Hello, motorsports enthusiasts! Welcome to another edition of Seven Points with Kobe Lambeth and Kenneth Lee Jr. We will provide weekly commentary, discussing various topics in motorsports. The majority of our content will focus on NASCAR but other disciplines will be discussed as well.
Lambeth is a student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, who is a Communications major (mass media concentration) and minor in Journalism. In addition, he contributes to motorsports coverage at The Podium Finish and serves as the co-host of GRID Live. Lee is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a bachelor's degree in Communications, an alumnus of the NASCAR Diversity Internship Program and an Associate Producer in Content Development for the Motor Racing Network. 1. In the closing laps of the Genesys 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, Felix Rosenqvist tried hunting down Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon for the lead and crashed while trying to get around lapped traffic. Unfortunately, the result did not reflect the Swedish racing driver’s strong performance. As Rosenqvist enters his sophomore season of IndyCar competition, will there be some pressure on him to perform? Lambeth: I think we should see growth from Felix Rosenqvist this year. He showed some flashes of brilliance in his rookie campaign. Notably, he came close to stealing the win at Mid-Ohio from Scott Dixon last season. Rosenqvist had a chance to win at Texas, but came up short with a wrecked car. He does not have to beat Dixon every weekend, but he must take care of the car and avoid losing valuable championship points. Rosenqvist seems capable of becoming a weekly contender, potentially having a breakout season. However, he cannot let incidents like Texas occur on a regular basis or pressure will start building. We saw how quickly Chip Ganassi Racing moved on from Ed Jones, with 2018 being his only season as a member of the organization. Lee: When you race for a big team like Ganassi, the expectations are always going to remain pretty high. Rosenqvist had a solid rookie year. Of course, he had some trouble in the final laps last Saturday night. With a long way to go in the season, he created a bar from his rookie season, so this year he’ll have to continue the same. 2. Ed Carpenter Racing rookie Rinus VeeKay endured a disastrous IndyCar debut, suffering a crash in practice and another one during the race that ended his night, which collected fellow IndyCar debutant Alex Palou. Putting limited track time and a revised schedule into consideration, do you think the rookies will struggle more this season with their development? Lambeth: This may be a challenging season for the IndyCar rookies. They will not be able to go through normal routines to fully prepare for each race. Unfortunately, limited track time can be detrimental in allowing the rookies to learn new tracks and make mistakes in non-racing conditions. While I do think this year's rookie class will have some promising moments, I expect growing pains as well. Probably more than a typical season. Lee: It was already a challenging effort for rookies coming into Texas Motor Speedway for the IndyCar season opener and sadly that was the fate of Rinus VeeKay last weekend. I’m sure not having a lot of track time will harm a bit of their development this season, with the absence of practice. However, this may also be a great learning tool for these drivers as they face tracks for the first time. 3. The 24 Hours of Le Mans virtual endurance race will be shown on ESPN2, in the United States, which gets underway at 9 a.m. ET on Saturday, June, 13. Viewers will have the opportunity to watch 12 hours on the channel, while all 24 hours are available on the ESPN app. With this eSports event being broadcasted on the major sports network, could you imagine having the real 24 Hours of Le Mans on ESPN? Lambeth: During these strange times for the sports world, showing the virtual Le Mans race on ESPN2 became a reality, due to major shifts in the schedule. In a perfectly normal world, we would not see anything like this, especially on a major network like ESPN in the United States. Yes, it would be nice if ESPN could actually show the real Le Mans one day. Unfortunately, I am not sure if it would be doable. Assuming normal life returns, it would be interesting to see how they could fit a 24-hour endurance race in a busy schedule, with other sports holding priority. ESPN has done a solid job broadcasting the eSports racing events though. Lee: Something I didn’t expect to see is the 24 Hours of Le Mans on ESPN2, even with it being virtual. While it’s nice that it’s on a major network, I can’t imagine the real endurance race ever being shown on ESPN. Of course, ESPN has some very capable people to do so. However, I just don’t think the network's interest is there for motorsports, in general. 