Another Viewpoint Archives

Debbi Willis, Daw613@bigfoot.com

Drama Is...

All season long I've had writer's block. Most subjects that enraged early on simply didn't seem to mean anything when all was said and done so that any further viewpoints from me didn't enthuse me much. I can thank Tony Stewart for breaking my block tonight or should I thank the powers that be afterall?

Somehow I smell an "even-ing" of the championship tables brewing today. "Today" is the day before the Winston Cup Championship will be decided in Homestead (Mother Nature permitting, of course). My reason's for suspecting this come on the heels of another controversy with Tony Stewart and a freelance photographer in the garage area at Homestead today. But first let me pose the facts that have brought me to this strange, strange thought.

1. Mark Martin lost 25 pts to a rule infraction in post-race inspections two weeks ago. That the manufacturer cost them these points with defective workmanship of the spring in question has not mattered to NASCAR . The Roush crew for Martin's team was careless about checking every part every time and trusted that the parts would follow specs. Faulty thinking for a faulty part with perfect timing to make the championship hunt a little more difficult for Mark Martin. He's just the driver though thus he's dependent upon his crew and ultimately there lies the responsibility for the failed part. However, for Martin fans this is one bitter pill to swallow! Seems this happened back in '90 and they've never forgotten that lost championship that would've kept Dale Earnhardt untied with the King had Martin not been penalized for an illegal carburetor spacer. Again, his crew failed him, except that was the second race of the season and no one really knew then that Earnhardt would go on to be in contention for the championship with Martin. The old adage that history repeats itself still stands true.

2. Roush lost his appeal today but not without issueing heavy duty threats about law suits etc before he lost it. Prior to NASCAR's ruling, Roush made it publicly clear that he'll sue the pants off NASCAR for costing Martin the championship if they didn't repeal the 25pts. NASCAR didn't repeal. On this they were wise. If they did, think of all the other arguments that would arise over points lost this season in their sudden mid-season decision to levy points losses with monetary fines too! Jimmy Johnson might have been closer to fighting Tony and Mark for a three way hunt. Rusty might have fared better if he hadn't been gigged pre-Dega for his spoiler's lightweight material. Now, mind you, I'm not fond of the driver points gigging business. Driver's just drive these days (at least most everyone except maybe Rusty - who still sometimes tinkers his car out from himself at times!). The crew fails them when the car ends up illegal. Somehow NASCAR needs to figure out how to fine the real culprits and not the drivers. Needless to say, EVERYONE knows Roush is livid and if Martin loses this championship within those 25pts, there'll never be an end to the "tale of two championships lost" by Mark Martin.

3. Now today, the day before that championship is to be decided, Tony Stewart has an isolated yet not undocumented, incident in the garage area with another freelance photographer. Tony's been wearing a bullseye most of this season since his previous altercations have become the most recited driver's facts in years! Tony is trying to stay true to himself except he just flat won't alter his foul attitudes for anybody. Sadly for the sport's politically correct desires, Tony's a square peg being shoved into a round hole. The very fire that makes him compete and thrills fans at every track is the same fire that causes his temper to flare. Anger mangement be damned, Tony's Tony and he's not changing. Like an adolescent, usually time tames tempers and Tony's not had enough time to get tamed a little bit.

4. Could we see a 25pt penalty issued against Tony tomorrow morning for conduct unbecoming a driver and violation of his probation? Might his sponsor, Home Depot step up to the plate in their mid-season righteousness, and demand that NASCAR penalize him the 25pts for conduct in violation of his probation? Would Home Depot consider dropping their sponsorship immediately for violation of his probation with THEM after he wins the championship tomorrow? Highly unlikely and it only illuminates how ridiculous their "probation" of their driver was and actually simply an over-righteous publicity stunt! There's no doubt in my mind that they'll be more than proud to be the Winston Cup Champion Sponsor all next year and probably years to come. They beat Lowes to the crown, didn't they?

And the plot thickens because the questions continue to mount ...more questions like: Why was Tony suddenly let loose in the garage area without his usual shadow everpresent? Since his infamous probation with both NASCAR and Home Depot, Joe Gibbs has seen to it someone is always in Tony's presence as an eyewitness to anything that might happen. Why suddenly was that person not with Tony today?

How strange is it that while all the other media is where they expected Tony to pass through, ONE lone freelance photographer is waiting to catch Tony on the run and worst yet, another photographer ( of the Miami Herald newspaper no less) is shooting pics of photographers trying to catch shots of Tony. AND he's also not where everyone else expected Tony to be. Conspiracy theory or not, but could it be that NASCAR doesn't want this to be another tale of Martin lore but in their pride they cannot back down to Roush's demands and thus set up a confrontation with Tony to give them the "out" to even the field to where it would have been pre-illegal parts on Martin's car two weeks ago. Stranger still to consider, could Tony have been consulted and could it have been suggested that he allow himself to be set up for this opportunity in order to have earned the championship fair and square against all the odds all season? I can imagine them asking Tony how he feels about this penalty points issue and Tony wishing it hadn't happened because folks will always say he won with the help of the penalty. Afterall, Homestead is his track so to speak, and he did qualify considerably better than Martin and if they have both lost 25pts in the closing weeks of their championship hunt, however it turns out then will have been by their doing on the track and not due to one or the other having an unfair penalty. I believe Tony is a purist in his spirit of racing and I really believe as silly as it sounds to many, he'd much rather win without the penalty points overshadowing his victory. I know I would.