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Ed Hinton

  (2:01 PM)

Hi, all.Let's go.

Cory (Geneva, IL)

Yesterday, Terry Blount was intimating that not everyone on Jr's team is pulling for him and had evidence to support that, although he didn't say what. Jr has had more mechanical and pit crew failures than the rest of HMS drivers, could some of that be sabotage or am I looking way to deep into this?

Ed Hinton

  (2:03 PM)

I guess it's possible, but they'd definitely get fired at Hendrick if they got caught. Even on the outside chance it might be true, it certainly wouldn't account for all of Junior's problems.

YAR8pack (Candor)

Mr Hinton, if NASCAR's main gripe is that it isn't logically sound to move race sites only a year in advance, then why don't those folks down in Daytona start setting things up for the 2011 or 2012 Chase? If those dolts did that, I guess that would mean the apocalypse is surely almost upon us. Take care.

Ed Hinton

  (2:05 PM)

Now, YAR, you been around long enough to know they do what they damn well please. But the excuse-making does get tedious, doesn't it? I always like their old Winston Cup director, Bill Gazaway, who'd just say, "Because I said so." And that was it.

Erik (Boston, MA)

Great Article Ed. I am one of the ones who find some of the races boring, but its not because the drivers are safer. I am a huge fan of road courses and short tracks. I wish NASCAR would get rid of some of the cookie cutter tracks like Fontana and Michigan and bring in more tracks like Bristol, Darlington, Martinsville. Today, you could build a Martinsville that seats over 100,000 IMO. I refuse to miss short track races and will make sure my schedule is that I can watch the race. When it comes to Fontana or similar tracks, if I am home, I'll watch it but if not, no big loss. the double file restarts have helped tremendously, but to me, that's more of fabricated competition versus true competition. Plus, I would like to see the bos the crew chiefs can work in get a little bigger.

Ed Hinton

  (2:06 PM)

What I wanted to do most was get the fans to think about it. Clearly, you have, Erik. Good analysis.

Charlotte ( Bolio)

Why does anybody watch this stupid sport. If you live north of the mason dixon line and your name isn't charlotte bolio and you watch this you should burn in hick hell.

Ed Hinton

  (2:08 PM)

All voices welcome here, Charlotte, but why'd you bother coming into this room. To pick a fight?

Leo (CT)

If there was no chase for Johnson to run away with, Stewart would've run away with the title under the old system. What's the difference?

Ed Hinton

  (2:08 PM)

Amen, brother. Now there's that concise New England wisdom at work, folks.

Ethan (Colorado )

when can we c the first RPM car in a ford?

Ed Hinton

  (2:09 PM)

Lordamercy, why do people keep caring about this? It's a COT for pete's sake. All you'll see is a Ford rather than Dodge logo, and RPM ain't gonna be any better or worse for it.

Josh (Utica, Kentucky)

Whatever happened to Buckshot Jones? he was my favorite. I was sooo happy when he didn't finish above 35th.

Ed Hinton

  (2:11 PM)

Don't know where he is now. Do seem to recall that his dad was big in the fiber optics industry, which took a hard hit back when the dot com bubble burst. All I know is, every driver on the track at Talladega used to go double-white-knuckled every time they saw Buckshot coming in their mirrors.

Matt (Phoenix)

Ed I asked this question to one of your counterparts and I am not sure I got an answer that made since ? completely. Here ya go: NASCAR went to the sacred ground of the open wheel series, IRL ? the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the race became very popular and successful and also boosted NASCAR's exposure. Why does the IRL not travel to the sacred ground of NASCAR, Daytona and do a race, lord knows that the IRL could use something to boost their ratings and exposure. And what track that NASCAR (cup series) does not currently race on do you think would be the best to add?

Ed Hinton

  (2:15 PM)

No way they'd go to Daytona, or Daytona would have them. Not on the oval. They tried Indy cars there when Daytona opened in '59, and after a bunch of death, mayhem and wild wrecks, they stopped that.Yes, the Indy cars have been slowed way down. But any car with that much downforce, when it gets backwards, is going to take off and fly like a helicopter on a high-banked track like that. As in, over the fence and into the grandstands.Shrapnel from those cars was what made Charlotte drop them. And, they just don't draw very well anyplace but Texas.I'll give you a blunt answer: It's a dying league, with so many more issues than appeal that the big tracks don't seem to want it even as a secondary drawing card.

