I'm not sure what it is with Brad Keselowski, but ever since he's arrived on the gravy train to top-tier finishes, he's been pretty vocal or leading the charge in getting things changed around NASCAR.
First time around, it was the live tweet image from Daytona when Juan Montoya tried burning down the track-dryer truck. That little stunt got him a ton of attention, but also ended up with NASCAR looking at smartphones in cars.
Oops.
Then there was some noise or nugget about the 48 team last year. Again, "helping" NASCAR focus on some new issues.
Now this year, our precocious defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski has gone on record stating the obvious as far as the job environment within NASCAR, and that's how employees and job positions can swap hands.
At least that's the gist of his accusation about Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing stealing (information) employees from Penske Racing and the other Ford teams.
I'm sure you've heard the noise about it, so going into details is moot, but again, the gist of it was that other teams hiring Brad's team members seemed akin to stealing information and creating a certain amount of tension or paranoia between teams.
But then the noted staff stealing teams made statements in reply to Keselowski's statements:
HMS: "Brad misrepresents the facts and spends a lot of time making insinuations and accusations about other teams when he should be focused on his own program and competing at a high level. I hope he figures that out and begins representing himself and the sport with more class."
JGR: "Clearly those comments are misguided and irresponsible. Brad's candor is well documented, but he would do well to only speak to subjects on which he is properly informed."
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In this day and age when drivers are nearly muzzled about speaking their minds about NASCAR (AKA, the COT/Denny Hamlin statement), it's getting a bit tedious to watch interviews of drivers and to see them stammer for the politically correct words in interviews.
Now, most interviews, if you pay attention, almost all sound the same.
(As an ex-professional athlete, I get it. The sport doesn't want you slamming the sponsoring entities. When I was a professional bowler the rules were about not slamming the "house," the management or the lane conditions. You know, the very aspects that directly effected the battle for the trophy!)
So I get it. But NASCAR used to be known for the flippant candor that we're now seeing from Keselowski.
On this, my thoughts are two-fold:
Penske should have paid people better to not lose them. (If indeed, they were as critical as Brad said they were.)
I think Brad (who is 9th in the points standings) has to remember that age-old adage about when you going up that ladder of success, to remember to be nice to everyone on the way up, because when you're coming back down, folks will remember you.
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Just sayin'!
-Bruce
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First time around, it was the live tweet image from Daytona when Juan Montoya tried burning down the track-dryer truck. That little stunt got him a ton of attention, but also ended up with NASCAR looking at smartphones in cars.
Oops.
Then there was some noise or nugget about the 48 team last year. Again, "helping" NASCAR focus on some new issues.
Now this year, our precocious defending NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski has gone on record stating the obvious as far as the job environment within NASCAR, and that's how employees and job positions can swap hands.
At least that's the gist of his accusation about Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing stealing (information) employees from Penske Racing and the other Ford teams.
I'm sure you've heard the noise about it, so going into details is moot, but again, the gist of it was that other teams hiring Brad's team members seemed akin to stealing information and creating a certain amount of tension or paranoia between teams.
But then the noted staff stealing teams made statements in reply to Keselowski's statements:
HMS: "Brad misrepresents the facts and spends a lot of time making insinuations and accusations about other teams when he should be focused on his own program and competing at a high level. I hope he figures that out and begins representing himself and the sport with more class."
JGR: "Clearly those comments are misguided and irresponsible. Brad's candor is well documented, but he would do well to only speak to subjects on which he is properly informed."
-
In this day and age when drivers are nearly muzzled about speaking their minds about NASCAR (AKA, the COT/Denny Hamlin statement), it's getting a bit tedious to watch interviews of drivers and to see them stammer for the politically correct words in interviews.
Now, most interviews, if you pay attention, almost all sound the same.
(As an ex-professional athlete, I get it. The sport doesn't want you slamming the sponsoring entities. When I was a professional bowler the rules were about not slamming the "house," the management or the lane conditions. You know, the very aspects that directly effected the battle for the trophy!)
So I get it. But NASCAR used to be known for the flippant candor that we're now seeing from Keselowski.
On this, my thoughts are two-fold:
Penske should have paid people better to not lose them. (If indeed, they were as critical as Brad said they were.)
I think Brad (who is 9th in the points standings) has to remember that age-old adage about when you going up that ladder of success, to remember to be nice to everyone on the way up, because when you're coming back down, folks will remember you.
-
Just sayin'!
-Bruce
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