Spencer not shy about voicing opinion

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Jimmy Spencer is, um, outspoken.

OK, that's really no secret for the initiated. He's always been like this. He's always had an opinion, and he's always been agreeable to sharing it.

Spencer Snippets  On short-track racing: "I think if we ever lost Martinsville or Richmond or Bristol, our sport would be going in the wrong direction. I think we need short tracks for that reason, and I think they're very enjoyable. I enjoy racing Martinsville. I love it a lot."  On driving injured: "NASCAR forces us in a lot of ways to drive hurt because you lose the points."  On race team earnings: "Some of these car owners don't need as much money as they're getting, $200,000 to win and 30th place is getting $30,000. I think there's too much variance there, and I think that's really separating the field."

Spencer held court Saturday morning, meeting reporters in the media center at Martinsville Speedway. He shared his thoughts on where racing is now and the direction NASCAR is headed.

"You guys [in the media] don't realize how critical the decisions that are being made at the shops on Monday morning are," he said, "and the engineering that goes into these cars and the crews making the right decisions.

"I think the Dale Earnhardt period is over."

Earnhardt, Spencer explained, was a driver's driver. He could win with a car that shouldn't have won. But not even The Intimidator could pull that off these days because cars are too equal. Spencer hammered away at the theme of each team -- the whole unit being responsible for getting a car to Victory Lane.

"There is a certain amount of computer technology going into it," Spencer said. "But still it's the crew, the shock guy, the crew chief and the engineer. ... It still comes down to the people turning the wrenches and making the decisions.

"I think there are a lot of things in this sport you guys are missing. And what most of you are missing is crew chiefs, team managers and stuff like that. That's the key to our sport right now."

While the driver may not be as big a factor as he was, say, five years ago, Spencer also is concerned about the new tracks that have been built and their sameness. Most are 1.5-mile circuits that drive similarly. Spencer said the drivers pick on tracks like Texas because they don't understand why the men who build them don't consult more with the drivers.

"I'm shocked that Chicago, Kansas City, Texas didn't duplicate a Richmond or even a Rockingham," he said. "Those tracks are really exciting. It's two- or three-wide racing."

Spencer also voiced his concern with the way the riches are divided in the sport. He said the money tends to go to the richest teams, and he called on NASCAR to find a remedy for the disparity. He suggested that the TV money be dispersed more equally among the 43 teams that race. More teams are struggling than not, and Spencer lamented the fact that some teams don't get a share of the broadcast revenue or get only a small share of the race purse.

Jimmy Spencer  Video Archive  2002 Stats  Driver Page

"Let's face it," he said. "Some of these car owners don't need as much money as they're getting, $200,000 to win and 30th place is getting $30,000. I think there's too much variance there, and I think that's really separating the field."

And while he was at it, Mr. Excitement said he and other drivers felt compelled to compete when hurt.

"NASCAR forces us not to go to the hospital," he said. "NASCAR forces us in a lot of ways to drive hurt because you lose the points."

It isn't unlike Spencer to stir up controversy. After all, he figures it's good for the sport and is what the sport was built upon. It's the reason he'd like to see Tony Stewart -- who, like Spencer, is no stranger to the NASCAR principal's office -- win the drivers' points championship.

Spencer thinks Stewart -- who has been placed on probation for a pit road incident with Jeff Gordon, reprimanded by his sponsor for striking a photographer and investigated for separate incidents involving track workers, reporters and fans -- would be a champion in the mold of Darrell Waltrip, David Pearson or Bobby Allison. Emotional. Entertaining. Engaging.

"Today, some of the Winston Cup champions have been pretty boring in my eyes," he said. "Tony would add a lot of spice to the series."

Oh yeah, one more thing. Winston Cup cars go too fast, he said. Fans would enjoy a slower race because it would be a more competitive event, he added.

"The bottom line is, if the cars are slowed down a little bit, there will be more confidence going into the corner alongside somebody at Kansas City or Chicago or wherever," Spencer said. "I also think it would give the drivers more margin for error. That's the key."