4. In general, what did you think of the first ever Martinsville night race for the NASCAR Cup Series? Lambeth: For the most part, I thought the action was decent. We saw a lot of comers and goers. Plus, it was much easier for the drivers to get to the bumper and make passes, due to lower levels of downforce and a small rear spoiler. The light show at the end when Martin Truex Jr. celebrated his win was an awesome touch. Sadly, the only thing missing was the fans. I think the atmosphere would have been electric with them in the grandstands. In 2021, I hope we can put this global pandemic behind us, so fans can attend next year's Martinsville night race. Lee: Low downforce, high horsepower and the “Paper Clip” lit up in the summer night sky, sign me up every year. I thought the first two stages were pretty entertaining and the final stage was so so. Overall, there was a ton of passing on track and a lot of bumping and banging as it should be. Hopefully, we can see that place under the lights with a packed house next year. 5. On Wednesday evening, NASCAR made the decision to ban the Confederate flag from the track. Last Sunday, prior to the Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR President Steve Phelps acknowledged the current state of America, taking a stand against racism and bigotry. Do you think this will end up being one of the most progressive weeks in NASCAR history? Lambeth: In the future, I think we will look back and reflect on this week as one of the most important ones in NASCAR history. Given recent developments in the world, NASCAR finally made the decision to get rid of the Confederate flag from the track. The symbol makes some folks feel uncomfortable enough to avoid coming to the races. By removing it, NASCAR wants to be more inclusive and create a welcoming environment. In addition, they showed support for the LGBTQ+ community too, not just the black community. As we move forward, it will be interesting to see if we are witnessing a culture change in NASCAR. Lee: In my years of supporting NASCAR, this was something I couldn’t imagine seeing in my lifetime. With the Confederate Flag being banned from all NASCAR events, I think it is a huge step in the right direction. I’ve had a lot of my friends and family reach out to me now because of this happening. We need the culture change if we want NASCAR to keep moving forward; it’s welcomed change. 6. Bubba Wallace has emerged as a leader, using his platform to speak out about racism, social injustice and police brutality. After he called for Confederate flags to be banned from all events, NASCAR listened and made the request a reality. Additionally, he started wearing a t-shirt that said, “I Can’t Breathe” and “Black Lives Matter,” while wearing an American flag mask. At Martinsville, Richard Petty Motorsports ran a Black Lives Matter paint scheme. Meanwhile, Wallace and other drivers standing with him started using their platforms to support this cause. What are your thoughts on the leadership of Bubba Wallace during these challenging times? What is the significance of having his competitors supporting his message? Lambeth: Bubba Wallace is a brave soul. In his current role, he has the platform to speak out and bring awareness to an emotional topic. Unfortunately, he received some backlash for supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and changes in NASCAR. A lot of folks out there are clearly narrow minded, wanting no part in changing their ways and educating themselves. In 10 to 15 years, we may look back on Bubba Wallace as the man, who helped change NASCAR's image to the general public. Seeing other drivers standing with Bubba is definitely a wonderful sight. Together, they can change the sport for many decades to come. Lee: I think from the start of his career till now, Bubba Wallace has been through quite a few things as driver. Sadly, I knew the backlash was going to come to him for supporting Black Lives Matter. It’s pretty sad that people can’t take the time to see that it’s clearly a movement for positive reasons and not to exclude others. I think his role is huge as it is and years down the road we’re going to look at Bubba as part of a movement for not only a better space in motorsports, but in the world. 7. With NASCAR making significant moves to show a more welcoming atmosphere, professional athletes from other sports and celebrities voiced their support on Twitter. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman were among those to acknowledge the sport, especially Bubba Wallace for running a special Black Lives Matter paint scheme. With the sport being in the national spotlight, do you think NASCAR fans will become a more diverse group, years down the road? Lambeth: Without a doubt, I think this opens the door for more people to get into NASCAR. More eyes are on the sport as they are a constant sight in the headlines. This time it is for all the right reasons, minus the Ray Ciccarelli situation. When professional athletes and celebrities are chiming in, their fans are exposed to everything happening in NASCAR. Even if they do not have a good understanding of the sport, it should make them a little curious to learn more. It seems like NASCAR is more than willing to alienate the part of the fanbase that refuses to let go of the Confederate flag, in search of a more diverse group. They have so much to gain, with little to lose. In my opinion, this is a good risk to take. Exclude the bigots and keep promoting diversity and inclusiveness for all good souls. While there is certainly a long way to go, NASCAR taking a stand for what is morally right should pay dividends in the long haul. Lee: In the last four days, it’s been quite overwhelming to see how many athletes have reached out in support of Bubba Wallace. It’s been amazing to see the likes of Richard Sherman, LeBron James, Alvin Kamara and many more high profile athletes paying attention to NASCAR. When people have a high level of influence, they typically make their fans want to do the same exact thing. In the distant future, I think these moves will make people want to freely come to events and have a good time.
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