Thought I'd let you know that I really appreciate the sacrifices, and unconditional love you always gave me. I never told you back when I was a kid. Now I'm telling you publicly, I love you. Sure, I say it at the end of our phone calls, or on a card, but I really do mean it.
You were always the one who had to haul me to my baseball games and practices. You did this while raising my three brothers and one sister too. I know now that you couldn't have had a lot of free time, yet you still made sure I made it to the field. All of this for a smart-aleck kid who wishes that his talent level even approached marginal.
Dad was always working, leaving five kids and a household for you to handle. So, you seldom had time to attend my games, but when you did I was so proud. All the other kids always said I had the prettiest Mom in the stands. I was also very proud of you when the other mothers talked you into playing first base on their softball team. Well, maybe a cross between pride and embarassment, but I was only 11.
Mom, I also wanted to say I'm sorry for any troubles or worries that I've brought you. I'm OK, don't worry about me. Thanks for everything. You're the best mother a guy could have. Happy Mother's Day!
Before we go to this week's highlights and downlows we have a little unfinished business from Richmond to revisit. I know everyone's mind has been made up. I posted a poll immediately following the race at RIR. Here are the results....
A. Jr. wrecked Kyle......................................3 votes
B. It was just one of those racin' deals........................14 votes
C. Kyle wrecked Jr.......................................3 votes
I'm done with this subject. Make of the voting what you will. Now, on to Darlington.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is the cover story on this week's ESPN the Magazine. He talks about the death of his father and about leaving DEI among other topics.
The Darrell Waltrip Racing Experience is set to open later this year at Belle Island Village in Pigeon Forge, TN. DW belongs in an amusement park. Fulltime.
Jeff Burton is the only Cup driver to complete every lap of every race this year.
Burton's teammate, Kevin Harvick, has gone 54 straight races without a DNF. He is approaching the record of 58 which is held by Happy Harvick himself.
The Wood Brother's Ford will sport the 1971 Purolator Mercury colors this week. The white and red car will have the gold #21 on the side and is sponsored by Motorcraft. Too bad they won't have DavidPearson driving, but the car's too slow for the Silver Fox.
The Silver Fox, David Pearson c. !976
M&Ms has a marketing deal in place with the new Indiana Jones movie. So, Kyle Busch's M&Ms Toyota will feature the movie Saturday night.
Wrigley's Big Red is on the #42 Dodge of Juan Pablo Montoya this week. JPM may contend at Darlington. The super fast surface on a relatively short course could remind him of his open wheel days.
Mike Waltrip makes his 700th start Saturday night. Talk about overstaying your talent. By about 650 starts.
Tony Stewart is winless in 15 starts at Darlington, and he's led a grand total of 7 laps.
Joey Logano won his first ARCA start in Rockingham, NC last Sunday. The JGR developmental driver turns 18 later this month, and then will make his first Nationwide start at Dover for JGR.
Finally, Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there and especially to my Mom in California.
Converted school bus campers hand painted to match a favorite driver's car. "Show your BLEEP" scrawled in black marker on a piece of cardboard. Usually the cardboard contained a case of beer in a previous life. Confederate flags hanging limp on makeshift PVC poles. The ubiquitous blue tarps protecting pale white skin from the Pee Dee sun and rain. Overwrought fans. Overflowing portable toilets. Overweight, underdressed women.
Welcome to the infield at Darlington Raceway in the 1980s. I was there a few times back in my wasted youth. I've heard the stories about the Talladega infield, but I haven't seen it firsthand, like Darlington. I'll still put Darlington's notorious infield up against anyplace else's. I don't recall the cops or guards ever stopping any activities at Darlington.
It was like a two night, three day, rock festival with a couple of high speed, roundy rounds thrown in to keep the inmates occupied for a few hours. There's nothing quite like waking up in a K-Mart lawn chair covered in dew. I hope it was dew. Stand in line to take a shower, or stay in camp and drink a few Busch beers for breakfast? That line was too long anyway.
