Daddy dearest

OK, who should be allowed in the pits at a race. NASCAR allows girlfriends/wives/partners or whatever to be part of the “pit crew,” subject to approval.

Who can forget Nicole Lunders (girlfriend of Greg Biffle) trying to take on the then fiancée of Kurt Bush, Eva Bryan (now Mrs. Busch)? Interesting. Stupid, but interesting. Lunders storming off the pit box and stomping over to the Busch camp, screaming and flailing at Bryan, who just calmly sat there. I remember hot-headed girls like that from Junior High School.

Fast forward to the Indy Racing League and Sunday, July 8, 2007.

Does little Sam Hornish Jr. really need his daddy to take up his fights? Shouldn’t he and Tony Kanaan have handled it themselves? Dad approached Tony and touched him, from what I saw. What was even more wrong was the guy who jumped the elder Hornish from behind and put him on the ground. THAT was dirty play.

Let the boys work it out, they’re grown ups and have made the conscience choice to make their living in a dangerous sport. I think they could tussle on their own, especially with helmets still firmly planted on their heads. Dad with a ball cap and street clothes, Kanaan with a helmet and firesuit. You figure it out, who was in better physical position, not to mention shape.

After everything broke up, Kanaan said he had no intention of getting in to it with the daddy, it was something for the drivers to work out.

And how fast did Marco Andretti get his dad out of the line of fire? And Danica Patrick's daddy said he was in the motorcoach watching, not on the playing field like was first reported on ABC.

Wa-a-a-y to many daddies too close to the competition.

If you don’t own the car or are a real part of the pit crew - you know, the guys who train all week to wield air guns, 70 pound cans of fuel or 80 pound tires - go sit in the stands. If you’re afraid of the fans, sit in the motorcoach and watch the race.

The boy may be your dog, but it ain’t your fight.

By the way, Scott Dixon won the IRL race Sunday, but all eyes were focused on the scuffle on pit road. For the record, it was the third consecutive win for Dixon at Watkins Glen.