What happened to Erin Crocker?
All week, there's been a ton of hype about Erin Crocker, NASCAR's answer (maybe) to Danica Patrick.
She's ready to race, according to this story. Evernham and General Mills announced today she's got a full-time Busch gig in 2006.
But then ... she's not in the starting lineup, and it doesn't look like she even tried to qualify. Stranger, there's a video at NASCAR.com that says "Crocker finds the wall." I'm at work, where I don't have TrackPass access.
Anyone know what happened? Did she wreck in practice? Is she hurt? Any ideas?
Comments (7)
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Update: Looks like she made it on owner points. There's no time listed, so she must have wrecked or had a catastrophic car failure. Not exactly the way she wanted to start.
On a related note, fellow Yankee Ryan Moore, running in a Dale Earnhardt Jr. car, will start 17th tonight. Not bad, considering just about everyone ahead of him is either a Cup regular or way up there in Busch points.
Posted on September 9, 2005 7:31 PM
Erin spun it around in quals, and kept her nose clean until she was caught up in a wreck not of her own doing. Rough start, but she doesn't have much stock car experience.
DEI is trying to catch lightning twice w/ Ryan Moore, son of Busch North legend Kelly Moore, but he hasn't contended for a win, which Truex did. Doesn't look like Moore will be full-time next year though, the 8 is rumored to be split w/ him, Truex, and Jr.
Posted on September 9, 2005 11:51 PM
Erin's qual run was done in when she got the left side on the apron causing the car to unload and snap around, pressures , as one of Ray's expressed hopes was for her to make the field on her own merit, by time, and not using owner points. In the race,( pitpass stuff) I was able to catch a couple lap times, that seemed to be pretty close to the front runners,( I didn't write any down and compare ) and she herself in comment post accident said she was able to keep in sight of Harvick, Martin , etc.
Posted on September 10, 2005 3:40 PM
Erin's biggest problem was Evernham throwing her in a Busch car...considering Erin has had very limited practice/race experience in any asphalt racing or a non-modified vehicle. It's going to take this chick a while to catch on.
Posted on September 10, 2005 11:45 PM
Thanks, all.
Talk about pressure. It's one thing to follow Shawna Robinson in the women-in-racin' department. It's something else entirely to have to follow Danica Patrick.
And Richmond's not exactly the easiest place in the world to race. You think Evernham would have picked, oh, I don't know, a Kansas or a Memphis, someplace where a jumpy race car isn't a threat to take out half the field.
Trial by fire, I guess.
Posted on September 12, 2005 12:39 AM
Everham did a pretty good job of defending his decision last night on Wind Tunnel. It seems she was having a great deal of problems on restarts and he pointed out that he has seen several drivers spin their tires at every race.
Posted on September 12, 2005 9:54 AM
Erin Crocker is the only short-term hope NASCAR has for a woman to be competitive. I check over at the NASCAR West site every now and then and Sarah Fischer has disappointed. I think she has the next to last amount of points of drivers that have competed in all of the races.
That is unless they figure out a way to put Danica in a stock car.
Posted on September 12, 2005 12:05 PM