Saturday Night Racing

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The time has come for some NASCAR racing!  I cannot wait.  It seems like forever since the checkered flag flew at Homestead to close out the 2012 season.  I love this time of year.  Everywhere I turn there is something about NASCAR on television.  That was no different yesterday.  I was channel surfing yesterday morning and came across the 1998 Daytona 500 on ESPN Classic.  Because I needed NASCAR racing fix, I stopped and watched.  I do not normally stop and watch previously run races, but how can a NASCAR fan not stop and watch this Daytona 500.  For those who may not know, this was the one and only Daytona 500 that Dale Earnhardt Sr. ever won.  Who knew in just three short years we would no longer see The Intimidator running his black #3 on the track?  I still get chills when I see him take the checkered flag that day.  He had won everything there was to win at Daytona, but the Daytona 500 was the one race that eluded him. But on that on that day back on February 15, he was not going to be denied.  The only thing more special that day than Dale winning, was the admiration of the all guys on other teams.  As Dale drove his car down pit road, everyone came out to congratulate him on his victory.  It was something that has never been seen and probably won’t again.  Respect…that’s what it was all about.  Dale may have been labeled the Intimidator but he was one of the best around.

The Sprint Unlimited will be held tonight down in Daytona.  I am pumped for this race to get started.  I think it is going to be interesting to see how the race will turn out.  The race is going to be very fan oriented.  As mentioned before the fans have been able to choose the format of the race.  The fans also get to choose what the teams must do on the mandatory pit stop after the first segment.  Plus, the fans get to determine how many drivers, if any, will be eliminated at the end of segment two.  Of course I think the interesting part is the fans who are attending the race will get to determine the starting grid for tonight’s race.  They have three options (1)most career wins (2)2012 points and (3)poles won.  I am hoping the racing will be fantastic and this fan driven race doesn’t turn out to be a bust.  I think that is what I like about NASCAR.  NASCAR as a whole understands they cannot have a sport without its fans.  Yes, NASCAR does have high paid athletes and its share of problems, but all in all NASCAR likes to have their fans involved.  NASCAR has the most loyal fan base around.  Just ask anyone.

So…now back to the race.  This will be the first drivers will have the chance to put the cars in race conditions. I am interested to see if the cars will be able to create that racing action we all love to see at Daytona.  Will the drivers be able to bump draft?  Will the cars respond better in pack driving or single file or heaven all help us two by two?  I am just hoping for some great racing (and for that #14 to cross the finish line first).  Of course we all know the drivers will probably take things easy throughout segments one and two.  It is the third segment of 20 laps I would watch out for.  Even though this isn’t a points race, drivers are competitors and well, frankly winning is everything.  I want to see some last lap passes and a race to the finish.  And did I mention it, I want that #14 to be the first one crossing the finish line at the checkers.

Coolest thing I saw yesterday during practice…there is a camera mounted inside the car on the passenger side.  From the view of the camera, you can see what it is like when the car heads off into the 31 degree banking at Daytona.  The camera stays put as the car heads off into these turns.  It was wicked cool and to be frank made me a little queasy.  I was also in awe of how much technology can take us into the whole experience of NASCAR.  Granted I wasn’t pulling the amount of Gs the driver does when he or she enters the banking, but oh my–coolest thing ever!

Caution…climbing up on the soap box.  An article coming from the Sporting News has riled me up just a little.  Jimmie Johnson or 5-timer feels our newest champion Brad Keselowski needs to mature a little.  Apparently Jimmie didn’t like how he handled himself after winning the championship.  He took issue with the way Brad behaved on Sportscenter after the race.  Blah, blah, blah.  Here is my take on all of this (and remember this is my opinion and I am not a big fan of Jimmie).  I like a driver who has a personality and isn’t afraid to show it to the fans.  He does speak his mind and is a little brash at times, but hey why not?  I am tired of these drivers who toe the line and say all the right things.  Vanilla frankly is booorrriiinngg!  Brad brings a young perspective to the sport.  Isn’t that what it is all about these days?  How are you going to grow your sport if you can’t bring in new fans, younger fans?  Brad is fun!  Yes, the champion does represent the sport and should act accordingly, but come on Jimmie, he just won his first NASCAR championship!  Can’t the man have a little fun?  And as I recall Jimmie, wasn’t there something about you and a golf cart a few years back?

