Silly Season goes atomic in the stretch
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
October 5, 2001
1:39 PM EDT (1739 GMT)
One of the sleepier NASCAR Winston Cup Silly Seasons on record assumed the aspect of a tornado this week, and with the latest moves it shows no sign of dissipating.
 | |
Dave Rodman
|
|
|
The silliness doesn't limit itself to inter-team swapping of personnel, either. Turns out Dale Jarrett broke a rib in the Kansas Speedway wallbanger in which he was knocked unconscious. So Robert Yates Racing turns around and taps Rick Mast, whose team apparently ceased to function this week, as a potential relief driver.
Chasing points has never been regarded as anything but serious, and despite the pain he's operating in for the second time this season at Lowe's Motor Speedway DJ will persevere. But that's a silliness of another note.
Winston Cup team owner Jimmy Smith is definitely in a pretty good position to comment on the goings-on of Silly Season -- that time that used to involve from about September to December. Now, Smith agreed it's to the point that defending your driver and other team personnel from constant raiding is about a year-round endeavor.
"Absolutely," Smith said. "I don't think it (defending and posturing) ever stops. If you're involved in Winston Cup you spend more time with your attorneys than you do racing."
But Smith is a racer, to the core. How else could you explain a guy who's been whacked with "Silly Season Fever" twice already this season -- losing Scott Riggs and Mike Wallace -- having a reaction like this?
"This is good," Smith said Wednesday night, chortling maniacally. "You know the dominoes are gonna start falling, now. It makes it fun, wondering about what's coming next. It's sure different, isn't it?
 | |
Rick Mast
|
|
|
For the fans, it provides plenty of bar talk or room to debate during Saturday or Sunday afternoon caution flags. Who's next? Jimmy Spencer? Joe Nemechek? God, even Robert Pressley, who's shown signs this season of finally smashing through to his Winston Cup potential, isn't free of Silly Season speculation.
"I'm excited about all this," Smith said.
Yup. Little Bobby Hamilton locks-in a seven-race deal with Morgan-McClure Motorsports for the balance of this season. Amidst talk that he'll leave Carroll Racing in the Busch Series after this year, team owner Larry McClure would like nothing better than to hook Hamilton Jr. into a second Winston Cup program.
 | |
Mike Wallace
|
|
|
At one minute, Kevin Lepage finds himself firmly fixed on the horns of Silly Season's worst dilemma. Lepage owns a Busch Series team and his sponsor is leaving at the end of the year. He agreed to leave his Cup ride Monday, opening the door for Hamilton Jr.
Thursday he landed in the No. 7 Ford after Wallace got the nod to finish the season in the No. 12 Ford, from which Jeremy Mayfield was summarily dismissed Monday. Got it?
 | |
Hut Stricklin
|
|
|
Tuesday Mike Skinner put a one-day delay on his knee surgery so he could announce a three-year deal with McClure's Chevrolet team. 10 days earlier, Richard Childress had released Skinner from his driving duties to get his surgery done. Robby Gordon was inserted into the hot seat of the No. 31 Chevrolet.
As he does his best to make the most of that opportunity, the vultures have lined up in hopes of plucking that plum ride, which is no sure thing for Gordon.
 | |
Kevin Lepage
|
|
|
In this stretch run, every race becomes critical, either for making a case for why a team owner would want to keep you, or hire you -- or why you might need to think about retiring or make a career change to laying brick.
Smith, after making Riggs -- in effect -- was spurned when Riggs announced plans to leave his championship contending Craftsman Truck Series team after this season to drive for ppc Racing in 2002 in the Busch Series. Undaunted, Smith has moved ahead with plans to establish a Dodge Busch Series program and has a line out the door and around the building to drive his factory-backed Dodge pickups.
 | |
Jeremy Mayfield
|
|
|
In the meantime, in true Silly Season style, Smith says his No. 7 Cup team "is going on to bigger and better things. In the last five days some big things have happened and you can expect an announcement in the near future."
And the indefatigable Morgan Shepherd is hoping to make an announcement about his Cup team going to Martinsville. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy. DEI has an announcement set for Friday morning. Could it be Kenny Wallace in the 15 car for 2002?
 | |
Ron Hornaday
|
|
|
Hey, it's Silly Season. Just ask Ron Hornaday, Rick Mast, Hut Stricklin, John Andretti and Wally Dallenbach.
And it's just getting started.
NOTE: Dave Rodman is a staff writer for NASCAR.com. The opinions listed here are those solely of the writer. To provide feedback to Dave, email him at dave.rodman@turner.com.
| 
