Weekend That Was: PIR (cont'd)

More on Scott

Greatness in a driver or in a man isn't always measured merely in race victories, of course. Wendell Scott, the only African-American to win a race at NASCAR's highest level, is proof of that. He won only once, which seems to be why some folks want to lump him in the average- to below-average category as a driver and slight his accomplishments.

Are you kidding me? Doesn't anyone realize what it took for Scott to merely get to the tracks and compete during a 12-year career stunted by lack of sponsorship money and blatant racism? It should be noted that not all of his fellow competitors wallowed in ignorance; but it also should be noted that most of them drove in far superior equipment with factory-backed support.

Wendell Scott Jr. said that when the NASCAR Hall of Fame opens in Charlotte in 2010, he would like to see his father among those inducted in the first class.

"If he doesn't go in on the first ballot, then I don't think it's right. No, he doesn't have the wins that those factory-backed drivers had," Scott said. "But the equivalence of what he accomplished should not be looked down on. He wouldn't be in the International Sports Hall of Fame if he wasn't a phenom."

Chris Bristol

Bristol update

Remember when Chris Bristol was considered one of the hottest up-and-coming minority drivers participating in NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program? Well, right now Bristol is looking for something to drive.

"I've been running Late Models the last couple of years and have some wins at Hickory Motor Speedway and Caraway [Speedway in North Carolina]. Last year I ran the Grand National West race at Fontana; I had a one-race deal with Sony, and my first time on a 2-mile track we went out there and ran 11th," Bristol said. "And I was supposed to have a deal running in Busch East this year. I was pretty excited about it, but due to circumstances beyond my control that deal fell apart. So right now I'm rideless. It's the middle of April and I'm desperately hunting a sponsor.

"It's a tough business. Sometimes stuff happens and you just don't have any control over it, whether it's funding or sponsors or whatever the case may be. ... You've just got to pick yourself up and keep going, because I'm confident I can compete at that level. It's just a matter of getting in the right equipment with the right team."

A friend of the Scott family, Bristol said thinking about what Wendell Scott went through so many years ago is an inspiration for him during these difficult times.

"Sometimes as frustrating as this sport can be, you think, 'Man, if I'm sitting here moping and complaining about not having a scenario or a sponsor that I want right now, just imagine what Wendell and Wendell Jr. and their whole family went through just to get to the racetrack back in the day," Bristol said.

Pit Stops

• Gordon broke a 25-race winless streak by taking the checkered flag at Phoenix. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s winless streak now is at 34 races and counting.

• No driver can possibly be more frustrated than Denny Hamlin after he finished oh-so-close again in yet another Car of Tomorrow race at Phoenix, fighting back to place third after a pit-road speeding penalty on Lap 100 sent him to the rear of the field. He has led significant portions of each of the three COT races thus far, but has yet to see Victory Lane.

• No weekend seems complete anymore without Kyle Busch getting peeved at someone or something. Last weekend was no exception when Busch took exception to Ryan Newman ruining what had been a great run for Busch in the Busch (no relation) Series race in Phoenix.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer.