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Doubled up Memorial weekend two-fer depends on the racerPosted: Monday May 26, 2003 2:00 PM
Ah, it's Memorial Day, which means arguments over whether the Indy 500 is still relevant and whether it's a good idea for drivers to try to pull off the Indy/Coca-Cola "Double." In the first matter, I still say yes, but not to the casual sports fan. The man in street just does not care what happens at the Brickyard. The litmus test here is my dad, a (relatively) normal run-of-the-mill sports fan. He certainly knew that Rick Mears and Al Unser were racing at Indy back in the day; now, I'm guessing my old man doesn't have the foggiest idea who won Sunday. As for the second question, I've given it some thought and here's what I've decided: It all depends. There are two things drivers should be trying to do every week: Win and make money. I always felt like a driver shouldn't sacrifice the former for the latter, but now I'm not so sure. Think back a couple of years to when Tony Stewart did it. His protestations notwithstanding, the fact remains that he put the welfare of his NASCAR team on the line to run at Indy. I know he blew up at the writers afterwards, calling us idiots for saying he shouldn't have tried it, but that doesn't change the fact that running at Indy did nothing to improve his chances in Charlotte. And he was a legit championship contender, so in my eyes, that's an unacceptable risk to take. But now think about Robby Gordon. People have been talking about him all week, which means Cingular is getting all kinds of love on screen and in pictures. This is as visible as Gordon gets, and that makes his sponsor happy. He finished 17th, but if he had stayed out of Indy and finished 10th at Charlotte, his sponsors wouldn't be nearly as happy. It's not like he's hamstrung his title hopes, which don't really exist at this point. So for Gordon, the double is a good move, even if it cost him a few spots in Charlotte.
Heath from Birmingham writes: "Do you think it's time teams start looking for better drivers for replacements instead of the next ‘young gun?' Michael Waltrip was on one of the longest winless streaks, out of a ride and facing his career ending when Dale Earnhardt shocked the circuit by placing him as the driver of his No. 15 Chevy, and he won his first race with DEI and has gone on to be a Winston Cup star. I think Hut Stricklin and Mike Wallace are two drivers full of experience and talent waiting on that type of opportunity. I'm tired of the Mears, Sprague and Raines wreck-fest rookies. Not everybody is going to be the next Ryan Newman or Jimmie Johnson. Both of those drivers had incredible equipment and veteran teammates, which again supports my theory RCR should look in that direction." This is an interesting point, one that was touched on very briefly last week when we talked about the Steve Park-Jeff Green swap. What should a team look for in a new driver? My thoughts: If it's the offseason, I tend to disagree with you. With all due respect to Hut Stricklin and Mike Wallace, they aren't going to make sponsors go "Oooh." And, for better or worse, that's the name of the game. It's like Gus Grissom said in The Right Stuff: "No bucks, no Buck Rogers." (I went to a high school named for Grissom, who is a truly great American. Sadly, virtually every line he spoke in The Right Stuff was some variation of, "You're effing-A right, Bubba.") Money makes the cars go 'round, and it's worth it for an owner to take a shot on a young guy. It's more of a risk, but the potential payoff is greater. So if it's the offseason, and you've got time to assemble a good team around a young driver, to find a crew chief who can mesh with the kid, I'd say you've got to look for the young gun. If it's a mid-season situation, then you've got to find the best guy out there, someone who can drive in any situation and not do awfully. The thing is, Heath is right: Put Mike Wallace in a good car and you'll get good results. But with the way the sport is set up and marketed, it just doesn't make sense to put Wallace in the car to begin with. Sad, but true.
Dover is a nifty one-mile track, but guys will be turning laps upwards of 160 miles per. Historically, you've gotta start up front to have a shot (31 of 64 winners have started in the top three), but lately that hasn't been the case. Jimmie Johnson didn't qualify especially well last year, but he swept the track's two races. (The same driver has won both races six times in the last 15 years.) Chevy's on a four-race run, and Fords are just one for the past four years. So who's it gonna be? Johnson is the logical pick; he's hot and history is on his side. Which is why I'm picking Bobby Labonte. Joe Gibbs' cars are good here, Labonte has won at the track recently, and he's on a nice little run.
Mark Bechtel covers NASCAR for Sports Illustrated and SI.com.
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