Elliott rips NASCAR
Former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott has some tough words for the racing series on safety and its response to the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt.
In a new memoir, “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville: My Life in NASCAR,” Elliott accuses NASCAR of not getting serious about long-standing safety concerns until after Earnhardt’s fatal crash on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. He said that’s disrespectful to the memory of drivers such as Adam Petty, Tony Roper and Kenny Irwin, who died in on-track accidents in the months before Earnhardt.
“No one called for investigations or softer walls, or HANS devices when these drivers died. But when Dale Earnhardt died, NASCAR went full bore, head over heels on safety,” Elliott writes. “We ought not only address incidents that kill stars. Shame on NASCAR for letting a handful of good men die before finally addressing the problem after Dale died.”
Elliott, who won NASCAR’s top title in 1988 and races a limited schedule, is in the Charlotte, N.C., area this week attempting to qualify for Saturday night’s Cup race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
He also used his book to criticize NASCAR for its continued reliance on local medical teams to provide emergency care at tracks. Other racing series, including Champ Car and IRL, have mobile trauma units and teams of doctors that travel to all races.
“Fans would be shocked to know how poor basic first aid is at many NASCAR tracks,” Elliott writes.
“I’ve been in so-called safety meetings where all it is, is a Joe Blow local EMT who works that particular race because he gets a (garage) hot pass,” Elliott writes. “This is a true story: I had a guy after a wreck one time, a paramedic, who was riding with me in the ambulance. On the way to the hospital he actually asked me to autograph my oxygen mask for him.”
Riggs on pole
Scott Riggs remained perfect in qualifying at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., by winning the pole for the third time this season.
Riggs posted a lap at 191.469 mph to put his No. 10 Dodge in the top starting spot for Saturday night’s race.
Riggs edged Kasey Kahne, his Evernham Motorsports teammate, for the pole. Kahne went out early, posting a lap of 190.194 mph to sit on top of the leaderboard for most of the qualifying session.
Kurt Busch qualified third, but his Dodge was later disqualified because his right rear shock did not meet NASCAR specifications. He will now start 42nd.
Casey Mears now starts third, and Elliott Sadler, the third driver in the Evernham stable, is fourth.
ESPN, ABC set lineup
Television veteran Brent Musburger, former stock car champion Rusty Wallace and longtime pit reporter Jerry Punch will announce NASCAR broadcasts next year, when the series returns to ABC and ESPN.
The networks announced Thursday that Musburger will host the race broadcasts, with Wallace, who retired from racing at the end of the 2005 season, providing commentary and Punch handling play-by-play.
They will be joined by TV newcomer Andy Petree, former NASCAR crew chief and team owner, who will act as a third analyst in the booth. Pit reporting duties will be handled by Allen Bestwick, Dave Burns, Jamie Little and Mike Massaro.
ABC and ESPN will split the final 17 races on the 2007 schedule. Fox and TNT will air the rest of the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule, and the annual all-star race will be on Speed Channel.