Top Twelve

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In case you missed it last night, the Chasers were on David Letterman helping out with Dave’s Top 10 (oops Top 12) list last night.  The video I found on You Tube was kind of fuzzy so if you want to see the video, hop on over to The Late Show’s site.

However, here’s the “Top 12 Perks of Being a NASCAR Driver”

12.  Crazy gas prices? I’m not paying. (Matt Kenseth)

11.  Bring your helmt to Taco Bell and they’ll fill it with guacamole…FREE. (Kevin Harvick)

10.  don’t have to shave your body like Olympic swimmers…although, why not? (Jeff Gordon)

9.  Hasselhoff prmised me one of those talking cars (Greg Biffle)

8.  I use old checkered flags to make fabulous throw pillos (Tony Stewart)

7.  There’s nothing like going through a car wash at 190 miles per hour (Jeff Burton)

6.  GPS Underpants (Denny Hamlin)

5.  Sorry, I forgot my joke–I was thinking about Jessica Alba–man she’s hot (Clint Bowyer)

4.  Run out of live oil?  A little Quaker State will spruce up any salad (Dale Earnhardt Jr.)

3.  Taveling to exotic locations like Martinsville, Virginia and Dover, Delaware (Jimmie Johnson)

2.  At high reunions, it’s fun to ask, “So what do you do for a living?” (Carl Edwards)

At the #1 perk of bing a NASCAR Driver…

1.  Afte race, you ass vibrates for days (Kyle Busch)

My favorites of the 12…#9, # 7, and #3.  Pretty funny stuff!

2008 Chase

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And so it begins…here are your 2008 Chasers!

  1. Kyle Busch
  2. Carl Edwards
  3. Jimmie Johnson
  4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  5. Clint Bowyer
  6. Denny Hamlin
  7. Jeff Burton
  8. Tony Stewart
  9. Greg Biffle
  10. Jeff Gordon
  11. Kevin Harvick
  12. Matt Kenseth

I have to admit I haven’t really watched much of NASCAR over the last few weeks.  I know that is kind of hard to believe, but I have had quite a bit going on in my life right now especially at work.  There are days at work I feel like I work for NASCAR with the every changing procedures, policies, etc.  UGH!!!  Anyhow, I have gone on a little fact finding mission this afternoon.  I thought I would focus my post race post on the The Chase.  I didn’t really watch all that much of the race so I don’t feel like I could make any sound judgements about the race. 

I am excited about this Chase and not because Tony made the Chase.  He is sitting 8th right now 80 points back of Kyle Busch.  In my opinion, I don’t think you will be able to win the chase unless you win a few races.  That’s just the way it is.  There are those out there who think it will be a three man race and yes I will include myself in that group, but I am going to step back and leave those three out of it for a moment.  Let’s take a look at the other 9 drivers in the Chase.

  • Dale Earnhardt Jr.–He is having a good year, well compared to last year.  He is sitting 4th in the points and has a win.  I just don’t know if he will be able to make a challenge for the championship this year.  Over the last 6 races, he has had 0 wins, 1 top 5, 1 top 10.  He is going to have to light it up in order to catch his teammate Jimmie as well as Kyle and Carl.
  • Clint Bowyer–He barely made it into the Chase as it is.  Yes he has a win and he is sitting 5th right now, but he has struggled over the last several races. Over the last 6 races, he has had only 3 top 10s.  There was a point during the race at Richmond he was out of the top 12.  I just don’t know.
  • Denny Hamlin–I really haven’t followed Denny too much this year.  I know he is Tony and Kyle’s temmate and you would think I would have kept up with him, but he is just not appealing to me.  He does have one win at Martinsville earlier in the year and he does pretty well at New Hampshire.  If he can get a good jump early on, he might be able to challenge for the top spot.  Definite wild card here.
  • Jeff Burton–He has one win this season at the spring Bristol race.  I never count Jeff Burton out in a race until he has either crashed out or is too many laps down to catch the leader.  Like Denny, I think he will be a wild card during the Chase
  • Greg Biffle–I have always like Greg as a driver.  He isn’t afraid to take chances to win a race.  He has a good season this year.  Back in 2005, he lost the championship to Tony by only 35 points.  In 2006 and 2007, the Biff finished 13th and 14th respectively.  Now he is sitting 9th.  In 2005, he started the Chase in second spot, but that was before all the bonus points played into the Chase and seeding.  Greg is right there.  He just needs that little push to get over the hump and he will be able to challenge the Three Amigos.
  • Jeff Gordon–I just don’t know. One week it looks like Jeff is going to challenge for the win and the next well…his car is just crap.  Jeff didn’t forget how to drive.  He is a 4-time champion.  I just think this car has him all mixed up.  I don’t know if Jeff will be able to turn it around in the last 10 races.  Over the past 6 he has had no wins, 1 top 5, 3 top 10s, and a rare DNF. 
  • Kevin Harvick–Next to Carl Edwards, he has the best run over the last 6 races.  3 top 5s and 6 top 10s.  He hasn’t won a race this season, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t just open up can and win a few.  I like his chances in the Chase.  He is definitely one of my two darkhorses. 
  • Matt Kenseth–Like Jeff Burton, you can never count out Matt in a race unless he has crashed out and/or too many laps down.  He isn’t known for his qualifying efforts, but that doesn’t matter.  He quitely makes his way up through the field and then the next thing you know he is either challenging for the lead or leading.  He along with Jimmie Johnson has made the Chase every single year.

