As the 2017 Season Draws to a Close
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I bid
you welcome gentle readers, and as always a warm and cordial “Hi there” to our
assigned reader from NASCAR today. So… what’s new in the racing world this
week? When you look around, the answer is “Not much!” NASCAR has but two races
left in 2017. IndyCar’s short season ended weeks ago.
Formula 1 has a single race left after this week, ARCA is done for the year and
NHRA winds it up at Pomona this week to end their season.
As soon
as all that is done, it will be Thanksgiving and a month later, Christmas,
though decorations and music relating to the latter have been in stores since
before Halloween. Can you say “Overkill?” Then it’s New Year’s Eve and Day, and
then… then comes J-a-n-u-a-r-y… the only month on the calendar with 90 days, or
so it seems if you’re a race fan.
Keeping
that aspect in the forefront, it makes me appreciate these last two races a bit
more than most of the rest. The Martinsville race was probably the best race of
the year, and had the possibility of giving this year a storybook ending, but
that was snatched away on the front bumper of the #11. I gave up attending
movies many years ago because someone decreed that they should all ended badly.
I’m a dreamer that always wants to hear, “And they lived happily ever after.”
Then we
had Texas, where the best thing I can say is that I was happy when it ended. Of
course, I’m a bit puzzled as to where Happy Harvick found the horsepower to
motor past Martin Truex Jr., the Master of the Mile-and-a-half tracks. I was
quite confident that Kevin would make the “Show”, but thought it would be at
Phoenix this week. Now we are all expected to be on the edge of our seats and
breathing rapidly as the suspense builds as to who will accompany Kyle and
Kevin to the Combat Arena Supreme known as Homestead-Miami. Count me out!
C’mon!
Is anyone out there excited in the least by any of the contrived, controlled
and manufactured bunch of BS we now are to call “Playoffs” because “Chase”
didn’t work out so well? Nothing changed… but Brian’s mind. Those super brainy
folks that test words for response told him that folks related better to Playoffs
than Chase in a test sampling. Seriously, that’s the way it’s done… and our
dictionary is to change, by decree! Looking back, I’d say the Lady in Black
nailed it in 2004 when she started calling it “The Chase for No Sponsorship!”
Funny,
I never thought I could be looking forward to Phoenix, but I am; the reason
being that it’s NOT a 1.5-mile track. Homestead of course, is, and the fact
that they call it graduated banking doesn’t save it from being as boring as
watching grass grow, paint dry or cement harden. I guess by mid-to-late-November,
the one thing it has going for it is that snow is at least very unlikely. Never
say “Never.”
The
2018 schedule was released this week and really makes January look more
inviting. As promised, there will be more “Enhanced” race weekends, another of
Brian’s buzz words. In this case, it seems to drip of sarcasm, as a day has
been taken away and nothing added. It defies logic and shows a lack of
understanding the definition of the word to use it in this instance, but that’s
never stopped NASCAR before. Actually, another buzz word would better describe
the shortened weekends… “Encumbered.”
Being a
denizen of the Eastern Time Zone, the 2:30 starts, which are the earliest on
the new schedule, just mean that I’ll have to fix and eat supper during the
race or dine “Fashionably late”, which is not on the agenda of this soon to be
octogenarian. Who wants to eat supper at bed time? Thanks again Brian!
Your
scribe is not at all sure what this means to us, if anything, but I’m reading
that FOX is in talks, looking to sell a major portion of itself to Disney. Kind
of makes me wonder what took them so long. We’ve had Mickey Mouse running the
“Show” for years now.
The
Texas overnight ratings are out and the 1.6 is UP from last year, which sounds
hopeful until one reads that the race last year had 6 hours of rain delay
before getting the cars on the track. That might have a bearing on why this
year’s ratings were better.
Now
then, something is bothering me… I mean really bothering me! In a sport that
demands parity in all things, it surely does not practice what it preaches!
Please, don’t anyone take this the wrong way. I like BOTH drivers and have no
real favorite, but this is just so lopsided it hurts to watch.
Dale Earnhardt
Jr. is retiring after this season and he’s enjoyed a farewell tour that even
King Richard couldn’t match. He’s been feted and featured at track after track
and received gifts of great value throughout the season. A lot has been made of
the fact that he’s “leaving on his own terms.”
Matt
Kenseth is “stepping away” after this season, but didn’t find that out until
late summer, when he was told he wouldn’t be returning to JGR. No parties, no
fanfare, no farewells and no gifts for Matt. These two came into the Cup series
together and have had parallel careers. Now they are leaving at the same time,
but it’s very different being Matt as opposed to being NASCAR’s “Most Popular
Driver” 15 times or so.
Over
the years, Matt has enjoyed 38 wins to Dale’s 26. Top 5s and 10s… Matt – 180
& 325. Dale – 149 & 259. Matt has 20 poles to Dale’s 15. Oh yes, and
Matt is a past Champion… the last Winston Cup Champion in 2003. Dale never won
a Championship. His best ranking was 3rd in that same 2003 season,
finishing behind Matt and Jimmie Johnson.
So…
NASCAR, where’s the parity when it comes to drivers? All the love that’s being
showered on Junior, but nothing for past Champion Matt? Blame it on the fans; I
know you will… but the fans aren’t throwing the parties and buying the gifts…
the tracks are, and many of them are owned by the same family that runs NASCAR.
The guy running the show has gone out of his way to disparage Matt ever since
he came to power in 2004 when Matt was the reigning Champion. He claimed that
Matt’s Championship was “boring” and used that as an excuse to launch a system
so badly twisted now that if it died, would have to be screwed into the ground
for burial.
Another
factor in this lack of parity comes from team owners. Rick Hendrick has stood
behind Junior and allowed him to make the decisions as to when and how he’d
retire. Joe Gibbs just told Matt his contract would not be renewed, and waited
until the 11th hour to do it. I guess that explains Cousin Carl’s
unexpected departure before this season even got underway. He must have peeked
behind the curtain and saw what was coming.
Time
now for our Classic Country Closeout and I’m sad to tell you that I guess
royalties got in the way of the series, Stars of the 1950s, which we’ve been
enjoying together. Sad, but this one won’t disappoint. If this isn’t the same
show, it’s one heck of a good imitation, and listed stars are Ernest Tubb and
Marty Robbins. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
Be well gentle readers, and remember to keep smiling.
It looks so good on you!
~PattyKay