Retire already (NASCAR)

[89Hen]

8 races into the season and the following drivers have started all 8 races and have yet to post a top 10...

Sterling Marlin (49)
Ricky Rudd (50)
Kyle Petty (46)
Dale Jarrett (50)
Dave Blaney (44)
Ken Schrader (51) (7 starts)

Guys, let's get some youngers guys out there. Your day in the sun is long gone. xnonono2x

[BigApp]

8 races into the season and the following drivers have started all 8 races and have yet to post a top 10...

Sterling Marlin (49)
Ricky Rudd (50)
Kyle Petty (46)
Dale Jarrett (50)
Dave Blaney (44)
Ken Schrader (51) (7 starts)

Guys, let's get some youngers guys out there. Your day in the sun is long gone. xnonono2x


what about Mark Martin??

[proasu89]

what about Mark Martin??
Mark's still got gamexthumbsupx

[89Hen]

Mark's still got gamexthumbsupx
What he said. I don't like MM, but he certainly can still bring it.

[OL FU]

This is obviously the thread that started all the retirement crap.

The posters read RETIRE ALREADY and skipped the Nascar partxconfusedx

[89Hen]

This is obviously the thread that started all the retirement crap.

The posters read RETIRE ALREADY and skipped the Nascar partxconfusedx
You know, you're pretty old and I'm not sure you've had a top 10 finish this year either. xeyebrowx

[Marcus Garvey]

I'm glad you put "NASCAR" in the thread title. Otherwise, I'd have assumed you were referring to Brett Favre!

[89Hen]

I'm glad you put "NASCAR" in the thread title. Otherwise, I'd have assumed you were referring to Brett Favre!
We could start a whole new thread on other sports. I heard yesterday that Scott Mellanby (NHL) was retiring... my first thought was "I didn't know he was still playing".

[Marcus Garvey]

We could start a whole new thread on other sports. I heard yesterday that Scott Mellanby (NHL) was retiring... my first thought was "I didn't know he was still playing".

Can you believe Chris Chelios is still playing? I don't watch hockey anymore and was surprised to learn that. What is he, like 45 years old? I've hated the mofo since he leveled Brian Propp in the playoffs, leaving Propp lying in a pool of his own blood (no seriously, that's what happened). That was in 1989 for chrssakes! I was in 9th f'ing grade! And Chelios is still playing!

[Hansel]

has Kyle Petty ever done anything?

[poly51]

has Kyle Petty ever done anything?

Kyle Petty has won 8 Cup races and is a super guy. He has probably done more for charity than most drivers. Maybe more than most combined. Also he and his father have the 2nd most wins of any father and son in Cup history.

[Cobblestone]

has Kyle Petty ever done anything?

He's done a great deal for kids with medical problems. He certainly has not lived up to his father's legend as a driver but then again most racing sons don't.

[proasu89]

He's done a great deal for kids with medical problems. He certainly has not lived up to his father's legend as a driver but then again most racing sons don't.

It's not just limited to racing. Can you imagine the pressure put on Jack Nicklaus' sons to fill his shoes? Michael Jordan's sons? How about if Tiger has a boy? Back to Kyle, he and wife Patti are doing amazing work for kids with their Victory Junction Gang Camp. A lot of their work for kids has been spurred on by the loss of their son Adam.xpeacex

[ucdtim17]

I agree. nascar should retire

[89Hen]

has Kyle Petty ever done anything?
As a driver, no. Considering the name could get him pretty much anything he wanted, he's done nothing in a car, 8 wins or not. May be a nice guy, but he should have gone into owning/managing and left the driving to somebody else.

[89Hen]

most racing sons don't.
Not really a fair statement IMO. Sons of racing giants rarely do, but that's because their fathers were giants and few live up to that, son or not. There have been many sons who outperformed their fathers on the track in racing sports. Don't forget that Richard eclipsed his father Lee's stats. Lee was considered a superstar and one of the pioneers of NASCAR, but Richard will always be the King. xnodx

[Marcus Garvey]

I agree. nascar should retire

I've tried to like NASCAR, I really have. I like cars. I like working on cars. I just can't get excited watching cars drive around a track.

Now, I don't buy into the whole "All NASCAR fans are rednecks" line of thinking that so many "elitist" sportwriters spout. But, there's one more reason why I can't get into the sport:
The Dale Earnhardt Cult of Personality.

Good lord, grown men crying when he died? Sterling Marlin receiving death threats? Holy Christ! How can I get into a sport like that? Marlin didn't do anying Dale wouldn't have. It was bad luck that the wreck occured in such a way to cause a death. I realize the idiots making the threats were a small minority of NASCAR fans, but still... xsmhx

[89Hen]

Sterling Marlin receiving death threats? Holy Christ! How can I get into a sport like that? Marlin didn't do anying Dale wouldn't have.
Totally unrelated, but anyone catch Dan Patrick's show yesterday (I think it was Patrick)? He was talking about the Pakistan cricket coach who was found dead in his hotel room after the team lost to Ireland. First thought a heart attack, then they decided it seems like foul play. xeyebrowx

[Cobblestone]

Not really a fair statement IMO. Sons of racing giants rarely do, but that's because their fathers were giants and few live up to that, son or not. There have been many sons who outperformed their fathers on the track in racing sports. Don't forget that Richard eclipsed his father Lee's stats. Lee was considered a superstar and one of the pioneers of NASCAR, but Richard will always be the King. xnodx

fair enough.
xthumbsupx

[Cobblestone]

Totally unrelated, but anyone catch Dan Patrick's show yesterday (I think it was Patrick)? He was talking about the Pakistan cricket coach who was found dead in his hotel room after the team lost to Ireland. First thought a heart attack, then they decided it seems like foul play. xeyebrowx

Along those lines remember what Saddam's candyass son Qusai would do to Iraqi olympians who did not bring home a medal?

