9:40 AM
JD
I keep trying to tell myself certain things to help me overlook some of the ignorant views of certain fans in this sport. It’s starting to not work anymore.
Every time Dale Earnhardt Jr won in the past 6 years, which, mind you, has only been a few times, the NASCAR conspiracy theorists come out. These people believe that when Jr. won the 2001 July Daytona race that NASCAR fixed the race. They believe that any change in NASCAR is engineered to benefit Dale Earnhardt Jr. They believe NASCAR made Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 50 win happen.
Just today I read a blog article at Fanhouse.com by a “writer,” David Whitley , who apparently takes NASCAR for professional wrestling. He supposes that NASCAR puts the fix in for Dale Jr. when it needs a boost in ratings. Apparently Mr. Whitley has not watched the past few years: NASCAR could have used plenty of boosts, yet no bounty of Junior wins…
In fact, in the past six years Dale Earnhardt Jr. has only won 3 races. Two of those wins came due to fuel mileage. I’m sure he had an extra gallon or two of fuel capacity.
Mr. Whitley would propose that the only reason Dale Earnhardt Jr. could win the Daytona 500 is for NASCAR to have “the fix” in. Apparently he has not driven around any of the Cup drivers. I’m sure ole Happy Harvick would be glad to let Dale Jr win. Heck, he and Kyle Busch would probably push Dale Jr. past everyone just to help NASCAR out.
While you’re at it, Mr. Whitley, why don’t you just ask NASCAR to have Dale Jr. finish the race backwards for the win? We could pitch it to them and tell them we’ll have Vegas odds-makers bet on the possibility or even set it up for half of the winnings to go toward NASCAR charities!
The most outrageous thing I have heard so far, came at the beginning of his post where he said the following:
NASCAR is asking 200,000 fans to honor Dale Earnhardt this coming Sunday. On the third lap, everyone at the Daytona 500 will be asked to extend three fingers.
The announcer might as well say, "Everyone who thinks Dale's son will win, please raise your hand.”
Honoring a great race car driver who died ten years earlier has only one thing to do with Dale Jr. It was his father. Showing him respect does not mean Junior has to win. I am sure many of the fans who hold up three fingers on the third lap will hope he does not win. Yet they respect the memory of his father and they respect the sport. Maybe you could learn a lesson from them Mr. Whitley.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has 18 Cup wins, 7 of which were in restrictor plate races. He has two Nationwide championships. Only two other drivers have shown the same dominating ability at Daytona and Talladega: Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon. So IF he indeed does win this Sunday, at least consider thinking he may have won it on his own just prior to typing more blather about a conspiracy theory.
Read more by Joseph Davis at the The Spotter Stand and follow him on Twitter @the_Bumpdrafter
Posted in: Dale Earnhardt,Dale Earnhardt Jr,Daytona,Jeff Gordon,Nascar,Nascar Blog,nascar news,Sprint Cup
11 comments:
I'll have to follow you on Twitter too..
Yep, I get sick of the conspiracy theorists too - no sense in even acknowledging them with responses half the time.
While I was never a fan of Sr - I am sure the tribute at Daytona will be quite moving...and hope that Jr is still leading just to make it extra special.
i will admit that i have raised a Nascar conspiracy or two, but the never involved Jr. i really don't understand why people think Jr winning races will help Nascar anyway. the Jr. nation tunes in and shows up, regardless of whether he is running good. Nascar needs to find a way to get "new" fans to watch.
I would agree with you except for the fact that in NASCAR, these strange coincidences keep happening. Latest example? Junior wins NW race at Daytona in No.3 car last summer. Now in itself, that may have looked relatively innocent, but when you consider that the entire murderer's row of NASCAR bad boys was lined up behind him on the final restart and nobody made a move to pass? Gimme a break. Even Junior didn't seem to buy it. Anyway, if I were a betting person, I would put down a big one on Junior for this Sunday. As it is, he will be starting on my fantasy team. Remember that even paranoids have enemies. And if he wins, legit or not, it will always be questioned. He'd be better off blowing the engine on LAP THREE.
Calm down JD!
You're gonna find conspiracies in dang near every endeavor whether they're just theories or for real.
I'm thinkin' Kyle won't have anyone to draft with... Now that might not be just a theory! LOL
I'm expecting Dale Earnhardt Jr. to be in this race all the way. There will be a big one and he'll avoid it. Then it'll be just him drivin' in the zone... Will that include Victory Lane? It might just be something to behold and I'll be there live and in person to see it!
Ah yes, another page for NASCAR history and those unbelievable conspiracy theorists...
Despite what you say, I thought the pole winner was determined long ago. NA$CAR can only help Jr. so much. The plan doesn't work when he keeps wrecking and getting tired near the end of long races. He needs to get in better shape so he can meet the demands of being the chosen one.
A couple of years ago NASCAR said that the TV ratings correlated with how well Dale Jr. did. I cannot imagine them not helping whenever they can - and restricted races are probably easiest.
I like to poke a little fun at the Nation, but there is no way NASCAR could pull off giving one car a definite advantage.... hell, they can barely get their shoes on the right foot.
I've followed NASCAR for 25 years, producing TV comercials and documentaries. I sat next to the late Neil Bonnett during qualifying for the summer Talladega race in 1984, and as Richard Petty drove out onto the track Neil said, "That's the same car he won in at Daytona ..." when Ronald Reagan was in attendance for the Firecracker 400 and Richard's 200th victory. "That thing has giant pistons in it and we were all told it was going to the Smithsonian after the 400. Well, here it is." Despite Neil's comments, I have vigorously defended NASCAR in the last decade when conspiracy theories arise, mostly because I think it would take too many people to engineer a "fix." But ... Dale Jr. on the pole on the 10th anniversary of his Dad's death, and no real advantage at stake other than good PR? CONSPIRACY.
Come on Mr. Whitley. Seriously? I thought NASCAR wanted Jimmie Johnson to win all the time. At least that actually happens. Nice post, JD.
Well that oughta knock the conspiracy theorists in the dirt. Jr. wrecked his pole sitting car at practice today and will be starting at the back of the pack on Sunday. If they say its a conspiracy after he wins from the back of the pack we'll all know they're just haters!
naa Dwindy, they will just say that it adds suspense and will make it bigger when he wins... NASCAR made the wreck happen... lol koolaide drinkers...
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