the black three

The Good Old Days...

2007-09-27T18:13:00.001-07:00

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

i found this article on autoracing.com. i think that it says very well what many of us on this forum have been saying.....

For eighteen years the final Saturday in August has meant a trip from the piedmont of North Carolina to the hills of Tennessee. Each year’s destination was the “night race” at Bristol Motor Speedway. But there are differences now compared to years past, and they are as discernable as night and day.

The track and atmosphere have changed dramatically. But NASCAR has changed even more. And while exposure and acceptance can be positive, the current nature of stock car racing is no longer acceptable to this old-time fan.

When we exited from highway 19E toward the Hilltop Campground we were greeted by a small city of RVs and campers. Perhaps a large city is a better description, for campers stretched as far as the eye could see and 165,000 fans would attend the race. The track itself rises above the hills, an antiseptic monument to lights, banners, and aluminum. The changes are as impressive to the eye as they are depressing to the spirit.

Gone is the mountain that once towered above the backstretch grandstand, having disappeared in a lumbering convoy of dump trucks. Gone are the grassy hillsides that once graced the high-banked turns just beyond the retaining walls. But those aesthetic qualities aren’t the only things missing from Bristol. Gone, too, is the side-by-side racing that once dominated the world’s fastest half-mile.

Concrete replaced the asphalt racing surface some years ago. The concrete is undoubtedly more durable. But it has left Bristol a “one groove” track, meaning it is almost impossible for two cars to race door-to-door. In days gone by it was common to see two cars circle the oval for several laps in a fender-rubbing battle for the lead. No more. The 2006 race was unique only for its lack of uniqueness.

There was little paint swapped and few fenders rubbed. The absence of “donuts” (tire marks left behind when two cars touch) was enough to make Dale Earnhardt roll over in his grave. It was a simple, elegant, and genteel display… and sorely disappointing. Today’s drivers whine and moan any time another car enters “their space,” much less touches them. It’s amazing how far NASCAR has departed from its foundation.

A hard-nosed, take-no-prisoners attitude made NASCAR’s reputation. What happened to performances like David Pearson and Richard Petty displayed at Daytona in 1976? The checkered flag was in sight and neither man would give an inch. The result was Petty banging the wall while Pearson spun through the grass. Pearson was able to fire his crippled car and limp across the finish line to claim victory. There was nothing “dirty” about it. It was just two men unwilling to be second best. But, when “dirty” driving occurred, it had its remedy.

During the running of the Winston at Charlotte in 1988, Rusty Wallace put a last lap bumper on Darrell Waltrip, spinning his car through the tri-oval grass. The intent was obvious and the aftermath predictable. While Wallace raced to victory, Waltrip’s crewmen met with Wallace’s to “discuss” their differences. Such behavior these days results in fines and suspensions.

NASCAR has killed those rural roots, and salted the soil so they will never grow back. While other sports are embracing their heritage NASCAR is running from theirs full tilt. Bristol is the last fortress to succumb to the modern way.

The Southern 500 -once one of NASCAR’s “Big Four” events- is no longer held at Darlington on Labor Day weekend. In fact, only one race is held at the historic “Lady in Black”. Rockingham stands a silent testimony to yesteryear. And I miss parking in the cow pastures surrounding the old short track at North Wilkesboro. The demise of each is like golf without Augusta National, football without Lambeau Field, or baseball without Yankee Stadium.

All gone. Gone are the roots of the rural South, the rough driving, and the “settle it yourself” attitude. Gone with them is the allure of the track.

I attended my first Winston Cup race in October, 1978 at Rockingham, NC. Cale Yarborough won in Junior Johnson’s number 11 Oldsmobile. In the years since I have attended more races than I can remember at tracks as diverse as the old flat oval at the Richmond Fairgrounds to the high banks of Talladega. I have seen victory lane visited by names like Pearson, Yarborough, Labonte, Elliott, Gant, Earnhardt, Waltrip, Wallace and Richmond. I recall a time when Richard Childress was an also-ran driver, not a championship car owner. And I remember names like Buddy Arrington, Dick Brooks, Junie Donleavy, and J.D. McDuffie, God rest his soul.

Today, not even the name of the series is the same. I have nothing against Nextel, mind you. But “The Nextel Cup” just doesn’t sing like “The Winston Cup Series” did.

Bill Elliott accomplished a remarkable feat in the 1985 Winston 500 at Talladega. Mechanical problems set him back almost two laps, five miles at the 2.66-mile speedway. Elliott caught the field not once but twice, without a caution flag, and won the race comfortably. He passed the other cars like they were sitting still. It seems that stock car racing has passed me by in a similar fashion.

Today’s NASCAR is drawn by the bright lights of Las Vegas, Chicago, and Texas. It is drawn by television contracts that demand large markets. Corporate sponsors police the drivers and produce today’s antiseptic environment. They want their rolling billboards tamely circling the track for public view, without controversy. They do not want them sitting in a hauler -twisted and marred- sacrificed to the pursuit of mere victory. Distasteful is the rural milk that fed NASCAR’s infancy.

