SHR and That Dang Ol’ Racing Show

08/28/201308/28/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

I wasn’t sure if I was going to write about the new addition to Stewart Haas Racing. I have read several articles about Kurt Busch coming to SHR as well as other media sites about the story. I just don’t know if there is a need to write another story about it. I have not been quiet about my dislike for Kurt Busch over the years. He is a hot-headed and quite frankly he can be a complete a-hole. He has tangled with Tony Stewart along with other drivers on his new team. He is a polarizing figure in the sport. Every time he is announced at driver introductions, he gets more boos than cheers. So why would you want someone like this on your racing team?

The man can drive a car and he knows how to win. Why wouldn’t you want the man on your race team? Was he the driver I would have loved to seen go to SHR? One word-NO (and I believe Tony wasn’t on board right way). Think about the make up of the 2014 Stewart Haas Racing Team (prior to the addition of Kurt)–Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and Danica Patrick. These drivers have been known to say what they think and make no apologies about it. They can be a little hot-headed at times. One just has to look at the last Saturday’s race at Bristol. Kevin thought he was wronged by Denny Hamlin. He went over to his car while on pit road to discuss the matter further with Denny. Or who could forget last year at Bristol, Tony throwing his helmet at Matt Kenseth’s car. If you need any further evidence, just check out You Tube. Now throw in Kurt Busch…wow! Some of the commenters out there believe Kurt Busch has anger management issues. Who doesn’t on some kind of level? Some are better than others at controlling their anger. Tony is no stranger to anger management issues. I think he has “mellowed” a little over the last several years. I contribute this to getting older and being a team owner. But don’t make this mistake in saying this mellowing means his passion for the sport has changed. It hasn’t. I think Kurt has proven he can still be upset about things, but he has done some mellowing himself this year. Despite his past shenanigans, I still believe this is a good move for SHR. With Kurt Busch you get a driver who has 24 wins, 95 top fives and 185 top 10s not to mention he won a championship in 2004. He was the first driver to win a championship under the Chase format. He is currently sitting 12th in the standings on the bubble of making the Chase this year with a one-car team. And I have to admit I like that fact he isn’t afraid to race his brother, Kyle. I mean look what happened in the 2007 All-Star race. Of course I for one would take out my own grandmother for a million dollars. I believe the brothers didn’t talk to one another until their grandmother stepped in.

I am ok with Kurt Busch becoming part of SHR. With that being said, I am did not like how it all came about. I know Gene Haas was the one who wanted Kurt in the SHR stable. That’s fine and dandy. NASCAR is a business and it is all about making the most of your investment. Tony Stewart understands all of this. Gene Haas is a co-owner of SHR along with Tony. I get all that. But in the end, Tony Stewart elevated his racing team. He won a championship within 3 years of creating SHR. It was just weeks ago, Ryan Newman was let go because there was not going to be enough for a fourth team. You have to wonder if Mr. Haas wanted to keep Newman around on SHR. During his time at SHR (this also includes his time this year through 24 races) Newman has 4 wins, 28 top 5s, 70 top 10s. He has won 7 poles and qualified for the Chase only twice since joining SHR in 2009. Compared to Kurt Busch over this time with Roush/Penske/Phoenix and Furniture Row, Kurt has 6 wins, 34 top 5s, 70 top 10s, 6 poles, and qualified 6 times for the Chase. It can be compared they both look similar on paper. But I guess Mr. Haas wanted Kurt Busch on the team. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Mr. Haas and Mr. Stewart discussed this matter. I bet it was an interesting conversation and I am sure it didn’t sit well with Tony. I just think the timing of it all is rather hinky. Was there another team entertaining Kurt an offer besides Furniture Row and Mr. Haas wanted to pinned down Kurt while the iron was hot? No matter what any of us think Kurt Busch is now a member of Stewart Haas Racing.

How happy will I be to watch all four members of SHR next year? Happier than a camel on Wednesday! (sorry, for the shameless use of a Geico commercial)

Some final thoughts…

If you missed last night’s That Dang Ol’ Racing show, you must have had something more important to do last night. I was able to win free pizza from Domino’s by winning last week’s Dang Ol’ Racing Challenge. Thanks to Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, and Jimmie Johnson for racking up some serious points for me. Does this mean I have to share my pizza with them? I hope not, because I am not good at sharing. This week the boys are headed to Atlanta and I have chosen Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, and Matt Kenseth. Let’s hope these boys get it done, so I can be a two-time winner! As I mentioned in previous posts here in The Park, I was excited to hear about this new show. For years now I have been posting about NASCAR and looking for those of you out there who are willing to banter with me about the sport. I have those who tolerate this obsession of mine. I have tried to explain things to hem and even invited them to watch a race or two with me, but to no avail. Now I have a place I am able to share my thoughts on NASCAR. For my friends and family, you should send on Mr. Ryan Hyatt a thank you. I don’t have to bother you as much or subject you to this thing I love called NASCAR. Well, if you want to catch That Dang Ol’ Racing Show, just tune into 98.5 Real Country every Tuesday from 6-7. You can also find the show on Facebook (That Dang Ol Racing Show,) or on Twitter (@dangolracing). You can find that show blog on my blogroll, just go over to the right side under Infield and click and boom…there you are! So join the show next week, you can have a chance to win free pizza from Dominos and who doesn’t like free pizza! Please note I am not a paid spokesperson or am I compensated in any way shape or form. I just like the show and want others to join in on the fun!

