Matt Kenseth wins

Kansas Kid · April 8, 2002

First off, congrats to the 17 team for making a good call there at the end and pulling a win out. Almost looks like changing an engine and starting the race last is a good thing, two winners so far have done so.

But, somebody has to address this second issue. Not any nice way about it, so I will just say it. Shawna Robinson needs to go back to ACRA, she is not up to racing in WC at this time. Not even close actually. If she were to ever make it more then 30 laps into a race without being lapped atleast once, it will be a miracle. That 49 car is signifigantly slower then the other cars every week. I don't know about anyone else, but having to see all the other drivers dodge a moving road block every 15 laps is not what I want to see. If they can't make it any longer then that without being lapped, park the damn car and send it home until it can run a decent speed. (and that goes for anyone who is always a back marker, but none are as bad as the 49)

Elwood · April 8, 2002

Well, there's always cars getting lapped early, and there's always years where it is the same person over and over. She may be slow, but she hasn't caused as many accidents as Robby Gordon, or Jimmy Spencer used to each season. Until she starts causing wrecks every week I don't have a problem with her being out there.

As for the Kenseth win, I can think of ALOT of other drivers I'd rather see win, but as long as it wasn't Jeff Gordon it ok.

antig24 · April 8, 2002

lol, umm, what did shawna do? I didn't catch the race.

Kansas Kid · April 8, 2002

umm, what did shawna do?

I think you can figure the rest out from here, and it wasn't pretty.

I will say that I don't think any car that is 10-15 mph slower then the other cars, week in and week out should be allowed on the track. Regardless of who is driving. When NASCAR has to warn a car to pick up the speed or park it at several different tracks, something is not right.

General Lee 01 · April 8, 2002

Yeah, atleast Kyle Petty stayed on the bottom. She couldn't even do that.

You could tell in JR's interview he wanted to say stuff about Shawna Robinson. But he held back.

Elwood · April 8, 2002

I will say that I don't think any car that is 10-15 mph slower then the other cars, week in and week out should be allowed on the track. Regardless of who is driving. When NASCAR has to warn a car to pick up the speed or park it at several different tracks, something is not right.

Have they warned her week in and week out? If so, I hadn't heard about it and I change my view entirely. If they have been having to warn her every week, then I say make her stay off the track.

But if you do that you're gonna have to do it to other people too. She qualifies, just the same as Petty does, and other cars. If she can't keep up come race time and has to go to the garage, the same rules should apply to everyone else.

It's a sticky situation, it would be hard to deny entry to a race, if she runs fast enough to qualify on Friday. But if they are having to warn her every week, then something should be done, but I don't know what.

Z71GUY · April 8, 2002

I'm not sticking up for Shawna at all, but from my point of view....JR came down on her. Now I am also a JR fan, but the blame CANNOT be held on her shoulders only.

Eric

Jpshostr · April 8, 2002

Ok, I don't really care for Shawna here either, but I'm thinking there wouldn't be this big fuss about kicking her out if it wasn't Jr. that she knocked out. How bout if Ryan Newman or some other young guy knocked him out, would that be reason to question whether they belong in WC? How bout if she had taken out a minor person, such as Brett Bodine or Jeff Green?

Only reason I'm saying this stuff is to get you thinking Kyle. I know you are a big Jr. fan and I can't help but think you are letting emotions play a big role here. I'll agree with you in that she isn't the best out there, but I'm going to agree with Elwood here for the most part. She is showing up and qualifying just like everyone else, she has done her part to get into the race. I'm not aware that they've been warning her every week, if so then something should be done, but I'd like to see some proof of these weekly warnings she's been getting.

LarryE · April 8, 2002

theres no way it was JR's fault, that stupid driver needs to get out of WC women don't need to be there, why is it every damn times theres a good mans sport women have to bitch and moan till they get their way and then mess things up for the great drivers.

theres no black drivers in nascar but you don't see ppl gripping about it, but of course women had to.

Elwood · April 8, 2002

I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole. Any comments I make in response to that could turn this thread into something that it wasn't intended to be. ???

