Not ALL Mikey's Fault

For 5 weeks Mikey has failed to make the cut. I am beginning to feel sorry for him but at the same time it's become "same ole, same ole" and would be a bigger story if he were to actually qualify. We hear things like "he deserves it"... "bad Karma"... "he's bitten off more than he can chew"... I feel there is some truth to all of it, yet let's not forget the technical side of things with the Toyo debut and the first year of MRW as it is now...these things play a huge role. New teams... new crew chiefs... new crew members... new car, and the list goes on. Mikey may have mixed himself up a recipe for disaster, but the ingredients are not all his choice.

I missed qualifying on the tele and I meant to DVR it but duty called and I was off to the races all day, just not the ones I'd prefer. Happy to see Denny on the pole and the rest of the Gibbs guys in the top ten as well as Happy and Jr. and what a surprise to see Kenny S. up there!!

Back at the Cottage... Tulips are poppin up!!!

Miracles do Happen

I have to thank one of our fellow Blogater's, Mike at Trouble In Turn 2 for lifting my all assuming ignorance. It's a miracle!! This because I would have been sitting in front of the tele tuned in to The Speed Channel cursing because the Truck Race was replaced by the American Le Mans Series. For the first time ever Fox will air the NCTS. This will include coverage from The Hollywood Hotel with Chris Myers and Jeff Hammond. The race will be covered by the usual Speed guys, Rick Allen and analyst Phil Parsons and of course D.W. will be on hand for his antics. The Trucks deserve this coverage and it gives those who cannot receive the Speed Channel an opportunity to see some awesome racing!

Back at the Cottage...I had previously written about our new pup, Coco, having had a shoulder injury and we could have returned him but we did not and instead got a female, Pebbles, from the place. They were good about it. We brought Pebbles home last night so now we have two Minature Pinschers. I am a glutton for punishment as Coco insists on sitting on my lap while I try to type this. They require lots of attention!!

Truck Stuff

I'm happy to know that the #18 Fastenal Dodge Truck has another driver. Joe Ruttman has been handed the wheel. Him along with Ken Schrader will put the truck previously owned and driven by the late Bobby Hamilton on the track for most races. According to NASCAR, "Ruttman, who is tied for seventh on the all-time NCTS race winners list, is no stranger to BHR. Ruttman piloted the No. 18 Dodge for Hamilton's organization in 2000 and 2001. Coincidentally, he gave the company its first victory, at Phoenix International Raceway in 2000, the same venue Hamilton won his first Cup win in 1996.
Ruttman has a total of 13 NCTS victories, 17 poles, 68 top-five and 111 top-10 finishes in 168 starts." Impressive!! It's good to see Bobby's legacy alive.

More Truck stuff...If you click Jack Sprague it'll take you to Fox NASCAR and there you'll see that Jack's hometown is listed as Spring Lake, Mi......WAIT A MINUTE!!! That's my hometown!! It's nothing but a tiny village with a tiny lake that feeds into Lake Michigan. That is where I was born and raised and my family all live there or near by. I just discovered this recently, by accident, and was a bit stunned because I figured if a driver lived in MY town I should know about it. So I "Wikipediaed" him and found that he is a Spring Lake native and the exact same age as my younger brother, which of course means they grew up together in a school with classrooms no bigger than 25 kids. So my next course of action is to call my brother this weekend and find out what I can about Jack's childhood and what relationship he and my little bro had. Spring Lake...a typical small town!!

Photo Credit: Photobucket.com

Ranting!!!

Anyone but a Hendrick team!! The fact is they are the favorites at Martinsville with Ironboy having 6 wins, J.J. has 1 and Busch Baby...well he's becoming a threat. 3 of the 4 drivers are in the top ten...blah..blah..blah!!! I am really hoping for a Gibbs, RCR, DEI or Rosox victory, anyone but a Hendrick, and see some shuffle in the points standings. The limelight is very dim in my eyes and the continued presence of Gordon, Johnson and K. Busch on the front page is getting very old fast so early in the season.

Cool sign right? I found it on Photobucket.com

BSOT Challenge

I'm happy to hear that Geoff Bodine has decided to expand the Bobsled Challenge. There will now be two...the original at our very own Lake Placid, which is a place I have spent a lot of time at for skiing and trout fishing. It's a short drive north for me. The second one will be in Park City Utah, Olympic Park...I won't be making that event!! It's an awesome and thrilling thing for drivers to participate in...it's both fun and a charity event. Boris Said is a regular and Bodine has hopes of drawing some bigger name drivers in...I suggest he build a BSOT!!! I can't imagine what little Lake Placid would be like if Smoke or Jr. were to be there...a repeat of the 1980 Olympics!!!

