Thoughts About Racing

[Eric]

I beg to differ... I did watch and enjoy those listed race....I watched every race that I could and have found that Danica, while talented, did what she was hired for ... to represent sponsors and sell merchandise... the drivers listed did so as well, but, that was a different day and age... SR was a hard nosed racer of the old guard... people got punted back then as well, but there weren't as many commentators in the booth, armchair quarterbacking the race... The entire idea of Nascar got changed by the France family and money... The drivers that have showed a lot of talent in multi faceted racing styles haven't been able to meet the sponsor framework for the demographic they are shooting for... You can't race in multiple series /styles of racing anymore and expect the sponsors to spread their advertising monies throughout... also, there isn't enough time for all of the public appearances that are expected of a driver...Danica did well, but not widely accepted as a peer in the garage... look at it this way... she was the first driver in nascar to pull her hands, rather than try to muscle a car from a bad situation... no assumptions.... They have to all be tallented, but, the game has changed.... BTW... those that know me...Know me.... You sir... do not...
You have stated differing opinions to which my response is that opinions vary....

They, Sr, rusty, and those before them, knew what was good for the sport was good for them, the older drivers, would have helped her, and raced Her, the same as any other racer.
Even Jeff Gordon admits, that even though there was a Sr vs Gordon thing with the fans ,they played along, but that Sr, was a big help to Jeff, while a newbie.
As Sr. saw what is good for the sport is good for me.
The problem, is after the fact, there are you tube video's of nothing But Danica wrecks, and if you bother to watch them 95% of them she was taken out . I was never a Danica fan, but the truth is there miles of footage of it.
Kyle Busch was and still is the same Cry baby, emotional and passionate driver that didn't put on a happy face when crap went sideways, Same attitude but different gender.
He was said to be passionate about doing well and winning, She was labeled a bi_ch by the same media and fans. odd how that works.

[Eric]

This has me thinking, which is inherently dangerous every time. But NASCAR embraced Danica Patrick to add to the show. She's pretty, she's volatile. Maybe sell some tickets, maybe. It didn't work very well.

Janet Guthrie. She showed up all of those years ago and she just happened to be female. Just an aw-shucks type of person, somebody you'd like to have dinner with. She didn't attain a lot of success but they didn't think to promote her in the media like they did Danica.

How can you do bikini photo shoots and still be considered to be a real race car driver (Danica)? Danica won an open wheel race in Japan. That's what she did. She led some laps at Indy, to much fanfare. The last lap is the one that counts, the one everybody remembers.

Janet didn't have the world looking at her,She was not an already known name in motorsports, If it wasn't for France, she(Janet) would have never got a seat, he saw the media buzz it cause way back then, and media ink was gold as far as He was concerned ,sad how some have selective memories. Good thing you tube has video proof of it, coming out of the Horses mouth, may he R.I..P. To jog many folks memories

Danica being in a swim suit, is part of the corporate sponsoring that has been in racing. She did the same thing every driver does, and that is do whatever the sponsor wants from them, and Go daddy wanted, to use the sexual playbook in all their ad's if Danica was in them or not.
Mikie, and mark martin and clint, and marin jr, acted like stupid boobs for napa know how ad's, Dale Sr. acted like a nice polite Dealership tech in ad's, Darrel, tide ad's/weaston auto , rickie rudd, tide, Carl edwards as a male hunk in ad's, or Subway ad's the list is a mile long.
Yet it is taken differently, for that one driver. pfft.
Sorry to kill that fantasy, racing at the top levels takes money, millions, if you want to do it, you have to be willing to bend over backwards for your sponsors. (Other than prudes, no one saw posing in a suit you'd be in at a pool or beach a big deal,not like she has an hourglass shape anyways)Or you end up like the #78 team and shut the doors.
Fun Facts, Kurt Busch all 2018 season, had Danica's team, He is now in the #1 car,because his team did not get the same support (read equipment) as the #14/4/10 was. Funny that was the same Thing Danica claimed when she was at SHR.

[Eric]

So is your comment reserved to his NASCAR career or does it include his entire body of work (Baja, Dakar, Stadium Trucks, ...)????

