What was Joe Nemechek thinking?

TexasRaceLady

TexasRaceLady

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With 11 laps to go, he's the only car to line up on the inside. :confused: He's 4 laps down! And all he did was gum up the works when the green waved.

Geez. You'd think when he looked around and saw he was the only car on the inside a light would have gone on --- but, nooooooo. :idunno:
 
He was entitled to be there..........and if he could have gotten one of those 4 laps back, all the better!! Pride sort of takes over in competition........and Joe didn't really effect the outcome of the race anyway!! Joe had a fast car earlier...........I'm sure he thought he could run with the big dogs, too!! I find no fault with Joe pulling up with 11 to go. :)
 
DE_W, I'd imagine that Jeff Gordon didn't think the same way as you do. He damn near took him out because he didn't get his car going. I'm sure that Jeff will have a little conversation with Joe. I just lost a little bit of respect for him. Joe could not have bettered his finishing position at all. The only car that he would have been racing for position was Martin Truex, Jr. And, he was in the garage with a crashed race car. Stupid move on Joe's part. :mad:
 
Joe had every right to be where he was.........there in no reason in the world why he should care one hoot about Jeff Gordon's position. It was up to Jeff to avoid any obstacle in his quest for the win.....encluding Joe Nemechek. Joe had the right, and a case could be made an obligation to his sponsors to do whatever it took to get coverage. Joe did just that........he did not do anything stupid unless racing for every inch is considered stupid.

Why is it that every driver has to be "Mr Polite"? Joe Nememchek is a clean, honest and courteous racer...........now he's Mr. Spoiler because Jeff Gordon had a problem getting around him? There was no way Jeff Gordon was going to win the race...........nor the Championship at that point of the race. Well, maybe if Biffle wrecked and Jimmie and Kurt got caught up in it........but that is just depending on luck. I still find no fault in Joe being where he was. Regardless of what my second most favorite driver might thinks. :)
 
They did tell him to have respect to the orther drivers. He held up Jeff.

Lap down cars should not start to the inside. i say have dubble file restarts they way they run, and give the leader his own row (dirt track) thats the best way to do it,
 
I agree Joe had every right to be there. So should every driver that is 2 or more laps down pull behind the wall and not race for every spot or foot of track they can get. Or park it so the ones on the lead lap or points chase cars have the track. I don't think so. :growl:
 
I think that Joe in this case should have made sure he got out of the way. His team could have got with the contenders and agreed on a plan to get out of the way. With this being the last race and last laps of the season he needed to make sure that he didn't get in a position to any way affect the championship. As it was he easily could have caused a wreck. There is a time and place to race when you are down and when to be responsible. This was the time to be responsible and give the contending teams the respect and chance to race for the win/championship.
 
majestyx said:
DE_W, I'd imagine that Jeff Gordon didn't think the same way as you do. He damn near took him out because he didn't get his car going. I'm sure that Jeff will have a little conversation with Joe. I just lost a little bit of respect for him. Joe could not have bettered his finishing position at all. The only car that he would have been racing for position was Martin Truex, Jr. And, he was in the garage with a crashed race car. Stupid move on Joe's part. :mad:
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I sure agree with you on that. :beerbang:
 
TRL, Maj, and Eagle1, I agree with the situation about Joe. He was the only one that stayed and "hindered" those racing for the top Banana!!!!! I do hope Jeff sets things straight with Joe. After all, HMS does supply Joe's engines. shouldn't that make Joe a "team" player????? :confused: :confused:
 
DE_Wrangler_2 said:
Joe had every right to be where he was.........there in no reason in the world why he should care one hoot about Jeff Gordon's position. It was up to Jeff to avoid any obstacle in his quest for the win.....encluding Joe Nemechek. Joe had the right, and a case could be made an obligation to his sponsors to do whatever it took to get coverage. Joe did just that........he did not do anything stupid unless racing for every inch is considered stupid.