I have nothing against change and progress. I embrace both, recognizing them as the natural progression of anything that doesn’t wither and die. But that doesn’t mean I have to like or support the change. NASCAR racing will continue to barrel headlong toward a future void of the rural history from which it rose. As it does I can be found standing at the shuttered gates of North Wilkesboro, clutching a ticket bearing the image of Bobby Allison, and unapologetically longing for the “good ol’ days”

D.E.R.T. Team of Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

2007-06-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Over four years have passed since the day that changed every life in America. This story is not about that fateful and horrible day. However, that day is the singular reason the D.E.R.T. team exists today. September 11, 2001 saw over 3,000 human beings murdered in terrorist attacks. Incredibly these atrocities occurred on our home soil, and all within a few hours drive of our small military base here in Delaware. Our free country suffered an incredibly destructive blow at the hands of pure evil. There could no longer be any doubt among free and loving people that evil exists. On September 11th that evil stood up and challenged our faith. The days following 9-11 are days filled with pain, suffering, and misery. It hurt every single one of us, scarring our souls, and searing our memories with previously unimaginable thoughts. Indeed, it destroyed the very foundation of our innate belief that we were safe. Suddenly we werent. During this time of trial, many heroes emerged. Those determined to find hope in fellow Americans through a deep and unshaken faith in their Higher Power. God helped the believers to close ranks and muster the strength to never give up. Those days were surreal for all of America, and the reality of despair was no different in our little corner of the world. That morning I remember sitting with Robert Sundquist in our Clinics waiting area watching in disbelief as the second plane hit the tower, and the subsequent disasters at the Pentagon and in Western Pennsylvania. The history of Dover Air Force Base in central Delaware is a long and distinguished one. Though small in size, with a shape mirroring the flight line, the base contains a major airlift hub supporting worldwide excursions in wartime and peace. In addition, the base contains the militarys only Port Mortuary. The mortuary is staffed by a diverse array of professionals from numerous federal agencies, along with active and reserve personnel from all military services. This essay is not an attempt to provide a total view of the installations impeccable mortuary service. Instead I will focus on a very small and distinct group of airmen. A group of ordinary Americans placed in an extraordinary situation and discovering that together, as a team, they could persevere and accomplish great things. This is the story of the D.E.R.T. team of Dover Dental Clinic, and its a story that I know well. While the dental clinic, like the base, has a long history of honorable service to its nation; I will pick up the story on the morning of 9-11 sitting in disbelief and watching history unfold with Dr. Sundquist. Moments after the second plane struck the WTC, and for the first time in my military career, the entire base went to real-world Delta. Gates were closed and base personnel were frozen in place. Doors in the dental clinic were locked as our staff remained in stunned silence. While I had only been at Dover for 10 months, I along with the staff knew exactly what this meant. Even before the Pentagon was hit later in the morning we realized that the mortuary would soon be filled with the tragic aftermath of what was unfolding in front of us on live television. And that meant we needed to prepare. Diane Beecher was currently in command of the clinic, and along with Roberto Lebron and Dan Hines began working the administrative side of preparations. Additional manning needed secured, chains of command needed briefing, and the dental clinic needed to get emotionally and physically prepared. And we had to do it quickly and accurately. On the information systems side our team was working hard on a dream. The subsequent buildup of hardware and technology allowed our clinic to achieve the unthinkable. Indeed, in only days the systems effort led by Hines stood up the capability and further executed the technology becoming the first forensic dental team in history to fully utilize digital radiology in a mass disaster response. On the medical logistics side Ed Anderson was working feverishly to obtain the bulk supplies that would be required for this mission. I was preparing a shift schedule, and helping to prepare the mortuaries dental area for its largest contingency in many years. This entire process was taking place in the old building. It stood in the parking lot of the new facility we enjoy today. And, it was a much more difficult place to work. The heating and cooling units were inadequate. Despite our efforts to maintain a neat and clean environment, the concrete floors, walls, and even equipment were stained with years of use. It stood for over three decades and enjoyed an incredible history of its own, culminating in the events following 9-11. So our team, along with hundreds of other professionals, were off and running. Let me remind you again, because it is important, this story is not meant to be comprehensive. Even on the dental side of the effort there are names and faces long since forgotten. We had help from numerous sources, including Andrews, Langley, and Keesler Air Force bases; along with a group of forensic dentists from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Washington, D.C. The old building quickly came to life. Soon the dining/break area was filled by the USO with a wide assortment of snacks and sundries. McDonalds often provided breakfast biscuits, and coffee was consumed by the gallon. It seemed the entire local community wanted to assist, and we on base genuinely appreciated the care and concern. The building swarmed with the FBI, OSI, and NCIS, along with numerous other universally recognized units such as AFIP, and OAFME, the armed forces medical examiners. Within days, helicopters began to ferry in human remains from the Pentagon. Not only those military and civilian personnel killed while working quietly at their desks, but also those souls aboard American Airlines Flight 77 destined for destruction. Body bags were opened, and now the devastation only days earlier just an eerie nightmare on CNN was among us. The earliest shocking hours are eternally etched in my mind. Faces distraught with grief were all around me, and on a bathroom break looking in the mirror I realized my face was no different. Probably everyone thinks about death at some time in their lives, but being confronted with it on a scale this large hurts one desperately and intimately. These were not just ordinary deaths one accepts with a fully-lived, aged life. Rather this was the death of lives cut short, with dreams terminated instantly, leaving families grappling with pain that can never disappear. The dead lay quietly. Those of us privileged to assist identify them did so diligently and with dignity. Only three days before the dead had been like us. They were living, breathing, warm and fleshy citizens, full of hope and desire wanting only to share life and love with their families and friends. Some were young, some a bit older, but all were now gone. Closing my eyes I still see their faces to this day. The face of death is not easy to forget. One victim was wearing a Timex Ironman sports watch, still ticking, and exactly like the one I had on. They were only 22 seconds apart. It may seem unusual that I would remember that, but frankly there is no way I could ever forget.

