First rounds on me…
Cool…I’m gonna try and make it to OSW tonite if it doesn’t come a downpour. If that’s a regular Friday night haunt for you, let’s hook up for a beer or two.
The Boneman has promised me I could run over Brokedorks feet with his ministock if I show…JK…looking forward to it as I haven’t been back to OSW in a while…
OJ
Osr2
this may shock you but i totally agree with you… perhaps you misunderstood or did not read my entire posts… i do not agree with “diversity” programs… in fact i think they are unfair to people like Aric in some ways. just read the posts…when a guy like Aric gets a ride because he is Hispanic it tends to turn people away from them rather than make them popular…however… minorities have a slim chance of being in NASCAR without the program. Since they do have this program we need to realize that the chosen are not chosen from a bunch of losers. they are good racers and they have to work twice as hard to prove themselves. i think Arics record in NASCAR has been very good. i dont think anyone should earn a special place in ANYTHING because they are in a minority program. But if a minority is giving as much as anyone else and doesnt get a chance to move up because he is a minority…that is wrong…
i have talked about this many times. i very well remember the 60’s when they started the bussing in Boston to bring little black children into better areas for a better chance at education. i remember the looks of terror when white people turned the busses over with the little children inside! eventually it all worked out and maybe NASCAR’s choices will change but it doesnt go over well to try and force minorities on people.
the only thing i may have exaggerated on was the word “GREAT”… i get enthusiastic when these young guns of ours make it to higher levels and i cant help but praise them… if thats a crime… im a criminal. Aric isnt GREAT but he is doing a good job and he is all ive said he is. there is no way i evaluate a driver by the way he looks! i like a clean cut look but i dont care as long as they can entertain me with a good race!
i never claimed to be any racing genius but i do have the right to be disagreed with in a polite way. i feel OJ likes to piss me off and he comes off as the racing encyclopedia of America…everyone else is WRONG and he is right. his logo says that! do i dislike Matt… heck no… i just dont like being talked down to and i should ignore it but i cant.
didnt mean for this to be so long. i am a passionate woman and anyone who knows me should just read my message and not take the drama seriously… i apologize for calling Aric “great”… but i dont apologize for promoting his racing abilities in NASCAR! KEEP UP THE GOOD RACING ARIC!!!
carolwicks aka OZ
Holy cow…
Wow…I’ve gotta go right now so I’ll respond in full later but let me just ask one thing:
Logo? What the hell are you talking about?
My logo?:smilie_abcfra:?
And I do try and read your posts, Carol. It’s just hard when you contradict yourself so much and then, like the last post, try and back up to cover your tracks. A message board is all about the debate. Jeezus, if any body should realize that by now, it’s you. People post their opinions because they think they are right and want to see how many people agree with them.
Maybe you need to try and read my posts.
Really.
OJ… if you’re coming to Orlando, make sure to give me a call: 407-832-1623
Thanks Bud… would love to toss back a couple of cold ones with you!
OJ…
the logo is the little quote you put at the bottom of your posts. i cant remember the words but it is about you being right. i take it as humor as i am sure thats what you intended… alot of times things get taken wrong on message boards. even when i disagree with people i try to respect them and not be insulting. you ALWAYS enjoy belittleing me. i do not BACKTRACK!!! i just sometimes feel there are circumstances that merit differences in even my own opinions. such as the diversity program… i do not agree with forcing integration. i do agree with earning a place … however, if they didnt have diversity programs we are such a predjudiced society alot of minority people would not have a chance to compete…
OJ… i am not senile and i am not ignorant.i am also not above being corrected… i AM against the way you do it to me. no one else insults me. they simply agree or disagree.actually Matt…
my whole point was to just say that I was proud of Arics performance as a NASCAR driver. i stand by that…i am allowed to be proud of him… thats all. no need for you to gather weapons of destruction and come after me…lol im not getting into a pissing match with you and i dont have to defend my feelings for Aric. take em or leave em… just remember this… “I COULD BE RIGHT”… 
if nothing else good comes from this maybe people will look at Aric and notice him more and give him credit for doing a good job out there. ive heard that bad publicity is better than no publicity…(not sure i agree tho)
much love
OZ.
