Haven't we gone far enough with this whole televised press conference thing?I get the whole Junior hysteria -- well, I get it to a point. He's never quite done enough on the track to warrant 98 percent of the sport's attention from fans and media, but he is an Earnhardt, after all, and he does currently drive the Budweiser car.
But a press conference for Indy 500 champ Dario Franchitti today (10:30 a.m., ESPN2) to announce he's going to drive for Chip Ganassi? Must-see TV? Puh-leeze.
Here's the sad truth: In most newspapers across the nation, this will be no more than a footnote, a 2-inch brief stuck in with NHL preaseason news and local bowling results. And that's if it doesn't just end up on a transaction listing somewhere:
NASCAR
Chip Ganassi Racing signs Dario Franchitti to drive No. 40 Dodge in Nextel Cup Series in 2008.
It's been 5 years since Ganassi's equipment was even remotely competitive. In 2002, Sterling Marlin was a legitimate threat to win the Cup in Ganassi's No. 40s, but an injury at Kansas kept him out of the car and thrust Jamie McMurray into the spotlight with a subsequent win at Charlotte.
Watching a replay of NASCAR in Primetime on ESPN Classic last night, there was a segment on Juan Pablo Montoya's move to NASCAR. The episode detailed his heading to Infineon Raceway in search of a win, and had people talking about how this was how Montoya would be judged. If he couldn't win on a road course, they reasoned, he'd likely never make anything of a stock-car career.
Could someone hit the brakes?
If Montoya can't win in a Ganassi ride, it's got nothing at all to do with his skills behind the wheel. He's won everywhere in everything. If Montoya can't win in the No 42s, it's because of inferior equipment, not inferior abilities.
Same holds true for Franchitti.
Last time I checked, Robby Gordon was a pretty darned good little racer. But look what he's doing in 2nd-tier equipment.
6 comments:
The problem is that bringing in guys like Dario Franchitti instead of American short trackers is doing nothing to improve the sport. The argument is "we'll get more international exposure," except this didn't happen with CART or IRL; they declined instead of got better. American fans, the ones who actually count, meanwhile, can't identify with these CART guys because they're not seat-of-the-pants racers, they're engineering conduits, plus they didn't rise up the ranks on local tracks.
I understand why they're bringing in Montoya, Franchitti, etc. - these drivers are the kind that work with engineers where drivers like Jeremy Mayfield are striclt seat-of-the-pants racers unable to adapt. But the fact NASCAR has become an engineering exercise instead of a racing series is a key part of the sport's problem.
This is a good move for NASCAR, which can now show Ashley Judd at the races every week in her husband's gear and maybe some Kentucky blue.
SPEED Channel exists to cover events such as these. In my opinion, they should break into, "Pinks" or "Unique Whips" wich they run ad naseum throughout the day and night. Good for SPEED for keeping the news of the day in the forefront.
The day it does not cover breaking news, SPEED will have deteriorated into MTV: Reality programming with no actual music.
matt_t -- I understand your point about SPEED, but 2 networks (ESPN2 and SPEED) both carried the announcement live.
Isn't that overkill to the Nth degree? For a car that will be lucky to run in the top-20 each week?
Maybe the IRL will seize this oppurtunity to put the young americans where so many believe thay belong, at Indy. With Jaun, Dario, rumors of Wheldon wanting move to NASCAR hopefully those seats will be filled in the IRL with Clauson, Bacon, Swindell, Wise, Stenhouse, and the host of others who are making the climb up the racing ladder.
Here's a question:
What's going to happen to Reed Sorenson? He will be the Casey Mears of the Ganassi organization in 2008. (I say that as Mears will be overshadowed by Earnhardt, Johnson and Gordon at Hendrick.) Reed MUST get his first win in Cup in '08 JUST to become an afterthought at Ganassi.
Win? Definitely can happen.
Chase? Maybe...but God, wouldn't that be a shot in the foot to the commentators that will ignore Reed all season long.
And you know that's what they'll do.
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