Amidst this pain our team worked courageously. Those early days are what defined who we are today. Following three 16-hour days our team was struggling and tired. We were beat up, and worn down, but the people on that team were highly motivated airmen, and refused to give up. To this day, I am positive each member was at Dover because of a higher purpose. I do not believe coincidence exists in this lifetime. This story is not about me, or any single one member of our team, or any single moment of time. This is a story of hope, and singleness of purpose, and deep inside being determined to serve fellow human beings at any cost. And that is what we did. Sunday morning rolled around and we were running two dental radiology rooms. I worked the middle one placing films in the mouths of the deceased, and was assisted by Melanie Key. Next door my old friend Steve Sedlock, and Summer Grager were performing the same tasks. We were bantering back and forth, trying to keep spirits high, and talking about how tough a situation we were in. We were exhausted, dirty, and feeling extremely sorry for the victims, their families, and to be perfectly honest, ourselves. It was a difficult time. Steve is one of the hardest workers and kindest human beings I have ever met. It was unusual to see and hear him discouraged. Still he pushed forward and refused to quit. On a quick break I went over to look in his eyes, and encourage him in any way I could. All around us the beat went on. The FBI was fingerprinting remains, AFIP was doing dental exams, and the Medical Examiners were prepping for autopsy. This entire scurry around us was within plain view. Across Steves chest I wrote with a Sharpie marker, D.E.R.T. The Dental Enlisted Response Team was born. Though we were just ordinary dental technicians and feeling unappreciated, we too were an important part of the process. And, I refused to let our team forget it. Quickly, Summer Grager added that if we were the D.E.R.T. team then she, Melanie, and Aisha Dean would become Dust Bunnies. So Steve Sedlock became the first member of our dedicated team. Other charter members, affectionately known as the DERTY Dozen are: myself, Dan Hines, Roberto Lebron, Greg McCulley, Ed Anderson, Summer Grager, Melanie Key, Aisha Dean, Phillipia Reynolds, Rebecca Taylor-Vogt, and April Kantner. Within days, a longtime friend and fellow team member suggested we change the title to Evidence rather than Enlisted. After all, it does take dentists to perform forensic dental exams. The effort wound down. In all, 189 human remains were processed by our team in about ten days. We eventually returned to the dental clinic, to patients, and other military duties. Time passed, and we were closer than ever. We had become family, caring about and fighting with, each other as only those closest to one another ever can. There is no way to forget what we went through together, and no doubt it bound us forever through common and shared experience. The D.E.R.T. story could very well have ended right here. But it did not. Just as Dan Hines quarterbacked the digital buildup, he now chose to tackle this cause. He sensed a higher mission, and looking back, he was right. He chose an emblematic design from the 436th dental clinic, and built a challenge coin around it. The very first D.E.R.T. coin was issued to Diane Beecher, our flight commander, for commitment and leadership to her troops. In very short order the DERTY Dozen also had coins in pocket, as a small token of remembrance for what we endured together. For the record, and I assure you it is fact, the list of team leaders is short. It includes myself, Hines, Anderson, Lebron, and currently Mike Hoard and Jennifer Jones. Becoming the team leader is always by appointment and consensus of the original twelve. While officers and civilians can only be honorary members, we have had three D.E.R.T. commanders. They are Diane Beecher, Kirby Amonson, and presently William Vosburgh. There are no comprehensive lists of actual members, as there is no one person singularly responsible for our existence. Hundreds have been admitted to our humble dental forensics team. Our legacy for service continues today. Since March 2003 the D.E.R.T. team has helped identify and return to their homes 2000 American heroes from Iraq and Afghanistan who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Our team members have continued to rotate/change in the face of PCS and retirements. However, one thing remains the same today, as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. The D.E.R.T. team serves with honor and distinction and continues to embody the Air Force ideals of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do. Let me assure all who read this that serving with this team has been the highlight of my six assignment, 21-year military career. The people that have worked alongside me under circumstances that human beings should not have to endure are people that I love. Today more than ever I understand that God brought us together to achieve what none of us could have accomplished alone. Not one member has ever been more, or less valuable, than any other. Every single member has made me proud to be a part of something greater than myself, and a part of something that will stand long after we are all gone. If you have been presented a coin, treasure it, and know that those who came before were just like you, and determined to make this world a better place for us all. May God Bless You and God Bless America.

