Daytona 500

Gettin’ Closer

/ Trixie / Leave a comment

I can’t believe it…we are thisclose to the Daytona 500.   I am ready to get the 2009 season underway.  I want my NASCAR racing.  Of course, the first NASCAR racing will take place on February 7 with the Bud Shootout.  And I thought it was going to be a “Smoke”-free event, but not any more my fellow Smoke friends.  It was announced today the field has been expanded from 24 to 28 cars.  That’s right…there can be 7 cars from each manufacturer.  So that means Tony will be representing the Chevrolet camp as well in the #14.  Woo Hoo!!!

This isn’t the only change that has occurred during the off season.  The merger between Gillete-Evernham and Petty Enterprises was finalized, but not without some controversy.  I still don’t know what happened with the #19 situation.  First Sadler was in, then out and replaced by Allmendinger and then back in.  Was this all much ado about nothing?  At this point I don’t really care.  Just get everything done so we can move on with other items in the news.  Bobby Labonte left Petty and now is in the Hall of Fame Racing/Yates #96 for the 2009 season.  I am glad Bobby has found him a ride for the season.  I think he has some racing left in him…and after all he is a Texas boy.

We also had the DEI-Ganassi merger as well.  And I read that Max Siegal left DEI to head up NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program.  I haven’t seen much on the DEI front, but I am sure they are busy working away over there.

Let’s see who else has made changes for the 2009 season.

  • Clint Bowyer is now in the #33 and Casey Mears who came over from HMS to be the driver in #07.  In my opinion, they should have left Clint in his car and put Casey in the new car.  I don’t see Casey as a Jack Daniels driver.
  • Mark Martin is back full time in the #5 vacated by Casey Mears.  Will this be the year he will get that elusive championship?  He will definitely have a pretty good shot over at HMS.
  • Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman will definitely be worth watching this year.  They may struggle a little, but it’s going to be fun to watch.
  • David Stremme is now with Penske driving the #12.
  • Joey Lagano will take over the #20 for JGR.  I just can’t see anyone else in the #20 right now.  It is still a little new to think I will have to look for that #14 red Office Depot car on the track.

I know there have been some more driver/team/sponsor changes, but there are just too many for me to keep up with.  I guess we will all need a program guide to get everyone straight.  

I am a little pumped for this year.  I am hoping Tony will prove to those naysayers out there driver/owners can be competitive and win.  Tony is very passionate and wants to win.  He will prove that he made the right decision by leaving his established life at JGR to venture out on his own.  If his success with Eldora Speedway is any indication, watch out boys!

You Are A Winner

/ Trixie / 1 Comment

Sorry for the last couple of posts.  It’s have been one crazy ball of fire here at work.  I was feeling like Tony S. at times.  Why?  People would ask my opinion about something and I would give only to be met with anger and criticism.  Basically, if you are going to ask for my opinion I am going to tell you like it is, if you don’t like the words that are coming out of my mouth then don’t ask.  However, there have been a several highlights that have made this week worth it.

I mentioned back on November 24, 2008 I had ordered my first new Tony Stewart t-shirt. Well, I got it on Tuesday!!!! I was so excited!!! Of course this is just one of many items that I plan to order over the next few months. Here it is in my possession. I know you are jealous (he he).tony-and-dale-items-0021

 Here is a closeup of the Stewart Haas logo on the shirt. 

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My second highlight of the week comes from the package I received yesterday in the mail.  Back on November 3, Amy over at Amy’s Bad Groovewas having a contest. If you left a comment on her post from this day you would eligible to win some wonderful prizes. And guess what I was one of the winners!! I love to win things!! I still haven’t figured out how to win the lottery though. If anyone knows please tell me so I can quit my job and tour the NASCAR circuit full time. Anyhow, I received my prize in the mail yesterday. Here it is…and I know you are really jealous now.

