Johnson Sets Off More Car-Bashing

A few weeks ago, Tony Stewart garnered national attention when he made public his frustration (to put it mildly) with the tires that Goodyear brought to Atlanta Motor Speedway, a race in which he finished second. As Stewart ripped NASCAR’s premier tire supplier apart, nearly everybody in the garage area had an opinion of their own, and many of them shared Tony’s sentiments, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon – both of whom also finished in the top-five in that race. The main gripe after the race was that the combination of the new car and the inadequate tires made it nearly impossible for cars to run side-by-side. Kyle Busch, however, didn’t think the tires were all that bad … but, then again, he also won the race. This past Sunday’s visit to Texas Motor Speedway was the first time that the Cup Series raced at a 1.5 mile speedway since Atlanta, and yet again the drivers in the garage are expressing their displeasure.

Defending Cup Series Champion and – ironically enough – race runner-up, Jimmie Johnson, was the most vocal this week in airing out his grievances. From Johnson’s viewpoint, though, it isn’t so much the tire package as it is the entire COT altogether. He thinks that NASCAR needs to consider making some modifications so that the cars aren’t so areo-dependant and increase downforce.

“Did you enjoy the race?” he asked.  “That’s the ultimate judge of it. We’re all afraid to run side-by-side, and you can only get so close to the guy in front of you. We just sit there in a safe spot and ride because you can’t go anywhere.”

Kyle Busch finished third in Sunday’s Samsung 500, and he echoed Johnson’s statements. He stated that the car was extremely hard to drive and that the race wasn’t really much fun. He did, however, recognize the fact that the car is much safer to drive now, and that overall it was a decent day considering they came home in one piece.

Not everyone on the track has gripes apparently, though, and once again it’s the guy that won the race that doesn’t see anything wrong. Following the race, Carl Edwards told reporters that he was tired of the constant grumbling in the garage area, and that if they’re not complaining about one thing, they’ll complain about something else.

“The fact is that these are the forty-three best drivers in the world,” Edwards said. The cars have 900 horsepower and go 200 mph. The track is slippery and the tires are slippery – and, that’s the spectacle – and, that’s what it’s supposed to be. It’s not supposed to be easy for everyone. It’s not supposed to be driving down the interstate. I’m tired of hearing people complain, the media make up stories about how terrible it is and stuff. This is auto racing.”

To Edwards’ credit, he’s been in the news about as much as anyone this season, even aside from the three races he’s won. Between the 100 point penalty at Las Vegas and blowing up in Atlanta, Carl still never let out so much as a moan. However, that said, after watching Texas this past week, many fans are likely to agree that changes need to be made to increase the excitement on these mile-and-a-halfer’s.

“DYN Imposes”:
This week, Do You NASCAR also asks its readers …

1. Do you think that the drivers have shown a great deal of unprofessionalism this year with their complaints about the new car and some of NASCAR’s decisions?

2. What aspect of the car do you think NASCAR should concentrate on improving to improve the quality of the races?

3. Should NASCAR consider possibly taking a couple of 1.5 mile races out of the schedule? If so, which one(s)?

4. Do you think that the drivers’ complaints are valid, or are they typically just an alternative to winning?