[Bob Tanner]

I just picked this up from Jayski:

France's to switch jobs? from a Robin Miller article on SPEEDtv.com - Jim France moving into the Big Chair [CEO of NASCAR?] and nephew Brian [France] going to Grand-Am?(http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/41067/)(10-20-2007)

Two things immediately came to mind when I read this; first is that Robin Miller has been know to be less that factual in his reporting.

The second is that with Brian we have a known quantity; with Jim we have a relatively unknown. The old adage that the enemy you know is often better than the enemy you don't.

I didn't find out much about James France. I give you the following: He's 512 on the wealthiest Americans and is worth $1.5 billion (he plays in Bruton Smith's neighborhood).

#512 James France
Age: 62
Fortune: inherited and growing (no fooling!!!???
Source: Auto racing

Net Worth: 1.5 billion

Country Of Citizenship: United States
Residence: Daytona Beach, Florida, United States, North America
Industry: Service
Marital Status: married, 3 children

As Alice said as she stepped through the looking glass, "Things are getting curiouser and curiouser!"

[simple simon]

i know it would never happen .... but wouldnt it be lovely if NASCAR was a democracy ?

[LSC9901]

Why would young Brian give up NASCAR to older Jim ???? There's got to be more to this story !!!

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Why would young Brian give up NASCAR to older Jim ???? There's got to be more to this story !!!

Blackmail....or he lost a bet to the older, or maybe the bet is the older can run NA$CAR better?

[DOF_power]

Originally Posted by simple simon

i know it would never happen .... but wouldnt it be lovely if NASCAR was a democracy ?

Nah it would only mess things up (lobbies interests battles/squabble).
And enlightened dictatorship is needed IMO.

[Racer Duck]

it may be that JF has more stock than BF, so he's voted himself in and Brain (spelling intentional) out! one of those "I can run it into the ground better than that pipsqueak!" deals....

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Blackmail....or he lost a bet to the older, or maybe the bet is the older can run NA$CAR better?

Is there someone who couldn't run it better than Brain ???

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Is there someone who couldn't run it better than Brain ???

I guess not. I think a Barnem & Bailey circus clown could do a better job.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Is there someone who couldn't run it better than Brain ???

me! I'd have to make the racers, the owners, the sponsors, the networks, NYC and a few others unhappy. the new fans, we'll see .. the old fans I'll try to please.

first off, I'd redesign that stupid website that nobody but a trained programmer can get around in.

next, I'd publish the rules on the simplified website so everybody could see them

and worst of all, I'd administer punishment to ALL rule breakers as defined in the rules .. oh? it's not in there, well it will be before the day's out!

TV contracts would require split screens for anything not happening on the track during a race (commercials, yodeling contests, football/basketball/baseball/t-ball games and world wars included.) Any attempt at computer animation of "aero" anything will result in a forfeiture of one race .. the runner up network will cover the forfeited race. All races will be broadcast on standard airways .. cable/satellite broadcasts are in addition to regular airway broadcasts. All races will start at 1PM local time and will conclude by 4PM local time, except, of course for the two 12 hour races I'll be adding to the schedule which pay 4X points: one on a road course and one on a super speedway.

the point system will be revamped so that it makes sense and rewards front placing cars. Owners points will only be useful for claiming tables at the annual awards dinner to be held in Daytona Beach 2 weeks after the season ending 30th race in October. there will be one provisional good for 1 race only and belonging to the previous season's Champ and expires at the end of the season.

all races will be contested by the 40 fastest cars in qualifying. If a car is found to be illegal after the race, it will be DQ'd and will loose all points, purse and contingency monies earned in the race, i.e., DQ means ZERO. Any car involved in 3 cautions will be parked for the rest of the race.

Owners will be allowed to have as many teams as they want, but only 2 may compete in any single race. the names of the people on the teams will be submitted to me when the team is formed and all personnel changes submitted with the team's entry form .. no more than 2 changes are allowed per team per race. Violation of this rule will render the application void, i.e., not allowed to race.

my decisions will be final and not subject to review nor arbitration.

one last thing: any race reporter/announcer who utters the "feeling" word or any derivation of it on air will be banned from the next two races carried by their network and the network will be fined $10K for each utterance. (yeah I know it's punitive, but it'll make me feel good.)

[LSC9901]

I hate to say this out loud Ducky but ..... you have way to much time to think. Let the youger generation do that. People like you just want to improve things or at the very least keep things on an even keel.

Stop it .... just stop it !!!!

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

and world wars included

at first i wanted to take exception to that (yeah i know it wasnt meant as read, but still) ...... then i thought about it and decided better

i remember the flood of news after 9/11 and the start of Iraq .... and all some people wanted to do was turn on ESPN or something similar for a little release ..... to that point i agree 100%, if you want your news you know where to find it

(i know my post had nothing to do with the topic ... but i wanted to post it anyway)

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Let the youger generation do that.

Whoa, easy Steve. You see what happened with Brain.

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Whoa, easy Steve. You see what happened with Brain.

Point taken.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

I hate to say this out loud Ducky but ..... you have way to much time to think. Let the youger generation do that. People like you just want to improve things or at the very least keep things on an even keel.

Stop it .... just stop it !!!!

just patch it if it's broke??? and ignore it if it's almost broke??? sorry, I'm a born engineer (not the train kind) so I'm always looking for a better way....

besides, thinkers think. I'm a thinker not a tinkerer...

glad you liked my ideas, though

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

(not the train kind) so I'm always looking for a

its never the train kind