Looking forward to the NCTS at Martinsville Speedway and it may be a caution fest at Sunday's Cup race. It'll be interesting to see how the CORN holds the pavement there...hold on tight fellas!!!!

Back at the Cottage...The current project I'm working on is coming along nicely. Today I am laying tile on a hearth I built for a woodstove...my aching back will be screaming at me tonight!! The room is a "Great Room" of sorts, only it's on the lower level...which was a walkout basement but it cannot be called a basement anymore with a wet bar that has a pine slab for a top and a built in home theater system. The room measures 28' x 18'. My customers chose a nice laminate type hardwood floor which will nicely accent the 10,000 plus lineal feet of knotty pine I've installed. A true Adirondack Great Room!!

Waging Battle

Jeff Burton's car may be in for that change sooner than later as AT&T filed a motion in an Atlanta U.S. District Court. No court date has been scheduled yet but AT&T is not being patient and I can't say as I blame them. I see both sides of the coin, yet Nextel will not lose a thing over this change especially with their own change on the horizon to "Sprint". AT&T, I feel, will be a good friend to NASCAR over the long run. They have the ability and resources to be very generous and with the amount of money needed for this sport, that we all love so much, Nextel should welcome them with open arms.

Mark Martin... I have nothing but respect for him. I'm happy to hear he had an awesome relaxing weekend. His protege Regan Smith could use some mentoring and guidance. His rookie luck is not doing so hot!!

Back at the cottage...We purchased a Minature Pinscher a week ago, a dog breed that Pattyjo has always wanted. At 11 weeks old, I am very impressed with this little guy. He's no fool!! Sadly he has a serious problem with his right shoulder. After we got him home we noticed him favoring his right leg. Our Vet took x-rays and the poor little guy had a fracture from several weeks ago or longer in the humerus that is now untreatable. It will effect him for the rest of his dog days and will most likely end with an amputation. New York state has a puppy lemon law and we paid well over a $1,000.00 for him. We could return him, but we have decided to keep him. The sellers have agreed to refund the money or we can take another pup, either way we are keeping the little guy. The decision of "money back" or "another pup" is still up for discussion.

Flyin Brick

Tony Stewart says it's "The Flyin Brick"...but it flew for him, that is until he found himself on pit road with the hood up. He had the race hands down and following him was teammate Denny Hamlin who dominated until his "Brick" crumbled. Kyle Busch Baby winning... he deserved a win but later complained about the new car. Jeff Burton could have easily won had he not been so scholarly. I thought for a minute that "Happy" Kevin Harvick would take the checker but a late caution changed that. Dale Earnhardt Jr. had a decent day for a change with a 7th place finish and Greg Biffle finished 5th but had a post race inspection problem and is now facing penalties. The Evernham guys started out well but faltered and Kasey Kahne found himself behind the wall again!! A good race but about as predictable as the weather is here in upstate NY.

Dale Jarrett got bumped by Matt Kenseth which has put MWR in a worse spot than before...if that's possible!! Next week NASCAR begins guaranteeing a spot in the field to the top 35 current drivers and none of the Toyo teams are in the top 35.

Dave Dispain should consider changing the time for airing "Wind Tunnel" He gets all the post race whiners and half of the call-in's would blow a .15% BAC!!

Back at the Cottage...Pattyjo has a soft spot for Reed Sorenson who seems to get DNF's on the regular. When the Green flew yesterday she looked at me and said "watch Michael...Reed will get taken out in the first 20 laps"...by "George" if she didn't nail that...well close enough. She wants me to "Ask D.W." who has the record for the most DNF's...so please!!! I ask my readers to help me out of this one...if anyone has a clue to this answer I'll pay you for it!! Anything but "Ask D.W."!!!

No Flippin Way!!!!

The Busch Series caution fest at Bristol ended with Carl Edwards going to victory lane, but our local ABC network robbed us...or for all I know it was done nationally. In short...Cousin Carl announced over his in car radio that he was doing his traditional backflip and at that very moment I found myself watching the news. It was 6:02, so the greedy s.o.b.'s "flipped" a switch and abracadabra!! No backflip, no burnout, no victory lane!! It yoked me up abit but I didn't lose any sleep over it. Someone needs to teach ABC the abc's of NASCAR!!

The mix up...that was just too funny!! And then to see Mike Helton come on and explain it...that was even funnier!!! I guess they made the right call, but no matter what, someone got robbed. I'm sure this will get some media attention!!

