Let's go back to the incident that happened in the pit lane after the NASCAR Nationwide race at Road America on June 24th.
On the last lap, Jacques Villeneuve hit the back of Danica Patrick's car and sent her spinning around. Her team director wanted some explanation from Villeneuve, who said what he had to say and then turned his back. Interviewed live immediately afterwards, JV told the reporter that he had nothing to do with it and that he didn't care.
These words didn't sit well with the folks at Discount Tire, the main sponsor of his #22 Dodge Penske car. They issued a press release to distance themselves from the Quebec driver's statements and lack of fair play.
It's the second time that the 1997 Formula 1 champion leaves a mark for the wrong reasons behind the wheel of a Penske car. The first came in Montreal last year when he completely screwed up after a race interruption and slammed into Marcos Ambrose.
The almighty Roger Penske isn't one to tolerate that his own driver gets blamed by a sponsor. It may be fine behind closed doors, but not when all the fans are watching, in which case he'd rather break ties with the driver than with the company that provides millions of dollars.
A driver's public image has become infinitely important, especially in the communication-obsessed world we now live in. Several NASCAR drivers have been chastised and penalized for their harsh and heated words off the track.
The Busch brothers go berserk faster than their V8 engine revs up. Kyle is creating one controversy after another, and Kurt was disciplined last year for his rant about a member of the media.
Others like Tony Stewart, Boris Said, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick sometimes let their temper flare as well, especially when they're still high on adrenaline. Problem is, with cameras and smartphones more present than ever, anyone can immortalize these altercations and ill-advised comments almost as soon as they happen.
Marketing and PR folks must now teach those drivers to cool down and take a deep breath before they open their mouth. Their careers are at stake because, like I said, there's always someone watching.
On the last lap, Jacques Villeneuve hit the back of Danica Patrick's car and sent her spinning around. Her team director wanted some explanation from Villeneuve, who said what he had to say and then turned his back. Interviewed live immediately afterwards, JV told the reporter that he had nothing to do with it and that he didn't care.
These words didn't sit well with the folks at Discount Tire, the main sponsor of his #22 Dodge Penske car. They issued a press release to distance themselves from the Quebec driver's statements and lack of fair play.
It's the second time that the 1997 Formula 1 champion leaves a mark for the wrong reasons behind the wheel of a Penske car. The first came in Montreal last year when he completely screwed up after a race interruption and slammed into Marcos Ambrose.
 |
| Photo: NASCAR |
The almighty Roger Penske isn't one to tolerate that his own driver gets blamed by a sponsor. It may be fine behind closed doors, but not when all the fans are watching, in which case he'd rather break ties with the driver than with the company that provides millions of dollars.
A driver's public image has become infinitely important, especially in the communication-obsessed world we now live in. Several NASCAR drivers have been chastised and penalized for their harsh and heated words off the track.
The Busch brothers go berserk faster than their V8 engine revs up. Kyle is creating one controversy after another, and Kurt was disciplined last year for his rant about a member of the media.
Others like Tony Stewart, Boris Said, Juan Pablo Montoya and Kevin Harvick sometimes let their temper flare as well, especially when they're still high on adrenaline. Problem is, with cameras and smartphones more present than ever, anyone can immortalize these altercations and ill-advised comments almost as soon as they happen.
Marketing and PR folks must now teach those drivers to cool down and take a deep breath before they open their mouth. Their careers are at stake because, like I said, there's always someone watching.