When NASCAR made the decision to move its annual champions banquet to Las Vegas from New York after 28 years most applauded the decision.
This week that decision became reality and the applause quickly became loud cheers. Vegas seems to be the perfect backdrop for NASCAR. New York seemed a bit formal, stuffy and in fact not every New Yorker welcomed America’s largest motorsport.
The 2009 champion Jimmie Johnson arrived in Vegas Wednesday after spending several days in his native Southern California and Thursday the festivities began in earnest.
But none of that mattered.
Among all the scheduled events Thursday was the annual Most Popular Driver Award. For the seventh consecutive year the award went to Dale Earnhardt Jr. Despite not making this year’s edition of the Chase for the championship and not even winning a race all season, Earnhardt again showed why he’s the most popular driver in NASCAR as his loyal legions of fans voted him number one.
But none of that mattered.
After accepting the award, Earnhardt answered questions from reporters in attendence and while he did make the revelations that the team he founded, JR Motorsports, has taken on his sister and cousin as partners with himself and Rick Hendrick and is in danger of not running a full NASCAR Nationwide Season next year due to sponsorship issues, none of that really mattered.
The biggest thing to come out of the Earnhardt revelations was the one single name that seems to be looming over everything: Danica.
IndyCar Danica Patrick’s flirtation with NASCAR has been the subject of news for what seems like the entire season. One of the teams she had been associated with was JR Motorsports. But Monday Patrick announced that she had re-signed with her IndyCar team and Tuesday she said during a press conference that while she was interested in something in NASCAR down the road, her primary focus would be in IndyCar for 2010.
But none of that mattered.
Thursday Earnhardt was of course asked about Patrick and he basically said that his sister, and business manager, Kelly was involved with the negotiations.
"Her and my sister are sort of managing that entirely," Earnhardt said. "I have not been in any way, shape or form involved.”
Of course none of that mattered.
Because he then went on to add: “She's going to drive stock for somebody -- someday. Look at all the Formula One guys over here looking around, checking it out. The handwriting's on the wall for her and several other guys."
Who those ‘other guys’ are remain a mystery and the only Formula One driver seriously looking at coming NASCAR is former F1 driver Mika Salo who hopes to run in the Nationwide series next season, if sponsorship can be found.
The other Formula One drivers who have visited NASCAR recently include Sebastian Vettel, and Heikki Kovalainen both of whom were at the season ending event at Homestead and both of whom stressed they were there simply to watch another motorsports series, nothing more. Jarno Trulli did join Salo for a test with Michael Waltrip racing at New Smyrna Speedway in Florida a couple of weeks ago, but Trulli said afterwards that he had satisfied his ‘curiosity’ and wants to turn his attention back to Formula One.
Of course none of that mattered.
Within minutes of his pronouncement, the large mainstream media outlets were sending out bulletins that ‘Danica Will Drive A Stock Car’, of course failing to add ‘Because Junior Said So’.
Such is the power of Danica. Despite the fact that she herself said she wasn’t going to be jumping into a stock car any time soon, and Earnhardt saying that his sponsorship situation at his team was bigger then anything concerning Danica Patrick, the large media outlets threw the Danica name out seemingly ignoring everything else.
While stock cars roared up and down the Vegas strip after getting the green flag from none other then Wayne Newton, and Jimmie Johnson blew an engine while doing a burnout, the headlines seemed to be all the same: ‘Danica Will Drive A Stock Car’
Here’s a note to those big media folks: We don’t care
NASCAR has scored a hit with a champion’s week celebration in Vegas, it’s just s shame that Danica Patrick is threatening to overshadow it all.
RELATED: Q&A with Danica Patrick on NASCAR
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Comments
It's so annoying for Jr to get most popular driver for being a below avergae driver every year..I guess his sheep follow wherever he goes though. (oh, did I just type that out loud?lol)
Sorry for the typo! And, um, yay Danica?
Sherri, shouldn't that be something for his fans to be proud of? The fact that they aren't bandwagoners who jump ship when their driver/team do not perform well? Junior's career has been one of severe highs and lows, and his fans stick with him through thick and thin. That's something I would find respectable in a fanbase, as opposed to being fair-weather fans for, I suppose, whoever it is you root for as a driver.
Danica isn't stealing the show. That's pretty hypocritical since the media is the one craving for information on her and making it a big deal. Personally I don't think its a big deal. She is taking a shot at it, being smart by doing it slow and we will see what she's made of. I also give kudos to her and her PR people as she was also playing it smart with her contract too. She held all the cards and used it to her advantage. Can't fault her for that. Saying that she took the spotlight away from the banquet is wrong. Especially when the media was creating this spotlight on her, so blame yourselves not her.
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