Whit Bazemore cracks on Fast Jack's pedal job (1 Viewer)

[MHayes]

Keep on keepin on John ..Whit is Whit ...No problem ..And you are right ...I don't want to hear someone tow the company line.Keep up the good work .

Especially since Whit doesn't have a company line to toe

 

[mw6789]

I agree, Brandon needs to change the hair!!!!! It's almost as bad as when he went totally blonde!!!

The whole team must have had a blonde moment at Pomona.

 

[Rajunz]

I tried listening to the interview and taking it all with a grain of salt knowing that it's just Whit, but DANG, talk about sour grapes, just a rediculous set of comments no matter how you spin it.......

 

[Usual password less 1]

I listened to both his podcasts about both the Top Fuel competition and then the one on the Pomona race and I was cracking up. Love him or hate him, one thing is for sure...Whit doesn't have a "PR" filter. He speaks what most of us are thinking but don't have the b@%%$ to say! In my opinion (and from a lot of other drivers too) Whit was one of the best Funny Car drivers out there. He had consistent lights, kept the car in the groove, knew where he was on the track, didn't really drive over his head and could pedal it better than average, especially later in his career when he had a good racecar. His comments about some of the other drivers were spot on as well. If you asked Jack about his "telepathic" light in the first round he would tell you he got lucky..it is impossible in a fuel funny car to have a .008 light. His right foot just happened to go down when the tree came on..plain and simple. I don't think he would be bragging about his pedal job either if you asked him. But hey, nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, but don't bag on a guy who has earned the respect of his peers for giving an honest answer on an interview. Sometimes the truth hurts...and I laughed at Brandon's hair too when he got on the plane with us to fly to Vegas! LOL

 

[willy]

I listened to both his podcasts about both the Top Fuel competition and then the one on the Pomona race and I was cracking up. Love him or hate him, one thing is for sure...Whit doesn't have a "PR" filter. He speaks what most of us are thinking but don't have the b@%%$ to say! In my opinion (and from a lot of other drivers too) Whit was one of the best Funny Car drivers out there. He had consistent lights, kept the car in the groove, knew where he was on the track, didn't really drive over his head and could pedal it better than average, especially later in his career when he had a good racecar. His comments about some of the other drivers were spot on as well. If you asked Jack about his "telepathic" light in the first round he would tell you he got lucky..it is impossible in a fuel funny car to have a .008 light. His right foot just happened to go down when the tree came on..plain and simple. I don't think he would be bragging about his pedal job either if you asked him. But hey, nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, but don't bag on a guy who has earned the respect of his peers for giving an honest answer on an interview. Sometimes the truth hurts...and I laughed at Brandon's hair too when he got on the plane with us to fly to Vegas! LOL

Thanks for that post, Jeff. Nice perspective.

 

[mick]

whit buying you dinner tonite jeff? .......just kiddin'

 

[mike]

I listened to both his podcasts about both the Top Fuel competition and then the one on the Pomona race and I was cracking up. Love him or hate him, one thing is for sure...Whit doesn't have a "PR" filter. He speaks what most of us are thinking but don't have the b@%%$ to say! In my opinion (and from a lot of other drivers too) Whit was one of the best Funny Car drivers out there. He had consistent lights, kept the car in the groove, knew where he was on the track, didn't really drive over his head and could pedal it better than average, especially later in his career when he had a good racecar. His comments about some of the other drivers were spot on as well. If you asked Jack about his "telepathic" light in the first round he would tell you he got lucky..it is impossible in a fuel funny car to have a .008 light. His right foot just happened to go down when the tree came on..plain and simple. I don't think he would be bragging about his pedal job either if you asked him. But hey, nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes, but don't bag on a guy who has earned the respect of his peers for giving an honest answer on an interview. Sometimes the truth hurts...and I laughed at Brandon's hair too when he got on the plane with us to fly to Vegas! LOL

If there is one post on this thread worth taking in, it is this one right here! I miss Whit being out there, he's a great driver and if any of you haters ever bothered to have a decent chat with him you'd find out he's a great guy too. Anyway, well said Jeff. All the best for the rest of the season, hope you and the team can rack up some wins!

Mike.

 

[mick]

you call out a class of drivers and maybe say something like 'there was
a car or two who pedaling jobs were less than desirable', then ok - it is not
personal........good material for conversation

you call me out personally in a public forum degrading my talents?
uncalled for.

that's the way i see it.

 

[Paul]

I miss Whit being out there, he's a great driver and if any of you haters ever bothered to have a decent chat with him you'd find out he's a great guy too.

Exactly! I had the pleasure of talking with Whit for almost a half an hour during a rain delay in Reading sometime in the early 00's and his insight and no BS talk was welcoming! I will still never forget about hearing the story of how Whit stayed with Rob Geiger the night Darrell Russell passed away, if that doesn't tell what kind of guy Whit is nothing will.

 

[Usual password less 1]

you call me out personally in a public forum degrading my talents?
FYMF.

that's the way i see it.

Yeah..that never happens around here does it??

 

[Gutter Brain]

you call me out personally in a public forum degrading my talents?
FYMF.

that's the way i see it.

Yeah..that never happens around here does it??

Jeff, I am at work. I had to bite my lip so I didn't laugh too loud. That was great!
I think a lot of people take things way too serious. Whit sometimes speaks his truth a little too honest and vocal. And then some fans get way too upset over that. As someone said before, we want characters and excitement and then when we get it, we criticize them for it.

