goodyear folks. Treaded tires build up more heat than "slicks". "There are many rumors about Michael Andretti. Is it possible he is thinking about NASCAR? He has won everything in CART, and probably will win another CART title this year. Do you think he would come over and would be a good fit in Winston Cup?" Joe Santos, San Jose, Calif. I think Michael is an open-wheel guy. It would be great to have him in Winston Cup. But at this point in his career, I think his focus is open-wheel racing. And, the Indy 500. "What do you think of running the New Hampshire race as a road course rather than an oval? It would be the best of both worlds, the track is already set up for it. Do you think this would be safer or not? I know I'd drive 6 hours to see it." John Palermo, New Canaan, Conn. I'm not so sure that road course is the set up for the Winston Cup Series. I can't address the safety aspect because I've never seen a Cup car on that course. Don't get me wrong here, the Loudon trip is one of my favorites. I love everything about the weekend, except the race. One mile flat tracks do not promote good racing for the Winston Cup series. Sorry Phoenix. The people at the New Hampshire International Speedway know there is a problem here, so does everyone else. They can fix the track, or better yet, show some initiative and redesign it. Yes, it will cost money. But, what price are we going to have to pay? "What are your thoughts on the current points system? Would placing more of an emphasis on winning races by awarding say 250-300 points for a win make for better racing? Sure would make the top contenders race harder instead of playing it safe!" Tom Linscott, Maine Until the race winner is awarded more points, and each position becomes more valuable than the one behind it, the risk is not worth the reward. With the new TV package next year, purses should skyrocket. Perhaps a hefty cash payoff for winning will do the trick. "Could you please explain how the rookie of the year is decided? I know points come into it but isn't there a vote involved?" Elaine Berry, E. Sandwich, Mass. "Bill, as a huge fan of Rusty Wallace, I've been thrilled with his and teammate Jeremy Mayfield's success this year. Any chance Roger Penske fields a third car for the next season with either Kenny Wallace or Michael Waltrip since Waltrip's going to be using Penske engines and chassis near the end of this year?" William Houchins, Beckley, W.Va. The next Penske driver will be Ryan Newman. "Rusty Wallace has eight poles this year. What is the record for most poles in a season?" Mark Neff, Mattoon, Ill. I credit the offices of RPM 2Night because they just used this stat the other night. Cale Yarborough won 14 poles in 1980. That's the modern-era record. Rusty has the most poles since Jeff Gordon won eight poles in 1995. The last guy to win more than eight poles in a season was Bill Elliott in 1985 when he captured 11. "After each race when they tear down the cars, is there a certain thing that they look for? How long does it take to do the whole car from top to bottom?" Pat Kopp, Foresthill, Calif. There is a certain thing. Cheating. The list of what they check is too long for this space. The time it takes depends on the depth of the inspection, which can vary from race to race. Ballpark it at 90 minutes from the time officials start. | ALSO SEE Weber's mailbag: Aug. 30 Weber's mailbag: Aug. 24 Weber's mailbag: Aug. 17 Weber's mailbag: Aug. 10 Weber's mailbag: July 19 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 | |||||