Sorry about that wreck in practice. Hope there are no hard feelings.
Clint
February 9, 2008 11:05:18 a.m.
Sis:
What the HELL was going on with the New York Deal? How could two of our former employees get Indicted for racketeering!?! How are the Gambino, Bonnano and Genovese crime families involved?
We have enough problems even though the Kentucky suit was dismissed; no need to draw attention to our little business here.
Call me as soon as you get this!
Bri
February 10, 2008 6:32:04 p.m.
Smoke -
Wanna bet on whether Nascar goes to its the “kinder, gentler” approach on our penalties?
No more sheet metal then?
Bush
February 10, 2008 7:22:56 p.m.
Junior -
No problem, glad to help.
Just return the favor next week!
JJ
February 10, 2008 7:10:09 p.m.
Chandi, DeLana, Nicole, Eva & Katie -
Did you see Ashley Judd in a dress on pit road for Pole Day? I thought Nascar wouldn’t let us do that?
So you know, I’m planning on a mini skirt for the Duels.
Ingrid
February 10, 2008 9:30:00 p.m.
Sis:
I could have guessed it’d be Bush and Stewart who would test the waters on the penalties. Bush had to pull the same stunt he’d done last year, and Stewart replayed the Indy reporter incident in the trailer when Bush shot off his mouth.
Jim & Mike have a few ideas. Need any help cleaning up the grandstands after the next several races? That would make them think twice!
Bri
February 11, 2008 8:10:47 a.m.
Jim -
I’ve heard from several drivers that their wives are a bit upset about Ashley Judd wearing a dress in the pits on Pole Day. Rumor has it the other wives are planning on mini skirts and halter dresses for the Duels and The 500. I think we need to let Dario and Ashley know that she has to wear pants, just like the rest of them.
Otherwise, the upside may be that we’ll pull in more viewers and sponsors if the wives and girlfriends start a fashion war each week.
Mike
February 12, 2008 10:12:45 p.m.
Bushie -
So we’re agreed its on at Texas?
Smoke
February 13, 2008 9:02:21 a.m.
Jeff -
Saw Ingrid’s SI photos - does she have a sister? J
Any truth to the mini skirt rumor on Thursday?
Is it too early to ask for Ella Sophia’s hand in marriage? I may be ready to settle down by the time she turns 18 or so. JK!
Junior
February 15, 2008 3:12:00 p.m.
Rick,
The wind tunnel results are surprising to say the least. We should have tried to keep Cronquist. Toyotas are out horse powering our Chevys (up to 30?!).
Any ideas?
Richard
February 17, 2008 7:22:59 p.m.
Jimmie,
I didn’t catch you at the track, just wanted you to know I’m sorry about the spin today. Not sure I did anything, but I am a rookie after all.
Sam
February 17, 2008 7:38:34 p.m.
Happy
Where do I sign up to join the JP Montoya Non-Fan Club?
Clint
February 17, 2008 8:34:13 p.m.
Bush -
I guess that’s one way to get back at Smoke!
Thanks again.
Ryan
February 17, 2008 8:38:28 p.m.
Rick,
I may keep the hat until after The 500 in Indy.
Any interest in using the suite in May?
Roger
February 17, 2008 8:39:00
Kevin
When you wax Smoke, could some wax get “spilled” on his long hair?
I’m willing to split the difference with you on the rest of the $100,000 to get it done.
Zippy
P.S. My daughter started calling Smoke “Bumble” after the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer character.
I'd like to make a $10,000 donation to the "Wax Smoke Fund." I figure it's the least I can do for the guy who knocked me out of the race yesterday.
Carl
Monday, October 1, 2007 4:22:57 p.m.
Junior,
Hi! Do you remember meeting me at Daytona a couple years ago? Just wonderin' if we could get together sometime soon.
Text me!
Britney Spears
PS. Do you still get free Bud?
PPS - Was 60 minutes really right about how much you make per year?
Monday, October 1, 2007 7:37:00 p.m.
Jacques,
Please don't take my comments personally. I think you'll do fine in Nascar. The issue is that your first race is at Talladega. Talladega is not a kind track - have you watched the footage from Bobby Allison's crash? Did you know that several drivers have died there testing?