 

[mick]

........And then some fans get way too upset over that. As someone said before, we want characters and excitement and then when we get it, we criticize them for it.

my thoughts on whit's comments have nothing to do with being a 'fan';
i find distaste with his choice of words, regardless of subject.
this is not the 'character and excitement' anyone yearns for, at least i don't.
i know it's probably not a big deal and maybe jack is laughing too....so be it.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

With me as I have gotten older, it's the W's and L's that hurt on raceday AND any enterainment outside the cockpit is a good thing as a fan. Even if it bashes my driver/team it's cool. I guess I trying to say as I've gotten more mature as a fan I've just looked at the outside drama objectively and enjoyed it.

 

[Usual password less 1]

you call out a class of drivers and maybe say something like 'there was
a car or two who pedaling jobs were less than desirable', then ok - it is not
personal........good material for conversation

you call me out personally in a public forum degrading my talents?
FYMF.

that's the way i see it.

Yeah..that never happens around here does it??

You obviously can tell I am a little bored right now but IMO in any sport, a high profile person like a driver or crew chief is going to have to take the good with the bad from announcers or members of the press. When a golf tournament is going on, the announcer doesn't say "there were some bad shots hit today." He is going to tell you what he thinks. Look at Johnny Miller...he wasn't ever the golfer that Tiger was, but he has no problem saying that Tiger hit a bad drive. Same with a quarterback throwing an interception or a goalie letting an easy goal in. Why should our sport be any different??

 

[Rat]

You obviously can tell I am a little bored right now but IMO in any sport, a high profile person like a driver or crew chief is going to have to take the good with the bad from announcers or members of the press. When a golf tournament is going on, the announcer doesn't say "there were some bad shots hit today." He is going to tell you what he thinks. Look at Johnny Miller...he wasn't ever the golfer that Tiger was, but he has no problem saying that Tiger hit a bad drive. Same with a quarterback throwing a reception or a goalie letting an easy goal in. Why should our sport be any different??

Jeff I agree completely. Look at Charles Barkley!

 

[jackass]

Could some one please point me in the direction of the Jeff Arend Fan club please...

 

[d'kid]

Could some one please point me in the direction of the Jeff Arend Fan club please...

It's at that Yellow Tractor/trailer with the yeller Toy-Yoda and about 30 boxes of Pop-Tarts...

I thought The Arend Fan Club was a State of Mind...

 

[mick]

You obviously can tell I am a little bored right now but IMO in any sport, a high profile person like a driver or crew chief is going to have to take the good with the bad from announcers or members of the press. When a golf tournament is going on, the announcer doesn't say "there were some bad shots hit today." He is going to tell you what he thinks. Look at Johnny Miller...he wasn't ever the golfer that Tiger was, but he has no problem saying that Tiger hit a bad drive. Same with a quarterback throwing a reception or a goalie letting an easy goal in. Why should our sport be any different??

whit is a great funny car driver, no problem with that one; watched and
admired him for years, especially the years he owned and drove.

seems ironic though that while totally focused on the highest level of
performance as an athlete, some seem to ignore their own reputation
and public image management; saying everything you're thinking is not
always the best move.
why criticize those that enabled you to have the success you either have
or did have? john's website (the media) provides whit a chance to further
advance the image of nhra drag racing and to a degree whit is commenting
on the behalf of the nhra, yet manages snide remarks, whether intended
humorous or not, IMO fall short of leaving a positive image and reputation
deserved by nhra, it's teams and sponsors.

 

[Larry]

Saying what you will is OK but sounding like you are carrying a big chip on your shoulder isn't !
To Whit I say you are a great guy but you have a lot to learn about civility and you can catch a lot more flies with sugar than dirt !

I didn't care much for all of Matt Hagens brooding looks either ! He needs to learn to handle adversity like Larry Dixon and Ron Capps ! They are class acts all the way !

 

[john]

mike larson. i'm sorry but i have to disagree with you. while i wish everything could be candy and nuts and we'd all have a merry christmas, that is not the reality.

if everyone just spoke the "company line" and said "it's all fine. everyone out there competing is doing their best." nobody would listen. nobody would care. afterall, aren't we all individuals? with our own opinions?

we can all pretend that what we want to hear is nothing but good news. unfortunately that's not the case. i wish it was.

as far as whit commenting on jack, or anyone else. yeah, i feel bad, because i know these people. i work with them half the season. i can feel their pain when someone criticizes them. but, who am i to shut up those people who analyze.

should i have done a more politically correct promo line? maybe. but, would you have listened to the podcast if i had written: "whit bazemore wraps up Pomona." i don't think so.

don't get me wrong, it's not all about ratins or hits. it's about doing a good job and providing racing fans with something they can't get anywhere else. as far as i can tell, rpm2night.com is doing that with its podcasts.

for those of you who don't know, in one month's existence, rpm2night.com has posted more than 30-podcast interviews. the bulk of them are with nhra drag racers. now, i don't know for a fact, but i have to believe that no other website in existence can say that.

did you listen to all those podcasts? probably not. because why? ...... i didn't do a good job of promoting them! i tried with whit's and.... well, you know.

anyway, thanks again for visiting the website. i really appreciate it and i hope you keep checking it out. but, whit will still be a regular. good night everybody!