***Side note on the Darlington infield shower shack. It was a cinder block, flat roofed box about 12'x12'. One shower for men, one for women. The shack was originally built in the 1950s to be used as a temporary jail for any overexuberant customers. It was built a couple of days before the race. Sure enough the cops put some partiers in there the night before the race. When Andy and Barney came back the next morning to release their prisoners there was a hole in the wall, and an empty cell. According to infield legend, the mortar used on the block jail hadn't hardened completely, and the thirsty prisoners kicked their way to early freedom.***
South Carolina being such a forward thinking state, even back then, didn't allow beer sales on Sunday. So when you entered the infield for the weekend you better be packing, and ready for company. Of course, back then, we never did a lot of pre-planning, so Sunday beer was at a premium. Hard to believe a six-pack of Busch cost $1.99 back then, and we still didn't ever carry enough.
You could see anything in the Darlington infield back then. Girls in the men's room. Drunks passed out under their trucks, for the whole race. Fans standing on top of the family sedan to see the race, and stomping a large bird bath in the roof. Homemade wooden scaffolding that looked like something off of Donkey Kong. Shirtless, sunburned, Levis wearing drunks stumbling along lost. And, that was just the girls.
The SC Highway Patrol should give seminars on how to move 50,000 people out on three two lane roads in an hour. Every road leaving the track will be going one way, both lanes. When the trooper points for you to turn, you turn. Don't try and stop to let him know that you actually want to go the other way. He ain't hearing it. Keep moving.
No one was ever left behind. We were all back at work the next day. Sunburned, hoarse, and hungover. Looking back now I'm glad I went, but don't think I could go through it again. But, it sure was fun for a young man. Ahh, good times.
It has now been two years and counting since Dale Earnhardt Jr. has won a Sprint Cup points race. Tick, tock, Clarise. He looked like he might fall into a win Saturday night at RIR after Denny Hamlin had a tire go down. Hamlin led most of the race until his tire problem with less than 20 laps to go. This gift wrapped the lead to Jr. He couldn't close the deal. He came down on Kyle Busch's car with three laps to go, and wrecked himself. This move also cost Busch any shot at the win.
Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds both went out of their way to blame Busch for Earnhardt's mistake. Of course, DW and Larry Mac never let the truth get in the way of their myopic view of the action. Any unbiased viewer could see Jr's car come down on Busch's. Larry harped on Kyle's wheels turning to the right. True, AFTER Jr initiated the contact. Is there one Jr fan out there who saw what actually happened?
How about an unscientific survey? Leave a comment to place your vote.
A. Jr. wrecked Kyle.
B. It was just one of those racin' deals.
C. Kyle wrecked Jr.
D. I don't know. I was watching 'Law and Order' reruns.
Welcome to the Richmond edition of RightSidesOnly. I grew up and went to school in southeastern Virginia, so RIR is where I fell in love with NASCAR Cup racing. I saw RichardPetty win more times at Richmond than I care to remember. Back in the day the fronstretch was located where pit road is today. You'll be able to see what I mean in the next picture. Highlights and Downlows! Pick it up!
Richmond International Raceway
One sweet deal? The WrigleyCompany and Mars merged this week. No word on the affect the merger will have on JGR's M&Ms sponsorship, or the Wrigleys sponsorship with Ganassi. If the caution had not flown during the last lap at Talladega there probably would have been a merger between the winning M&Ms Toyota and the second finishing JuicyFruit car #42.
Rookie DarioFranchitti fractured his ankle in an accident Saturday at AIS. He should be layed up in bed for a few days. Being married to AshleyJudd should help him follow those doctor's orders. DavidStreme did a fine job subbing for Dario in the #40 Dodge at AIS. KenSchrader fills in this week at RIR. Then SterlingMarlin returns to the #40 at Darlington.
Who was driving? Ashley, or Dario?
New for Richmond...JonWood will attempt to qualify the #21 AirForce Ford. ReganSmith will have a new sponsor, Steak-Umms-, on the #01 DEI Chevy. MattKenseth's #17 Ford will be all black Saturday night.
