[Team Yates]

Originally Posted by Gr8RaceFan

Like..........we would be surprised by that prediction??

C'mon Gr8, I know that I was shocked by that prediction!!!!

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by Mike24

It has nothing to do with being a fan of HMS and Gordon. HMS is the top team in NASCAR right now, so I think they will come out on top with the COT.

I think it's like most things in NA$CAR. HMS has outspent everybody in developing the COT so they should have the early advantage. Also, Gordon has a phenomenal record for poles at Bristol. And with this one, he's tied Bobby Allison for 5th in total career poles!

Mikey is proving how hard it is to be a Cup team owner and Cup driver at the same time. I think he needs to choose one or the other and quit embarrassing himself.

A couple bright spot for Toyota: Team Red Bull made the race!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

I
Mikey is proving how hard it is to be a Cup team owner and Cup driver at the same time. I think he needs to choose one or the other and quit embarrassing himself.

This is an issue I spoke about a while ago and I still believe it to be true. You cannot effectively do both jobs.

[PenelopePitStop]

Originally Posted by trollmc08

Mike I don't like the Fab35 ether but I am glad Dim Wit's brother will miss another race.

Oooooooooooo ... "Fab35" ... that's hilarious! I love it!

Poor "Dim Wit" ... he just can't win with any of you, and I don't understand why. No need to explain ... that's just the way it is.

You guys and/or gals crack me up! Whether I agree with you or not, you are all so damn steadfast in your opinions!

[trollmc08]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

Mikey is proving how hard it is to be a Cup team owner and Cup driver at the same time. I think he needs to choose one or the other and quit embarrassing himself.

I had rather him pick nether and take his brother with him, and live in some back room of a sushi bar on mane street Japan!!!!!!!!

[SpaceCadet]

Originally Posted by trollmc08

I had rather him pick nether and take his brother with him, and live in some back room of a sushi bar on mane street Japan!!!!!!!!

Just one more reason to hate sushi.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

OK.I think?Wonder how other manufactures feel about their brand being called something other than their real name?

Does anyone really care what the manufacturers feel?

Trust me on this one; what REALLY would get the car makers disturbed is if everyone QUIT talking about them.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Mike24

I am so SICK AND TIRED of this top 35. Waltrip should have made California and Atlanta, and he should have made Bristol, but since to this top 35 crap, he is being robbed. I wonder how the sponsors feel about this garbage?

Anyways.... what is interesting to point out is guys like McMurray, Regan Smith, Dave Blaney, etc are qualifying better with the COT than the original car. But guys like Harvick and Busch that qualify with the original car really good aren't qualifying that well with the COT. But the strong teams like HMS are on top with the COT, as Gordon won the pole, and Johnson qualified 6th. I predicted HMS, Gordon in general, to be really good with the COT, and it looks like my prediction is right.

Mike and I disagree about a lot of things, but we are also in snyc with several, too. On this one I believe that we are in lock-step.

The Version2 will make absolutely no difference in the general outcome of the races and the over-emphasised point chase. The mega-teams will continue to dominate. These same "bottomless-pit-of-money" teams will continue to afford the best drivers and those the best drivers will continue to win the vast majority of the races.

Anyone who has been around auto racing for any length of time knows that money = success. The Version2 does nada to change that equation, IMNSVHO. In fact, because of the additional money and man hours needed to prepare two completely different cars for this season, it has driven a wedge even deeper between the "have's," and the "have not's."

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

Mikey is proving how hard it is to be a Cup team owner and Cup driver at the same time. I think he needs to choose one or the other and quit embarrassing himself.

Let's see... Mikey is a driver (sort of), a team owner (sort of; in Jack Roush fashion, his wife is actually listed as the "owner"), a Cup Lite team owner, the ultimate name-dropper in interviews, a TV pitchman, and now, as of two weeks ago, he has his own radio show weekly on XM.

Add to the above the fact that he has the constant stigma of Daytona hanging over his head and probably will the entire season.

I think that Mikey thought (still thinks?) that he can do it all. Longfellow said, "Most people would succeed in small things if they were not troubled by ambition." I can see where that would kind of sum up Mikey's current plight.

If I didn't dislike the persona Mikey exudes, I'd almost feel sorry for him. "Almost..." But naaaw. It's kind of fun to see him stew in his own juices and watch his sanctimonious brother make apologies for him. (Something which I think DW has kind of refrained from doing in excess this past week)

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Does anyone really care what the manufacturers feel?