I know you need restrictor plate track experience before Daytona, but maybe you should start with Scott and Dario in the ARCA series.
Unless you're planning to help with Montoya, you'd be better off watching the race Sunday. Montoya is a big moving chicane. We don't need another one to worry about.
Jeff
Monday, October 1, 2007 10:34:21 p.m.
JJ -
Thanks for saying I should have won yesterday. What I don't get is why none of us was penalized if Biff was keeping a reasonable speed. In fact, didn't you pass me at the end under the caution?
Clint
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 9:10:08 a.m.
Bumgarner,
I don't understand how we passed the pre-race inspection and then failed the post-race inspection with the manifold.
At least we found out before Sunday. That would have been a disaster.
So Knaus was in the garage when you left Friday night?
Kyle
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 2:04:22 p.m.
Bill -
I don't understand why Montoya was welcomed with opened arms and I'm not. I mean, my credentials are even better - I'm an F1 Champ!
What do I need to do? Gordon is clearly upset, and he's the calm one of the bunch! I don't even want to know what that hot-head Stewart thinks.
JV
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 11:34:50 p.m.
Kurt,
Thank you for your kind words. I'm holding up pretty good, even though the rehearsal schedule is horrible! It's worse than the Indy 500 for endurance!
I sure will put in a good word for you with the producers. Why wouldn't they want a former Nascar Champ as a contestant? I'd hate for those dance lessons for your wedding last year to go to waste!
Helio
Tuesday, October 2, 2007 6:43:24 p.m.
Humpy
Of course I'm serious about moving the track if the City won't let me build the drag strip!
Curtis & I built this. And I can tear it down.
I plan to tell them that at the meeting.
Bruton
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 2:34:12 p.m.
Denny,
I don't think we've met, but I heard about you from Paris.
Let me put it this way: Anything she can do, I can do better.
Text Me!
Britney Spears
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 4:32: 08 p.m.
Kyle -
Big congrats on the M&M deal! I loved that sponsorship.
Enjoy!
Elliott
Wednesday, October 3, 2007 7:23:34 p.m.
Shrub,
I expect chocolate stocked everywhere next year.
Don't forget my motorhome.
Congrats on the new sponsor.
Smoke
Thursday, October 4, 2007 7:23:34 a.m.
Bushy -
What's up with the Cubs? When you get up (don't even pretend you didn't stay up all night watching the game), call me.
Newman
Thursday, October 4, 2007 4:52:29 p.m.
Dario,
I'm sure if you want to meet the team you should be able to do that tomorrow. We'll all be there for practice. And if there's anything you need, let me know.
David Stremme
PS: Will your wife be coming to the track with you?
Friday, October 5, 2007 10:34:33 a.m.
Pam,
I'd love to be able to come to your wedding in Vegas tomorrow night, but my schedule makes that impossible. But, I should be able to host you and your new husband at the track anytime.
And no, I haven't had any more problems with videotapes.
Smoke
Friday, October 5, 2007 6:43:22 p.m.
Kasey,
Hi! Remember me? I think we met a few years ago. Paris was talking about you.
We agree that you are SO cute.
Text me!
Britney Spears
PS - Have you already started to get free Bud?
Saturday, October 6, 2007 10:23:53 a.m.
Richie -
Man, you gave us a scare! I hope you are home resting and getting better. Sorry you won't be able to see Tony Jr and I win tomorrow. We'll bring you the trophy!
Junior
Saturday, October 6, 2007 8:42:44 p.m.
Mikey -
You should have the selected dates from UPS. We think a modified schedule will let me ease into the booth and not have to worry about qualifying every week.
Congrats on the pole. You look good up there.
Dale
Saturday, October 6, 2007 9:00:03 p.m.
Denny,
JD updated me about the parking. Tony last week and now you.
I trust that you will make up for it tomorrow.
Let's talk Monday morning at 8:30 a.m.
Joe
Sunday, October 7, 2007 6:11:47 p.m.
Sorry for the global e-mail - my tire went flat.
Wish I hadn't collected so many Chasers, but I'm glad everyone was OK.
What was the deal with the hyper security before the race?
