“We fought hard. We overcame adversity,” said McDowell after the race. “We were in position there to have a top 10 and we just got caught up in a wreck. Not sure exactly what happened, just got hit from behind, ran into the No. 10 and she spun. It was just one of those chain reaction deals. I will have to go back and see. Everyone did good, the Thrivent Financial Chevrolet was up front, got some TV time, was running hard, unfortunately, we didn’t get the finish.”  [1]

Here’s the video of the wreck Michael McDowell #95 (pictured above) caused, by slamming into the Danica Patrick’s #10 car in the middle of a pack at 190 MPH at Talladega:

Patrick called it the “hardest hit of her career.”  Matt Kenseth #20 was flipped and tumbled several times.  One announcer feared Kenseth was going to hit the catch fence, which doesn’t ‘catch’ much of a car flying at 190 MPH. Physicists hired by NASCAR to study aerodynamics, have stated that 150 MPH is the limit for preventing cars from being lifted into the air when suddenly turned.

It’s pretty clear in this interview that she’s NOT okay after being wrecked by McDowell, she simply fears being fined by NASCAR, for speaking out over a reckless idiot who doesn’t belong on the same race track:

Note: Any wrecked driver should be immediately tested for concussion, if driver safety actually matters.

The issues are clear, and yet NASCAR (like the NFL on concussions) takes a ‘wait and see’ approach to participant safety. NASCAR fears: 1) loss of revenue; and 2) more than anything else, the redefinition of their sport.  There are major egos involved here.

Driver safety had never been much of an issue, until Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona in 2001. This prompted NASCAR to finally get with the program, which the rest of motorsports had already adopted– finally modernizing safety features for their cars & drivers. [2]

Now ‘stock car’ racing reaches 195+ MPH at it’s fastest super-speedways (Talladega & Daytona), and this is with restrictor plates.  All-out speeds without plates is 230+ MPH. [3]

Stock car racing is defined as ‘bump & run’ style. This is different from ‘open wheel’ racing, such as Indy car, which is from where Danica Patrick came.  Patrick ran an unofficial practice lap at Indianapolis Speedway, at a micro-second under 230 MPH– which is still the record for a woman.  Arie Luyendyk is the fastest lap ever– at 239+ MPH.  [4]

On just casual evaluation, Patrick’s driving skills are clearly superior to two-thirds of the NASCAR field, and arguable one of the best.  She’s either 1) been given a slower car & team, or 2)  gets wrecked whenever she’s having a good run.

Racing is a team sport, and every NASCAR Sprint Cup driver has an 8-man team:

Front Tire Carrier
Front Tire Changer
Rear Tire Carrier
Rear Tire Changer
Jackman
Gasman
Spotter
Crew Chief

The top 6 listed are the pit crew, responsible for refuelling, new tires, chassis adjustments & on-track repairs. The spotter is posted high in the stands, and uses binoculars to communicate by radio with the driver– an extra set of eyes, with a panoramic view of the race.

The crew chief is the equivalent of the head coach in American football. He coordinates the race plan with the driver, the racing equivalent of the quarterback. It is ultimately the driver who takes responsibility for the race, as each must repeatedly make split-second decisions on the track.

Problems occur when crew chiefs (or other team members) get an ego over who should be in charge.  Every position on all 40 Sprint Cup teams every week is occupied by a man.  Danica Patrick is literally the only woman in NASCAR, and she faces challenges within her own team that no other driver has.

NASCAR comes from the South, and southerners are not known as good losers.  This is traditionalized today by the cheatin’ SEC in college sports. Historically it goes back to Booth assassinating Abraham Lincoln, and losing the Civil War which ended chattel slavery.  This is what Danica Patrick (from the midwest, who represents driver safety & civility) is up against.

Since she is a woman, a large group of people (called women) care about her safety. Many educated & young men care too. This frightens NASCAR, as they fear losing their sport to a new demographic, which will redefine it in a way they don’t prefer.  It’s much easier for them to keep letting Danica Patrick be a crash test dummy, until she’s killed or quits.

As far as Patrick winning a race, or consistently running top 10– that will not be allowed. It’s clear to anyone who follows these races. that any good-ol-boy-of-the-week will be allowed to wreck her a high speed– without penalty. [5]

This comes down to Brian France & Richard Petty, who own NASCAR in every sense.  Also notice how all this nonsense is broadcast, either by FOX or NBC.  As long as these prejudices are allowed to rule, driver’s will continue to be dangerously be wrecked, until someone is permanently crippled or killed.  These charlatans will only shed crocodile tears, unless it’s one of their truly-favored saints who is victimized.  Unfortunately martyrs remain dead.  Apparently, Danica Patrick counts for less-than-most (if not at all) in the estimation of NASCAR, FOX and the rest of this corporate parasitism.

Of course, all their lies are simply attempts to put reality on its head.  For example, the NASCAR All-star race to be held in Charlotte later in May, is an annual showcase event where the fans vote-in their favorite driver. Guess who now wins (in a landslide), year-after-year?

NASCAR still tries to sell everyone that Dale, Jr #88 is their most popular driver; to the point where he’s probably embarrassed by much of it.

This writer respects Earnhardt, who is probably the most-loved figure among NASCAR’s traditional base, but Danica is a global icon. No other NASCAR figure can claim that.

Brian France has run NASCAR since his father died in 2003.  He was born and raised as his grandfather Bill France, Sr ran upstart NASCAR with an iron fist.  Big Bill died of Alzheimer’s in 1992, turning NASCAR (by now a multi-billion dollar industry) over to his son Bill, Jr.  NASCAR today has huge clout.  [6]

Steve O’Donnell (shown above) is now NASCAR’s #2 man. [7]  Since Brian France is a redneck, a slicker more polished pitch-man is now required in this sophisticated & modern age we live.  O’Donnell’s job is to blow smoke up everyone’s ass, whenever there’s a serious issue making NASCAR look bad.

‘Everyone’ includes the drivers, media, and fans; and the issues pertaining to driver safety range from dangerous racing speeds to intentionally wrecking to lug nuts. [8]

As you can read below, sometimes even their top spokesman reveals too much (for which they always later correct– by deleting).  Steve O’Connor explains, “With each incident, you never want to learn through those instances but you always do.”

NASCAR (the France family) takes virtually all the money from it’s races. That’s why all the teams have sponsors wrapped all over their cars and patched on their uniforms, as they are necessary to pay all the expenses for these high-performance cars and its specialized personnel.  Prize money available for the teams is only a small fraction of what NASCAR rakes, and it doesn’t come close to covering any team’s expenses.

NASCAR will only change for the better when its fans & drivers & teammates join together. and take this form of racing as their own, as it shouldn’t be a whim of wealthy, ignorant, and drunken prejudice.  The lives on the track and in the stands, and the enjoyment of all its fans are worth much more to human society.

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