NASCAR Busts: Erin Crocker

while other female racers may get more attention with magazine covers and TV commercials Aaron Crocker has moved up the racing ladder the only way she knows how by working hard and winning often did a little bit more than that okay now that we got that low hanging joke out of the way let's get on to the video Aaron Crocker's career in NASCAR was pretty interesting to say the least on one hand you have this highly successful dirt track racer who couldn't make the transition over to asphalt then on the other hand you have all this stuff going on behind the scenes that would not only affect her personal life and her professional career but would also affect the career of another driver so let's get into it Crocker would begin her racing career at just the age of seven driving in quarter midgets she would race those for a few years until 1997 when she made the switch to mini sprint immediately her potential showed she would become the youngest driver and the first female to take the checkered flag at her local short track despite all this early success she would unfortunately face tragedy early on just as Aaron's racing career was about to take off her father William Crocker was diagnosed with cancer it wasn't long before her shining light and racing mentor passed away and left Aaron at a crossroads dad was a very driving force in the racing Aaron became her own driving force on her own and did a lot of things on her own I think that's what gave her a big advantage I'm sure she carries the his thoughts you know his his push to racing with her despite her loss she would continue racing and would eventually catch the eye of veteran dirt racer Mike would bring she would sign with would ring racing in 2002 she would also receive sponsorship from her prestigious engineering school Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in her first season she would win five feature races as well as 12 heat events she would also earn the national sprint car Hall of Fame outstanding newcomer award however what she was able to do the very next season would put the entire racing world on notice the biggest race for the world of outlaw series is held in Knoxville Iowa it's called the Knoxville Nationals a race which attracts the best sprint car drivers from around the world hundreds of the best racers gather an early August each year to decide the best of the best Mike's a wolf I was thinking about the other day like we need to get a 410 and go to the Knoxville Nationals open to that point I've been running 360 360 cubic inch motor switch obviously less power 200 less horsepower and running a 410 is like what the World of Outlaws race is it was a big step and I had been running really well in the sprint car at the time so it was really confident about spring car so like you know what let's just go do it it would be so much bigger if I could go out there and make an impression in the Knoxville Nationals and if I go to this silver crown race and maybe qualify for the race and our first attempt there Erin's second time ever in a 410 the bigger engine spring car she made the final field time I think it was 170 entries she made the final 24 that night then that kind of changed her world and then I remember going back to the hotel that night and I was like totally round up the crew guys then I I thought I was crazy I was jumping on the band like I qualified to beat me like a two-year-old but I just it was good thing the week sheet the week she qualified for the national national it was the big turning point was the week that we set up it said well you know this is something it's amazing the Knoxville Nationals is the Super Bowl of sprint car racing finishing 22nd was not when Aaron anticipated but just making the race is a major accomplishment however it is just one race critics wondered whether Aaron could stay competitive for a full season of big-league sprint car racing just making that race was a huge accomplishment on its own but in 2004 she would make history again she did do something big in 2004 Crocker became the first woman to win a race in the rough and tough world of outlaw series with the big wind came earned respect from fellow drivers and newfound confidence and she ran really good the first half that he ran really good she got after she hung right in there won and I was one right behind her trying to chase her and pass her myself and I've been dinner for quite some time and she did a great job this was a huge deal right after that win all the hype surrounding Aaron Crocker began amongst fans Ray Evernham took notice and would sign her to drive for his team in 2005 in her debut for Ray Evernham Motorsports in the ARCA Remax series she would score the pole at Nashville and would leave the first 28 laps while finishing 12 in six ARCA series starts that season her stats are this zero wins four top fives five top tens and an average finish of 5.2 with all of his success in height she would begin her Busch Series making a few starts forever ahem and she would also make a few starts for Bobby Hamilton racing well unfortunately those were a different story she was 31st quickest in practice [Music] [Applause] [Music] trouble for Aaron Crocker but she will race they she is in by virtue of the car owner points on that number 6 already happening still what happened to case it had nowhere to go no Kenny walls tried to squeeze through on the outside it couldn't quite make it in Crocker going by the car trying to go buddy 72 car [Music] look like the 44 got into the leopard [ __ ] a battle of Darren it looked as though she had a right front tire that was flying Russia's gonna go to the inside of the 13 of Chad Chapman and just lost the back end trying to get to the inside of Chad chef and she saw the leader right behind her she wanted to try to make something happen get by the 13 pillow a little insulation in between her and the leaders we see AJ Fike and 43 gifts in the side of the Erin Crocker in the sit car and Ratna Miller 61 comes off going really nowhere to go [Music] I think Aaron's gonna be okay until that so it was looking really awful from the very beginning because in for blows she restarts she would have three D&S and