The best actual NASCAR quotes from the weekend. Along with my commentary to help the Kool-Aid drinkers figure them out.
This first one is the best NASCAR quote of the season so far. Tony Stewart's response to a question after the Michigan Cup race on Sunday.....
"Ask Mike Helton. I don't know what we're allowed to say....It's just a priviledge for us to be here and according to (a closed door meeting) Friday, we've all got it a lot better than a lot of us think. We're not allowed to have opinions now....We've all got it great. At least that is what we've been told."
NASCAR only thought they wanted their subject's honest opinions. Four months of letting the drivers 'keep it real' was a long time for NASCAR to bite their tongue. Was it a coincidence that NASCAR cracked down on honesty right after the lawsuit came out?
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Jeff Burton on NASCAR being diverse and welcoming....
"Whether we've had success at that or not, I don't know."
Which is worse, to lie and claim not to know if NASCAR is diverse, or to lie and claim that, yes, they are diverse? Or, should you just tell the well-known truth that they're not?
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NASCAR spokesflunkie, Jim Hunter, had an interesting take on Dale Jr. passing the pace car......
the driver must maintain a "reasonable speed" under caution. "It's a judgement call."
Well, that certainly settles it. Can't argue with that brilliant explaination as to whether or not it's legal to EVER pass the pace car.
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Dale Jr. on being pushed to Victory Lane....
"It might have cranked, I thought it would be a better story to be out of gas."
Hmmmm. With that kind of gas mileage, go on and count on 3 or 4 more wins for Jr. this year.
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New kid in town Joey Logano....
"I expected to win here. I have to win races. (Losing) is not even an option."
Oh yeah, he sounds a lot more mature than Kyle.
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Kyle Busch on Ron Hornaday....
"I just got into him. Sorry about that."
What an ####. Always has to make everything about himself.
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Ron Hornaday on Kyle Busch....
'I don't know if I have to give up this championship to teach him a lesson. I hope I don't hurt him."
Wow, if only Horny was 23 years old, we could say he was an immature brat, who only thinks of himself.
Amen on Hornaday there Hanahan!
There was a blog this past weekend about Kyle wrecking another car and how he needs to be banned or something... I left a video of Hornaday taking out Kyle in an earlier truck race this year and wondered why no one was screaming about that... No reason given... It's just bashing Kyle... Here's Hornaday taking out Kyle... We sure heard a lot about this didn't we! I think it's called racin'.
Didn't hear a word out of Hornaday then... No apology, nothing... How much did that contribute to this "accident"? hard to say...
Here's the Michigan truck race... Busch didn't rear end Hornaday like some said...
OMG that Stewart quote is hiliarious! These are great Hanahan and you raise excellent points on every one. I have already been warned I am not allowed to ask "controversial" questions on teh videos we are doing this weekend but you bet your butt I am going to try to get an off the record response from Kurt on all this.
Dwind...thanks for the vids. I was in three different airports Sat pm, and missed the CTS and NNS races. Imagine if Kyle had passed the pace car. We wouldn't have heard anything about that, would we?
photo...wonder if NASCAR had another private meeting with Smoke?
I pledge both super delegates from the lowcountry of S Carolina, where the pluff mud is hip deep, the shrimp are local, the beer is cold, and the girls are a beautiful sunburned red, to the next President of the USA, photogr!
I take that pledge for the girls and the shrimp. I can recall when I went shrimping with a net down in Charleston, you could get a hefty supply of the biggy sized shrimp with just one pass especially when the tide was changing.
NASCAR quotes with bogus commentary--now that's funny.
OH, SHEET! I'm sorry. It's bonus. Well, it's midnight here and I'm trying to speed read. Can we please overlook me this one time? For the love of God, I can be so dumb and embarrass myself when it is late.
But ... why are you picking on Joey Logano. I'd say he IS pretty mature to take all the pressure and expectations and use the "Coach", his great crew chief and team, great equipment and get himself a win without any controversies. Hmmmm. A little more mature than you making a sarcastic remark about something he's said. Geeezzz. Don't we want these guys out there trying to win? I do.
Sorry, but all the ranting around here has rubbed off on me. Just giving some back.
Lori...Ouch! Not making fun of your boy (friend). Just jabbing a stick at the Kyle bashers---such as SRM earlier today---who would trash Kyle for saying the same thing that Joey said. BTW, he DOES sound more mature than Kyle.
OH HAN, think about this for a second...Kyle expects it to be ok when he "gets into somebody" and is "sorry" but when Leffler was obviously upset with himself about getting into him, it was all about him not wanting to be 2nd best. When you're a class guy and a good sportsman, people will treat you as such, but when you're a punk who gets indignant when you're crashed into, yet apologetic and patheticwhen you crash someone, of course people are going to jump down your throat.
