LIVE chat with Scott Fowler noon-1

Chat live with Observer sports columnist Scott Fowler from noon to 1 p.m. today. We'll launch about 11:45 and start taking your questions. Click here for the link. Can't join us? You can replay the chat later today at the same address.

Tony Stewart talks about Shane Hmiel

   Sunday's Sprint Cup race winner, Tony Stewart, is a former USAC champion and very familiar with the series and former NASCAR driver Shane Hmiel, who was critically injured in a crash Saturday during a Silver Crown series qualifying run.

   After his win, Stewart was asked to talk about Hmiel, who was banned from NASCAR after three failed drug tests, and his quest to start fresh in another racing series.

   Q. If anybody knows USAC talent, you've seen them all.  You know, where did you feel like Shane Hmiel is? Where do you feel like he is and what's your response to his actions?
  
   Stewart: I'll be honest, when Shane started running sprint cars and midgets and silver crown cars, it was like, oh, man, this could be very interesting because he had never really ran those types of cars, he had never raced on dirt.  Be he just never was scared of it, he never backed down from it, he said I've got to learn at this, and he has given 110 percent ever since day one.  He's really turned into a great open‑wheel driver.

   So that's actually part of the reason I had called Irish last night was to check on Shane, and he was going to the hospital to see him.  But you know, just ‑‑ it's something that doesn't happen a lot in open‑wheel racing.  It was just a freak accident that happened, and the way that he crashed was ‑‑ the way he hit the concrete wall was not too many guys hit like that.  But it was a devastating hit, and obviously his injuries reflected that.

   But to get an update from those guys at Indianapolis this morning and hear how well he made it through the night and hearing the optimistic thoughts from the doctors, you know, it made us all, I think, breathe a sigh of relief today knowing that he made it through that first night, and that's a big step.  To hear the doctors say they don't think there's going to be any paralysis with a broken neck and broken back, we just went through that a month and a half ago with a close friend, and with Shane we didn't want to see that happen again.

   That's why we mentioned it in victory lane.  Definitely our thoughts are with him right now for sure.

   More info on Hmiel's wreck can be found here.

Pot, Kettle, Black ????

   So I was reading over the transcript of what Kyle Busch had to say Friday at Auto Club Speedway and it's clear he is still mad over his run-in with David Reutimann last weekend at Sunday.

   But one answer struck me as particularly self-serving.

   When asked if he would like to see a change to the "have at it, boys" philosophy from NASCAR, Busch said, "I think in the instance in which everybody knew payback was coming, I think that's kind of dumb to let it happen."

   Huh?

   You mean at Atlanta when everyone knew what Carl Edwards was doing, getting in a wrecked car dozens of laps down to get back out and mess with Brad Keselowski?

   Or when Kyle Busch himself got pushed aside by Keselowski in the Nationwide race in August at Bristol, Tenn., and he returned the favor by punting Keselowski to help gain the win.

   Who didn't see those coming?

   Has Busch been paying attention all season? He may want to review his own laundry list of actions before he begins calling on NASCAR changes to how it polices driver conduct on the track.
  

Where has NASCAR's TV audience gone?

   What’s going on with NASCAR’s TV audience?

   Over the past three weeks, according to weekly Nielsen Media Research numbers, NASCAR has lost an average of a fourth of its viewing audience from one year ago at the start of the Chase.

   Ratings for the Chase for the Sprint Cup opener at New Hampshire were off 28 percent. Dover was off 23 percent and figures from Sunday’s race at Kansas show a 28 percent drop from one year ago.

   Folks, those are huge numbers. Even worse is the fact it’s developing into a very disturbing pattern.

   Don’t get me wrong, it’s no secret TV ratings have been flat or down slightly most of this season, but there’s something more going on here when such a precipitous drop coincides with what is supposed to be the biggest part of your season – the crowning of the Cup series champion.

   I don’t for one minute believe the big drops beginning with the Chase is mere coincidence. So what is it?

   Everyone has theories. Here are the most common:

   -It’s because the races are on ESPN this year instead of ABC. That seems plausible to me except that an ESPN executive dismissed that reason in an interview last week discussing the ratings drop.

