62 replies to this topic

[E1pix]

Similar to this controversy:
On another forum I commented that this year,Tony Stewart of NASCAR fame won an All-Star Sprint series race paying $26,000.It happens that Stewart owns that series and occasionally competes in it's races. The standard winners share is $5000 in this working man's dirt oval series.For the multi-millionaire owner to take the largest purse of the year away from his regulars who struggle to get by, I noted was questionable.I also noted that I didn't know what he did with that $26thou.(reditributed? Who knows)
The first comment to my post was:
"must be a Stewart hater".
I didn't bother to reply in order to avoid a "war".

Thankfully we still live in a country where a guy can race a legal car in his own series and still be the best on the day.

The only downside for beating the regulars is if they don't learn to go faster next time, presuming Stewart didn't multi-outspend them.

Then again, the man's pushing 50 so all's fair... :-)

[B Squared]

I didn't bother to reply in order to avoid a "war".

You don't start many around here with 43 posts over a 13-year span. I commend your restraint. Now me on the other hand....

[R.W. Mackenzie]

hifuzzball,

 

I agree that the scenario you describe might justifiably raise some eyebrows. Especially if this happens more than once. Were that the case then the competitors, fans and sponsors might be correct to cry foul. If it happened often enough then clearly they need to go elsewhere to enjoy the sport.

 

But based on this one instance, I would ask several questions:

 

1. Did the other competitors let him win?

 

2. Is there any evidence of cheating or benefiting unfairly that is being overlooked because of his position as owner of the series?

 

3. Is Stewart running equipment that is legal but capable of performance that is beyond what the other competitors can afford?

 

4. What was the reason for offering a prize five times the usual award?

 

5. Why did Stewart choose to compete in this particular event when he isn't a regular entrant?

 

6. Was winning an extra $20,000 worth the potential damage to Stewart's reputation and the continued success of his series?

 

If there is any serious suggestion of impropriety then Stewart would be well advised to stay off the track or risk losing what he has invested in the series.Then there is the the issue of being a big fish swimming in a small pond. His participation may be a draw for spectators but if he dominates every race people will quickly lose interest.

 

I know nothing of the series or of Stewart's motivation so that is all I can offer. Yes, there is potential for impropriety but it would also be potentially self-defeating.

 

It is an interesting parallel to the new arrangement with Penske owning the 500, the Speedway and the series. The biggest difference is that Penske, as an entrant, is a big fish in a big pond. All the teams use the same equipment and are on a similar footing, subject to sponsorship, commitment and talent. There is a great deal at stake here. Anything questionable will be immediately questioned.

 

I would also suggest that if there is any serious suggestion of impropriety in this scenario that Penske stop entering cars in Indycar racing. But that possibility strikes me as extremely unlikely. If it came to that the Indycar series would already be in dire straights.

 

But we ourselves can monitor the situation closely. As I pointed out earlier, Penske's cars have won 35.3% of the Indy 500's since he started racing there in 1969 without owning the race, the track or the series. (Already seems unfair doesn't it!) Don't know what the percentage is for the series but if his percentages suddenly jump up towards 100% we will know that buggery is afoot and we can all take to the streets in protest. 

[Lee Nicolle]

Similar to this controversy:
On another forum I commented that this year,Tony Stewart of NASCAR fame won an All-Star Sprint series race paying $26,000.It happens that Stewart owns that series and occasionally competes in it's races. The standard winners share is $5000 in this working man's dirt oval series.For the multi-millionaire owner to take the largest purse of the year away from his regulars who struggle to get by, I noted was questionable.I also noted that I didn't know what he did with that $26thou.(reditributed? Who knows)
The first comment to my post was:
"must be a Stewart hater".
I didn't bother to reply in order to avoid a "war".

I am not a Stewart fan, and that was ever before the 'accident' 

But as for him racing in a series he owns? So, so have others world wide. As for working mans oval series clearly you have not seen the money spent on Sprintcars. More so in World of Outlaws with the 410s. They may look a bit feral to some but are a very specialised piece of equipment. Not F1 maybe but far more specialised than Nascar by a long shot.

Though as a onetime Sprintcar fan it has got boring, bugger all passing so just a high speed procession between bloody restarts.410 or 360.

My interest was killed with a  15 lap B Main taking over an hour one night. They should have said thats it guys after about the third start,, or about 15 minutes

[Lee Nicolle]

As for Penske, a very smart bloke who has made a LOT of money. 

V8 Stupicars here in Oz seem to think he is a bottomless pit with so much bullshit lobbed at the team in the last month. Or really the last 3 years

And if he leaves and takes his money that will be the end of their pointless series.

Look at any Aussie magazine on line, try Speed Cafe and see the garbage.

And on TV yesterday the race finished with a new champion, DJR Penskes Scott Mclaughlin and it  was not even mentioned as the race finished.

[Ray Bell]

The Bathurst qualifying time taken from him because the valves on five cylinders opened too far?

Only five cylinders? Who would build a race engine with such variation?

I must say, with one cylinder on 0.035" over the 0.710" allowed, it seems very strange.

Would you ever build an engine like that, Lee?

[Michael Ferner]

Race car owners or even drivers promoting races in which they compete is nothing new, in fact it's almost a tradition in US short track racing. Barney Oldfield did it, Ralph de Palma did it. Ted Horn did it, Rex Mays did it. Steve Kinser did it, Sammy Swindell did it. The list is very long, and the sport has generally benefitted. Even the Tony Stewart model of owning the sanctioning club, a race track and a major team is not without precedence, Mark Light in the thirties springs to mind. For every bad example (Alex Sloan being probably the most prominent), dozens of good ones exist. I don't doubt that Roger Penske belongs in the latter category, but whether it will be enough to save a dying industry remains to be seen. I don't hold much hope.

[arttidesco]

I don't hold much hope.

 

Might be time to be a new percolator ;-)

[E1pix]

Dare I say it:

French press

[JacnGille]

Dare I say it:

French press

Yeah, Kuerig's are bad for the planet with all those throw away plastic pods.  

[fbarrett]

Tell you what, I'd much rather see Roger Penske running the Indy track and the Indy Car series than that drug-addled weasel Tony George!

[Ray Bell]

Another friend of Buford's?

Nice to know he still has some support...

[Michael Ferner]

Caffè Crema or Americano for me!