Editor Note: This short article was written by myself in the summer of 2005. It was meant to leave an account of the small group of dental forensics members that were dedicated to their fellow human beings; and more importantly, cared about deeply and took care of each other during a devastating period in all of our lives. Presently, I am working on a manuscript providing a much more detailed account of those two years, but also presenting the incredible emotional and physical toll it placed on the individual team members.

The Outlaws Prayer by Johnny Paycheck

2007-05-28T18:17:00.001-07:00

You know, I worked the Big Packet show in Fort Worth, Saturday night,
We had all day Sunday to rest and relax, before I caught another flight.
So I decided to walk down town an' get myself a little fresh air.
Before long, I found myself in front of a big church on the corner of the square.

Boy, I could hear that singin' way out in the street, sure was a beautiful sound.
So I just walked up the steps an' opened the door an' started to go inside an' sit down.
But before I could, a young man walked over to me an said: "Excuse me, Sir,
"But I can't let you in with that big black hat, those jeans, that beard an' long hair.

So I just left, went back outside, sat down on that kerbing, an I thought to myself:
That's the house of the Lord. That guy's got the hell of a nerve.
Tellin' me I can't worship anywhere I please.
So right there, in front of that Church, I just knelt down on my knees.

I said: "Lord, I know I don't look like much, but I didn't think you'd mind.
"I just wanted to be with your people, Lord: it's been a long time.
"A while ago, a saw a wino over there in the alley, all bent over in tears,
"An' I thought how one stained glass window, from this Church, would feed his family for years."

"Then there's those fine cars parked outside: too many for me to count.
"Made me think how people walked for days to hear your sermon on the mount.
"Then there's those fine ladies in the choir, Lord, singin' like they really love it.
"Hell, last night, they were dancin' on the front row of my show: drinkin' beer, screamin: 'Sing Shove It.'

"You know, even John the Baptist wouldn't be welcome in this place,
"With his coat made of Camel hair an' sandals on his feet an' a long beard on his face.
"You know, Lord, when you come back to get your children, an' take 'em beyond the clouds,
"To live forever in Heaven with you: well, I'd sure hate to be in this crowd.

"You know, Lord, I'm not perfect; some even call me no count.
"But I'll tell you: I believe a man is judged by what's in his heart, not what's in his bank account.
"So if this is what religion is: a big car, a suit an' a tie,
"Then I might as well forget it Lord, 'cause I can't qualify.

"Oh, by the way, Lord, right before they kicked me out, didn't I see a picture of you?
"With sandals an' a beard. Believe you had long hair too."
"Well, this is Paycheck, signing off.
"I'll be seein' you Lord, I hope."

Happy Memorial Day; God Bless the Troops!

2007-05-27T11:26:00.001-07:00

More than a million American service members have died in the wars and conflicts this nation fought since the first colonial soldiers took up arms in 1775 to fight for independence. Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine who died fighting in these conflicts was someone's son or daughter, father or mother or friend. Each was a loss to the nation - and each a hero.

This year, as Americans are engaged around the world in the War on Terrorism, we are especially mindful that our brothers and sisters face enemies every day and yet stand resolved to carry out their mission and keep America safe. Many will return home with pride for serving their country honorably. Others will be honored for fighting and falling in the line of duty. All these men and women have earned our gratitude and respect. They too are heroes and warriors.

By observing Memorial Day, we strengthen a tradition dating back more than 130 years, to the aftermath of the American Civil War and the decoration of the graves of fallen soldiers. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed May 5, 1868, by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. After World War I, the observance of Memorial Day was broadened to honor those who died in all our nation's wars - and so it has continued.

This Memorial Day, we remember, we celebrate, and we thank those who have gone before us. Let them be our teachers, and we will honor their courage and sacrifice by learning from them.

God Bless Every Service Member Past and Present .... John, U.S.A.F, Ret.

Earnhardt / Gordon Rivalry .....

2007-04-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Daytona Bob @ http://www.infieldparking.com/daytonabob

They are the two greatest drivers of the modern era, the perfect
personifications of old and new NASCAR, an irresistible clash of
personalities, styles and wills. But when it comes to Dale Earnhardt
and Jeff Gordon, the timing was all wrong.

Gordon earned his 76th career victory on NASCAR's premier circuit
Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway, tying him with the
Intimidator for sixth on the sport's all-time list. It was a night
that dripped with symbolism, complete with Gordon carrying a No. 3
flag on his victory lap, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. personally
congratulating the man generally considered to be his late father's
greatest rival on the track.

Except he wasn't. The Kid and the Killer, as they were once referred
to in the early 1990s, were fierce competitors who shared a mutual
respect for one another. They were popular champions who occasionally
found themselves on opposite ends of an accident or an issue. But
rivals? Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon were anything but.