One more little note…thanks to my hubby I will be able to watch tonight’s race after all.  There was this little issue about DISH and the owner of our local Fox affiliate and well, FOX was blocked.   This meant no racing for me.  I could listen to it on Sirius NASCAR radio, but it just isn’t the same.  My hubby purchased an antennae and tada…FOX television!  That’s right kiddos, momma is VERY, VERY, HAPPY!!!!

Media Day 2013

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It is has now begun…NASCAR 2013!  Today is the ever popular Media Day in NASCAR.  This is the first chance we get to see and hear all the drivers in one place.  I love this day!  I am sure by the end of the day the drivers are tired of hearing the same questions from all the media guys.  Some guys are better at Media Day than others.  I can’t wait to see what Mr. Tony Stewart has to say!  I wonder if any of the media guys will ask Danica about Ricky?  Who knows what we will see throughout the day?

sprint unlimited trophy 2013Sprint Unlimited (aka Bud Shootout)–This year the fans were able to vote for how the Sprint Unlimited would play out.  This included segment duration, pit stops, driver elimination and yes, even the driver line-up.  The race segment durations are as follows: 1st segment-30 lap, 2nd segment-25 laps and 3rd segment-20 laps. Voting for the pit stop options will close after the green flag drops for the first segment.  The choices will be 4 tires, 2 tires, or no stop at all after the end of the first segment.  Fans have until the green flag of the segment to vote how many drivers will be eliminated, your choices, 0, 2, 4 or 6.  The other interesting part of this is how will the race lineup be determined.  This too is fan driven.  Only the fans that are attending the race on Saturday will have the luxury of setting the starting grid.   This should be interesting!  Man sucks to be a crew chief during this race, but hey, that’s why they get paid the big bucks.  They will definitely earn some come Saturday night. Here’s a picture of the trophy the winner of the race will receive on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Mike Bagley’s Twitter feed).

I feel overwhelmed by all the ways I can get my information from Media Day–internet, Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, and NASCAR.com.  I have all my electronic equipment on to help me out, iPhone, iPad, computer and yes even my television.  I am so glad I am able to keep up with all of this today.  The last couple of years I was at work and wasn’t able to get involved as much as I am today.  I am hoping to get some fun stuff out of the whole media day coverage so I can share with you fine people out there.  Today helps me to get pumped up for the NASCAR season.  It’s like back to school day for all of us in NASCAR nation.  The disadvantage of watching Media Day in various formats, you get to see the same answers to some of the questions.  All in all I enjoyed the day.

I tried to take notes so I could share with those what they missed today.  I have to admit I was interested in seeing  Kurt Busch.  He is now at Furniture Row Racing which is based out of Denver, Colorado.  It isn’t a powerhouse team like HMS or Roush, but I think with Kurt driving for them, they might be able to get some wins under their belts this year and perhaps make the Chase.  Speaking of Kurt, if you didn’t get a chance to watch “The Kurt Busch Special” you missed an opportunity to get to know Kurt.  I have never been a Kurt fan.  He is very talented, but I have had some issues with his behavior on and off the racetrack.  But I have to admit no matter what he does the media will scrutinize him more than I think other drivers.