Stewart Haas Racing and Michigan

08/20/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

I was going to write about Sunday’s race in the first part of the post, but with everything going on with SHR I thought I would lead with it this week. On sunday night while pursuing Twitter looking for more information about the race, I saw it. I saw there was a possibility that Kurt Busch might become a 4th team member of SHR. Yesterday it was somewhat quite on Twitter and Facebook with this story. All that I have seen is Kurt Busch has an offer on the table. I am not sure how I feel about this possibility. Kurt Bush has been having a good year running for Furniture Row Racing. He had another good finish on Sunday with a 3rd place finish. Kurt is currently sitting in 9th place in the standings. There are only three races left until the Chase begins (Bristol, Atlanta, and Richmond). I think he will make the Chase unless he completely implodes in the next three races. Kurt only is on a one year contract with FRR and it will expire at the end of the 2013 season. But Kurt Busch at SHR I just don’t know. Can you imagine Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Danica Patrick AND Kurt Busch. These four drivers are never at a loss for words when it comes to dealing with the media. Kurt Busch, just like Danica, is polarizing. Everything I have read, people really hate this move or really like this move, there is no middle ground. I for one have never been a Kurt Busch fan. Of course I am not a Ryan Newman fan either. There have been those who wonder if you can find room, money, and sponsorship for Kurt Busch to be with SHR in 2014, why couldn’t you find the same for Ryan Newman? I am by no means an expect on this matter. I only see what is reported regarding this matter. Maybe Tony wanted to go in a different direction with his team. I mean he is investing his money into the team along with Gene Haas. To quote the Godfather, it’s not personal, it’s business. There is more to Stewart Haas Racing than just the drivers, he has crew members and other staff members that depend on the success of SHR. I am positive the decision to let Ryan go wasn’t easy, but in life you have to make tough decisions. On paper, both Ryan and Kurt have roughly the same numbers. They both started racing in Cup in 2000, with Kurt going full-time in 2001 and Newman full-time in 2002. Kurt does have a championship under his belt back in 2004. Note he was the first driver to win a championship under the Chase format. Of course, there is more deciding which driver drives for which particular team every year. Sometimes it is about what is best for the team, or what the driver whats, or lately, sponsorship. I guess we will all have to wait to see how this all shakes down for SHR.

In other news coming out of SHR, it was announced yesterday that Tony Stewart will be out the rest of the season and Mark Martin will take over driving duties for the rest of the season. Mark will begin his driving duties in the #14 starting with Bristol on Saturday night. The only race that Mark will not race is Talladega where Austin Dillion will once again to the helm of the #14. This gives Brian Vickers the opportunity to get into the #55 earlier than expected. I think this is a good move for Tony. The team will have consistency with one driver the rest of the season. Even this late in Mark’s career he is competitive. I think he would have won the race on Sunday if he hadn’t of run out of gas. Both drivers have a deep respect for each other. Several years ago Mark Martin said Tony Stewart was one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR. I am happy with this choice. Besides this will sort of force my hubby to cheer for the #14 each week. I know Mark will give it his best when he gets behind the wheel of the #14. I am thankful SHR is going with one driver (other than Talladega) for the rest of the season instead of the “insert driver here” every week. If someone out there is questioning this decision all you have to see is what Tony Stewart said about mark Martin… “Mark is someone I’ve looked up to my entire career and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him.” That right there says it all for those naysayers out there.

