Darlington has received the nickname of "Too Tough To Tame" and "The Lady in Black" for a reason.
This Southern Lady loves to tease a suitor (driver) into thinking they are taming her. And just when that suitor (driver) thinks he has the Lady on his side, she reaches out and slaps him into the wall.
Photo by AP Photo/Virginia Postic
This lady does not care who she slaps. Whether he is the points leader, a veteran, the current champion or a young rookie. If she feels that you are getting to confident in your run. She will put you into the wall.
This year the lady has a new shiny surface. She is looking alot better than she has in years. Though she is looking alot better, she still has the same old attitude.
Granted her surface is alot kinder to the tires. But her curves (turns) are still very hard on all those suitors (drivers).
Every race there is usually one suitor (driver) who treats her like a true Southern Lady and she in returns allows him to be victorious.
Last night in the Nationwide race there was many who thought they had this savvy old Southern Lady on their side. But there is only one she had taken a shine too. (Could it be because he said on his radio show* on Tuesday, that he likes older women? lol)
She was courting him all the way to Victory Lane. She took care of any of his opponents who might try to steal away his thunder.
Some she didn't allow to even get into the show: Denny Hamlin. Others she allowed to make it. But when they got too close to her suitor, she used her turns and walls to slap them out of the race: Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Mark Martin were just among of the few of the suitors she took care of.
Last night her chosen suitor was the driver of the #20 Old ####e Toyota Camry, Tony Stewart. Many times before he had tried to charm this lady. But each time she chose someone else.
But last night Smoke wooed this lady and she liked the way he treated her. And she allowed him to be the Victor of her.
But this lady is fickle, like most Southern ladies. She likes to be the center of attention. And tonight there will be 43 more suitors who will come a calling. Trying to woo her into letting them be the one who stands in Victory Lane.
Smoke will try again tonight to win her heart. Will he be able to charm her once again or will he do something to make her mad? Will someone else be the victor? Only time will tell.
But for at least one night, Tony Stewart won this lady's heart and he stood in Victory Lane. A winner at Darlington.
Update on Father in Law: Things are still pretty much the same. The swelling is becoming more of a problem. His feet are staying swollen all of the time now. His feet look like they could burst. The swelling in his stomach is becoming larger as well. His feet appeared to me today that they looked bluish. But this could have been do the swelling.
But to look at him and hear him, you would think he was doing well. He is still eating well. But we all know that any day things could change for the worse.
He told my husband last week that he was coming home next month. But the doctors are telling him, he will not be coming home again. He needs 24 hour medical care. So today when we went to see him, he was talking as if he realizes know that he is not coming home.
Thank everyone again for all the prayers, kind words and your thoughts. They really do help to get us through these trying times.
Denny Hamlin finally got that home state win that he has been longing for. Today at Martinsville he finished first ahead of the rest of the Cup field.
He got his first Martinsville win and his first for 2008.
With this win, Hamlin gives Joe Gibbs Racing 2 wins for the season. Kyle Busch won at Atlanta three weeks ago.
Tony Stewart came back to finish 5th at Martinsville.
Congratulations to Him and his Team for a great win!
And the best part, all three Gibbs cars are in the top 10 in points. And this also means that Toyota has three cars in the top 10.
If Gibbs can just get all of the transmission and fuel pick up problems that they seem to be having here lately out of the way. All three cars should be strong contenders for the Championship this year.
The NASCAR season is not even five weeks old and already there seems be alot of concern about safety.
That is funny especially since the car that the Cup teams are driving solely this year was built for safety.
Daytona has been the only race so far that has not been plagued by safety concerns in one form or another.
At California, it was the track that was the safety issue. With all the rain that fell that weekend, the track had weepers coming through the seams of the track. Denny Hamlin and Casey Mears had wrecks that were caused by the weepers on the track.
At Las Vegas, it was tires that were blowing out during the race. Tony Stewart had a horrific wreck after a right front tire blew. Leaving the two time champ wondering if he was seriously hurt. Stewart wrecked in the Nationwide Series race the day before, also due to a blown right front tire.
Also at Vegas, Jeff Gordon discovered another safety issue. This time an issue that no one was expecting. A protruding inner wall opening that is used for emergency vehicles. Gordon spun out and hit the wall. Causing major damage to his car. Fortunately no damage to Gordon.
