Fixation rant

[MAD-3R]

I original posted this in the thread started by LL3, but felt it wouldn't be nice and may be taken as an attack. IT is not, just something that has been bugging me for 18+ months now. I like LL3, and PMed with him on a few occations, and think he's a good guy, and I find his Nascar links entertaining and informative.

Ok, not a bashing or flame or anything, just a mild rant. :)

Dale Earnhardt was kill in a crash two years or so ago. Though tragic, he was not the first driver killed while racing, and he won't be the last. I just DON'T see the big deal. He was good. He may be concidered among the best of all time. So was "FireBall" Roberts. Who you may ask? He raced during the late 50's and early sixtys, and he was good. Damn good. But you never EVER here anything about him. What about Richard Petty's Grandson Adam? Any tribute to him?

Many good drivers have come to grace the ovals and road courses through the years only to take there last lap before there time, but to latch onto one of them, disrespects the rest.

I watch, and enjoy NASCAR racing (when I'm allowed) and grew up watching the likes of Richard Petty and Cale Yarbrough battle for the checkered flag. I remember when Harry Gant first started with the Skool Bandit. But this constant worship of #3 is really starting to decrease my enjoyment of the events.

O, thats all. I'm done venting.

[BigMerc]

Hey I said something about that and got a shut up PM. if it says's "LML's buddy" under the name I guess you don't say anything

[vaderv]

Here here... I'll second that. Sick of hearing about it too. But I think your missing the point. The reason Dale keeps getting "remebered, hornored " or whatever, is that his family, nascar and gm are making money off of it. People of notoriety are not allowed to pass on with even a little respect anymore. People will honor and otherwise milk his dead body for all they can get, as long as they can get it. Proof of this is simple. Name one of the latest shuttle astronauts that died over texas. Most can't as there is no money to be made.

[O's Fan Rich]

Note the little "g" is used.
Me, I think that we should all be remembering Johnny Unitas, and every NFL game should begin with a moment of silence in memeory of him, but that's me!

If NASCAR has decided to live off the dead ( he was a huge draw and money maker for them) that's their call.

[MERCMAN]

Good men die every day in Iraq with little or no recognition.
As far as this member is concerned, these are the men(and women) that need to be remembered, for without them, there we would not be able to have NASCAR, IRL,etc. God Bless them

[vaderv]

Here, Here yet again. Motion carried?

[cyclone03]

How can I say this and not have it come out wroung....

Earnhardt,mastered the art of merchandising,even more than Richard Petty.So he began building a fan base that extend far beyond the race track.That fact he won,correct me if I wroung,7 Championships proved he could perform an entire season.Year after year.
Personaly I didn't like his style or attitude,he tended to drive through others and not pass them.Jimmy Spencer does the same,Tony Stewert try's too but they don't get away with it Like Dale did.
Dale Jr. also has that 'tude too.

The thing is the day Dale died he was doing something he had never done before,he backed off!Yes he was blocking others from the front but he was going to enjoy the post race with the 2 in front,LL3 correct me please,wasn't it Dale Jr. and Walltrip in front of him?

The fact he was giving up the win for his team car and son cemented his status as legend.

IMHO the loss of Davy Allison was far more traggic.
Alan Kolwicky's death sucked too.
Then Clifford Allison.

But the greatest loss to motorsports was F1's Arton Senna.
What he could do behind the wheel was amazing.
But the true loss was for the people of Brazil,the money's he gave to many charities is legendary.

In mortorcycles Joey Dunlop will never be forgoten.

Motorsports will always be dangerous.I hope it stays that way,that way only the best will make it too the top.If they removed all the risk then the drivers would never deserve to be our hero's.

IMHO if you go to the races and WATCH the drivers run,not just sit in the stands and drink brew, but watch them race you will see there styles and learn to appriciate their weakness' and strangths.Then you can decide who you want to earn your chears.
A true fan goes to the races to see the race,not the "show".

Now as for constant worship of #3.He was the top driver in the modern era without a dought.He ran from 79?to 01.And he was almost always in it.
20 years creates a very big fan base.