I was going to write about the race in another post, but with That Dang Ol’ Racing Show broadcast looming tonight, I wanted to get things posted before then. This would be week two without Tony in the #14. Austin Dillion was tagged to drive for the #14 team for the race. He qualified 27th and finished 14th. Thank you Mr. Dillion for your support. See ya at Talladega. Now on to the race. Joey Lagano was on fire during the weekend. He set a track record and grabbed the pole for the Pure Michigan 400. I was watching practice (which I rarely do) and in an interview with Brad K. he thought his teammate was going to be the man to beat over the weekend. I was wondering if the race was going to be a long race by the way it started out. There were 3 quick cautions which started with Clint Bowyer’s spin on lap 1. The next two, I was wondering if I jinxed. Every time I would go into my kitchen, caution. Let’s just say I was banned from the kitchen until commercial. Despite the early cautions, the race started to settle down. If you were watching the race, you know that Jimmie Johnson crashed in the last practice session and had to use a back up car that was slated to be used for Chicago (the first race in the Chase). And as you know, since you were watching the race, ESPN was keeping track of Jimmie’s progress towards the front. Yes, ESPN I got it. Jimmie was starting in the back and he was going to make his way to the front. But you don’t have to make it your goal to let us know every chance you got. For those who don’t know, Jimmie made his way to the front in 45 laps and was able to lead a lap prior to the start of the first green flag pit stops. Jimmie’s day however was short-lived. He was out of the race around lap 58 with a blown engine. For you Jimmie fans out there, this didn’t affect his Chase chances on any level since he is leading the points right now and has already punched his ticket for the Chase.

Turn 2 was not kind to several drivers throughout the day. Several drivers ended up spinning out or hitting the wall. Turn 2 got Clint Bowyer, Ricky Stenhouse, and the ever popular Kyle Busch. Dale Earnhardt had a decent day, leading laps and looked like he was to give himself a chance to win the race. Dale’s day went south around lap 135 when he hit the wall and sustained heavy damage. This was the 2nd car from HMS that had a bad day. Dale finished 36th and lost one spot in the standings. He is now sitting in 7th spot. So have no fear Junior nation, your driver is still ok. My husband was trying to convince me to pick the #88 for my race pick contest. He seems to do pretty good at Michigan, but my gut said no. He is just like picking Ohio State in the NCAA basketball tournament. Looks good on paper, seems like a sure thing, but in the end all you get is heartache. And Sunday was just an example of that.

Joey Lagano was the man of the weekend. He was poised to take the win after Mark Martin ran out of gas with three laps to go. Mark Martin had nothing to lose with his gamble. He wasn’t fighting for a spot in the Chase or trying to keep his spot in the Chase. So why not gamble on fuel mileage, unfortunately the gamble didn’t pay off for Mark. Mark finished 27th. When Mark ran out of gas, there was Joey passing him for the lead. This would mark Joey’s first win since moving over to Penske this season. This win snapped a 44 race winless streak for Joey. More importantly for Joey, this put him back in the race for a wild card spot. He moved up 3 spots to 13th in the standings just 7 points behind Martin Truex who has the last wild card spot. This wild card race is getting pretty interesting especially now that Tony Stewart is out for the season. Once again, I think this will all come down to Richmond to see who grabs the two wild card spots. If Kasey stays out of the top 10, he will have a secure spot since he has two wins. Of course this could all change, if one of those sitting around him in standings with one win gets a win in the next three races. man I am going to love the next three weeks!

Few thoughts…

I am beginning to find myself cheering for Clint Bowyer each week. The more and more I watch him in interviews and watch on the race track, he is the type of driver I could get behind. I would love to hang out with Clint maybe go fishing and have a few beers with. And if you can hang with the Duck Dynasty crew and get what Duck Dynasty is all about, then you are good people in my book!
For those living under a rock, Speed TV is no longer on the air. It is now Fox Sports 1. I am going to give Fox Sports 1 a chance. When ESPN started back in the day, I am sure they weren’t lighting it up on a daily basis. They have had a few years to fine tune their programming. Race Day has been pared down to one hour. I may be in the minority on this, but I am glad it is now down to one hour. In years past, Race Day would air right up until race broadcast time. For example, if the race broadcast pre race show began at noon, Race Day would end at noon. I would then switch over to the race and watch that pre-race show. Sunday, Race Day ended an hour prior to ESPN’s pre-race show. Some were upset by this change, but for me I just rolled with the flow.
Juan Pablo Montoya is out of the #42 at the end of the season. Silly season is in full swing folks! Let the rumors and half-truths begin! Launch the black helicopters and drones! Kyle Larson’s name has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Juan in the #42. This would be a WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, move!!! Kyle is in his rookie season in the Nationwide Series. Prior to this weekend’s race at Mid-Ohio, he has only 21 starts under his belt in Nationwide and was sitting in 8th spot. He does have 2 starts in Trucks with one win and a 2nd place finish at Eldora. I think Kyle needs to get more experience in NASCAR before being thrown into the shark tank. AJ Allmendinger’s name has been kicked around for a possible replacement as well as Ryan Newman. Either one would be a better choice than Kyle Larson into the seat.
Speaking of JPM, saw an interesting story on ESPN.com. Michael Andretti would love for JPM to come race for his race team. But as with NASCAR, it is all about sponsorship. If Andretti can find sponsorship, could Juan be headed back to Indy Racing? It would be interesting to see how that all shakes out.
Brad K. was going to gamble for the win on Sunday, but wasn’t going to be really close on fuel. Points racing is not what drivers like to do, they want to race for the win, but sometimes IT IS about the big picture. Brad and his team decided he needed to come down to get gas and finish the race without the win. By the way, Brad finished 12th. I am sure it wasn’t what he wanted, but it kept him in Chase contention. If he would have run out of gas, he would have definitely finished further on back.
If you haven’t seen the show Duck Dynasty, what are you waiting for? This is one of better shows on television at the present time. Yes, it is a reality show, but not like all those other ones out there. The Robertson family is funny! Yes, they are rednecks and at times I wonder about Uncle Si, but in the end they are all about family and God. They sit down to dinner with each other and you see them pray. There’s nothing preachy about it at all. It is one of the few shows I can watch with everyone in my family. I don’t have to worry about language or other things my two children will pick up. It’s tough finding shows that I can sit down and watch with my kids. Gone are the days of Dukes of Hazzard, Full House, Little House on the Prairie. Now we have shows like Dance Moms, Honey Boo-Boo, and the Real Housewives. Don’t get me wrong, I know there are those of you out there who watch these shows, but there aren’t the kind of shows I can sit down and watch with my kids. So if you haven’t watched Duck Dynasty, stop on over at A&E and watch!
Non-NASCAR related–my youngest son loves to watch the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney Channel. It is a pretty decent show for the younger crowd. Kids can learn things from watching the show. It’s not on the same level as Phineas and Ferb, but it is still a decent show for kiddos. However, if I hear the phrase “oh tooldles” or see the “hot dog dance” one more time, I think you will have to lock myself up for the rest of the summer! Of course both boys will start school come Monday, August 26. My oldest will be in the 4th grade while my youngest will be starting Pre-K! To all parents out there, not much longer…6 days!

