Onward to Texas. The Lone Star edition of RSO. Catching up with NASCAR notes, facts, opinons, and rumors. Now, the highlights and downlows.
Petty Enterprises starts at the top this week. Here, not on the track. Everyone knows by now that GeneralMills is leaving the #43 team at season's end. That leaves PE looking for a sponsor for the 43 for only the second time since 1972, when STP came on board. In other PE news, ChadMcCumbee will drive the #45 this week. He has two Cup starts, and has run the Truck series full time since 2006. His best truck finish is 5th, just this year, and he has led 21 laps in the series. Knowing PE, he either works for free, or real cheap.
The Racer's Edge STP.
DaleEarnhardtJr. is the only Cup driver this year with 5 top 10s in the first 6 races.
JeffGordon has won at every track currently on the Cup schedule except for two. He is 0 - 14 at Texas, and 0 - 8 at Homestead-Miami.
We see a lot of complaints about commercials during the race here in the NASCAR blogisphere. Check out this site for the Martinsville commercial vs race broadcast breakdown.... CawsnJaws.com .... They also break down driver's broadcast time. The race itself was on air for 178 minutes vs 54 minutes of commercials. Interesting.
Musical driver's seats in the Nationwide series. MikeBliss has the #22 FitzMotorsports ride in 8th spot in the point standings. So what does he do? He says, AMF to Armando, and goes to PhoenixRacing's #1 car. The #1 is 22nd in points. Bliss has made short term gains with several cars in several series, but don't look for him to be here long.
DaleJr. will race in the Nationwide series at Texas this weekend in the #5 GoDaddy.com Chevy. If only GoDaddy could get Dale and Danica together off track. It would be bigger than Chuck and Di.
Is there a fantasy league for Nationwide. If so, jump on KevinHarvick at Texas. In 8 starts there he has 4 wins, 4 top 5s, and 7 top 10s. The one non-top ten was 11th. Harvick will be in the #33 this weekend.
Finally, the boys are in Texas this week, but Super Tex, AJFoyt, is in Tampa-St. Pete for the IRL. When the Tampa Tribune asked Foyt what he thought of the IRL's tires, in light of TonyStewart's Goodyear rant, AJ replied, "Firestone's just as bad. We've got junk tires." Looks as if Anthony Joseph Stewart learned very well from his namesake.
You talkin' to me? I'll slap the bleep out of you.
And Lori - I want Robby back where he belongs - in the new Coca Cola Racing Series.
Regardless, he needs to screen his food & drink, I'm thinkin' NASCAR's slippin' some Xanax into it - he's been WAY too quiet and compliant lately. COME ON ROBBY - YOU'RE THE MAN IN BLACK!
Maybe Jr. will duel Jeff Gordon for the win in Texas... That would make Hendrick happy, keep Dale's 2008 record in good stead and possibly knock one of those two tracks off Jeff's list of "Things to do"...
Lori....I bet Dodge has something to do with Robby driving the 22. I think they try to help Armando out as much as they can, just so they'll have a Natiowide team for Evernham to test with.
mose...you know that no picture does that color justice. Up close, live, there is nothing else on Earth that color.
Check out the link to that pic. They have a big vintage car show every winter on Amelia Island on one of the golf courses. They have some sweet old race cars there.
Great stuff, till I read Gordon hasn't won at Texas, I picked him on the Williams post, first cause I couldn't beleave he wasn't already picked. lol. If not Dale then Jeff can get his first win.
cheers
Dave....Robby was in the news just last week. One of sponsors wanted their money back. Robby will keep us knee deep in drama most of the time. Maybe he'll go back to IRL and drive for AJ. Love to be in that team meeting after Robby did something stupid on the track.
I STILL wouldn't mess with A.J. Foyt. Dude is a legendary red-####.
Unless Petty Enterprises merges with another team, I see them shutting it down and leaving the sport. Ditto with the Wood Brothers. Perhaps the Wood Brothers and Yates Racing can merge and with Roush having to dissolve a team after this year, Wood-Yates could have a four car team.
hey - thanks for the update on the "musical" drivers for the NW series.
