Somehow I feel like this offseason has made me love NASCAR more than I did last year, I just ordered the new video game for christ sake. I personally have just missed it being in my life way more than I expected to. As careful as the drivers raced in the Budweiser Duels last night, I still thoroughly enjoyed the precision, timing and competition amongst other things. Of course I enjoyed the wreck at the end as well, I’m a bit of a redneck, I’m currently listening to “The Boys Round Here” by Blake Shelton with a dip in, I love this shit. As far as this rendition goes, I’d like to say goodbye to some partnerships that are either certainly ending or are likely to end the Monday after the Sprint Cup Championship is lifted once again.

Maybe I should have said goodbye to the qualifying and Chase formats also but eff it, it’s too late now. First I want to say goodbye and don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out to ESPN and TNT’s coverage of NASCAR. Once this season concludes we will all live in a better NASCAR world. While I can’t sit here and tell you NBC will do a great job in NASCAR, but it certainly seems like they want to and that’s all that matters if the person at the helm has a brain. Regardless, NBC can’t be any worse than ESPN or TNT. Unfortunately the fact that both of these losers are leaving the sport will make for extra shitty coverage of the sport in 2014.

TNT has only carried about 10 races yet they seem to find a way to miss every caution with a commercial break. Do they interrupt said commercial break or use some sort of side by side view of the race? No of course not. You just get to see the latest ripped Old Spice guy or some creepy AXE body spray ad only to finally come back to the track and see the cars entering pit road under caution.

 

On the other hand ESPN, has the same problem but arguably worse. First, I’d like to give them at least some credit for the production and quality. The announcers are good, the pit road interviews are good, and the quality of the picture is good. The problem lies in that they don’t give a flying fuck about NASCAR. ESPN only cares about the way it looks and sounds to save face, but as far as NASCAR goes, they don’t pay attention, they don’t enjoy it, and they don’t really make money off of it. They make money off of Lebron and not so much Junior. SportsCenter covers it like I envision they would the AHL. Yes they use side by side, but only after halfway through races but only during The Chase and only because a sponsor pays for it.

The point is these two networks have aired NASCAR because they have nothing better to air. Next year during their slotted NASCAR times I’m sure TNT will be airing reruns of one of their nonsense TV shows that nobody actually watches while ESPN will be airing pro bowling. Good luck assholes, nobody enjoyed your time in NASCAR, so I hope you are happy with your extended commercial breaks and I don’t give a fuck attitude this year, it will just make us all hate the two of you even more. ...at least TNT has Charles Barkley to fall back on. I’m not sure what ESPN is offering us that we can’t get elsewhere at this point, unless you are a gigantic pro bowling fan…

As far as the certain goodbyes go, I can’t wait until those two television networks are out of NASCAR completely even if it means a NASCAR free SportsCenter, their loss. As far as the next few potential goodbyes, I can’t say I am happy but I also don’t think it will impact my viewing of this sport but it will affect potential rooting/betting interests so it’s worth covering…

Steve Letarte

How good can you feel if you are Rick Hendrick? The crew chief of NASCAR’s most popular driver has chosen to join NBC’s coverage of NASCAR in place of being Jr’s crew chief in 2015. Not to forget that Junior apparently wants absolutely no part of helping in the selection of his next crew chief. As the owner of the biggest/most successful racing team on the planet you should be used to having people want to work for you. In this instance he has not one but at least two employees that want no part of helping his #88 team become more successful in the future.

A crew chief’s importance can range anywhere from Darian Grubb with Tony Stewart in 2011 to Chad Knaus with Jimmie Johnson from 2002-present. Meaning a crew chief can either stand in the way of a driver or can create a legend. That being said, Dale Jr. either doesn’t care for NASCAR at this point, or is an idiot. He clearly could benefit from a great crew chief, therefore his disinterest in his next crew chief is insane.

Jamie Mac

Marcos Ambrose

These two, like the next two, are in a contract year. Their jobs might just in fact be in jeopardy, but they both can find ways to front in a few races every single year. Marcos is obviously best at the road courses, but he always finds himself in the hunt for a couple of other races every single year, mostly short tracks. Regardless, he is one hell of a race car driver, and I would be thrilled to have the money it takes to sponsor a team led by Marcos Ambrose.

The same could be said for Jamie Mac. Jamie probably excels most at the restrictor plate races, but there are always a handful of races he is contending to win. While I like Jamie and think he is a good driver, it seems like just when you want to forget about him from a fantasy/betting standpoint, he seems to ride well. Personally I like Jamie Mac and root for him to succeed even if he might me think of chick I used to hook up with, since they’re from the same city and might even have the same first name. Regardless, he seems like a good guy that loves racing and I love those kinds of drivers.

But despite Jamie Mac’s semi success he is in contract year. I’d like to think he could find a job in the Cup series no matter what, but you never know. I know I would also be proud to have him in a NotBS car.

Carl Edwards

Greg Biffle

Here are the two most coveted free agents in NASCAR for 2015. Both of these guys are threats to win at every single track and both have proven they can be competitive when it matters. However there has been a shadow cast over these guys the size of Matt Kenseth. The majority of the times a driver doesn’t compete for a championship when they change teams in the way Kenseth did. However any team would be lucky to grab ahold of either of these two fellas that have competed for championships. Either could resign with Roush-Fenway but the way Matt Kenseth performed in 2013 might be enough to persuade both of these guys to look for greener pastures.

mlz

Friday, February 21, 2014