Stewart-Haas Racing

[Tumbleweed]

After hearing Kurt Busch’s meltdown during the Bristol race Saturday (if you haven’t heard it, you can hear it here, Post #43: (http://racing-forums.com/threads/bonehead-of-the-week-bristol-ii.50541/page-2#post-827710), I think that SHR has bigger problems than I thought right now (Kurt’s meltdown is at the beginning of that broadcast, Kyle’s is at the end). I had thought that Kurt had finally gotten his anger under control and was ready to give him props for that. From the sounds of that segment though, he is headed right back to where he was with Finch and Penske and that certainly can’t do anything but be a distraction for SHR.

Add to that the fact that no one knows for sure when Tony will return or what his frame of mind will be when he does. Whenever he does return, whether it’s two weeks or two months from now, people are going to be all over him for answers about the sprint car incident. That will also be a big distraction for SHR. Add to that the fact that Danica has been hitting everything except the lottery lately.

The only good news for SHR right now is Harvick, if you can call him good news. At least he has been performing well and is in the chase but his temperament is still always an issue and there is the potential for him to start dumping on his team again if he starts to run into adversity during the chase.

Depending on how well Tony does when he returns, whether it’s at racing or at managing the organization, I suspect that Gene Haas his going to have his hands full for a while.

 

[Kyle18fan]

I dont blame Kurt for being pissed nor do I blame him for letting everyone know that he is pissed. A driver only has so many chances for a "good" season before the years pass him by. The way I see it if a driver doesnt voice his displeasure then he just doesnt care and is content to just drive around and collect a check. Thank goodness there are passionate drivers out there that keep us entertained with a little drama

 

[DanicaFreak]

Danica is an asset. She has a huge fan base, and a huge draw for SHR and the sport. Shes not doing as well as I'd like but I would not shove dirt on SHR just yet.

Kurt is passionate like his brother by times.

 

[StandOnIt]

I dont blame Kurt for being pissed nor do I blame him for letting everyone know that he is pissed. A driver only has so many chances for a "good" season before the years pass him by. The way I see it if a driver doesnt voice his displeasure then he just doesnt care and is content to just drive around and collect a check. Thank goodness there are passionate drivers out there that keep us entertained with a little drama

passionate, and rageaholic are two different things. Yelling and screaming and disrespecting others isn't passion IMO. Penske didn't think so either.

 

[hidesert cowboy]

if your kurt your probably better off staying at furniture row, that car ran better for him there. apparently he thinks the 4 car has something different in the front.

 

[Restrictor Plate King!]

Kurt's STILL got anger issue's, that is definitely not passion. How is all that cussing at his crew gonna help them & him get the job done. It won't & he's lucky someone doesn't have a weekly contract to kick his a$$. If he pisses off Haas enough, he'll be out & never get another ride worth a d@mn again. Tumbleweed, I think you meant to say Danica has hit everything except the pace car. The fact that she has a big name sponsor & a ride only because she's an attractive female is like hitting the lottery every Sunday when she straps into the #10. It's a d@mn shame that she can almost never finish a race with all fenders intact whether it's her fault or not. It'd be fine if she were finishing in the top 15 on a consistent basis with a top 10 here & there but even if she doesn't get into anyone or get hit she barely finishes above 18th or so. Right now she's the female version of Paul Menard but all due respect to Paul, he has had a few really good runs & a victory at the Brickyard. If Danica has at least 1 solid run & finish in the top 5 before this season ends, i'll change my tune. I'm a little surprised at Harvick because this is his usual type of season performance, have spurts of awesomeness & then long spells of sucking BUT I thought this season he would've been alot better than in season's past. We still have the Chase to go though so we'll see what happens, maybe he'll go on a win streak. Racing is probably well in the back of Tony's mind right now, i'm sure he & his lawyers have been spending the days getting all their ducks lined up.

 

[Marcingak]

Kurt should've stayed at Furniture Row Racing, IMO. That team suited him well and they had some really good runs. He was the #1 driver over there and they always listened to his suggestions. At SHR he's got 3 teammates so it's not as easy to have your voice heard.

 

[DaBiff1618]

if your kurt your probably better off staying at furniture row, that car ran better for him there. apparently he thinks the 4 car has something different in the front.

He actually won a race with Stewart-Haas

 

[lisa]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt. One reason he had a meltdown, his CC isn't any good. Now many of you can yell at me for making such a big statement but I have been watching closely this year. Knost does not impress me at all.

 

[JEB]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt. One reason he had a meltdown, his CC isn't any good. Now many of you can yell at me for making such a big statement but I have been watching closely this year. Knost does not impress me at all.

I won't yell at ya. Ive been known to be critical of Jeffs crew chief.

Pretty sure I'm the only Gordon fan like that though...

