CHANGE MY LOCATION
Los Angeles Examiners
Los Angeles Sports Examiner
Most Recent Post
UCLA to USC: 'The monopoly in L.A. is over"
Fans make the All-Star Race a winner
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: BALTIMORE
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - I have to admit — I did not have high hopes for the ‘fan-vote’ portion of NASCAR’s All-Star race this year.
My trepidation had nothing to do with the fans ability to choose a worthy competitor. In previous years, respected drivers like Ken Schrader and Kyle Petty were selected to participate in NASCAR’s $1 million event.
The problem is, like most everything else in NASCAR, the fan vote has become commercialized. After last year’s successful effort by Front Row Racing and Speed Channel to get Kenny Wallace into the annual race, the flood gates opened this season, with both sponsors and drivers campaigning to get their team voted into the show.
Yet whether it was because his sponsor spent enough ‘campaign’ money, or just because he was the driver more people wanted to see in the race - there is no question the fans made the right decision Saturday night placing Kasey Kahne alongside NASCAR’s best in the All-Star event — and the No. 9 team did not disappoint.
“It’s really cool they give the fans the opportunity to vote,” said Kahne. “We took advantage of it and we won the race ... It’s really, really special, and feels good to know that we have that many fans following our team.”
If there was one driver that deserved a chance to compete in the All-Star race, it was Kahne. After collecting six wins in 2006, Kahne, along with his Evernham Motorsports teammates, struggled last season. The organization had been passed by in terms of technology and research money, leaving owner Ray Evernham no choice but to look for outside help, forming partnership with sports owner George Gillett to get the capital needed to help make the team competitive again.
“We’ve been saying that our stuff is getting better,” Evernham said. “It’s real easy to keep saying that, but you’ve got to have some results to show for it — tonight we’ve got the results.”
Thanks to the fans, Kahne not only had the opportunity to put on a great show battling alongside Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson in the final segment of the race, but he also gave his team — and the organization as a whole — a much needed boost.
“I know it’s good for myself and I definitely know it is good for the team and the guys that work on the car,” Kahne said. “We won a really big race — so I think it’s really big for everybody. It gives me a ton of confidence and momentum as a driver.”
It is fitting that, in the one race NASCAR runs specifically for the fans, they not only made the right choice, but may have single-handedly turned around a struggling driver and jump-started an entire organization.
So next season, when I start to see advertisements and clever marketing campaigns begging fans to vote for their driver, I may lament the commercial influence on the process, but I will no longer worry about the All-Star vote itself — just like this year, there is no question you will make the right choice.
Get up to speed on the latest in NASCAR - listen to Wilson’s Race Report every weeknight at 8:20pm on 93.1 WPOC!
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:09 PM MST on Fri., Jul. 18, 2008 re: "Gibbs’ greatness extends from Lombardi Trophy to checkered flag"
Report as inappropriate
5:53 AM MST on Tue., Jun. 10, 2008
re: "Dover provides unique experience for drivers, fans"
Report as inappropriate
9:31 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008
re: "Bring some excitement back to qualifying"
Report as inappropriate
8:59 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008
re: "Bring some excitement back to qualifying"
Report as inappropriate
6:06 AM MST on Wed., Mar. 26, 2008
re: "Bring some excitement back to qualifying"
Report as inappropriate
5:26 PM MST on Tue., Mar. 11, 2008
re: "Stewart hoping Goodyear can reinvent the tire"
Report as inappropriate
2:32 AM MST on Tue., Mar. 11, 2008
re: "Stewart hoping Goodyear can reinvent the tire"
Report as inappropriate
3:12 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 3, 2008
re: "Montoya's NASCAR win is impressive"
Report as inappropriate
7:38 PM MST on Thu., Nov. 22, 2007
re: "NASCAR puts focus on wins and comes out victorious"
Report as inappropriate
7:55 AM MST on Wed., Sep. 5, 2007
re: "Gibbs gambles big, but Toyota is winner"
Report as inappropriate
9:15 AM MST on Thu., Jul. 19, 2007
re: "Stewart adds personality to the drab world of NASCAR"
Report as inappropriate
9:42 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007
re: "Stewart adds personality to the drab world of NASCAR"
Report as inappropriate
9:23 AM MST on Wed., Jul. 18, 2007
re: "Stewart adds personality to the drab world of NASCAR"
Report as inappropriate
2:42 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 5, 2007
re: "Dover provides unique experience for drivers, fans"
Report as inappropriate
10:42 AM MST on Tue., May. 22, 2007
re: "Big teams are beginning to make NASCAR smaller"
Report as inappropriate
9:23 PM MST on Fri., May. 4, 2007
re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"
Report as inappropriate
5:41 PM MST on Thu., May. 3, 2007
re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"
Report as inappropriate
11:59 PM MST on Tue., May. 1, 2007
re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"
Report as inappropriate
10:41 PM MST on Tue., May. 1, 2007
re: "Time for Dale Jr. to move on?"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
All Gibbs is doing is cheating with toyota's money
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
jeremiah said:
i think dodge will pickup a little bit and start competing, i mean really. kyle busch is all toyota's got
5 agree | 7 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
For those teams that are in the top 35, if they incure a rules violation in a pre-qualifying inspection, they should NOT be allow to qualify as they normally do, they should qualify with the teams that are not in the top 35. If they then fail to qualify, then they don't make the race.
