Seeing Red

Having been to Talladega I understand completely what the term "Earnhardt Nation" means. The Earnhardt fans, whether it be Sr. or Jr. and in most cases it's both, seem to be the most dedicated fans on the planet. It's no secret that many of them despise Jeffyboy, as well as the fans of some other drivers that seem to hate him. Watching him take the win at Dega by default made the Sea of Red see red!! And then there was that one lone roll of toilet paper unraveling it's way to victory lane. Several fans were arrested and removed in handcuffs for the beer can toss, but the person who threw the toilet paper was probably brought down to Victory Lane to share in the festivities. This because fans have been told it's cool to toss toilet paper...probably because NASCAR can't get enough of it!!

It looked like to us that Gilligan deliberately rear ended Smoke after the initial spin. I haven't yet taken the time to surf and read...but I'm sure we'll hear more about this. I thought Tony was about to blow his probation!!

Dale Earnhardt Day

Aaron's 312

Bobby Labonte drag-raced teammate Tony Stewart after the pair of Kevin Harvick Inc. cars drafted pass several others to take over the lead and win at Talladega. It was a great finish and an awesome BGN race for a change.

Once again Kyle Busch pointed his crooked finger at someone else. One would think that after such an ass-whoopin crash that he would've been humbled...but nooooo!!! Blame, blame! Shame on you Shrubs.

Watching and listening to Smoke explain things with his tail between his legs made many of us here at the cottage think he was only saying what the Musketeers wanted to hear. It's all too obvious that if it were not for his blasphemy of the NASCAR Gods on Sirius he would not have been spanked for his early departure last Sunday.

Kudos to the young Erik Darnell for his first win at Kansas in the NCTS race.

Have a happy race day!!!

The Three Musketeers

Tony's Nemesis

Fast Track

Dega always delivers and with the new surface unsuspected drivers are breaking the sound barrier. Grounding rookie's at yesterdays Busch practice until new restrictor plates could be installed was a smart move. Safety First!! NASCAR may be a lot of "things", but they always place driver safety up front. Ya know something is amiss when the fastest practice runners are, respectably, Mike Bliss, Ward Burton and who the hell is Brent Sherman? It'll be interesting to see what the Cup drivers do this afternoon.

In a previous post I had ranted about Jeffyboy being dubbed with nicknames unbefitting and certainly undeserving as the nicknames in question belong to other's such as "Ironman" and "Big Daddy". Now I find an article proclaiming him to be the "Tiger" of NASCAR. If anyone starts calling him "Tiger"... yeah I'm talking to you D.W.... I think it'll be time for me to design and print up bumper stickers and posters offering a prize for the best nickname both befitting and deserving.

Should AT&T be allowed to use it's logo on Jeff Burton's #31? Ridiculous antics if you ask me. It's only one car and it's silly to think it would pull any interest away from the "Nextel/Sprint Cup". If anything all the publicity the litigation has created has given AT&T more NASCAR publicity than they ever thought possible.

Pattyjo

Have you ever seen a happier face? I took this shot at Talladega last April. It may seem just like another picture of someone standing next to a drivers trailer but because of what happened the previous day during the Busch race this photo is a classic...at least in my mind and it is my wife, Pattyjo.

It's quite obvious that Patty is all about Smoke. What I had witnessed and heard from her the day before was hysterical fear and a promise that I would be spending the next day {Cup Race} by myself. This was after the #33 Old Spice car went flying upside down sliding on it's roof through the tri-oval which was smack dab in front of us. Her first live race and she thought her favorite driver had just gone to that big track in the sky. I assured her that Tony was fine and sure enough he climbed out of the upside down car and waved. She said that she hates NASCAR!! It took about 8 hours for her to calm down and watching the NCTS on the tele in our motel that night made a difference with all the wall slamming.

It's Sunday and look who is at the track!!
She actually got Ron White to talk to her!!

And she sat through 3 hours of rain delay only to have the race postponed until Monday.

All of this after she surprised me with the tickets!!

She is a keeper!!

