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If you mess with the bull, you get the horns
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You've heard me say before; I am not a big believer in retaliating against someone by using your race car. I just think all rules go out the window when you race Bristol. It is the most irritating and annoying 500 laps a driver has to run because you are tired and aggravated. Emotions always run high at Bristol. We all know that. Tempers flare. Bristol is probably the exception to all the rules.
You have to admit, parts of the race were less than exciting at times, but Carl and Kyle sure made up for it. Those two young men made that race exciting to watch. So OK, put them on probation -- that is fine. Pull them in the NASCAR hauler and set them down for a stern lecture. Trust me folks, ol' DW has been on the receiving end of many of those talks from Mr. France in my day.
You don't want to restrict these guys where they can't race. You can't restrict these guys where they can't go out and do their job. So NASCAR did the right thing. NASCAR didn't do anything drastic and that is good. Look, it was just typical Bristol fun and games after the race. I think it's a really good call and good judgment on NASCAR's part.
Now, I had to chuckle a little after watching those two going after each other the way they did. It sure did remind me of a lot of Bristols! It also reminded me of some Richmond races, particularly one earlier this year.
If you remember after the Nationwide race there this spring, Stephen Wallace played a little bumper tag with Kyle and so Kyle went down to his car after the race and got up in Stephen's face about it. When asked what was said, he commented "I just told him that if you mess with the bull, you are going to get the horns."
Folks, with Carl Edwards, you get the bull and the horns. Carl is a Mountain Man. Carl doesn't play. That is something I have seen in him from the very beginning. He is very serious about what he does. He is very focused and intense. Like all race car drivers, if you do something to me, I am going to store it in my memory bank and somewhere down the road, when the roles are reversed, well I just might do it to you.
I have heard the phrase, "what goes around, comes around" my whole life in racing and there isn't any place where it is truer than at a short track. This new car is perfect for the bump-and-run, particularly at a lower speed like that. It was a little nerf in the corner and it wasn't like the old car where it would lift the backend off the ground. But with this new car, it just wiggled Kyle's car and he scooted up the hill and Carl shot by.
Sure, the race Saturday night at Bristol was not one of the most exciting ones we have had there, but I really think it has improved. From the race last year, to the spring race this year, to the race Saturday night, each time you see the racing getting better and better. Like I said Monday in my column, tracks get better with age and this will continue. The track will age some more and the tires will get better. You watch, come spring when the NASCAR on FOX team is there, the racing will be even better than Saturday night.
Clint Bowyer overreacted with his comment about my brother Michael. Trust me, it is easy to do and yours truly has sure done it a time or two. Clint was on Windtunnel on the Speed Channel Sunday night and after watching the replays, he realized what he said was not necessary.
I've also told you this before about the radio broadcasts between a driver and his team. That is private domain. That is an FCC radio frequency that you have. It is yours and no one else's. So when you can get a scanner or radio or hear playback on your television, it is just like someone coming into your house and listening to your private conversations at home.
I have always been sensitive to those kinds of issues, having been a driver and maybe having shot off my mouth in the heat of battle a time or two in the past. What we do with our NASCAR on FOX team is that if the producers have a piece of radio audio from a team that might be marginal, they let Mike Joy, Larry McReynolds and me hear it first. We listen and voice our opinion on whether it should air or not. It is just a good courtesy to the teams and drivers. I say it again: These guys are in the heat of battle and things are said in the heat of the moment. So it's just a policy that we have at NASCAR on FOX and it works well for us.
Now don't get me wrong, I haven't jumped off the Kyle Busch bandwagon. I know it drives you nuts when I talk positively about him. I do know. I read your comments bashing me for supporting his talents. Look, the young man is not perfect. He makes mistakes. He puts his foot in his mouth a lot. Trust me, that's another DW "been there, done that."
But tell me how anyone can not be impressed with what this young man is doing this year. Look at Bristol and what he did in three nights of racing there. He had a first-, a second- and a seventh-place finish. In those three races combined, he led 58.7 percent of all laps run. His win in the truck series last Wednesday night gave him 17 combined wins in the top three NASCAR series this year alone.
That's just phenomenal, folks. He may never see a year in racing like that again in his life. Look, there is a real chance despite all his success so far, he still might not win the Sprint Cup championship. Carl is coming on strong. Carl has a strong car and team around him. He wants to win that championship. The other thing to remember, once we enter the Chase and those final 10 races, any one of those 12 drivers might get hot and win the thing.
If I were Kyle, I sure wouldn't be calling Carl "Mr. Ed." I would be calling him Mr. Edwards and hopefully he would respect me as we get down inside the Chase. Carl believes he is going to win the championship. He is determined.
Oh, by the way
I hear people make comments about how Carl could take Kyle out in a fight easily. Ivan Baldwin, who worked for me a number of years said it best: "Once you slide down in that race car, we are all the same size." There's truth to that. As a driver, you put that helmet on, strap yourself in and you feel invincible in that 3,500-pound race car.
Oh, by the way II
Reed Sorenson is moving to the Gillett Evernham team and I think that is a good move for him. Felix Sabates said Reed is as good as he is ever going to be and man, that sure would motivate me to no end. I think it was Dave Moody on his radio show said someone should have asked Felix if his race team is as good as it's ever going to be. Reed's a good young kid and this is a good move for him.
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Oh, by the way III
Casey Mears signing on with Richard Childress Racing is another good move. Casey just needs to get somewhere where he can get some consistency. Quit changing teams, quit changing crew chiefs, quit changing stuff around and get under one umbrella with one team and stay there. Then he can show what kind of talent he has because I think he is a pretty good driver.
Oh, by the way IV
My respect for Tony Stewart just continues to grow as it has the last couple years. The way he handled the sensitive issue with the No. 4 and the Morgan-McClure team shows a lot of class on Tony's part. When I first heard about Tony using the No. 4 since it hasn't been used in over a year, I wondered then why someone couldn't take and use the No. 3. But Tony was gracious about it, relinquished the No. 4 back to Morgan-McClure and is going to use another number.
Oh, by the way V
Well, Larry McReynolds held his annual charity golf tournament yesterday. Unfortunately the bad weather kept me from being able to come over for it. Larry said the party on Monday night with the charity auction, etc., has raised the most money ever, so that is exciting because one of the charities this tournament supports is MRO -- Motor Racing Outreach. Ol' Hammond had the best quote of the day, though. He donned his rain suit and played all 18 holes in the pouring monsoon. He told me the only time he has ever been wetter was when he was scuba diving!
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