Why is it that every driver has to be "Mr Polite"? Joe Nememchek is a clean, honest and courteous racer...........now he's Mr. Spoiler because Jeff Gordon had a problem getting around him? There was no way Jeff Gordon was going to win the race...........nor the Championship at that point of the race. Well, maybe if Biffle wrecked and Jimmie and Kurt got caught up in it........but that is just depending on luck. I still find no fault in Joe being where he was. Regardless of what my second most favorite driver might thinks. :)
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You sure are entitled to your opinion and as far as cars racing to get laps back most of the time I would agree with you.
But not this time.

Was he actually racing anyone for position at that time?
"IF" he got a lap back at that time would have it benefited his finishing position?

The answer to both of them would have been NO. Therefore, common sense should have prevailed as it did with all the other teams and drivers that were only 1 lap down but still chose not to line up on the inside allowing the race leaders and chase contenders to battle it out without their interferance. :beerbang:
 
IMHO, he had NO business doing what he did, even if it did or didn't effect the race outcome (although Jeff did have to move him out of the way). I do believe that Nascar did warn him not to hinder the leaders.
I'm over it now, but Ol' Front Row Joe was just plain lost something in my book.
 
Y'all have to excuse Cutie and me.........Comcast is having problems and we can't get much of anywhere on the internet. Sort of like Joe on that 11 laps to go inside move. :)

In response to Eagle1:

Did we not have a lap 1, turn 1 incident right off the bat? Joe was 4 laps down.....with no one to actually race against for position. Okay....that's fine and not the fault of anyone on the lead lap, especially Biffle, Gordon, Johnson or Busch. Well, consider what happens on restarts.......you know, that "cautions breed cautions" anecdote we hear all the time? Suppose Joe did "do the right thing" and dropped back to the back of the pack.......as the majority of y'all think he should have done (be Mr Polite......or Mr Gracious.....or Mr Whatever) and that "caution breeds caution" thing happens again!! Joe gets caught up in it and wrecks. Now, he's 15 laps down with a DNF!! How many positions would he lose?

I know, it's a "what if"..........but in this game of racing, "what ifs" do happen!! Joe did nothing wrong. And if Jeff has his "little talk" with Joe, I hope Joe tells Jeff exactly where to shove it. Though, knowing Joe Nemechek, he won't.
 
As I said, you're entitled to your opinion, but I don't have to agree with it.

I don't think Jeff will have a chat with Joe. If a chat happens I think it would be from the man that furnishes that team with motors and all kinds of technical support. And I don't think Joe will tell him to shove it.
 
I agree that Joe had the right to be there, but he also put himself in a position that could have a lot of people pissed off at him and pointing fingers.
I can just hear it 10 years from now, ("remember how Joe changed the outcome of the 04 championship") if one of the contenders had wrecked due to that.
 
The same thing could be said 10 years from next year's Daytona 500. Someone will always find a reason to point a finger somewhere. The question was asked "What was Joe Nememchek thinking"? I say he was thinking "get every inch I can get"..........that is exactly what everyone of us admire in a racer. And for that opinion that I hold about the situation, I can find no fault with Joe being on the inside of the lead lappers. :) First race of the season or last race of the season.......it's a race!!
 
DE_Wrangler_2 said:
The question was asked "What was Joe Nememchek thinking"? I say he was thinking "get every inch I can get"..........
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He had already gotten every 'inch' he could have. His racing the lead lap cars 4 laps, not 1, down and not gaining one single position in the process is the biggest problem that I have with his thinking.
 
DE_Wrangler_2 said:
The same thing could be said 10 years from next year's Daytona 500. Someone will always find a reason to point a finger somewhere. The question was asked "What was Joe Nememchek thinking"? I say he was thinking "get every inch I can get"..........that is exactly what everyone of us admire in a racer. And for that opinion that I hold about the situation, I can find no fault with Joe being on the inside of the lead lappers. :) First race of the season or last race of the season.......it's a race!!
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I gotta admit, the late Dale Earnhardt most likley would have done the same but we'll never know.
BTW our comcast connection here in northern CA., has also sucked latley.
:windows:
 
Final analysis............Joe didn't effect the outcome of the race nor the Championship run. Jeff found a way around him...............Jeff (or Jimmie) would never have gotten past Gregg, though. Bash or call Joe down if you want.......he did not do anything wrong.