The Talladega

In 1969 David Pearson "The Silver Fox" at Talladega's debut race The UAW Ford 500. GM had pulled back and it was the Ford's vs. the Mopar's with the Ford Talladega Torino winning the Championship which was David Pearson's 3rd. But this really isn't about David... it's about Talladega...the car!! Ford produced a street version called the "Talladega" in 1969. It was based on the Torino chassis and only 754 of them were built. It came in 3 colors, white, blue or maroon and try to find one today!!!



Super Ford!!!

Defending Smoke

It's no secret that Smoke has an attitude and it has gotten him into trouble whether it be on the track, trackside or post race. The idea that he left the track Saturday night to avoid the required post race interviews was probably in everybody's best interest. He may get some consequence out of it from NASCAR but the professional sports writers out there, and one in particular who shall remain un-named by this writer, are feeding on this for what I feel is greed. What better way to get attention from a couple of larger fan bases and then to compare Smoke to, of all people, Jeff Gordon. The integrity of this is nothing but sad. At least Gordon stood up in Stewart's defense and that says something for Jeff but the "writer" stated "Stewart, as great a driver as he is, could learn a few things from Gordon"... gimme a break!!! Gordon's past is littered with crying and whining. Tony has his quirks and a temper and he whines like the best of them but he is Tony "Smoke" Stewart!!

Other news... Mikey is looking to Chevy for answers.

Hot Stuff

The desert was on fire last night!! That was an awesome race and I had no trouble staying awake. I was a little disturbed over the green flag pit stop/caution that sent a few unsuspecting drivers a lap down and then they regained the lap by not pitting under caution which put them at the rear of the pack...accept for Ryan who made a mistake in the pits and went 11 laps down. He was running so well too!!! Smoke had an awesome 2nd place finish and teammate Denny is the "Comeback Kid"

I am not a Gordon fan, but I have to give him a big kudos for the victory run displaying the #3 flag. That was a great tribute for Gordon tying up with Dale on victories.

Next weeks race at Talladega Superspeedway will bring back fond memories. Pattyjo and I were there last year.

Yada, Yada, Yada

At least it was a different name in victory lane but it's still a matter of a practice run for Cup drivers. The Busch Series needs some tweaking and ya know it's bad when I fall asleep at lap 104, which was just after Shrubs cut off Newman and wrecked both of them. And to top it off the stupid arse said this... "I'm just privileged to be out there on the same track as Ryan Newman, and be out there on the same track and the same corner and get run right through." What happened was clearly driver error on Shrubs part, yet as usual, he does not take full responsibility.

Rumors!! So the Jr. saga continues..................

In IndyCar... I'm a bit surprised with IndyCar because of the race being in Japan we here in America get to see it later today on a tape delay...but we already know the results because it's all over the front page.

Alrighty then!!! The Cup race under the lights tonight should keep me awake.

NOT "Big Daddy"

Don Gartlis is considered the father of drag racing. He is known as the "Big Daddy" to drag racing fans around the world. Garlits was the first driver to win three National Hot Rod Association national titles and three world championships, the last coming at the age of 54. He won a total of 144 national events. Ironboy Gordon being referred to as "Big Daddy" by D.W. is an insult to Mr. Gartlis. But he does sit on the "Pole" again and has now tied with D.W. for winning poles. Pleeease!!! I succumb to the fact that he can drive... but he is not "Big Daddy" or "Ironman", can someone please come up with an appropriate nickname for him?

The rest of the top ten lineup is an interesting mix with of all the drivers, Jamie McMurray took the 2nd spot. Good for him!!! And Kasey Kahne in the 10th spot... well lets hope his luck has changed!!! The DEI cars did an awesome job qualifying with the CoT... maybe M-A-J-O-R-I-T-Y is how to spell relief!!

VT

Kudos go out to NBC Anchor Brian Williams and the media in general for their coverage of this tragedy. Brian has integrity beyond and his first hand knowledge after receiving an overnight envelope from this sick minded kid... 'Multimedia manifesto' sent to NBC ... only proves this. Kudos also goes out to NASCAR and Brian France for displaying the VT logo on all 3 major NASCAR cars and trucks over the next 3 weeks.