The big elephant in the room today was probably the whole Danicky or Stanica or DanRicky romance.  This  would be Danica Patrick and Ricky Stenhouse for those who have been living in a cave for the past several weeks.  Questions were asked and from what I saw they both handled the questions in a professional manner.  Of course, I wasn’t too interested in what Ricky got her for Valentine’s Day and vice versa.  It is no different from my point of view when two co-workers begin to date one another.  Hopefully every time we see them on the track close to one another the broadcasters won’t keep bringing up their relationship.  But admit it, we all are curious to see if what would happen if they broke up.  What makes matters even fun is they are both going for the “Rookie of the Year” title.

I definitely had to multitask today (doing laundry and enjoying Media Day). IMG_1622 At one point in the day I had Sirius NASCAR Radio, NASCAR. com, and ESPN playing all at the same time. Man it is a good thing I am not ADHD or I would have blow some kind of gasket. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing anyone I wanted to see or hear. I think I like both Sirius and NASCAR.com’s coverage.  It seemed more conversational than the ESPN coverage.  All were of course very informing and entertaining.  I got a chance to see Tony Stewart not once but twice today.  My youngest loves Tony Stewart and he too was enjoying some of media day.  Frankly he was building a race track with his Geotrax on the floor during most of it, but when Tony was on he stopped to watch.  He is DEFINITELY my son!

Here are a couple of tidbits from today.

  • Mark Martin has been in every Sprint Unlimited (formerly Shootout or whatever it has been called over the years) since 1982 with exception of last year.
  • Michael Waltrip will run the #23 (instead of #30) for Swan Racing in the Daytona 500 in honor of the 26 victims of Sandy Hook Elementary.  All I have to say is very classy.
  • It seemed as if Danica Patrick was more relaxed this year then in previous Media Days.  I remember watching her during her first Media Day.  She seems like an old pro now.  This will be her first full season in Cup this year.  There will be a definite learning curve, but hey, who hasn’t had to navigate a learning curve during their first year in Cup.
  • Talk turned did turn to the new car–Generation 6.  I am excited to see this new car.  I was not a fan of the COT.  I think the racing suffered because of it in my opinion.  I think it will improve the racing we have seen over the last few years.  But until the drivers can get some real racing in the cars, we can only predict what will happen with this new car.
  • Kevin Harvick will be in his final season with Richard Childress Racing.  He will move over to Stewart Haas Racing beginning in 2014.  It will be interesting to see how his season will be knowing he is considered a lame duck.
  • Will the iconic #3 return to the track next year in Cup?  I think enough time has elapsed since the passing of Dale Earnhardt Sr.  It will be 12 years on February 18.  I think the fans will be at peace with the decision if the #3 returns.

That’s about it from me today.  If you want more notes and news from today, check out Facebook, Twitter, or NASCAR.com.  I am sure you will find what you are looking for with regards to the season.

NASCAR Hall of Fame and other stuff

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Tonight NASCAR inducted its newest class of Hall of Fame members.  Welcome the newest members of the HOF…Buck Baker, Cotton Owens, Herb Thomas, Rusty Wallace and Leonard Wood.  All of these newest members made an impact on the sport of NASCAR.  For those who don’t know the NASCAR Hall of Fame is the newest sports Hall of Fame to be in existence.  The first class was inducted in 2010.  I remember the debate that waged on about who would be in the first class.  Of course the first names that came to mind for me was Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.  How can you NOT put those two men in the first class.  Both are seven time champions and still have an enduring impact on the sport today.  Of course the other person that came to mind as well was Mr. Bill France Sr.  There would not NASCAR without him.  I had no argument with Bill France Jr. and Junior Johnson.  The 2011 & 2012 class were also filled with men who made an impact on the sport as well.  NASCAR when compared to other major sports in the United States is still very young.  NASCAR has only been around since 1948.  But that doesn’t mean men and yes, women weren’t racing.  Since cars rolled off the assembly line men and women have tried to see who had the fastest car.  This has not changed.  I still would like to see some more of the pioneers be inducted before they start inducting more recent NASCAR drivers, owners, etc.  It’s important for us who haven’t been following NASCAR all those years understand how the sport got started.  Congratulations to the newest members of the Hall of Fame!

