Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, celebrates with the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 24, 2013 in Fontana, California. (Photo by Tom Pennington/NASCAR via Getty Images)
Welcome to this year’s first edition of “He Said, She Said”, where members of the racing community sound off on a variety of topics in the Motorsports community.
This year’s panel includes current writers and editors, a current NASCAR Nationwide Series team owner, a former driver and current radio personality, providing a plethora of angles from all forms of the industry. Erin Crocker Evernham has agreed to join the panel but will be absent from this week’s edition.
This week’s edition includes a look back at the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series action at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway and the opening edition of the IZOD IndyCar Series from the streets of St. Petersburg.
The 2013 Panel:
Kyle Anderson (kyleanderson294@gmail.com): A long-time NASCAR enthusiast, Kyle Anderson is a long-time contributor to CATCHFENCE.com.
Tim Clagg (@Clagger01): A new contributor to He Said, She Said. Clagg is currently a radio personality for the Automobile Racing Club of America providing at-track commentary for non-televised events, while also co-hosting ARCA’s official show, “Inside ARCA.” Clagg is also known for his #ClaggStats providing statistical information about all things “racing” actively on Twitter.
Chris Knight (@Knighter01): Chris Knight is the assistant news editor, senior staff writer and director of driver communications for CATCHFENCE.com. In addition to those roles, he is also known for his public relations duties for a variety of different teams and an active Motorsports sponsor.
Adam Niemeyer (@adamniemeyer): Adam Niemeyer is a NASCAR-affiliate based in Ohio with experience in reporting and writing for multiple news network in the Indiana and Southern Ohio area. He also has his own NASCAR-blog.
Jason Sciavicco (@JSciavicco): Jason Sciavicco is a majority owner of SR2 Motorsports competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with current drivers Blake Koch, Michael McDowell and Jason White.
Annamarie Strawhand (@MrktgFullSpd): AnnMarie Strawhand is a long-time Motorsports marketing and public relations professional and the founder of Marketing at Full Speed.
Lori Tyler (@lorityler): Lori Tyler is a long-time staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and one of the original contributors to “He Said, She Said.”
Marty Tyler (mtyler@catchfence.com): Marty Tyler is a senior staff writer at CATCHFENCE.com and is known for her long-time attentiveness to safety and a variety of driver’s personal projects on-and-off the track.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:
• This past weekend’s race at Auto Club (Calif.) Speedway provided a familiar face in victory lane with Kyle Busch, but the race didn’t come without its drama either. What were your thoughts?
Kyle Anderson: This race provided some of the best racing this season in my eyes. Seeing four and five wide on a track with different pit strategies will always make for a fun and exciting race. As much as drama can be a bad thing, drama is exactly what NASCAR needs right now to regain some of its attention in the sports media world to regain its popularity.
Tim Clagg: This past weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway provided the best side-by-side racing that we’ve seen thus far with the new Gen6 car. I think it was the perfect combination of the new car, tire combination and a “seasoned” track. This surprised me because typically Auto Club Speedway doesn’t provide the most exciting racing. In my opinion this is hands down the best finish in ACS history and one of the most exciting finishes we have seen during the last few years. I am eager for the series to head to 1.5 mile tracks on the schedule such as Texas to see if the Gen6 car can provide great racing at tracks that typically provide the greatest side by side racing
Chris Knight: Personally, I thought it was the best race I’ve ever seen at Auto Club Speedway and by sure, the best race of the 2013 season thus far. There’s no hiding behind that the Gen6 car brought this racetrack to life. Typically, this race is known as a snoozer, but I found a lot of people including myself on the edge of their seats towards the end of the race. No doubt that the track also did a good job promoting the race, the fans really came out to the track to support. One thing is for sure, I’m looking forward to Michigan International Speedway (the sister track) in June and August.
Adam Niemeyer: I think it was the best race of the season. Sure it had its stretches of long green flag runs, but a lot of races do. Drivers had to drive their cars. Crew chiefs had the ability to make adjustments. Those who had the best cars were able to make them work (did you see Keselowski rocket to the front from the rear at the beginning of the race and Dale Jr do the same at the end?).
And certainly the finish was one for discussion as well. The race had just about everything you could ask for.
Jason Sciavicco: I thought it was the best race of the year as far an ending. Heck my wife was even into it. It’s what NASCAR really needed besides the injury to Denny. That race was the lead story on 90% of sports shows.
Annamarie Strawhand: I have to say it was a very good thing for Kyle Busch; he was not the center of a controversy for once which is good for his public image, which is still In the ‘healing process’. Overall I feel he was showing us smart driving and this year he is really racing in a mature ‘thinking man’s’ way. He is growing up. Happy to see this. From a sponsorship perspective this is very good for him and his team.”
Lori Tyler: I was so excited to see this for the Auto Club Speedway. For years, there were ranting’s over the lack of quality racing. And while I understand that, I also believe not every track is meant to be a Talladega, Daytona or a Bristol. Wow, is all I can say. It really couldn’t have been much better than it was. The race was exciting from start to finish, and those last 20 or so laps will be the makings of water cooler discussions and highlight reels for quite some time. It provided something for everyone. I was just glad to see this for the Auto Club Speedway. This is, after all, my home track, and a top notch facility.
Kyle Busch ran a stellar race and was in the hunt for most of the race. He was the dominant car, and deserved this win. While it probably wasn’t the television celebration it could have been, the performance of this team last weekend was phenomenal.
