Top Slugs: Earnings by drivers who routinely "start and park" - year to date.
1- Joe Nemechek.........1,326,580
2- J.J. Yeley................1,248,520
3- Michael McDowell....979,665
Contrast Nemechek's earnings with Paul Menard, a full-time driver for Richard Childress who has only earned 1,676,840. Both Jeff Burton and Martin Truex have earned less than 1.7 million not that distant from Nemechek's theft. Furthermore, Travis Kvapil, 1,313,480 and Andy Lally, 1,259,550 earned LESS than Nemechek sponsored and prepared to compete in EVERY race.
This is not a system that promotes team growth and winning rewarding incopetence and freeloading.
We noticed that among the entries that bowed out of Michigan’s 500 mile Sprint Cup race early refusing to compete, two indicated the problem was a “vibration.” We know there’s a vibration caused by a few loose screws in NASCAR management that is allowing the “start and park” charade to continue to grow bigger to where it is now reaching into the guaranteed top 35 owners’ points group. If there were ever a cut and dry case of milking a system here it is, and as the 1990’s into the 2000’s saw NASCAR striving to become a tier one sport like professional football and major league baseball, now it is digressing toward more of an exhibition moving toward simply a spectacle. Were it not for its obsessive insistence on following car specification rules to the letter, the whole integrity of NASCAR would be destroyed. Sadly, some see the edict of “Boys have at it” is an invitation to be more like professional wresting.
Here are the figures from the last two races:
The offenders at Pocono were #7, Scott Wimmer for Robby Gordon; #50, T.J. Bell; #87, Joe Nemechek; #66, Michael McDowell; #46, J.J. Yeley; and #81, Scott Riggs. Each team walked off with 63,765 to 64,350 in purse money.
Michigan cranked it up even more, as two certain start and parkers went home failing to qualify while one sponsored ride intending to complete the race was bumped. NOW SEVEN CARS QUIT. Over half a million dollars awarded to FRADULENT entries. Joining the crooks is the #13 Toyota for Germain racing driven by Casey Mears. Now we have one more car to track as a thief stealing from the honor of the sport. This week’s slugs are #7, Robby Gordon; #13, Casey Mears; #46, J.J. Yeley; #87, Joe Nemechek; #30, David Stremme; #81, Scott Riggs, and #66 Michael McDowell. The prize money for doing nothing ranged from 71,792 to 72,475. The total money awarded to these slugs for Michigan is 505,752. That brings the total for fifteen races up to 5,264,597. For a sport which talks about a financial pinch that it has over five million dollars and counting to throw around for teams that have no legitimate function in the sport is astounding.
Teams that are struggling to become legitimate contenders equipped and prepared to run full races are being sent home by start and park teams. How does that justify their sponsors’ investments? What’s the future for Front Row Motorsports for instance?
We can’t help but think that for most races, the notion of having 43 cars in the starting lineup simply isn’t plausible. Prior to 1998, there was no such requirement. Perhaps having 35 cars locked in by owners points is no longer realistic. If a team plays the start and park game, that team must forfeit its locked in status. Teams intending to compete with sponsorship are being screwed. The rippling effect of this is enormous as the concept of team sponsorship is being horribly compromised when fraudulent entries milking the system for a quick paycheck are cheating those who pay their dues to work their way up in the world of NASCAR racing. Teams like Roush are having trouble getting sponsors for their Nationwide teams while Joe Gibbs Racing has shutdown Nationwide teams. THIS IS A SPORT IN TROUBLE AND THOSE WHO ATTEMPT TO COMPETE ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL CAN NOT BE SCREWED OUT OF THE PROCESS BY THOSE WHO ARE MANIPULATING THE SYSTEM.
It’s interesting to note that no mention was made as cars pulled of the track on the telecast and they were not even mentioned as they often are in the lap-by-lap summary on NASCAR.COM during the race. NASCAR is doing its best to pretend this isn’t happening. Is it the broadcasters’ choice or do they feel compelled not to mention it by authorities? We already know Larry McReynolds and Darrell Waltrip are apologists for the fraud and that Truck Commentator, Phil Parsons, on SpeedTV is one of the most flagrant “start and park” owners.
Here’s the usual contact information. Let your voice be heard!
Let NASCAR know that YOU want them to restore integrity to the sport. You work hard for your money and want to see NASCAR teams to their jobs. Sports are for winners not quitters.
The top contacts are: Brian France, NASCAR Chairman, Chief Executive Officer or Michael Helton, NASCAR President.
Write to:
Office of the President, Michael Helton
-or-
Office of the Chairman, Brian France
NASCAR
One Daytona Boulevard
Daytona Beach, FL 32114
Phone: (386) 253-0611
Email:
We are sorry not to have direct email addresses to NASCAR's executive office. We will publish if found. The best email we have routes to their subcontracted website, www.nascar.com: fanfeedback@nascar.com
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