Don’t forget about tonight’s broadcast of That Dang Ol’ Racing Show on Real Country 98.5 FM here in Lubbock, Texas from 6-7. I was all prepared for last week’s show. I had to make a run to Barnes and Noble with my other half so he could get his fantasy football magazines. I had cell phone in hand and yes, that was me in B&N with ear buds on. To be clear, it was just one ear bud and not both. But due to technical difficulties and things beyond my control, the show was postponed to Wednesday. Wednesday’s show was scratched as well. And so here we are this week. The delay for the 2nd broadcast hasn’t deterred me in the least. I will be tuning in tonight to listen to the discussion and maybe I might just call in!

Since the news came there would be a local racing show, it has jump started me back into my blog. It does help that I am a stay-at-home mom. I can keep better track of things and maybe provide a little more in-depth analysis here in The Park. I have been providing my take on NASCAR for several years now. It has allowed me to meet fellow NASCAR fans across the US. Even though I don’t know them on a personal level, I feel connected to them because we are part of the NASCAR Nation. I have always maintained The Park as a place for discussion and debate. I welcome it. The words I type here are my opinions and my viewpoints. They may not always agree with the majority of those of you out there, but that’s what makes things fun! If we all agreed, it would be boring. I know what I am talking about. I research things using NASCAR.com, ESPN, Fox Sports and yes, Twitter and Facebook. I even read other’s blogs who provide other insight. I try to be entertaining for those who stop by to read my posts. I am not too concerned whether or not my readers comment (even though secretly I wish someone would), I am just hoping I can get more readers and maybe, just maybe someone might notice my work. For those who stop by thanks for your support and for those first timers, WELCOME! Have a great day!

Watkins Glen

08/13/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

I survived my first race weekend without seeing Tony Stewart behind the wheel of the #14. I wasn’t too thrilled about the prospect of someone else driving the #14. But I have to say Max Papis did an excellent job this past Sunday. He qualified 29th and throughout the day he made his way up through the field. Granted he wasn’t tearing it up battling it out for the win, but all in all he did a great job filling in for Tony Stewart. He finished 15th. Thank you for your service Mr. Papis. All of Smoke Nation appreciates you for everything you did on Sunday for the #14 team. Speaking of Tony Stewart, it has been announced that Austin Dillion will drive the #14 at Michigan this weekend. This move didn’t surprise me in the least. For one he is sponsored by Bass Pro Shops. He has 9 cup starts with two of those being at Michigan. He finished 11th this past June at MIS. I think he will do a good job for Tony. As for the other races in the season, I think we will just have to wait and see.

