NASCAR goes NO CAL this weekend. Ah yes, Northern California, they've got your deadheads, they've got your potheads, and for this week only, they've even got your Saidheads. Stay tuned to this site all weekend for live updates from the lovely and talented, Kristen Valus. She promises to throw the Fox Sports gang sign from Victory Lane if Kurt Busch wins. Highlights and downlows......
Rusty Wallace is an ####. After Dale Earnhardt Jr's win last Sunday Rusty stated that the #88 team is not "championship caliber". Compared to what, Rusty? He has as many top 10s as anyone. That's how you win championships. After winning at Michigan, on Father's Day, Lil E dedicated the victory to his Daddy and all the Dads at DEI and HMS. Funny how he mentioned DEI first.
There are always driver changes for the road courses, but it doesn't seem like as many this year as in previous seasons. Ron Fellows sits in for Regan Smith in the #01. Good guy, Marcos Ambrose, is in the Honey Buns #21. Reed Sorenson is out Sunday for Scott Pruett in the #41 Dodge. Max Papis takes over the #66 for Scott Riggs, who in turn pilots the #70 for the same team, CNC HAAS. I guess they couldn't find a replacement driver who would climb in the #70. Riggs DNQed here last year in the #10.
Boris Said will be back behind the wheel of his #60. From the "it's a damn shame" department, Robby Gordon has no sponsor this week. He led the most laps at this race last year, and now can't get a sponsor. Coolest sponsor of the week...CHP...Travis Kvapil's #28 Ford is designed like, and sponsored by the California Highway Patrol. Supposed to help with their recruiting drive. Travis is Jon, so I guess JPM would have to be Ponch?
Caterpillar has left BDR for RCR effective next season. CAT will be on the hood of Jeff Burton's #31, as A####mp;T leaves. CAT was with Bill Davis for 10 years, and was the sponsor for Jeff's brother, Ward, when he won the Daytona 500, and the Southern 500. Also hearing that Army probably won't renew their year to year deal with DEI. They're talking with Mike Waltrip Racing, or could be part of a new Tony Stewart team.
Joey Logano became the youngest NNS winner ever last Saturday at Kentucky Speedway. I hear his fan club is based somewhere in Alabama. Kyle Busch announced this week that he will not run every NNS race this year after all. Somehow I think these last two items have something to do with each other.
Chrissy Wallace makes her second CTS start at Milwaukee this weekend in the #03 Toyota. Landon Cassill and Colin Braun both are running the NNS and CTS double at Milwaukee. This is a nice, safe, track, where these three youngsters should get a chance to show what they can do.
I'll be meeting Kristen on Sunday, so I'm very excited. If any of the Roush boys win, I'll be sure to wave to all y'all.
Nothing would be better than to see Colin get his first win on Friday night, then Landon on Saturday.
I vote for Robby just because last year, as I was cheering for Jamie Mac, I kept seeing that Monster (Energy Drink) paint scheme flashing by ahead of him.
Thanks for the props Hanahan! If I make it to Victory Lane god help the camera crews...garage reports will start tomorrow.
Might wanna put aside the winnings from the Sore Butt 150 to bail me and RA6AN out on Sunday. I have a feeling I will be peeling her off David's fire suit. LOL
Best driver/sponsor overall...Marcos and Honey Buns! I will definitely be investigating those.
Crazy that Robbie isnt sponsored and now I am not going to be able to watch JPM without thinking of Ponch...ooohhh that was bad Hanny...and Ponch will finish highest of the choices (Kurt I hope takes it!)
Well since A & B are not serious contenders any more in my not so humble opinion and since Robby and JPM are a little to reckless and over agressive, I'll take Scott. Of course, I hope it is Jeff Gordon and Jimmie and Jr. in that order with Smoke last - lol.
Always fun seeing the road course Aces come out to play! I will root for Marcos Ambrose first, then Robby Gordon as a sentimental favorite (amongst your poll). OF course I have to vote for Kurt Busch to win so we can see Kristen in Victory Lane with the GGW sign(?).
I was seriously considering going to Milwaukee this weekend for the races, except I already have a graduation party to attend on both Saturday and Sunday for a couple of my neices. THe family wouldnt appreciate us blowing off the party for a race, lol.
B&R...agree on A and B not contending any more. I'm pulling for Marcos, but Juan did win here last year. It's always great to watch the aces come through the field.
Gerrel...I was roped into a niece's grad party during my vacation two Saturdays ago. Really doesn't make you feel too young. I say send a check, and go to the M. Mile.(X^)>
Who cares! Just saw him appear on the FREE and HOT celebrity&millionaire dating site ~~~RichM atch M aki ng .c om ~~~ where you can meet many famous people and beauties. I have met my soul mate there. It is worthy of having a try.