Oh, don't get me wrong, I love racers that race you hard every lap no matter how many laps down.
It is just few are like that. They are racers there for the love of racing, and refuse to roll over, I love that.
Other drivers understand you can't win if you don't finish.
Robbie Gordon would have been a top driver in Nascar if he could've balanced that itch to race hard every lap, with the you can't win if you don't finish.

Baja, balls out the whole time
Dakar balls out whole time
Stadium balls out whole time.
They fit Robby's mindset of WFO every second of the event.
Nascar, That doesn't work.
I am A Robby fan and a Ryan Newman fan, have been from day one.
That wasn't the point. of the post. It was you can't win if you don't finish. Ryan got much better at this once he landed at RCR, but the cars were not going to allow him to win, The year he made it to the chase/playoff's with no wins showcased , that he had learned to balance the mindset of "I'm going to race you hard every lap" with the if I don't finish I can't win.

[Eric]

Have I been mad before? Of course I have, I've been divorced twice. Talk about mad....But out there on the track I'm of a different mindset. Trying to stay out of the way.

Danica and all of the champions must be built different. Maybe real winners have to start the race "mad." There's something, something to all of that. But I don't know what it is.

They call that the game face, racers that make it to the top levels have a whole other zone they goto, when it is race day,
You could not talk to Dale, when he got into the car, The focus id 100% on the task at hand.
yup different animal, No matter the field of choice, those that get to the top are most times, said to be hard to work with, Jeff beck/Eddie VanHalen,Richie Blackmore. No matter what field, the 100% drive and focus tends to put people off. Very Few learn how to master the balance of it.
Sr. Hid from the media after most races, Jaws(Darrel) has that nickname for a reason, Yarboro had his nickname. A.J.FOYT, Mario,
And there was reasons for it. they become different people went they put on the game face. If they raced when the tv media took and started major coverage of the races, I doubt you'd see them in the same light as most do, as you never saw them in action before they strapped in, or
after they wrecked, or finished a race. when you did it was a rare event.

[Eric]

Cale would slap the snot out her and be done with it. But that would not be politically correct these days.

No, He would not have, He like most MEN would not hit a female.
Clearly you've never been around the man, or you'd have never posted that above.
It wasn't politically correct, or even accepted back then either.
But don't let that get in the way of a pipe dream.

[pdub]

No, He would not have, He like most MEN would not hit a female.
Clearly you've never been around the man, or you'd have never posted that above.
It wasn't politically correct, or even accepted back then either.
But don't let that get in the way of a pipe dream.

Eric, you're carefully avoiding the question - what have YOU done? And where are you on the map? You're dancing, and dancing poorly as well, as much as you seem to know.

[Eric]

Eric, you're carefully avoiding the question - what have YOU done? And where are you on the map? You're dancing, and dancing poorly as well, as much as you seem to know.

What I have done, or driven has no bearing on this.
Let me guess. Unless I list my resume,
My post and opinion on such topics, don't mean a thing?
I'm going to assume this is your mindset as you've brought this up more than once.
Sorry you'll have to assume whatever you want. I'm sticking with my screen name only and no personal info.
That no one needs to know unless I choose to,talk about it.
I'm sorry if that doesn't work for you.
Let me know. And I'll sign out and be gone. asap.
Off now to get a foot long.

[silver_bullet]

Assume what you will.... Some of us like to know about who we are communicating with.... it is a brotherhood of sorts.... we may not always get along... but don't mess with family...

[pdub]

Thank you Patrick. I love you Man.

[Shep48COE]

Well when you write like your 10’ tall and been there, someone might ask. Provenance adds weight/credibility.

[silver_bullet]

Well when you write like your 10’ tall and been there, someone might ask. Provenance adds weight/credibility.

very well stated...

[pdub]

very well stated...

My next step would be to ask, "How's life in Mayberry, James?" Yep, he's back alright.

[cstmwgn]

Well when you write like your 10’ tall and been there, someone might ask. Provenance adds weight/credibility.

That is why I slouch when typing!

[pdub]

That is why I slouch when typing!

But you should sit up straight. You've done more than a whole lot of us put together. Just sayin.'

[RockJustRock]

Being a has been is one thing. Being a never was is something quite different. Particularly when there are a few right damn nows about.