And it's not the attitude of wanting to win that is bad or immature, it is his poor driving, his overall approach, and his lack of respect or sportsmanship toward EVERYONE.
Love Smoke's quote, lol, hadn't heard it, thanks for that.
By the way, I defended Kyle for a while, but he's a punk, I bet he would never get in Leffler's face and say what he said to that reporter, nor would he confront anyone and talk to them like a man...Children take verbal jabs at each other through external sources, and even they at least agree to meet by a flag pole and settle it. Kyle Busch is a complete brat, and I think you're alone in defending his honor. Still love ya though Chuck
B&R...I don't know. Hornaday's been wrecking other drivers since before Kyle was born. He's good at it. Ask Mark Martin. Ask Scott Riggs. Ask Johnny Benson. Ask any nice guy that he thinks he can run all over.
SRM...Kyle has a problem with losing when he gets taken out, accidently, or not. That, to me, is part of his overwhelming will to win.
He needs to start looking at the tapes of the wrecks he's been involved in. What Leffler did to him was about the same thing he (Kyle) did to Dale Jr. The inside car just got loose, and moved up. Of course, Leffler moved way up because he was driving over his head, as usual.
I doubt Kyle is afraid to get in the 5 foot tall Lefler's face. He just got in Jeff Gordon's face after the race in Charlotte 3 weeks ago. Is that man to man enough for you? He was grabbed by the helmet while confronting Steve Wallace earlier this year. He had Hornaday and Harvick in his grill after the truck race Saturday. Part of racing is being accountable after the race. He's not hard to find.
We're still brothers though. You pull for the good guys, I'll pull for the bad guys.
Hanny,
Lefler has always been a punk with a short fuse since his early USAC days. He's a perfect example of a male with little man's disease - always ready to fight to prove to himself he's manly. I think that's why a lot of short guys are race drivers and cops so others will think they are real men when they themselves have doubts.
Last edited by B & R Racing on June 17th at 7:42 AM.
B&R...I used to like Leffler way back in the day on Thursday Night Thunder. But, he has wrecked too many good guys in NNS along the way. I can't understand how he keeps a decent ride with his results.
Hanny,
There are a lot of drivers with rides that make you wonder what dirt they have on the car owner to stay in the ride. Guess the talent level drops off so quickly after the top twenty or so that it's difficult to find guys to fill those other seats that don't have issues from the marketing/sponsorship side or the talent side or both.
Hanny,
Isn't it interesting that Sr. was so loved for his win at any cost driving "style" while Kyle is trashed for the same approach. For this long-time fan, it is easier to say a bigger percentage of Sr.'s wins were tainted by wrecking guys he couldn't beat otherwise than can be said for Kyle. I agree he has some issues but hope they never lessen his will to win. That combined with awesome talent is what makes the most memorable stars of Cup racing who they are - Sr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart when they were in their prime, DW, and many others. If Mark Martin and Jeff Burton had the attitudes of those guys, how many championships would they have. Different personalities and driving styles are part of the package and I love the package that is Kyle.
Han, you're wrong about me, you know who my favorite driver is? The biggest bad guy in NASCAR, Smoke. I just don't like Kyle, and Gordon is what? 5 foot 3? LOL
1824...Great points. It is interesting, but, haven't you heard, Sr. is above comparison. I have to admit that what Kyle did to Hornaday in the truck race Sat was very Sr-like. I'm sure Kyle felt it was payback for a real, or percieved, slight, but I didn't really care for it.
True on the Martin and Burton points. Makes one wonder how Kenseth won a championship.
I don't know, Han. The in-car audio from Hornaday's truck had him completely off the throttle in the middle of the corner. You can't get away with that at Michigan. He was loose.
Either way, shedding no tears here in Northern VA.
Hanny,
You're not saying Kenseth is as clean a racer and as much of a true gentleman as Martin or Burton I hope. He's just a true points racer every time out which let him win a championship AND initiated the awful change to the chase format. Booooooo Matt. But he'll definitely put the bumper to someone if he thinks they are holding him up - not even close to being in the same class as MM and JB.
hanahan
Some very interesting thoughts indeed.
I don't suppose all that sexual harrassment and racial slurs and allegations were really given that much thought by NASCAR's hierarchy afterall ?
