The accusations have again been flying that we Daytona-based journalist are nothing more than puppets for NASCAR. That we report only what they want us to. That we are not objective, blah, blah, blah.
ALMS-slanted emails forwarded by the Bear have been somewhat terse recently. Murphy suggested I answer these in a public forum to prove I am accountable. So here we go:
Q The Grand-Am Series has been on the decline for two seasons now, and real sports car racing fans think the series is a joke. Why do you keep hyping it?
Real sports car fans? All eight of them? Grand-Am is owned by NASCAR now, so now we have 45 million NASCAR fans on our side. Boogity Boogity Boogity!
Q Ask any driver off the record what they think of DPs, and they just laugh. What is so funny? Are they really as bad as they look?
I’ll tell you what’s funny. The look on Dr. P’s face when Ferrari, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Maserati, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Saturn, Mazda, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Subaru, Kia, and Shaw all unveil their DP programs later in the year!
Q Why does NASCAR and the Grand-Am Series ignore the environment and refuse to have their own “Green Challenge?”
Quite frankly, Al Gore and all his tree-hugging wussies are not our ticket buyers. As one of our loyal team owners said: “noisy, smelly low-tech cars are what racing is all about. And besides, you can’t beat that SunTrust interest rate.”
Q The 24 Hours of Daytona has lost its international significance thanks to Grand-Am. Meanwhile Sebring has prospered and attracts far more fans, media, and sponsors. Why did Daytona ruin their sports car race?
I don’t know how y’all measure success, but the last time I checked, there is a Hooters across the street from Daytona International Speedway, and there ain’t one in Sebring!
Q After Daytona, half the teams disappear and the Grand-Am series deteriorates even more, making it an absolutely pathetic series. I don’t see any promoters standing in line for a Grand-Am race!
Are you kidding? There is a waiting list for a Grand-Am date. Darlington, Nelson Ledges, Kansas City, Bristol, Hallet, Talladega, Langhorne, Riverside, and the Brumos parking lot have all applied for Grand-Am dates.
Q The car counts in Grand-Am sucked in 2008. In fact, if you subtract the field-filling Porsche Cup cars, they have always been less than the ALMS. Why is that, AC?
I guess you failed math in high school. Check this formula out:: DP(2) x GT(3) + Laps x .476 = Grand-Am has more cars, idiot. But no matter what the car count, Grand-Am has the quality.
Q NASCAR has no clue how to promote sports car racing. Their solution to everything is to put a NASCAR driver in some of the cars. That is not promoting Grand-Am, that is promoting NASCAR!
I see your point. But between you and me, Wayne Taylor ain’t no Carl Edwards when it comes to name recognition. The Spirit of Daytona Team ain’t no Chip Ganassi Racing either. All the fine folks who watch and worship NASCAR could give a rat’s ass about Max Papis and Alex Gurney. Deal with it. NASCAR knows what they are doing.
Q I know a couple Grand-Am team owners personally and they are very unhappy with Roger E., NASCAR and the entire regime that is running the series.
I am impressed Mr. Insider! Well I know ALL the Grand-Am team owners and they are very happy with the series. It is a relief for them to know that on any given race weekend they won’t be bothered by fans or media. And since the outcome has been pre-determined, there is no pressure to win.
Q I have to laugh at how Grand-Am fans said Audi wins every race, and that the ALMS is so predictable, yet the 2008 ALMS series was incredibly competitive. Meanwhile in Grand-Am, Ganassi wins just about every race, most of which were very boring.
Thanks for confirming there are Grand-Am fans (I have actually seen one at a race). Anyway, your Nicotine patch apparently is clouding your thought process. Grand-Am is ALWAYS very exciting. Why do you think they invented the yellow flag for invisible debris?
Q Why do you always defend the Daytona Speedway Security Department? Daytona is notorious for its unfriendly retiree rent-a-cops and total lack of interest in its sports car racing event. It is absolutely the worst venue for sports cars.
I have forwarded your name to the DIS Security Department for a “warm welcome” next time you visit. To answer your question, DIS treats VIPs like me just fine. As Mrs. Helmsley once said, “only the little people pay taxes.”