 

[Kyle18fan]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt. One reason he had a meltdown, his CC isn't any good. Now many of you can yell at me for making such a big statement but I have been watching closely this year. Knost does not impress me at all.

I get yelled at every time I mention that Kyles crew chief may not be the best choice for Kyle

 

[JEB]

Danica is an asset. She has a huge fan base, and a huge draw for SHR and the sport. Shes not doing as well as I'd like but I would not shove dirt on SHR just yet.

Kurt is passionate like his brother by times.

She may be an asset to the media, but not to Tony's wallet when he has to replace a car every week.

 

[lisa]

I won't yell at ya. Ive been known to be critical of Jeffs crew chief.

Pretty sure I'm the only Gordon fan like that though...

Thank you for not yelling at me. I wouldn't make such an important statement if I didn't honestly think it. Knost may be an engineer and smarter than hell but as far as being a CC, no thank you.

I maybe the only Kurt fan who feels like this about his CC.

 

[lisa]

I get yelled at every time I mention that Kyles crew chief may not be the best choice for Kyle

Man, they really didn't get along last weekend did they? *huge eyes*

 

[Kyle18fan]

Man, they really didn't get along last weekend did they? *huge eyes*

No they didnt but it wont be the first time, I imagine that Kyle probably caught hell from his wife after the race

 

[Greg]

She may be an asset to the media, but not to Tony's wallet when he has to replace a car every week.

I feel what you are saying but they have probably formulated a cost analysis that nets them a profit once they cash the GoDaddy checks.

 

[DanicaFreak]

She may be an asset to the media, but not to Tony's wallet when he has to replace a car every week.

Shes wadding up too many cars this is true. At first she was not driving aggressive enough. I want to see improvement here. To be fair its been awhile since she TOTALLY wrote one off.

 

[BOWTIE GUY]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt. One reason he had a meltdown, his CC isn't any good. Now many of you can yell at me for making such a big statement but I have been watching closely this year. Knost does not impress me at all.

lets make the driver the crew chief, and see how that works out.

 

[Greg]

Danica is an asset. She has a huge fan base, and a huge draw for SHR and the sport. Shes not doing as well as I'd like but I would not shove dirt on SHR just yet.

Kurt is passionate like his brother by times.

I feel like that is comparing Mickey Mouse to Mickey Mantle.

M.Mouse (Danica) is worth a lot more money, and has the family fun appeal. A corporate dream.

While M.Mantle (Kurt) the very crude, and flawed, is not as marketable or worth as much money $ with habits we dont want to discuss in front of the children.

But once they are on the track the differences are just as profoundly flipped. Working on the 41 has the built in insults. But working on the 10 also has be tough on any self respecting professional. Were any pretense of having a chance to win doesnt exsist. Just a place to prove and demonstrate ones abilities , with the hope of working on a competent drivers car in the future, perhaps even the 41.

 

[pudge]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt.

who gets the credit for his 5 DNF's

 

[DanicaFreak]

I feel like that is comparing Mickey Mouse to Mickey Mantle.

M.Mouse (Danica) is worth a lot more money, and has the family fun appeal. A corporate dream.

While M.Mantle (Kurt) the very crude, and flawed, is not as marketable or worth as much money $ with habits we dont want to discuss in front of the children.

But once they are on the track the differences are just as profoundly flipped. Working on the 41 has the built in insults. But working on the 10 also has be tough on any self respecting professional. Were any pretense of having a chance to win doesnt exsist. Just a place to prove and demonstrate ones abilities , with the hope of working on a competent drivers car in the future, perhaps even the 41.

I disagree. Danica is not out there just to run. You have her confused with Duno. I believe in my heart that Patrick would not race if she did not think she could win.

 

[jws926]

Danica is an asset. She has a huge fan base, and a huge draw for SHR and the sport. Shes not doing as well as I'd like but I would not shove dirt on SHR just yet.

Kurt is passionate like his brother by times.

The Go Daddy money is an asset to SHR, she is not.

 

[Greg]

I disagree. Danica is not out there just to run. You have her confused with Duno. I believe in my heart that Patrick would not race if she did not think she could win.

Duno has less talent we could easily find 100 more capable stock car drivers. But that doesn't validate Danica's medicore performance.

 

[ToyYoda]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt. One reason he had a meltdown, his CC isn't any good. Now many of you can yell at me for making such a big statement but I have been watching closely this year. Knost does not impress me at all.

He doesn't knost what he is doing.

 

[DanicaFreak]

The Go Daddy money is an asset to SHR, she is not.

in your opinion. right now you can't have one without the other.

 

[DanicaFreak]

Duno has less talent we could easily find 100 more capable stock car drivers. But that doesn't validate Danica's medicore performance.