Smoke's car is looking real good for today and pole sitter, Ironboy, will be tough to beat. Can't help but wonder how the new splitters will hold up with all the bumping that will happen.

Dan Wheldon won the "07" opening race for the Indyseries. He has broken a record by winning at Homestead-Miami Speedway 3 times in a row. I missed most of it because it was late, a rain delay, and although I have an awesome 27" LCDHD in the bedroom, my eyes won the war!! I woke up to basketball highlights.

Back at the Cottage...a mostly sunny day with temp's in the 50's...to some of you that is cold, but for us it is a frikkin heat wave!!!

Photo Credit: Speedtv.com archives

And On And On And On............

MIKEY!!! Once again has failed to make the cut, this along with David Reutimann's "00" but it was good to see Dale Jarrett get in on "time"...just in time!!! Using up another provisional for him would not be good. Not surprising to see "Ironboy" on the pole and my guess of a Rosox car up front was on, but I did not expect it to be Jamie McMurray. Good for him!! Joe Nemechek missed the cut after...I forgot the number... but that was a surprise. At any rate, the field is set for the CoT and I'm liking the new cars!!

So, will Corporate Partnership's become a NASCAR trend? Jack did it and now Evernham is considering it with "George Gillett Jr., the owner of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League and co-owner of the Liverpool soccer team in England" Ray said it's not about the money??? He wants a championship and feels his teams could benefit by him becoming more involved in the garage areas and in the pit boxes and have a partner to run the business side of things. I like Ray and I think he is more of a hands on type and he just might be on to something.

Back at the Cottage...It's glorious to see the snow melting!!! It's so warm now that the snow is melting right before our eyes...I actually have patches of lawn showing. My Cabin Fever is subsiding!!

Faqs credit for George Gillett: By David Newton ESPN.com

Renovation

Carpenter, Remodeler, Builder, Home Wrecker...not that kind!! I decided to give my site a facelift... I think it looks better and more user friendly but please throw feedback at me.

We recieved our 2007 NASCAR DAY pins today...it's one small way to help support The NASCAR Foundation.

Qualifying should be very interesting tonight!! No crystal ball here but my gut tells me that a Rosox car is up or very near the front...they have had a lot of time with the CoT...

Earnhardt Negotiations on Hold

If you caught ESPN's NASCAR Now on the tele last night you would've seen the interview with Tyler Walker. Nice kid, but all I could think about was Eddie Munster on steroids. He was not wearing a cap and he, or some makeup artist's rendition, had his hair slicked, maybe with axle grease, and it came to a point on top. Definitely not a pretty picture!!

On the same program at the end David Newton came on with breaking news that Earnhardt's sister hospitalized; talks on hold... lets all wish her a speedy recovery for her sake and for the sake of Jr.'s sanity.

Take a tour of Willard's Garage. Dixie is an absolute blast!!!

Back at the Cottage...Pattyjo has long been a paramedic but after 10 years of it the poor thing couldn't handle all the trauma, especially associated with children. She left that profession and for the past few years has been doing in home nursing care, but that too was hard because she is such a sweetheart and absolutely loves her clients then only to have to watch them pass. She applied for a job at our local county lock-up... lo and behold my wife is going to be a C.O.!!! She'll probably let the inmates go out to get fast food, smuggle in cell phones, cigarettes and girly mags and make sure they all have clean linens, plenty of blankets and fluff their pillows. I can't wait to see her in uniform...and they issue her handcuffs??? I really need to be on my best behaviour...or maybe not!!!

Tyler Walker Photo Credit, found at Bill Davis Racing.com

Eddie Munster's came from Google Images

Puppy Love

Many drivers probably wish this could happen. Reading through ESPN.com's article by David Newton and SceneDaily Dish news, drivers are still complaining about the COT, but that is to be expected. The anxiety level is already high and adding this equation to the mix doesn't ease the pain. Smoke made an interesting point... "It's hard enough just to run one type of car, and it's going to be extremely hard to have to shift your focus between two different brands of cars this year just trying to figure out the new car"... Big question looming.... Will the COT level the playing field?

