Local homeboy does GREAT in NASCAR....

[Jimmy McKinley]

what im saying is AFTER Aric was selected he has proven himself to be a really good NASCAR racer.

Again, I'll ask...*WHERE* and *WHEN has he "proven" himself - in NA$CAR, in Florida, in anywhere??!? Sure, he got lucky and "scored a win" due to Hamlin being in the car - I can almost guarantee you if Aric had stayed in the car, I don't think he would have won that race. Someone mentioned that he won at Orlando. He did? When? In what type of car? I never heard of it.

[carolwicks]

ok

so...what you are saying is that if you dont win you arent so good? i dont think that is true. it may not make you super hero but it still doesnt make you a failure.
im tired of fighting. think what you want. and OJ... if you think there isnt predjudice in racing or anywhere else...you are dreaming. i am not convinced i am wrong about Aric but i really dont feel well enough to be arguing all day. it will go nowhere. just in giant circles. so ...... have a fun and safe weekend and GOOOOOOOOOO ARIC! roflllllll. nite all...
much love
carol aka OZ

[carolwicks]

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Rusty Jarrett/Getty ImagesAric Almirola has one top-10 in his previous three starts this season.
Almirola close to full-time ride with DEI next season
Would drive 8 car; Army, Martin futures with team unclear
By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM
June 22, 2008
10:55 PM EDT

type size: + -SONOMA, Calif. -- Aric Almirola stood in front of a gaggle of U.S. Army soldiers and other visitors prior to Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350, and held their attention with every word he delivered.

It was an example of just what makes Almirola so attractive as driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet he piloted for Dale Earnhardt Inc. on Sunday. Almirola started 40th in Sunday's race, his first in the No. 8 car he shares with veteran driver Mark Martin since Almirola started 28th and finished 33rd at Talladega on April 27. He finished 28th at Infineon Raceway, his first road-course start.


AlmirolaPrior to the race, DEI vice president of motorsports operations John Story confirmed that next season Almirola will not have to wait so long in between races.

"We have to find a way to get him into a full-time ride," Story said. "There is no question he's ready for it, and we have to find a way to get it done. He has proven he has the ability to drive at this level and he needs to get behind the wheel full-time. He deserves that opportunity."

DEI's sponsorship deal with the U.S. Army is done on a yearly basis because the sponsorship money comes from government-appropriated funds. The Army, therefore, is required each year to listen to all those who may seek its sponsorship. Story indicated his belief that the U.S. Army finds Almirola an attractive spokesman because of his youth and his Hispanic background, which may aid the Army in helping land new recruits.

"It seems to me that he could fit the mold they would be looking for," said Story, who added that he was aware of the fact that the Army is talking with other teams about possible 2009 sponsorship -- while also insisting that DEI hopes to have it back as primary sponsor for the No. 8 machine.

If Almirola indeed begins driving the No. 8 full-time next season, where does that leave Martin? The 48-year-old Martin has indicated to Story and others that he is not yet ready to retire and would like to run a part-time schedule again.


MartinStory said he would love to have Martin fun full-time for DEI, but that Martin has given him no indication that might happen. Meanwhile, there is the possibility that Martin may leave DEI to drive part-time for another team -- even though Story said DEI continues to talk with him about options.

"Any team would love to have Mark Martin. We would love to keep him and are discussing our options with him," Story said.

Martin was unavailable for comment Sunday. The veteran driver has been instrumental in helping Almirola develop as a driver -- both previously with Ginn Racing and then when both drivers moved to DEI.

The other drivers in the DEI stable include Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith and Paul Menard. In a perfect world, Story said the company would love to put all five in full-time rides next season -- insisting that sponsorships could be obtained for both Almirola and Martin, and adding that as far as he is concerned, Truex is expected to honor what would be the last year of his DEI contract.

"We have five guys that we'd like to run full-time, but Mark doesn't want to run a full-time schedule," Story said. "So he's looking at wanting to do something very similar to what he's doing now. That's the challenge we face. We talk every day about what we can do to try to make it all work."