Trust me on this one; what REALLY would get the car makers disturbed is if everyone QUIT talking about them.

Bingo! Jackpot! Bullseye! Spot on!, etc.

Yota, Toyota, Toyoter, Camry - Mentioned more times thoughout all of the forum threads me thinks than any other brand/manufacturer. It doesn't get any better than that for a product maker/manufacturer.

Give up on Mikey?!? - anyone expecting this just may be lacking a few marbles. While perhaps not accomplishing / achieving the most desireable results on track, every time he pops up, the chatter quantity and volume ratchets up, and when it does - MORE exposure. Yota, Toyoter, whatever gets more and more exposure without the investment of a single dollar more. Laughable - you bet. Mikey's laughin' all the way to the bank. Bash on!

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

Give up on Mikey?!? - anyone expecting this just may be lacking a few marbles. While perhaps not accomplishing / achieving the most desireable results on track, every time he pops up, the chatter quantity and volume ratchets up, and when it does - MORE exposure. Yota, Toyoter, whatever gets more and more exposure without the investment of a single dollar more. Laughable - you bet. Mikey's laughin' all the way to the bank. Bash on!

Toyoter is new to NA$CAR, so they may be OK with Mikey's performance - it's helping them counter some of the bashing they are getting. But NAPA is another story. They stuck with him thru his highs and lows, don't think they like the "can't make the show" exposure...

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

Toyoter is new to NA$CAR, so they may be OK with Mikey's performance - it's helping them counter some of the bashing they are getting. But NAPA is another story. They stuck with him thru his highs and lows, don't think they like the "can't make the show" exposure...

Agree. They are a sponsor (NAPA that is) that clearly, as proven by history, support him through the cycles. Wouldn't be surprised if they are getting as much exposure as ever, with of course the exception of the somewhat brief "restrictor race" successes during the DEI time.

NAPA would I suppose really be more "another thread". For this one, we agree on the Toyo/Mikey thing.

In any case, Mikey is still lovin' the trips to the bank.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

In any case, Mikey is still lovin' the trips to the bank.

he hasn't increased his spending on his wardrobe, but on the other hand he did get a haircut

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by wingkey1

Give up on Mikey?!? - anyone expecting this just may be lacking a few marbles. While perhaps not accomplishing / achieving the most desireable results on track, every time he pops up, the chatter quantity and volume ratchets up, and when it does - MORE exposure. Yota, Toyoter, whatever gets more and more exposure without the investment of a single dollar more. Laughable - you bet. Mikey's laughin' all the way to the bank. Bash on!

Actually, Wing, I just read on Jayski that TRD is taking a MWR car back to the Development Center and studying it to try and find out why his cars are so slow. That tells me that Toyota hasn't given up on his organization yet. However, in my experience, extremely high-level involvement is usually seen as one of the last steps taken before the plug is pulled.

As far as exposure going up and Mikey's laughing, I believe we see this from slightly different angles.

Exposure: It's kind of ironic that Mayfield's sponsor, OTC 360, has gotten more name recognition because Mayfield HASN'T made a race yet. How many times would they have been mentioned if Jeremy had made the field but ended up back around 30th, or lower? The debate over whether they'd pull their sponsorship over his NOT making the races has given them a certain amount of notoriety.

OTOH, NAPA, UPS and Domino's are nationally recognized names. There might be a certain amount of prestige there which makes them want, not just to be talked about, but to be connected with success? This is something they currently are definitely NOT getting in their connection with MWR. It's always iffy if Mikey and David can even crack the field and Jarrett has had to rely on a lowly provisional start in four of the first five races. Not a PR man's dream, by any stretch.

As far as Mikey laughing, money-wise, probably (for the time being). But the Waltrip ego is roughly the shape, and the size of Asia Minor and his looking each week like a guy impersonating a race driver has to wear on him. I don't think that it's time to station a suicide watch, but possibly an Rx for an antidepressant might be welcome?

[Gr8RaceFan]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

This is an issue I spoke about a while ago and I still believe it to be true. You cannot effectively do both jobs.

I respectfully submit for your consideration that "Mikey" can do neither, not at the same time nor alone. He spent soooooo much time shining NASCAR's star that he now appears foolish when he cannot be successful playing by their rules. His brother paved the way for the Toyota deal and he is failing at that also. Every show he appears on he is a buffoon. So that is another failure. Sometimes you just need to stop swimming against the stream and find the right place to drift. This guy is drowning fast.