At Atlanta, again it was a safety issue. This time the safety issue was once again the tires. Not tires blowing out, but tires with no grip. Goodyear decided to bring a much harder tire. And therefore there was no grip for the cars due to the lack of downforce that the new cars have.
Fortunately there was one bad wreck, and that was Elliott Sadler. But the problem for poor Sadler he had three other wrecks during the race.
Tony Stewart has been very vocal this past week about his dislike for the tire at Atlanta. And Goodyear has heard him loud and clear. From the moment that he opened his mouth, there has been a battle raging between Tony Stewart and Goodyear.
Since the end of the Atlanta race many other drivers have spoken out against the tire that Goodyear brought. Drivers such as four time champion Jeff Gordon and Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. But the more and more that I read, and the more and more that I hear. I am beginning to wonder if there isn't a bigger issue in NASCAR.
It seems that there is a bigger problem. And it is a problem that nobody really wants to talk about. But it is a problem that has been around since the inception of NASCAR.
And that problem is that NASCAR officials have way too much power. When a driver, car owner, track owner or anyone with a concern approaches them. It is as if they will let you talk. Express your concern, but then they will dismiss you like you had never said anything.
The first time this problem really seemed to have raised its head was back in the 1960s, when Curtis Turner tried to get a drivers union. NASCAR banned him for life in 1961. But then they reinstated him in 1965.
In 1969 Richard Petty and the sports top stars boycotted the first Talladega race in protest over the way NASCAR was doing business.
They were apart of the first and only Driver Union in NASCAR The Professional Drivers Association. It was not to be long lived. Because Bill France let it be known that if the top drivers wanted to race in NASCAR, they had to race by his rules. France brought in ringers to race at the inaugural race at Talladega.
Since these drivers wanted to race, they folded their union and went back to racing on NASCAR terms.
Every since then NASCAR has just runned stock car racing on their terms.
So as the 2008 season gets into full swing, that age old problem has once again risen its ugly head: Does NASCAR really listen to the drivers?
Time will tell if anything ever does change with NASCAR. But one thing is for certain, with a vocal driver such as Tony Stewart in NASCAR, there will be more battles. And he will certainly voice his concern.
At the start of the Daytona 500 yesterday, I had not really given much thought to the Penske teams. Well, except for Kurt Busch, and that was not good thoughts.
Going into yesterday's race. The heavy hitters all seemed to becoming from two organizations: Joe Gibbs Racing and Rick Hendrick Motorsports.
These two organizations had won everything so far that Speedweeks had to offer, except the Truck race, and Todd Bodine won that for Toyota.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. had won the Bud Shootout and the first Gatorade Duel 150. Jimmie Johnson won the pole for the 500.
Denny Hamlin won the second Gatorade Duel 150. And Tony Stewart won the Nationwide Series race. While teammate Kyle Busch finished second in both the Craftsman Truck and Nationwide Series races.
It appeared that the scene was set for these two organizations to do battle to the end. All of the main players were all in the top 15 except Kyle Busch who started 24th. But he did not stay there long.
Busch made his way to the front in a hurry to lead a race high 86 laps. While teammates Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin helped to add to the total of 138 laps that the Toyotas would lead.
That ultimate battle never happened. The Hendrick teams seemed to be snake bit. Three of the four Hendrick cars finished outside of the top 25. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 9th was the only Hendrick car in the top 10 at the end.
Jeff Gordon developed suspension problems dropping him to 39th. Casey Mears wrecked and he finished 35th. While Jimmie Johnson had a miscue in the pits that dropped him to the back of the field in which he got caught up in a late race wreck. That did minor damage to the car, finished 27th.
The day it seemed belonged to the Gibbs Toyotas. All three of the Gibbs cars took turns leading the race at different times.
While it appeared that Kyle had the best car of the three. It was Tony Stewart who was posed with three laps to go to win the race. Stewart took off from the the caution. Before they hit turn one he was in the lead.
As the laps dwindled down, Stewart was leading when the white flag was thrown. Stewart it appeared was on his way to winning his first Daytona 500.
