Except Randy is set up in the other camp pointing his finger.
WHOOOA!
I'm not set up in anyone's camp.
I have a perspective from my point of view like everyone else, but I don't think either party is right. I did say TP should have kept his mouth shut, but I still want a witness to verify the "cripple" comment. Force already backpeddled on some of his other "heat of the moment" comments.
Here's what I think.
"It's the Countdown, stupid." I think it hurts sponsored teams to have to make the call on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, to their sponsors letting them know they are out of the top 10 even though there are 6 races to go. And, as we saw last year, if your car isn't in the top 10, Paul Page will make it known on national TV every time you prestage your car...as if you are in the way of the real contenders.
The ESPN2 guys drove the anger. You stick a mic in someone's face after an obvious tripple gaynor off the high dive and the guy says so-and-so "cheats." Two seconds later, the other guy on the broadcast team 3/4 of a mile away sticks a mic in the face of the guy who just ran and says "Blowhard says you cheat...whadya think of that?" Inciting a riot comes to mind. I bet everyone checks their comments at the door from now on (as they should). Only give the TV guys information you would share with your mom from now on.
Then, as a racer, I think about Cruz's situation. What would it be like to approach 4 rounds of eliminations, looking at a ladder than has up to 5 race teams all pulling for one guy to make the top 10...and it ain't you. It's been mentioned that it appeared more than one team did the swan dive off the 50 meter board that day.
I relate this back to 1999 when we won the NHRA Division 7 TA/FC Championship (shameless plug). What would it have been like to race Frank Manzo's hypothetical 4 car team everywhere we went to try to pull it off? Chances are we would have had to race one of his cars 3-4 times every weekend. As it was we only did it by sneaking around the North American Continent to places like Mission, BC, Canada and Noble, Oklahoma to win or go rounds to clinch it.
I feel their frustration, but the actions we saw last weekend were completely uncalled for. NHRA can't rerack the race because there is no "proof" any schenanigans were pulled. And there would have to be 100% proof, because the lawyers would most certainly be involved if the race was overturned.
Sad day for JFR, TP, CP, NHRA and ESPN2. Great day for the ratings, I suppose, and for the internet junkies on forums like this.
RG