A Quick Way To Make $54,196

[TLK]

NASCAR examining field-filler criteria

By JENNA FRYER, AP Sports Writer

February 24, 2004

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR should not have allowed Joe Ruttman to start the race at North Carolina Speedway and is examining ways to prevent unqualified ``field fillers'' from competing in the future, officials said.

Ruttman ran one lap of the Subway 400 on Sunday before NASCAR black-flagged him because he didn't have a pit crew to service his car. Ruttman earned $54,196 just for starting the race.


``The Joe Ruttman thing was sort of a sham,'' NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter said Tuesday. ``We always try to do the right thing, and since we had let it go that far, we let him start the race.

``However, that will not happen again.''

With dwindling sponsor dollars, only 37 full-time Nextel Cup teams planned on competing in Rockingham last weekend. It left six open spots in the field and made it possible for underfunded teams to attempt to make the race.

There had been speculation that NASCAR contacted several of the ``field-filler'' teams -- even promising to pay them -- if they showed up and tried to fill the 43-car field.

Hunter denied it.

``The notion that we are soliciting teams and paying them to try to make the race is absolutely untrue,'' Hunter said. ``We have no problem starting a race with fewer than 43 cars in it.''

But NASCAR wasn't faced with that dilemma because enough field fillers showed up in Rockingham.

Among them was Ruttman, a 60-year-old grandfather who had not raced in NASCAR's top series since 1995. He qualified 40th Friday, never attempted to practice in either of Saturday's sessions, and never tried to hide that his James Finch-owned team had no pit crew.

It was a blatant case of showing up just for a cut of the $4.7 million purse, with Finch and Ruttman knowing they could not to be competitive.

Hunter said NASCAR officials have admonished Finch, who fields a full-time entry in the Busch series and occasionally submits legitimate entries in the Nextel Cup series.

But the inclusion of the field fillers was embarrassing from the start for NASCAR.

Kirk Shelmerdine was lapped eight minutes into the race and ordered off the track shortly thereafter for not being up to NASCAR's minimum speed requirement. He earned $54,895 for coming in 42nd.

Andy Hillenburg, who filled the 43rd spot in the field, was 10 mph slower than Ryan Newman's pole-qualifying speed, and was 14 mph off the pace in Saturday's practice. Still, he outlasted several of the top teams and finished in 34th place, 17 laps down, earning $55,425.

``We're trying,'' said Hillenburg, who has just one full-time employee but still wants to attempt to make up to 20 races this year. ``Were we the best car? No, not even close, but we tried our hardest. I don't think anybody tried harder, so now we have a starting place.''

Carl Long, who owns just one race car, couldn't afford to buy tires and had to use the same set all weekend. Even though he was able to hold his own on the race track, he was involved in a spectacular accident that sent his car barrel-rolling down the backstretch.

But because Long tries to make races all season long, NASCAR was not upset with his underfunded effort.

``We are perfectly fine with Carl Long,'' Hunter said. ``He is trying to be a racer and everyone admires the effort he puts in.

``But we are looking at some of these other guys who are showing up and will consider different ways to handle these situations in the future.''

Something tells me if NASCAR is trying this hard to fill the 43 car field, that they must have a stipulation in their TV contract or with their venues. I personally feel that there's too many cars out there with 43, and would have no problem if they dropped it to something like 38....

[GoldenEagle]

What is NASCAR?

[Peregrine]

GoldenEagle, I think it's some kind of racing thing, they have cars, or trucks, I'm not sure.

[Buzzbee]

I believe there is a clause in the TV contract that substantially reduces the amount of money NASCAR receives if they don't field a full 43 car field. I think the last time it happened was back in the late 90's.

These field fillers have been around for a LONG time. Morgan Shepard is one who is known for filling out the field. If there are only 38 or 39 teams entered in a race, these teams simply take the cover off their car, show up to qualify and they are in. Then they'll run a few laps just to make a show of it, then pull out giving a reason of "handling" or "brakes" or some such fluff. They collect their $xx,xxx paycheck ad it only costs them a few thousand dollars for tires, transport, lodging, etc.

So these field fillers are able to make a living by filling out the field. NASCAR is happy because they still get the TV money for a full field.

In my opinion, as long as the cars pass inspection and aren't a danger to the driver or other cars and drivers, let 'em in.

[cthomer5000]

It's all good.

[HornedFrog Purple]

They pay emergency personnel who work their races pretty well too. (though not $54000) I have done a couple at the TMS in the last couple of years.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Y'know, I keep seeing references about rumors concerning the TV contract requiring 43 cars but that's been denied point blank by NASCAR in recent days & I've never seen anything that actually confirms the rumor, so I'm inclined to believe the denials in the absence of anything else.

I've ranted for several days (elsewhere) about the way the field-fillers were handled at Rockingham, they oughta strip Ruttman & the car owner of their licenses for the "no pit crew" stunt AFAIC, under "conduct detrimental to the sport". While Shelmerdine's outing should have been personally embarassing to him perhaps, at least he & the rest of the fillers made a legitimate effort. The Ruttman stunt feels more like fraud or mockery to me.

