Thursday, August 28, 2014

COMMENTARY: For NASCAR, Timing Will Be Everything

There will be plenty of questions surrounding Tony Stewart in the coming weeks. In attempting to answer those questions, NASCAR must be sure not to put the cart ahead of the horse.

After sitting out the last three weeks of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition, Stewart has slipped to 26th in championship points. He is mathematically ineligible to make the 2014 Chase on points, and will need to win one of the remaining two regular-season races at Atlanta Motor Speedway or Richmond International Raceway in order to request an exemption from NASCAR and compete for the title.

From NASCAR’s point of view, timing is everything.

Until (and unless) Stewart can win one of those final two races, the question of an exemption is wholly and completely moot. The worst thing NASCAR can possibly do at this point is to become embroiled in a senseless debate over allowing the three-time series champion to compete for a fourth title, before he is even eligible to do so.

On the topic of a competitive exemption, NASCAR’s response to Stewart should be simple.

“Win first, then we’ll talk.”

Winning in the next two weeks will not be easy, even for a once-in-a-lifetime talent like Stewart. The Indiana native had struggled mightily prior to his three-week hiatus, managing just two Top-5 and six Top-10 finishes in 24 starts this season. He has not managed to consistently place himself in a position to win, and asking him to return and prevail immediately – even without the tsunami of distractions that will almost certainly plague his effort in the coming weeks – seems unreasonable in the extreme.

If anyone can do it, Tony Stewart can. But even Stewart is unlikely to overcome such insurmountable odds.
 
In truth, championships probably don’t matter to Stewart right now. A healthy grieving process and a positive mental outlook should supersede all thoughts of points, wins and championships. Stewart is a racer, however, with responsibilities to sponsors, teammates, employees and fans. He will race this weekend with those responsibilities in mind, and because his best therapy will almost certainly come behind the wheel of that No. 14 Chevrolet.

For now, that’s enough. Let Tony come back and race. And if he somehow manages to rise above the cacophony, ignore the pressure and win, then we’ll discuss the possibility of a waiver.

11 comments:

  1. gail high6:27 PM

    #Onceinalifetimetalent...I like that!!

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  2. Anonymous8:33 PM

    If the Press really wants to do its job then Tony had better be grilled about the accident over and over and over. If he’s gonna come out and play on the big stage, and play the big star athlete then he should expect that he is going to face an avalanche of questions about what happened on that dirt track in early August. If not, then the Press isn’t doing its job and is providing a “waiver” to Tony that he shouldn’t be given nor expect to be given.

    MB

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    1. Anonymous11:07 AM

      How sad to incite such pain into an already horrible situation. You must be a very emotionally unstable human being to feel such hate for a fellow human being. I am assuming you are young and ignorant, as you grow, you will learn wishes such as yours can come true, due to public outcry, but if you are not young, please seek professional help or sensitivity training. Anyone involved in a tragedy knows it doesn’t matter of your status in life or sport, there is a loss that cannot be undone. Would you tell a soldier involved in a conflict to put their big boy pants on? I would hope not PTS is real and it can affect anyone. It’s never too late to find out about compassion. Karma is a bitch.

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  3. MB,

    I wouldn't expect Tony to talk about anything until the investigation is totally closed, and even then if he were to defer answering questions out of respect I would have no problem with that. Tony owes the media and general public nothing at this point, especially given how a lot of the media has treated this whole accident. As long as he answers the questions of the authorities and the families involved that should be enough.

    Sadly though, it won't be enough.

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  4. Anonymous4:45 PM

    Doug:

    My comments were not aimed at what Tony Stewart will or won’t say, express, or share with anyone. My comments were aimed at the Press and them doing their job. Their job doesn’t and shouldn’t allow them to not ask questions about what occurred or didn’t occur in early August in NY due to them having a relationship with Tony Stewart or him asking them not to. In our society the Press has to ask invasive questions at times. That’s what a free press does. By avoiding the hard questions when asked to, made to, or not expecting an answer to whatever question it isn’t what a free press does.

    MB

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  5. Dave,

    When asked about the process to clear Tony for racing this week, Mike Helton was extremely guarded and very vague in his reply. He twice mentioned the use of third-parties to expedite the process. Was it Brian France with a Ouija board? The Oracle at Delphi? The Oracle of Omaha? Instead of being so secretive, he should have been more forthcoming about what we know believe to be some arcane and mysterious process.

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    1. Mike Helton (and everyone else in a position of authority) is precluding from divulging the medical/psychological condition of others. It's called the HIPAA laws, and you can learn more about them online.

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    2. Dave,

      I know about HIPPA. You can't go see a doctor any more without signing an authorization as to whom and how he/she can divulge medical history and test results. I felt Helton should have been be clearer on what exactly was evaluated, not the details or results. On another matter, I thought the reporters asked softball questions with no followup.

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    3. If you know HIPAA, you know he couldn't say ANYTHING, not even divulging what was evaluated. That kind of information can often indicate what a patient's specific problem is. I hear about this all the time, being married to the Director of Nursing at a rather large Senior Care facility.

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    4. Let me ask this another way, besides his medical/psychological condition, which I do understand is private, what else did NASCAR evaluate in order to clear Tony?

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  6. Anonymous7:03 PM

    Dave:

    Based upon your last comment you should be aware that Tony Stewart can elect to allow NASCAR to talk about his case, what was evaluated, when he was evaluated, what the findings are/were and by whom he was evaluated. I'm providing a fuller picture with that statement than you did in your post

    As a member of Law Enforcement and having a wife who is a MD I'm pretty aware of HIPAA and what the patient can authorize a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, whatever party to be allowed to have. It is pretty clear that Tony Stewart isn't going to allow that as it could be used both in the criminal and/or a civil process. (In the interest of full disclosure I would allow NASCAR to give out that information either).

    MB

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