GANASSI, EARNHARDT MERGER
The Sprint Cup merger of Chip Ganassi Racing with Dale Earnhardt Inc. is like the winless Detroit Lions merging with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sorry, that’s not a good comparison because at least the Chiefs have won once this year.
Ganassi is 0 for 80 with three teams, and DEI is 0 for 105 with three teams heading into Sunday’s finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Earnhardt runs Chevrolets and its likely Ganassi will trade his Dodges for Chevrolets before next year. Now that’s an upgrade.
This merger won’t make either group a contender, but it’s certain to cut their expenses and that means layoffs at their shops.
Why can Ganassi win races and championships in IndyCars but not NASCAR? Scott Dixon won this year’s Indy 500 and the IndyCar championship.
BYE-BYE SPONSORS
This will be the last weekend for some big sponsors in NHRA drag racing.
Snap-on Tools is leaving Doug Herbert’s Top Fuel team after 16 years. UPS is leaving Bob Vandergriff’s Top Fuel team. Checker Schucks Kragen is leaving the Funny Car team owned by the family of driver Del Worsham, who will drive next year for the new Funny Car team owned by Alan Johnson.
Kenny Bernstein will eliminate his Funny Car team next year because Monster energy drink is out.
Old Spice lasted one year with John Force Racing and is leaving what was a successful partnership because of Tony Stewart. Old Spice had sponsored Stewart in several Nationwide races the past few years and when Stewart became an owner of Stewart Haas Racing, Old Spice had to step up its investment to stay with him and that ended support of Force.
GRADING THE PLAY-OFFS
The NASCAR season ends this weekend with its three national series racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida.
Ho hum, at least as far as the Cup race goes.
The best championship races are in its truck and Nationwide series where there aren’t fancy-schmanzy play-offs.
It doesn’t get any better than the truck series where Johnny Benson leads Ron Hornaday Jr. by three points. They race Friday.
Clint Bowyer is clinging to a 56-point lead over a hard-charging Carl Edwards in the Nationwide series. They race Saturday.
Edwards needs a miracle to overcome a 141-point deficit. If Johnson finishes 36th or better he wins his third consecutive championship weekend.
So much for the Chase for the Cup adding razzle dazzle to the championship.
NHRA’s second year of following NASCAR’s lead by fabricating a “play-off” lacks drama in two of its three major pro points races.
(Although NHRA includes its Pro Stock Motorcycle division as a pro category, I won’t until the bikes race at all 24 national events. They only competed at 17 this year.)
The NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series concludes this weekend in Pomona, Calif.
While the drag weekend should feature a dramatic Sunday, it has been watered down, Tony Schumacher clinched his fourth straight Top Fuel championship two weeks ago at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Jeg Coughlin Jr. all but wrapped up his second in a row in the same race.
The Funny Car race, however, could go down to the last run on Sunday. Tim Wilkerson and Jack Beckman were locked into what looked to be a two-man race until both lost in the first round at Las Vegas where event winner Cruz Pedregon took over the points lead.
Beginning with Thursday’s qualifying, Pedregon leads Wilkerson by 12 points, Robert Hight by 39, Tony Pedregon by 62 and Beckman by 64. Now that’s drama.