I'm sure you've heard by now that NFLer, RandyMoss, plans to start up a Truck Series team later this year, then go full time next season. No sponsor, or driver has been named yet. Good luck Rand. I've seen countless NFL stars come to NASCAR, thinking it was cheap and easy. I can't recall any of them winning----JoeGibbs excepted----or staying for more than a couple of years. In the last ten or twelve years, stars such as Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Jim Kelly, Joe Washington, Julius Erving,JerryGlanville, among others, have tried and failed to find success in all three major NASCAR series.
Finally, TheRock is back, baby. RockinghamSpeedway is open for business this Sunday featuring the ARCA series. Tune in to SPEED network at noon to catch the action.
Chrissy Wallace has been working hard to make her dream come true for the last ten years. That dream is to reach the upper level series in NASCAR. Earlier this year, Chrissy came a little closer to her dream. The 19 year old started a Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville. She finished 18th, on the lead lap. She has signed a contract with Germain Racing to run a few CTS races this year, Then next year, compete for Rookie of the Year, while running the full CTS schedule.
At nine years old, Chrissy Wallace started racing in the Bandalero series at Lowes Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, among other venues. Bandaleros are large go carts with a fiberglass body that resembles a stock car. She has steadily progressed through the beginner series. From Bandalero to Legends, to Roadsters, to Arena racing, up to Late Model Stock cars.
Chrissy Wallace with her Legends Series car
Last year she was LMS rookie of the year at Hickory Speedway in North Carolina. She also became the first woman to ever win a feature race at Hickory. She went on to total five wins and ten top five finishes at Hickory last year. This is the track where the Jarretts, and the Earnhardts cut their teeth.
Chrissy was born into a racing family in St. Louis, MO. Her grandfather started the Wallace racing dynasty. Since then her uncle, Rusty, has won several Cup races and the championship in 1989. Her other uncle, Kenny, was the runner-up in the Busch Series championship in 1991. Of course, her father, Mike Wallace still races in all three of NASCAR's top series.
It helps to come from such a great racing family, but Chrissy had to drive the cars herself. She had to endure jealous drivers who would do anything to make sure she didn't beat them. Yet, beat them, she did. Now she is on the cusp of making it in the big leagues of American racing. Chrissy Wallace is showing other young drivers, male and female, how to do it the right way, and that hard work will make your dreams come true.
Hello again everyone and welcome to Right Sides Only. You have to read that first line aloud while impersonating HowardCosell. The boys are in Alabamy, the Heart of Dixie this weekend. This is the second restrictor plate race of the year. Who could forget that finish in the first one at Daytona? Look for more of the same Sunday. Highlights? Downlows? OK. coming atcha.
The big news this week that really isn't news yet, is TonyStewart's search for a greener pasture. Expect every talking head on TV to have it all figured out, but there won't be any resolution for awhile. In the meantime, MartinTruexJr., another soon to be free agent, is going to have to wait on Smoke's decision before he makes his move. The old domino effect.
DaleEarnhardtSr's birthday, April, 29, is also Dale Earnhardt Day at DEI's headquarters in Mooresville, NC. Expect a big turn out by the faithful. Activities run from 9am til 7pm.
As part of this year's Sprint All-Star race at LMS there will be a burnout contest. No, you can't enter your brother-in-law. It's called the Pennzoil Victory Challenge, and will feature ClintBowyer and four other drivers. I wish they only had guys entered who have never won a race. Just to see if they could do a burnout.
Now, some sad news. Checkers/Rally's is no longer the official burger of NASCAR. I've never seen one at a NASCAR track. What do they taste like? Anyone? Are they as tasty as a Big Kahuna burger on PulpFiction?
The defending Talladega Nationwide pole winner, BradColeman, will be sponsored by the U.S. Postal Service in Saturdays NW race. Coleman not only sat on the pole, but had a top ten finish here last year for JGR.
Brad Coleman with the Cottonelle Ford, and the Cottonelle puppy.
The Truck Series races Saturday at KansasSpeedway. Their companion event on Friday, the ARCA Series is free. Kansas Speedway is letting everyone in free on Friday. Kansas is my new favorite track.
ChrissyWallace signed a contract with GermainRacing for six more Truck races this year, and will compete for Truck Series Rookie of the Year next season.