Back at the Cottage... I sent my mom and dad a link to this blog yesterday. Since I'm still a rookie "blogater", as Vroom puts it so well, I had not shared this with them until yesterday. Later I get an email from mom telling me... "Dad and I just looked at your web site, it's neat, however you do know that I am not a sports fan of any sport LOL"... and then a later email said... "Does Johnny Benson JR drive for NASCAR? I went to grade/high school with his Dad, they lived by us, He had such a crush on me followed me around like a puppy dog"... So right away I'm thinking I could've been a NASCAR driver if my mom only succumbed to Johnny Benson Sr.'s advances... then yet another later email says... "If you should ever meet JB jr tell him your mom went to Beckwith gradeschool and Creston High school in G.R. with his dad......I hope to see JR when they are here this summer at the American Legion, and I can tell him myself, maybe his dad will be with him, that would be a HOOT!!!"... Well mom, if you're reading this, as I'm sure you are, and forgive me for sharing this publicly, but it is just way too cute not to. Your chances of meeting either of the Benson's are far better than mine, so please if you do, get Jr's autograph for me and give the old man a hug...he may still have that puppy love.

Evasive Championship

Roger Penske... a name synonymous with racing.
American Le Mans
Busch Series
IndyCar Series
IROC
Nextel Cup Series
ARCA ReMax Series
His diversity is nothing but amazing, yet his Cup teams have yet to win a Championship, although he has won the Indianapolis 500 14 times, and he has won 18 national championships, including nine in Champ Car, two in IndyCar and three in Trans-Am. Impressive!!! All of his teams are under one roof in a 425,000 sq. ft. facility and he plans on building his own 3/4 miler on the property for testing purposes. Two time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves has a future interest in running in the Busch series... after seeing what Monty is doing maybe this Penske open-wheeler can bring the organization a title in NASCAR... but I never give up on Flyin Ryan!!!

Back at the Cottage...As anyone knows that has raised a pup it's much like having a newborn. Two nights and he has me up at 3:30. The good thing...he is not peeing in his crate, instead he whines to get out... Good Boy!!! But a wee bit early!!

Cottage Pets

Out kitty Milo loves Tony!! He is just 4 months old and already a NASCAR nut!

The pup is a brand new addition to the family. We just got him yesterday and that is his first foto. He is a 10 week old Minature Pinscher and because he is a Chocolate...not to be confused with the Red Dobie's...we named him Coco Bean. He does not like the cold, so I'm thinking of having a custom NASCAR jacket made for him. AT this time he weighs a mere 4 lbs.!!!

Humbling

Michael Waltrip... his name is becoming more recognised every day as "The man without a Plan". He has bitten off more than he can chew with his big dreams and aspirations of becoming one of NASCAR's premier Team{s} owners. Untold millions have been spent on MWR development with the new Waltrip Raceworld. This is the center of Michael Waltrip Racing operations . It is a massive 142,000 sq. ft. state of the art facility. The main shop facility consists of 107,000 square feet while the fabrication shop consists of the remaining 35,000 square feet.
One of the goals of Waltrip Raceworld will be to create a interactive mini-amusement park. The facility will feature an elevated walkway, providing fans with a inside look on how a race team functions. The facility will also be equipped with flat screen televisions, providing fans with an interactive experience. On his website you can become an official "Mikey Member" for a mere $24.99 which will give you birthday cards from him...just what I always wanted...and Buffy's recipe's...and that would explain his wide berth!! With trying to maintain 3 Cup cars that are not doing a damn thing and the other extravagances and poor choices, he has humbled himself and asked for help from TRD and NASCAR. It's no secret that NAPA is not happy and if they step out...well, need I say more? He may have to turn to Klaussner Furniture Industries who recently upped its Waltrip sponsorship from a smaller window placement to the rear deck lid on Waltrip's No. 55 Toyota. We may see Mikey toting a Rocking Chair on the hood of the 55 with Sammy Hagar riding shotgun.

Back at the Cottage...You know I must be bored when I find interest in someone elses woes... that's what an extended winter will do to ya!! Misery loves company!!

Columbian Gold

Juan Pablo Montoya, or Monty, as I refer to him, has surprised I think everyone with his top 5 finish on an "Oval" track. He has adapted very fast. The Cup cars are big lunkers compared to a F-1 car, but Monty's presence on the wheel is impressive. A bio I found on Ask Men.com... "Juan Pablo Montoya has had a long and storied history behind the wheel. A hard-nosed racer from the age of 6, the Bogota native sped his way to several Junior Karting championships before dominating the competition in CART. In fact, Montoya was so impressive in 1999 that he managed to capture the CART championship during his rookie campaign, a feat previously accomplished by former F1 champ Nigel Mansell. After a stunning victory at the Indianapolis 500 the following year, Montoya signed a two-year deal with Williams BMW, and was partnered with fellow young stud Ralf Schumacher for the 2001 season." So who's next...will NASCAR owners look to Open Wheel for talent??

