Stories abound, most of them bogus

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Ah, the frenzy of Daytona.

Not on the track. In the press room. Bogus story lines rumble around this 2.5-mile ribbon of asphalt as much as race cars do.

Get ‘em while they're hot!

One driver says Daytona International Speedway is bumpy - it's been bumpy for 50 years, by the way - and bumpiness becomes an issue.

Can you describe the bumps in the track?

Well, uh, the bumps ... they're definitely bumpy.

Can you explain the bumpiness at high speeds side-by-side?

Well, if cars are going really fast, and the track is bumpy, and they're side-by-side, that's the reason why they're fast, bumpy and side-by-side.

In response, track officials have now allowed as how they are going to repave the place. It will be interesting to see how soon. The economy is down. International Speedway Corporation tends to move slowly on such projects. New pavement hurts the racing at most tracks, but not where restrictor-plate tracks because adhesion isn't really an issue. The cars are zipping around at 30 mph slower than they could without the plates, so a new coat of pavement doesn't make that much difference here. It might make the track less bumpy, but Daytona was bumpy 50 years ago and it will probably remain bumpy, new coat of pavement or no.

Here's what's more ridiculous.

Every driver is being asked if he feels "the economic pressure," and they try to pay some lip service. By and large, though, they're not feeling economic pressure, at least not yet. According to Forbes magazine, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made $35 million last year. What's economic pressure? Is he going to have to take a trip to the Bahamas instead of Tahiti?

If you want to hear about "the economic pressure," Earnhardt Jr. is not the person to ask. A better person to ask would be a mechanic who lost his job and is now scanning Doritos at the Circle K or flipping omelets at Waffle House.

If Jeff Gordon is occasionally flying commercial, it's not because he can't afford the gas, the pilot, the airport fees and "plane payments." It's because he's trying to set a good example, and part of the reason for that is that he's got enough sense to know he's going to have to field these questions.

At present, NASCAR's best and brightest are nicely insulated from economic hardship. Like those captains of industry who just don't really understand why it looks bad for them to fly separately in private jets to Washington so that they can explain to a Congressional committee why they need billions of dollars of welfare, NASCAR drivers live in a world of their own.

They used to be commoners. Not anymore.

            You can reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.