But not so fast Mr. Stewart. The two Penske teams were saying. We have something to say about this. And say they did. As Tony dropped down to pick up his teammate, the two Penske teammates set sail and went passed Stewart to win the race.
Kurt Busch gave his teammate a push that sent Ryan Newman to the win. Giving Roger Penske his first points paying restrictor plate win in the organization's history.
So as much as everyone wanted to see Stewart win, if for no other reason but to see his long flowing locks be cut by the media. It was Ryan Newman who came out on top of this Golden 50th Daytona 500.
Congratulations to you Mr. Ryan Newman.
And to the Gibbs and Toyota teams everyone of you should hold your heads up high. You showed that you are going to be contenders all season long. And the wins will come. And the first win could very well come next week at California.
And as far as Hendrick, well, we all know that we have not heard the last of them. They will be back as strong as ever.
OPERATION WAX SMOKE! Well it is official the money has been raised and Smoke will be waxed. Time is yet to be determined. It appears that it will take place on Smoke's Sirius radio show sometime in the near future. Kevin Harvick went ahead and put the final amount of money up to reach the $100,000. So Smoke get ready, you will be waxed by your old Nationwide Series car owner.
What is the hot topic on fan forums right now and with the media?
No it is not the Championship week in New York City. It is not even Dale Jr. going to Hendrick.
No the hot topic is how will Gibbs fair in 2008 with the Toyota.
What I find amazing is that everyone is so worried about Gibbs switching to Toyota. Because they keep comparing this year's teams to Gibbs. That can't be done.
None of the 2007 Toyota teams were elite teams. They were at best mediocre.
Gibbs is an elite team. They would not have made this move if they had not done their homework.
Gibbs did not just step into Toyota. They made sure that their engine department could make the Toyota work. They have tested this engine. And they know every in and out of it.
There will not be a learning curve for this engine. Mark Cronquist has researched this engine very well. And if he didn't think he could make this engine perform like the Chevy engine, they never would have moved to Toyota.
Gibbs Racing will do just fine. Even in the Daytona 500.
I know, I know J.D. swears that they did not test any part of the Toyota before the season's end. If you believe that, then you have your head in the sand.
The cat was let out of the bag several years ago, before Gibbs switched to Chevrolet, that the Gibbs organization would build the other manufacturers vehicle, including the engine. To see where their strong and weak points were.
And I have no doubt that Gibbs did the same thing with the Toyota, under the guise of research.
J.D. Gibbs and Joe Gibbs have surrounded themselves with some very intelligent people. And Jimmy Makar is one of the most intelligent people in racing today. And Mark Cronquist is one of the best, if not the best at getting the most out of an engine.
So just because, Gibbs is switching to Toyota in 2008, you don't have to worry about their organization. They will do fine. And don't be surprised if you don't see a Toyota in victory lane at Daytona in February. And don't be surprised if it is a Gibbs car.
I read an article on ESPN and I couldn't help but want to comment on it. Below is excerpts from the article. You can find a link to the article at the bottom.
Is this suppose to be an apology? If it is, someone needs to tell Mr. Hamlin all you need to say is "I'm sorry."
"Kyle is someone I really respect a lot, regardless of any on-track incident," Hamlin said. "No matter what you do, Kyle is going to be right.
"And a lot of what he did [last weekend at Dover] was right. You never want to be involved in an incident with Kyle because he is respected a lot like Mark Martin is in the garage. So really, I've just got to learn to grow up," he said.
"I'm not going to get back into whether it was his fault or my fault," Hamlin said. "It was a situation where I was put in a small box to try to avoid him and I couldn't get through it.
"I think he knew he did check up because he got loose. He had gotten into a few incidents before that, so he probably was at his boiling point and anything was going to set him off," he said.
"I have to figure out how to get through a season without altercations," Hamlin said. "I expect more of myself and have expectations this year that I didn't have last year [as a rookie]. That probably has caused me to do some things I normally wouldn't do."
"I need to not let things get to me like that," Hamlin said. "My fuse is so short. Anybody who does anything to me on the race track or outside the race track, I immediately want to jump on them. That part I've got to get over."
"I'll be the first to say I'm extremely moody at times," Hamlin said. "But I've earned my way here. I didn't get here because of my last name or because we had money. I earned my way based on performance and being respectful of other people."