I have always loved Foyt. He is one colorful character. Always fun to watch him at Indy quals. My favorite statement of his was when (as a driver) he was asked how his car ran (after he qualified). His words were "It ran like a tub of ####". This was on the PA system at the track (no 5 sec delay to beep it out). Too funny. Quite a bit of laughter by the fans.
Jeff after this week only has one track that he has not won at...Ohh wait I cant see the future. That would be nice though...A.J. Foyt and the famous #14..The man is great...Wonder if him and Smoke sit together at the table..LOL..Great Post Hanahan
There are rumors that a sports investment company might buy into PE. The same company had a deal with Yates before, and it fell through. No matter what happens, PE needs new top management. Doing it their usual way isn't working.
kris....The racing press would implode upon itself if D&D hooked up. Imagine, they could get their own story after each race, and wouldn't have to glom up the race reports with their respective 7th place finishes. Jr. could hook up with Dan for 20 years, or so, until baby Gordon is old enough.[:-]
As soon as many of the former ChampCar team get used to their new machines and the circuits, Danica will be pulling 10ths and 11ths instead of 5ths, 6ths, & 7ths.
Maybe she'll regain some of her aggression. She was aggressive and reckless in her first season and 1/2 (like many good drivers), but then she went into super-safe, Janet Guthrie mode and seems to have been there ever since. At least she's competent at driving a safe race (unlike Milk 'n Donuts).
Hey Hey Hey...Danica is my girl! She is an absolute doll...cute as a bug's ear and she can drive. I agree she's lost a bit of her agression, and that is probably because she's one of the guys now and doesn't have to prove she has chingies! Just take a look at her in her SI photo shoot and the only conclusion you can come to is that she doesn't have chingies at all! Milka is sexy too I must admit. I do disagee that DP will drop in the field as the field evens up though. It is time for her to win and I am pciking her to do it this weekend. I'll sure be watching IRL instead of NASCAR though!
Milka is much hotter...and with that accent! She is a decent road racer, but has a long way to go in the IRL.
BN, you really think Danica is going to win on a road ciruit? I don't know man...her best shot is an oval. If she ever decides to stop shooting photo spreads UNTIL she can win a race, it might prolong her career.
BNut....Danica better hurry and win. Cause when Katherine Legge hits IRL full time Danica Mania will be over. Legge can't just get by on her looks, she can drive, and WIN.
BTW...how's that NASCAR boycot thing going? Found any acolytes yet?
moseby.....I believe when Danica came to IRL everyone was saying road courses would be her strong suit, because of her carting and other series experience. She sure hasn't proven it yet, has she?
Milka does have one thing going for her that Danica doesn't....cleavage!
Boy when you're right, you are right...DP has no cleavage at all!! She is however a good road racer as you stated from her carting. I have few people who agree with me about boycotting NASCAR, but many many who agree with me on the finer points of my rants! You maybe be right though Moseby about DP not being focused on winning. Hungry goes away with the media attention and realizing she's a millionaire without the wins anyway. Hanahan I will have to check out this Katherine Legge close up. Dp is 25 and getting close to over-the-hill in chick years! See y'all at the track!
Katherine Legge is nice but I'll still take my Danica...there is also a Michelle in ARCA and Chrissy W. too! Holy marbles Batman, there is an invasion of our territory going on. How about we get AJ Sr to model a mankini...a calendar with all of the Woods Bros and Pettys, DW...Junior Johnson, Cale...all in speedos!
BNut....no, I wasn't saying that Legge looks better than DP. She doesn't. She just drives a lot better. Legge is from England. Raced in Champ car the last couple of years. Two years ago her spoiler flew off going into a turn. Horrific wreck. I think it was at Elkhart. Anything ring a bell?
I honestly don't recall the wreck. You mean we have to evaluate them as drivers too? Geeeez! How can we do that? Well winning at a high level does a lot to shut critics up. Anna K wasn't a great tennis player but she was surely the best known until another beauty came along who could win. I still see your point though...Danica, though cuter, has to win sometime! Cuteness can only carry you so far, and then you get old! Have a great weekend All