[cyclone03]

Originally posted by mercman
Good men die every day in Iraq with little or no recognition.
As far as this member is concerned, these are the men(and women) that need to be remembered, for without them, there we would not be able to have NASCAR, IRL,etc. God Bless them

My wife serves.
So these thoughts are allways at the top of my mind.

But we're just talkin' racin' now.

[MAD-3R]

Follow up.

I guess it's not so much the worship of him, so much as the continued marketing of him.

When I was watching as a kid, it was refered to as "The good ol' boys are running ya'll!!" It was exciting watching the stratagy of setting up drafts, only to watch someone slingshot out and around to take the lead. Now, with restrictor plates and smaller gastanks, it's not as much Driver/crew as computer designed and calculated fual reserves. It's like the SOUL was programmed out of it. The only way to tell the Fords from the Chevys from the Pontiacs from the Dodges, is what the front facia says...
"Stockcar my butt"...

[Logan]

I have no opinion at this time.

[dok]

Cyclone03

I agree with most of what you posted. Yes, he was blocking for his son and his best friend, Michael Waltrip. He had taken a big gamble on hiring Michael to drive one of his cars as Michael had never won a Winston Cup race. Had he not been killed, it would have been one of the happiest days of his life.

I also didn't like Dale's style at first, but over the years I learned to appreciate his driving abilities. The more I watched, the more I cheered for him.

I live less than 10 miles from where Dale lived. When I heard that he had died, I drove to DEI headquarters which is in front of his house. There were already about 300 people there. Many of them, including several men were crying unashamedly.

Living here, we always heard about the little things (and some big things) that Dale did for people not as fortunate as himself. He did not want any publicity about these good deeds and went out of his way to keep them private. Many of the stories didn't surface until after his death.

The week after his death, I forced myself to go to the races at Rockingham. 90% of the people there were wearing Earnhardt hats. They may have been wearing Jeff Gordon or Rusty Wallace t-shirts, but everyone had the hat. They may have booed him every week, but it showed that they respected him for his skills and the type of person that he was.

Yes, life must go on. I have not bought any of Dale's t-shirts or hats since his death, but I still have several of his die casts and pictures, including my prized one that he autographed for me, hanging in my den.

[jpatricktaylor]

I realize this is veering away from the original topic a bit, but to expand on Cyclone3's comment...
I enjoy watching NASCAR races, not a fanatic, but a fan. However, the tactics that DE was using that day sorta piss me off - blocking for your teammate seems more like the roller derby! It was all well and good that M. Waltrip won his first real race, but weren't the diehard DE fans even slightly ticked off that HE wasn't trying to win? This isn't a topic limited just to NASCAR, as all you F1 fans know....

[WolfeBros]

Ok......I thought I could pass this one by.......but I can't.
I am a big race fan. Been following Nascar, Indy and F1 for over 30 years. Dale Earnhardt felt like a brother to me. I am or was a huge Baltimore Colt and Johnny Unitas fan as well. But let me make my point......while the death of someone in the public eye usually gets alot of attention and adoration from their fans.
Any death to me is tragic.......how bout the Mom that gets t-boned and killed on her way to the store for a gallon of milk??
Anyone of those troops getting killed in Iraq ? The hundreds of people that got killed on 9/11.....over 3,000 !!!!!

Earnhardt went out doing what he loved to do. He would smack you if he knew all this whining about his death was going on.
He felt like family to me but his death is not any more signifigant than any other racer.........or person that I can think of.

Death is most always tragic. Feel and grieve for more than the few. We kill over 40,000 people a year in automobiles......nobody says much about that. But I can tell you from pulling out the dead......there all tragic and sad.

My own sainted mother died less than 3 weeks ago but I know she also would be pissed if I couldn't let her go and had a website and sold t-shirts in her memory. Come on folks.....get a grip. Enjoy the people you love and treasure EVERY day.

Yeah.....I miss Earnhardt and that black # 3 every Sunday. My tribute to him was to buy and wear his number at Texas a few races after he got killed. In his honor and in his memory........I retired that same hat and haven't worn it since.

Thats my .25 and we are all entitled to our opinion. You just got mine.

