Later in the broadcast, commentators noted that Blaney's number 66 Camry was in the garage area undergoing repairs. Repairs for what? He didn't hit anything! Did the engine spin backwards and blow up? Didn't seem like it when he drove the car off turn four and down the pit lane. Did he lose a gear? At Bristol, you only need one, except on restarts. A steering failure? The car seemed to steer fine into the pits and the garage. To me, it seems like the problem with the car is that Blaney flat-spotted the only set of tires the team had.
I guess the poor handling on a flat-spotted set of tires could be considered a steering failure, but I would prefer a more honest approach. Now, there's no telling if one of the two teams that didn't qualify this weekend Jeremy Mayfield and Scott Riggs might have done the same thing in this situation. I also can't be sure that Blaney's car wasn't actually experiencing a steering malfunction as a result of sliding sideways across 36 degrees of banking.
What I do know is that this incident brings the start-and-park team debate into sharp focus. How has the quality of racing deteriorated to this point, where there are teams out there looking to simply crack the starting lineup — and then go home without competing?
The history of start-and-parks is a long one, with businessmen looking to make a quick buck at various times throughout the year history of the sport.
After seeing only 45 cars attempt the Daytona , NASCAR returned to Rockingham, and while the fields remained full, both the Cup and Busch series ranks played host to a number of dilapidated efforts that showed up to the track with intentions of being cut a check — not cutting a fast lap. Starting and parking has always been around — but these teams were different. Who are they?
Why are they here? Read on to find out the many faces turning a sport based on competition into a business based on dollars and cents. For just about every start-and-park team that has taken to the track over the last several seasons, there is a different rationale or justification for not contesting the races they attempt.
Take the No. Development driver Danny Efland and current No. This is by far the most common explanation offered for starting and parking, one that has been employed by a number of teams such as Rensi Racing at the end of to help keep an unsponsored Bobby Hamilton Jr.
Both of these organizations have in fact committed time and resources to contesting a full Nationwide schedule, and both are without primary sponsorship to support them. Occasionally, there are even success stories for individuals involved with these teams. But stories like Kenny Hendrick no relation to Rick are the reason why some of these drivers do it.
But besides a way to make a living, Hendrick also saw his seat time as a way to get his name back in the garage… prior to start and parking throughout , it had been four seasons since his last Nationwide stint behind the wheel.
And some solid qualifying efforts were actually enough to attract some free agent interest in the offseason; right now, the driver is currently in a fully-funded ride in former Chip Ganassi equipment, driving the No.
In some instances, these team owners might have the best of intentions… but then wind up lost in the sea of purse money they use to simply pay off old debts. Take the case of Derrike Cope Inc. A team formed in mid, over the second half of the season DCI often entered two Truck Series and two Nationwide Series entries — cars that completed only one full race out of dozens of starts.
The team was using start-and-park, they contended, to accrue funds to use down the road in order to run the distance regularly the following season — as well as to make their presence known to perspective sponsors.
Outside of running in Cup and Truck competition at Daytona, they have yet to be seen on the racetrack in The team already has sponsorship for their full-time No.
Sure, Gunbroker. Specialty Racing in the Nationwide Series had fewer than a half dozen sponsored races in , yet using primarily purse money were still able to run the distance for the entirety of the Nationwide Series schedule. If it can be done for 35 races at that level, a small-time sponsor can definitely fit the bill for 25 Truck contests. They likely can't win the race, because they don't have the funds to really compete at that level.
Similarly, if they try to run the whole race and place highly, they run the risk of wrecking their car, not having enough tires, or worse, which leaves them with a big loss rather than a small profit. So these teams have their driver qualify for the race, start the race, run Often, these start and park drivers don't bring any backup tires or parts or even in some cases bring a pit crew, because all of these things are expensive as heck. Let me give you an analogy.
You know how you'll need new tires for your car, but you put it off forever and ever, because buying a set of tires at Costco will set you back a few hundred bucks?
It is clear that these fans don't enjoy or appreciate hustle. These drivers and their teams are just doing what they have to do to make some money and make it to the next race.
And they've found a way to do it without sponsorship. What's more honest than that? It's as American as George Washington chopping down an apple tree to make pie or whatever. The start and park driver can also make for the unexpected feel-good story. Dave Blaney, for example.
Yet, he was unexpectedly in the lead in the Daytona when Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer during a caution and caught the track on fire. Blaney was unexpectedly in the lead when the red flag came out and while they determined whether to continue the race, he stood a chance of winning it all if they called it off.
Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way.
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