#$%^$#!!!!! (a term found in weather and racing)!

I’m back! Our recent “liquid” weather in Central Texas spawned a thunderboomer that ate my faithful old laptop a few weeks back. The result has become a true exercise in marital compromise, as hubby Dave is as committed to his online endeavors (World of Warcraft) as I am to mine! We now “share” the gaming PC, and woe be unto the NASCAR fan who wants to use the system during a Naked Gnome Race or a Endgame Guild Raid. Hopefully, we’ll have this dilemma rectified shortly, as soon as I decide whether or not my sanity can handle Windows Vista! It’s been a while since I’ve aggravated myself with a new operating system!

Any sufficiently advanced bug is indistinguishable from a feature!

Seems the Evernham Motorsports staff has finally uncovered a major flaw in their newfangled PLM system dataset. Seems the digitheads at EMS have been testing cars with different dynamics than those that wind up on the track – a MAJOR engineering flaw that languished 5 months without discovery. In response, EMS performed a “system restore” of sorts, and returned to a prior-year car for the Indy race – a move that SHOULD have proven at least somewhat fruitful.

Not much, tho. Listening to the #19 Team’s scanner during the race, it was apparent that Ray Evernham did everything to the ill-handling car but change the paint – all to no avail. At one point, racechat chums and I opined that they should just jack the thing up and shove a 4 x 4 underneath. The good news is – Sadler finished 28th instead of 33rd (again) and to a fan of the Southern Gentleman – it’s an improvement.

Having programmed in a past life (I actually remember some PASCAL & Fortran code and the Unix vi Editor!), I’m fairly certain it will take the EMS techies a few weeks to correct their baseline dataset, regenerate all their engineering data specs, and manufacture parts to comform. No small feat during the final races before the chase, but I’m betting we’ll see some more improvement as time goes along.

One thing is apparent, tho – especially after listening to ESPN’s interviews with Dale Sr.’s former compadres who touted his ability to handle an evil-driving car. Sadler is gaining more than his fair share of similar experience, and the fact that he’s been able to keep ill-handling rides out of walls and other cars will do nothing but improve his performance stats once the bugs are ironed out. Yeah, I’m an optimist!

Expletive (NOT) Deleted!

Talk about instant karma! Just as I was complimenting Tony Stewart on winning a race without issuing accusations and throwing barbs at other drivers – KABOOM. The BS Bomb. ESPN decided to forego it’s broadcasting “safety delay” – apparently believing that former Champion drivers wouldn’t DARE take their 1st Amendment rights to the limit at such a time. Poor judgment on ESPN’s part! I think a new rule of thumb for ANY media entity is to ASSURE a delay is in place before allowing a mic anywhere near the Man in Orange!

Sadly, Tony Stewart’s public behavior has taken such a dismal downward spiral of late, it’s hard for even a Sunshine Pumper like me to look for points on which to defend him. His last forays into public embarrassment have resulted in making light of (and almost advocating) irresponsible alcohol consumption and now Mr. Smoke has shown the world that literacy, articulation, and self-discipline are NOT hallmarks of our sport. Thanks, Tony – you went a long way in maintaining the NASCAR stereotype with your BS! Glad I’m not a parent with a young Stewart fan among my offspring – we’d have to talk!

But is it really ALL Tony’s fault? Granted, he behaves with ever-increasing bitterness and seems to be almost TRYING to offend anyone and everyone who approaches him with a mic – but isn’t that what the media EXPECTS? Or WANTS? Tony “The Mouth” is a story, and I’m going to hand the press a slice of the blame pie for keeping the seemingly endless cycle of bad behavior pedaling along. Stewart has actually been ENCOURAGED by the media to behave badly – hence a weekly “forum” on Sirius where he’s publicized, egged on, and rewarded for bad behavior. I’ve joined the club of “non-listeners” when it comes to Tony’s weekly show – perhaps if enough folks did likewise it would send a message (without using expletives)!

EMS, PLM & COT (e.i.e.i.o!)

A few weeks ago, I stumbled across an Industry Week Magazine webcast entitled 'Redefining the Race: How Evernham Motorsports' PLM Strategy Drives NASCAR's Most Innovative Race Team.' While the webcast is primarily a promotional piece for EMS’ engineering software provider, Dassault Systemes, I found it an extremely enlightening view into the inner workings of EMS – and into a few of the current “non-workings” as well!

Evernham uses the “PLM” (Product Lifecycle Management) business model to field cars each week. Simply put, PLM is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of a product from its conception, through design and manufacture, to service and disposal. Using PLM methodologies, EMS functions as an automobile manufacturing company – one that has to bring a new product to market 36 times a year! PLM cuts time to market drastically, but is manpower and equipment heavy – two factors which require considerable capital. Capital, as we all know, is in short supply in many NASCAR teams nowdays – thanks in no small part to the new “product” that must now be brought to market – the COT.

One point made during the webcast was the ability of EMS’s PLM software to access shop data from the track during raceday, and and to communicate online with realtime engineers from the track. In a perfect techno-world, Josh Browne would be able to enter track, performance, weather, surface, temp, etc. variables into his laptop atop the pit box – and voila! The computer would indicate the needed adjustments based on these variables. Problem is – no historical data exists yet for many of the variables faced this season – new track surfaces, new nosecones on existing cars, funky weather, new tire compounds. In effect there may well be too many “first-time” situations facing EMS this season to make their investment in the PLM discipline pay off in the near term.

