Hornaday on the BAM car

H

HardScrabble

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Just watched a replay of last nights Inside Winston Cup on Speed Channel. In the hot seat was Ron Hornaday along with a substitute panel of Brett Bodine, Frank Stoddard, and Kenny Wallace.

Ron was asked about his role with Bam racing, and filling in as driver in both the Winston and the World 600 (I'll never call it anything else).

He said he went over there to help by giving feedback to the team and assist with the set up. Basically he said that everything Shawna had been telling the team the car was doing wrong, he felt as well. The most telling point he brought up was the terrible aero setup of the car. According to Ron when they took the car to the wind tunnel following the 600 they found it was losing 249 pounds of downforce when it went into yaw. His quote "nobody can drive a car like that"

Two observations: The crew apparently is not listening to Shawna like they should.

And maybe Shawna needs to pitch a hissy fit of her own to help them listen.
 
Originally posted by HardScrabble
His quote "nobody can drive a car like that"

Two observations: The crew apparently is not listening to Shawna like they should.

And maybe Shawna needs to pitch a hissy fit of her own to help them listen. [/b]
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Now, all you Shawna bashers hush up! She wouldn't be driving in Nascar at all if she had NO talent. Like, YOU could do better??
Prolly schidt your pants thi minute you got up to speed.

I'm glad Ron is helping, cuz if the damn team won't listen (obviously no respect) maybe Ron can slap some sense into them.

AND I'LL start the hissy fit!!!


HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS BAM
 
I can't understand why they aren't listening to what Shawna is telling them to do to that car. Why do they need Ron to come in there and tell them what to do?

How many want to bet he's in that car full time by the end of the season? But the way Ron is talking about the team, would he really want that ride?
 
Originally posted by rpmallen
I can't understand why they aren't listening to what Shawna is telling them to do to that car. Why do they need Ron to come in there and tell them what to do?

How many want to bet he's in that car full time by the end of the season? But the way Ron is talking about the team, would he really want that ride?
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Maybe Bam should get out of Winston Cup? Who is Bam anyway? Sounds like a group of wannabe stock car owners to me. Could be a big reason they are having a hell of a time finding sponsors. But I still don't think Shawna can drive at the cup level. She drove Mikey's car a couple times last year in superspeedway races and she didn't do any better.:(
 
DE Wrangler 2,

BAM stands for Beth Ann Morgenthau, the wife of some rich business owner that bought the team as a gift to his wife. The team he bought was the ill-fated #35 Tabasco team that Todd Bodine drove for a few years back. If anyone remembers, that team missed more races than it made, and now have been re-badged as Dodges and put back into Cup. I'm not sure these cars would even make decent ARCA cars!!! The team is really just a joke that everybody is waiting for when this is supposed to be funny.



I think Ron gave some credit to Shawna, who's stuck with this team right now. But this might be her only chance at Cup, so she's trying to make it work. But it has taken someone like Ron Hornaday to come in there and ask them what the heck they were doing! LOL.



When Shawna drove Michael's car, I think she finished more races than Kerry Earnhardt, but that's another story. hehe. She also ran better than when Michael started a second team for Patty Moise in the busch series a few years ago, the #14 Rhodes Furniture Ford. Now that was a real joke.
 
Originally posted by rpmallen
DE Wrangler 2,  





When Shawna drove Michael's car, I think she finished more races than Kerry Earnhardt, but that's another story. hehe. She also ran better than when Michael started a second team for Patty Moise in the busch series a few years ago, the #14 Rhodes Furniture Ford. Now that was a real joke.
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Thanks rpm........now I think I remember that gift thing!!:)

And, you are right about her running better that Kerry.........Kerry just doesn't have the fire in his belly. And I'm afraid he isn't ever going to get it either. So, if Kerry were driving full time (or full time enough to be in competition for "rookie of the year" as Shawna is) then I would have to say the same thing about him. Neither Kerry nor Shawna are at the experience or ability level of Winston Cup.

Did you think I would defend Kerry?:D
 
Wrangler

You and I were discussing Shawana the other night and both agreed that she seemed very uneasy in traffic. Perhaps the car's handling is a major contributor to that.

I have seen Shawna drive both in BGN and ARCA competitions many times. Whenever she has had competitive equipment she has always raced very well. I am not pretending that she is an outstanding driver, but she is very capable.