They just indefinitely suspended two individuals pending an ivestigation ? I can only presume that there was some veracity to Mauricia Grant's claims afterall then ? And as the US$250m Federal civil suit will still proceed . Then some questions will have to be asked and answered at some time in the future. That's unless the all the parties concerned come to an agreement that's satisfactory for everyone.
moseby...I missed both races on Sat while traveling. I watched Dwindy's vid of Kyle/Ron with the sound off. I'll have to go back and check it out with sound. Either way, I'd hate to be Kyle on a restart right in front of Ron.
I've never heard Hornaday, or Harvick, apologize for the dozens of drivers that they've wrecked, yet they're the first ones to cry when they finally get wrecked.
1824...you ar correct again. Kenseth is the definition of a points racer. I hate to hear the idiots on TV compare him to David Pearson, the greatest ever.
al...it would certainly appear that NASCAR is just now shutting the barn door. While at the same time proving the plaintiff's suit may well have some merit.
Hanny,
Well we are in agreement again (we have about a 98% record on agreeing with each other no matter what screen name I use - lol). David Pearson is arguably the greatest ever even though statistics can be used to show otherwise. For my money (well maybe not ALL my billions but most), he was the best ever in Cup racing.
As for Kenseth, he'd rather take a 1st place car to a sure 4th or 5th or a 4th place car to a sure top ten than ever push the issue. Mr. Boring in a driver's suit and out of one.
hanahan
And that's why the sport'll be forever tied to the inane and stupidity that it's allegedly trying to escape from. If it acts in such a way where it's hiding all of its dirty laundry . When something comes up that it's not appeared to address from the outset then it'll viewed with a lack of transparency and credibility.
I wonder what the likes of Mike Helton and the France family are thinking that this juncture ? If they let this thing go to court they face an uphill battle in trying to curtail the chaeges against them. And if they settle out of court then it makes the organization look all the more culpable and complicit in what was being alleged by Grant.
They're in a no win situation with whatever they decide to do.
Hanahan, I realize it's only Tuesday, but I've heard and read some really STUPID comments this week. (My frist comment above being one of them.) What I heard today will probably shock a seasoned fan like you as it shocked me. Are you ready? "Toward the end of the NW race Kyle Busch took himself out of the race by spinning on purpose. He didn't want to be embarrassed by getting beat by Logano." You know, that is beyond stupid, it is just pathetic! That came from a man that said he had been a race fan for 30 years. Yeah, right. If it wasn't so sad I'd laugh.
1824...I'm pretty sure that Pearson has the highest top 5 finishing percentage in NASCAR Cup history. I think, in the last couple of years, that he has moved back in front of Jeff Gordon in winning percentage also.
1824, huh? Were you part of that famous I.U. graduating class of 1824?
volfan...this must be the week. I saw a good one earlier today. An alledged fan from Calif. called on all the ga-y Kyle fans to come to Sonoma, CA for the race and get married since it's now legal there. And, M. Grant's case looks stronger all the time.
hanahan
For all of the so called astute individuals within the upper echelons of the organization. How the hell can they have been so stupid concerning this very matter ?
Former NASCAR official Mauricia Grant.
Wha' did they think was going to happen ? Mauricia Grant would just let it go and then they could sweep it all under the carpet with no questions asked ? Their asinine malevolance and conceitedness has become their own undoing !
For a so called multi billion dollar business empire the organization at times resembles nothing more than a Ma and Pa lemonade stand that's being ran by bunch of itinerant buffoons.
Ms. Grant's case does look stronger. However, her lawyer, I can't remember his/her name, is making ugly comments now. The lawyer is referring to NASCAR and fans with some ugly language. All we can hope is that NASCAR does not respond to his/her comments and tries to take the high road. I do think the lawsuit is going to get very ugly.
I'm not sure that the comment you read tops the one that I heard. Let's say we're equal so far. Thanks, again.
volfan 69
This whole thing stinks to high heaven on both sides of the argument.
I'm not saying that NASCAR condones this type of behavior. But if it was going on within that environment . Why wasn't something done about it some sort of urgency and immediacy ? Instead we're now seeing the ugly side to something that appears to be the norm within the environment of the sport it'd appear.
I can only hope that it hasn't spread to other parts within the sport as in within the pits and the mechanics and engineering crews.
For every step forward that the country wants to take forward there always seems to be someone there willing to drag it back into obilivion and the dark ages .
Hanny,
That business degree 1824fan got from I.U. in 1824 led to the first big break in his sales career, selling weapons to both sides in the Civil War. What he did between 1824 and 1860 is anyone's guess although rumor has it there was a long prison term in there somewhere.
BTW rumor now has it he is barely one step ahead of the Fox police. Wish him luck.
Last edited by B & R Racing on June 17th at 1:51 PM.