2024 NASCAR THREAD

I completely agree. This is what I wanted to say but you explained it better than I could have.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C9KplF9JQmi/?igsh=d280Zms1NHRmNmYz

He didn't lie

 

Hailie Deegan and the team confirmed she's no longer at AM racing

 

Not a shock there. She should stick to social media and micro sprint cars where she has a strong following.

I can’t see her getting any more chances in NASCAR no matter what sponsors she brings

 

Sounds like a slot car




https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9H6S2As-aD/?igsh=aDJ1MDhnenhoaTZ4

 

They are going to have to throw me a bone if I'm going to watch that and put in some gas engine sounds effects! LOL

 

The team radio chatter involved Joey explaining to the crew chief terminology for setups all day. The team certainly learned a lot from Joey's expertise. If a two-time champion can only crack the top ten in a soft Xfinity field, it says a lot about the quality of that team. Given the CC left recently and the team suffered significant layoffs, it doesn't look good for AM racing. From my understanding, they latched onto Deegan thinking her social capital would bring sponsors to their door. Essentially, they used her to get to more money. When the money didn't come, they stopped resource support. I'm not simping for Deegan, but from my understanding, there is a whole lot wrong with that team.

 

He can get in line behind John Hunter Nemechek and others.

 

I'm not a Bubba fan, but this sub does have a vibe.

 

I think it moved past being a vibe when the FBI investigated a pull handle on a garage door and the entire field followed behind him on pit lane in solidarity. Seems more like a line that was crossed that he cannot come back from. Or one he chooses not to come back from. It is not a vibe when you walk across an active track and toss KL. It is a problem and one that would be address if it were anyone else in the sport.

 

I moved past the vibe when I found out Bubba had nothing to do with orchestrating the pit road walk- Jimmy Johnson put that together on his own, which pissed off Steve Phelps and NASCAR to no end, forcing their hand to do what they did to save face- and then NASCAR flipping and taking advantage of Bubba at an opportune time to make the brand look *with it* and relevant. Bubba never saw that rope, and he was operating on what he was told by NASCAR for that interview (that I never saw. Did you watch it? I don't know anyone who did). NASCAR used Bubba's skin color as a marketing ploy. Some would say it backfired. others would say diversity has increased in the grandstands since then. Either way, NASCAR made headlines and more money- their only goal.

I'm not going to single out one hot-headed young guy in a sport fueled by hot-headed young guys in a country that embraces professional sports as an outlet for hot-headed young guys.

I think NASCAR did address the hot track KL deal with a suspension for Bubba the same as they did for Matt Kenseth, Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Josh Williams, Noah Gragson, and Kyle Larson.

Kenseth was 42 (dumping Joey). Chase was 28 (dumping Denny). Harvick was 27 at the time (fighting a whole team). Busch was 26 (dumping Ron). Williams was 30 (parking his car). Wallace was 31 (dumping Kyle). Gragson was 25 (memes). Larson was 30 (hard R). I'm excluding the numerous drug suspensions over the past 40 years.

Were any of these driver's actions valid? Should any of these drivers not have been suspended?

 

You feel free to back Bubba all you want. He has allowed himself to be used as a pawn and has no problem reaping the benefits of it. You call it a vibe, I call it well deserved and earned result of his continued actions. He was not a victim in any of those scenarios. He continues to use his skin tone to further his carrier and that is not right for anyone. We do call out other drivers when they do stupid things also. For some reason people get sensitive when it's Bubba. Not to mention it is not one incident. It is continued actions demonstrating that he has not learned anything and that this is actually WHO he is. I pulled for Bubba hard back in the beginning. I hurt for him when the 3 turned him at Daytona and wanted nothing but success and the best for him back in the 43. Before he decided to be an activist opposed to a driver.
As for the pull handle event, all he had to say is "this is fucking stupid and I am not going to be a pawn in this game." Or when they told him to lead the field down pit road he could have said "I am not doing that". Or he could stop playing the mental health card every time he decides to be an asshole. Simply put, he is in top tier equipment. He has unlimited backing and support and consistently underachieves. Why should he be given a pass or keep his seat? Why is it him on every promo run on TV? Because people advocating for him because of his race and not his talent are not actually helping him. They are the problem. It is not good for this young man but it makes them feel better about who they are.

 

I guess we are ingesting different media. I rarely see him in the headlines or people defending him in headlines. To me, he's an Also Ran each Sunday. Perhaps, due to my affiliation with the sport via my day job and friends in the biz, I try to keep a healthy distance from the drama, perceived or real. I don't see Bubba being an activist for anything in particular, and, between us girls, I think all the drivers out on the track are dipshits.

We all allow ourselves to be used as pawns to one degree or another. I sell 40 hours each week of my one and only life to a bossman. Most folks do. I'm white but I grew up in the housing projects. Still, my friends grew up with a different chip on their shoulder than I did. We were all thrown against the wall by cops, threatened and called different slurs, but even then I knew it stung them more than it stung me. I got to see the weight they carried and the way it impacted them differently than me, so I give a wide berth to anyone who is dealing with mental health and racism, perceived or real.

 

We appear to have different opinions and perceptions on this situation. That is good though, good that we have the ability to do that. And I respect your prospective. Probably best to leave it at that.