   -It’s because the races are running up against the NFL. Well, maybe if that was new. But races and football have run side-by-side for nearly 60 years now.

   -It’s the new 1 p.m. start time for most races. Well, that might make sense, except that NASCAR and its networks made the change to the earlier start times because “fans asked for it.” Did they all suddenly change their mind?

   Or could it be the elephant in the room – the Chase. Perhaps fans who took a look at it when it debuted in 2004 have soured on it. Perhaps those who didn’t like it to begin with, simply aren’t watching or not caring.

   I don’t know the answer.

   But I can tell you this: Everyone in NASCAR – not just executives – but everyone who has a stake in the sport best hope someone can find out why this is going on and attempt to fix it fast.

   It’s not a trend that is going to help the sport and especially if it gets any worse.

My list of Top 10 things found at the bottom of the sinkhole at Charlotte Motor Speedway

   In good humor, Charlotte Motor Speedway put out its list of Top 10 things found at the bottom of the sinkhole which has developed in the infield of the track. I thought I would add my own:

   10. All of the old signs and stationary with "Lowe's Motor Speedway" logos on it.

   9. Piles of sheet metal leftover from the wrecks caused as a result of the speedway's experiment with "levigation."

   8. The engine from Richard Petty's winning car in the 1983 Miller 500. It was so big, there was no where else to put it.

   7. Unused artillery leftover from many of Humpy Wheeler's invasions of the frontstretch done in coordination with the Memorial Day weekend race.

   6. Pounds and pounds of Ostrich meat. If you were there that year, you know what I'm talking about.

   5. Audio tape of the bad words Kurt Busch said to NASCAR officials over his team radio during the 2002 all-star race which resulted in a hefty penalty.

   4. The original Legends car - a 1950 De Soto.

   3. The "Speedway Boulevard" signs tossed away after it was renamed "Bruton Smith Boulevard."

   2. One of Ric Flair's 672 professional wrestling world championship belts he dropped after saying "Woooooooooooooooooooooo" one too many times.

   1. The remains of the seats of the pants of the Cabarrus County officials after Smith finished "negotiating" with them over building his zMax Dragstrip.

   Any other suggestions?

Full text from National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer on Clint Bowyer appeal

Following an appeal hearing earlier today in Concord, N.C., the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer has upheld the penalty for the No. 33 car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with the following revisions:

Crew chief Shane Wilson’s fine has been reduced from $150,000 to $100,000 and Wilson and car chief

Chad Haney’s race suspensions have been lowered from six to four. Both are suspended from NASCAR until Nov. 3 and are on probation until Dec. 31.

The loss of 150 championship owner and driver points remains intact.

The No. 33 car was penalized by NASCAR on Sept. 22 as a result of rule infractions discovered during post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center following the Sept. 19 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Specifically, the car body location specifications in reference to the certified chassis did not meet NASCAR-approved specifications of the 2010 NASCAR Rule Book.

“After reviewing all the data, presentation and factors involved, I am ruling NASCAR was correct in its decision to levy penalties,” said John Middlebrook, the National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate Officer who presided over the hearing. “I believe that the revisions that have been made to the penalties are consistent and fair to both parties involved.”

– John Middlebrook, National Stock Car Racing Chief Appellate

Waltrip response to Kyle Busch-David Reutimann incident at Kansas

MICHAEL WALTRIP RESPONSE TO REUTIMANN-BUSCH INCIDENT

“There are 43 drivers on the race track each Sunday and there is no delineation between Chase participants and non-Chase participants when it comes to respect. 

“Everyone at Michael Waltrip Racing is working hard to deliver great results to our owners, employees and sponsors.  All organizations have a lot at stake each week as we are all measured by our performance and finishing position.  When David Reutimann’s chance to compete for a win at Kansas was taken away, it set off a series of events that have been well documented.

“I stand behind David because his record of sportsmanship is flawless.  It is the duty of MWR’s drivers to deliver for Toyota and our other partners, and I expect them to be treated fairly while doing so.”