Danica and "the Call?"

[38P]

"We all know how popular she is and what this will do for our sport . . . I've always been a believer in what's good for the sport is good for all of us."

-- Jeff Gordon

In case you missed it, the pole-sitter for the WWE-on-Wheels' 500-mile, follow-the-leader commercial fest, a/k/a the Daytona 500, is Danica Patrick's Chevrolet S[chutz-]S[taffel] . . . .

NASCAR, of course, is in the middle of a big ratings slump . . . plenty of empty seats at Saturday Night's sleep-inducing "Sprint Open" . . . . They're in desperate need for a ticket-boosting story line.

Cue the female Earnhardt Jr. -- Danica Patrick

So is Patrick pulling out a demon qualifying lap a coincidence? Or are some restrictor plates just a tad more "equal" than others? Did Danica get "the call?"

(If you've been living homeless under a bridge for the past five or six decades or otherwise know nothing about America's "premier" know-nothing, "not-remotely-stock" car racing series, here's a primer on "the call" in NASCAR: http://nascarfans.wetpaint.com/page/...re%3A+The+Call )

[studemax]

I always thought "the call" was just for the wins, but I could be wrong.
But, why not? Dale Earnhardt's only win at Daytona came because he got "the call".

[Chassisman]

I find it interesting that this Danica stuff is front burner....yet Courtney Force qualifies number#1....stomps the boys.....and in the finals lays down low ET of the meet....and dead silence in the media.....obviously NHRA needs a better media machine generating hype.

[Barry Donovan]

of course that happens.

you got 100 pawns no kings, and nothing inbetween worth remembering.

within, I could guess the stress. A bit like military. Rank happens..better be a good decision though.

the women stuff...ok.
the day they agitate my homophobia.. gimme one prayer.

[38P]

I find it interesting that this Danica stuff is front burner....yet Courtney Force qualifies number#1....stomps the boys.....and in the finals lays down low ET of the meet....and dead silence in the media.....obviously NHRA needs a better media machine generating hype.

Or perhaps a better "product" for television. 1,000-foot floppers still don't translate well to the boob-tube.

[38P]

Daytona double entendre without comment . . .

''Everything that we do is to make sure that we do whatever we can to be on the pole,'' [Danica ]Patrick said. ''That is what we all are shooting for.''

[38P]

I always thought "the call" was just for the wins, but I could be wrong.
But, why not? Dale Earnhardt's only win at Daytona came because he got "the call".

I stoke up a little blaze and then Studemax splashes it with a whole can 'o Sunoco . . . .

[Remember, when discussing NA$CAR, you simply cannot refer to anything by its generic name]

[Dignlif]

I find it interesting that this Danica stuff is front burner....yet Courtney Force qualifies number#1....stomps the boys.....and in the finals lays down low ET of the meet....and dead silence in the media.....obviously NHRA needs a better media machine generating hype.

agree!!

Interesting read on "The Call", I had not heard of it so I guess I've been living in a van, down by the river. I do like a good conspiracy theory...especially when it's easily believable like this one.

[Thumpin455]

How interesting can it be to watch the same car with different stickers going around in circles and rarely passing? I would surmise they gave her the pole to increase ratings, not that it will help anything. The days of it being interesting are over.

[Chassisman]

How interesting can it be to watch the same car with different stickers going around in circles and rarely passing? I would surmise they gave her the pole to increase ratings, not that it will help anything. The days of it being interesting are over.

The only reason they run restrictor plates is to keep them grouped up so when the wreck does happen its spectacular. ......dont let the NASCAR brass fool you....they love the carnage.....how bored would spectaors be if nothing happened flag to flag....
NHRA fans on the other hand thrill over low ET and big mph.....and love a good holeshot win....

[Ron Ward]

The only reason they run restrictor plates is to keep them grouped up so when the wreck does happen its spectacular. ......dont let the NASCAR brass fool you....they love the carnage.....how bored would spectaors be if nothing happened flag to flag....
NHRA fans on the other hand thrill over low ET and big mph.....and love a good holeshot win....

... and the smell of nitro.

[JeffMcKC]

The only reason they run restrictor plates is to keep them grouped up so when the wreck does happen its spectacular. ......dont let the NASCAR brass fool you....they love the carnage.....how bored would spectaors be if nothing happened flag to flag....
NHRA fans on the other hand thrill over low ET and big mph.....and love a good holeshot win....

I have been sayin for years its the only way they can get all those sponcers on the TV at the same time.

But if you think she was the given, thats a little far fetched, there is no way every team does not time everyones laps and to much sponcer money is lost by not being on the Pole for that to go on.

[Chassisman]

I have been sayin for years its the only way they can get all those sponcers on the TV at the same time.

But if you think she was the given, thats a little far fetched, there is no way every team does not time everyones laps and to much sponcer money is lost by not being on the Pole for that to go on.

Think about this......non NASCAR fans are watching the evening news...the sports highlights of the night dont show the checkered flag in slow motion....they show the huge pile ups...repeatedly....sponsors actually get triple the exposure when their cars are involved in massive pile ups....go on youtube and look for nascar finishes....then look up wrecks.....compare the views....
Also marketing people will tell you exposure is key...good or bad....and all of those cars packed in a group expose a lot of cars on a TV screen.....it all sounds nutty but its very well likely they have studied the effects of crashes in marketing....

[Scott Liggett]

The only reason they run restrictor plates is to keep them grouped up so when the wreck does happen its spectacular. ......dont let the NASCAR brass fool you....they love the carnage.....how bored would spectaors be if nothing happened flag to flag....
NHRA fans on the other hand thrill over low ET and big mph.....and love a good holeshot win....

Nascar fans love a good wreck as long as no one gets hurt. Nascar gives them want they want. People seem to forget the days of Petty/Pearson were practically the only ones on the lead lap at the end of race. The race gets really boring when there is only four cars on the lead lap half way through the race. And, it's the same four guys every week. And, people call that time the golden age of Nascar. Look at current back lash towards Jimmy Johnson winning five championships in a row. Current fans were thrilled when he didn't win the championship the last two years.

[DanStokes]

Not saying that Danica isn't hoped to do well by the NASCAR bigwigs but give her credit - she's a hell of a driver. Even IF she got a boost somewhere in the HP department she kept it on the track and ran the number. I couldn't do that and I doubt anyone on this forum could either. Not even our track Guru, Peewee.

Dan