Marty Tyler: Kyle deserved that win. As far as drama, I feel that happens to some extent during most, if not all, races whether it is a big issue or not. And remember the drivers are still learning the capabilities or limitations of the Gen6 And, as fans we all love drama. We may not agree with some of it but it does make the viewing experience more exciting and enjoyable. After all that has certainly help make the NASCAR of today. And it was great to finally see this type of exciting racing at Fontana!
• In your eyes, give us your thoughts on the whole last lap tango between Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin. Whose fault was it? Was it a racing accident? Will the feud continue?
Kyle Anderson: From what I saw throughout the race, Denny gave Joey quite a bit of space and raced him cleanly when the situation on the track came up. To me, if there wasn’t this whole “feud” between the two drivers prior to this race, it would be easy to stamp this incident as a race incident, but with all that has taken place that lead to this last lap crash, I would have to say that it was Joey’s fault. Denny had a lane up top that was given to him with Joey electing the low/middle groove. To me, it was more about Joey worrying that Denny would win the race electing that groove more than anything, and as he hasn’t had enough years in the Cup series to gain the respect of someone like Jeff Gordon or Mark Martin, the blame usually falls on the younger driver.
Tim Clagg: I was watching the race unfold between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano during the final few laps and knew that neither one of these “aggressive” drivers was going to back down coming to the checkers. A lot of people are pointing fingers saying this was payback for Denny taking Joey out in the late stages at Bristol while Logano was running 2nd. I disagree. This was a racing accident with two hungry drivers wanting to earn their first win of the 2013 season. The new Gen6 cars puts out a huge side draft in the corners for these cars and when Logano entered turn 3 his car kept pushing up the track, you then see his car get loose and make contact with Hamlin. In my opinion no driver would ever intentionally wreck another competitor at a track where you run 200 MPH plus entering the corner. Moving forward I truly believe this feud won’t be an issue because of the repercussions both drivers are facing after this incident. Hamlin now sidelined now for up to six weeks maybe more and Logano taking the heat from fans and some fellow competitors.
Chris Knight: Man, this is a touchy subject. I felt the last couple of laps were nothing but a typical racing deal. No driver was going to back down for the win and the intensity picked up a ton when it came down to either Denny Hamlin or Joey Logano. No one likes the end result of the crash, one that will keep Denny Hamlin on the sidelines for at least five races. I don’t think it was intentional on anyone’s part, just a bad outcome. If we learned anything, we learned that every single part of the track that has a wall, should be a “soft-wall.” There’s little doubt in my mind that Hamlin may have been able to walk away from the incident injury-free if the wall had been a soft-wall.
Adam Niemeyer: It was a racing incident. Period and the end. Joey Logano was not at fault. Denny Hamlin was not at fault. It was two guys giving it their all on the last lap. Did anyone expect Joey to back down, especially after what happened at Bristol and his comments all week? I didn’t. In fact, I was rooting for Logano to beat Hamlin just to prove his point.
This being said, no one, and I mean no one, wanted to see what happened to Hamlin. I hate seeing guys get hurt and I hope Denny can return as soon as possible. But I don’t think there was anything wrong with the finish. Good, hard racing occasionally involves a wreck.
Jason Sciavicco: I think Joey was either going to win the race or do whatever it took to make sure Denny didn’t. When he realized Denny was going to win…
Annamarie Strawhand: “The biggest thing I took from this is that Joey Logano is not just more aggressive, but I see a very “angry” young man with his behavior. Not sure what is the cause of this. I was stunned that he said “That’s what he gets” about Hamlin after Hamlin hit the wall and that was a bit immature, even if he did not know Hamlin was hurt. I used this as a lesson for younger drivers who follow on my Facebook page, that no matter how angry you are or the heat of the moment, saying something like Joey did was very in-appropriate. The on-track incident is racing and many factors involved, but you can control what comes out of your mouth, or at least think first that the other driver may be injured. I think Joey needs to get with his PR people and Roger Penske and learn how he can get better at thinking before he speaks and also understand that he is a leader of his team and must show a good example of sportsmanship, especially driving for the likes of a legendary class act such as Roger Penske. I know it’s the heat of the moment, and Joey is human and we need to give him some slack, so I hope he learns something from this.”
Lori Tyler: I truly believe this was simply a racing incident, that’s all, nothing else. Two guys, admitted rivals, were pushing their cars to the absolute limits. This close, hard racing was clean for the most part. I don’t believe that either driver made any intentional moves to limit the other from contention, other than to protect their own position and attempt to run for the win. The end result was two drivers challenging one another for position, in an attempt to grab that win. Furthermore, if these two had not had the heated exchanges that we have seen from them this season, I don’t believe this would have even been discussed or scrutinized the way that it has been. Isn’t this why we all believe the sport needs rivals?
Marty Tyler: Actually it could be viewed either way but relying strictly on Logano’s comments it wasn’t an accident therefore Logano is at fault. The fued? I think it will continue to some degree once Hamlin returns but the long arm of NASCAR will definitely be working on that situation. It will be interesting to watch this play out.
The article He Said, She Said: Auto Club Speedway And Streets of St. Petersburg is from Catchfence.
Source: http://www.catchfence.com/2013/sprintcup/03/28/he-said-she-said-auto-club-speedway-and-streets-of-st-petersburg/
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