I remember smoke once saying "If they are going to make us run two road courses a year they should let us race two dirt tracks a year" I couldn't agree with him more especially with the cot
Hate to say it but I think this is montoyas race as far as road specialist, hell probabally get to agressive and have someone wreck him though
waymore...I'd settle for a couple more short tracks. Paved or dirt. If they ran dirt, I wonder if some teams would bring in dirt ringers? Kinser, Bloomquist, Schrader?
pop...I'm no Jr fan either, but Rusty should be banned from TV for being so idiotic. Well, he should've already been banned for being so horrible to listen to for the last three years.
Tony will win and Juan will finish highest of the 'road aces' or wreck Pruett trying.
Totally agree with all on Rusty, he is so hard to listen to I almost wore out my mute button. Just can't stand a race with the whole Wallace show - Rusty, Mike, Steve and Kenny. It probably would be better if Lauren was there putting them in the wall. Of course Steven doesn't need any help in that department.
24x2...have to agree with your top 2 road aces. Also will agree with 2 of your 3 regulars. JJ will be satisfied with the points and not go for the win on this road course.
elad...What a weekend of racing coming up! Imagine being at the family reunion with all those Wallaces. Mike is the only one I have any respect for, and of course, Lauren, that goes without saying.
Thank you for the positive comments on Dale Jr. Crusty is just jealous cuz his team is not doing well ! As for road race drivers...Robby Gordon, if his car holds together, as he can and does drive anthing anywhere.
Meanwhile JG is my main pick to do well this weekend, with Dale of course in the top 5 again..
pioneer...did you switch drivers? Or, is your avatar just Jeff for this race only?(B^) This is as close as NASCAR Cup racing gets to your neck of the woods, isn't it?
As far as the ringers go, I like Scott Pruett and Ron Fellows. I'll be pulling for Scott. I would really like to see Tony, Newman and Harvick all do well. As for Robby not having a sponsor for this race; it has me scratching my head. I'd like to see him up front contending. Doesn't really matter where he finishes though. The NASCAR officials will score him where they want him to be! My guess that spot will be 17th on back. LOL
Robby was a bit over-the-top in taking Marcus out like that ... but Marcus wasn't all that pristine when he took Robby out shortly beforehand.
That WAS a memorable race though, eh? I mean, you just KNEW Robby was going to do something really harsh and, ... well, ... stupid. And sure enough he did. He was clearly the driver to beat that day, got royally screwed by NASCAR with their interpretation of the "maintain a cautious speed" rule (@$$holes), and Marcus bore the brunt of it all.
Dave, and Marcos will be driving the 21 car this weekend. You know that was a bad situation in Montreal. But didn't Robby put Marcos in a ride at the Glen in the cup race a week or two later?
... sure did. But a potentially tremendous story was rendered moot by a little bit of rain and NASCAR's arcane & grotesquely inflexible qualification process & schedule rules. Despite 7 hours of sunshine on Saturday before the Sunday race, they couldn't manage to fit qualifications in.
Although Ambrose-less, it ended up being a GREAT race, with plenty of fireworks and truly great driving exhibitions. Again, the 'shiners would most definitely have been proud.
Last edited by Dave_in_Indy on June 20th at 1:13 PM.
Back to the Canadian race...NASCAR, along with 100% of the fans, knew what Robby was going to do. They should have red flagged the race and parked him if he didn't want to go back in line. He also should have been suspended for a number of races just for being an ####, during, and after the race.
You're right - NASCAR would have been smart to do those things. But they weren't smart enough to interpret the "fail to maintain a cautious pace" rule in a fair manner (revealed several times later in that and earlier in this season) - so why expect them to think quickly enough to have avoided what nearly EVERYONE knew was coming?
Hanny, yes AJ dinger is one of my picks for the race. His Champ Car experience is worth more than Dario's IRL for right hand turns. Of course Dario knows this course. Harvick and Newman are both good here and at the Glen. So I wouldn't count either of them out. Of course Penske seems to be focussed on ALMS rather than NASCAR.
Robby did what he felt he needed to do. If he had a team owner to park him, it would've beeen a different story.
I forgot about the rain out. It was still a great race. Except for Junior missing a gear and blowing his engine, and JPM taking out Harvick.
Allmendinger is worried. With all the road courses he's done in Champ Car, it surprises me. But then he's not familiar with this track, or with this car turning right.
CR...I had to look up Ryan and Kev's Cup results on road courses. I bow down to you sensei. Both do just fine. Plenty of top 5s, and Harvick just won in Sonoma 2 years ago. As penance, I will pick up hot lug nuts off pit road barehanded.