It's a simple matter of the calendar. Gordon and Earnhardt competed
directly against each other for only eight full seasons, from
Gordon's arrival on what was then known as the Winston Cup tour in
1993 until the year before Earnhardt's untimely death in the 2001
Daytona 500. Their careers during that span stood in stark contrast --
the man with the mustache was struggling though a low point, while
the kid with the mullet was becoming NASCAR's best. The 20-year gap
in their ages stood out like a car with a neon paint scheme.

Head to head, from the beginning of the 1993 season to the end of the
2000 campaign, Gordon won 52 times and Earnhardt 23. When Gordon won
his 10 races en route to his second championship in 1997, Earnhardt
was suffering through his first winless season in nearly two decades.
The next year, Gordon won 13 races as car owner Richard Childress
swapped crew chiefs in an attempt to get Earnhardt and his No. 3
Chevy back to the front.

The move worked, re-energizing Earnhardt, who rallied to finish
second to Bobby Labonte in the 2000 championship standings at the
same time Gordon was slipping back toward the pack. As the 2001
season dawned, the playing field between the two competitors never
seemed more level. Then came Feb. 18, and Daytona, and the fourth-
turn accident that made the sport stand still.

It's impossible to compare Gordon and Earnhardt by their seasons
racing against one another, a duration that offers only incomplete
results. Earnhardt's most dominant days, like his 11-win season of
1987 or his hat trick of back-to-back championships, had passed
before Gordon reached his peak. At the time same, Gordon's phenomenal
run of 33 race wins from 1996-98 came as Earnhardt was searching for
ways of resuscitating his career. In the long view of NASCAR, they
were two champions who intersected only for a relatively brief period
of time.

And although they had their share of contentious moments and
racetrack encounters, each battled others who better fit the
definition of a rival.

You want rivals? Try Gordon and Tony Stewart, who have clashed too
many times to count, and once chased each other through the garage
area after a wreck at Watkins Glen.

You want rivals? Try Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace, who threw water
bottles at one another, hid steering wheels from one another, and
played endless head games all underscored by friendship.

Any rivalry between Gordon and Earnhardt existed only in the eyes of
others.

"I think there was a lot of respect there. I never remember a rivalry
where they leaned on each other or ever had a situation where they
had to go in the garage area. Definitely, they didn't have to go to
the NASCAR hauler about problems on the racetrack. I actually never
remember any problems. I think there was a lot of respect there,"
said Rick Hendrick, Gordon's car owner.

"I think when you've got two popular drivers, different fan bases, I
think a lot of times the fans create the rivalry. I don't think it
happens on the racetrack sometimes. I think in that case, it was just
that Earnhardt fans didn't want to see Jeff win, and Jeff's fans were
against Earnhardt. I think that was more fan-driven than it was
actual. In order for there to be a rivalry, something's got to happen
on the track, some kind of confrontation. I don't ever remember
seeing that happen."

Their disparate ages and personas belied a relationship closer than
many realized. Long before Gordon came along, it was Earnhardt who
shook down the first NASCAR vehicle Hendrick's race team ever built.
It was Earnhardt behind the steering wheel of the No. 15 Wrangler
Pontiac when Hendrick won his first race as a car owner, in a Busch
event at Charlotte in 1983. And it was Earnhardt who would sometimes
approach a young Gordon in the garage area, and ask him about how he
raced.

"Jeff and Dale were always good friends," Hendrick said. "I never saw
any kind of conflict between them. They always wanted to beat each
other. I mean, that's why they raced. There was a tremendous amount
of respect both ways."

Burton: Junior was right to fill in for Busch

2007-04-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

DAVID GRIFFIN / NASCAR SCENE

AVONDALE, Ariz. - Dale Earnhardt Jr. was right to step in for Kyle Busch last week at Texas Motor Speedway as far as Jeff Burton is concerned.

The only thing Burton sees as worthy of regret about the whole incident is that Earnhardt Jr. has taken heat from fans and media for his decision to drive the final nine laps of the race in Busch's Hendrick Motorsports' car. The situation unfolded when Busch left the track, unaware that his team planned to return to the race, and Earnhardt Jr., who was also out after a crash caused by Busch, took his seat.

After the race, a furor erupted over both the switch and the fact that Earnhardt Jr. passed Jimmie Johnson in the finishing order, gaining three points for Busch in the standings under NASCAR's rule that awards all points to a driver who starts a car.

Burton sees it as a stir over nothing.

"Historically, old school racing, when someone needs some help, you help them," Burton said. "I've had drivers help me before, I've helped other drivers before when they were injured or sick. I've had drivers, typically teammates, always teammates as I remember, drive my car to give me their opinion on what my car is doing to help me. I've done the same to people. Last week has brought up a lot of discussions whether Junior should have driven that car, based on the points. I believe he did the right thing. I believe that when a team asks you if you can help them, that it would be completely out of the box to say no. For Junior to say, 'No I can't do that,' would have been way more unusual than him saying yes."

