Lovey-Dovey - 29 October 2009 12:00 PM

HiVolt65 - 29 October 2009 11:48 AM

If the sport didn't revolve around money, do you think that Paul Menard would have a ride without his daddy's checkbook?

Unlike Townley, who has done very little other than crash in lower levels of racing, Menard drove fairly well in other forms of racing before buying his ride in NASCAR:

Wikipedia

In 2000, he began racing a limited schedule in the ARCA Re/Max Challenge Series, finishing 13th in points. During his rookie season in 2001, he earned a pole and victory at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, finishing ninth in points. The 2002 season saw Menard compete in ReMax Challenge (two poles, seventh in points), SCCA Trans-Am (one front-row start, four top-10 finishes), Grand Am Cup (victories at Fontana and Phoenix) and the NASCAR Southwest Tour. He capped his season in in the latter series with a last-lap pass of veteran Ken Schrader for the Phoenix victory.

Childress has a guy working for him that probably is better than any driver he has minus Harvick and most certainly is better than Mears.

GM did a gong show version with some of Childress future drivers and the guy I'm talking about won hands down. Unfortunetly for him two of the drivers he went up against were Mike Dillons son and Tim McCreadys kid. McCready was tutoring Dillons son on dirt at the time so he had a handshake deal with RCR to put Timmy in a car to see what he could do. My point?
Lots of deals are done for money and some because you know someone. Good drivers dont mean squat like they used too unless they come with some cash. Sad.

johnalex1273 - 29 October 2009 12:24 PM

Lovey-Dovey - 29 October 2009 12:00 PM

HiVolt65 - 29 October 2009 11:48 AM

If the sport didn't revolve around money, do you think that Paul Menard would have a ride without his daddy's checkbook?

Unlike Townley, who has done very little other than crash in lower levels of racing, Menard drove fairly well in other forms of racing before buying his ride in NASCAR:

Wikipedia

In 2000, he began racing a limited schedule in the ARCA Re/Max Challenge Series, finishing 13th in points. During his rookie season in 2001, he earned a pole and victory at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, finishing ninth in points. The 2002 season saw Menard compete in ReMax Challenge (two poles, seventh in points), SCCA Trans-Am (one front-row start, four top-10 finishes), Grand Am Cup (victories at Fontana and Phoenix) and the NASCAR Southwest Tour. He capped his season in in the latter series with a last-lap pass of veteran Ken Schrader for the Phoenix victory.

Childress has a guy working for him that probably is better than any driver he has minus Harvick and most certainly is better than Mears.

GM did a gong show version with some of Childress future drivers and the guy I'm talking about won hands down. Unfortunetly for him two of the drivers he went up against were Mike Dillons son and Tim McCreadys kid. McCready was tutoring Dillons son on dirt at the time so he had a handshake deal with RCR to put Timmy in a car to see what he could do. My point?
Lots of deals are done for money and some because you know someone. Good drivers dont mean squat like they used too unless they come with some cash. Sad.

Umm... we... actually... AGREE...on... something!!!

Nepotism has always been a part of the sport. See Petty, Lee; Petty, Richard; Petty, Kyle; and the late, probably would've been great Petty, Adam. Or, David Pearson and his spawn Larry. Bobby, Davey, and Clifford Allison. Sr. and Jr. Pick a France, any France. So there has always been parents helping their kids. The level of sucess may have been different but, it's always been there. Just like RC wants to do whatever he can do to help his grandson. Being a Dad, I can completely understand all that.

As far as buying a ride, that too has been there forever. Don't believe me? Explain how a country music singer gets a ride in Cup? Yep, Marty Robbins! What did he do to deserve a ride besides have money and an interest to do it? Not knocking Robbins, just stating that buying rides has always been there.

Lovey-Dovey - 29 October 2009 11:47 AM

Used to be talent got you the ride, because the sport was about winning purses, then the owners found sponsorship to be more profitable than race winnings, now good rides are available to the highest bidder. And since NASCAR has little to no prerequisite for being on the track, we end up with Field Fillers, Start N Parks, and Rent A Rides.

I still prefer talented drivers in good cars myself, but that is quickly becoming as Old School as a Ford Galaxy.