TG (PA)

Ha, I knew Chad was paying someone to sabotage Junior's car! Junior says he needs a crew chief who's more autoritative. You up for the job, Ed?

Ed Hinton

  (2:16 PM)

Oh, gimme a break. If anything, Chad's the likeliest victim. Junior Johnson, back one time when Chad got nailed hard, told me he figured Chad was so hard on his guys that one of them ratted him out. Junior had had that happen to him before.

josh (slc)

is degga the best race we have left in this season? because if jimmy makes it through untouched the title is his to lose, and i think history will be made!

Ed Hinton

  (2:17 PM)

The best show, yes. The best race? That ain't a race, it's a crapshoot, a roulette wheel. Casino de Alabama. Try your luck.And yes, if he emerges from that, he's home free.

kevin (new jersey)

that person who said this is a stupid sport is the reason why i dont tell people im a nascar fan. the stereotype nascar fan is still a racist redneck from down south and i dont want people thinking thats me

Ed Hinton

  (2:18 PM)

Man, you're not the lone ranger on that. It's an issue for all of us. But what do we do when they're shamelessly commercial and go so overboard with every pre-race show that every Sunday seems like the U.S. just got into a new war for its existence.

Marcus (VA)

Jr is running another brand new Lance built chassis this weeekend. If he runs in the top 5 like NH, would expect a Announcement that McGrew will return next year? Otherwise if he struggles do you expect a soon announcement that the team will be rebuilding next year?

Ed Hinton

  (2:20 PM)

I don't think Rick's decision is anything like that simple. And I think we all need to remind ourselves that Junior is the only common denominator in all this. Crew chiefs are important, but not the total answer for any driver.

kevin (new jersey)

thats why pre-race shows should be illegal

Ed Hinton

  (2:21 PM)

What I don't understand from our TV cousins is that, for example, they NEVER show the pre-game at LSU, one of the most spine-tingling shows in all of sports, and yet they show every second of every NASCAR pre-race show.

Phil (Louisville,KY)

Do you think any other chase driver can grow a set and put Johnson into the wall, or even try to block him?

Ed Hinton

  (2:21 PM)

No. And if they did, they'd be parked by the tower in about 30 seconds. NASCAR hasn't worked like that since the 1950s.

josh (slc)

a few years ago the thing was to hire young drivers is now going to be old ones? since mark martin has been killing it this year?

Ed Hinton

  (2:22 PM)

Mark is unique with his fitness. That won't start a trend, anymore than George Foreman winning a heavyweight title in middle age started a trend for old boxers.

josh (slc)

agree pre-race shows are awful! yes some of it is good but for the most part they act like its the first time people have ever seen a race!

Ed Hinton

  (2:23 PM)

I'm going to keep posting these comments in hopes we can get something going here.

josh (mooresville)

no chat .... was ed on a harley up here last night?

Ed Hinton

  (2:24 PM)

I'm here. But you'll never catch me on a Harley. Certainly not in the Lake Norman area. Yeah, I've read the reports. In case others haven't, at Charlotte TV station reports Michael Waltrip was cited for failure to yield last night when his Lexus collided with a Harley. MW was given a breathalyzer, and passed with .06, under the NC legal limit of .08.

kevin (new jersey)

no pre-race shows just the race, thats why everyone likes football 1 o'clock means the kickoff not allen bestwick saying whos singing the national anthem

Ed Hinton

  (2:25 PM)

Darn right. You don't see the NFL pulling stunts like that.

Josh (SLC)

read a rumor that the new F-1 us team wants kyle bad. do you think he would leave to go run the F-1 series?

Ed Hinton

  (2:26 PM)

No. Not with that team -- even if it gets off the ground, it won't be competitive. They're just trying to drum up publicity by throwing Kyle's name out there. He'd be nuts to do more than a test -- and even that just for fun.No way, no how does he drive for them.