Burton says he does recognize the issue created when Earnhardt Jr. gained three points in the race. But in the end, he doesn't think that was the point.

This was about respect and courtesy between two competitors. Burton doesn't think that should be lost in the debate over whether or not Earnhardt Jr. made the right decision.

"There is such as thing as professional respect, and I think Junior extended professional respect to [team owner] Rick Hendrick and to the Hendrick organization, and I would have done the exact same thing had I been asked to do that," he said. "... This is a cut-throat business from time to time, but it's also a very compassionate garage area, and I don't think Junior did anything different from what everybody would have done, to be quite honest with you. There are some conflicts you can get in - I've had some Busch drivers at times at tests ask me to drive in their cars and I couldn't because of some contractual things - but short of something like that, if you can help somebody, I think you should."

Burton says he feels that way regardless of issues such as filling in for competitors driving for other manufacturers.

The bottom line is, Earnhardt Jr. showed respect for other teams and to his sport when he made his decision, and that's what Burton sees as the crux of the issue.

"You look at it more from the team standpoint, and that team needed some help, and I think Junior did the right thing," Burton said. "I feel bad that he's getting criticism for trying to do the right thing."

Troubled Waltrip atypically silent at Texas

2007-04-14T08:25:00.000-07:00

By Stephen Hawkins and Schuyler Dixon, The Associated Press
April 13, 2007

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Michael Waltrip isn't talking or racing this weekend.

Waltrip will miss his sixth consecutive Nextel Cup race after qualifying at Texas was canceled Friday because of severe storms.

The two-time Daytona 500 winner, in the first year with the Toyota team he owns, doesn't have enough season points to get in the 43-car field.

The latest setback for Waltrip comes less than a week after he was charged with reckless driving and failing to report an accident after hitting a telephone pole and rolling his SUV about a mile from his North Carolina home.

Waltrip didn't grant requests for interviews at the track Friday.

Earlier this week, Waltrip said he was "really embarrassed about the accident, but I feel fortunate that I wasn't hurt." He said he fell asleep at the wheel.

Waltrip met Friday with NASCAR officials and also was examined by doctors at the track's infield car center. NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said Waltrip was seen and released, which would have cleared him to race this weekend.

Police said the accident happened before 2 a.m. Saturday when Waltrip lost control of his SUV while driving around a curve and overcorrected. His car rolled and hit a utility pole.

Waltrip suffered scratches to his arms, hands and face and cuts on his fingers.

Housing prices plummet in Detroit

2007-04-06T13:28:00.000-07:00

© Joel Nash
Mar 22, 2007

Due to high levels of unemployment, an ailing automotive market Detroit properties are rapiding being foreclosed upon and prices continue to fall.

Evidence of the recent collapse of the Detroit Real Estate market has never been more evident. Continuing cutbacks in the automotive sector has caused an exodus out of the city. A city that was once a vibrant, and productive piece of the American cultural framework is beginning to fade into the night.

High levels of unemployment and declining sales in the automotive sector are the root cause of the issue.

mikey should fire himself...

2007-03-29T17:17:00.000-07:00

courtesy of mike bell @ http://www.790thezone.com

Heading into Martinsville Michael Waltrip is dead last in the Nextel Cup points race. After failing to qualify in 4 of the first 5 races the driver of the Napa Auto Parts Toyota Camry is 818 points behind series leader Jeff Gordon. And to add insult to injury he actually has a negative points total because of the penalties incurred at Daytona for cheating. The pride of Owensboro Kentucky is minus 27. That’s worse than John “Bluto” Blutarsky’s GPA of 0.0 in Animal House. How do you think the honchos over at Toyota feel about this situation? They’ve got 100 million dollars invested in this guy’s operation and that’s a conservative estimate. And all they’ve got to show for it is one huge black eye. Not to mention the money he’s stealing from Napa and Burger King. I predicted that this team would struggle in it’s inaugural campaign but I had no idea it would be this bad.

When it comes to selling pizzas, tv’s or auto parts nobody does it better than Michael Waltrip. His down home “aw shucks” act has always played well with racing fans and lot’s more of the demographics Madison Avenue craves. Personally I think the guy is over saturated. You can’t hunker down in your Lazy boy on a Sunday afternoon without it feeling like Michael Waltrip spots are on an endless loop. I get the fact that he’s one of the first race car drivers who understands how to market himself, he obviously picked up a few things from his big brother Darrell in that department. I’m always amazed on race day how many fans still buy into his act. But then again a lot of the people who think he’s witty probably get a real hoot from watching re-runs of Hee-Haw.

I guess Toyota drank the Michael Waltrip Kool-Aid. He is after all a 2 time Daytona 500 winner. (Granted one of those races was a rain shortened event). Big time sponsors love him. He’s just the guy to be point man for the company’s move to the Nextel Cup. If only somebody at Toyota had just dug a little deeper before cutting him a blank check. TV pitchman you bet, winning race car driver…not any more, multiple car team owner…no way! More knowledgeable fans of the sport will tell you that for most of his career he was a walking punch line living off his big brother’s success. He went 0 for 463 starts before winning his first Cup race, The 2001 Daytona 500. Driving for DEI he took the checkered flag as the man who changed Waltrip’s life lost his in turn 4.