Another classic finish to another Atlanta race. I really thought Tony had that one. The finish made the whole race... it was otherwise uneventful other than The Biff taking out MWR's "00" Toyo. I'm looking forward to short track racing at Bristol with the debut of the CoT.

Back at the Cottage... I'm thinking of playing hookie today...a perk of self employment...wifey Pattyjo needs coddling after Johnson's slamming of the door in Stewart's face!!! But really I just feel lazy!!

Newman has good "Tude"

Jeff Burton "Whacked" his way to another win... nice job!! Busch Baby had the car to beat, but he came up a nut short!! "All in all, it's just a frustrating, disappointing day," the 21-year-old racer said. "It's so hard to win one of these things and, when you have a car that's so good and you can't capitalize, you're ready to go home and just cry." "Happy"Harvick didn't need to shed any tears with a solid race and a 2nd place finish.

Yesterday I posted "Rocketman is back"...how ironic!! Maybe I jinxed him!! He has to start at the "back"of the pack in todays Cup race due to engine failure. He has a great attitude about it and with the new engine he felt confident after running against Kasey Kahne during Happy Hour.

My Saturday {yesterday} was awesome... wifey, Pattyjo and her friend Karen went to our local NASCAR store, Victory Lane, and came home bearing gifts. I now have the Greg Biffle #16 Ameriquest diecast to add to my collection and to top it off they got me his Ameriquest drivers jacket. That jacket is awesome!!!

Back at the Cottage... Our 16 year old son, Adam, is a paintballer. He's been at at for several years now and this year has been invited to join a team. This could open a door to a pro opportunity. There is a nice local field here that opens for the "07" season soon, but for the winter months they go to a place in Albany, NY {about an hour south} that is an old warehouse set up as a paintball field. He is a pain in our asses about all this and especially our budget, but he has done very well with it and has stopped using the side of the house or my windshield for target practice.

Rocketman is back!!

Rocketman Ryan Newman gets the pole!! I am a closet fan of Ryan's. I come out once in awhile, but I'm not one to boast about my favorite drivers, and although I have more than one, Ryan is at the top of my list. This pole win comes after a rather disgusting "06" season, with me having high hopes for the Young Gun for "07". The fast lap, besides earning Newman his 38th career pole, gave him his seventh Atlanta pole. Will he see Victory Lane?... I doubt it, but I see a top 10 finish if he stays clean and I expect to see him in The Chase.

Mike Skinner took his second consecutive truck race. I had hopes for Jack Sprague but he had transmission problems. I dig the trucks!! They are a blast to watch.

The go home list includes:

Ward Burton, Kevin Lepage, Jeremy Mayfield, Scott Wimmer, John Andretti, Michael Waltrip, Kenny Wallace and A.J. Allmendinger. Not many surprises here... but I feel bad for Burton. Keep trying Ward!! So sad for Mikey...Again!!! And the Toyo's are still lagging.

Back at the Cottage... Gratefully we only received about half of the snow accumulation expected... that made my day!! Especially because I have to go out in it shortly because my high mileage work van needs brakes on all four and a Saturday morning appt. gets me back in time for the Busch race!!!

Clearing Skies

Atlanta, Ga. Friday, March 16, 2007
High: 60 °F RealFeel®: 56 °F
A shower this morning; otherwise, mostly cloudy, breezy and cooler. This report came from AccuWeather.com , so things are looking okay for drivers that must qualify and the forecast for race day is mostly sunny but cool with a high of 62. Should make for some awesome racing!!

I try to watch ESPN2's NASCAR Now at 6:30 p.m. e.s.t. It's a decent program with a commentary by Marty Smith and there is a nightly guest with anyone from drivers to crew members. It's broadcasted in HD which makes it cool to watch. And last night I heard that Bill France Jr. has a virus and nothing serious.

So it's possible that with the CoT not being part of the Busch Series, at least for the near future, we will see a lot less Buschwackers. I have mixed feelings about Cup drivers running Busch races. It gives the cup drivers who run in a Busch race when the Cup race is held at the same track extra practice... because I think they are just out there for the fun of it... which is all good. On the other hand, I'd like to see a starting field of just Busch drivers for once, but that's only because I like to pay attention to young talent. I expect the Cot will be integrated into Busch racing eventually.

Back at the Cottage... GET OUT THE SNOW SHOVELS!!!!

Give it Up

Terri Parsons, widow of the late Great Benny Parsons, is in search of any articles that belonged to Benny, or otherwise, in relation to NASCAR. Reports say she wants racing uniforms, hats, etc., but I did not hear why. Perhaps for display reasons... so if you have anything... HAND IT OVER!!!