Rich (Buffalo)

The NFL has their pre-game shows too fellas

Ed Hinton

  (2:26 PM)

But they don't make us suffer through all of it on TV.

Jason (Dallas)

Ed, Do you think Kyle is frustrated and depressed with the poor performance of the #18 team missing the chase, only 4 cup wins, 7 Nationwide wins and 5 truck wins?

Ed Hinton

  (2:27 PM)

I sure do. This guy wants to win all the races, all the time. Anything less, he's not as happy as he should be. Can't fault a guy for that.

Justin (NC)

Does Gibbs being a Toyota team keep them from getting any big name drivers for a possible 4th team?

Ed Hinton

  (2:29 PM)

Not that I know of. Toyota was one of the reasons Stewart left to return to Chevrolet, but other than that, I think drivers are taking what they can get. Besides, Toyota's at least as American now as the others. Employs hundreds of thousands of Americans, etc. So I wish the Toyota bashing would cease.

Kimberly (Austin)

What changes do you think Coach Gibbs needs to make to Kyle's #18 team to improve on the frustrating and disappointing 2009 season?

Ed Hinton

  (2:30 PM)

I think that, like Richard Childress, Gibbs needs to go to every person in the compound and determine who really wants to win, really, really. I detect a little RCR type fat and happy over at Gibbs now. Except for Kyle of course.

Josh (SLC)

on the us-f1 what engines are they running? it has to be gm or ford?

Ed Hinton

  (2:31 PM)

I think they're claiming Mercedes. Nothing GM or Ford makes would remotely work in F1. Far too heavy, far too big, unless Ford dragged out some of its old Cosworths, which might not be legal anymore.

ted (westhampton, ny)

ed, i might have missed this, but do you not like the chase. do you think jj has too big of an advantage with the chase format

Ed Hinton

  (2:33 PM)

I don't particularly like or dislike the Chase. I do think NASCAR has every bit the same right to conduct playoffs as the other pro sports leagues. Nobody's playoffs are for anything but to create more interest and make more money. JJ an advantage? No more than Reggie Jackson had when he was Mr. October. People shouldn't be penalized for working the system.

Jerry (Tampa, FL)

Cosworth is supplying USF1 and I think some of the other new teams. Cosworth had engines in F1 up until 2007 I think, they have a fairly new engine ready to go, nothing that remotely resembles one of the old Ford based engines though.

Ed Hinton

  (2:34 PM)

Whatever they're using, I will believe USF1 will be competitive when I see it. And then I shall faint cold with shock and surprise.

Shane (Allentown, PA)

Hey ED! What do you think of awarding points for winnig the pole? id say about 25 should do it.

Ed Hinton

  (2:34 PM)

I'm beginning to come around on that issue, but I don't think it should be more than 5 or 10.

Greg (NYC)

Nascar's pre race shows need more chemistry like NFL on fox pre game show. Those guys have good chemistry which Makes good television.

Ed Hinton

  (2:35 PM)

Oh, you mean the TV programming. I thought we were talking about NASCAR's flyovers, etc., at the tracks. At least that's what I'm talking about.

John (Illinios)

I like the pre-race show.

Ed Hinton

  (2:36 PM)

Equal time given here. But are we all on the same page? I meant the NASCAR stuff directly at the tracks, not the TV pre-race shows. Everybody has that, including the NFL.

JAMES (MOSES LAKE)

WHY IS NO ONE REALLY PUTTING UP A FIGHT TO JJ?

Ed Hinton

  (2:37 PM)

Oh, they're putting up a fight. It's just that none of those fights are good enough.

Gary (Ft. Lee, NJ)

Would Nascar be in worse shape now if Toyota had never entered Sprint Cup?

Ed Hinton

  (2:37 PM)

You better believe it.

ted (westhampton, ny)

ed, who do you think is jr next crew chief, will they stick with lance

Ed Hinton

  (2:38 PM)

They ought to stick with Lance. Otherwise I've given up guessing on that whole mess.