Just curious as to how diverse Nascar wants to be. Right now we have Aric, Montoya, Carpentier, Ambrose, Franchitti entered in the NH race. Last week it was even more diverse. In another decade Nascar will start a program trying to recruit Americans to enter. JK
Why is that?
Money and talent know no boundary as far as race religion ect, mostly money LOL.
i see what your saying about him grabbing an opportunity.
I also know a bunch of little rich white kids in that series that DON’T deserve a ride but $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ prevails.
In short if you have the money and talent you can get in…he just went the easy route. i have nothing against that other than hearing (deserves) or (earned) in the same sentence as “Diversity Program”.
My head hurts…
“the logo is the little quote you put at the bottom of your posts.”
Again. What the hell are you talking about. I have no “logo” or words at the bottom of my posts.
“you ALWAYS enjoy belittleing me.”
No. I do not. I enjoy debating topics. But sometimes I just don’t think you have enough of an understanding of a subject to offer an opinion that isn’t based on emotion and/or ideas that have no relationship to the point being discussed.
“i do not BACKTRACK!!!”
Ahem. Please read the entire thread including your last post and let us know if you want to “backtrack” again.
“however, if they didnt have diversity programs we are such a predjudiced society alot of minority people would not have a chance to compete…”
What country do you live in anyways? I’ve never seen anyone turned away from any track because they were not white. Blacks, Hispanics, Chinese, Japanese…I’ve read a lot of rulebooks and have never seen where these folks are banned from building and racing a car in any class they choose to. Please. Explain this statement to me…
“i am not senile and i am not ignorant.”
I kindly refer to the logo issue…I’m assuming, and that is a dangerous thing to do, you mean my signature section on the Desoto Speedway meassage board where it says:
Let’s just compromise…and agree that I’m right.
To be clear, that’s another message board on a different website. With a different screen name.
“i am also not above being corrected… i AM against the way you do it to me. no one else insults me. they simply agree or disagree”
Apparently, you must think I am correct then.
As far as insulting you, I really don’t recall ever mentioning your name until you used mine. What a short memory you have if you think my opposition of your views holds a candle to the things that used to be said about you right here on this very web site by some people you now call friends. Those were insults. Have I ever been vulgar when addressing you in a post? Show me an example and I’ll backtrack a little myself. Not my style, Miz Wicks, I get a much better reaction with the sarcastic humor angle.
“just remember this… “I COULD BE RIGHT”…”
Well…I’ll take my chances.
OJ:aetsch013:
benny…
i agree… but what im saying is AFTER Aric was seleced he has proven himself to be a really good NASCAR racer. i also agree with you that $$$$$$$$$ controls racing and I hate that too. There is no doubt in my mind that Jeff Choquette is far better a racer than Kyle Petty, Michael Waltrip and a couple others. i also think roush made a huge mistake not giving him a chance. but it is the luck of the draw… Aric won the draw … he has earned his place in NASCAR by performing well for NASCAR… not because he is Hispanic… do any of you know Aric personally? have you had a chance to meet him? he is really a very nice guy and very polite…thats on top of being a good racer.
OZ
p.s.
i hate bickering with OJ (Matt)… he is a fun guy and he is a fireman… i have a special place in my heart for guys like him who risk their lives everyday for humanity. and i dont necessarily disagree with his posts. just the way he talks down to me… several people have disagreed with me at times but they dont make me feel stupid or insulted. they simply disagree and i can handle that fine.