"Sprint Cup"... the possible new name replacing Nextel for the "08" season. Kinda catchy, but it makes me think of Sprint Racing cars... I still think of it as The Winston Cup. So what will the Busch Series be?

Bill France Jr. hospitalized...cause unknown?? Why tell us then!! He looked sickly the last time I saw him on the tele... cancer return? My thoughts and prayers go out to the France family.

Back at the Cottage... Yeah I know... the weather. Well I can't help but bitch about it... we had 3 awesome days but now we are in for a Nor'easter that could dump up to a foot of the crap on us Friday. The good news... it'll melt with temps rising again next week.

Peaches and Cream

Atlanta has always been one of my favorite cities. I remember the days when we would travel in the family station wagon {snowbirds} from my Mich. hometown to southwestern Fla. I-75 is a direct route from Mich. to Tampa and runs through Atlanta. We always stayed over there. It is such a clean city...a far cry from the mid-western cities like Detroit, Chicago or Cleveland with their automotive and steel industries. We used to go to the city below the city... Atlanta's famous underground. A complete underground town filled with shops, restaurants and nightclubs. I used to ask my dad if that was the true "Atlantis" without water. The pics are what are to be believed the beginning of Atlanta...Fort Peachtree. It is a very busy city, but this week will be unusually busy with all 3 NASCAR events being held there.

Back at the Cottage... It's been a harsh late winter and our utility bill proves it!! They are a greedy bunch of S.O.B's...maybe it's time to consider coal... or we could pitch tents at Fort Peachtree...

Bill Elliott Was "Awesome" at Atlanta in 1985

It is anybody's guess which of the 43 starters will roll into victory lane at this year's NASCAR Nextel Cup Kolbalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It's even more difficult to imagine anyone duplicating Bill Elliott's '85 performance at the legendary racetrack. It's been 22 years since Elliott became "Million Dollar Bill" by winning 11 races during his incredible '85 season. Atlanta is Elliott's "home" track, then known as Atlanta International Raceway. At the finish, it was Elliott by 2.64-seconds over Geoff Bodine with pole sitter Neil Bonnett in Third Place. Ricky Rudd and Bobby Allison completed the Top-5. The victory was Elliott's first at Atlanta and also marked the first time a Georgia native had scored a win in the then 25-year history of the track. Bill Elliott retired as a full-time NASCAR Cup competitor prior to the '04 season. He won the 1988 Winston Cup title. In fact, in eight seasons, he finished Third, Third, Second, Fourth, Second, First, Sixth, and Fourth in points. It's amazing to me to see someone with Bill's awesome history continue to race.


Back at the Cottage... The merc is supposed to rise into the 50's today. It's a good thing... my daughters softball team begins practice outside today after two weeks in the school gym...this with an amazing 20 plus inches of snow still on the ground...

Faqs & Photo credit: Stockcar Racing News

Atlanta Vegas repeat

The Vegas Cup race ... Awesome!! The drivers did much better than thought adapting to the new track and the hard tires. Pure talent and a far cry from the melee of Saturday's Busch race.

On to Atlanta Motor Speedway next Sunday. Being the fastest track, is the same tire going to be used as the one at Vegas? I've not found any info on this. And the smaller fuel cell? It may be very similar to the Vegas race, but will Hendrick horsepower win again? Kasey Kahne won last year and Tony Stewart won the fall race, so my hopes are... NOT HENDRICK!!! The word "hate" is not part of Hendrick, but I am not jumping for joy over Mr. Arrogant J.J.'s win yesterday. The good news is... Jr. has pulled himself up in the points standings after Vegas and 4 of our favorite drivers from here at the Cottage had top ten finishes.

Cottage news... I've finally succumbed to our local cable company's package deal with the all inclusive TV, Roadrunner and digital phone, but only after becoming fed up with Verizon. Stubborn that I am... we already have Roadrunner on one pc and DSL on two others. Stupid!! Paying for two ISP's, but my 16 year old son is as anal as can be with the possibility of sharing his Roadrunner modem and losing precious Mbps... OMG!! his Xbox might lag!! But I am sick and tired of DSL, Verizon and my wife complaining that we pay too much...she's right!! so we are getting a separate modem to keep the peace. Yes!! He is abit spoiled but no drugs, alcohol or all nighters.