I am outa sorts this morning. This tragedy has touched people all over the world and no matter how macho or stoic I'd like to be, I cannot. My heart especially goes out to the parents who have lost children to Cho's rampage. I can empathize having had tragically lost a 17 year old daughter in 1999, but not at the hand of a crazed gunman, but rather a car accident...albeit, I know what these parents are feeling and there is nothing worse or more unnatural. Time does aide in healing but the wounds will remain forever open.

Attrition

The fact that the #32 Tide car has been retired does not surprise me. Owner Cal Wells lost the Tide sponsorship at the end of 2006. Why wouldn't the Tide go out? He had drivers like Scott Pruett, Ricky Craven and last and least Travis Kvapil. Tide is a big name and it makes me wonder how long some of the other big name sponsors will hold out on non- productive race teams. Wells now owns the #00 Domino's car or I should say is "listed" as the owner because Mikey purchased the #32 owner points from Wells last year. So now Wells has found himself in another non-productive arena with MWR. Sponsors want exposure and with the way things are going with MWR they are getting plenty... just the wrong kind. Like everything else, there is going to be an attrition rate. One can't help but wonder how long Napa, Domino's and UPS will hold on. Gotta love those DJ UPS commercials though.

Back at the Cottage... Winter is coming to an end today after several encores. We are actually looking at temps reaching the 70's by early next week.

"Smoke" will clear

Smoke's talk about retirement after Sunday's race I think is humorous. He was only whining because Jr.'s popularity exceeds his and all the boo's from the crowd probably hurt his feelings. Can anyone imagine Tony Stewart being a full time shock jock? I do not have Sirius radio, but I can only imagine what's being said. Smoke's passion for racing rivals that of any driver. He's only being a little candy ass and his retirement from the wheel is silly. He said that he's waiting for enough money to retire on... come on Tony!! You have enough money for you and 20 other people to retire on, unless of course you want to buy a 100 million dollar island to hide in seclusion!!

Other news...Jeff Burton has received the Good Sportsman of the Year Award and Jr. is getting the Good Citizen of the Year Award

Tragedy

A very sad day in America

Texas Style

Hats off to Jeff Burton for breaking the Hendrick streak. Gr8 job on the wheel getting past Matty on the final lap. It feels good seeing Jeff win for RCR and the only driver to get two wins at the Big "T". Some credit has to out to Smoke or maybe it should go to Monty for sliding into to Smoke which caused a chain of events that changed everything. It's unfortunate that Jr.'s car became a casualty due to Shrub being blinded by "Smoke" but Jr. made up some ground for the #5 team {and the crowd goes wild} by taking over the Kelloggs mobile because Shrub was last seen walking off the track, probably to go have a few Budwiesers to calm his nerves. Smoke says he'll get blamed for this because the fans were booing him and I do think it was his anger at Monty that caused him to spin after trying to take over Big brother Busch on the low side...but that is true Smoke style and why we love him. Shrub did not even slow down!! A case of over zealousness. And what was that debris on the track on lap 293? Where did it come from and funny how it showed up right after Big brother Busch's pit stop putting him a lap down and giving Ironboy the lead again. Mark Martin did an awesome job with a 3rd place finish and it was nice seeing The Biff get a top ten along with two other Rosox Fords. It seems that the rookie Monty favors the fast tracks...lets see what Dega holds for him in the drafting patterns...I have a feeling he won't have many friends.

Other news... Jr. was spotted talking to Tony the Tiger

A Day of Fun!

View of Old Downtown Boston

The silhouette is my son Adam ...cool pic!!

Happy Feet

I felt like this after I discovered what happened below...

Thank goodness for AAA as our van had to be towed out of the city because of a right front flat but at least I did not slam the wall. We discovered it after returning to the parking garage. We all took it in stride and made humor out of it and it was hilarious packing 6 of us into the tow truck for a 30 minute ride to the tire repair shop.

The building in the background is an IMAX theater...what an incredible "Deep Sea" movie!!!

I DVR'ed the Busch race...but I read that Kennseth won it. I'll watch it later and looking forward to the Tex Cup race!!!

Family Day

The Dodge Caravan will be used and abused today. We are heading to Boston to spend the day at The New England Aquarium. 3 hours of kids in the van...the Nintendo DS's better do their job!!