[Jimmy McKinley]

No, Carol...I'm not saying "If you don't win, you're not so good". What I *DID* say was, that, prior to his being announced for the DEI thing, I'd never heard of him, but people on here say that he's "won a few races here and there"; all I asked was, "Where?" I was just curious as to exactly where Aric had run, what he had run (and won in) to warrant his "does great in NA$CAR" title, because again, he ain't impressed me none. Junior - same thing. Yeah, he ran some Late Model Stock stuff up around Myrtle Beach, etc., but he never really impressed me neither there. He STILL ain't proved anything to me in Cup (Junior). If Aric was a white boy, you think he'd have gotten that ride? I don't. That's all. It's my opinion. Like a lot of the others have stated, I don't believe he'd have gotten that deal if it weren't for his "Hispanic" or "Latino" race or whatever. I'd never, ever heard of Aric Almirola in the state of Florida as far as the short tracks go.

[carolwicks]

Jimmy...

It's all good... i am hoping you will pay a little attention to Aric now and see that in his short time as a NASCAR driver, he has done pretty well. I know he will even get better... i hate him being known as the spanish kid that would never have made it any other way. he will be driving full time for DEI soon... even if he was "given" the opportunity, he has earned some respect ... that has been my point all along.
if he crashes this week i will hide where i cant be found... roflllllllll J/K
carol aka OZ

[roundtracker]

Time to put it to rest?

I am not defending Almirola or putting him down. There are a lot of people that drive race cars that are "good people". That doesn't mean that they should have a ride in Nascar!
There are also baseball players that strike out 3 of 4 times that make several million dollars a year.
Every one has a chance and it has nothing to do with race!
What about the NBA, do you think that they should start a diversity program for white people?
As you told me once before in one of my posts Ms. Wicks, don't you think it's time to end this thread?

[carolwicks]

RT

yep...sure do! ;-)
OZZIE

[JackTripper]

I'll quote my earlier post.

Aric Almirola Career Statistics

Craftsman Truck Series
4 years
Avg. Start - 18
Avg. Finish - 21

Busch/Nationwide Series
2 years
Avg. Start - 17
Avg. Finish - 20

Nextel/Sprint Cup
2 years
Avg. Start - 28
Avg. Finish - 31

He hasn't done well. The statistics don't lie, that's why most people don't like statistics. Finishing back farther than where you start is not "doing well." The fact that DEI is so high on this kid shows just how out of touch they are.

[backrow]

"Story indicated his belief that the U.S. Army finds Almirola an attractive spokesman because of his youth and his Hispanic background, which may aid the Army in helping land new recruits".

This is quoted directing from the article above. It seems to say it all on this. Its the business end and not the racing that puts him in his seat.

[Osmosis Jones]

Statistics don't pose for the TV camera.....

That's the problem. Sorry....one of the problems these days.
It just doesn't matter that the talent factor is nonexistent anymore. Just the fact that someone is "nice" and can smile pretty for the TV camera is somehow more than enough to garner support from people who don't have a clue about what racing is really about.

I get so tired of hearing how nice and clean-cut and what a sweet person someone is....as if it has anything to do with how well they could wheel a racecar.


Well...
I had wrote a whole other paragraph but I nixed it because this is really a dead horse and by now everyone who reads these things is well aware of how I feel.
There's just not much you can do about the senselessness that is NASCAR these days.

Or for anyone who puts emotion before common sense for that matter.

[Osmosis Jones]

Contradictions revisited.....

I'm sorry....but ya'll know I had to say something.

Carol, what were you saying earlier about not back-tracking and standing firm in your beliefs?
Before he had "earned" all of his "gifts" through his hard work and stellar career.
Now he's "the spanish kid that would have never made it any other way."

???

"even if he was "given" the opportunity, he has earned some respect ... that has been my point all along."

I'll just let that hang there a little while..................................

[mr south 59]

I"m not here to debate. I just came on to try and help answer Jimmy's question. My Family has raced with Aric and Sammy since he was about 10. I know Aric and Sammy well. Sammy and I were both track owners. Sammy still runs Dirt Devel Kartway north of Tampa. My older son Mark is the same age as Aric and raced the Divisonal and WKA National levels of karts with him. Back then, the national level of karting was intence. At some races there was over 2000 entries and sometimes over 175 in your class alone. So just to make it to the main was a big acompishment not to mention getting poles and wins. We were racing against people with big money and backing. People like Brian Vickers. Aric was a stand-out. The ones that say he bougth his way in don't know Sammy and Aric. I am sure when they started the diversity program there were better looking guys and cleaner cut Hispanic guys thay Aric but did they the racing back ground as Aric. Probabily not.