And finally (last but defintely not least), Mr. Tony Stewart.  I hate to say it, but I just don’t know if Tony can get it together for the last 10 races.  It pains me to say, but he has quite a bit going on.  He is preparing to run his last 10 races wtih the team he has known for the last 10 years.  He has exciting things coming up for 2009.  And to be honest, his attention is focused in too many areas at the moment.  I know what it is like to be at your old job awaiting to head to the new job.  You want to do the best you can at the current job, but how can you now get excited and yes distracted with the new opportunity presented ahead of you.  That’s where I believe Tony is at the moment.  You could tell the frustration level has reached the maximum boiling point.  That was evident after the race on Sunday.  The win was right there.  He could taste it along with his fans, but Jimmie Johnson out raced him.  That’s it.  He is going to have to get on one of his famous hot streaks if he is even going to challenge for the championship. 

Now…who do I think will make it to the top to win all the marbles?  This has been somewhat a difficult thing to pin down.  Kyle looks to be the safe bet as well as Carl, but Jimmie is peaking at the right time and we all know when Jimmie gets in the zone, he is pretty much unbeatable.  Last year he won 4 of the Chase races.   Even in the 2006 Chase when most of us thought he was out of it after Talladega, he finished no further back than 9th to win the whole thing.  So with that information in front of me, I am going to have to take Jimmie Johnson to win it in 2008. 

It’s a toss up between Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick as my dark house.  They both have the potential to just bust out during the last 10 races, but I am going to have to go with The Biff on this one, but only by a small margin.

Now, let’s sit back and watch The Chase all unfold.

Hit and Run

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Sorry for the delay on the California race. I have been trying to get things together at work and at home and to be blunt, I didn’t really give two cents about the race. Every time I looked up Jimmie was leading the race. There would be a caution and a pit stop and Jimmie would come out leading or if he wasn’t he would be shortly. I think Jimmie and Chad have figured some things out and they are making their move. I did find it somewhat amusing the yellow light caused a yellow. Luckily it fell after cars had already passed it.

Richmond is going to be in interesting race. I love Saturday night short track racing. For those boys on the bubble this is it. This is the race you need to make your move. After Saturday night, you are racing for next year so to speak. I believe it it going to be a three person Chase between Kyle, Carl, and Jimmie. Unless someone gets hot during the chase, which could happen, everyone else will be chasing those three.

Other notes…David Stremme to the #12, Dario is going back to Indy cars, Joey L in the 02 car for the Cup race…I think that is it. If I missed something I am sorry. I am tyring to do the best I can with everything these last couple of weeks.

Oh…I am going to CHICAGO the first of October. I am SO EXCITED!!! So if any of you out there have any suggestions for food/sights, please let me know…This will be my first trip to the Windy City.

View from the Suite

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Sorry for not keeping up with NASCAR this week.  Work has been crazy and I have been sick as well, so I am thankful for this Labor Day weekend.