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It sits top my laptop where I do quite a bit of posting for The Park.  Notice the Tony Stewart sticker…yes even my laptop has that Tony feel.  I can’t wait to watch it.  Thanks Amy!    I have several sites I must visit on a daily basis.  Along with Molding Young Minds, Amy’s site is must read.  If you get a chance zoom on over, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

And finally…the 2008 Stewie Awards were presented last night.  What are the Stewie Awards?  Well, if you are any kind of Tony Stewart fan, you know he has his own radio show over on Sirius radio (Channel 128).  I don’t get to listen as much as I like to every week, but I managed to listen to majority of the show last.  Here are this year’s winners for the 2008 Stewies (all voted by you…the fans).

  • Best Original Drama (honoring the year’s most exciting moment):  Tony Stewart announces his departure from JGR to form Stewart-Haas Racing
  • Best Student Sequence (Hal Needham award)(acknowledging the year’s most spectacular crash):  Michael McDowell’s tumbling, bouncing fiery crash during qualifying at Texas
  • Best Original Comedy (honoring the year’s most entertaining on tack “incident” or occurrence:  “Yellow Line” fever:  Debate at Talladega concerning controversial finish
  • Bonehead Move of the Year (‘Nuff said):  Carl Edwards pushes Kevin Harvick in Charlotte tyring to discuss Talladega “pansy” comments by Harvick
  • The “Armor All Dirtiest Move” Award (acknowledging the year’s most memorable on-or-off-track bumping):Kyle Busch vs. Dale Jr. at Richmond.  Busch takes out Dale Jr. in the spring; Dale Jr. accidentally overdrives a corner and gets into Busch in the fall race
  • Best Engineering and Special Effects (Smokey Yunick Award)(Acknowledging the year’s most creative–and ultimatley illegal–modifications to a racecar):  JGR Nationwide cars caught with magnets behind accelerator at Michigan
  • Best Driver2Crew Chatter (honoring the best driver to pit crew communication):  Clint Bowyer declares Michael Waltrip “the worst driver in NASCAR” at Bristol
  • Best Vocal Performance (honoring the most memorable quote or sound bite):  Carl Edwards’ postrace comments on ESPN describing his desperation off-the-wall move at Kansas and where he learned it

There were also three special awards give out as well to some special honorees

  • Lifetime Achievement Award:  Richard Childress
  • Lifetime Achievement Award:  Roger Penske
  • Golden Stewie Award:  Darrell Waltrip

Congratulations to all the winners of a 2008 Stewie.  I know you will display your Stewie in the manner in which it should be displayed.

I am hoping to post the 2008 Trixies next week.  Don’t forget the 2008 NASCAR Award banquet is tonight at the famed Waldorf-Astoria in NYC.  The event will be televised at 8:00 pm (EST) tonight on ESPN Classic as well as ESPN 360.  Luckily, I can get ESPN Classic.  But if you don’t, a replay of the event willThere will also be a replay of the event on ESPN 2 on Monday, December 8. 

After tonight’s award show, it will be officially be for me the off-season.  I will get a chance to get to know my friends and family once again.  According to the countdown calendar on my computer…Daytona 500 is only 2 months, 10 days, 7 hours, and 46 minutes away.  With reference to the 500, I have a bit of a moral dilemma…what would you do?  Postman, Little Smoke and myself have been invited to spend a fun filled weekend with some great friends of ours in Ruidoso, NM.  Guess which weekend?  That’s right folks…Daytona 500 weekend.  It didn’t occur to me until this morning.  Now, that is the biggest race weekend for all of NASCAR fans.  It’s our Super Bowl.  What would you do?  Would you…

  1. Honor your commitment and have a fun filled weekend without watching the race.
  2. Honor your commitment and make sure you plan events around the race so you can return to hotel to watch race.
  3. Honor your commitment and make sure you can be in your car traveling at the time of the race so you can listen to it on Sirius radio
  4. Honor your commitment, set the TIVO, and make sure no one lets you see and/or read about the race until you get home on Monday, Feb. 16 to watch the race.
  5. Convince Postman to buy Trixie (who he has so lovingly devoted his life to) a portable Sirius radio so that she can listen to the race while enjoying the weekend.
  6. Send Postman and Little Smoke and enjoy a quiet weekend with just you, Tony and the rest of the NASCAR boys.

I think all of these ideas are doable, but if you have any further suggestions/ideas, feel free to comment.