A little bio on the Morganthau's

Beth Ann MorgenthauTony Morgenthau
The Morgenthau's investment in stock car racing began in February 1999 when they purchased several Winston Cup cars to compete in the ARCA Series. A year later they formed BAM Racing. In 2001, they directed team manager Eddie Jones to test the waters to move BAM up to NASCAR®. With Shawna Robinson driving the No. 49 Dodge Intrepid in 2002, they have reached the first of many goals — Winston Cup racing.

Tony Morgenthau has been an investment banker for more than 30 years, founding Morgenthau & Associates, Inc. in 1972.

Beth Ann Coulter Morgenthau, an avid race-fan, is extremely active in community charity work. In 1958, her family founded Coulter Electronics. In the 1980s, the company changed its name to Coulter Corporation. Following a merger in October 1997, it became Beckman Coulter.

The Coulter's passion for auto racing arises from Beth Ann's father, Joseph Coulter, and his multi-decade involvement with the Indianpolis 500. The Morgenthaus reside in Coral Gables, Florida.
 
Well, with the way Hornaday has been talking about those cars, nobody would feel comfortable driving them!

Example. You wouldn't feel to comfortable if you were driving your street car on the highway if you didn't know which way your car was going to go when you made a turn! She's probably concentrating keeping that junk out of the wall instead of trying to race the pack!

I respect what team BAM has tried doing, but they are going to need more than a sponsor to turn that team around, and a sponsor isn't going to want to get on board when they know the half-a$$ed job they are doing with that car.
 
Exactly right RPM

BAM has no shot unless major changes in equipment and personnel are made. And those changes are hard to make without the $$$. So which comes first?

My only point here is that it would most interesting to find out what Shawna could do at this level with competitive equipment. Unless she can move to a better team or BAM stumbles on a small ocean of cash and smarts, I fear we may never know the answer.
 
And I still say they are wannabes.......I'm an avid stock car racing fan and I know I couldn't run team!!:D A fan is not what is necessary for a race team! It's a business and you hire the best people you can afford to run it for you.......then you LISTEN to those people!! Doesn't appear BAM does that!

And HS........you could be right about Shawna. I don't think she will make it in Winston Cup no matter what team she drives for but you have a very good point about driving junk on a race track.:D
 
UH OHHH,

Just read over at NOL that Hornaday will drive the BAM car at Chicago. Sounds like Shawna may lose that ride.

This is a tough old game sometimes.
 
It was probably already mentioned but he'll be in it this week at chicago.
 
We already know Ron's going to be in the car at Chicago, the question is if he's going to stay. From Inside Winston Cup Racing, he made it sound like he's looking for a long-term deal with a team that has a good sponsor that he can make a commitment to, like the Dr. Pepper car. He made it sound like his only intention is to help out the #49 team so Shawna can drive the car, in the mean time he's just doing some races for them.
 
More news on the BAM team. From the BAM website.

Charlotte, NC (July, 10, 2002) - BAM Racing announced today that Teddy Brown has resigned as Crew Chief for the team.
Brown said, “I have enjoyed working with the BAM organization but I wanted to explore some other options.” Team General Manager, Eddie Jones, stated, “We wish Teddy the best of luck in the future, he worked hard and guided the team effectively.

The team will compete this weekend in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway with veteran Winston Cup driver, Ron Hornaday Jr.
 
I don't see how the crew chief is considered doing a good job for that team if he sets up the cars like he does and can't listen to his driver. Hey teams, hire this guy right up!
 
With ya on that one RPM,

Could be his other options are not as a CC, probably gonna be a NASCAR jounalist or commentator.:)
 
i would not be surprised if BAM fired that CC but wanted to make it not look that bad and just said that he lef ton his own. I agree with many of you that BAM is a very poorly ran race team if you can call it a race team. I have no doubt that the problem is not Shawna if she got with a good team she would do good not a Jimmie johnson good but maybe a top 25 driver. I think BAM need to get somone for the secon half of the season to help try to turn the car around so that it can be driven, Maybe get Larry Mac to help with the team. Then they need to some how get a alliance with another team maybe the Pettys so BAM can start to get better motors and the help of the pettys aero deal with panos, Instead of larry maybe Robin can help some just untill they get the stuff better.(i guess that would basicly make it a 4th PE carsatisfied satisfied )

But they need something and its not a driver change. actually She did pretty well at daytona befor the car broke she was running in the front pack all day and even in the middle of it.
 
The latest BAM announsements don't make it sound good for Shawna. I think she may become the unfortunate scapegoat along with the CC.

It was interesting to listen to Ron the other nite on Speed Channel. Sure made it sound like no one wanted to listen to Shawna.:(
 
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