Procrastination
By M.L. Morgan
Well, race fans, we have been considering writing a piece about procrastination for some time, now. We see no reason not to put it off for a few more weeks.
We are tired of both writing, and reading, about all the ugly aftermath of Dale Earnhardt's unfortunate accident. We have no doubts the lawsuits over the public disclosure of the autopsy photo's will continue for a long time. Not that publishing them has any valid newsworthy merit. Just money-grubbing sensationalism. Pigs.
Let's talk about women in racing. We were considering addressing this deal a few weeks ago, but we put it off. We were sooo busy.
We are reminded again by the idea that veteran driver Shawna Robinson will get a real chance to compete at the Cup level. Fine with us - if you can qualify, come on down !! We will welcome you.
We have witnessed several similar spectacles in the past. We watched as the the HRT - the Hispanic Race Team failed to materialize, for all the right reasons. By the time these folks came along, waving their flags, Felix Sabates had already spent 40 or 50 million bucks out of his own pocket, to try to field a competitive team. We never thought he did it to promote himself. We thought it did it because of his fondness for racing. Sabates was welcomed by both Nascar and the fans.
Then we saw several incarnations of celebrities proposing the BRT - the Black Racing Team. They were never denied access by Nascar, or the fans. These self-promoting people just couldn't decide to shit or get off the pot. They seemed quite content to enjoy their 15 seconds of fame. We think that's all they wanted. And 15 seconds was more than they deserved.
Women have been a part of Nascar forever. They raced in the sand in the early days of Daytona. The word chauvinist wasn't even known then. Throughout the 50 year history of Nascar, women have maintained a presence. As drivers, team members to a small degree, and as team owners. Fine with all of us.
Michael Kranefuss, formerly of Ford Motors, and most recently, former part-owner of the #12 team, has decided to sponsor Ms Robinson for a few, select races this season. We have no idea why. Probably just a publicity stunt by Kranefuss. Regardless, Shawna Robinson will given a fair chance to compete.
No one at Race Views wears rose-colored glasses. We know the Kranefuss/Robinson team has absolutely no more chance of being competitive than any of the single-car teams, much less as a single-car, start-up team. We think this is more diversionary PR promulgated by Nascar.
Nascar has shown their butt a lot since February 18, 2001. Even a lot of the most loyal fans are questioning Nascar's honesty - spare me please !!. We never questioned it - we knew that Nascar and honesty could never be used in the same sentence. It's called an oxymoron - a writer's term. We are not just race fans here at Race Views. We are also writers. We will never talk down to anyone. An example of an oxymoron is the phrase 'jumbo shrimp'. It can either be jumbo or it can be a shrimp. Likewise, it can be honest or it can be Nascar. Can't be both.
Mike Morgan
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