Shushi Anyone

The Twin Ring Motegi in Japan will host the 5th annual IndyCar Race on the 21st of this month. It'll be on ESPN but it is a tape delay because the actual time of the live race is 12:00 a.m. EST. Japan's Open Wheel Racing history has been spotty but it seems the IRL has found an annual venue there. The first race held there was in 1966 at Fuji Speedway. Legendary Jackie Stewart won the Fuji Japan 200, which was held as an exhibition race, and no championship points were awarded. USAC did not return. 22 years after that in 1998 the Cart Series spent 5 years there before IndyCar came in 2003.

I'm so hoping that the Hendricks' boys are plagued with gremlins at Texas this week...but my expectations and hopes will probably be shattered by the way things have been so far this season. Could Marky be the Dark Horse? Hell!!! It could be anyone... but will it?

Other news...David Ragan takes the pole for the Texas Busch race...maybe Mikey should have hired him and if your interested in seeing a pic of Mikey's totalled Toyo visit Green-White-Checker

Photo Credit: J.B. Hare

Freak Storm

"Large, Nasty Winter-Like Storm Right on Our Doorstep! A storm system that is causing all kinds of problems in the Midwest is taking aim at the Capital Region! Rain will move in during the late evening, which will turn over to heavy wet snow across the entire region. Meteorologist Katie Virtue is tracking the storm - she has the very latest from the NEWS10 Weather Center."

Just to the right of Katie's pointed finger is the Glens Falls/Lake George Region. I live just below the "Fa" of Glens Falls. Her body and head are covering most of southern Vermont which looks virtually covered in the blue zone. Since our house is in a valley we may be spared and only receive 4 to 6 inches but the blue/white zones are very close. I'm not even bothered by this anymore...in fact it is rather an interesting phenomena having such a large snow storm this late. By tomorrow temps will rise and by Monday it'll be gone once again.

Other News...Mikey was showering in his pool house while the Trooper sat poolside counting what looked to be a large pile of cash!!

Missing Person

Now we've heard everything! The only thing missing was a bottle of Jack, oh yeah, and Mikey!! He should never have cheated and lied because it's obvious his payback is a bitch. For those of you that haven't heard... the imbecile lost control doing 70 mph in a 55 zone {pit road penalty} rolled and hit a telephone pole with his SUV, left the scene and walked home. Eye witnesses!!! The Police were not able to get to him for 6 hours but did find him at home and charged him with reckless driving and leaving the scene... well what do they expect?? He can't race on a track so he's doing it on public highways!! There was apparently no alcohol involved but how do they know that for sure. He'll be qualifying at Texas this week with bandages covering his shame. I can't help but wonder if he's hiding something... six hours is plenty of time to sober up.

Other news...Michael Waltrip has disappeared without a trace

"Mr. Martin"

I just read an article by Lee Spencer, "Martin going out on his own terms" that is a true compliment to Mark. If you haven't already read it, than may I suggest you click Lee's name and take a few minutes to read it... it makes me want to take a trip to Batesville Arkansas.

This weeks race in Fort Worth at Texas Motor Speedway is looking real good weather wise for the entire week and weekend. That's awesome and far more than I can say for the weather in the Northeast. We've been plagued!!!

Back at the Cottage... With the schools closed for spring break we have had a house-full of teenagers and we have my two younger kids from a previous marriage, my daughter Casey 11 and son Adam 9 that are with us for 10 days. At this moment there are 7 of them asleep in various nooks and crannies of the house. I damn near have a full pit crew!!

Good Racin'

Saturday's Busch race at Nashville was one of the best I've seen in awhile. It offered some of the Busch drivers an opportunity to lead laps and run up front for the entire race. It was no surprise to see Cousin Carl take the Guitar home but seeing Busch regular Jason Leffler take a top 5, in a Toyo nonetheless, made me smile. He wasn't alone with two more Toyo's up front...cup drivers David Reutimann and Dave Blaney taking 2nd and 3rd respectfully. Topping off the 5 is Marky's protege Regan Smith. I enjoyed the race so much that at lap 140 I had to leave. I DVR'ed the rest so I could see the finish...not something I'd normally do for a Busch race.