A fellow blogger here likes ColinBraun. Braun has a hell of a pedigree in Grand-Am type road racing. He's running for Truck Series ROY this year while driving for RFR. He made his second Nationwide start last week in Mexico, and won the pole there. In the Truck Series, he's 20th in points, yet only 91 out of 10th place. In the ROY standings, he's 4th, 4 points out of 1st. The kid's only 19, too. Go D-Man!
Finally, I would like to send out congratulations to JamieLittle who won the Toyota Celebrity Grand Prix last weekend at LongBeach. She had MikeSkinner right on her bumper trying to rattle her cage, but she held on and won the race to the checkered flag. Oh yeah, I think I heard something about another female, first time winner last weekend. I'll see what info I can dig up about that, and let you know who, and where it was.
Several sources are reporting that Tony Stewart and JGR have begun talks to let Stewart leave JGR at the end of this season. Stewart is under contract to JGR through the end of 2009. JGR switched manufacturers from Chevy to Toyota before the beginning of this season. Stewart has a relationship with GM and Chevy with his own race teams.
One scenario being rumored is that Stewart will go to the HAAS/CNC race team as a full partner and also drive one of their two Chevys. Joe Custer, GM for HAAS/CNC admitted that they have talked with Stewart's people. He said they are very interested, yet have talked with other groups also. ESPN.com and SI.com are reporting that it's a done deal.
Rick Hendrick is said to be calling the shots for HAAS/CNC while their owner, Gene Haas, sits in jail on tax charges. Hendrick is the main reason that Stewart would consider leaving Joe Gibbs after 10 years together. Hendrick could promise Stewart even more help atan HMS gives HAAS now. There would also be the posibility of Hendrick helping Stewart start his own team sooner or later. Rick Hendrick made the deal with Dale Earnhardt Jr. work. He could do the same with Stewart.
Welcome to RSO on this Cupless weekend of racing. The Nationwide guys are South of the Border. Mexico, not that cheesy tourist trap on the NC-SC border. On to the highlights and downlows.
First up, because you gotta love this. The original SkoalBandit is back, baby. StantonBarret---Son of Bandit---is letting his 65 year old dad, StanBarrett try to qualify one of his cars at the RodriguezBrother's road course. Stan was the original Skoal Bandit driving the #22 in Winston Cup for HalNeedham and BurtReynolds. Stan started 19 Cup races and had two top ten finishes. Stan last raced Cup in 1990. He completed every lap and finished 17th for HMS at Sonoma that year. Stan also was the first man to break the sound barrier on the ground, in 1979.
In other Nationwide ride changes for Mexico, Truck Series regulars, RonHornaday will drive the KHI #33, and ErikDarnell will be in RFR's #17. for his first NWS start. Truck Series rookie, ColinBraun will be in the RFR #16 for only his second NWS start. Road aces BorisSaid and PatrickCarpentier will also be in the race, as will SamHornish.
Every Said Head's Hero, Boris Said
Three weeks ago I almost wet myself because BAMRacing announced a big new sponsor, and changed manufacturers. KenSchrader qualified the new Toyota seventh in the first---and only---race since the big announcement. Bam hasn't tried to make a race since then, and I'm hearing that, no matter what they may be saying about returning, they have closed up shop, and laid off their employees. Meanwhile, Schrader has moved on to the HAASCNC #70 Chevy.
ChipGanassi swapped crew chiefs between two of his cars. DonnieWingo leaves #42 and JuanPabloMontoya, to go to the #41 driven by ReedSorenson. Lucky JimmyElledge gets to take over with JPM. Yeah Chip, this should cure everything.
Ashley Force
Move over Danica. AshleyForce has made NHRA history. She is the first woman to lead the funny car points standings, ever. Like Danica, she still hasn't won a race, but it's just a matter of time.
Finally, MikeSkinner and ESPN/ABC talking head, JamieLittle are both entered in the ToyotaPro/Celebrity Race this Saturday. It's part of the preliminaries for the ToyotaGrandPrixofLongBeach. Wonder if Mike knows it's a street course? Doesn't make any difference, he'll just use the car in front of him for brakes. Like he does in the Truck Series.