[Buzzbee]

I guess I've been sucked in by the rumor as well. I don't have any facts to back up my statements above, so your approach is probably the correct one. However, that being said, it surely SEEMS that there is SOME sort of incentive for NASCAR to have a full field. Something other than bragging rights.

[Honolulu Blue]

Thoughts:

1) I think there is some incentive, somewhere, for NASCAR to start 43 cars. I've never seen less than a full field in the 3 1/2 years I've been watching, but for the past years they have at times been scrambling to make it. This may be the year they finally miss.

2) NASCAR and the networks have beens sucking up so much money there's not enough for the car owners. Therefore, some decent teams have to run part-time because they don't have sponsors. I'm guessing this will change sooner or later.

3) The races are fun to watch, but NASCAR often seems to make up the rules as they go along. Only rarely do the other major sports change rules in mid-season.

4) I'd rather see them cut the fields than watch the field fillers. 43 cars is too many for the smaller tracks anyway.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Buzzbee

These field fillers have been around for a LONG time. Morgan Shepard is one who is known for filling out the field.

I don't know that I'd characterize Morgan Sheperd as truly "field-filler", at least not one who has made a career of it.

Granted, his 7 appearances in the past two years have been pretty much that but he's also a guy with 34% of his career starts (168 of 488) finishing in the top 10 and 4 years finishing in the top 10 in points. From '81 (his first full time year) to '96, he was not only a legit competitor but was generally in the top half of the field. A disasterous '98 cost him his ride & a partial season in '99 with a bad car pretty much ended his career.

Still, I kinda hate to see him lumped in with some of the others, just because of say 7 appearances out of 488 in his career.

Joe Ruttman, on the other hand, hasn't made a competitive appearance in the top NASCAR series since 1993, was in the top 20 in points only 4 times in 17 seasons, and has zero career wins in WC. (just explaining why I draw a line between the two drivers).

{edited to add -- I'm not picking on you Buzzbee, I'm just kinda defending Shepherd a little bit as I remember him quite differently than Ruttman}

[TLK]

Without doing research, wasn't there a race last year or the previous year that only had 42 starters? I'm thinking it was the last race of the year.....

[RendeR]

as far as I know and have read there is no actaly stipulation that nascar must have 43 cars, the rule book (which is very vague) maintains that any field size up to and including 44 in certain circumstances is acceptable.

NASCAR always wants a full field because fielding less than a full field would indicate to the general public that there is a problem and they can't keep enough teams in funds to make it full.

its more of a saving face thing which backfired last sunday.

[Easy Mac]

I should take my Grand Am out there... I coud FSU.

[Buzzbee]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I don't know that I'd characterize Morgan Sheperd as truly "field-filler", at least not one who has made a career of it.

Granted, his 7 appearances in the past two years have been pretty much that but he's also a guy with 34% of his career starts (168 of 488) finishing in the top 10 and 4 years finishing in the top 10 in points. From '81 (his first full time year) to '96, he was not only a legit competitor but was generally in the top half of the field. A disasterous '98 cost him his ride & a partial season in '99 with a bad car pretty much ended his career.

Still, I kinda hate to see him lumped in with some of the others, just because of say 7 appearances out of 488 in his career.

Joe Ruttman, on the other hand, hasn't made a competitive appearance in the top NASCAR series since 1993, was in the top 20 in points only 4 times in 17 seasons, and has zero career wins in WC. (just explaining why I draw a line between the two drivers).

{edited to add -- I'm not picking on you Buzzbee, I'm just kinda defending Shepherd a little bit as I remember him quite differently than Ruttman}

No problem Jon. I was pretty much refering to the past couple of years for Morgan. In re-reading my post I can see how it would be misconstrued.

Yeah, there's no comparison between Shepherd and Ruttman career-wise.

By the way, there was an article in the AJC on Daytona Sunday regarding field fillers, and I THINK Morgan was the main focus of the article. Didn't know if you saw it or not.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

What is NASCAR?

NASCAR is that thing people who live in trailers and have gun racks in their trucks watch. Humans watch other things like football.

[Craptacular]

Hey, I don't have a trailer, a gun, or a truck.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Craptacular

Hey, I don't have a trailer, a gun, or a truck.

That's funny, neither do I.

(well, at least not at the moment )

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally Posted by Craptacular

Hey, I don't have a trailer, a gun, or a truck.

Well you're behind the lernin' kurve!

(and no, i'm not talkin' about that big curve the boys all drive round)

[stevew]

Originally Posted by BigJohn&TheLions

NASCAR is that thing people who live in trailers and have gun racks in their trucks watch. Humans watch other things like football.

Wow, sounds like a Howard Dean type quote. I used to live in Bristol, catered out to the track a few times. Maybe there were some "Good-ole-boys," but these people definately aint poor.

[BigJohn&TheLions]

Originally Posted by stevew

Wow, sounds like a Howard Dean type quote. I used to live in Bristol, catered out to the track a few times. Maybe there were some "Good-ole-boys," but these people definately aint poor.

You ain't got be po ta live in a trailer and drink a box a wine!