Bobby
Sunday, October 7, 2007 7:20:00 p.m.
Richard & Teresa -
We don't have any idea why there were so many engine failures. It will take some time in the shop to figure out. It is likely a component that wasn't machined properly.
There is no truth to the rumor that we had a break-in in the garage last night.
I'll keep you updated.
Bill
Sunday, October 7, 2007 8:04:01 p.m.
Mom,
I tried to make tea, and we are completely out of sugar. Even the extra bag from the pantry is gone. Could you stop and get some?
First, let me set the scene by telling you that the weather forecast since mid-week was for rain on Sunday. As the race date approached, forecasters targeted the storm to move through between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., however, by Saturday night, the time had shifted to 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., with the possibility of severe weather (which in the midwest means hail, strong, damaging winds, and possibly a tornado). Sunday morning brought the same forecast - rain mid-afternoon.
So, what does Nascar do? Start the race late. Storm clouds were gathering, and the powers that be were running around the track every vehicle owned by every sponsor known to Nascar. Yes, even the dalmation got to ride around the track.
Fans around me decided they were stalling the start in hopes it would rain out.
However, after apparently running out of vehicles to showcase, Nascar started the race.
And 13 laps later had to stop the race because of rain. It rained just enough to get things wet. In fact, I never left my seat and about 1/2 the crowd stayed in the stands. It took time to dry the track, but the winds probably did more to dry the track than the blowers. Nascar never did run the blowers down pit lane, but it dried.
After this delay, the race resumed. The racing was good, and there were several battles for the lead, including this one between Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, and Matt Kenseth.
Meanwhile, the sky was looking more and more ominous. When half-way was reached, many of the cars decided to pit. Greg Zipadelli told Stewart that the rain was coming and to conserve fuel. The tower was polling officials in each corner constantly to see if it was raining.
When the rain came, it wasn't a sprinkle - it started as a harder rain than before that progressed quickly to a downpour. Fans scattered out of the stands, and announcements were made that fans should find shelter as there was severe weather in the area.
When it finally stopped raining, which took around 45 minutes, Nascar decided to dry the track and race. This was a questionable decision as there was NO WAY they could complete the advertised distance (or even the shortened distance) before night fell. Plus, a large number of fans had left because they were soaked during the storm and there hadn't been room to take cover under the grandstand for all 80,000+ fans.
Eventually, drivers were returned to their cars and one lap was taken to clear pit road and open the pits for fuel. Then the pits were closed and the blowers were sent down pit lane. There were still wet spots on the apron and on the pit out road.
When the race resumed, there were numerous caution flags (Schrader-Kenseth-Truex crash; Stewart-Edwards-Busch crash; and Montoya tire). When the caution came out for the Montoya tire issue, the Tower intended to have a quicky yellow. However, the drivers, spotters and crew chiefs were registering complaints about the darkness to their pit officials. The pace car driver notified the Tower that the entire backstretch would have to be blown off due to the shredded tire debris. Thus, the clean up would take several laps and darkness was falling fast.
Add to this the fact that the parking areas were minimally lit for fans to find and return to their cars, and you suddenly get the picture why the race was called without a green-white-checkered.
This photo was taken after the checkered flag with Biffle in the grass. It was already getting dark.
And this was the score tower approximately 15 minutes later, which is about the amount of time it would have taken to complete the clean-up and run a green-white-checker.
I've never really liked Kurt Busch. I thought he was pompous, tried to use terms which he didn't know the meaning of, and generally was a driver with a big mouth and minor talent. I've since revised my opinion of him somewhat, but when little brother Kyle arrived on the scene, I imagined he was getting attention due to big brother Kurt's success.
Then Nascar instituted a rule preventing drivers under 18 from running in the major series, so I figured it was because some owner or sponsor wanted to make a big splash with Shrub. You know, the biggest racing brothers since the LaBontes or Allisons? At the time, Kyle had signed with Hendrick and was only 16, and trying to race in the Truck series.
Kyle still races for the biggest powerhouse in Nascar - Hendrick Motorsports. Surely his success was due to the equipment he was running and the team he was working with.
Wrong. Wrong. And Wrong. Kyle Busch arguably has more talent that big brother Kurt. And he's proven wise in avoiding some of the problems Kurt encountered (but not all of them).