Texas Terry, The Iceman, and later, The Ironman. These were all nicknames for two time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Terry Labonte. Terry Labonte started racing midget cars at age seven and won a national title when he was nine. He came to the NWC series in 1978 and made his first start at Darlington. It was the first time he had ever seen the track, and the 21 year old finished fourth. Labonte started five Cup races in 1978 and had two top five finishes and three top tens.
Texas short track Terry
Labonte ran for the rookie of the year award in 1979. That year's rookie class also included Harry Gant and eventual ROY Dale Earnhardt. He earned his first Cup victory in 1980 at Darlington in the Southern 500. Darlington is special to Labonte. The Lady in Black is the site of his first start, first win, and last win. All in the Southern 500.
Texas Terry won the Winston Cup championship in 1984 and again in 1996. He was the Iceman on his way to his first title in 1984, and then the Ironman, after breaking Richard Petty's record of consecutive starts,in route to title number two in 1996. He would run the consecutive starts streak up to 655 until inner ear problems from a wreck in the Pepsi 400 in 2000 caused him to miss the next two starts.
Terry Labonte in the Billy Hagen owned Chevy in 1983
Labonte's feats behind the wheel are widespread. He has been on championship teams in the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. He was the IROC champion in 1989 and 1993. He won the Busch Clash in 1985, and The Winston in 1988 and 1999. He and brother Bobby were both inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame in 2002.
The Iceman, IROC Champion
Terry Labonte was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers in 1998. His total wins during his career were 22, along with 27 pole posititions in 851 starts. He also won multiple times in NASCAR's then Busch Series, and once in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Labonte in the Junior Johnson Chevy
Two time champion, Terry Labonte, made his final Cup start last year at Watkins Glen. With his valuable past champion's provisional he is sure to get more offers from desperate car owners to drive for them. I for one would prefer to remember The Iceman taking the checkered flag for a victory lap around Darlington, holding it through his window, after winning his last race, the Southern 500.
Aaron Fike seemingly had it all. He was leading the rookie of the year standings half way through the 2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. He seemed destined to move up through NASCAR's feeder series. Maybe all the way up to the bigs, Sprint Cup. He had a beautiful fiancee, Cassandra Davidson.
Yet, with this bright future laid out in front of him Fike, along with Davidson, was arrested July 7, 2007, and charged with heroin possesion. They were shooting up heroin in Fike's truck for six hours at Kings Island theme park. Fike later pled guilty to two misdemeanors, and recieved two years probation. He has also been to drug rehab.
Aaron Fike, and Cassandra Davidson after drug bust
Fike is back in the news this week. He tells 'ESPN the Magazine' that he shot up heroin on race days,including his last truck race before his arrest. He finished fifth that day in Memphis. Fifth on heroin! He goes on to say that he was addicted to painkillers for six years and to heroin for ten months.
Cassandra Davidson, and Aaron Fike before the drug bust.
Since Fike went public with his story of using drugs on race day several fans are saying that he should be permantly banned from auto racing. I don't have all the answers to this problem, but if we go around taking everyone's livelihood away that had completed rehab, we would have a lot of unemployed addicts on the streets with plenty of free time on their hands. Probably not the ideal situation for them.
Twenty years ago I worked with a heroin addict. He did his job, didn't bother anyone, and wasn't tardy or absent any more than the rest of us. While not rocket science, his job required skill and intelligence. He functioned fine as long as he was on heroin. He would be sick if he didn't have his fix. I've read that this is the addiction, not the 'high' from the heroin, but keeping the withdrawl sickness at bay.
Fike was suspended indefinitely by NASCAR less than a week after his arrest. Fellow Truck Series driver Tyler Walker was suspended last May after failing a drug test requested by NASCAR at Lowes Motor Speedway. He also is suspended indefinitely. Shane Hmiel is also under indefinite suspension after failing multiple tests. All three of these drivers are currently racing in various smaller series.
Shane Hmiel
Which brings us to NASCAR's drug testing policy. Walker and Hmiel were tested under NASCAR's reasonable suBLEEPion clause. Which is the only way to get tested in NASCAR. There are no random tests. No required tests by NASCAR. Several star drivers are on record as saying they have never taken a drug test while in NASCAR. Among those drivers, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Kevin Harvick.