Right now there's 30 fully-sponsored full-time Cup rides that are capable of winning races, without ride-buyers needed.

35 years ago, how many were there? I'm talking non-self-owned cars, running the full schedule, that could finish in the top-5 a few times during the year.

Because I can't understand why David Reutimann has a ride, but his father, one of the all-time greats, never had shot during an era when it supposedly so much easier to do so.

Lovey-Dovey - 29 October 2009 12:46 PM

johnalex1273 - 29 October 2009 12:24 PM

Lovey-Dovey - 29 October 2009 12:00 PM

HiVolt65 - 29 October 2009 11:48 AM

If the sport didn't revolve around money, do you think that Paul Menard would have a ride without his daddy's checkbook?

Unlike Townley, who has done very little other than crash in lower levels of racing, Menard drove fairly well in other forms of racing before buying his ride in NASCAR:

Wikipedia

In 2000, he began racing a limited schedule in the ARCA Re/Max Challenge Series, finishing 13th in points. During his rookie season in 2001, he earned a pole and victory at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, finishing ninth in points. The 2002 season saw Menard compete in ReMax Challenge (two poles, seventh in points), SCCA Trans-Am (one front-row start, four top-10 finishes), Grand Am Cup (victories at Fontana and Phoenix) and the NASCAR Southwest Tour. He capped his season in in the latter series with a last-lap pass of veteran Ken Schrader for the Phoenix victory.

Childress has a guy working for him that probably is better than any driver he has minus Harvick and most certainly is better than Mears.

GM did a gong show version with some of Childress future drivers and the guy I'm talking about won hands down. Unfortunetly for him two of the drivers he went up against were Mike Dillons son and Tim McCreadys kid. McCready was tutoring Dillons son on dirt at the time so he had a handshake deal with RCR to put Timmy in a car to see what he could do. My point?
Lots of deals are done for money and some because you know someone. Good drivers dont mean squat like they used too unless they come with some cash. Sad.

Umm... we... actually... AGREE...on... something!!!

I've always hated the way people could come in and buy a ride while ultra talented drivers never got a shot.

Another thing to remember though. There is no proof that any driver who may seem talented now at a lower level will make it big at the next level. Just look at Stremme, Sorensen, McMurray, Wimmer, Atwood, Lamar, Yeley, Kinser, Crocker and countless others who we were all told were gonna be "a big thing" and actually amounted to very much less. Success at a lower level doesn't mean anything when it comes to Cup. It becomes a crap shoot at that point. The point is we can talk about anyone we want at lower levels deserving a chance, but history has proven there's a good shot most won't make it.

I think the ones who we don't hear so much about are the ones who make it. Case in point: Denny Hamlin. Not much hype ahead of his arrival, was supposed to get beat easily for the 06 ROTY, and actually has proven to be quite a good Cup driver. 2nd case: Edwards. 3rd case: Bowyer. Not much hype, not on a lot of radars, but have done quite well.

You're all going to be eating crow when Townley turns out to be one of the best drivers RCR ev.... BWAHAHAHA I can't type it without laughing!

He has 13 DNF's in 26 career Nationwide starts, has only completed 70% of the laps of the races he's qualified for this year and he only had 2 top fives in 23 ARCA starts. This screams full time Nationwide ride with RCR. LMAO

Is Townley related to the Zaxby's owners?

One thing a lot of people forget about talented drivers that never got a shot, is that you have to put yourself in the position to be noticed sometimes. Also, guys in lower tiers have a comfort zone and aren't willing to be small fish in a big pond.

Is Tim still driving for RCR at all this year?

Landon Cassill should be driving fulltime for someone!

neracer - 29 October 2009 03:37 PM

Is Townley related to the Zaxby's owners?

One thing a lot of people forget about talented drivers that never got a shot, is that you have to put yourself in the position to be noticed sometimes. Also, guys in lower tiers have a comfort zone and aren't willing to be small fish in a big pond.

Is Tim still driving for RCR at all this year?

Landon Cassill should be driving fulltime for someone!

His father is the CFO of Zaxby's.

Landon Cassill hasn't shown me much... I don't understand why so many here keep putting his name out there, but considering the car he's driven, unspectacularly, I don't see it...