7 agree | 9 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
"Bring some excitement back to qualifying" ------- Hi, You are very WRONG about the TOP 35 Rule! With the teams having to try and stay in the TOP 35 Rule, they have to RACE harder on Sundays to do so. If not for the TOP 35 Rule, once they were in the race, they could just cruse around on Sunday and it wouldn't matter where they finished, with the TOP 35 Rule, it makes them have to RACE harder and the race is more important to fans than qualifying!!!
9 agree | 11 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Paul said:
Hey, I dislike the top 35 rule as much as anyone. I still think the fastest 43 should get in and if Junior, Johnson, anyone named Gordon or Petty is not up to speed and somebody with a one-off deal gets in, then good for them. The so-called experts disagree with me, but let a top shoe miss a race or two and see how quickly they get better.
11 agree | 10 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Hey igorant reader at 2:32 I would like to see you try it sometime bet you will not last 100 laps
11 agree | 8 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
driving a car is a sport? these guys get too much press and are impressed with themselves.
8 agree | 11 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Race Fan said:
I don't believe that the best driver on the planet is driving for NASCAR. This is a waste. Please come back to the real racing sport. We will always wait for Juan Pablo Montoya.
38 agree | 41 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
newman rocks said:
newman is a nice guy and never blames any1 else newman NEVER complains like jeff gordon OR tony stewart i think jeff gordon and tony stewart are some of the best drivers at present and that ever drove in nascar i just do not like them at all
147 agree | 136 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Kyle Busch said:
Take that all you non toyota lover- some of your biggest chevy driver are coming here to toyota, non surprising of Penske Racing South join toyota in 2009...or if Honda and Nissan Join Nascar and soon it will be the american Big 3 ( GM, Ford,DaimlerChysler) Vs The Japanes Big 3 (Toyota,Honda,Nissan)
151 agree | 161 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Tony is the closest thing we've got to the old school drivers. Praise God for his personality. NASCAR has become a muddled P.C. sport as much as it needs to. He is breath of fresh air to me each race weekend. Even when he takes out his teamate and half the most popular drivers- he blames them. LOL!! It reminds me of watching the sport in the late 70's and early 80's. AWESOME. LOVE TONY STEWART!!!!
184 agree | 162 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Stewart is so fun to watch! He is fearless when it comes to saying whats on his mind. He doesn't say the predictable pre programmed garbage the other drivers vomit each week. Stewart is wild! Whenever the camera goes on him I run to the television because he is so unpredictable. No matter what anyone says about him, he brings fun to the NASCAR circuit. Without him I would not watch NASCAR each week. I could go on about his enormous talent but I think his INDY CAR, WINTON CUP, NEXTEL CUP championships, to only mention a few, tells the tale. Stewart is an asset to NASCAR. Without him NASCAR would be a snoozefest. Keep talking Smoke! Tell it like it is!
164 agree | 154 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
You rock Stewart!
217 agree | 182 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
loa noyd is my mom and now i feel good that my whole family's famous! im her son jeremiah and i dont really like rusty wallace or kurt busch but newman is my favorite driver!
190 agree | 182 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
limit teams to two per owner. That would allow more teams to compete on an even basis and have more not less people become involved in the racertainment. Pretty soon this will look like Indy. Every car on the grid is of the same make.
164 agree | 189 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
mike steele said:
would love to see the number 3 back on the track thats where the money is jr it would be so good for nascar and the fans
235 agree | 202 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Jr. needs to leave DEI. Teresa has become money/power hungry and lost sight of the dream Sr. had. Perhaps she'll put on her big girl panties and accept she's history when Dale SR.'s empire crumbles around her. Go Jr. Go!! Let her greed hang her and don't look back. RCR was good to your Dad and will help you achieve the championship Teresa doesn't want you to have. BeBo -NC
217 agree | 242 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
shanter said:
i think jr should leave dei, but not drive the number 3 car. there is already so many unrealistic expectation's on his shoulders already. driving the number 3 car would just make it worst. leave dei, get another number BESIDES number 3 and try to do better. his fans arent going anywhere.
249 agree | 215 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
benny taylor said:
dale jr., leave the company now and go drive your dad's no. 3 he won 7 championships, and they have the horsepower and he would be like your second dad and i promise get you back in victory lane...
228 agree | 215 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree