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Some NASCAR fans long for the wild 1970s and 80s era with colorful drivers like Dale Earnhardt and Tim Richmond, while others prefer the current polished show starring Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. 

NASCAR good ol’ days
It’s a topic sure to create intense debate and even hot tempers.
As the annual high-stakes chess match unfolded with loads of the usual restrictor-plate suspense Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway, some folks long for the old NASCAR.
The Sprint Cup show now plays on network television. The cast has become international, the directors are mega-millionaires and the audience includes the corporate elite.
A large segment of the NASCAR fan base remembers a simpler time when the series actually had character, free spirits and a southern-soundtrack.
Anyone remember the Oldsmobile, independent drivers like Buddy Arrington, and unique tracks like Rockingham and North Wilkesboro?
According to the party line, modern-day Sprint Cup racing is far superior to the days when drivers such as Richard Petty would lap half the field and win by huge margins.
I dare anyone to say they actually enjoyed the recent bore-a-thon at Texas Motor Speedway. Heck, even the drivers admitted that the single-file parade was a stinker.
Yes, NASCAR’s new mass-produced car has earned rave reviews for safety. However, even elite teams such as Hendrick Motorsports have yet to discover a way to pass or race in traffic on intermediate-sized tracks.
Defending series champion Jimmie Johnson claimed the new car was basically ‘’undrivable”
after the Texas disg-race.
The NASCAR brass contends that creative crew chiefs and engineers will eventually solve the balance issue with the winged Car of Tomorrow and devise a method to make events more interesting.
Meanwhile, the sport appears to be losing the ratings boost and feel-good buzz it had to start the season. With gas prices soaring to record levels, more track promoters may soon feel the empty-seat blues.
And that brings us back to stock car racing of the 1970s and 80s. Granted, some of the storylines lacked fantastic finishes but this was before NASCAR introduced gimmicky rules as the lucky-dog which allows slower cars back on the lead lap. And let’s don’t forget all those phantom cautions that bunch up race fields and delight television producers.
Due in large part to colorful stars such as Dale Earnhardt, Buddy Baker and Darrell Waltrip, the Sunday afternoon matinees offered old-fashioned fun. Fans could identify with their blue-collar heroes, afford a motel and maybe even grab an autograph or two.
Perhaps it was inevitable, but this sport has just become too sanitized and predictable. There are few rebels, let alone ruffians.
Much like the Formula One world, a handful of teams rule the Sprint Cup series. The cars and drivers all look alike. We need some spice, some underdogs and maybe even some fighting.
This isn’t ballet or some overly-scripted reality show. This is racing and that should be powerful stuff.

Posted by Allen Gregory

NASCAR drug policy needs a serious adjustment following the latest scandal. 

Aaron Fike is far from a household name in NASCAR, but the former Craftsman Truck Series driver created some headlines and headaches last week.

In a revelation which shocked some hear-no-evil types, Fike admitted that he used heroin on race days. In fact, Fike was arrested for heroin possession just one week after finishing fifth in a truck race at Memphis last year.

As expected, the NASCAR apologists came out of the woodwork to offer spin control. For whatever reason, Fike was slammed and painted as an outsider with an axe to grind.

There was a twist to this sad case, and it illustrates what a joke the NASCAR drug policy really is.

Several high-profile drivers, such as Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., have called for mandatory drug testing in their sponsor-driven sport. The currently policy only calls for testing when there is reasonable suspicion.

Harvick said last week that he has never been drug tested in the past decade. Meanwhile, Fike was never asked for a test even though Kahne admitted to “wondering’’ about the young Illinois native.

NASCAR officials have long earned praise for being reactive to problems within their sport. Clearly, they need to be in proactive in the area of drugs.

Many diehard stock car fans have joked about the many woes in professional basketball and football, yet Fike is not the first NASCAR figure to have problems with drugs.

Rising stars such as Shane Hmiel, Tyler Walker, Kevin Grubb and Brian Rose have all either been forced from the track, or at least suspended, due to issues with substance abuse. And there have been more embarrassing cases over the 15 past years, though admittedly none involve superstars.

With Fortune 500 companies fueling teams at the elite Sprint Cup level, drivers and teams must present a professional, clean-cut image. NASCAR president Brian France may claim he has the most aggressive drug-testing policy in sports, but it certainly failed miserably in the case of Fike.

And does France really expect drivers, many of whom are close friends and business associates, to play the role of snitch if someone in the garage has a problem with drugs or alcohol.

A large part of NASCAR’s growth has been based on the homespun personalities of the drivers and crews. For the most part, they are decent, likeable folks who work an insane amount of hours for our enjoyment.