If the late Dale Earnhardt doesn’t tap him to drive the 15 car he’d probably be out of the sport right now. The only races Michael Waltrip ever won were restrictor plate races which DEI dominated earlier this decade. Outside of Talladega or Daytona the guy is a four wheeled speed bump. He’s never finished in the top 10 in points for his career. He currently has no top 10’s in his last 54 starts. And this is the guy you want to build your premier operation around? Toyota gave Waltrip huge money to sign former champion Dale Jarrett and to hire 135 employees and build a 142,000 square foot facility in Cornelius, North Carolina. And what do they get for their money? A huge embarrassment at this year’s Daytona 500. Waltrip’s car was too slow and in danger of missing the sport’s biggest race. Solution; put some sterno in the engine manifold to increase horsepower. Not once but twice! Nascar officials never really told us just what the substance was. Napalm, jet fuel who knows? In a sport permeated by the “if you ain’t cheating you ain’t trying” mindset, this was a whole new can of worms. This kind of cheating was so mind blowing that Nascar dropped the heaviest fines and penalties in the sport’s history on the team. Toyota proclaimed that Michael Waltrip Racing had used up two of three strikes and that further penalties would result in Michael losing factory support all together. Michael Waltrip proceeded to throw his crew chief David Hyder under the bus and told a sob story about his daughter Macy on FOX to garner sympathy. “Daddy are you a cheater?” she was purported to ask. What did you tell her Michael? Yeah you cheated. And now we all know why, your cars and your race team aren’t up to speed…literally.

Chevrolet Aims for 600th NASCAR Cup Series Win

2007-03-23T14:30:00.000-07:00

The Debut of the Chevy Impala SS This Weekend Marks Opportunity for Bowtie Brand to Score 600th Victory and 61st Impala Win

DETROIT - Chevrolet, the most successful nameplate in NASCAR, will have the opportunity to achieve several historic milestones at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. With Jimmie Johnson's back-to-back wins in Las Vegas and Atlanta, Chevrolet has 599 NASCAR Cup wins as Team Chevy heads to Bristol, Tenn. where the Impala nameplate will make its return to NASCAR racing. If a Chevy driver wins in Bristol this weekend, it would be the 600th all-time victory for Chevrolet and the 61st win for Impala.

"We are extremely proud of Chevrolet's successful heritage in NASCAR," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "To score Chevrolet's 600th victory would be very special considering how tough the competition has been over the years. But it would also be even more significant to accomplish this milestone during the first race with the new Impala SS race car."

This weekend's Food City 500 in Bristol is the first event featuring NASCAR's next generation of race cars including the Chevy Impala SS. Forty-eight years after the nameplate was introduced to NASCAR racing, Impala returns to NASCAR competition in 16 Nextel Cup events this season.

Team Chevy drivers have the strength of the formidable GM Racing engineering and marketing divisions behind them as well an unparalleled racing heritage. When it takes the track at Bristol, Impala will have already achieved consecutive NASCAR titles in 1960 and 1961 as well 60 race wins including the inaugural Impala race in 1959 at Daytona International Speedway. In addition to Impala's success, Chevrolet's history of NASCAR racing accolades includes 23 driver titles, 30 manufacturer championships and 599 victories. Chevrolet's closest competitor for all-time NASCAR victories trails by the equivalent of a full-season of race wins (22).

Chevrolet: The Most Successful Nameplate in NASCAR
Chevrolet Statistics in the NASCAR Cup Series

Drivers Championships:
All-time (1949 - 2006) = 23
First title for Chevrolet = Buck Baker in 1957
Highest number of consecutive titles = 6 (1993 - 1998)

Years Won: 1957, 1960, 1961, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985, 1986,
1987, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2005, 2006

Manufacturers Championships:
All-time (1949 - 2006) = 30
First title for Chevrolet = 1958
Highest number of consecutive titles = 9 (1983 - 1991)

Years Won: 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980,
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

Event Victories:
2007 Race Wins = 3
2006 Race Wins = 23
All-time Race Wins (1949 - present) = 599
Best years for All-time race wins = 25 (1958)

Total All-time NASCAR Cup Wins (by corporation): 1949-present
General Motors Corporation = 933
(Chevy: 599 + Pontiac: 154 + Olds: 115 + Buick: 65)

Ford Motor Company = 676
(Ford: 577 + Mercury: 95 + Lincoln: 4)

Chrysler Corporation = 444
(Dodge: 194 + Plymouth: 191 + Chrysler: 59)

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is America's No.1-selling automotive brand. In addition, Chevrolet delivers more-than-expected value in every vehicle category, offering cars and trucks priced from $9,995 to $78,175. Chevy delivers expressive design, spirited performance and great value with standard features usually found only on more expensive vehicles.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world's largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM's OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

Pursue fair trade

2007-03-19T15:46:00.000-07:00

United States must do better at opening other nations' markets to American industries

March 18, 2007

BY RON DZWONKOWSKI

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Free trade hereabouts generally is taken to mean they send us cheap goods, we send them good jobs. Or we open the border to endless truckloads of Canadian trash, and send auto production to the Canadians because they have government-paid health care.