Speaking of history…Darrell Wallace Jr. will become the fourth African American to get a full-time ride in a top series in NASCAR.  It will be announced on Saturday, Darrell will drive for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Camping World Truck Series.  He will follow in the footsteps of Wendell Scott, Willie T. Ribbs, and Bill Lester.  I have to admire Wendell Scott. He drove in NASCAR from 1961-1971.  I cannot even begin to understand what it must have been like for Wendell Scott.  Wendell Scott is the only black driver to win a race in a national series back in 1964.  I am hoping he will be inducted into the HOF within the next couple of years.  He may not have the number of wins or championships like some other drivers, but he certainly deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.  To me the HOF should be about pioneers and those who made an impact on the sport.  To me Wendell Scott did just that.  Think about what America was like during the time he raced in NASCAR.  I am sure it wasn’t easy for a black man to compete in a sport whose roots were in the South.   I really don’t want to get into a debate about how NASCAR should be more diverse that’s not what this paragraph is about.  We can save that discussion for another day.

NASCAR announced this week for those drivers who finish in the spots 39th-43rd will receive $4,000 less for each position.  Basically the other money will be redistributed to the other spots in the field.  This announcement will affect those who start and park the most.  I have never been a big fan of the start and park drivers, but I understand why some teams have to do this.  Competing in NASCAR is not cheap.  You can’t just run down to the local Wal-Mart and buy tires or run to Autozone to get the necessary parts for the cars.  Teams have to pay drivers, crew, engineers, etc as well as transportation costs along with many other incidentals that we as race fans never see on a daily basis.  Sponsorships are few and far between these days.  There are major race teams who have difficulty finding sponsorships.  I can’t even imagine what it is like for these smaller teams.  This will definitely have the start and park teams deciding on which races they will run this year.  If it was me, I would look at those that would give me the most bang for my buck.

One more note…because I am a DISH Satellite customer, I cannot watch my local Fox channel.  There is some disagreement between DISH and the owner of the local Fox station about some kind of price increase.  Until they come to an agreement, I am blacked out from all my shows.  This means if they DO NOT come to some kind of agreement, I will NOT be able to watch the Sprint Unlimited next weekend.  Of course this means that one of my friends will have me for a house guest next weekend!  If I am unable to watch next weekend, I will be ok, but if I have to miss the Daytona 500, I WILL NOT BE A HAPPY NASCAR FAN!  So if you are listening DISH and my local Fox affiliate, come to the table and get a deal done.  I am sure I am not the only NASCAR out there who is unhappy about this situation!

chase with tony magNow for a little bit of fun stuff…I bought two race magazines to get ready for the 2013 season.  I was lucky enough to find a NASCAR Illustrated with Tony Stewart on the cover at my local Wal-Mart.  But what made me smile the most was my youngest son Chase.  He saw one of my magazines sitting on the couch and asked if he could read my racing magazine last night.  He is only four years old and he loves Tony Stewart!  Every time he watches a race with me he is always looking for Tony’s car.  So when he was reading the magazine I had to snap this picture.  And this morning he asked me if he could read “The Tony Stewart Magazine”.  Man…his indocturination is complete.  This boy is now part of the NASCAR Nation!

NASCAR 2013

/ Trixie / 1 Comment

It has been awhile since I have posted.  It’s been crazy the last several months, but I am hoping things have settled down enough for me to get back in the groove of my blog.

I am excited about the 2013 season.  We are still about 24 days away from the start of the Daytona 500, but there has been quite a bit of goings on during the off-season.  I think the biggest is the new Generation 6 car.  Teams tested these cars early in January.  I was able to catch a couple of hours of the testing sessions and I have to say I really like the look of the cars.  They are better looking than the COT.  But the big question remains, how will the new car affect the racing?  Will we see more exciting racing than we have had over the last couple of years.  Don’t get me wrong, there has been some exciting racing, but at times, I have been able to get a decent afternoon nap during some of the races.  But until there is a few races under the drivers’ belts, we cannot judge whether the racing is better or worse.  That will be the big topic for the rest of the season I believe.

