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A NASCAR BLOG BY Art Weinstein
Kansas, math problems and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Random thoughts heading into the race weekend at Kansas Speedway:
• Some critics wonder why Kansas Speedway hosts a race in the Chase For The Sprint Cup. Let me count the reasons, in no particular order:
1. It’s a first-class facility, with good fan amenities, including exceptional traffic flow in and out of the track. Plus, it’s a city that fans, competitors and sponsors enjoy visiting, with plenty of entertainment, dining and lodging options. Anyone who has complained about spending $175 per night (with a four-night minimum) to stay in some fleabag hotel 40 miles from Talladega Superspeedway would be happy to know they can find first-class lodging 15 miles or so from Kansas Speedway for a fraction of that price – with no minimum stay and no advance reservations.
2. Kansas City is an important market for NASCAR. By holding a playoff race there, NASCAR continues to show it has moved beyond its traditional Southeastern U.S. base. I’m intrigued by the thought of Darlington one day hosting a Chase race, as some fans suggest. Other fans think Bristol Motor Speedway should be among the Chase tracks, but I’m not sold on that, simply because I like that race where it is on the schedule.
3. The Kansas race draws fans from throughout the Midwest, where many of the sport’s stars past and present (Mark Martin, Rusty Wallace, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, etc.) cut their racing teeth. Yes, NASCAR was born in the Southeast, in the foothills of the Appalachians and on the beach at Daytona, but there are many, many hard-core fans in the Midwest, too.
• Every so often, some newspaper or education agency will report on how American students are falling behind their counterparts in other countries in the study of math. I would guess some of these mathematically challenged school kids grow up to be motorsports reporters, many of whom are now claiming that any driver more than 100 points behind the leader after only two of 10 Chase races probably won’t win. In truth, that margin can disappear in one pit stop. This Chase is still mathematically wide open.
• In case you missed it, Charlotte Observer sports columnist Tom Sorensen had a great line in his Sept. 26 column. Writing about the Carolina Panthers’ prospects of winning their football game last Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys, he managed to trash not one, but two sports icons in his lead: “The Dallas Cowboys remind me of a mannequin in a store window or Dale Earnhardt Jr. in his Chevrolet. They look good. But they don't do anything.”
Not saying I agree with Sorensen on the Earnhardt Jr. analogy, but you have to give the guy points for stating a strong opinion, with some humor thrown in. As it turned out, the Cowboys proved Sorensen wrong last Monday, thrashing the Panthers. Maybe Earnhardt Jr. can do the same.
Art Weinstein
Managing Editor Art Weinstein has been covering NASCAR since 1995 and has worked at NASCAR Scene for 11 years.
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Comments
9 responses to "Kansas, math problems and Dale Earnhardt Jr.". Post a Comment.
sundaemunny said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 4:16 PMI notice that none of your reasons for watching the race in Kansas have anything to do with good close competition. But, when they get their second date because ISC is building a gambling casino, that makes it better, right?
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» Confirm Abuse Reporttimmytoad1 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 5:24 PMJr barely lost the pole. Lookout for Jr's on Sunday they must have gave him a new car for a change, hope this Tom Sorrenson fellow eats his words for breakfast!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportsweetthings88 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 5:38 PM#2 So true.I thought he had a great shot at the pole. But oh well we'll take the second spot.Good luck Dale Jr. and team #88 in Kansas. I just hope he gets the lead and don't look back.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgroveroak said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 10:00 PMYou should give Mr. Sorrensons address or phone number out so his fans could visit and thank him for the good job he does? NOT!!!!!!!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 10:06 PMGreat article! You forgot to mention Dorothy and Toto!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgwen_susie388 said:
Oct 2, 2009 at 10:23 PMI had rather Earnhardt win the race over the Pole! I hope Jr. proves him wrong too! Tenn. coach made some comments about how they were going to sing Rocky Top all night long and they got the pants beat off of them! Just like when Tubbytoes came running onto the football field holding up seven fingers meaning they were going to beat Bama for the 7th straight year. As it ended up, the seven fingers showed now many games they lost that year. lol
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkcysr said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 11:48 AMI have no problem with Kansas hosting a race but they should never be allowed to have 2. The race track itself does not allow great racing and it has low attendance it only has 80,000 seats and brings in about 15,000 to the infield so it is below the average attendance. Everyone complains that if a track does not sellout it should lose a date but the other tracks that have empty seats like Dover , Atlanta , Charlotte still bring in more fans than Kansas ever will.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportrazldazl1 said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 11:54 AMTom who ?? another "well known" nobody..If he hadn't mentioned Dale Jr, no one would have paid any attention to what he said/wrote..
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» Confirm Abuse Reportmelanschool said:
Oct 3, 2009 at 6:14 PMI did not see anything of merit writing Junior in the headline of this article.
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