NASCAR is the only major sport that has no mandatory drug testing of any kind for it's stars. NASCAR is also the only major sport without collective bargaining or a player's union. There is certainly nothing wrong with that, but this also allows NASCAR to legally consider it's stars and teams as independent contractors. This gives NASCAR some wiggle room on the testing issue, as NASCAR can argue that, as independent contractors, the teams---not NASCAR--- are responsible for health and wellness issues.
I'm sure that NASCAR has a full field of lawyers telling them that this is the way to go. As Speed Beagle 20 has said, the head in the sand approach appears to be NASCAR's drug policy. NASCAR won't accept the legal responsibility that comes with conducting drug tests. The drivers are begging NASCAR to test them. They want to know that they're not trading paint with someone under the influence.
As NASCAR proved with the Dale Earnhardt episode, they are not proactive. They will wait until something bites them on the BLEEP, or untill the drivers and fans will not tollerate something any longer. Believe me NASCAR will not institute a real drug policy until something drastic happens. Either legally, or, on the track.
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-BLEEP, 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.
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.
Tim Richmond blazed onto the NASCAR scene like a star in 1980. A bright, shining star that flamed out much too soon. His was a story right out of Hollywood. Young, cocky, wealthy, northerner comes down South to show the rubes how it's done. Men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with him.
Richmond finished 9th in the 1980 Indy 500
Richmond came to (then) Winston Cup full time in 1980 after finishing 9th in that year's Indy 500. From 1980 through 1982 he ran partial schedules for several owners, and had two victories and one pole. He drove for Blue Max Racing from 1983 through 1985. He earned two more wins and four poles during these three seasons.
Richmond's greatest year was 1986 in the Folger's Chevy owned by HMS
Richmond joined powerhouse owner Rick Hendrick in 1986. He was to have his career defining season that year. Seven wins, 13 top fives, 17 top tens, and 8 poles. He finished third in points that year, and had several memorable battles with, eventual champion, Dale Earnhardt. Fans were looking forward to years of these two going at it.
Tim Richmond contracted HIV over the winter of 1986. Wanting to keep his illness from NASCAR and the fans, Richmond claimed to have pneumonia. It was June of 1987 before he was able to get back in a race car. He won his first two starts that year, and only drove eight races before NASCAR said he was through. In February of 1988 Richmond planned on entering the Busch Clash at Daytona. NASCAR made him take their newly instituted drug test. Nothing was found in his system but over-the-counter cold meds, but NASCAR now demanded his entire medical records. Richmond said no, as HIV/Aids wasn't as socially accepted as now.
What could have been
Tim Richmond died in August of 1989 at 34 years of age, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Love him, or hate him, all who saw him race will agree he was a star.
Scott Dixon, driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, won the IRL season opener at Homestead-Miami Speedway Saturday night. He took the lead for good with three laps to go when Tony Kanaan pitted with a damaged car from an earlier on track incident.
The highlights and lowdowns........
Vision Racing's two drivers, Ed Carpenter and A.J. Foyt IV, both had to start at the rear of the field after qualifying a remarkable 2nd and 3rd. This after failing inspection on Saturday morning for undisclosed violations. Carpenter did go on to a 5th place, and AJ4 finished 9th.
Danica, Danica, Danica. Ms. Patrick led 0 laps, and finished 6th, one lap down.
Marco Andretti finished 2nd, and led a race high 85 laps out of the 200 total laps run.
Tony Kanaan looked to be heading to victory until rookie, Ernesto Viso spun in front of him late in the race. TK ended up 8th.
Champ Car Teams just recieved their IRL cars in the last three weeks so the 12th place finish by Oriol Servia, which was the highest for the former series teams, wasn't that bad.
All in all a pretty good season opener. Now it's onward to St. Petersburg, FL for the next race. A beautiful road circuit on the Tampa Bay shoreline. If you're nearby, check it out. The ticket prices are reasonable, and the scenery is incredible.