OJ…please just try not to be so condescending to me. i realize i am a woman but GET OVER IT! im here to stay and i will yell and holler and go out of my way to compliment a driver for even the slightest reason… the drivers are VERY special to me…! thats just me. i dont expect miracles. i just expect them to do their best… i wish i knew how to draw a peace pipe…lol
OZ
greatness defined
Aric Almirola Career Statistics
Craftsman Truck Series
4 years
Avg. Start - 18
Avg. Finish - 21
Busch/Nationwide Series
2 years
Avg. Start - 17
Avg. Finish - 20
Nextel/Sprint Cup
2 years
Avg. Start - 28
Avg. Finish - 31
Earnings in excess of $2 million.
I wish I had chosen a career that rewards mediocrity (I’m being charitable, since, if anything, he finishes behind where he starts) so well. At my job, if you finish a project worse than what you started it, you get fired.
what im saying is AFTER Aric was selected he has proven himself to be a really good NASCAR racer.
Again, I’ll ask…WHERE and *WHEN has he “proven” himself - in NA$CAR, in Florida, in anywhere??!? Sure, he got lucky and “scored a win” due to Hamlin being in the car - I can almost guarantee you if Aric had stayed in the car, I don’t think he would have won that race. Someone mentioned that he won at Orlando. He did? When? In what type of car? I never heard of it.
ok
so…what you are saying is that if you dont win you arent so good? i dont think that is true. it may not make you super hero but it still doesnt make you a failure.
im tired of fighting. think what you want. and OJ… if you think there isnt predjudice in racing or anywhere else…you are dreaming. i am not convinced i am wrong about Aric but i really dont feel well enough to be arguing all day. it will go nowhere. just in giant circles. so … have a fun and safe weekend and GOOOOOOOOOO ARIC! roflllllll. nite all…
much love
carol aka OZ
about ARIC
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Rusty Jarrett/Getty ImagesAric Almirola has one top-10 in his previous three starts this season.
Almirola close to full-time ride with DEI next season
Would drive 8 car; Army, Martin futures with team unclear
By Joe Menzer, NASCAR.COM
June 22, 2008
10:55 PM EDT
type size: + -SONOMA, Calif. – Aric Almirola stood in front of a gaggle of U.S. Army soldiers and other visitors prior to Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, and held their attention with every word he delivered.
It was an example of just what makes Almirola so attractive as driver of the No. 8 Chevrolet he piloted for Dale Earnhardt Inc. on Sunday. Almirola started 40th in Sunday’s race, his first in the No. 8 car he shares with veteran driver Mark Martin since Almirola started 28th and finished 33rd at Talladega on April 27. He finished 28th at Infineon Raceway, his first road-course start.
AlmirolaPrior to the race, DEI vice president of motorsports operations John Story confirmed that next season Almirola will not have to wait so long in between races.
“We have to find a way to get him into a full-time ride,” Story said. “There is no question he’s ready for it, and we have to find a way to get it done. He has proven he has the ability to drive at this level and he needs to get behind the wheel full-time. He deserves that opportunity.”
DEI’s sponsorship deal with the U.S. Army is done on a yearly basis because the sponsorship money comes from government-appropriated funds. The Army, therefore, is required each year to listen to all those who may seek its sponsorship. Story indicated his belief that the U.S. Army finds Almirola an attractive spokesman because of his youth and his Hispanic background, which may aid the Army in helping land new recruits.
“It seems to me that he could fit the mold they would be looking for,” said Story, who added that he was aware of the fact that the Army is talking with other teams about possible 2009 sponsorship – while also insisting that DEI hopes to have it back as primary sponsor for the No. 8 machine.
If Almirola indeed begins driving the No. 8 full-time next season, where does that leave Martin? The 48-year-old Martin has indicated to Story and others that he is not yet ready to retire and would like to run a part-time schedule again.
MartinStory said he would love to have Martin fun full-time for DEI, but that Martin has given him no indication that might happen. Meanwhile, there is the possibility that Martin may leave DEI to drive part-time for another team – even though Story said DEI continues to talk with him about options.
“Any team would love to have Mark Martin. We would love to keep him and are discussing our options with him,” Story said.
Martin was unavailable for comment Sunday. The veteran driver has been instrumental in helping Almirola develop as a driver – both previously with Ginn Racing and then when both drivers moved to DEI.