Photo from Photobucket.com

KONI Challenge

After the awesome Busch race I remained glued to The Speed Channel. Following the post race coverage the KONI Challenge from Daytona International Speedway came on. I truly enjoyed it and I am not much of a road course fan, but this race kept my attention. The following is an entry from Speed Channel ... "Formerly the Grand-Am Cup Series, the KONI Challenge is the premier proving ground for many of today's automotive manufacturers. The series competes at historic tracks in the United States and Canada, featuring some of the best production car drivers from around the world. The series complements the Rolex Sports Car Series by using race cars that are actual production cars. Similar to the Rolex Series GT cars in appearance, KONI Challenge cars are straight off the showroom floor with only minimal racing modifications to enhance safety and performance. Four classes of race cars compete on the track at the same time during KONI Challenge events, with drivers competing for top honors in their specified class, as well as the overall win. KONI Challenge cars classified by weight, engine size and model."... For more information on the KONI Challenge Series visit http://www.grandamerican.com/ and it can be seen again on the tele on Mon, Mar 12 3:00AM e.s.t., well a little early!!

Ass Kicker

Yesterdays Busch race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was an ass kicker in more ways than one. It had a Kick-Ass finish with Jeff Burton taking the lead from Baby Busch in the intense final lap. Wifey, Pattyjo, was on her feet screaming..."GO JEFF GO!" and that normally only happens with Tony Stewart. Awesome final run by Jeff!! Kyle sliding over the finish line getting 2nd only got better when his ass kissed the wall. The walls did a lot of ass kicking with a record 12 cautions. Todays cup race will be exciting, I just hope no one gets their ass kicked too hard.

Welcome daylight savings time!!! I love it and the snow here is melting finally. There is expected to be major ice jams in the upper Hudson River this year. Those can wreak havoc causing floods and property damage.

Photo credit:
CIA Stock Photo/Special to FOXSports.com

Rams Rule

How fitting that the top qualifiers for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 are Chrysler's. The Dodge Boys are the class of the field. 7 of the top 10 are Dodge's and it's an interesting lineup with some not so likely drivers being in the top 10. Kasey Kahne was very impressive with a track record breaking speed of 184.856 mph. And it's nice to see Elliott Sadler up front for a change.

On a sadder note.... poor Mikey had to go home, again, and the Toyo's did not fare well with only one qualifying, Dave Blaney, and Dale Jarrett got in on a past Championship provisional.

I'm anxious to see how the Busch race turns out today.

It's above zero!!! We expect to see temps in the 40's today after a straight week of frigid air. Thank you Mother Nature!! It'll be sloppy for awhile...there is still 30 inches of snow on the ground. Maybe it's time for that Orlando trip!!

Diamond in the Desert

Las Vegas Motor Speedway has been called the "Diamond in the Desert." So far everything I've heard and read about the new track design suggests a faster and more dangerous set up. It's likely to have many cautions. I only hope that if there are any bad hits like the one David Reutimann took at California Speedway that the network has the decency to go to a commercial.

I'm not even guessing who'll win this one!!

A fire at Watkins Glen International yesterday destroyed The Glen Club but spared the track any damage. A track in my home state and I've driven past it many a time but never attended a race there. Happy to hear that no one was injured.

Supersize me

Darrell Waltrip is about as corny as one can get, but unlike little bro Mikey, DW occasionally has a good thought..... "If NASCAR were smart, they would take the Cup Car of Tomorrow — remember the extra large or XL Cup car or the Dodge Avenger and Chevrolet Impala — and make that body style and configuration the Sunday car. Then take the current Cup car — the Monte Carlo, the Fusion, the Camry and the Charger — and make it the Busch car". I like the "If NASCAR were smart" part... but he went on to say... "The current Cup owners would have a place to get rid of their obsolete fleet of cars. They could sell them at bargain prices so Busch teams could afford to buy the cars". Now there is a thought to ponder... what is going to happen to the current cup cars? A giant NASCAR museum!! Maybe they will put them on Barrett-Jackson Auction. DW has a good idea!! Wow!! And he added... "You would have the Car of Tomorrow/XL Cup car in the Nextel Cup Series. The current Cup car would become the Busch car, and then you've got the Craftsman Trucks. All three series would have their own identity". OK but how do those larger cars perform? And what about the production costs? And has the Busch series lost it's identity? Way too much for my puny mind to figure out!!

I found that image of "The Lost Legend" Tommie Elliott (1931 - 1989) on All Racing Classifieds. Tripod. com... driving the famed XL-1. The car of Yesterday XL!!