Denny I really like you. Why? Because you remind me so much of Tony Stewart. Gutsy, fiesty and take no prisoners attitude. But sometimes a simple "It was my fault and I am sorry", goes along way to gain you that respect that you so want from the other drivers. Maybe you should try it.
STOP THE PRESSES I AGREE WITH JEFF GORDON
I cannot believe it. I actually agree with Jeff Gordon on something. Gordon has expressed his concern about Jacques Villeneuve making his debut at Talladega next week.
When I heard about NASCAR giving him the Okay to race, I thought are they crazy? This guy has no experience in a Cup car and they are going to put him in a Cup car at Talladega, during the Chase? NASCAR has really lost their minds.
I agree with Gordon, there are other places he should make his debut at. Talladega is not the right place for a guy who has never been in a stock car, except for test sessions, to make his debut. This could be very disastrous for the Chase drivers if they happen to be around him and he messes up and causes the Big One. Atlanta is only a couple weeks away, let him start there.
Anyone who says that road course races do not belong in NASCAR need to go and find a tape of Sunday's race and watch it.
The race at Watkins Glen was probably the most exciting race, well at least one of the top five, of this season.
The two best NASCAR road racers battled back and forth for the first 45 laps of the race. That was until Tony Stewart spun himself out while leading the race. Which caused him to land 20th in the running order.
But the 20 team and its driver did not throw up their hands and quit. Through great pitstops and a driver who drives like his pants are on fire. They were able to regain the track position that they needed to put them in contention for the win.
As the laps dwindled down you could tell that Stewart was a man on a mission. As he passed car after car until he was third, you just knew that if he could get to Gordon, this was going to be a great race to the checkered flag.
As Smoke chased down his teammate Denny Hamlin for second, going through the S's these two teammates ran off into the grass. Opening the door for Gordon to get a slight lead and Carl Edwards to close up on them.
As the teammates came through the grass areas, Stewart and Hamlin battled side by side. But then a caution came out.
Once the green flag was back out, Stewart took the race to his teammate. He finally passed Hamlin for second and Stewart set sail for Gordon.
As Stewart chased Gordon down, one can only wonder could he catch him? Gordon was now showing his hand. Gordon had saved his car and he was now using it all.
But then the unexpected happen. On lap 89, right in front of Stewart going into turn 1, almost the exact same spot that Stewart had spun earlier, Jeff Gordon spun out.
I am sure the look not only on Gordon's face, when he did it, but Stewart's had to be one of pure shock. There are two things that are for certain about Jeff Gordon, he is a great road racer and he doesn't spin out on road courses, especially when he is leading.
So when he spun out and Stewart went sailing by him, I am sure that Gordon was wondering what had happened. I know I sure was.
I had already come to the conclusion with three laps left that Stewart was going to finish second and Gordon was going to win his 5th race of the year.
Guess that is why it is said, "that it isn't over until the flag waves".
To Bump or Not to Bump
Denny Hamlin pondering what if, said over his team radio that he thought about laying the bumper to one Jeff Gordon. But because Jeff Gordon did not race him like that in other races, Denny didn't want to do that to Gordon.
It is a good thing that Mr. Hamlin did not lay the bumper to Gordon and then say this on his team radio. NASCAR would have certainly brought him down for a rough driving penalty.
Was it a Block or Just a Stupid Move
Photo by AP Photo/David Duprey
Now while Hamlin never laid a bumper to Gordon, one Martin Truex, Jr. did lay the bumper to one Juan Pablo Montoya.
As Truex dived low to make a run on Montoya. Montoya drove low in front of Truex. Blocking Truex from making the pass. But what happened next made the race, seem like the good ole days of Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison.
As Montoya blocked Truex, Truex didn't like it. He bumped Montoya, causing Montoya to do spinning. Collecting Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton. Both Richard Childress drivers.
As the cars came to a rest. Harvick gets out of his car and approaches Montoya's car. As Montoya is trying to tell Harvick that it he had been hit from behind. Harvick was hearing him.
As Harvick tries to keep his hands off of Montoya, Montoya grabs the face of his helmet, and the tussel is on. Both guys exchange a few shoves and pulling away of each other's hands. NASCAR officials finally jump in to break up the shoving match. Even level headed Jeff Burton got involved to breakup the two drivers.
