This week's edition of RSO is running a little late, and will be brief, I think. I'm in a hurry as del casa de la Hanahan is being upgraded from 1/2" to 3/4" plywood. HomeDepot calls it their Ted'Unabomber'Kaczynski edition. Anyway, the boys are still making their WesternSwing through Phoenix this weekend. How about some highlights and downlows? OK.
GregBiffle told the USA Today that he was almost certain to stay with RoushFenwayRacing. Biff has been rumored to be going to a new fourth team at RCR, but he says that is very unlikely. He says a new team would not be a "smart career move." Mainly because if their were any rainouts in the first five races next year, the Biff might miss those races. This makes it sound like anyone forming a new team will be beating down BobbyLabonte's door, for that past champion's provisional.
KylePetty says it was not his idea to get out of the #45 last week, and let ChadMcCumbee try---and fail---to qualify it. PettyEnterprises executive, RobbieLoomis, says it was Kyle's idea. TheKing chimed in that it was all three's---counting him---idea. Here's the kicker, Kyle says he would consider driving for another team, if, it was a good car. I called several top NASCAR teams to see if any were considering Kyle's threat/offer. The answers, by team......
RoushFenway---- NO!
Hendrick-----What? NO!
Yates--------Does he have a sponsor?
DEI----------Who is this? NO!
RCR--------Hell, NO
JoeGibbs---Click!
Good luck Kyle.
ChipGanassi says changes are being made with DarioFranchiti's #40 car, so that it will make the top 43 when only 47 cars try to qualify, as they did in Texas. One change I could suggest would be to bring back DavidStremme. All he did was keep the car in the top 35 last year.
Look for new sponsors and car colors in Phoenix. Among others, TonyStewart is in the yellow, Subway #20, while KevinHarvick will be in an orange, ReeceCups #29. ClintBowyer will be in the blue and white, DirectTV #07, and Dario will try to race the yellow, #40, sponsored by Juicyfruit.
In DaleEarnhardtJr. news, his new nightclub, WhiskeyRiver, will open to the public on April, 18. It's located in Charlotte, NC at 210 E. Trade Street.
JeremyMayfield loses another ride. JohnnySauter has signed on to drive the #70, HaasCNC ride this week in Phoenix. Sauter hopes to get the job full time. He might as well, all he did was keep this same car in the top 35 all season last year. Sauter is a slightly better driver than Mayfield, and they are both big time pain-in-the-####, so Haas should come out about even with this switch.
Finally, troubled Truck Series driver, AaronFike, claims to have shot up heroin on race days. Fike is under NASCAR suspension currently, but is racing in some smaller series. I am working on another blog just on Fike, and NASCAR's drug policy.
Hey Hanahan! I see Bikini is advertising on your post... Really cool (not).
I read where DE Jr.'s gear makes up almost 50% of the NASCAR gift shop sales. Not too shabby. Now I'm wondering how big a bite young Busch will start taking if he continues on his current course...
Don't they test for caffiene in NASCAR? If no traces show up you're disqualified for life!
You say you're upgrading to tri-wall cardboard? Good move... I heard it has an excellent R factor not to mention good sound absorption!
Just watched qualifyinga short time ago. Good...J. Sauter gets in the show. Also, Franchitti gets in on time also. Going home again? Kyle Petty and John Andretti. Ouch...Petty Enterprises needs to do something.
New Sponsors/Car colors for specific races kind of throw me off when watching the race. You get used to the driver/sponsor combinations. Although as long as you know all the car numbers you're OK.
Fike is the guy the police caught shooting up in the Kings Island parking lot in Cincy, Ohio. Now he says he was shooting up when racing? Never again should NASCAR allow him any where near a race car.
NASCAR should have a ZERO tolerance on any drug abuse by the drivers.
Gerrel....nice to hear from you again. I know what you mean about different colors on cars. A couple of times I've been cheering for the wrong driver because of car color. While my friends were thinking I was crazy.
KaaBoom.#45 Is not racing again. Kyle needs to step from the car. Not from Petty Ent. He is a major play there. He needs to move to the office, get a driver, and good sponsors. Though I dont see Petty hurting.
Fike should not be alowed to drive a gokart. The fact nascar needs a test. Random, as well as all new drivers. I know the vetrans would welcome it.
I'm working on a Fike, NASCAR drug policy blog right now. There are a few surprises in the Fike story. I hope to have it posted this afternoon. Thanks.