[Cobblestone]

I've tried to like NASCAR, I really have. I like cars. I like working on cars. I just can't get excited watching cars drive around a track.

Now, I don't buy into the whole "All NASCAR fans are rednecks" line of thinking that so many "elitist" sportwriters spout. But, there's one more reason why I can't get into the sport:
The Dale Earnhardt Cult of Personality.

Good lord, grown men crying when he died? Sterling Marlin receiving death threats? Holy Christ! How can I get into a sport like that? Marlin didn't do anying Dale wouldn't have. It was bad luck that the wreck occured in such a way to cause a death. I realize the idiots making the threats were a small minority of NASCAR fans, but still... xsmhx

TV doesn't do it much justice. The sport is much, much better in person. If you think college football tailgates are good try a NASCAR version of it. But I can understand where you're coming from Marcus, I'm a fan and even I can take just so much of it on TV. Personally, I enjoy local track racing much better. Smaller tracks, quicker races and inexpensive ticket prices are what keeps me going to the local tracks instead of the big time TV production races.

[Marcus Garvey]

TV doesn't do it much justice.

Amen. What cracks me up is NASCAR on the radio. Only 2 sports work well on radio, football and baseball. That's due to the long pauses between bursts of action. Basketball and hockey are terrible on the radio.

[asulax9]

I, too, don't follow NASCAR much any longer since my favorite (Bill Elliott) doesn't show up much. And, to keep it on topic, I wish he'd retire completely. But to me, NASCAR is too sterile for me to really get into it these days. I liked the antagonists, the heroes, the villains, fights in the pits, fights on the track, bad blood, the whole lot. Now, they're just making laps to advertise a sponsor and trying to avoid a fine. Eh, I'll just watch UFC or something.

[Cobblestone]

I, too, don't follow NASCAR much any longer since my favorite (Bill Elliott) doesn't show up much. And, to keep it on topic, I wish he'd retire completely. But to me, NASCAR is too sterile for me to really get into it these days. I liked the antagonists, the heroes, the villains, fights in the pits, fights on the track, bad blood, the whole lot. Now, they're just making laps to advertise a sponsor and trying to avoid a fine. Eh, I'll just watch UFC or something.

Which is what you will find at local tracks. Chalk up another reason why I support local racing.


Plenty of good local track action down south.

[UNHWildCats]

8 races into the season and the following drivers have started all 8 races and have yet to post a top 10...

Sterling Marlin (49)
Ricky Rudd (50)
Kyle Petty (46)
Dale Jarrett (50)
Dave Blaney (44)
Ken Schrader (51) (7 starts)

Guys, let's get some youngers guys out there. Your day in the sun is long gone. xnonono2x

Not one of them should still be racing.

[poly51]

Not one of them should still be racing.

Nascar makes it profitable for them to run. Besides us older guys need somebody to root for. Go Kyle.

Standings and Winnings:

Carl Edwards 8th place overall. $972,983.
Sterling Marlin 31st $893,367.
Ricky Rudd 32nd $1,060,050.
Kyle Petty 34th $879,551.

Not winning still pays pretty well.

[UNHWildCats]

Points finishes of Note

1985: 9
1986: 10
1987: 7
1992: 5
1993: 5

Not exactly his dad or grandfather but still a better career then a lot of other drivers can hold claim to

[HiHiYikas]

TV doesn't do it much justice. The sport is much, much better in person. If you think college football tailgates are good try a NASCAR version of it. But I can understand where you're coming from Marcus, I'm a fan and even I can take just so much of it on TV. Personally, I enjoy local track racing much better. Smaller tracks, quicker races and inexpensive ticket prices are what keeps me going to the local tracks instead of the big time TV production races.
I've been to several races, local (in Western NC) and Cup Series NASCAR races. I got really tired of the in-person experience. The noise. The poor sight lines. The heat. The parking spaces 2 or 3 miles from the track. The traffic. The unbelievably expensive tickets and merchandise.

Local tracks are a wonderful exception, though. A local track in my hometown has BoJangles' Chicken at non-marked up fast-food prices, and all-you-can-drink sweet tea. That's a pretty much unheard-of deal at a sporting venue. Plus, the racing is good.

My days as a Nascar fan ended when Jimmy Johnson incurred repeated fines for knocking Coca-Cola bottles off the hood of his Pepsi car. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but the Coke-vs.-Pepsi incident alerted me to the fact that NASCAR is the world's biggest consumerism festival - it's a general merchandise trade show where there just happens to be some driving going on.

It's really hard to enjoy that.