I am interested to see how Danica Patrick will do this season.  She will be entering her first full season in the Cup series.  There will be a learning curve that is for sure.  She was part-time in the Cup series last year.  She struggled during the races she participated, but I think she learned quite a bit during those races.  I am sure there isn’t a driver out there on the circuit that didn’t have a learning curve.  This season however will be tough.  She will have to race in all 36 races.  I am curious to know how she will do.  And that note, she is dating Ricky Stenhouse her rival for Rookie of the Year honors.  I really don’t care who is dating who.  People date other people in the workplace, what makes this any different?  I just hope the media doesn’t make a bigger deal out of this than it should be.

Predictions?  I really don’t have any.  As from years past, one cannot predicate who will win the championship.  It’s all about getting into the Chase and making the most of the opportunity–just ask the last two champions, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart.  Will Clint Bowyer suffer the “2nd Place” Jinx?  In 2010, Denny Hamlin finished 2nd to Jimmie Johnson.  The following year there were high hopes for Denny Hamlin to take the championship, but he struggled during the year and finished 9th in points.  Carl Edwards finished in 2nd to Tony Stewart in 2011.  He ended in a tie with Tony and due to tie-breaking rules, he lost the championship.  Carl struggled in 2012 and finished 15th and out of the Chase.  Will Clint Bowyer suffer the same fate after finishing 2nd to Brad K. in 2012?

I am pumped about the trucks coming to Eldora in July.  I love to watch dirt track racing.  If you have followed this site regularly you know my father took me to watch the races at the local dirt track in Amarillo.  It is was here I developed my love of racing.  This is going to be such an exciting race.  I have always stated the Truck series is some of the most exciting racing on the circuit.  I think it is because the races aren’t as long as the Nationwide and Cup series races.  So basically the drivers have to be up on the wheel when the green flag drops.  So who knows what kind of racing we will get on dirt…either way it will be exciting!

As I do every year I post my NASCAR warning.  This was originally a post I did some several years to warn others around me about how I will be the next 9 months (February-November).  It has somewhat become a ritual for me.  When I worked I would have the sign hanging in my office as a warning to my co-workers.  So here it is…if you are a NASCAR junkie like me, feel free to share it with others.  This way they will know what the next 9 months will be like.

Attention to all of my family, friends, co-workers, and complete strangers, NASCAR season is upon us.  I will NOT be available for family functions, outings, or get-togethers on Sundays.  If there is an event on said Sunday, you will have to understand they must be held prior to the start of the race or after the race.  If you must schedule things during the race be aware I may not attend your function or request that I have access to a television set.  This also applies to races that are held occasionally on Saturday nights.  If you wish to spend time with me, you must understand the topic of conversation will be predominately about the upcoming race, the previous Sunday’s race, Tony Stewart, or anything in general about NASCAR.  This is the time of the year all projects are put aside unless they involve a NASCAR related event.  Please don’t be offended if I ignore you on Sundays or the occasional Saturday…it’s nothing personal…IT’S NASCAR!!!

Rangers

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I have been quite busy these days with vacation and being a new stay at home mom.  But I was able to take in a Texas Rangers game while on vacation this past week.  I was very excited about seeing my Rangers play the Colorado Rockies.  There is something about going to a game as opposed to watching it on television.  Like with any sporting event, being there is AWESOME.  You get all the sights and sounds you don’t see on television.  You may get a little bit, but not all of it. 