Like Kurt, Kyle has a big mouth. After the first COT race, Kyle had harsh words for how the car drove. "I'm still not a big fan of these [cars]. I can't stand to drive them. They suck." And he'd won the race. "Winning Ugly" was what he called it.
It wasn't the first or the last time he'd bit the hand that fed him.
Lately, he's been firing shots at any and everything that he doesn't like. Such as soon-to-be-former teammates Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Casey Mears. Shrub claims they didn't help him at Daytona. In case you've lost count, that's 5 Cup championships and one racing legend's nephew he's messing with. Anyone who saw the race knows Kyle's car was dominent. And anyone who watches restrictor plate races knows that the last corner is crucial to the win, and it just didn't happen for Busch.
Kyle also took a couple shots at Rick Hendrick when Dale Earnhardt Jr announced he's moving into Kyle's seat, garage, and team. Kyle commented that "this {wa}s all brand new" to him. He later offered up his then agent as a sacrifice (probably to save his seat at Hendrick), claiming his agent didn't tell him what had been going on with negotiations.
At the awards banquet late last year, Kyle flubbed up his speech by mentioning his girlfriend "Eva." Unfortunately, his girlfriend is "Erica" and "Eva" is his sister-in-law. None of the remaining drivers let him forget it, with Rick Hendrick telling him that he wasn't going to be able to help him out with that comment! Kyle (and Erica) laughed it off, taking the ribbing in good humor.
His outspokenness may be uncouth, a la Tony Stewart, but it doesn't leave any doubt as to how he feels about things.
Add to the mix his contentous relationship with his team after he left the Texas race while they were feverishly working to put the car back in the race. Junior stepped in and drove the car for Busch, who had left the track. Busch repented, a little, but is still complaining about his car, the strategy that cost him the Busch race on Saturday, and teamwork at Hendrick.
Busch has begrudgingly pondered the scathing assessment of competitors. Tony Stewart compared him to a dart without feathers. Jeff Gordon remarked that he had a lot of learn. Kyle took the comments to heart, and although he hasn't stepped off the gas, even when the car is wickedly loose, he has learned how to avoid running over his competitors.
Earlier this year, he had duels with Jeff Burton in the Busch series. Burton complimented Busch on his clean driving, applauding the fact that Busch didn't bump him out of the way to win.
Now Shrub is the most sought after free agent in Nascar. Hourly updates on which shop he visited this week or which owner he spoke with at the track plague motorsports reporting. Rumors are that Evernham, DEI, Penske, RCR, Gibbs and Ganassi are eminiently going to announce they've signed him.
And why wouldn't a team want him? He's won a race in each of the three Cup season's he's competed in. He has 4 career wins in Cup, and wins in both the Busch and Truck series. He was the youngest pole sitter in the Cup series at 19 and the youngest winner at 20. And now, he's only 22.
He's brash, reckless and brave. He doesn't mince words, and doesn't back down when confronted with a problem. And he has talent.
Kind of like another jaw-flapper named Darrell Waltrip. Or even Tony Stewart,
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is having a press conference tomorrow. Widespread speculation is that he will announce what team he will be driving for next year.
News reports cite anonymous sources that claim Junior is going to Hendrick, and Kyle Busch is being bounced to ... DEI. The press reports that Gibbs denies involvement in the press conference, and Richard Childress is out of the country. Hendrick declines to comment on the story.
There are several things about this story that make me wonder:
1. Didn't Junior just claim last week that things had slowed down due to the death of Bill France Jr? I know that if I were constantly badgered about a story, I'd probably say things were slow too, even if they weren't. But was this deal cut over the casket at the funeral or what?
2. Hasn't Junior had other press conferences for things like, say his Busch team? To my knowledge, he didn't specify what this one was about.
3. Didn't Hendrick just announce there was no room at the inn? Was this secret code to Kyle Busch to sign the damn contract already, or don't let the door hit you on the way out? I'm no Busch fan, but he has won several races, and he is very young. Hendrick stuck with him through a lot. Is this still fall out from Busch leaving the track when his team was frantically working on his car? And which Junior happened to be available to drive?