Guess Mr. Montoya and Mr. Harvick will not be having dinner together anytime soon.
But oh, boy, wasn't it great to see two drivers toe to toe and taking nothing from the other one.
Oh, how I long for the good ole days.
Tomorrow is Kyle's Day
Well it seems that the worst kept secret at Joe Gibbs Racing will be formally announced tomorrow. J.D. Gibbs has scheduled a press conference on Tuesday at Joe Gibbs Racing at 11 a.m.
It is at this time that, it is expected that J.D. will announce that Joe Gibbs Racing has hired Kyle Busch to replace J.J. Yeley in the 18 Interstate Batteries Car.
Hmmm...Kyle Busch to Gibbs Racing in 2008. Not exactly the headline I expected to see. I really expected Kyle to sign with DEI. That was until DEI and Ginn Racing merged.
Once that happened, there was no room for Kyle. So the only other Chevy race team that Kyle was probably even considering, besides Gibbs, was Richard Childress Racing. And Childress had already said that they were going to 4 cars next year.
So I really thought he would sign with Childress. But then again, there were signs that something was afoot.
For several weeks now, I have been seeing photos of Tony with Kyle in the garage. On pit road. With Tony talking with Kyle and Kyle's girlfriend. Now that I think about it, I wonder if Tony wasn't doing some selling of Gibbs to this young talent. But I just didn't want to see what was in front of my face.
I mean after all he is one of the Busch brothers. A Hendricks driver. The enemy.
After all in the past he and Tony could not pass each other on the track without giving each other a rub. Or sparring vocally in the press.
So one has to stop and ask, "What was Joe and J.D. Gibbs thinking?"
Can Joe Gibbs really make magic happen a third time with another hot driver with an ego that is so big that he needs his own zip code? (Did I just insult Tony Stewart? I must be in shock.)
I will give Joe Gibbs this, I rarely question his intelligence. So I guess he and J.D. have seen something in Kyle, that I have not objectively seen. (Blinded by my dislike for Hendricks). So what will 2008 bring for the three very talented drivers at Joe Gibbs Racing?
Will it be harmony or will they hit a sour note?
Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin have already had words this year. Tony and Kyle have already had a run-in (February 2007 Bud Shootout). Where Stewart moved Kyle out of the way, so Tony could go on and win the Shootout.
So will Tony Stewart be the mentor that Kyle Busch needs to help him propel himself to a championship? Will Denny and Kyle be able to co-exist with their two-time Champion Teammate? Or will Kyle become the odd man out as Denny and Tony become Gibbs answer to Hendricks Gordon and Johnson? Or will Denny and Kyle join their teammate in becoming one of NASCAR's top superstars?
These are all questions that I am sure that has gone through many of the NASCAR's fans minds.
This arrangement could be of the biggest coup of Gibbs Racing history. Or it could be like a supervolcano just waiting to go off.
After all that being said, there is only one question that keeps going through my mind is: Can I pull for Kyle Busch?
Well it only took one day for Tony Stewart to pull himself out of the woodshed. Stewart who had wrecked with teammate Denny Hamlin one week before at Daytona, pulled into Victory Lane at Chicagoland on Sunday.
For some reason, it always seems that when Tony is admist chaos, he pulls one out for the team.
Stewart's history is full of it. Probably the best well known incident happened in 2002 when Stewart exploded at a photographer in Indy. Punching, (or pushed depending on who you ask) the photographer after not winning the Brickyard 400.
The following week at Watkins Glen, Stewart pulled into Victory Lane.
Well this time no punches were pulled, well at least not physical punches, and Tony hasn't been fined by anyone. It was a normal Tony Stewart win. Gets out front, leads alot of laps and comes away with the trophy.
Joe: Okay Boys, I am only going to say this once: Behave yourselves!
Denny: I was behaving. Tony wrecked me.
Tony: No I didn't wreck you, you wrecked me!
Denny: How could I have wrecked you? I was leading the race!
Tony: Well...You got lose and I accidentally hit you. But you could have saved it, but you came back up the hill and wrecked me. Yeah, (thinking to self). Yeah that is how you wrecked me!