[Long Live #3]

I agree with you all. Dale was a great driver but, did you know that he was going to race in the American LeMans Series this year if he was still alive? Remember, he did race in the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

:rock: Dale.

[cyclone03]

To me the marketing of the #3,still,is a problem.
I saw on speed there's a new #3 tribute dia cast out,it makes me sick that some feel the need to make more and more money off him.

BTW I am not a real hard core NASCAR fan.

[merc406]

Nascar, NHRA, IHRA, Circle track, any track, I have no problem hearing about any, we are all here car guy's and girl's.

Anyway's, is Paul Newman related to the other Newman who won the other day?

[Long Live #3]

No he isn't. I met him once at Road America. Real nice guy. This was during Vintage Weekend.

[SergntMac]

Cyclone...Everything you said, you said right nice, and I agree.

America loves the underdog, and the rebel. What better exemplifies the American spirit, but one who doesn't just say I can, but I will, and somewhere down the road, I did. DE was a rebel, an underdog who prided himself on not just racing the good ole boys, but running through them. He didn't stop at winning, he mounted their heads on a stick, and he took his licks without a whimper. His final accomplishment, was to leave racing the way he would want to, and to leave it one step safer for others. Nice job, DE, we thank you.

I too disagree with the continued marketing, and I'm tiring of the tributes. Sadly, that an American way too.

[Bigdogjim]

I also have followed NASCAR since '63. Back then they were real close to "stock" cars. Today the only way you follow a race is if you know the drivers #'s by heart. A shot of all those car rounding a bend and they look pretty much the same to the untrained eye. My tag line when I stop in a Ford dealer is can I buy a two door Turaus? NO! They don't make 'em, only 4-door! Well you race a 2-door every weekend at NASCAR so where are they?
Point was back in the early days you had to sell it to race it.
All that has changed and now your left with todays NASCAR.
Not bad, still good to watch but not like it was.
AS for the point of this thread and DE its a marketing machine pumping out the money that's keeping his name and the sport going.

Good side note here that pretty much sums up the start of Mercurys involvement in NASCAR, to compete with the Ford teams of the day and that lead to the the car we enjoy to day. The Marauder.

[Jeff]

Dale Who?

[Long Live #3]

Dale Earnhardt! :D

[bugsys03]

On a lighter note me and my MM are heading to Bristol tomorrow am on my yearly pilgrammage to Thunder Valley. Cant wait for my first real road trip.

[BigMerc]

Here is the question I pose to most of the Earnhardt guys who are still carrying that torch: If you were dead and Dale Earnhardt was standing next to me and i said "so and so is dead" what would he say? I'm guessing "*&$#^ him!!, I don't care" So with that, my philosophy is "Don't care about people who don't care about you"


P.S. Logan: I have no opinion at this time. HAH!!! Now thats a very wise man!! Don't enter a conversation when there is no winning . Thats why he's the boss!

[MERCMAN]

hmm, at least Dale isn't marketed as bad as ELVIS,,

HUH thank you, thank you very much, I have left the building:)

[Rob1559]

Just think how much his estate makes if they get a dime for every "3" decal they sold. The ones that get me are the 3s with the angel wings.
He was a good driver who won most of his races when everybody drove Monte Carlos. He also perfected the art of putting competitors in a wall or spin with a tap on the back bumper. Reality set in when other teams caught up and the young guys like Jeff Gordon were no longer intimidated.
It sucks when someone dies in an accident but we need to put it in perspective. As mentioned before, the young soldiers who die in Iraq mean more to our country than any driver.

HOOAH!!!!

[cruzer]

I ot involved in NASCAR in the early '60s--Ned Jarrett, Buddy Baker, Marvin Panch, Bobbie Allison, -all great drivers who drove "stock cars" --I agree, I am fast losing interest in cars you can't buy, engines you can't run and restrictions that make for no real shoot-outs---fuel mileage is more important than driving skill or car performance. I enjoyed the glory days of Mercury in NASCAR and would love to see them get into it again---well, old men can dream , can't we?

[WolfeBros]

Yes.......David Pearson in the Wood Brothers # 21 Mercury !!
Those truly were the days of STOCK car racing Cruzer. I agree.