But I will say that JP brought up a point I was thinking of and didn't mention......"would it have been such a big deal if she had wrecked a Bodine, or Kimmel, or somebody like that AND would we be saying that Jeff Gordon, Wallace, Jarrett, Park, Rudd, Marlin or anybody else shold get out of WC if they had wrecked Jr." Good thing to think about.

Kansas Kid · April 8, 2002

Well I suggest you guys reread my post. If you did you would notice I didn't say a thing about Dale Jr getting wrecked by Shawna, expect for posting a picture of the accident. Even then I didn't assign any blame, and I'm not going to.

What I said is, that Shawna's situation needs to be evaluated because she has been 10-15 mph slower then the other cars at every track she has raced at. I also said I don't think that any driver who is routinely that much slower should be allowed on the track. I don't care if it is Kyle Petty or Shawna Robinson, cars that much slower are in everyones way. They said on the Fox telecast during the Atlanta race that she was warned to increase her speed or retire, at Darlington she wrecked about 30 laps into the race (no idea if a speed warning was given, she was very slow there a well), and on the radio telecast today they said NASCAR had warned her about the speed issue. Thats two out of the last three races she has been in, which suggests a problem exists.

I happen to be a much bigger fan of Steve Park then any other driver, and I didn't say a thing about when him and Stacy Compton wrecked in about the same situation as today. I understand racing well enough to realize that the wrecking issue is a part of racing. But its pretty sad when they kick people off the the local dirt tracks for being 10mph slower then the other cars, but don't do the same when the stakes are much higher in Winston Cup.

Jpshostr · April 8, 2002

Ok, I'm not disputing much of what you've said here Kyle. I guess I was just reading a little too far between the lines of what you said and assuming too much (gee, not again).

I'll agree with you that her cars need to be looked into and see why they are going slower. The fact remains that she has been going fast enough to qualify, but too slow come race time.

This whole deal is a really sticky issue and I'm not sure I want to go into it any further. The fact she is trying to become the first regular female on the circuit really complicates things. She stays the way she has been, NASCAR as a whole suffers. You pick her out, investigate, demote, whatever to her and you get all the politically correct, equal rights people screaming.

However this ends, it ain't going to be pretty. The best way would be for her to recognize it herself and do what she needs to do, but I don't think that will happen.

Elwood · April 9, 2002

Kansas, sorry to make it seem like you were being singled out for liking Jr. or however it came out. After rereading my post it came across more accusing than I intended.

I meant by all of us fans and NASCAR in general would it be as big a deal if she had wrecked a lesser known driver.

I think NASCAR would have a real problem demoting her for the reasons Jp brought up, but also because of older drivers. If everyone remembers when Richard Petty was finishing his career and when DW was finishing his they used to get lapped ALOT and not run up to speed all the time. But because they were legends no one made them quit, whether it was dangerous or not. Same thing happened with one of my favorite drivers Dave Marcis. By allowing these things to happen in the past NASCAR has set a precedent that will make it hard to enforce demoting Shawna or anyone else as long as they qualify.

I do agree that if she has been warned repeatedly about this problem something should be done. But it would be very hard to come up with something.

Kansas, sorry if there was a misunderstanding. I was rushed when I posted last, and didn't really see the way it could've come across untilo I re-read it.

antig24 · April 9, 2002

I just saw the wreck and it looked liked jr sorta came down, I'm a jr fan but it was partially his fault also. I'm not sticking up for shawna but she hasn't really done anything wrong this year, she's just caused one wreck when other guys have caused even more and people don't jump over them. I agree also with JP that it depends on who was in the wreck on who gets the blame.

Elwood · April 9, 2002

I just got back from Becky's.....I stayd there long enough to see the wreck, because FX won't come in here and I wanted a good look at it.

First let me say.....I am a BIG EARNHARDT Jr. FAN!

Yes, she was higher than she maybe should've benn, BUT she had had trouble staying low all day (something that someone should've noticed and told Jr.). Jr. came down on her from what I saw, he or more importantly his spotter should've seen her there and told him not to come down.

I think either could be blamed, but in reality Jr and his spotter are more to blame, because they should know WHERE the other cars are NOT where they SHOULD BE.

Gotta agree antig24 on this one.....she hasn't caused the number of wrecks that many others have caused. If she has to go, others should follow close behind.