Townley apparently injured, Bowyer to substiute

[Stetara]

Townley fired, Bowyer to drive #21 car

According to Mike Dillon, John Wes Townley is apparently unwell (Probably physically) after he wrecked big-time in Nationwide practice today. Clint Bowyer will return to Buschwhacking, qualifying and racing the #21 car for him.

I'm going to hope that this is just a temporary change, but Childress has been really bad about driver development the past five years, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him just give up on Townley and make his Nationwide team a Buschwhacker-Special again. Which is a shame, considering that Townley has actually shown some flashes of talent the past few weeks (I, for one, was really impressed with him finishing 18th or so in a damaged car back at Nashville.).

More information as it comes in

 

[johnsonfan96]

is there any videos? i seen a pic and it looks pretty bad.

 

[Stetara]

None that I could find as of yet (Although practice did air on SPEED), but yeah, his car was absolutely destroyed.

I wonder if Townley's having a Somatoformic episode. From what I read, he was apparently fine in his interview. That, or he might just be guilty as hell about it and is willingly giving up his seat.

 

[johnsonfan96]

i found a vid of it.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbrmE0HQrWE]YouTube - 2010-nationwide-phoenix-practice-john-wes-townley-crash.avi[/ame]

 

[pennst24]

he gave an interview and was fine.

 

[Stetara]

According to Jamie Little, RCR fired Townley.

I'll say it once and I'll say it again - RCR is incapable of running a development program unless it's for one of the Dillon brothers. Quite frankly, it's most definitely in the Townley family's best judgement to pull their sponsorship and take it to another team (Perhaps back to ARCA with Venturini?). That'll show 'em.

Oh, and Clint Bowyer is a tool. Just throwing that out there.

 

[moppenheimer]

Townley sucks anyway...he had little to no future with rcr....

 

[Stetara]

Townley sucks anyway...he had little to no future with rcr....

Nobody does. Look at every development driver they've had since Bowyer made it to Cup:

- They were apparently going to have David Gilliland run the #2 for the Busch Series championship in 2007, but they lost out on him to Yates back when Gilliland was a hot commodity
- Timothy Peters was hired and fired after 3 races or something.
- Tim McCreadie got completely hosed out of a ride.
- Stephen Leicht got gradually hosed, going from having a 23 race schedule to a 13 race schedule, before it eventually became 9, and then getting the boot altogether when Holiday Inn left the team.

Townley is just a victim of a huge self-fulfilling prophecy based on his reputation (They probably went into it thinking ''This kid is going to crash a lot and we're only hiring him because he's got money.''. In fact, I think there was even a clause in his contract that said he would have to pay extra if he wrecked a car.). It sucks, but you can't win when the team you drive for is expecting you to get the same results as Buschwhackers (A mentality I just don't understand).

 

[Enter Sandman]

If you're going to contend in Cup, you're going to have to be able to run with those same Cup guys in Nationwide. That's why Keselowski got a Cup ride, and that's why Allgaier will be ready for Cup soon.

 

[Stetara]

If you're going to contend in Cup, you're going to have to be able to run with those same Cup guys in Nationwide.

That have the A-equipment and can supply superior feedback and are using their Cup pitcrews, so they'll always beat your ass no matter what, if they haven't taken your ride?

Yeah, that really allows a young driver to show what they can do.

That aside, I would actually love to see RCR hire Casey Mears back to drive their Nationwide car. Now that there's an opening, and Mears has Cup experience, it makes perfect sense - Which is why it'll never happen.

 

[Shift]

Can't say I'm surprised he got fired...how many races did he last?

 

[Stetara]

Five.

I thought Childress was above being so unprofessional, but Nationwide drivers just can't win in instances where they're expected to perform right away and Cup drivers are chomping at the bit to take their rides. I bet David Ragan's been talking to Roush plenty about ''Hey, if that Stenhouse kid flops...''

 

[Shift]

That have the A-equipment and can supply superior feedback and are using their Cup pitcrews, so they'll always beat your ass no matter what, if they haven't taken your ride?

Yeah, that really allows a young driver to show what they can do.

Which is the problem...nowadays you have to come out of the gates running in the Nationwide Series as a Rookie/Development Driver...otherwise you'll be on the sidelines as a cup guy takes your ride.