Now on to the racing this past weekend at The Glen. This is the final road course for the Cup drivers this season. It was no surprise Marcos Ambrose earned the pole for the race. He was the defending race champion. In fact he was going for third win in a row at The Glen. The way the race started out it look like Marcos was going to sew up his third win. However, as we all know things can change quickly in NASCAR. It wasn’t long before Jeff Gordon’s day went from good to horrible. Jeff ended up spinning his car and crashing the #24. This crash was not what Jeff needed. It has not won a race this season and this put his chances of making the Chase this year in jeopardy. It has not been a kind 2013 for Jeff. He fell 4 spots in the standings and now sitting in 13th. He is still on the outside looking in. Right now his teammate Kasey Kahne and SHR driver Ryan Newman are right now holding on to the two wild card spots. If he doesn’t get in the top 10 and stay there, or get a win, the Chase will be without the #24.

Marcos was cruising along throughout the day until the caution came out for his teammate’s crash around lap 60. Drivers were in the middle of green flag pit stops when the caution was thrown. Kyle Busch was one of the drivers who was able to get his pit stop complete prior to the caution. Unfortunately this caution was a turning point in both the #18 and #9 teams. Marcos had to pit under the caution and when things all shook out, Kyle had the lead and Marcos was stalled back in the 12th position. This was going to be the first time in the race that Marcos would have to drive his car in dirty air. Up until that point Marcos had a fast car. But the fastest and the best car of the day doesn’t always win the race. He still had enough time in my opinion to get back to the front to challenge for the win. A few cautions here and there, and he is right there. Unfortunately the changes his pit crew made to the car didn’t help his case any. He wasn’t able to make his way up to the front. He was involved in a late race crash. Marcos ended up finishing 31st. Because of Marcos bad luck, this opened door up for Kyle Busch to take the win at The Glen. Once he got out front, he stayed there. I am sure he was hoping to see things go green for the rest of the race. His crew chief was telling Kyle to save gas and his tires. He had enough gas to get to the checkers, but not the green-white-checkers. Kyle didn’t want to see these cautions even though he would probably help with him saving gas. If the race stayed green he could keep some distance between him and those behind him. Once the cautions flew, this means the field is bunched up and he would have to play a little defense. It didn’t matter on Sunday. Kyle was textbook on his restarts. It was one of those things that it was his day. The Glen hasn’t been too kind to Kyle the last couple of years. Take last year’s race, he was battling with Marcos and Brad K for the win. He ended up spinning out in some oil that had been on the track. All Kyle had to do was hit his marks and keep Brad K. behind him. This was going to be a tall order for Kyle. Brad was able to lay the bumper to Kyle and could have spun him out for the win. According to Brad, he could have spun him, but he didn’t need any more drama. Sometimes you have to take the high road and take 2nd place. Congratulations to Kyle Busch on his win!

I have been trying to get back in the groove with all things NASCAR. It’s been a little bit easier for me since I no longer work full-time. Well, I work full-time, but my office is my home. I don’t get a paycheck and I am “on-call” 24/7, but the benefits definitely out way everything I had while working. But now that I am at home, I am going to try to get back on track with things.

There has een a little news reported today.

Brian Vickers has signed on to be the full-time driver for Michael Waltrip Racing beginning with the 2014 season. This comes to no surprise to anyone. I have always liked Brian Vickers. He has had a tough road the last few years in NASCAR. He had to sit out the 2010 due to blood clots. He came back to his Red Bull in 2011 only to see Red Bull close its doors at the end of the 2011 season. He has been driving part-time with MWR sharing his time with Mark Martin. I think he sealed the deal with his win at New Hampshire this year. I am glad to see Brian Vickers back in a car full-time.
Juan Pablo Montoya will be out of the #42 car beginning in 2014. He has been in NASCAR since signing on with Chip Ganassi Racing in 2006. He has had only two wins in 239 starts. Both of these wins have been on road courses. His highest finish in the standings has been 8th back in 2009. I don’t know if JPM ever adjusted to racing in NASCAR. Sometimes drivers from other series don’t always fair well in NASCAR. Sam Hornish struggled when he first came into NASCAR leaving the Indy Series. He has found a resurgence in Nationwide the last few years. He is battling for the championship this year. I am happy he is finding success in Nationwide. With JPM, this leaves the door open for drivers who do not have a full-time gig in NASCAR. Could this mean Ryan Newman may have a home next year in the #42 or will AJ Allmendinger find his way back to a full-time ride? Only time will tell. Let the silly season begin.