Oh, Americans get globalization all right. But they get shafted on trade -- at least that's the perception. And there is a rationale for it. The American government has been much more aggressive about opening access to the U.S. market than about making sure foreign markets are open to U.S. goods and services. Everybody on Earth wants to sell here, in the land of the voracious consumer, but nobody wants to throw open their markets to American products -- or even our trash. Instead, they want American employers to build factories in their countries.

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In a recent national survey conducted for the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations, 60% of Americans said international trade was bad for U.S. workers. In a Pew Research Center survey late last year, 48% of Americans said free trade agreements lead to job losses while only 12% said they create jobs.

In a discussion last week at the Detroit Economic Club, I asked the ambassadors to America from Germany and the European Union what Europe needed that the United States could supply. Neither named a product, a good or a commodity kind of thing you might sell at a profit. Rather, they said, the United States can export its can-do attitude, its knack for seeing problems as opportunities, its collegial workplace atmosphere, its entrepreneurial spirit.

What's that worth to a 43-year-old autoworker whose job has just vanished?

Actually, the EU has a far more robust and two-way economic relationship with the United States than the Asian companies that get most of the attention these days. Asia is still largely a one-way deal. A pending trade agreement with South Korea is the latest example.

Last year, American automakers sold about 7,200 cars in South Korea. The South Koreans sold 801,000 in the United States. Maybe South Koreans wouldn't buy any more Cadillacs and Lincolns even if they could, but they're not getting the chance because of their government's import restrictions. And the proposed new trade agreement would send even more of their vehicles our way.

U.S. Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, who chairs a key House subcommittee on trade issues, said in a speech last week that South Korea has thrown up "massive non-tariff barriers to American industrial products in general and automotive products in particular ... an economic iron curtain."

"Korea has successfully pursued an industrial policy, following the Japanese model, of sheltering its market and using profits from higher prices in their domestic market to sell autos cheaper in the U.S., and pour the profits into research and development to improve their products in competition with American cars," Levin said. "We welcome competition that helps improve our products, but not distorted markets."

Globalization presents enormous opportunities. Its explosion drove the economic boom of the 1990s. It's not going into reverse. In fact, the EU is proposing a new transatlantic agreement that would share standards across the ocean wherever possible, so manufacturers would not have to meet separate European and U.S. specifications. This makes enormous sense and has global possibilities. The cost savings could be huge and, on some products, from medicines to motor vehicles, there can't be all that much difference between what we'll allow and they'll allow.

American industry will never compete with the Third World on labor costs, but is becoming extraordinarily more efficient and certainly can match anyone on quality and innovation. But the key is in the world's growing markets. The United States cannot keep letting other countries protect their industries at the expense of ours.

American industries don't need protection. They need access. If globalization is all about breaking down international barriers, Uncle Sam needs to be sure they are falling both ways.

RON DZWONKOWSKI is editor of the Free Press editorial page. Contact him at dzwonk@freepress.com or 313-222-6635.

friends; do NOT drink the Kool-Aid....

2007-03-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

i am not anti-foreign car. in fact, there are foreign cars out there that i would consider owning. not a toyota though. what i am personally concerned about is the lack of free-trade recipriocity between japan and the united states. while we allow foreign automakers the opportunity to sell cars in the u.s. competitively the same option is not granted to u.s. carmakers in japan. so while japan sells millions and millions of vehicles in the good ole u.s.; chevy's are nearly impossible to purchase in tokyo because of import regulations. japan is abusing us and our goodwill. i understand they've opened factories across the u.s. employing thousands of americans. ok. i get it. but what is never stated is that those jobs come at a price. just ask american union autoworkers, and their struggling families in detroit. generations of good hard-working americans are being undercut. so if you think buying that foreign car isn't hurting the u.s. you are incorrect. nevertheless, this is america, and what is so good about america is that we have choice. i wish each of you peace; and GO JR. at Atlanta!!!

vegas a success...

2007-03-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

...and i know a lot of folks were throwing things at the big-screen, and cursing; but hey folks be for real. junior ran good. and, finished good. 11th place gets him to 28th in the standings. if you ain't happy with that check out where kasey kahne finished. in fact ole tv-kk is outside the top 35. also big congrats to chevrolet with the top 3 finishers and 8 of the top 12, including martin truex and jr. so all in all a great race; and hot-lanta is comin' happy days, john.

We Will Always Remember....

2007-03-11T13:59:00.000-07:00

Dale Earnhardt, and all he stood for. He was one of us, and when he died he took a little of each of us with him that can never be replaced. Junior sure is trying though. Happy Days, John.