Dave W. (Ukiah, Ca)

Ed, I guess I am in the minority these days but I can not believe how good the #48 team is...and it looks like they are only getting better!!! I have been a J.J. fan since he sat on the pole at Daytona his rookie year and as a fan I am blown away at what they have accomplished as a team. Do you think the Nascar "masses" will ever accept that he is a great driver with a great team and just appreciate what we are seeing as far as history goes? I had the pleasure of watcYou don't have to love him...but you had better respect him because I think he earns respect with his actions on and off of the track. Do you agree?

Ed Hinton

  (2:40 PM)

Yes, I agree. And I've written extensively on those points. He doesn't get anywhere near the respect he deserves.

JAMES (MOSES LAKE)

I am a Tony Stewart fan and was wondering, do you consider this year a success without a cup title?

Ed Hinton

  (2:40 PM)

Oh, Lord, yes!

Josh (SLC)

i've been watching past races on tv and im so happy they went to double filled re-starts. it was awful when the top drivers got stuck behind a non factor car!

Ed Hinton

  (2:41 PM)

That's exactly why I'm for double-file restarts. It was actually double-file before, except that it was non-factors -- lapped cars -- that got to go up there and create mischief. How many times did one Bodine or another, trying to get a lap back, wreck Jeff Gordon at Bristol?

Jeremy (Port Angeles, Washington)

Do you think that Danica will annouced her nascar plans at Phoenix Internatinal Raceway?

Ed Hinton

  (2:43 PM)

I'm told it all is hanging on when her Indy car deals get firmed up and announced. Her NASCAR interests have agreed to let the Indy car interests go first. However, there's an outside possibility she could both announce NASCAR plans and race at Phoenix. The racing part is fading fast, because she's running out of test time.

Kelsey (NY)

Why didn't Coach Gibbs ban and bar Tony Sterwart from JGR shops after he quit the team like Penske has done with Tryson?

Ed Hinton

  (2:44 PM)

Whole different deal. Crew chiefs see a lot more technically around the shops than drivers do.

Rob F (Hoboken, NJ)

Do any big journalists who cover NASCAR oppose The Chase in private or public? Most journalists seem to be OK with it, as opposed to the core fanbase.

Ed Hinton

  (2:46 PM)

There aren't any that I know of -- probably from a practicality standpoint. Good or bad, the Chase gives us more to write about in the fall. It used to get so boring during the fall, and a runaway championship, that I'd go cover football and abandon NASCAR until the finale.

Joe (Chicago)

Any word on whether Mikey got out and said "Well, it just wasn't our night in the NAPA Lexus"?

Ed Hinton

  (2:46 PM)

Not bad. Not bad.

Josh (SLC)

will mwr be better when micky steps down and focuses only on the team? and when was the last time he actually never went a lap down at a race?

Ed Hinton

  (2:47 PM)

Oh, yes, it'll be a lot better. He turns out to be a pretty good businessman, and certainly spokesman, and ought to focus on that.

Steven (Phoenix)

Do you think part of Henricks success this year is due to Gibbs and Toyota information that Tony Stewart took with him from Gibbs and shared it with Henrick?

Ed Hinton

  (2:48 PM)

NO! When will people accept that Hendrick is just plain good. Believe me, there's not a single thing JGR could teach HMS about technology, morale, etc.

Steven (Phoenix)

Dale Jr has now won 1 race in his last 129 Sprint Cup starts. Assuming he wins 1 more race in his next 129 starts would put him at the end of his Henrick contract. Will that be the end of Dale's Sprint cup career?

Ed Hinton

  (2:49 PM)

All I know is, he keeps seeming more and more discouraged. There's no timeline or litmus test for that.

John (Illinois)

I think the pre-race show at the track makes the race a better experience. Granted, I have only been to two races, and they were both at Bristol. But the pre-race show at the track gets the spectator excited (especially the 1st timers), and it feels like being at the Super Bowl. You don't see great pre-shows at your run of the mill baseball or football games.

Ed Hinton

  (2:50 PM)

Just posting the other side of opinion.