A few observations…

Fox Sports 1 launches this Saturday, August 17. I for one am not sure how I feel about this change. I like Speed TV. As I mentioned in my last post, there are shows I will miss once FS1 goes live. I caught myself watching Barrett Jackson auction last Saturday. I got to thinking, what happens to all of us fans of Barrett Jackson? Is FS1 going to broadcast these auctions? I hope so. I really like seeing all those classic cars in all their glory! I wish I had the money to purchase some of the cars especially the ’67 Camaro I saw on the auction block last Saturday night. It was one sweet ride. I am going to miss Wind Tunnel with Dave DeSpain. I DVR’d the last episode that aired last Sunday, but I haven’t been able to watch as of yet. I think I will watch it later this evening. Of course, I am not sure if I will get a chance to watch any of the shows once FS1 goes live since I have Dish. Apparently DISH and Fox Sports is still in negotiation about the finance side of the deal. So if you are on Dish, DirectTV, and/or Time Warner, there may be a delay for you in watching Fox Sports 1.
I kind of cringed on Sunday when I saw the Mobil 1 commercial with Tony. When I first saw the commercial where Tony does the splits, I was creeped out, but now knowing he has a broken leg it was just weird. Of course, if you haven’t had a chance to try soda cookies, you should give a go. I tried it earlier this summer and you know it wasn’t all that bad. Of course, Oreo cookies are still better with milk.
All this debate on whether NASCAR drivers should be allowed to race outside the series is driving me nuts. Like my husband said, dirt racing is Tony’s golf game. I don’t have a problem with it. This is what makes Tony who he is. This is part of the reason most of us like Tony Stewart. He is a blue-collar driver. He is a throw back to the kind of drivers I grew up watching. I don’t know if I can see Tony not racing on during the week. I can if maybe scaling back the amount of races he competes in, but totally cutting it out, I don’t think so scooter.

Make sure you tune in tonight for That Dang Ol’ Racing Show on Real Country 98.5 FM here in Lubbock, Texas from 6-7. I am glad I have a way to get my NASCAR fix during the week. I am also glad there is a forum for us NASCAR fans out here in Raiderland. It can be tough for a NASCAR fan this time of year, especially in Texas when the talk turns to everything that is football. Doesn’t matter if it is high school, college or professional, it’s football, football, football this time of year. I am pumped for the start of the football season, but I am still in the midst of my NASCAR season. I am glad to know once a week for about an hour, I can listen to something other than football talk.

Musings from a Tony Stewart Fan

08/09/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

The first thing I didn’t want to hear on Tuesday morning was the news about Tony Stewart. First of all I am not a morning person and to get that kind of news early in a day doesn’t set a good tone for the rest of the day. I received a text from my husband at 7:45 am. Yea, thank you sweetie. So as we all now know Tony Stewart was racing in Iowa Monday night where he crashed his car and ended up with a broken tibia and fibula in his right leg. Basically the bones that are located in the lower part of your leg were the ones he broke. His first surgery was to stabilize his leg and clean the wound. In his second surgery he had a metal rod placed inside his tibia. Looks like a long road of recovery for Mr. Stewart. Get well soon Mr. Stewart!

Of course with his accident on Monday night, everyone has been debating whether or not Tony should be risking his chances at another championship by racing in other racing series. I have been on the fence about this one. I am not all that thrilled that his 2013 season is pretty much done with even if he were to try to make it back. But on the other hand, this is what Tony Stewart does. He’s a racer. Tony knows full well what can happen to him when he steps into any race car. If this would have happened while he was driving his Cup car there wouldn’t be as much debate. But since it happened during his off time away from Cup, the debate rages on. Should Tony even be racing in other series and risk his career? What if you are Mobile 1 or Bass Pro Shops, do you really enjoy watching your investment racing in other series other than Cup? His sponsors have invested millions of dollars into sponsoring the #14 team with Tony Stewart behind the wheel. Tony Stewart is a bankable star in NASCAR. Even when he has a bad day, he is still worth all the money a sponsor invests in his team. He has three championships under his belt. He is one of the top stars in NASCAR and he gives it his all every week. Definitely a sound investment. But now what?

Max Papis will be replacing Tony this weekend at Watkins Glen. As for future races, a replacement driver has not been named. No matter who it gets behind the wheel, it will be strange not to see Tony racing. I will be cheering on Max Papis this weekend at The Glen. I would love for him to win, but if he can’t, I hope he will make a good showing for the morale of the #14 team and Smoke Nation.