[cruzer]

Sam , we need to get together--I'll call you

[vaderv]

Man, ladies and gents this thread is exactly why I still read from this site.

[jerrym3]

Maybe it's because we are all Yankees from the North, but nobody in our office ever mentions NASCAR, or drag racing, for that matter.

I can't get enough of My Classic Car, Motorweek, MotorTrendTV, HPTV, Two Guys Garage, etc, even though 90% of the cars they test and modifications they make will never affect me directly.

But, as soon as SpeedChannel puts on Nascar, I switch it off.

Maybe the reason is that the cars being raced are nowhere representative of the cars we can buy, as opposed to the "good old days".

At least when Cale Yarbrough raced a 69-70 Cyclone GT fastback, I owned one that "looked" like his, even though it was nowhere close mechanically.

But, as someone posted, you can't even tell what car won unless you search around for a decal somewhere.

And yet, I think I read where NASCAR is the winner when it comes to number of spectators. Puts me in the minority, I guess.

[merc406]

Originally posted by vaderv
Man, ladies and gents this thread is exactly why I still read from this site.






Your right vader, we all have a like or dislike, but we all have one thing in common------Our --MARAUDERS:coolman: :coolman:

[Dr Caleb]

I was a fan of #3 too, and I mourned his loss like I would anyone I respected. But I got over it and have moved on.

Case in point... did anyone notice that Thomas W. Kellogg passed away last week? "Who?" you ask. He designed the Studebaker Avanti.

My point? The leading cause of death is life. The passing of someone isn't tragic, it will happen to all of us. How we lived and what we leave behind is what matters.

[MMM2003]

Well, I had just typed this long post, when I decided, it ain't worth it. Everyone here got their own fixation they want to talk about.
Are there better places to share them - Yes! (insider.speedtv.com)
Do I care about Nascar - No! That's why I don't even bother reading anything in that regard.
Is the Earnhardt "legacy" taking to an extreme? - Yes! Someone is making a lot of money of his commercialized death.
Do I spend any money on that - No!

That's it.

[RF Overlord]

^^^what MMM2003 said^^^

[dwasson]

Anytime you wonder why something is happening the safe bet is that someone is making money off it. Think about it, in a perfect world Keanu Reeves would be wearing a paper hat, not screwing supermodels.

[Racerx88]

Originally posted by Dr Caleb
... did anyone notice that Thomas W. Kellogg passed away last week? "Who?" you ask. He designed the Studebaker Avanti. .........

Actually, Raymond Loewy did the original design sketches for the Avanti. I think Kellogg worked on the design team for the production version.

[TAF]

Originally posted by Racerx88
Actually, Raymond Loewy designed the Avanti.

So...I guess Thomas W. Kellogg designed Corn Flakes??!!

[dwasson]

At least when Cale Yarbrough raced a 69-70 Cyclone GT fastback, I owned one that "looked" like his, even though it was nowhere close mechanically.

That's part of it. One other reason I can't get that excited about NASCAR is that it is so sanitized. I remember one race where AJ Foyt was bumped into the infield by another driver (Cale Yarborough maybe) and they both spun to a gentle halt on the grass. Then AJ jumped out of his car and started punching the other driver through the window.

I don't want stuff like that to happen but I hate the present state of NASCAR where you can't imagine that happening.

[TAF]

Originally posted by dwasson
I don't want stuff like that to happen but I hate the present state of NASCAR where you can't imagine that happening.

If you'd follow it...you'd know that a punch was thrown just last week. Jimmy Spencer hit Kurt Busch after the race.

[Long Live #3]

Originally posted by TAF
If you'd follow it...you'd know that a punch was thrown just last week. Jimmy Spencer hit Kurt Busch after the race.

Now that was out of line. Jimmy just punched him for no reason. NASCAR is starting to turn into the WWF!

[Dr Caleb]

Originally posted by Long Live #3
Now that was out of line. Jimmy just punched him for no reason. NASCAR is starting to turn into the WWF!

Well, Kurt had the nerve to run out of gas in front of Jimmy's trailer. Can't have that now! :)

Plus, what those two do on the track can only be called "Celebrity Deathmatch".