Joe (voice getting alittle loud): BOYS! ENOUGH!
Both Tony and Denny sit silently in their seats.
Joe: Geez, I have to deal with football players who are doing drugs, drinking, no talent, and wife abusers. But I be darned, if I am going to put up with you two acting like them! I have to go back to Washington and get ready for football season. I don't have time to mess with the two of you. Get your act together or you are grounded for a race. I will put in two other drivers in your cars and let you sit home for awhile.
Tony you are the leader of this team. Act like it. I am tired of your "Do as I say, not as I do" attitude. I know that you are frustrated, but that is no excuse to attack Denny in the media.
Denny, you are in your second year in Cup racing. You have been around Tony enough to know that when he is frustrated, and the media pushes a microphone into his face, he says things he regrets.
Now from this point on, We are not going to say anything more about this incident. It stays here in this hauler. And..."
Tony: But Joe, Denny has been to the media and ripping me apart.
Denny: Yeah, well you started it. You ripped me apart pretty well, last Saturday and then again on your radio show.
Tony: I didn't rip you apart on my show. I just said...
Joe: What did I just say?! We are not going to say anything more about this. Now, I want you two to stand up. Go on stand up. I SAID TO STAND UP!
Both Tony and Denny stand up.
Joe: Turn your backs to each other.
Tony and Denny turn their backs to each other.
Joe: Now take two steps forward. (Both comply.)
Joe: Now bend down. (Both bend) Pick up those guns, (both hesitate for a minute), Go on pick them up. (both pick up the guns, wondering what in the world Joe has in mind.) Turn around, and face it other. (Both turn around.) Raise your guns. (They do as commanded.) Now Shoot!
Tony and Denny both start firing their guns. When it was all said and done, both drivers were soaking wet and laughing at each other. They shake hands and agree that was fun. And they turn their guns on Joe, and both let out laughter befitting a four year old birthday party.
And that is how Joe Gibbs settles fights between his two drivers Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin.
Hey what were you thinking the guns were going to be? A Saturday night special? We already had that last week.
***This is by means the way it really happened, but hey, a girl can dream! Two good looking drivers standing there in their wet firesuits....ahem...Watergun please!!!
First off, let me say Congratulations to Jamie McMurray and the 26 team for their first win of the season. Jamie you have worked hard to get this win and I could not be happier for you.
Now on to the real reason behind this blog. The Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart wreck on lap 14 of the Pepsi 400.
I have read where people are blaming Tony for the wreck. I have read where they say that there is a rivalry between Tony and Denny. That there is problems in the Gibbs organization. I even read where someone made the comment that Tony was only biding his time until Gibbs goes to Toyota and he leaves.
People get a life. There is no trouble in the Gibbs organization concerning Tony and Denny. Or any other driver. There is no rivalry between Tony and Denny. And Tony is not leaving Gibbs organization.
Where else would he go and get the kind of space that he gets to say what he wants? Certainly not at Hendricks. Or DEI. Or Roush. And certainly not Penske. Maybe Ganassi, but even that might be pushing it.
Tony Stewart knows that he has a great ride going at Gibbs and he is not going to leave it.
As far as the wreck between these two on Saturday, it looked pretty simple to me. Denny didn't enter into the corner as well as he had previously and Tony was closing faster than probably before because of the draft.
Tony got into the back of Denny and got him lose. And Tony went high to miss him, and Denny came back up the track. Plain and simple it was RACING.
Now should Tony have said what he did about Denny on camera. No. I think that Tony should have kept that opinion to himself. He was wrong to speak to the media before he cooled down and talked to his teammate.
Yes I said Tony was wrong.
Now saying that, those who are trying to create problems within this organization is wrong too. Just as Tony was wrong for speaking to the media, so is anyone who is trying to exploit this situation.
It was two teammates who were racing together. And one entered a corner wrong and the other one got into him. Causing them both to wreck. It is not something that happens often, but it does happen.
Folks it is called Racing. There are no team orders at Gibbs. They allow their drivers to go out there and race each other as hard as they want to. And I am sure that once Tony and Denny both saw the replay of the incident, both made apologies. Especially Tony.
Tony is man enough to say when he is wrong. And I am sure that he regrets ever saying anything about Denny to the media.