4. Wouldn't it just be like Richard Childress (or Dale Earnhardt for that matter) to fly in to town at the last minute for the press conference? And didn't Jeff Burton mention that RCR was going to 4 cars last week?
5. Would Junior really want to go to Hendrick, where he will be the third driver on the totum pole? Gordon will always be the top cat, and Jimmie Johnson is a champion as well. Junior brings with him sponsors and fans, but he'll probably never be the #1 driver there. Then again, maybe he doesn't want to be the #1 driver...
6. Would Junior want to go to RCR? That's a big step back into his father's shadow, and not very far out of his step-mother's shadow. Especially with the merged motor program.
7. Why hasn't anyone talked to Ginn about the press conference?
8. Would Junior want to go to Gibbs? Tony is a 2x champion, and Denny Hamlin is the young gun. He'd fit in, if it just wasn't for that sponsorship problem.
9. Does this mean Kurt Busch pimps Miller Lite and Kyle Busch pimps Bud?
10. Would Junior get the Kelloggs sponsorship? Or where would they go? National Guard just came on board at Hendrick... Would Kelloggs go with Kyle?
11. Didn't these same sources tell us that Kurt Busch would be parked for Pocono due to the pit road flare-up?
12. Didn't these same sources COMPLETELY miss the Kurt Busch move to Penske in August 2005?
Sigh... I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to answer these questions...
Danica Patrick was Miffed. She fumed. She stomped up to give Dan Wheldon a piece of her mind. She raised her voice and her eyebrows, dramatically making her point. Danica went so far as to push Wheldon to make sure he got it. Wheldon's reaction?
He ignored her. Like the leftovers you don't want to eat after you get home, and then fester in your refridgerator.
Danica was upset that Dan and Dario Franchitti hadn't let her pass them on the track. Wheldon went so far as to bump her car. She managed to keep it off the wall, and finished the race. But she was upset.
Unfortunately, she hadn't mastered the Jeff Gordon Bristol shove. Back to the drawing board, Danica! You did much better slapping Jacque Lazier.
Meanwhile, at the rain delayed Nascar race, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch had another round of "Oh, yeah, well, take that!" which usually ends with both cars wrecked and ruining a good finish.
However, this version amped up the typical slugfest when Busch bumped into Stewart. On pit road. While Jason Lee, a crewmember, was on the right fender.
Lee had to jump onto the hood to avoid being crushed by Busch's car. Never fear, it appears Lee gave Busch an earful after it happened, and he wasn't hurt.
Both sides are claiming the other is at fault.
The IRL announced neither Danica or Dan would be penalized.
Nascar parked Busch at the time of the offense, but penalties could be handed down tomorrow. Busch's problem is that a crew member on pit road nearly got hurt and it was clearly intentional behavior.
The on-track incident is likely to be considered "just racing" even if you could see the outcome watching the two race without giving.
I think Busch could be up for a signficant penalty. Maybe even a suspension.
After all, if Junior loses 100 points and his crew chief for 6 races for tinkering with the COT, which didn't almost injure someone, shouldn't intentional behavior which comes within inches of harming a teammember be worth more?
Talladega is deemed by the media as the wild card of the Chase. Then again, every week they say that "this track" could be outcome determinative. In reality, any mistake by a team chasing the Cup will lose them positions and points in the final standings.
Restrictor plate track success is more about luck than any thing else. The drivers comment that all that is needed to drive the race is a foot to the floor and straight steering. I'm sure there is more to it than that, but avoiding trouble is the name of the game.
Nearly every Chaser had a problem: whether on pit road, on the track or going from the track to the pit road. Burton, Martin, Johnson, Gordon, Hamlin, Harvick, and Earnhardt. Kenseth, Kahne and Busch escaped with minimal problems, but none of them were able to turn that into victory.
Despite the universal "target" issued to all Chasers at the beginning of the Chase, how each team handles adversity was interesting.
Dale Jr. chalked up his crash - created by Vickers - to restrictor plate racing. He was well on his way to a top 3 finish if not win, when he was crashed out by Vickers/Johnson. Perhaps his crash of Carl Edwards at Michigan in the Busch race was still fresh in his mind.
