Winston Cup (WC) News...........
By now, all of you NASCAR net surfers have read about Kenny Irwin leaving the Yates team at the end of this season. None of us should be surprised, there has been a rift there since the beginning in '97. Even though Kenny won the Rookie of the Year honors last year with Yates, he was still under scrutiny from Yates for being somewhat of a playboy and not taking his ride seriously enough. I guess if you stay out all night partying, you can't give 100% on the job the next day. That holds true with any of us, not just WC drivers.
One thing that is out there for all of us to acknowledge, Ernie Irvan won races for Yates in that car, and he didn't last with the team. Yates seemed to want something better, and must have been concerned that maybe Ernie wasn't the same old Ernie after coming back from his bad wreck at Michigan. Still, he came back and won a race at Michigan, a feat that must have taken a lot of courage. I'm wondering if maybe Yates wishes that Ernie was back? Could be that Yates thought he had a young phenomenon, like Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart. Kenny got off to a good start in that direction, then just seemed to drift back into the pack. Having a dream is one thing, having it come true and being able to capitalize on it, is another. Then there's the old saying, "A new broom sweeps clean." Kenny Irwin isn't a new broom anymore, he's just one more WC driver to join the unemployment line.
Terry Labonte said they weren't much fun. I guess when you go to work, you go to have fun? At any rate, I can't see where the rain tires will make it on the road courses. To put it mildly, I think the idea is preposterous, to say the least. I guess if you are racing jet boats, where you are constantly dealing with a big rooster tail of water spray in front of you all of the time, it would be acceptable. But in a WC racer? I don't think so. How can you get close to the car in front of you to make a pass when you are getting drenched with water that's limiting your visibility and your handling capabilities? And, forget about speed, that's out of the picture in that situation. That doesn't sound much like racing to me. Oh yes, you have a windshield wiper, and also a tail light, so the drivers behind you can see your position. Big deal! It's all a big waste of time and money. If you want to race on water, race boats.
Irwin Leaving Yates...........
Rain Tires????..........
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