AJ (Indy )

Jimmie Jimmie Jimmie Jimmie...come on now. Put Lance M on that team as the crew chief and Jimmie has ZERO titles. Put Stewart / Gordon / Busch in that car with Chad and they all win championships. It's the Crew chief, that deserves 80% of the credit, not the driver.

Ed Hinton

  (2:52 PM)

Wrong across the board. Those other drivers wouldn't work with Chad, who's very domineering during a race. And Jimmie would win some races with any crew chief -- with Lance, probably a lot of races.Everybody keeps beating on Jimmie.Want to make some more excuses for Junior while you're at it?Jimmie's winning. Period. He would be winning some with any crew chief.

John (Illinois)

Ed, good article today. Very thought provoking. I remember watching Davey Allison and Darrell Waltrip flipping their cars and seeing the cars disintegrate. They were both extracted from the wreckage and carried out in stretchers. It wasn?t fun to see. I prefer watching my drivers defy death by walking away from a horrific looking crash. Increased safety has not made the ?sport? less desirable to watch.

Ed Hinton

  (2:53 PM)

Again, I wanted readers to think about this. And I appreciate these comments that show you have indeed thought long and deep about it.

Lou (Las Vegas)

Do you think it is wrong to consider the #88 team the Detroit Lions of Nascar?

Ed Hinton

  (2:54 PM)

Nah, that's kind of hard on Matthew Stafford, isn't it? I mean, he hasn't been through several coaches yet.

AJ (Indy )

You can't say Jimmie Johnson is a better RACE CAR DRIVER then Tony Stewart with a straight face....can you ? Jimmie is a heck of a driver, but doesn't have as much driving ability as Stewart...

Ed Hinton

  (2:55 PM)

I'm saying it with a straight face. Jimmie is better in a loose car on ovals. Tony is better in a loose car on road courses. There are more road courses than ovals. So there.

Mike (Texas)

Im a new NASCAR fan and have a ? about the Chase points system. Why is it that it is so hard to make up ground on the leader? I would like to see the Chase a little closer in points. The 48 is awesome but it would be great to see the Chase come down to the last race, and as it looks now, the 48 has it locked up. Keep drivin hard #9!

Ed Hinton

  (2:57 PM)

Because, although they reset the points at the beginning of the Chase, they don't change the points awarded per race from regular season to Chase.The natural progression is for a leader to pull away when others have trouble, like Montoya or Martin last week. You just notice it more during the Chase because everything is touted as "more equal." Once the Chase starts, it's not.

john (daytona)

why is everyone beating up on jimmie johnson, im not a jj fan, but the dude can drive, seems like everyone is trying to make excuses why there driver is at the top of the sport 4 yrs in a row

Ed Hinton

  (2:57 PM)

Right on, John! Exactly the point.

Josh (SLC)

a few friends of mine have been talking about going to speed weeks in daytona. is it worth the money to stay in the infield for that week? i think it would be but just want an opinion....

Ed Hinton

  (3:00 PM)

I'd probably pick the infield if you have a decent motor coach. Mainly because Daytona Beach as a town is just not very much fun anymore. You might as well stay at the track.

Scott (Balto)

"There are more road courses than ovals. So there" I think you got that one backwards, Ed.

Ed Hinton

  (3:01 PM)

I did. Thanks. That's the trouble with rapid-fire typing on chats.

Lou (Las Vegas)

Jimmy Johnson is 2 championships and about 20 cup wins better than Stewart.

Ed Hinton

  (3:02 PM)

Well, one championship unless you're considering this one a lock.Otherwise, pretty solid answer, Lou.

Ironhead Forever (Islip, NY)

Do you think NASCAR will try to do something about teams like Stewart-Haas sharing information with Hendricks as a violation of their four cars per team rule?

Ed Hinton

  (3:02 PM)

There's not a darn thing they can do about it. Hendrick alone outnumbers NASCAR in engineers at least 5-1. NASCAR doesn't have the people to enforce such a thing.

Ed Hinton

  (3:03 PM)

Time's up. Thanks to everyone for stopping by.