Telcel-Motorola Mexico 200 - Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
College has taken up some time that I wanted to use to write about NASCAR’s third race in Mexico, but a mere few days isn’t enough to let me forget what happened.
David had been mediocre in practice and even ran off course once during Happy Hour, but truthfully I wasn’t expecting a great finish since firstly I was still worried about his condition after the wreck at California and secondly this was his first road course race. He also had to go to the rear of the field because of an engine change. On Sunday morning I told myself that I would be happy with a top 25.
How does 12th sound?
Wow! David is doing nothing but impressing me over and over again. To finish in the top 15 at a track you’ve never raced at before and that’s so physically exerting is amazing. But David really didn’t do more than keep his nose clean, which is one of the key elements to becoming a road course expert. It was frightening near the end of the race because there were wrecks going on all around him, but he made it through and got a great finish to boot. Now he’s 8th in points!
I was also happy because Todd Kluever ended up one spot ahead of David in 11th. Hey Roush—do you think you could be so kind to put this guy in a full-time ride?!
On to the things that didn’t make me happy. For one thing, the coverage of the race was anything but coverage…mostly a Montoya and Steve Wallace show. Montoya sure, it’s Mexico blah blah, but why Wallace? The funny thing is that it’s not even Rusty who is constantly bringing him up, but Dr. Punch and Andy Petree. Then they talk about him for what seems like forever and make him seem like he’s already a champion of the sport. A bit irritating. Then you have Juan Pablo Montoya…yes, Mexico would be his “home track” but the camera doesn’t have to be on him every second! The broadcast focused so much on him that you rarely—if at all—heard about any other driver outside the top 5 or who wasn’t wrecking. I think I heard David’s name once during the race and it was only a passing reference. Ridiculous! Bobby Hamilton Jr. finished 17th, Jason Leffler 6th, Marcos Ambrose 8th, but does anyone care? I guess not! Or maybe ESPN doesn’t think anyone else cares, which is vexing enough since the commentators seem to be a bit rusty (no pun intended) when it comes to the current NASCAR. It’s pronounced “klee-ver”, not “kloo-ver”!!!
Juan Pablo Montoya. Oh, Montoya, just when I started to kind of like the guy. DIDN’T ANYONE TELL YOU NOT TO SPIN OUT YOUR TEAMMATE? Oh yeah, they did. Scott Pruett has done nothing but come to help out Ganassi’s NASCAR drivers on road courses. He basically taught Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Reed Sorenson and David Stremme how to race on them. He himself loves to race in NASCAR. Yes, he’s gotten aggressive, but who hasn’t on road courses? It doesn’t mean he deserves to be spun out. The leader. With 8 laps remaining. By your teammate!
Sorry, Montoya dove into the first corner as hard as he could. I believe he had no other thought in his mind but passing Scott, no matter how he did it or what happened as a result.
The #42 crew chief, Brad Parrott, said it all for me. I love Brad. Totally fell in love with him when he was Casey’s crew chief last year. In my opinion he’s one of the most loyal and encouraging crew chiefs in the garage toward his driver. So it came as a shock when he looked devastated after Montoya wiped Scott out, and even more of an alarm when he was very upset—instead of celebrating—after Montoya won. Finally, there was a certain someone missing in Victory Lane. Brad. Where was he? With the #41 team of Scott Pruett.
Thanks Brad, for admitting when your driver has made an error. At least you have Casey’s Busch victory to still smile about!
David had been mediocre in practice and even ran off course once during Happy Hour, but truthfully I wasn’t expecting a great finish since firstly I was still worried about his condition after the wreck at California and secondly this was his first road course race. He also had to go to the rear of the field because of an engine change. On Sunday morning I told myself that I would be happy with a top 25.
How does 12th sound?
Wow! David is doing nothing but impressing me over and over again. To finish in the top 15 at a track you’ve never raced at before and that’s so physically exerting is amazing. But David really didn’t do more than keep his nose clean, which is one of the key elements to becoming a road course expert. It was frightening near the end of the race because there were wrecks going on all around him, but he made it through and got a great finish to boot. Now he’s 8th in points!
I was also happy because Todd Kluever ended up one spot ahead of David in 11th. Hey Roush—do you think you could be so kind to put this guy in a full-time ride?!
On to the things that didn’t make me happy. For one thing, the coverage of the race was anything but coverage…mostly a Montoya and Steve Wallace show. Montoya sure, it’s Mexico blah blah, but why Wallace? The funny thing is that it’s not even Rusty who is constantly bringing him up, but Dr. Punch and Andy Petree. Then they talk about him for what seems like forever and make him seem like he’s already a champion of the sport. A bit irritating. Then you have Juan Pablo Montoya…yes, Mexico would be his “home track” but the camera doesn’t have to be on him every second! The broadcast focused so much on him that you rarely—if at all—heard about any other driver outside the top 5 or who wasn’t wrecking. I think I heard David’s name once during the race and it was only a passing reference. Ridiculous! Bobby Hamilton Jr. finished 17th, Jason Leffler 6th, Marcos Ambrose 8th, but does anyone care? I guess not! Or maybe ESPN doesn’t think anyone else cares, which is vexing enough since the commentators seem to be a bit rusty (no pun intended) when it comes to the current NASCAR. It’s pronounced “klee-ver”, not “kloo-ver”!!!
Juan Pablo Montoya. Oh, Montoya, just when I started to kind of like the guy. DIDN’T ANYONE TELL YOU NOT TO SPIN OUT YOUR TEAMMATE? Oh yeah, they did. Scott Pruett has done nothing but come to help out Ganassi’s NASCAR drivers on road courses. He basically taught Jamie McMurray, Casey Mears, Reed Sorenson and David Stremme how to race on them. He himself loves to race in NASCAR. Yes, he’s gotten aggressive, but who hasn’t on road courses? It doesn’t mean he deserves to be spun out. The leader. With 8 laps remaining. By your teammate!
Sorry, Montoya dove into the first corner as hard as he could. I believe he had no other thought in his mind but passing Scott, no matter how he did it or what happened as a result.
The #42 crew chief, Brad Parrott, said it all for me. I love Brad. Totally fell in love with him when he was Casey’s crew chief last year. In my opinion he’s one of the most loyal and encouraging crew chiefs in the garage toward his driver. So it came as a shock when he looked devastated after Montoya wiped Scott out, and even more of an alarm when he was very upset—instead of celebrating—after Montoya won. Finally, there was a certain someone missing in Victory Lane. Brad. Where was he? With the #41 team of Scott Pruett.
Thanks Brad, for admitting when your driver has made an error. At least you have Casey’s Busch victory to still smile about!