Hanahan, I'm looking forward to reading your next blog. Will you link to the article about Fike? I haven't been able to find it and read it. Thanks. I have several questions about what Fike had to say, but I'll save them for the blog. Again, thanks.
Do they have an award for best impression of an ostrich???? If so NASCAR should win it hands down over the stupid "reasonable su####ion" testing policy.
Why do most of you people waste space talking about nothing? If you can't comment on the page you just read get off line. Now i for one like the different paint jobs on the cars thats one thing that makes the race better, as some of you know some of them aren't to exciting. I hope Greg stays with Rousch after all he is the senior member is he not , i could be wrong but i don't think so (as Mr Monk says), and why is all this stuff about Fike coming up now it a long time ago, and its not going to help anyone unless Nascar decides to start more drug testing, which might be interesting you never know who will pop up with a little something that shouldn't be there. well ya'll have a good day now, here
April 14th I second the motion, its amazing how people continue to comment on everything except the story, and now you have bar huchies promoting there websites here, pathetic. As for Kyle Petty I feel for him, his career didnt go as planned, he lost his son Adam. He should move to the truck series and or nationwide series. In order for Richard Petty's team they are going to have to make a run at a younger driver with talent. That means shelling out some bucks, and They are going to have to lure a proven Crew chief that can help bring a competitive car week in and week out. There is Matt Borland, there is Grubb that is with HMS. I'd hate to see Petty's team fall by the wayside.
When is this guy going to give it up...i wish i could say he was a has been...but he is not even that....just living off his dads name. Give it up already Gnassi made a good point to his team..maybe the Petty's should listen....if you can't beat 3 cars to qualify..is is very pathetic.
Gnassi's point is good, but not really accurate. You don't qualify against 46 cars. Most of them probably wouldn't make the cut if they weren't given exemptions, such as past champion, owner points, etc.
The most fair way is to have EVERYBODY qualify EVERY week and put the top 43 cars in the race. Period. This way you get guys like Gordon (I'm a fan) off the track when they have no business being there that week, or someone who was once a champion but can't drive anymore or has a slow team.
I admit, I don't totally understand everything about qualifying, but I would like to know how many teams you'd actually have to beat to make a race if nobody got a free pass because it dang sure isn't just three.
howdie, if 46 cars are entered at a race only 43 can make it in and the top 35 in points are automatically in, then you are racing against 11 cars for 8 spots..so you need to beat at least 3 of them to get into the race thereby qualifying 43rd. So Gnassi's point was totally accurate.
U guys need to stop hating on Kyle Petty. Ok, he has struggled for a while but the point is he is trying and not giving up. I bet, if he would win, u guys dissing on him would be happy for him. Kyle is a likable driver, not a driver to dis on.
dmband_420, you are correct, but my point is take away the top 35 mess and every other exemption and make EVERY driver and EVERY team have to qualify on time EVERY week. The top 43 get to race. You'd see a different 3 go home every week.
I know the sponsors would never go for it, but I think it's the most fair way to do it.
panther - Kyle hasn't won a race of any kind since 1995. So no one is holding their breath here. We can all appreciate that he has done a lot of good work for the sport, but it is long past due for Kyle to step out of the car. This is not "hating" (Which is now become the most overused and inaccurate word in the english language). It is a fact of a competitive sport or activity. He has milked about 300 extra Cup starts based on his family's name, not his own talent.
I did a blog on Fike this past Wednesday when the only site picking up the story was ESPN. I just posted a link to the ESPN article and offered my thoughts on NASCAR's idiotic drug policy.
the pettys will be fine,we all have a setback now and then in life.sure kyle has had more than most latley,but he will rebound of that you can be sure.
well thats abig suprize, give kyle a top 5 car and watch him run up front. give him a 25th car and well you know. come on guys that's not rocket science. trained by the king and so on. put him a real ride and watch out he' going to thrive!!!
Ganassi's a punk and he deserves to struggle. Keep bringing open wheelers to Nascar and expect them to actually do something is that teams problem. Mean while, top teams everywhere do their recruiting at local dirt and paved tracks everywhere.
If I were Bobby Labonte, I'd jump to RCR in a heartbeat. Petty Enterprises is going backwards instead of going forward. This is hurting his career which is in it's latter stages. Here's hoping Labonte lands in the 33.