But make no mistake, these guys are human. They are definitely not the made-for-Disney cartoon figures that some starstruck fans imagine they as.

Whether you want to admit it or not, NASCAR is not immune from drugs.

Hopefully, the leaders of this sport will finally step down from their ivory tower and learn from the harsh lesson of Fike before something similar happens again.  What is there to hide?

Posted by Allen Gregory

The last two springs, the race for the Hogoheegee District regular-season baseball title has ended in dramatic fashion.

In 2006, Chilhowie won two games on the final day of the regular season to clinch a tie with George Wythe and force a one-game playoff for the district’s top spot and an automatic bid to the Region C tournament. GW would go on to beat the Warriors the next night in the playoff thanks to a gem from pitcher Devin Smith (more on him later). John Battle would go on to beat the Maroons in the finals of the district tourney.

Last spring, Chilhowie used a suicide squeeze in extra innings to take a 6-5 win over John Battle in a special one-game playoff. In the district tournament, John Battle downed George Wythe to win the district tournament for the 12th straight year and in the process bid adieu to the Hogoheegee.

While the Trojans (against their wishes) are in Region D and the Clinch Mountain District now, the Hogoheegee is perhaps the most competitive district in Southwest Virginia.

I’ve got a feeling that it will once again come down to the final week of the regular-season. Most of the coaches feel the same way as well, I’d bet.

George Wythe currently resides in first place after posting a 4-1 win over Patrick Henry on Tuesday night in Emory as Devin Smith had perhaps the best game of his career. The senior struck out 21 and allowed just two hits, while also going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. He showed why NCAA Division II Concord (W.Va.) University signed him to a letter of intent.

The Maroons still have a long way to go however, with two games remaining with Chilhowie (May 2 and May 13) and a rematch with Patrick Henry (May 9). But head coach Jason Lutrell’s team does have the advantage of being a game up and to borrow from an old cliché’ control their own destiny.

The district’s big matchup tonight will take place in Emory. Patrick Henry and Chilhowie face off in a rematch from a 5-4 PH eight-inning victory on April 8 in Smyth County. Hard-throwing Rebel left-hander Ronnie Groves struck out 16 batters that afternoon (including eight of the first 10 he faced) and was overpowering. Aaron Clampitt pitched well for Chilhowie that day as well but seemed to tire late and was pulled in the eighth inning after issuing a bases loaded walk to Cody Foglesong. Both pitchers will likely be on the mound tonight in a game with second place up for grabs.

Holston and Rural Retreat are improved and could play the role of spoiler in the coming weeks. 

From 1996-2005, John Battle won every Hogoheegee regular-season and tournament title and the Trojans were barely tested during that decade of dominance.

Now the Hogoheegee has entered a new age. Perhaps Chilhowie coach Jeff Robinson put it best when summing up the district prior to the season.

“I think it will be as well-balanced and competitive from the top to the bottom in the Hogoheegee this year as it has ever been,” Robinson told the Bristol Herald Courier back in March.

Posted by Tim Hayes

Tazewell High School graduate and New York Mets closer Billy Wagner has been untouchable thus far this season.

No really, the 36-year-old left-hander has been simply outstanding. Lights out. Dominant. Pure nasty. Thrown in about 100 more adjectives to describe how the diminutive country boy has performed in the season’s first month.

Wagner worked another scoreless inning on Wednesday night to wrap up the Mets’ 7-2 win over the Washington Nationals. After walking Austin Kearns to start the inning, Wagner struck out former teammate Lastings Milledge (you know he had to like that one), got Wily Mo Pena to fly out and then fanned Wil Nieves to end the game and help the Mets improve to 11-9.

In eight outings spanning eight innings, Wagner has not allowed a hit, walked two and struck out eight. He’s also notched four saves, bringing his career total to 362.

Posted by Tim Hayes

The Appalachian Athletic Conference men’s and women’s tennis tournaments will be held this weekend at the Liberty Bell Sports Complex in Johnson City.

On the men’s side, King College enters the tournament on a four-match winning streak and in the midst of a turnaround season. The Tornado went 4-1 in conference play this season and head coach Chris Bartlett’s team is the second seed. Team members include Andre Franco, Jon Axel Jonsson, Rohit George, Oriol Mirallas, Dustin Davis, Nicholas Smith and Juan Avila. The University of Virginia’s College at Wise is the fifth seed in the men’s tourney.

Several local players will compete in the women’s tourney. Second-seeded Milligan is led by freshman Caitlin Conley (Tennessee High), who is 4-1 in singles and 4-1 in doubles against conference opponents.
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise is the third-seed for the event and is paced by No. 1 singles player Autumn Lauzon, a former John Battle star. King is seeded sixth.

Posted by Tim Hayes