Tony should have done what Aric Almirola did at Nashville. Just walk away. But let's face it, that is not Tony Stewart.
If he walks away and doesn't talk to the media, he is a jerk. If he talks to the media, he is a jerk. So the man can't win.
But this time he didn't win any points with me. I am the first one to defend Smoke and I am going to be one of the first ones to say when he has disappointed me. And Saturday night he did just that, he disappointed me. But am I going to throw the man under the bus because of it? No. Because this is vintage Tony. Speak and then think.
Tony has said it himself, "I am my own worst enemy!" And Saturday night he was his, Gibbs Racing and Denny's own worst enemy.
J.D. and Joe Gibbs both have said that they cannot envision a way for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to come to their organization and have Budweiser as his sponsor.
J.D. has also said that Gibbs Racing will not be expanding to four teams next year.
So that being said that means that one of the Gibbs current drivers: Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and J.J. Yeley would have to be let go.
Tony Stewart, 1999 Rookie of the Year and 2 time champion, has a contract with Gibbs until 2009. Plus he is in the premier lead car. So I seriously doubt Smoke would be willing to give up his ride to have Jr. at Gibbs Racing.
Denny Hamlin, 2007 Rookie of the Year, not sure when his contract runs, but it is probably until end 2007. Gibbs is known for signing their drivers to 3 year contracts. He has proven himself a winner by winning 3 times last year (Budweiser Shootout and both Pocono races). Plus was the only contender for Gibbs Racing last year in the Chase for the Championship. So I seriously doubt Gibbs is going to let him go. They very well have already extended his contract for another 3-5 years.
So this brings us to J.J. Yeley. Yeley has not performed the way that the Gibbs teams had hoped. Last Yeley was more likely to wreck than finish. But this year, he has finished in the top 25 in all but two races. A 36th at Bristol and a 43rd at Texas.
With his best finish coming Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600 a 2nd. If there would been just one more lap to the Coke 600, it might would have been J.J. Yeley celebrating in Victory Lane instead of Casey Mears. But would've, could've doesn't win races.
But with finishes like this, Yeley might have finally proven that he deserves to stay at Gibbs Racing. If Yeley continues to perform at this level, he very well might finish in the top 15 in points this year. And J.D. Gibbs who has said, “We went to J.J. and said no matter what happens, if we go out there and we run well together, you’re here forever."
So is J.J. racing to keep his job? Yes, and with finishes like this he isn't going to go anywhere. The Gibbs organization is extremely loyal to their drivers. If this wasn't so, a certain driver by the name of Tony Stewart would not be their top star right now. He would have long been gone from Gibbs.
But Joe Gibbs and J.D. Gibbs believe in their drivers and if that loyalty is returned by top runs, they will resign you for as long as you want to be in Cup racing.
So if Yeley keeps his job, where will Jr. go? It doesn't look like it will be Gibbs Racing.
Congratulations J.J. Yeley on a super job Sunday night. Keep this up and you will be finding yourself in the winner's circle very soon.
Today as we go about our cookouts and celebrations, take a moment and think about those who have given so much for our freedom.
These are the men and women who have fought so bravely on the front lines for our country for 231 years. Many gave their lives for our freedoms. More of them lived with the scares and injuries of the war that they fought in.
They are True Heroes. They gave us their time and their lives so that we could live in a land of freedom.
Also, while you are remembering them, remember their families. Because of the love and support of their families they are able to do their jobs and do their jobs very well.
Thank you to all our men and women and their families. Thank you for your sacrifice.
We will always remember, so we will always be free. Thank you!!!
Congratulations to Kyle Petty for a 3rd Place Finish. It was so good to see a Petty back in the top 5. Hope that we see you there more often.
When will someone else besides a Hendrick Team Win?
Don't get me wrong, I am happy to see Casey get his first win, but enough is enough. It is time for someone else besides Hendrick to celebrate in Victory Lane.
At this point and time, I would even welcome a Roush win. (Did I just say that? I must be really tired of Hendricks! hahaha)
"We worked really hard, but we were never close," Earnhardt said. "I am a little sad, but I am trying to remind myself to be excited about what's ahead."
As An Era Ends Today,
A New Era Begins
Well all that is left to decide now is whom Dale Jr. will race for next year.