Greg's Quest

Greg Biffle said in a recent article, "They're just uneducated about NASCAR," they're not uneducated folks, but a lot of them are uneducated about NASCAR." He was of course speaking about Washington State House representative Larry Seaquist and Frank Chopp, the State House Speaker, both Democrats. I know this is old news, but having been a long time fan of Greg, I hope he manages to get somewhere with these morons. I also feel a track in the Northwest would do well. Maybe Greg should give these guys an all expense paid trip to Talladega... wouldn't that ruffle their feathers!!!

Winter will not go away...it's below zero this morning and my 14 year old daughter started softball practice yesterday. At least they are able to use the school gym...but it's suppose to be spring!!! And the daylight savings time starts this weekend....yeah!! I'll be rolling out the gas grill in long jon's.

Photo credit: Ameriquest.com

Fair and Square ??

Montoya did have an awesome comeback after a fuel filler problem sent him back to 19th. He had dominated along with his teammate Scott Pruett for the entire race. He quickly climbed back to the front but his driving was aggressive. Other drivers were letting him by and if not, he pushed them out of the way, but then he broke a cardinal rule...he spun his own teammate to take the lead. It wasn't long before that when owner Chip Ganassi said "the only thing we ask is that teammates don't wreck each other" or something like that... The spin wasn't necessary. There was plenty of time to get around Pruett and in fact Pruett probably would've let Montoya pass. Pruett is not happy calling Montoya's driving "dirty". I wonder?? Could this be just a case of over zealousness or his Rookieness in cup racing... time will tell.

Justice and closure has finally been met in the Mickey Thompson murder. It's 19 years later but Michael Goodwin received 2 life terms for the murders of Mickey and his wife Trudy.

Telcel-Motorola 200

With 3 of the top 5 qualifers being Hispanic for todays Telcel-Motorola 200, the fiesta, I'm sure, will be intense. Carlos Contreras qualified 2nd and Jorge Goeters took the 4th spot. Those guys are both Mexico City natives and our own Juan Pablo Montoya took 3rd. Hispanics are a very passionate bunch so the spirits must be soaring. Surprisingly, Scott Pruett took the pole and last years winner Denny Hamlin topped off the first 5...GO DENNY!!! Okay... I favor the kid but it would be cool to see one of the Spanish boys take the victory. Imagine the confetti that would fly!!!

Withdrawal

I've been bouncing off the walls, surfing the web and watching the tele trying to get my fix. I feel like a junkie or that crack head I saw once crawling on the floor looking for a minuscule piece he imagined he dropped. I'm thinking of starting a "NNA" {no NASCAR anonymous} meeting. I know it's bad when I agree to go out to Walmart just to get out of the house. Doesn't NASCAR know how this effects "me"? {keeping it on "me" is healthy for my recovery} What are they thinking??!! Phew! I feel better now that I've gotten that off my chest. Kudos go out to all you bloggaters who've found it somewhere in your creative minds to blog this weekend. It's kept my withdrawals to a minimum and I'm actually grateful for the roadcourse race tomorrow, even though it's a Busch race. I normally don't pay much attention to the Cup road races let alone a Busch road race out of the country. Okay...so maybe it's NASCAR's way of keeping the ratings up. I guess I'll go out and chop some more frikkin ice!! Buenos diás amigo's!!

¿Cuántos el dinero NASCAR

Is it all worth it?? The amount of cash put forth for the Mexico event blows me away. The teams and owners spend far more time and money on the event than any other. The payback is not there and it's all pretty much to expand the Hispanic fan base within our borders by holding an event south of the border where the attendance is far less than 100k. It has it's pro's and it is a race to watch during the Cup off week, yet it seems so wasteful and greedy to me. I feel that our large US Hispanic population will have it's NASCAR fans with or without this race. So what's next?? New Zealand!!

Cabin Fever

A new month and closer to spring. Living in one of the coldest spots of the US with normally harsh winters is great for skiers and boarders or those crazy ice fishermen and lets not forget the folks who spend mucho mula on snowmobiles and then pray for a ton of the crap. I long for spring and the changes it brings. Perhaps it's because I'm getting old!! I grew up on the shore of Lake Michigan where it snows daily and speaking with my brother recently confirmed that the Michigan snow is still falling and as the evidence in that pic provides, the winters there are no picnic either. That is the Grand Haven Mich. lighthouse...makes me shiver just looking at it.

Bring it on!! Spring and oh yeah... the Cot. Yesterdays testing at Bristol went well. There is talk of bringing the new cars into full schedule a season early. It makes perfect sense. Prolonging the inevitable would only create chaos. It seems most teams are ready and the drivers are accepting this as a good thing, or at least they seem accepting of it. The transition, I think, will go smooth...smoother than me chopping frikkin ice off my walks!!