A lot of people may not know that the WKA (World Karting) is based at Lowes Motor Speedway and if the teams are look for a young stand-out that is where they go first. I know that a lot of you never heard of Trevor Baine before he signed with DEI or John Wess Townsley, Matt Hawkins, Astin Hubbard(WoO) I could go on and on. These are kids that my family has raced with since they were little kids. The WKA has classes that start at 3 years old. If you are not payiny atention to the WKA you will be asking yourself alot, Where did this kid come from. I read WKA magizine every month. There are some stand-outs in there know that you will be hearing about in 5 -7 years.

It is like a couple of weeks ago and a 12 year old won a dirt late model race and someone said that these video games are getting to realistic. That was a big insult to the kid and father. If someone thinks you can learn how to drive a race car by playing video games that they don't really know what it takes. That kid probabily has 7 years racing under his belt and could take the car a part and put it back together. And I bet none of you guys ever heard of him either. I know at 12 my kid could.


Sorry for rambling on

[carolwicks]

Thank you Andrew...

i have a hard time with retaining information... i could not back up what i meant in words but i have followed these kids for years and i have watched them grow in so many ways. i hear too many negative things about these young kids...they are wonderful and they have better manners than alot of the veterans. and they can race the wheels off a race car. i love letting them know that people like me ("emotional" ) appreciate them and am proud of what they accomplish. I will continue to applaud them and give them the encouragement to try even harder. Almirola, Kittleson, Middleton, Cenzi, Logano,Choquette, Chastain, Staripoli (accepted at HARVARD), Wilson, Dunn, Ruffin, Maxx and the list goes on and on..i will never forget the first time i watched BJ McLeod race. he was 14 and beat the cajones off the whole field of seasoned racers!!! .I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! i apologize for not being able to remember your stats but I remember YOU and what you have brought to my racing life!
Thank you and continue on... I guess next years OZ list will be different names. The young guns have grown! ;-)
God bless and keep you all safe!
carolwicks aka OZZIE

OJ... i never meant anyone should be a race star because they were handsome or well behaved. it is an added plus included in their ability to race. you will dispute every single word i say so it is futile to even try...
This is the USA... there shouldnt be any "special" laws or rules for minorities because there should never be "MINORITIES"... we are all humans, we are all Americans of foreign descent, and we are all God's children born equally! Right?

[mr south 59]

There is hundreds of them Carol. Names like Payne Pickels, Jake Crum, John Stancil. These are just a few that come to mine that are working there way up through the rank just like my son. These kids are around 17 or 18 now and the average local race fan should start hearing about them soon. I was told my some mutuial friends that Jake just won a big UARA race. He didn't win it by laying on the couch playing vidio games. LOL Thats for sure. I have race with jake for 12 years. I will bet most of the people reading this ever heard of Jake. What these people don't realize is that we raced about 40 weekends a year in about 10 states and about 40 tracks. These kids get more experiance than the average fan can comprehend.

While I was thinking back about this list of kids that Mark and Dustin race with through the year I realized the all have one thing I common. There is a national scoring system list that was put out every year. It was called The JR. Kahunna. They Also have a Big Kahunna for the adults. They have an invitational race of the top 40 in the country. The best of the best. Every one of the kids that I listed were on that list and even one that you mentioned won one of those races. Madd Maxx!!

What I am trying to say is these kid worked hard to get to where they are now. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and the kid that makes it, earned it. I know. I never get to see Dustin. His whole life is racing. He has logged more freiquent flyer miles going to races and testing this year than the president. That is in between racing and working on his car. Yeh some have to work harder than others if they weren't born with a silver spoon but even the ones that bought there way in still had to work hard to get there. You still have to have the dedication.

[Todd McCreary]

It is like a couple of weeks ago and a 12 year old won a dirt late model race


question:
what position did he start in?




The WKA has classes that start at 3 years old. If you are not payiny atention to the WKA you will be asking yourself alot, Where did this kid come from. I read WKA magizine every month. There are some stand-outs in there know that you will be hearing about in 5 -7 years.

you're absolutely right that this is how things are done.

and we're absolutely right that this is a big part of the problem with racing nowadays.

there's way more to getting around a circle track than just vehicle control. and even if that was all you needed ( and if it was, Robbie Gordon would be one of the best ever instead of one of the most disappointing ever ), Karting wouldn't be a good place to start because they don't have suspensions.