Any way, this was going to be my first game in The Ballpark.  I had gone to a Rangers game back in high school with my youth group to the old stadium.  We sat in the cheap seats on metal bleachers on a hot August afternoon in Texas.  If you have EVER been to that part of Texas in August you know what I had to endured that day.  It was HOT!  With that being said, this past Saturday was a reminder of why I would rather attend a game in the evening in Texas than a mid afternoon game.  It was a beautiful day for baseball.  Sun was shining, a little breeze, and a couple of clouds in the sky.  But as I said this is Texas.  It was HOT!!!  When I sat down on my seat, I thought I had given my rear end third degree burns.  Luckily, if you gradually sat there for a bit, you became acclimated to the seat.  But the sun had no mercy on all of us Ranger fans that day! 

My sons, despite the weather, enjoyed their first professional baseball game.  They were both decked out in Rangers gear (see picture to the left).  By the way, it was Michael Young bat day.  That is my husband standing behind my boys.  My youngest has a favorite player (same as his mother’s favorite player), he is Mike Napoli.  Napoli plays catcher and at times first base for the Rangers.  My oldest has taken to Mike Napoli too.  I believe it is because of their mother they cheer more for Napoli.  However, they can cheer any of the Rangers.  It doesn’t matter to me.  

It was a rough day for all of us.  I had to make a visit to the first aid station for an ice pack.  I usually try to tough it out on days like this, but I am not as young as I used to be.  Ever since that bad case of heat exhaustion several years, I have to watch my time out in the heat/humidity.  The ice pack was a God send.  But it was still HOT!  Every once in a while a random cloud would cover the sun.  But the sun was vicious.  My little one and hubby seem to being surviving, but my oldest, like me was struggling.  We decided to leave in the 5th inning.  I wanted to stay through the whole game, but it was already 11-1 (Rockies).  Plus we had to head back to Lubbock that day as well which is a 6 hour drive.  So, we decided to head on home.

Despite the shortened time at The Ballpark we had a blast.  Prior to the game on Saturday, we took a tour of The Ballpark on Thursday.  We got to see the press box, a ballpark suite, and sit in the Rangers dugout, among other things.  The coolest thing, was getting a peek into the Rangers locker room.  Normally, you would not get to see inside, but someone came out of the locker room just as the group was passing by.  He held the door open and we got to see inside.  It was pretty neat.  Tried to coax the little one to “run” into the locker room so mom would have to go get him.  But he would help his mom out.  Oh well, I aimed my camera and snapped a photo.  Upon closer inspection of the picture, I got Yu Darvish’s locker!  We also got to see an area where they unloaded Rangers equipment bags.  And while looking in the cage, I see #25!  That’s right…Mike Napoli’s bag!  I know it is kinda cheesy of me, but hey….I am a rabid baseball fan!

That’s the adventure of our Rangers experience.

Prelude to The Dream

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Once again I have spent another June evening watching the Prelude.  If you have never caught the Prelude to the Dream, well you are missing out on some fantastic racing.  This is my fourth year of watching the event.  It is a pay per view event, however proceeds go to the charity the event benefits each year.  This year it was Feed The Children.

The Prelude is held each year at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.  Eldora is owned by NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.  Each year Tony invites many of his fellow NASCAR drivers to compete in late-model cars on this dirt track in Ohio.  NASCAR car drivers are not the only ones who are invited each year either. Tony also invites drivers from NHRA and IRL.  I usually don’t compare the ball and stick sports to NASCAR because NASCAR, in my opinion, is different from ball and stick sports on many levels.  But this type of racing on dirt is like being at a minor league baseball game.  Drivers are racing for no points, but bragging rights.  This year was no different.

All the usual suspects were there this year–Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kenny Schrader, Kenny Wallace and yes, even 5-time himself Jimmie Johnson.  This year’s drivers also included Danica Patrick.  I found this very intriguing.  This was going to be the first time she would race in this type of race car and on this type of racing service.  She didn’t do too bad for her first time on dirt.  In case you haven’t watched late-model dirt racing, you have to turn right to go left.  It felt like she was a fish out of water but at least she gave it a shot.  I still wonder why Dale Jr hasn’t tried his hand at this event.  I think they could really draw quite a crowd if Dale Jr. ran it one time.  Of course, they draw a crowd for this event becuase of the love Tony has for Eldora and this event.