Jimmie Johnson was not as pleasant. He blamed his teammate Vickers for the crash. I found this interesting given Johnson's crash record at Daytona & Talladega. A record of him crashing out other contenders, often early in the race. Who knew his "haters" comment at Daytona was directed as his teammate?
Mark Martin was pessimistic coming into Talladega. In fact, his goal was to survive to the first pit stop since the past few races he hadn't ever gotten the chance to pit. Even though he had a problem in the pits, he was glad to finish at Talladega.
Jeff Burton had a tire going flat, which he caught, but didn't guess the correct tire for his team to fix. This lead to additional time on pit road as the laps were winding down. Burton shrugged it off as racing. He still leads the Chase.
Jeff Gordon, who crashed, blamed bump drafting for his problems. Interesting comments since he wasn't bump drafted, but rather caught up in the crash started by someone checking up. He pointed his finger at Junior, who didn't appear to be involved in the incident. Junior was later warned by Nascar for bump drafting after another incident.
On one hand, I was impressed to see Johnson and Gordon be something other than the milk-toast personalities they typically are - always the perfect bland spokesman. On the other, I was a bit miffed that they can't direct their anger at the appropriate things. Johnson should know that accidents happen when people bump draft. He's caused more than a couple accidents himself that way. Gordon should know that crashes at Talladega are a given price of admission - and he has benefited from more than a few of them. He has won races by bumping someone out of the way more than once.
My Other Random Thoughts:
1. Smaller Fuel Cells: The smaller fuel cells made for more green flag pit stops, which lead to problems in the pits. While it was hoped on paper that the smaller fuel cell would break up the packs, all it really accomplished was putting cars that had trouble in the pits a lap down. We did not see extended periods with smaller packs working around the track.
2. Smaller Restrictor Plates: Nascar issued smaller restrictor plates on Saturday morning - after all the practice sessions had ended and just prior to qualifying. While the smaller plate may have changed how cars qualified, it appears that it did not hinder teams during the race. Had more teams experienced serious problems with overheating (as it looked that some might about 1/2 way through the race), Nascar could have ended up with egg on its face for the change.
3. Kurt Busch: Whomever has been working with him at Penske with his PR presence and attitiude in his media interviews deserves a raise. He is almost likeable. If it has to do with his marriage to Eva, then she needs a bigger shopping allowance.
4. Bumping to Win: How many more races will the eventual winner crash out the car ahead of him before Nascar implements a rule? I can think of at least 4 races this year where the second or third place car crashed out the car in front of them. Now, I'm sure that some of them were accidental. But these a professional drivers. Wouldn't a penalty on occasion cause them to think a bit more before taking some of these risks?
5. What is wrong at Ford Racing? First they lost Kurt Busch, then the reigning Champ to Dodge. This year, they lost Dale Jarrett to Toyota. Then Elliott Sadler to Dodge. Now Mark Martin to Chevy? It looks like to me they can't pay their young guns to stay with them and they are pushing their old reliable drivers out the door. Who is going to be the face of Ford racing? Chevy has Earnhardt, Gordon, Johnson and Stewart. Dodge has Kahne and Sadler. Toyota will have Vickers. Ford has Matt Kenseth? Greg Biffle? Jamie McMurray? OK, Kenseth & Biffle are talented and McMurray has potential, but they aren't setting the fan base on fire. They don't have the major followings that the Chevy drivers, Jarrett or Martin have. I know some of those fans will remain loyal to Ford, but it looks to me that they need to be looking for the next great thing. Remember, Ford had Kahne signed, and let him slip out of their fingers to Dodge.
6. Brian Vickers: The second race a non-chaser wins. Villian or Hero, it is his first Cup win. And who will forget it anytime soon? I feel that Vickers was somewhat vindicated after the flap with Gordon about giving Gordon position and the last Talladega race where Johnson snookered Vickers at the line. I wonder if in addition to his banishment from the team meetings if his parking space will now be moved to the far end of the parking lot.
does Nascar do? Start the race late. Storm clouds were gathering, and the powers that be were running around the track every vehicle owned by every sponsor known to Nascar. Yes, even the dalmation got to ride around the track. 
