This is the Statt Mann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

People already are trying to sell things with the images of Michael McDowell’s spectacular accident at Texas Motor Speedway.

For the misinformed, the hypnotic pictures will prove that people only pay attention to motor racing when the accidents happen, especially when the driver pops out of the debris, waves and walks away.

I’m shaking my head, though, at all the people within the sport who are suddenly praising the so-called Car of Tomorrow because of the safety built into the machine.

Those same people a few weeks ago complained that the car was ugly, produced boring racing and that big wing made it hard to see on the track.

Then came Friday’s crash and, suddenly, the car was magnificently designed and NASCAR should be congratulated for building such a safe machine.

The hypocrisy was flowing.

But what scares me about the McDowell crash is the drivers who saw Michael climb from the smoking debris, and came away thinking: “I can do anything with the car and not worry about being hurt.”

That means some stupid decisions are coming around the corner.  In another part of the paper it’s called “unintended consequences.” 

Let’s hope this new world of safety doesn’t wind up with unintended collateral damage.

Peace.