We’d like to welcome new writer Laura Piawlock to the MotorSportsNews.Net staff… here’s her first article for us.
I’ve read in several places this week about who deserves to win this Sunday in Watkins Glenn. Jeff Gordon because he’s won there so many times; Tony Stewart because he’s good on road courses and it’s past time for him to win somewhere this year; Robby Gordon because of his well-known prowess on road courses; Kyle Busch because he has won everywhere else this year; even Dale Jr. because he’s done well in the “other” series- call it Busch or Nationwide, whatever makes you happy.
I can’t argue with the logic that says Jeff has done well on road courses. I can’t argue that Tony does well on any course in any type of vehicle; can’t argue that about Robby either. Kyle has had an amazing year and won on the road course in California this spring. Dale Jr won when he was in the other series.(Ok, I’m the one not ready to call it Nationwide.) Juan Pablo Montoya and Denny Hamlin won on the road course in Mexico; Kevin Harvick won in Canada— sounds like they know what they’re doing. Jamie MacMurray has done well, so has Kurt Busch and Boris Said and Ron Fellows and Scott Pruett and- you get the picture.
Any of these men could win Sunday based on the fact that they have won or come really close. Let us not forget Greg Biffle, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Elliott Sadler, Bobby Labonte, David Gilliland, David Ragan, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kane… Oh, well, all 43 of them drive those cars better than I could and I drove an ambulance on the icy roads of Maine for 17 years.
But who deserves to win? The man who drives his car across the finish line first and nobody else, that’s who. Nobody in NASCAR deserves any win unless they cross under that waving checkered flag first. You can talk about gas mileage wins, wins that happen because of accidents or engines blowing up or tires going flat or whatever else kept your favorite driver from winning. You can blame it on his crew or his chief or all 42 of the other drivers, but the fact remains at the end of the race, if he doesn’t take that checkered flag he didn’t win because he didn’t win. There’s no such thing as “deserving to win” in racing. You either do it or you don’t.
I agree Laura.
I have my favorite and I always feel he deserves the win. The truth is whoever takes the checkers has figured out how to win that day. Maybe driving skill, crew chief strategy, or just plain old luck, but the winner is the one to take the checkered flag. They deserve the win. The best of 43 on a given day.
Your story was good enough to make me want to read more of your stuff. You have racing figured out really well.
Diane, thanks a lot. We’d all like to have our favorite win every Sunday, but luck does play a part sometimes, doesn’t it?
Gary, thank you for such kind words. I hope to live up to them.
“There’s no such thing as “deserving to win” in racing. You either do it or you don’t.” I love this statement. Sports is that black and white sometimes. You do your best and winning is all that matters.