Other thoughts…

Denny Hamlin vs Kyle Petty: Once again Kyle Petty’s comments about a driver has sparked controversy. Earlier in the year it was about Junior, then Danica, and now Denny. Regardless of what you think of Kyle Petty, he does have some insight about the sport that others don ‘t. He is the grandson of Lee Petty and son of Richard Petty. He pretty much has been part of the sport since birth. I had a chance to meet Kyle when his charity ride made a stop here in Lubbock last year. I may not always agree with his opinions, but I think he is good for NASCAR. To me he speaks his mind and isn’t afraid to apologize when he is wrong. He says what everyone is thinking. He doesn’t it play it safe like some commentators sometimes do. I will admit I didn’t take too kindly to his remarks about Danica Patrick, but I respect his opinions.
On August 17, 2013, SPEED TV will no longer exist as we know it. It will become the new Fox Sports 1. Most of my Speed television viewing was centered around NASCAR. However, I did find myself watching other shows on the channel. I watched Dale Jr. “Back in the Day” (which I so miss). Because NASCAR didn’t start until February, I was able to watch the 24 hours at Daytona. To me this signaled that NASCAR was around the corner. I loved watching motorcross. I will miss Wind Tunnel hosted by Dave DeSpain the most. I found myself tuning in every Sunday night. He did cover NASCAR, but he also discussed other racing series as well. He said it like it was and wasn’t afraid to give his opinions. Just like Kyle Petty, I may not have agreed with him on occasion, but I respected his insight. I guess that’s what I look for in my commentators. Thank you Dave! I hope you find a place somewhere so you can keep on giving us your insight.
Along the same lines with the whole change over to FS1, why doesn’t NASCAR look into creating their own channel? I mean if we can have a Golf Chanell, why can’t we have a NASCAR channel? I think this would be a great avenue for NASCAR to showcase their sport. I would love to be able to watch the lower level series in NASCAR (i.e. ARCA). Could they fill 24 hours of programming over 365 days? Why not? The Golf Channel does it. The NFL network does it, even in the off-season. Come of Mr. France let’s give it a go!

One last note…

I am not being paid or am I compensated in any way. This is just a shameless plug from one Tony Stewart to another Tony Stewart fan. A new local radio program debuted this past Tuesday night. The show is called “That Dang Ol’ Racing Show”. The show is hosted by Ryan Hyatt. For you folks who live in and around Raiderland, this name is very familiar to you. He hosted the Williams and Hyatt Show for many years. Now he has taken his passion for NASCAR and racing to the airwaves. I for one was excited to know there would finally be a forum for all of us NASCAR fans out here. It sometimes isn’t easy being a NASCAR fan in the state of Texas. I mean seriously, football is our state sport. But as much as I love football and baseball, NASCAR is my obsession. I am hoping others out there will tune in on Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm on Real Country 98.5 to listen. I for one will be and who knows I might even call in every once in a while.

Sonoma

06/24/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

In years past I was a big fan of the road races, but the last several years have provided some exciting racing at the road courses. Part of the reason I didn’t like road racing, is you would have teams bring in what they called “road course ringers”. Teams would bring in these drivers because their current drivers just didn’t perform well on the road courses. But on the flip side, how are drivers going to get experience and improve their skills if they never get a chance to be out on the course. Anyway, I know some teams bring in other drivers, but we don’t hear as much about the road course ringers as we used to.

with that being said, I was ready to sit down and watch the race. I had my notebook in hand and was settled in my big comfy couch. I wanted to watch a race from the green to the checkers. The last several weeks I haven’t been able to sit down and watch the races. Of course, part of it may be because I didn’t want to mess with the mojo for Tony Stewart that seemed to be working (see previous posts). And just like the last couple of weeks, I didn’t get to watch the race. So the mojo was still working…sorta…see more below.

I would like to congratulate Martin Truex Jr for his victory yesterday at Sonoma. He has not had a win in since June 2007 (or 218 starts since his last win). That’s 6 years. While looking over my notes for this post, I noticed my youngest son had not even been born yet. Well, I am glad he won. He has been so close so many times this year. I like Martin Truex. I am glad for the race fans and as well as Martin that we no longer have the privilege of seeing him “lip sync” the NAPA Know How Jingle. You could tell everyone was happy for him!

Kudos have to go out to both Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch on their finishes yesterday. First up is Jeff Gordon. He was tagged for entering a closed pit road after a yellow had been thrown. He missed it by thatmuch. But at the time Jeff decided to pit, it was still green and it was too late to change his mind. At that point, you are pretty much committed and you just take the penalty. Who knows if he had made it before the yellow, if we would be celebrating with him victory lane instead of Martin. By the way, Jeff was runner-up in yesterday’s race. All I have to say when I heard Kurt got a speeding penalty while serving his first penalty for speeding on pit road…”DOH!”. That is when you know you are having a bad day. Despite this, Kurt finished 4th. I loved what he said to his guys though, “We were fast, even on pit road, twice. I messed up, flat out. I was speeding both times.” I love it. Sometimes you just have to accept the fact that you messed up and move on.