I was not disappointed.  I thought it was quite funny when Tony took Darryl Waltrip around the track in his late-model car.  I swear I think DW was screaming like a little girl the whole time he was in the car.  It was pretty hilarious.   Tony knows what he was doing and I don’t believe he lifted once.  Talk about your E-ticket ride!  Another great moment prior to the race was Tony’s presentation to Dick Bergren.  He gave Dick a racing helmet he wore during his championship season last year.  In case you weren’t aware, last weekend was Dick’s last race as a report for Fox.  I will miss him.  He was one of the best!

Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer clearly had the best cars of the night.  They were going at pretty good until Clint got into the wall.  I thought Kasey Kahne was going to run away with the even after Clint was knocked out.  But even on the dirt track Kasey is snake bit.  He ran into a stranded Bobby Labonte.  I don’t know if Kasey saw him, but that was a nasty crash.  It was nasty enough to take off one of Kasey’s wheels.  I believe Kasey saw him, but due to the racing surface couldn’t stop in time.  This opened the door for Kyle Busch.  It was pretty much that way the rest of the race.  Tony was trying to get make his way towards the front, but didn’t have enough laps left.  Congratulations to Kyle Busch!

One of these days I would love to make the pilgrimage to Eldora to watch the event live.  I love watching dirt racing.  It brings me back to those Saturday nights in Amarillo when my family would head out to the dirt track.  It wasn’t a complete Saturday night until you go some of that mud in your hair that was flung from the cars on the race track.  I can still hear the sounds of the cars as the went around the track.  It brings me back to a time when I was carefree and had my future in front of me.

Thank you Tony Stewart!

Oops He Did It Again

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Kurt Busch has done it again.  He has been suspended by NASCAR for his latest actions in NASCAR.  He will be suspended from all activities this weekend at Pocono.  Kurt was already on probation from NASCAR from his actions during the Darlington weekend May 12.

This latest saga began last Saturday after the Nationwide race.  Bob Pockrass, a reporter from the Sporting News caught up with Kurt.  Mr. Pockrass asked Kurt whether or not his probation status had affected his racing during the Nationwide Race.  Busch’s response, “It refrains me from beating the s*** out of you right now because you ask me stupid questions,” Busch replied. “But since I’m on probation, I suppose that’s improper to say, as well.”

My question would be with regards to this latest incident is (in my best Dr. Phil voice) “What were you thinking?”  That’s just it.  I do not think Kurt Busch was thinking on Saturday.  Could this latest incident spell doom for Kurt?  He is currently driving for Phoenix Racing which isn’t one of the top-tier teams in NASCAR.  They have a limited budget and with Kurt not being able to run this weekend in Pocono will hurt Phoenix Racing.  Kurt went on an expletive tirade against ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch at last season’s ending Homestead weekend.  His 2005 season was cut short with two races to go after he was pulled over for suspicion of drunken driving and cited for reckless driving.  He has also had several dustups with fellow drivers throughout his years in NASCAR.  the one that clearly comes to mind is his dustup with Jimmy Spencer. Of course who can forget his run in with Jimmy Spencer.

As a former champion (he won it all in 2004), I expect you to handle yourself with a little bit more professionalism on and off the track.  I can understand that drivers feel frustration when they are knocked out of race sooner than expected.  But with all the advances in media distribution (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and with everyone have a cell phone camera, you have to be mindful of your behavior at every corner.  I do not know what is going on with Kurt Busch.  I am sure he is the only one who knows why continues to do what he does.  I would like to think with this latest incident that someone from NASCAR sits down with him and gives him the “Come To Jesus” talk I believe he is needing.  I feel if he continues to head down this path of behavior, he will be out of the sport.

Just one NASCAR fan’s opinion.