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February 23, 2007

NASCAR News Rewind
Waltrip's Car Headed to Betty Ford Clinic Edition
By Dennis Michelsen

Each week we will take a look back at the three most important stories in NASCAR. In addition this will be your last chance to enter the FLIP FLOP challenge. This week you can win a "Back in the Day" DVD for picking the right Fantasy handicapper. Head over to www.insidearca.com to enter FLIP FLOPS.

NASCAR Will Not Let Anyone Know What the 55 Team Used
ESPN's Terry Blount reported on Wednesday's NASCAR Now that NASCAR would NOT release the name of the substance found in the #55 intake manifold, treating it like any driver caught with substance abuse.

My Take: When I read this I had to make sure to check the calendar to determine that I did not hibernate my way to April 1st! NASCAR will not announce the substance treating it like substance abuse for a driver? This is evidence that NASCAR officials have lost their collective minds! The fans and other competitors have a right to know what was used and comparing this to substance abuse with a driver is asinine! Whenever NASCAR finds a part not passing muster in technical inspection the parts are displayed. So why not do the same thing with the substances used to get an unfair advantage? Oh that's right the car has rights and is headed to the Betty Ford Clinic for help! Perhaps the car can share a room with Brittney Spears!

NASCAR being lobbied to consider Renewable Fuels
While working for General Motors in Brazil in the 1990s, Brent Dewar got a firsthand look at the country's successful switch from an oil-based economy to ethanol. Dewar wants to see the same thing happen in the United States, and he thinks NASCAR can help. He's lobbying officials to consider a switch from gasoline to ethanol. "We would embrace it," said Dewar, GM's vice-president of field sales, service and parts. "We think it would be great on a lot of fronts, because obviously it would send a signal to the public. A lot of people don't understand the benefits of ethanol." Other racing series already are embracing renewable fuels. Beginning this season, the Indy Racing League's IndyCar Series will race on 100% ethanol. And the American LeMans Series will race on a 10% ethanol blend. Now, Dewar and others in the garage said they believe NASCAR should explore alternative fuels. NASCAR is taking one step in the direction of environmental responsibility by getting the lead out, catching up with a change most consumers made in the 1980s by switching from leaded to unleaded fuel. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said officials are willing to consider renewable fuels, too. "In terms of looking at the next step, obviously we're open to options," Poston said. NASCAR teams also would have to modify their cars to run on ethanol, but Dewar said the switch wouldn't be a "major investment." And he said it ultimately would be worth the hassle. Still, even proponents don't portray ethanol as a magic wand. Despite its benefits - it's renewable, can provide a slight performance advantage, isn't imported from politically volatile countries and burns cleaner - ethanol isn't as efficient as gasoline. Although today's cars can run on 90% gasoline/10% ethanol blends, cars have to be specially equipped to run on heavier blends of ethanol. GM and other car companies sell "flex fuel" passenger vehicles that run on gasoline or E85, an 85% ethanol/15% gasoline blend. But E85 isn't widely distributed in the U.S.

My Take: The USA has been behind in researching alternative fuels. We could have been on the cutting edge of this making us less dependent on foreign oil while also building the ultimate new business venture. But unfortunately we have lost some of our ability to innovate instead embracing greed. NASCAR could reach the average American with a goodwill effort of switching to alternative fuels. Of course they will not make progress on this until the company involved pays more for fuel rights than Sunoco!

Dr. Jerry Punch to the rescue
Just because ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch decided to swap his stethoscope for a microphone doesn't mean the medical degree he earned at Wake Forest hasn't been useful over the years. Twice while working races as an ESPN announcer Punch has been called on to aid seriously injured drivers. At Bristol he revived Rusty Wallace, who had stopped breathing, and once after an ARCA crash he administered lifesaving first aid to injured racer Don Marnor. And ESPN's Dr. Jerry Punch was addressing a Nashville Superspeedway media luncheon Tuesday at The Palm restaurant downtown when he was interrupted by a loud crash from the back of the room. Someone yelled, "Is there a doctor in the house?" Amid the laugher came a more serious shout: "We're not kidding! We need a doctor back here!" Punch immediately rushed from the podium to the back of the room where Jenny Gill [Vince Gill's daughter], a Nashville Superspeedway intern, had fainted. Punch helped to revive the Middle Tennessee State graduate student. She was taken to a local care center for observation and soon recovered, according to Sean Dozier, the super speedway's public relations director. Punch returned to the podium and resumed his speech.

My Take: It is great to have Dr. Jerry Punch back on NASCAR broadcasts! In fact the entire ESPN crew did a great job on the Busch telecast at Daytona and we also saw fewer and better placed commercial breaks than the networks. Dr. Jerry is indeed a physician and this comes as no surprise that he would charge right into action. Welcome back to NASCAR Dr. Punch, we missed you!