Q Is it true NASCAR pressures manufacturers and teams not to compete in the ALMS? If it is true, it shows what a ruthless, unethical company they are and how little they really care about the sport in general.
Lets just all hold hands and sing the theme song from Lion King. And then we will have a group hug… come on you ALMS wussies. Rumors like that make my Budweiser-thinned blood really boil. NASCAR does not need to do that because THE REMAINDER OF THIS RESPONSE HAS BEEN DELETED BY THE ISC LEGAL DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
Q I have never seen such a sorry excuse for a road racing series. Grand-Am is strictly for a small group of competitors and has no relevance, technology, fan appeal, manufacturer interest or purpose. Why go on?
Scott, is that you? Well, whoever asked this question, Grand-Am will go on because Brian and Lesa said so. That is better than a blessing from the Pope as far as I am concerned.
Q Why don’t you ever go to Sebring or Road Atlanta?
I guess you didn’t read my last column, did you?
Q With a dwindling entry, bad economy, layoffs at ISC, and a serious lack of fan interest, how does the Grand-Am survive?
Deep pockets.
AC
You really do not know anything about the racing world, do you. Your answer is to insult anyone that makes a comment against your beloved NASCAR and anything they do. FYI NASCAR knows NASCAR and nothing else. They do not know anything about real auto racing. Like calling WWE wrestling a sport, it is just entertainment and nothing else.
Since NASCAR has owned Grand Am for many years now, can you explain to me why there are no fans in the stands at the Daytona 24 hrs. race, let alone the rest of the season. ALMS gets 30 to 40,000 fans on a regular basis and their big races attract in excess of 70,000, Never seen that many at a whole season of Grand Am! With 45 million fans you would think they might get 5000 to come out for a race, but that has not happened yet. Not even with NASCAR superstars in the cars. Maybe that is because a NASCAR fan is not interested in real sports car racing and not even a fan of real auto racing. They are there for the entertainment, nothing else!
Your comments here just prove you are a total NASCAR puppet. Really …. Ferrari, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Maserati, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Chrysler, Saturn, Mazda, Audi, BMW, Porsche, Subaru, Kia in DP? and Shaw that must be rickshaw ….. you are the one that’s full of blah, blah, blah. And not that you will ever respond to this one, you don’t have the answers or the b … ls.
AC read your comment and sent this along:
Dear WhoYouKidding:
In the spirit of the coming holiday season, let me remind you of the Three Wise Men from the east, who brought baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and NASCAR diecast toys. You see, my friend, NASCAR permeates our society, our very fabric. Our morals, traditions and choice of beer and smokeless tobacco are all dictated by NASCAR. Brian, Jim and Roger know what is best for you. They know that Grand-Am will prevail, because they can out-spend everyone and because they have never been wrong. You may want to refer to my column titled “A Marriage Made in Hell,” where I explain exactly why NASCAR is the best thing that could ever happen to road racing. In fact, NASCAR should run our school system, our prisons, and the DMV. The world would be a better place.
A famous sports car racing driver from Jacksonville once told me that if it wasn’t for NASCAR, he would probably be selling used Porsches, or God forbid, busing tables at Chateau Elan. Instead, he has a shiny Rolex and Brian’s cell phone number. NASCAR will take care of you my friend. Just do what they say. The Wise Men know.
AC
Hey WhoYouKidding,
You bring up some interesting points. First, I think the ALMS gets FAR more than 30 or 40k at their races typically. Second, NASCAR fans who are there for the racing (i.e. the ones from the southeast) are there for good honest racing. That is why you see a ton of NASCAR fans at Sebring, Road Atlanta and Mosport. Now, why you don’t see “5000″ show up to a Grand-Am event is because Grand-Am isn’t good honest racing. Why are the NASCAR fans who are fans of good honest racing still NASCAR fans? It still has that good ol’ boy southeast appeal and most of them are there to watch the Trucks anyway which put on the best show of the weekend!
m.piedgros