The Masters finished with a virtual unknown taking home the Green Jacket. Zach Johnson... a David and Goliath story!!

Awesome Easter Basket

The newest addition to my collection is this tribute car in dedication to Dale Sr. and his induction to the Motorsports Hall of Fame. The Hall is right next to Talladega Superspeedway. Pattyjo and I had the privilege to be there last year for the induction and watch as Jr. raced the "Black" #8. The diecast is actually an Easter gift.

"NASCAR International" Could this be the future? From the backwoods on the Deep South to the Swiss Alps!!

In Golf... The rookies are tearing up the greens in Hotlanta, but it's still anyones game. Green Jacket hopeful, Tiger, is scratching his head.

Snow Day

Nice right? Yeah that's what I thought as I drove my daughter to school yesterday. My camera was home, so after Aly was dropped I sped home to get it because the snow was dropping from the tree limbs fast. This is just around the corner from our house so I was able to catch it. Within minutes and with help from the wind and sun, the branches were clean. Nearly all of the snow is gone today.

Not much on the NASCAR front. Looking forward to the Busch race in Nashville. Not many Buschwhackers, the biggest gun Carl Edwards is the favorite...no surprise there. Carl is a favorite around here too. How can you not like the guy with the million dollar smile to go with some awesome racing talent. I've been keeping an eye on Sam Hornish Jr.. He is currently 5th in the points standings for Indycar and has two previous Indycar Championships. He may be in line for a Penske Cup ride.

More Snow

Rocker become History Buff Roger Daltrey of "The Who" narrates a series of videos that are seriously cool to watch....
Extreme History: NASCAR Bootleggers (4:34) , but it's a little strange listening to a Brit explaining the Deep South roots of NASCAR. Roger has certainly found his way into mainstream America with his classic songs being heard for many that tune into any number of the CSI episodes that run daily and is a regular on The History Channel.

Will defending Masters Champ Phil Mickelson do it again or will Tiger steal the Green Jacket for 2007?

NASCAR to mandate COT changes, well lets frikkin hope so!!!

Check out the newest fellow blogger Done and Dusty, with some artistry.

Back at the Cottage... I awoke to our puppy needing help with his uncontrollable bowel syndrome at 3:10 am, then only to discover that there is snow on the ground!! I'm looking at Orlando/Disney travel packages...I need some sunshine!!

Hump Day

Greg Biffle is determined to get a track built in the Seattle area... "I've talked to [NASCAR officials] and they said they're not going to give up for sure, but … I think now … the shoe is going to have to be on the other foot," he said. "They're going to have to pursue us." This "Quest" is bigger than life...might as well climb Mt. Everest!! Keep trying!! ICS is still eyeing metro NYC too, another near impossible mission that would come much easier if they would shift their focus just slightly north or west from the Big Apple. There are miles and miles of rural farm country with interstates abound very close to NYC. Geez!!! Maybe I should send them idiots some aeriel photos!!

Sad news... Jimmy Sprinkle, a mechanic for Brian Vickers Red Bull team was shot in his own frikkin driveway Saturday Night. The shot took his life and according to The Hickory Daily Record, police say they have identified a suspect in the shooting but they are not naming names and no charges have been filed

Other news... NASCAR is putting smoke detectors in the CoT.

Back at the Cottage... Pattyjo starts her new job this week as a county Corrections Officer...quite a transition from Paramedic, but at least she can issue bandaids along with the extra blankets and pillows that I'm sure she'll be handing out for comfort.

Battles

The battle at Martinsville did make for an awesome finish albeit the rivals were Hendrick drivers. What many were hoping for was a scenario more like this..."Gordon slams Johnson and both drivers spin sending Denny Hamlin to Victory Lane and the crowd goes wild as Gordon and Johnson have a cat fight out on the track"...that would have been the ultimate!!! A good battle is always fun to watch and so I did some searching and reading and found a few I thought were worth sharing...