 

[Enter Sandman]

But considering that Townley was in an RCR car that meant that RCR expected him to be quicker and not wrecking. Look at Allgaier in Penske equipment. He was able to contend as soon as he got into Nationwide. As soon as Keselowski got into a decent Nationwide ride he was able to contend. Edwards was an immediate contender in Nationwide. That's what every owner is looking for.

If you're not an immediate contender when you get a quality ride, you're gone. In the real world at work if you don't learn your job fairly quickly after you're trained you get fired as well.

 

[Stetara]

Which is the problem...nowadays you have to come out of the gates running in the Nationwide Series as a Rookie/Development Driver...otherwise you'll be on the sidelines as a cup guy takes your ride.

Not to mention that the young drivers aren't the top priority anymore. I'm more than willing to bet that Braun and Stenhouse are just getting Edwards' and Menard's leftovers. (B-teams, anyone?)

 

[Stetara]

But considering that Townley was in an RCR car that meant that RCR expected him to be quicker and not wrecking. Look at Allgaier in Penske equipment. He was able to contend as soon as he got into Nationwide. As soon as Keselowski got into a decent Nationwide ride he was able to contend. Edwards was an immediate contender in Nationwide. That's what every owner is looking for.

If you're not an immediate contender when you get a quality ride, you're gone. In the real world at work if you don't learn your job fairly quickly after you're trained you get fired as well.

Isn't the whole point of Driver Development to foster drivers? You can build a driver like you can build anything else.

Brian Vickers didn't exactly light the world on fire the second Hendrick hired him, but he didn't get fired after two races, did he now? In order for drivers to grow, they're going to have to destroy cars along the line. That's just the way things work.

 

[DBReaver35]

Nobody does. Look at every development driver they've had since Bowyer made it to Cup:

- They were apparently going to have David Gilliland run the #2 for the Busch Series championship in 2007, but they lost out on him to Yates back when Gilliland was a hot commodity
- Timothy Peters was hired and fired after 3 races or something.
- Tim McCreadie got completely hosed out of a ride.
- Stephen Leicht got gradually hosed, going from having a 23 race schedule to a 13 race schedule, before it eventually became 9, and then getting the boot altogether when Holiday Inn left the team.

Townley is just a victim of a huge self-fulfilling prophecy based on his reputation (They probably went into it thinking ''This kid is going to crash a lot and we're only hiring him because he's got money.''. In fact, I think there was even a clause in his contract that said he would have to pay extra if he wrecked a car.). It sucks, but you can't win when the team you drive for is expecting you to get the same results as Buschwhackers (A mentality I just don't understand).

Sponsership is what kept several of these guys from rides and its not Childress fault that the economy is low that noone want to invest in race teams unless you have a driver that can contend. Childress does have drivers and can build winning cars Townley maybe a decent driver some day hell JJ when he was in Nationwide/busch wasnt very impressive but damn look at him cup. But look at Townley's nascar career not that great and now the team he was with last year is out preforming him this year has weight I am sure on the choice to let him go. Oh and JWT isn't consider on of Childress Development drivers.

Austin Dillon, NNS, Camping World Truck Series
Ty Dillon, Dirt Modifieds
Tim George Jr., ARCA
Ryan Gifford, Late Model Series
Blake Koch, K&N Pro Series
Sean Caisse, K&N Pro Series

But anyways I am sure there is more to this story then has been reported yet.

 

[DBReaver35]

The lastest update say Childress has deny firing Townley so this weekend could just be getting someone else feel in the car much like when Skinner was in the red bull cars

 

[Fisha695]

Isn't the whole point of Driver Development to foster drivers? You can build a driver like you can build anything else.

Kid the Nationwide series isn't Driver Development.

Driver Development is everything from your local track up through the K&N/Canadian Tire/Mexican Corona series. Truck, NNS, & Cup ARE NOT driver development series.

 

[Stetara]

Kid the Nationwide series isn't Driver Development.

You're right. It's the stepping stone to Cup, but somehow, these developmental programs are doing more harm than good to this series, it seems.

Regardless, Bowyer didn't look all that hot tonight either, even though he finished 11th. Whether that's just because he was thrown in at the 11th hour, or RCR's Nationwide program has just fallen off, I think they need to get things straightened out.

It's not like Townley hasn't been fast this year. It's just that he doesn't have good car control. Regardless, he steadily improved last year after Kvapil got in his car at Richmond, so it should be interesting to see, provided what RCR is saying is true and Townley didn't get fired.