Geeze, we sure can find reasons to bitch about almost everything. :D
 
Joe was fine and I agree with DEW, if Joe had stayed back, he had a better chance of LOSING position, even if he didn't have a chance to GAIN position. I can't believe this is even an argument...I guess Biffle should have gotten out of the way, too because he wasn't fighting for the championship. For that matter, we might has well just have ten cars in the final ten races next year so no one steps on toes or shows disrespect for the top ten.
 
This is my last comment for this thread.

Joe Nemechek was on a lap all by himself. He could not have finished in a higher OR lower position at the end of the race unless he wrecked.
 
There was nothing to gain DE. Period. Courtesy comes to mind IMO. There was not one driver on the lead lap that thought "Well he has a right to be there" Nor were there any crew chiefs.
 
esorlxaw said:
Joe was fine and I agree with DEW, if Joe had stayed back, he had a better chance of LOSING position, even if he didn't have a chance to GAIN position. I can't believe this is even an argument...I guess Biffle should have gotten out of the way, too because he wasn't fighting for the championship. For that matter, we might has well just have ten cars in the final ten races next year so no one steps on toes or shows disrespect for the top ten.
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Thank you Axl!! :D :) :beerbang:
 
It was 11 to go, NASCAR should have held the field for 1 more lap if this was a problem. I see no problem with Joe. Racing is racing that means racing with cars that are a lap(s) down.
 
majestyx said:
He could not have finished in a higher OR lower position at the end of the race unless he wrecked.
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And where does that normally happen? Front of the field? Or back of the field?

Bolded type by me.

Final post by me on this thread!! :)
 
Kenseth was 4 laps down at one point. Of course that wasn't with 11 laps to go. Should be interesting to see what Nemecheck has to say about the whole thing.
 
I lost every shred of respect I had for Joe Nemechek. His motors come from HMS...wonder why he was up there 4 laps down with 11 to go?



PUH-LEEEEEEEZE!


We all know what he was doing up there. It just didn't pan out. He was there for the same purpose Biffle was "allowed" to pass Busch. The NBC commentators just didn't draw the line for y'all on Nemechek.

Heads out of the sand, everyone. C'mon. God gave you two eyes and a functional brain; USE THEM!
 
esorlxaw said:
Joe was fine and I agree with DEW, if Joe had stayed back, he had a better chance of LOSING position, even if he didn't have a chance to GAIN position. I can't believe this is even an argument...I guess Biffle should have gotten out of the way, too because he wasn't fighting for the championship. For that matter, we might has well just have ten cars in the final ten races next year so no one steps on toes or shows disrespect for the top ten.
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This comment doesn't even make sense.

Greg Biffle had the dominent car all day, he WAS on the lead lap fighting for position and to win the race.

Joe on the other hand stood a lot better chance getting wrecked right where he was, getting in the way of the cars fighting for the win and championship. If I was Jeff Gordon at that point I would've stuffed the SOB into the wall once he broke my momentum.
EMP another great thought out statement, HMS didn't want that car up their interfering with the out come. IF what you say is true, Joe needs to go to an eye doctor because he can't tell the difference from Jeff's car and KB's car.

You can say Joe didn't change the out come of the race or championship all you want. The fact IS that Joe did break Jeff's momentum and slow him down so you don't KNOW that Jeff couldn't have given Biffle a better run for the race had he truly had the opportunity.
Lame defences for a stupid move.
 
Eyes, I did have and I did.
Brain? Well mine is better than none. As is alla yours.
I choose to use mine one way, you choose another.