then to truck series starts she would only have one but there was still some optimism heading into the 2006 season it was announced the previous year that not only would she run some select Busch Series races but she was going to run full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2006 for Ray Abraham Motorsports I remember this season vividly as a kid and oh let me just tell you I've seen some dismal seasons from drivers and NASCAR before but this has to be the most dismal season I have seen from anyone right now she's close in on Kelly Sutton nice battle there these two have been trying to sort this deal out for about five or six laps I've been watch them as the leaders close in right beside Erin Crocker got her loose she makes her way to the infield and that brings out our fourth caution of the night she's already getting loose she's wiggling right there she stays off a jack sprague she gets you almost saves this thing watch her when she when he gets back straight she lets off the race little bit the momentum brings it on around so another caution coming out at Martinsville this is the seventh caution of the day coming out on lap 112 it's Erin Crocker getting spun around and for number two big wreck on the backstretch coming off a turn to multi-car accident on left 97 now what's going to be interesting about that couch and there you see Aaron Crocker the 98 car she was involved in that wreck turn 2 has been the hot spot over Aaron Crocker backs into the wall and they start stacking up behind her take a look this is a tail end of it but cancer got a piece of that with a 46 centric Chevrolet tough break for Aaron trying to gain experience is she was doing a good job here we see it miss Brennan on the inside looks like she just he did Brennan didn't quite drive down to the bottom of the racetrack and Aaron thought he was gonna take the normal groove down to the bottom they made a little contact enter in the corner again that's a very vulnerable spot right there you enter that corner so hard oh yeah Michael that's a great save buddy Wow you gotta admit that was added a little add the little break Aaron Crocker Road and she has had a pretty difficult day she said-she him right here with the right front very very hard but that's not the first time she hit with the right front today in fact Jason Keller actually warmed up that truck and and gave her a feel for it set up that truck a little bit earlier today but trouble for Aaron Crocker as she continues to adjust to these short tracks in that heavy race car let's watch Aaron Crocker see on the inside of the 21 Bobby she committed to the bottom of the racetrack Bobby came down Aaron did a good job staying off the curb but unfortunately spun that truck around I'm not sure she made the contact with the outside wall but Ted Musgrave gets a break by the fact that the cost she came out guys but the fact is he can't win this race so we're 2006 Truck Series Setzer this 0 wins 0 top fives 0 top tens and an average finish of 26.2 and had five DN EPS while finishing 25th in the standings this is the Truck Series she could not even managed to score a top 10 and Ray Evernham equipment after her dismal season in 2006 she would be demoted all the way back down to ARCA to make some select starts that season but later on that season it was revealed that her relationship with car owner Ray Evernham was a lot more serious than anyone thought I just signed a contract extension with Abraham Motorsports and at that time Ray had hired a developmental driver a female of developing her driver because it was part of the diversity program with NASCAR the whole team noticed that Ray was spending a lot of time with our developmental driver everybody knew that it was more than just a driver development program yeah I mean you might as well come clean here because he had a wife and kid oh you know and he's going to get back and nothing they try to get out of a that's not all happen immediately just get closer and closer and closer to figuring it out they were asking us about it not so I don't know you know I don't know I don't get the middle fried 2 months so I just said I don't have time tonight next morning I get up and it's on the front pages of Chicago paper this may feels that has to act says he is Abraham stache the t'car owner and I knew right then I'd be the last time I ever sent the 19 car I could just play the game now look my guess is this is my fault Jeremy Mayfield pretty much spilled the beans about Aaron Crocker and Ray Abraham and as a result he was let go from his ride he asserted that the 19 teams lack of on track success was due in large part to every man's attention being focused on his personal relationship with Aaron Crocker I mean the proof is in the pudding he was coming off of to chase appearances and by the time he was fired that team was 34th in the standings once this became common knowledge Aaron Crocker's career was basically over she would make two more truck series starts in 2008 and she hasn't raced in NASCAR since as of today her and Ray Evernham are happily married and they have a daughter together and despite not racing anymore she is a host on Mr ends waned nation this is by far the craziest bus series video I have ever done just the fact that she didn't perform well is a video on its own but then throwing the fact that her in the car owner were sleeping with each other while she was driving for him it's insane all signs indicated early on that she perhaps might be the greatest female driver to ever run in the NASCAR Cup Series but instead she is known as a NASCAR bust and once again that'll do it for another video thank you guys so much for watching this is black flags matter catch you next time

Channel: Black Flags Matter

Views: 245,981

Rating: 4.8099828 out of 5

Keywords: nascar, erin crocker, erin crocker evernham, racing, motorsports, sports, sport, nascar busts, motor racing, ray evernham, evernham motorsports, erin crocker world of outlaws, black flags matter, black flags matter nascar busts, auto racing, nascar busts erin crocker, nascar history, nascar youtube, busts, sports busts

Id: G73MXf0dgDU

Length: 13min 42sec (822 seconds)

Published: Fri Nov 02 2018