The other drivers in the DEI stable include Martin Truex Jr., Regan Smith and Paul Menard. In a perfect world, Story said the company would love to put all five in full-time rides next season – insisting that sponsorships could be obtained for both Almirola and Martin, and adding that as far as he is concerned, Truex is expected to honor what would be the last year of his DEI contract.
“We have five guys that we’d like to run full-time, but Mark doesn’t want to run a full-time schedule,” Story said. “So he’s looking at wanting to do something very similar to what he’s doing now. That’s the challenge we face. We talk every day about what we can do to try to make it all work.”
No, Carol…I’m not saying “If you don’t win, you’re not so good”. What I DID say was, that, prior to his being announced for the DEI thing, I’d never heard of him, but people on here say that he’s “won a few races here and there”; all I asked was, “Where?” I was just curious as to exactly where Aric had run, what he had run (and won in) to warrant his “does great in NA$CAR” title, because again, he ain’t impressed me none. Junior - same thing. Yeah, he ran some Late Model Stock stuff up around Myrtle Beach, etc., but he never really impressed me neither there. He STILL ain’t proved anything to me in Cup (Junior). If Aric was a white boy, you think he’d have gotten that ride? I don’t. That’s all. It’s my opinion. Like a lot of the others have stated, I don’t believe he’d have gotten that deal if it weren’t for his “Hispanic” or “Latino” race or whatever. I’d never, ever heard of Aric Almirola in the state of Florida as far as the short tracks go.
Jimmy…
It’s all good… i am hoping you will pay a little attention to Aric now and see that in his short time as a NASCAR driver, he has done pretty well. I know he will even get better… i hate him being known as the spanish kid that would never have made it any other way. he will be driving full time for DEI soon… even if he was “given” the opportunity, he has earned some respect … that has been my point all along.
if he crashes this week i will hide where i cant be found… roflllllllll J/K
carol aka OZ
Time to put it to rest?
I am not defending Almirola or putting him down. There are a lot of people that drive race cars that are “good people”. That doesn’t mean that they should have a ride in Nascar!
There are also baseball players that strike out 3 of 4 times that make several million dollars a year.
Every one has a chance and it has nothing to do with race!
What about the NBA, do you think that they should start a diversity program for white people?
As you told me once before in one of my posts Ms. Wicks, don’t you think it’s time to end this thread?
RT
yep…sure do!
OZZIE :ernaehrung004:
I’ll quote my earlier post.
Aric Almirola Career Statistics
Craftsman Truck Series
4 years
Avg. Start - 18
Avg. Finish - 21
Busch/Nationwide Series
2 years
Avg. Start - 17
Avg. Finish - 20
Nextel/Sprint Cup
2 years
Avg. Start - 28
Avg. Finish - 31
He hasn’t done well. The statistics don’t lie, that’s why most people don’t like statistics. Finishing back farther than where you start is not “doing well.” The fact that DEI is so high on this kid shows just how out of touch they are.
“Story indicated his belief that the U.S. Army finds Almirola an attractive spokesman because of his youth and his Hispanic background, which may aid the Army in helping land new recruits”.
This is quoted directing from the article above. It seems to say it all on this. Its the business end and not the racing that puts him in his seat.
Statistics don’t pose for the TV camera…
That’s the problem. Sorry…one of the problems these days.
It just doesn’t matter that the talent factor is nonexistent anymore. Just the fact that someone is “nice” and can smile pretty for the TV camera is somehow more than enough to garner support from people who don’t have a clue about what racing is really about.
I get so tired of hearing how nice and clean-cut and what a sweet person someone is…as if it has anything to do with how well they could wheel a racecar.
Well…
I had wrote a whole other paragraph but I nixed it because this is really a dead horse and by now everyone who reads these things is well aware of how I feel.
There’s just not much you can do about the senselessness that is NASCAR these days.
Or for anyone who puts emotion before common sense for that matter.