Yesterday my beloved Red Raiders kicked off their 2008 campaign.  This is the first time in awhile where we have gotten quite a bit of press.  We are currently ranked #14 in the AP poll.  There are high expectations for the Red Raiders being lead by Graham Harrell and Michael Crabtree.  We opened up last night against Eastern Washington University and I was able to be at the game.  

Here’s the view of the field from where I was watching the game

 

Now I know you are thinking where in the world was my seat.  I can tell you it was in the nose bleed seats unless you consider sitting in the Texas Tech Athletic Director’s Football Suite a nose bleed seat.  That’s right, Postman and I had some pretty “suite” seats.  I was invited to be a guest coach for yesterday’s game.  This was my second opportunity to be a guest coach.  I was able to be a guest coach on the first game of the football season back during the 2003 campaign.  

 

I have to say I enjoyed watching the game from the suite.  I was still able to get a feel for the game festivities even from my seat.  I took several pics from the suite and I loved watching the Goin’ Band from Raiderland, who in my opinion, is one of the best collegiate bands out there.  The best part…their entrance onto the field.  When I was a student Tech was all that great in football.  The highlight of some games was watching our band.  No matter what, I love watching the Tech band.

 

 

And even I have gotten into the Michael Crabtree spirit.  Notice the crab hat I am wearing.  Yes, I look like a goober, but hey no look is too crazy for this Red Raider fan.  I also have the crab claws as well, but forgot to put them on.  That would have definitely completed my look.

One other thing…this was the cleanest my desk looked all week.  If you notice to the left on the shelf, you can see part of my Tony Stewart Pez Dispenser.  And of course, there’s my picture of Tony on the bulletin board “watching” over me.

I wanted to get something up before I get ready to watch the race tonight.  Jimmie has the pole and I am hoping Tony will get his first win this season.  He starts 14th.  In the spring race, he started 6th and finished 7th.  Go Tony!!!!  

Smoke

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You would think I would be able to keep up with articles written about Tony Stewart or other tidbits concerning him, but the last few weeks has been super crazy. I wish I could get back on track with all my NASCAR stuff, but between gettting a 5 year old ready for his adventure into kindergarten, maintinaing some kind of saneness at work, and pretty much trying to herd my “cats”, I am tired. But I was able to get into the garage to have some repair done and was able to surf a few of my haunts out there in the blogosphere.

I have to give credit to Karah over at Diary of a Track Bunny for sharing this Rolling Stone article about Tony Stewart

Definitely worth reading…and while you are over there take a gander at her site. This is one of my favorite sites to visit.

Bristol

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This post is going to be Bristol style–short and fast.

  • Congrats to Carl–might be the only driver to catch Kyle
  • Carl “bump and run”–not as good as Jeff G or Dale Sr., but very effective
  • Kyle vs Carl–something NASCAR has needed, definitely a rivalry forming
  • I bet #88 will remember to wait to pass other cars until he gets to the start/finish line this week
  • Casey Mears to RCR in the 07 for 09.  Clint to the 33
  • Tony finished 8th
  • Joey officially going to be in the #20 in ’09
That’s about it for Bristol.  Sorry for the short post.  We had lots of things happening here today.  Little Smoke started his first day of Kindergarten and he had a rough day of it.  But tomorrow is another day…
Have a great week!

Sprucin’ Up The Park

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I can’t believe I am pretty much caught up at work. That’s not the shocking part though. The fact that I am caught up this time of year is amazing. I work for a major university in Texas and the fall semester starts Monday. Next week will be VERY BUSY! With that said I was able to squeeze in some time this afternoon to spruce up THe Park.

I am still trying to figure out some things with WordPress. I was very comfortable with making changes when I was over at Blogger. Several weeks ago I change my header from the #20 orange looking banner to the new #14 red in preparation of Tony’s change from JGR to SHR. It was just was pretty much a rush job. I wanted to make some changes. I really the layout of my current template, but I am not happy with the white background. I know there are limitations with the template and that is why I may bite the bullet and make the switch to wordpress.org. This way I can have my site hosted on one of those host sites and have a little bit more freedom with The Park. But until I make the decision I will just have to deal with what I have right now. And so, that’s why the new banner.

The Park is predominately dominated by NASCAR, but I am passionate about a few other things as well and I wanted those to be represented too. So as you can see the “new and improved” banner pays homage to Tony Stewart, the Dallas Cowboys, and most of my Texas Tech Red Raiders.