Coleman wasn't planning on being a spectator

Commentary by Paul Jensen Brad Coleman will not be racing this weekend. That was not part of the plan when Brad made out his 2008 schedule. The fact that this weekend will again find Coleman an observer demonstrates the uncertainty of life in NASCAR's top level. Coleman is a talented young driver from Texas whose positive attitude and personality is infectious. He left the highly successful Joe Gibbs organization after last year to come to Nashville and hook up with the new Baker Curb organization. Why would anybody do that? The reason is simple. Brad thought it highly important that he actually be racing every weekend. He wasn't getting that opportunity at Gibbs. He was only a part-time driver in the Nationwide series, and Coleman figured his best chance at getting into Sprint Cup was to race as much as he could in the Nationwide Series. But Joey Logano was clearly the priority at Gibbs. So Coleman voluntarily packed his bags and headed to Music City. I may never understand why Cup teams allow weekends to go by without their developmental drivers racing somewhere. I don't care how good an 18 or 19-year-old driver may be or how much practice time they may get in a Cup car. The one thing they need more than anything is seat time in a race. I think Coleman was right in going to Baker Curb. I understand that sometimes lack of sponsorship or some other business reason may preclude a developmental driver from running in the Nationwide Series in a particular weekend. I say get them in a race somewhere. I don't care if it's a Late Model at Highland Rim Speedway, just get them in a race. Trust me, sometimes there can be no better learning experience than when some hotshot kid comes into a local track somewhere to take on the veterans of that facility. Maybe if some of today's young Cup drivers had spent more time doing that, there would be less crying and whining every time there is a bumper tap in Cup races. So Coleman gets an apartment in Nashville and sets out to race for Baker Curb. He also signs a developmental deal with Hall of Fame Racing to test Cup cars for them and eventually drive in some Cup races. The fact Hall of Fame is a Toyota team and Baker Curb is a Ford team seems to go unnoticed at the time. Baker works his way through the 2008 season. Things aren't going as well as he'd hoped, but Baker Curb was in their first year, they had a solid sponsor for Coleman's car, and his team was the main focal point of the organization. Then out of the blue, Hall of Fame fires J.J. Yeley, and all hell breaks loose for Coleman. At first it looks like Coleman will finish the season in the #96 Cup car for Hall of Fame. Indeed, he runs the car in the Cup race at Michigan earlier this month. Then the first problem popped up. The fact that he was driving a Toyota in the Cup Series and a Ford in the Nationwide Series was a problem. Also, since a Cup ride had been the focus of Coleman's goals ever since he could remember, he's thinking that maybe he needs to part ways with Baker Curb and give this Cup deal his full and undivided attention. Again, Coleman's logic appears correct. The problem is, he hasn't driven in a race since, and no one appears to know exactly when he'll race again. When the Sprint Cup boys pulled into Bristol last weekend, veteran Kenny Schrader was available and Hall of Fame put him in the #96 car. Schrader will again pilot that car this weekend in California. In fact, Hall of Fame announced their driver schedule yesterday for the next 10 weeks and Coleman isn't on it. Not only will Schrader be driving the #96 car, but Joey Logano will drive the Hall of Fame car several times. Why? So he can get race experience at the Sprint Cup level before he takes over the high-profile #20 ride next season. Which leaves Brad Coleman a spectator. And Baker Curb looking for a driver. They have been using Cup driver David Gilliland and journeyman Burney Lamer to fill Coleman's old seat in the #27 Nationwide car. This is not where Brad Coleman or Baker Curb expected to be at this point of the season. (8/28/2008) Posted by . at 5:08 AM Labels: Brad Coleman, Commentary

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