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The sport needs more character and Susan Wade and Bill Stephens tell it perfectly (1 Viewer)

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PROGRAM ENCOURAGES DRIVERS TO GET REAL WITH EACH OTHER

Excellent Article on Competition Plus by Susan Wade. I agree 100% that the Sport needs more character.

Bill Stephens says he's sick of the top 4 average responses in elimination interviews:

1. "I'm not racing the other guy. I'm racing the track."
2. "I don't know who I'm racing next round and it doesn't really matter."
3. (After an early round-win) "I haven't won anything yet."
4. "That's racin'."

I could not agree more and I posted awhile ago about whether crew chiefs and teams race the track or race the other guy and i think it can only be the other guy. Your not just racing the track, no matter how good you ran, you still have to realize what the other guy has or can run
 
see thats why somebody needs to sponsor me, I'll pump a little fun into it :)
 
IMO driver/owners still provide the majority of 'edgy' personal commentary
we enjoy today....we used to enjoy more.
we've lost some great personalities in the last decade or so too;
eddie h., g. bolger, g. scelzi, d. skuza, g. densham (not quite yet), to name
a few; great folks who weren't/aren't necessarily adversarial but just great fun
in front of a mic.

a good read; thanks bill and susan
 
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Good read. I agree 100%. Love him or hate him, the sport is not the same without Whit Bazemore out there. At least he kept it real and let you know how he felt. Sure, he may have got hit in the kisser a time or two, but he wasn't afraid to speak up. I say bring it. I totally agree as a a former crew member that you have to be ready to slay everyone to get the win. Our acronym (?) on Tony P's car (2001-03) was ROTHASDTT...rip off their heads and (s)hit down their throats. In 2003 we had alot of rounds won before we even got to the starting line because we were so confident that we were gonna win. Everyone showed it...no fear. And a lot of the teams let us beat them. I liked hearing Vandergriffs comments at Indy. That's truly how he felt.
 
Registered member said:
....... Maybe that will get BUBBA to buy a ticket.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Maybe even THIS guy would buy a ticket......


numberthree.jpg
 
i Think you can be a character with fighting each other. What I miss are the colorful names on the cars and the time when each race had it's own identity.
 
Registered member said:
What I miss are the colorful names on the cars and the time when each race had it's own identity.
Click to expand...

I agree...IMHO what drag racing needs even more than driver rivalries is much more individuality of the cars...what we watch on the track is the cars, and at least in the pro categories, the cars are virtually indistinguishable from one another
 
nascar fans do not route for the 'amp/nat. guard' car, they route for junior.
we do not thank the black dragster for introducing rear engine design,
we thank Don Garlits
 
Registered member said:
i Think you can be a character with fighting each other. What I miss are the colorful names on the cars and the time when each race had it's own identity.
Click to expand...
Dean Skuza was a character. Currently, I would say that Terry McMillen is one of the few that stand out.
 
Registered member said:
Good read. I agree 100%. Love him or hate him, the sport is not the same without Whit Bazemore out there. At least he kept it real and let you know how he felt. Sure, he may have got hit in the kisser a time or two, but he wasn't afraid to speak up. I say bring it. I totally agree as a a former crew member that you have to be ready to slay everyone to get the win. Our acronym (?) on Tony P's car (2001-03) was ROTHASDTT...rip off their heads and (s)hit down their throats. In 2003 we had alot of rounds won before we even got to the starting line because we were so confident that we were gonna win. Everyone showed it...no fear. And a lot of the teams let us beat them. I liked hearing Vandergriffs comments at Indy. That's truly how he felt.
Click to expand...

Exactly Vandergriff's comments shocked alot of people and you could tell even the interviewer, but that kinda orginality needs to be back. No more "oh, you beat me, good race and i'll shake your hand, i'm not mad at all" and more "next time I will kill you out there and make you regret having to face me." People need to understand that these comments are not to be taking personally, but competitively. Lance is correct too, Terry McMillen is pretty truthful and honest in interviews and I love that he just does not put a sprinkle of sugar on the interview like almost all of em do.
 
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Registered member said:
nascar fans do not route for the 'amp/nat. guard' car, they route for junior.
we do not thank the black dragster for introducing rear engine design,
we thank Don Garlits
Click to expand...

well, that may be the case for some but not all...before NASCAR became flavor of the month, many people did in fact root for the Wood Brothers TEAM or just Chevy's or Dodges...and lots and lots of people quit rooting for Petty when he left Dodge for Ford and went back when he went back to Dodge

also a lot of us remember Garlits as much for his innovation with his cars as his on track performance, and again IMO, his legacy would be much diminished if he had always been racing the same old cars as everyone else in his class

so IMHO if you want to go down the road of the NBA keep pushing the drivers not the cars/teams; but for the long therm health of the NHRA I think the NFL/MLB model of "Team" first then "Star Player" makes much more sense...

your mileage may vary
 
Registered member said:
Yea, but I bet you he'll tell you it was all worth it! Unfortunately I can almost see someone pulling the sheets off as he cries in pain.
Click to expand...

Sheets? scissors, and a razor, and someone you trust... figure about 30 minutes....

or just paint it with Nair, and wipe the hair away

d'kid
 
Mr. Stephens is mistaken. If anyone thinks drag racing is boring, then they are not gonna watch, period. No hyped-up interview will change that.

You need to let the drivers be themselves. To ask Doug Kalitta to copy Clay Milliken is just wrong.
 
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