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WWL: Light at the end of the tunnel or oncoming traffic?
Posted
at
10:33 am
by Scott Whitmore
Doom, despair and agony on me,
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery,
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
Doom, despair and agony on me.
The hits keep coming, don’t they?
Way back in December I got an email saying Mike Mulhern, the longtime (35 years+) NASCAR writer for the Winston-Salem Journal, was being let go, and the paper — which is in the heart of NASCAR country — would cover the sport on a part-time basis.
Last week, we learned Boeing is going to drop 4,500 workers and the Seattle P-I is maybe going to disappear and within a pretty short timeframe.
Yahoo! Sports’ Jay Busbee is reporting today in his From the Marbles blog that Reed Sorenson is in line to drive the famed No. 43 car this season after the GEM-Petty merger. I have nothing against Sorenson, but … that … is …. so ... wrong — and on so many levels.
Over the weekend I read that Ray Evernham and Kyle Busch, two pretty straight-shooters in the NASCAR community, are thinking the same thing that I am: things are going to get worse for big-time racing before they get better.
Doom, despair and agony on me,
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery,
If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.
Doom, despair and agony on me.The bright side
Former Evergreen Speedway promoter Mickey Beadle told me during an interview that when times get tough, local racing does OK.
The reason is because it is affordable entertainment, close to home. The same reason, by the way, that the Silvertips and AquaSox are pretty much recession-proof.
Of course, the big difference between your local track and your local MLB affiliate is the guy or gal wheeling the car is probably your realtor, gutter installer, aviation mechanic, etc., and probably not going to make it to race in “The show.”
At any rate, in my mind the local program is much better racing than anything seen on the NASCAR circuit — well, except for the truck series. At times, and the right track, those truck races can get a downright “local” feel to them.Hear it here
Steve Mortland and the KRKO 1380 Northsound Racing show will be on the air tonight, Monday Jan. 12 from 7-9 p.m. Scheduled to be on are Mike Minegar from the Rocky Mountain Challenge Series, Jeff Barkshire from the NASCAR Camping World Series West, and Yakima Speedway’s Kelly Hart among others.
There is also going to be an announcement about the Daytona 500.Nobody asked me, but …
I thought since I still have a job (Ed.— for now) that I would throw some random thoughts out into the blog-o-sphere.
— Today’s you can’t “kid a kidder” item: After 20+ years in the Navy and five more years convincing my wife, I’m trying out a beard. Yesterday, at separate times, both my wife and daughter told me it looked good. Reverse psychology? I think so.
— The more I think about it (how bored am I?), the more I dislike NASCAR’s Chase. Maybe it’s because I enjoyed watching some of the “lose and you’re out” NFL playoffs this past weekend, but the Chase does nothing for me in the way of generating drama or interest.
— Along the same lines, has NASCAR ever made as big a mistake as the Car of Tomorrow? It hasn’t cut costs and the racing has been mostly terrible. I’ll give them marks for improved safety, but the old car could have been upgraded instead. Terrible decision, but as my grampy always said, that horse is gone so close the door and come inside.
— How smart do those cats from the old Champ Atlantic series look now? They folded the tent at the right time, and of all the big-time racing series I think IndyCar has a shot at having an up-year.Parting shot
There are 34 days until Daytona. No, I didn’t figure that out for myself. NASCAR.com has a countdown clock.
Hey, keep those cards and letters coming. I love to hear from both of you ...
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