Final thoughts…

Once again Jimmie is still in the lead at this point in the season. But it really doesn’t matter if you lead the first 26 races, it matters what you do in the last ten. Points reset and the everyone from 1-12 is reshuffled. Right now the two wild spots go to Tony Stewart (1 win at sitting in 15th spot) and Kasey Kahne (1 win sitting in 11th). Paul Menard is sitting in the 12th position but he does not have a win this season.
This has been such a feel good weekend for the folks of NASCAR. On Sunday, we have Martin wining after a 218 winless streak. But prior to Sunday, AJ Allmendinger took the win at Road America in the Nationwide Series. It has been a tough year for AJ. It was good to see him get a second chance in NASCAR. From all the interviews I have seen of him, he is so thankful he has been given a second chance. It was wonderful to see the joy on his face in victory lane! I loved it when he kissed the ESPN camera!
I have to say, I wish those singers who get the wonderful opportunity to sing the National Anthem at a sporting event would just sing the song. This not a tryout for “The Voice” or “American Idol”. I don’t mind if you want to hold the notes at the end of the song. But please how some respect for our National Anthem!
Cannot wait for BadGroove’s report from Sonoma. She always has a way of sharing her adventures that make you feel like you were right there with her. She has some of the best writing out there! If you haven’t read her stuff, you are missing out! There are days I wish my writing was even close to hers! Way to go Amy!
I love any commercial with Tony Stewart in it. But, I have to say I am a little creeped out with his latest one involving him doing the splits. It’s just creepy! Sorry Tony, I am not loving this one. Has anyone tried the soda cookie? Just curious…

One final message…

The last few weeks I have discussed with you the idea of not messing with the mojo. I am very superstitious when it comes to sports. I myself had a specific routine when I played basketball and I followed it religiously. I know athletes at all levels I am sure are the same way. This is the reason I didn’t want to mess with the mojo. Since I started not watching the entire races (starting with Charlotte), Tony has not finished out of the top 10. To increase the mojo magic, I posted a picture of Tony holding the 2011 championship trophy prior to Dover. Guess what he won at Dover! So I have been doing this hoping the mojo would continue. Well, last week, I didn’t get to post things as I wanted due to work and home related matters. I did hold up part of the mojo magic, I didn’t watch the entire race. BUT, I DID NOT POST THE PICTURE! And Tony finished a dismal 28th place! UGH! So in order to get the mojo back to where it needs to be…here it is!

Jason Leffler 1975-2013

06/13/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

Godspeed Mr. Leffler

Party in the Poconos 400

06/12/201306/12/2013 / Trixie / Leave a comment

I was already to go for the race last Sunday. For the first I was pumped up for a Pocono race. Of course, it helped that my driver won the week before race. I just had this feeling about Tony that he would have a good weekend. Thanks to Mother Nature, qualifying for the race was rained and the field set according to points standing. This meant Tony would be starting mid-pack. I wasn’t worried though. Tony has a history of not lighting up qualifying. It doesn’t matter where you start, it is where you end up that counts!

Of course, with qualifying being rained out this meant Jimmie Johnson, aka 5-time, was starting on the pole. This doesn’t always bode well with the other 42 competitors. When Jimmie gets out in front and takes control of a race, well, it makes for a long day for the those who aren’t Jimmie fans. I think Jimmie wanted to win this race and in a dominate way. He felt cheated after last week’s race at Dover. When Jimmie has a chip on his shoulder watch out! And that was the case on Sunday. I started watching the race and Jimmie took command of the race. Then for some reason, my body chose to take a nap. I woke up with right before the 2nd caution of the race. I guess I didn’t miss much in between because one there had only been one caution, and two, Jimmie was still in the lead. And that is pretty much how it ended. Congratulations to Jimmie for his third win of the season. He is now tied with Matt Kenseth for the most wins so far this season. He still has the points lead folks. But does it matter that he has the points lead now? Nope. Everything resets for the final 10 races. There is still quite a bit of racing until Richmond!

This was the third week in a row, Tony finished inside the top 10 with a 4th place finish. I am telling you guys do not mess with the mojo I have going on with the #14 team. Once again, I didn’t watch the entire race AND I posted a picture of Tony with his championship trophy from 2011. I am so proud of the #14 team. They have jumped up 7 spots in the last three weeks from 20th to 13th! If they continue the move up the points standings, Tony will be in the top 10 before you know it. I still think he needs at least one more win to secure himself in The Chase. Tony seems to be on the upswing compared to the first part of the season. So without further ado and to keep the mojo going…

Some thoughts from the weekend…

First race of the TNT race schedule. I am not a fan of the TNT coverage. I just have to remember they have only 6 races. One down, five to go. It’s going to be tough, but I think I can make it.
Enough with the restart controversy. Move on, let it go. Jimmie Johnson got punked at Dover. He tried to outsmart Juan, and well, Juan outsmarted him.
In the waning moments of the race on Sunday, I found myself rooting for Dale Jr to pass Jimmie. This for me was like choosing between cheering for Michigan to beat the University of Texas in a football game. I DO NOT LIKE either team (I am a big Ohio State fan and Texas Tech alum). But I like one just a little bit more than the other.
Here are some pics from the race weekend I thought you guys might enjoy