■ 26 February 2011 | 9:18 PM
Cup team ANNOUNCES it will start and park Phoenix race; What's your take to that?
Tommy Baldwin Racing announced Saturday night that driver Dave Blaney would pull the team’s car off the track after a few laps in Sunday’s race at Phoenix and park it for the rest of the race.
There certainly can be something said for the team's honesty in announcing its decision about 18 hours before the start of the race. Understand that the team had to go to a backup car after Blaney wrecked in practice Friday. The original plan was to run this race but the incident changed things for the team.
The question is … what do you think about it? Do you have a problem with a team saying ahead of time that it’s going to start and park before a race as opposed to saying nothing and just doing it (as many teams have)? Or is this much ado about nothing?
What if you were NASCAR? How would you react to a team saying it’s going to start and park on Sunday? Would you make the team run? Would you make that car the random for post-race inspection and make them tear down the car after the race and maybe the following week in Vegas?
What if NASCAR did something like that? How would you feel about it?
Before you answer, here’s the full release from the team so you can see what the team said and why it will start and park Sunday.
"Following a practice incident, Tommy Baldwin Racing decided to change plans and run the complete race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) and start-and-park the race at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). Dave Blaney will pilot the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet for the first few laps of the Subway Fresh Fit 500 this weekend and look to race all 400 miles of the Kobalt Tools 400 next weekend.
A spin in the second practice at PIR caused severe damage to the front end of the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet and forced the team to unload the backup car. With two races in the West, the No. 36 backup car is also the team’s primary car for the race at LVMS. Due to the setup, the team decided the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet would have a better chance to finish well with this car at LVMS than PIR. After consulting the sponsor, Accell Construction, TBR decided to change plans and run the complete race at LVMS rather than PIR.
“We figured the best thing to do with a car setup to race at Vegas is to race it at Vegas,” explained owner Tommy Baldwin. “We went into this stint in the West with the expectation of running Phoenix and start-and-parking Vegas. The damage was enough to force us to switch to the Vegas car. Thankfully, Accell Construction was willing to make the change with us, as their customer base spans more than the Phoenix area.”
Blaney will start the Subway Fresh Fit 500 from the 43rd position Sunday, February 27th at 1 p.m. MST. He will compete in the Kobalt Tools 400 in the No. 36 Accell Construction Chevrolet at LVMS on Sunday, March 6th.
…. OK, now answer those questions…
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Start-and-parking IS a
Start-and-parking IS a disgrace.
However, in this case with TBR, you've got to admit, it took some guts to ADMIT it when other teams cover it up with "vibration" or "engine" or "electrical" as the reason they drop out.
Running their backup that's for Vegas would've made them uncompetitive at the very best, finishing several laps down and leaving next week's car vulnerable for 312 miles of racing.
It took guts to ask a sponsor for permission to do this, and to make this decision and announcement. It shows far more integrity with TBR than any of the other start-and-park teams.
Only one start-and-park team has ever succeeded in becoming a "real" team, and that's Front Row Motorsports. I think TBR has a decent chance of becoming the second.
It is a disgrace that a team
It is a disgrace that a team announces that it will "start and park" gets to race and a team that has announced that it wants to run the whole season goes home. Nascar needs to change the rules to fix this. How about not paying a team that does not complete at least 1/3 of the race? I know that sometimes a car wrecks or loses an engine prior to completing 1/3 of the race, but oh well, too bad. If you have to complete 1/3 of a race to get paid, you will show up with a full team, a crew chief and enough tires for the race and not just show up.
Start and Park
This start-and-park is not new, and dates back to about 1970 when the short track purses were so low that it was said that only the First Place, Second Place and the Last Place finishers made money; the last place guy didn't waste money on tires.
I'm glad Tommy Baldwin has some sponsorship and they are working together.
Good Luck in the future for them.
A case of lousy timing
Perhaps they should have made that decision hours earlier before a driver who really wanted to race was sent home after not qualifying...
Maybe they could allow the 36 car a few laps and allow him to park. Then put the 92 car in the 36 pit space.
I'm apathetic about it
While I know 43 cars have been a staple for years I believe the truck size, 36, is better.
Start & Parks
I'd be willing to bet that #92-Brian Keselowski would be willing to RACE as long as his car would allow him. That's because Brian is a RACER while TBR uses Blaney as a driver. Nybody with a nascar license could drive for a few laps and park. RACERS-RACE....Drivers-Start & Park (like a valet) Why not forfeit and give Brian a chance to RACE?
start and park
No problem with start and park. Better than having a short field IMO.