"My personal take" on this Joe thing, is that Joe did NOT
have his thinking cap on.
I still feel Joe shoulda dropped back with "ALL THE OTHER LAPPED CARS"
and let the leaders run!!!!! Biffle was NOT a lap down at all; and he could and did aid in KB's Championship win. Biffle was a team mate to KB.

In a sense, Joe was a team mate to Jeff and Jimmie, but he did NOT help them by being up there by the leaders. Obviously, Joe could not compete for the top 5, 10, or even 20, finishers, being 4 laps down.
DEW, I challenge you to argue the point in LIFE. If I am trying to climb some stairs, (and you know what a problem that is for me), and there are others that are in a bigger hurry; I will stop and move out of their way to let them pass and then resume my climb.
Take your De and Jr hats off for a bit and see the whole picture. Joe DID interfere with Jeff's forward movement, thereby aiding the KB win.
And I, too, am through with this silly argument.
 
EatMorePossum said:
We all know what he was doing up there. It just didn't pan out.
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Joe Nemechek makes about 2/3 of the races without his HMS engine. He's another Morgan Shepherd without help from Hendricks.

As events played out, they didn't need him. He was there, though, ready to do what it took if called upon. As was Biffle should Kurt have needed 5 more points. One is no more right or wrong than the other from an empirical standpoint.

IF. One of the biggest words in the English language.

I know why he was there. Joe knows why he was there. NASCAR knows why he was there. If y'all can't figure it out, or face the mirror after you do, that's your problem. Not mine.

I'll say this, though. NASCAR's smarter about their audience than I gave them credit for being:

Some of y'all will swallow anything they feed you.
 
Special congratulations to Kurt Busch. He deserved to win the championship after the display of driving and determination he put on yesterday.

Joe had every right to be where he was.
He did owe a courtesy to all the other teams.
Was he there because of Hendrick ??
No one knows but opinions are like anal openings, everybody has one.

There was a lot of give and take among teams and Joe had as much chance as a snowball in the Devils home of screwing Biffle or giving any advantage to one of the Hendrick teams on a restart with eleven to go. About as much chance as Elliott Sadler or Jeremy Mayfield had of winning the championship.

What purpose did Nemechek serve by staying on the inside line??
How was he going to help Gordon or Johnson ??
He wasn't able to stay with Biffle or any of the other front runners all day so what was his purpose ??
Oh yea, I forgot, to screw....... who ???? And by doing what ????
His being there did nothing but mess up Gordon and Johnson.

Keeping in mind conspiracy theories have been at a premium lately, the final race is as good a place as any to start "cabin fever season with a conspiracy theory" as any other.
 
EatMorePossum said:
As events played out, they didn't need him. He was there, though, ready to do what it took if called upon. As was Biffle should Kurt have needed 5 more points. One is no more right or wrong than the other from an empirical standpoint.
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Do you honestly think Biffle would of gave up the lead just to let Kurt gain another spot?

I don't think so.
 
slick-nick said:
Do you honestly think Biffle would of gave up the lead just to let Kurt gain another spot?

I don't think so.
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Do I think he would have? Maybe. I happen to think his days with Roush are over, so it's hard to say for sure if he would have done it or not. Had it been Matt Kenseth or Carl Edwards instead of Biffle...hell yeah I think they would have.

Do I think Greg would have been TOLD to do so? Yes I do. Just as I think Nemechek would have been given a strong suggestion when to move up into the high lane had it made the difference.

As it turned out (and as I've said since I first posted in this discussion), it ended up not mattering. Like I said before, IF can be the biggest word in the English language. We'll never know for certain. But the way I see it, he was there for SOME reason. He was the ONLY laps down car that was there. He had no hope of gaining a thing by being there. Even if there had been even one more restart, that one would have been single file by rule. Also, in the event of another restart, there would have been no more laps back awarded by rule. Hence, he had nothing to gain by being there, like everyone else laps down...yet he WAS there.

But hey, make your own mind up. Ain't like it matters to me. What do I know, except what I saw?
 
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