R. Wallace vs. Stewart - Fontana, May 2, 2004
Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart made contact early on when the 20 brushed the 2 on lap 6. It seemed like a case of no harm, no foul, but Wallace, who lost 43 laps after a wreck with Kurt Busch later in the race, directed his anger at Stewart.
Rusty Wallace: "This Stewart guy, man I'm gonna tell you, I don't know what's going on there. He's coming down the back straightaway with his finger out the window and just giving me the bird all the way down the straightaway, after he ran me through the fence. I'd like to take that finger and jam it right up his rear end, I'll tell you that. 'Cause he's messing with the wrong guy with that mouth right now."
Tony Stewart: ""We came off of (turn) 2 and we got together, and that put him in the wall. But the corner before that he drove right down into the left side of us like we weren't even there - so I don't know why he's pointing the finger at somebody else."

J. Gordon vs. Stewart - Richmond, May 15, 2004
Jeff Gordon was running 3rd and Stewart 4th with 46 laps to go when Stewart got loose in turn 3 while attempting to pass Gordon. The contact caused considerable damage to the DuPont Chevy. Stewart finished the race in 4th, while Gordon just missed the top five with a 6th place finish.
Jeff Gordon: "We're seeing (problems with Stewart) every weekend, and you'd think a guy getting abuse by the media and the drivers would start thinking a little bit more. He had a much faster car, fresher tires, got inside of me, and the position was his, and he just drove straight into me and put me in the wall and about put himself in the wall. It's unfortunate. It cost us a top five. We should have finished 5th, (and) if Tony hadn't been a bonehead, we would have."
Tony Stewart: "We got a little loose and I got into Jeff ... I just got down into turn 3 and got loose. I had a top-three night until I ran into the 24, and I know he's mad at me. We made a change and that's probably what made it loose, not to mention all that oil dry down there. I'm sure Jeff thinks I tried to take him out."

Vickers vs. Stewart - Sonoma, June 27, 2004
After casual contact with Vickers early on in the road-course event, Stewart bumped the 25 again on lap 85, causing him to spin. After the race, Stewart confronted Vickers in the garage while the rookie was still in his car. The Home Depot driver was fined $50,000 and 25 points for the post-race incident and was placed on probation through August 18.
Brian Vickers: "He wrecked me during the race in turn 11, then came over after the race and was mad at me. I have no idea why. I never touched him. He was debating with me, but gave me no reason why he was upset. So I just laughed it off. I think that made him madder, so he came after me. He got me in the chest, kind of knocked the wind out of me, then tried to pull me out of the car. That's why my guys grabbed him."
Tony Stewart: "I understand and accept NASCAR's penalty. With NASCAR's continued growth and their rise in mainstream popularity, I realize their rules have become stricter than they were in the past. And after meeting with Brian France, I know it's my job to live within those rules. I'm putting this incident behind me, and I plan no further comments. I'm going to focus on Daytona and the remaining races before the final ten-race run for the championship."

Notice who is in all of them? Gotta love Smoke!!

Archives from Insider Racing News

Whatever

Ironboy could have tripped Jimmie for the win at Martinsville, but instead played tag with him because the big "H" in the box says "play nice boys". In contrast it doesn't really matter... Hendrick's teams are dominate. It seems if it's not one than it's another. If it wasn't for my own passion of racing I would be losing interest. So many paradoxes..."let him win"..."Hendrick vs. Hendrick"..."Non-Hendrick fans enjoying an awesome finish"..."a love-hate relationship"..."disgusted devotion". Okay...so that's racin and I ought to just accept that, but it's become a bit of an enigma and it may always remain one of racing nature's secrets. Cunning, baffling and powerful!! Lets hope that Texas heat brings the Hendrick boys to their knees!!

Footnote: According to the online Wikipedia . . . "A Conundrum is a puzzling question. . . . More broadly, a conundrum is any problem where the answer is very complex, possibly unsolvable without deep investigation. A mystery or paradox can often be phrased as a conundrum." (from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conundrum.)

April Fool

Is Mike Skinner hot or what?! 3 consecutive wins and broke a track record for the most laps led. Happy Kevin did an awesome job too with a top 5 finish and managed to stay away from all the melee.

A big Happy April Fool's Day Birthday goes out to David Gilliland. Imagine growing up with a name like Gilliland and having your birthday fall on April 1st.

Have a Gr8 April Fool's Day!!