I am not saying that she has performed poorer than most (incl me) would have liked. I am saying that she WANTS to win. More than anything. You seem to have indicated she is happy to "just run". I disagree.

 

[jws926]

in your opinion. right now you can't have one without the other.

Thats a fact, if there was no Go Daddy, there would be no Danica, who do you think is funding her career?

 

[DanicaFreak]

Thats a fact, if there was no Go Daddy, there would be no Danica, who do you think is funding her career?

Not unaware. Everyone gets their rides in different ways and places. Patrick is a winner and we will see it on track. Hopefully sooner than later.

 

[hidesert cowboy]

I gotta agree kurt needs a new CC, they seem like they are always out to lunch and never fast off the truck. kurt can drive a car ask yourself what kurts season would be like if JJ had not faded at martinsville?? honestly at this rate kurt was running better in the 51 car.

 

[jws926]

I gotta agree kurt needs a new CC, they seem like they are always out to lunch and never fast off the truck. kurt can drive a car ask yourself what kurts season would be like if JJ had not faded at martinsville?? honestly at this rate kurt was running better in the 51 car.

Agreed, its time for a CC change

 

[Greg]

I am not saying that she has performed poorer than most (incl me) would have liked. I am saying that she WANTS to win. More than anything. You seem to have indicated she is happy to "just run". I disagree.

No I just think most everyone sees the incompetence including crew members. The money is real and does more than pay rent and to Danica's credit her marketing brillance employees many. It is also a good built in farm system.
One can excel and be a fast tire changer etc and just may be able to see their skills help one of the other three competent drivers in the organization win one day.

Danica wants to win I am sure, a kid racing a local go cart wants to win a cup race too.

 

[Joniki]

Hmmmmmm.

I reflect on what Haas racing was before it was SHR and say WOW!!!!

 

[Greg]

Shes a great promoter, and a great person from what Ive seen. Shes won in Indy and she will win in NASCAR. For a business shes Money.
Shes aiming to be the first woman to win in NASCAR.

She better hurry up tho Kenzie will give her a run for her money.

Has a Kenzie even won a East race yet? Funny she is getting the K & N buzz while others that have won dont get a mention.

 

[FLRacingFan]

I don't get the Kurt Busch concern. He's sitting 12th in driver rating on the year and he has six Top 5s, which is good for seventh in the series. SHR had reliability issues early in the year, that much was evident with Harvick alone. Kurt lost an engine at Phoenix and Charlotte, had tire issues at Texas, got taken out at Darlington and Talladega. Too many people take points at face value.

 

[StandOnIt]

I don't get the Kurt Busch concern. He's sitting 12th in driver rating on the year and he has six Top 5s, which is good for seventh in the series. SHR had reliability issues early in the year, that much was evident with Harvick alone. Kurt lost an engine at Phoenix and Charlotte, had tire issues at Texas, got taken out at Darlington and Talladega. Too many people take points at face value.

It never has been a performance issue with me, it is his winning personality. I overlooked it for quite a while, got him fired and I thought he had got a grip on it at Furniture row. Disappointed he is back acting like an idiot when he had one of his best finishes all year. I think he did better when he was the big I AM at furniture row and all eyes were on him. He is just one of the team now, and the spotlight is off.

 

[FLRacingFan]

It never has been a performance issue with me, it is his winning personality. I overlooked it for quite a while, got him fired and I thought he had got a grip on it at Furniture row. Disappointed he is back acting like an idiot when he had one of his best finishes all year. I think he did better when he was the big I AM at furniture row and all eyes were on him. He is just one of the team now, and the spotlight is off.

I don't think he's been any worse this year than he was last year. Getting pissed over the radio is a far cry from what he used to do. A lot of drivers do it.

 

[ted@economy]

We already have a "Danica Hate Thread " . Why is this crap on here ? Mods , please get a grip , some of us don't need to hear this crap on EVERY thread .

 

[TexasRaceLady]

This was turning into another thread solely about Danica. I tried to move most of those posts to the Danica thread.
I realize that she is an integral part of SHR, but please take your discussion about her to that thread.

 

[DanicaFreak]

This was turning into another thread solely about Danica. I tried to move most of those posts to the Danica thread.
I realize that she is an integral part of SHR, but please take your discussion about her to that thread.

Sorry boss. Got out of control.

 

[Jeffrey00]

I don't like Kurt's CC. Any success this year is due to Kurt. One reason he had a meltdown, his CC isn't any good. Now many of you can yell at me for making such a big statement but I have been watching closely this year. Knost does not impress me at all.

I think Tony Gibson should move to the 41 and Johnston to the 10. Knost needs to go to NNS for grooming so taking over for Cope on the 5 might be good for him. As for Tony's CC, I honestly think Zippy should do it. Tony needs a friend and a familiar voice right now.