Sorting through your questions on a variety of hot-button NASCAR topics.
One Busch is suspended, another Busch is out for an indefinite amount of time due to injury, Danica Patrick is getting into pit road shouting matches, Jeff Gordon is retiring (and was lucky to escape injury himself), and the topic of safety has taken center stage. Add everything together and it equals an overflowing inbox brimming with your questions.
And a reminder for future editions, you can always submit your enquiries via Twitter or by emailing jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.
So Danica jumps out of her car and grabs Denny Hamlin then starts screaming at him, how is Denny supposed to react in this situation? He obviously can't touch Danica so what gives her the right to touch him. I feel sorry for Denny because he had to just sit there and take it.
-- Leon
Hamlin acted exactly how he was supposed to given the circumstances. Amazingly, he kept calm, didn't escalate the confrontation -- in fact, he tried to defuse it -- and resisted the temptation to take what would have been a very easy chance to swing at the low hanging fruit of questioning Patrick's ability.
And you're right, Hamlin was in a no-win scenario. When Brad Keselowski had several run-ins last year, Hamlin and several others frequently stated what frustrated them most about Keselowski was him just walking away after an on-track incident. True to his word Hamlin stayed and heard Patrick out, even if what she was saying was borderline ridiculous. (If you listen to what she said, Patrick basically admitted to being uncomfortable with bump-drafting, a staple of racing at Daytona or Talladega.)
The only other thing Hamlin could have done was walk away, but to his credit he attempted to apologize and that was when Patrick grabbed him by the collar. And going forward, what can really be done? Men and women competing against one another is part of the unique nature of motor sports and these outbursts will forever happen. All you can hope is others follow Hamlin's lead and cooler heads prevail.
You say because this is Danica's third year she must improve otherwise GoDaddy may leave. This got me thinking, so what? Wouldn't another sponsor just step in because of Danica's popularity? No, she's not winning races but she's still popular and gets a ton of TV time.
-- Phil
Conventional wisdom says a company would jump at the chance to align with one of the world's most famous athletes. But when you look at the landscape it isn't a guarantee a sponsor will automatically sign on, especially paying what GoDaddy's forking over.
For comparisons sake look at Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s recent sponsorship conundrum. Despite being NASCAR's most popular figure and enjoying a resurgence, Hendrick Motorsports hasn't been able to sell its entire inventory of sponsorship on the No. 88 car over the past couple of years. To the point Rick Hendrick even went as far to self-sponsor Earnhardt through his automotive dealership.
Further complicating matters is while Patrick is popular, her results are middling and with what appears to be a clear ceiling on what she's capable of producing -- a few top-10s and a points finish somewhere in the mid-20s. That's not an easy sell regardless of name recognition and marketability. At some point the hype must leveled by tangible results.
Is there any chance Jeff Gordon reconsiders his decision and doesn't retire?
-- Scott
Sorry to break it to you, but no. At very least, an incredible set of circumstances would have to unfold for Gordon to even consider reconsidering retirement. While he may dabble in a race here or there -- Gordon's mentioned Martinsville and Indianapolis as two possibilities -- 2015 is going to be his last full season.
Say Kurt Busch is suspended for a good while, what happens with his 41 team? Is Gene Haas really going to keeping sponsoring the car without Kurt driving?
-- Bryan
This is an excellent question. What Bryan is referring to is Haas, the co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, handpicked Busch to drive the No. 41 even though there was no sponsorship in place, then decided to self-sponsor the team.
Hypothetically, if Busch is going to be out for the majority of the year -- there's no timetable on his return, even with the Delaware Attorney General's office declining to press criminal charges -- and temporary fill-in Regan Smith isn't giving Haas the return he's seeking, shutting the 41 team makes sense from a business perspective.
Hass wouldn't comment in Daytona and a request to SHR this week by SB Nation for an interview was denied.
There are also other influences to consider. Chevrolet immediately distanced itself from Busch when the details were released why a Delaware Family Court commissioner granted Patricia Driscoll an order of protection. Will the carmaker changes its mind with Busch no longer facing charges? Maybe, maybe not?
And what about other SHR sponsors such as Mobil 1, Budweiser, Jimmy John's, GoDaddy, Bass Pro Shops, etc.? Although they share no direct relationship with Busch, there is the factor of guilt by association.
Again, everything at this juncture is just speculative.
Everyone on Twitter got all outraged when Kyle Busch broke his leg and called for SAFER barriers to be installed on every wall. But who's paying for that; the tracks, NASCAR? Doesn't that just mean the cost will eventually on fans through increased ticket prices? I'm not sure if I want to be paying any more to go to a race, it's already too expensive.
-- Ann
Here's a simple idea, one which would alleviate fans' concerns about ultimately footing the bill: With the knowledge NASCAR just signed a record $8.2 billion television contract with Fox and NBC, how about the sanctioning body just cuts the check?
On that note, thanks for reading and if have a question please submit for a future mailbag you can do so through Twitter or emailing jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1G2fKpd
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