So, until EMS’s Magic 8 Ball starts producing useful information – we experience mediocrity. Heavy reliance on technology for crucial solutions doesn’t always deliver, and there are times when all the pocket-protector wearing, geek speaking race technobes in the world can’t help if they are unable to effectively handle the one CONSTANT that exists each week – communication with the driver.

To my knowledge, no software company has been able to successfully code “The Sadler Variable.” In order to correctly interpret the data coming from the driver of the #19 car (and every other car, for that matter) – it takes an entirely different set of HUMAN skills. Sadly, it’s these skills that seem strained on both sides of the scanner on raceday – and frustration is becoming increasingly apparent. This translates to the fan base as conflict between driver and crew chief. Whether such conflict actually exists is the cause of much speculation in the peanut gallery, and the sudden appearance of “Sports Psychologists” in the halls of EMS. I wish them luck – finding a perfect fit between driver and crew chief, particularly one that can survive the stresses and strains of a mediocre season, is NOT an easy task. If a personnel change is in the cards for the #19 team, it’s a sure-fire bet that MORE resources ($$$) will be required in order to tie up contracts.

I realize I’m often accused of being a cockeyed optimist when it comes to the #19 – but in this case I still think my stubborn loyalty is rightly placed. The #19 has finished every race (remember all the blown motors last year?), has stayed out of the wall, has minimized pit row penalties, and has had mid-pack finishes despite all the factors seemingly working against a win. Taken in context, the 2007 Season can boast MANY improvements over 2006, but fans have short-term memory when it’s been a while since the last trip to victory lane.

And for the record, I think EMS will eventually win the REAL Chase this year -- The 2007 Race To The Bank will help them bring home some Cup trophies before too long.

Remember When All We Had To Learn About Was RACIN???

Like many, I have my morning routine pretty down pat. I check my email, then start making my rounds of bookmarked sites. Chief among my NASCAR stops are several journalists’ blogs, as well as key online periodicals – and I’ve recently added a new one near the top of the list:

The Wall Street Journal.

It’s fairly obvious that I’m an Elliott Sadler fan, and therefore I’m among the multitudes who are trying to understand why our driver isn’t being sprinkled with confetti and doused with soda at the end of the race. It’s been a pretty dismal season, and the knee-jerk reactions have run the gamut. Many want to place blame in the drivers’ and/or crew chief’s laps, while others are blaming the owner, the engineers and/or the fabricators. Some blame just about everyone!

For myself, I’ve learned (most of the time), to keep my blaming fingers curled inward until I do a little research. Things are not always as they seem, and in Sadlers’ (and EMS) case – there’s a lot more going on in Detroit, Michigan and Stuttgart, Germany than in Statesville, NC or Emporia, VA!

The Chrysler Sale

It looks as if Dodge’s parent company, Germany’s Daimler/Chrysler, is serious about selling off the Chrysler portion of its’ operation to a private equity firm. There are numerous bidders, and the sale looks likely within the next 4-6 weeks according to Wall Street and Detroit pundits. Will a new Chrysler owner commit to the same estimated $100 million annually to keep a presence in NASCAR – it’s ONLY racing endeavor? It seems unlikely that a new owner with a need to compete with America’s NEWEST #1 automaker – Toyota – will resist the urge to streamline it’s budget.

BUT……

The UAW (who reportedly opposes the sale) is in the midst of collective bargaining with Daimler/Chrysler. If a sale is eminent, the UAW may be forced to make concessions in its contract negotiations in order to entice Stuttgart into keeping the truck-heavy Chrysler lines intact. When unions make concessions (particularly in health care and retirement benefit packages) – they lose members AND dues. If they manage to help salvage Chrysler by drastically cutting employee benefits – THEY might be the ones who need to “streamline” their budget!

BUT……

Many of the drive train parts for Mercedes Benz are made by Chrysler plants in the US. Shedding the marque will DEFINITELY cost the Benzers in the long run. And German workers have representatives, too!
So….. What’s This Got to Do With NASCAR?

Eggs! That’s what. My EMS #19 car has all its hardboileds in the same German-owned and Labor-Unionized basket.

Although there are several “Dodge” teams – only our two EMS cars are sponsored by the “manufacturer” via it’s dealership network IN PARTNERSHIP with the UAW. There is no “Ford Dealers Ford” or “Chevy Dealers Chevy” – let alone one who’s partnered up with a labor union that is at times diametrically opposed to the manufacturer’s profit potential! From where I sit – it seems that anything fortuitous that befalls EITHER of our primary sponsors in this upcoming “deal” is going to take potential NASCAR sponsorship money out of the other’s pocket.
And right now – it’s that very money that’s much needed to boost Evernham’s chassis engineering staff and put Ray back in the shop (as opposed to pounding the pavement for a partner). Evernham, himself, stated on Sirius last week that his forte was under the hood rather than in the boardroom – so here’s hoping a new financial partner will have the B2B expertise needed to find a sponsorship marriage that doesn’t repeat the current reliance on all things Dieter Zetsche!

Lest we also forget – The UAW Daimler/Chrysler 400 (a/k/a the Las Vegas Race) has already been run for 2007. If a reduction in NASCAR financing is on Dr. Z’s mind – will he pull funding for the 2008 premier-sponsorship of the next Vegas extravaganza – or will he pull the greenbacks from the (marginally performing) cars on the track?

As for me – I have a sneaking suspicion that the sale will move forward with Daimler/Chrysler keeping enough stake in the company to ensure an economical supply of Benz parts. Will their presence in racing decline?

That’s why I’m checking the Journal!