Is the COT Loose In Turn Three?

It's another glorious Friday morning, and that means another wonderful triple segment of As the Wheel Turns, or more to the point, if you turn it wrong, how "Loose In Turn Three" You'll get.

This week I brought to the table the validity of NASCAR telling the drivers to quit complaining about the COT. Tim of Do You NASCAR? asks if a 2008 Cup start is too early for the up and coming star, Joey Logano and Charlie is wondering over at On Pit Row if it's OK that Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke some rules and got away with it while winning a race?

So strap on in and let's see what everyone has to say, here where three guys have three opinions on three subjects at three blogs on "Loose In Turn Three":


Bruce:
When Mike Helton calls a mandatory meeting for drivers and team owners, you just know something bad has happened. But on this occasion, it was the basis of NASCAR telling the teams it's time to stop airing their gripes about the COT and let it settle in with the fans.

To some degree, I'm not surprised by this. As a professional bowler, (PBA), we have rules and guidelines. All athletes do. When you're first indoctrinated into them, it can range from humorous to confusing. In the PBA's case, one rule states that we're not to bash the lane conditions or the house management, etc., etc.. In NASCAR, it surprised me how much constructive criticism came out of the garages and now NASCAR has put their foot down.

Basically, NASCAR is saying "Quit bashing the product" and hence, fueling fans unrest about the new car. Or maybe also, quit pointing out NASCAR's perceived flaws.

So the next time we see a driver get out of car, slide to the ground from heat exhaustion on an 80 degree day and he's asked what's up, he'll just start talking about his crew and how well they set up the car, and avoid mentioning why he's beet red, or bright pink after he got out of the car.


With that being said, I presented my question to the other guys in our Loose In Turn Three forum to see what they had to say to compliment or correct my opinion:


Tim Zaegel: I don't really think that NASCAR's telling the drivers not to talk about what's going on with the car, but it's got more to do with the manner in which they address it, and from a business standpoint, NASCAR is spot on in this case. What's happened is that so many of the drivers have - at times - talked so poorly about the car and the tire packages, that what it's accumulated into is one big verbal lashing on the COT. In turn, what that's done is prejuduiced the average fan's mind as it relates to the car, and now NASCAR's left with a product that the fans are upset with. And, to your point, Bruce, we're still going to know what the issues are with the car - if from nowhere else, the race broadcast booth - but, the issues can be addressed without giving the appearance that folks are airing their dirty laundry.

Charlie Turner: The message that drivers have been sending - and Pocono was the worst example yet - has just been negative and whiny and bitchy. It is counter to NASCAR's marketing message and I think that was/is the problem. I can see why NASCAR would want that to change. I can also see drivers ignoring the request, unless there are some kind of real consequences should they do so. Tony Stewart paid lip service to the spirit of the request after the Michigan race.

So there you have it on the teams' COT opinions and ours. Check out the other questions asked and what we say in Loose In Turn Three:

Over on Tim Zaegels Do You NASCAR?:
Is a 2008 Cup start is too early for the up and coming star, Joey Logano?

Charlie Turner asks over On Pit Row:
Dale Earnhardt Jr broke a NASCAR rule at the end of Sunday's race at MIS, went unpunished and won the race. Do you have a problem with that?