The end of era for the Earnhardt family came to a close today. Dale Earnhardt Jr. let it be known today that he was going to be leaving Dale Earnhardt Inc. at the end of the season. This is the company in which Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been employed since the day he stepped into NASCAR racing. Whether it was Busch or Cup.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. started DEI so that he could leave his children a legacy that they some day would run. He brought his son Dale Jr. into the company to be its featured driver. He put Michael Waltrip in a second car, as a teammate to his son. Dale Sr. had a vision for his company that many knew about. But due to a tragedy in 2001 that took Dale Sr.'s life Dale Sr. never got to see that vision to full fillment.
Things were going along very well for DEI for several years after Sr. died. But somewhere around 2004 things seemed to change. It almost seemed that DEI was falling behind in the technology department.
As teams like Hendricks, Gibbs, Roush and Childress all made strides, DEI just seemed to have leveled off. The cars were not as competitive as they had been in the past. This was very evident on the restrictor plate tracks. This was the one track in which DEI dominated in 2001-2003. But in 2004, DEI was no longer the dominate car to beat at the restrictor plate tracks. That now fell on teams like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.
So when it came time for contract talks between Dale Jr. and DEI, there were major issues that needed to be addressed. And evidently the two parties could not come to agreement on how to best fix those issues.
Dale Jr. wanted ownership of DEI. Because he felt that he could take DEI to the next level of competition.
Teresa Earnhardt evidently felt that she is the best person to take DEI to the next level.
Now time will tell if DEI will ever become one of the top tier teams again. My gut feeling is that unless DEI makes some major changes, they will never be a top tier team. Regardless of who they might hire as a driver.
Dale Jr. knows from his talks with other owners and drivers that there are things that DEI is lacking. And that is what he wanted to put into place for DEI. But because of the failed contract talks with DEI, Jr.'s vision for DEI will have to wait. I just hope that there is a company in place that Jr. and Kelly will be able to oversee in the future.
Because there is coming a day in which Teresa will step away from DEI. And that day may be sooner than later. But for now Teresa is still the head of DEI. Let's just hope that she does make the hard decisions that needs to be made to make DEI the best it can be.
As to where Dale Jr. will end up. Well, my gut feeling is either it will be Gibbs or Childress. With Childress being the most likely. The only way I can see him going to Hendricks is if either Kyle Busch or Casey Mears are on their way out. And since Kyle is performing as well as his teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, I can't see him leaving.
But the performance for Casey has not been what they had wanted. And since Casey is only into his first year with Hendricks, it probably would be a stretch for him to leave just yet.
Now Childress and Gibbs each have room for expansion to a fourth car. There is even speculation that J.J. Yeley might be out of the 18 car by the end of the season if things do not pick up. So there is more room for Dale Jr. at Gibbs. But the one problem with that is that Gibbs already has a big name star in Tony Stewart and a rising star in Denny Hamlin. Would Jr. really fit into Gibbs? Maybe, but not likely.
Dale Jr. seems more like the type of driver that Richard Childress likes to hire. He is quiet. Doesn't really call attention to himself personally. Like Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer. And on occasion Kevin Harvick.
So where will he wind up? It is anyone's guess, but if I were a gambling person, I would put money on Childress Racing.
The Gibbs cars of Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin have prove all year that they are contenders for the win. But for one reason or another they keep coming up short.
Phoenix was the lastest stop for the NASCAR Cup drivers. A race in which we saw Jeff Gordon get win no. 76 that tied him with Dale Earnhardt for wins.
At the beginning of the race it looked like Denny Hamlin was going to walk away with this race. He had a car that would pull out 3-4 seconds ahead of the field. Hamlin was really stinking up the field. At least that was until he got caught speeding on pit road. This forced him to go to the longest line. And his position was 31st. But Hamlin with the help of his crew came back to finish 3rd. Considering where he once was on the track, 3rd place you would think would make him happy. But not so.
While Hamlin was coming through the field, his teammate Stewart forced his way to the front and he lead three times for 132 laps. On lap 285 Stewart was leading when the caution came out. But to show how their luck has went this year. Jeff Gordon was on pit road when the caution came out. He finished his pit stop and came out on the tale end of the lead lap. When Stewart and the rest of the field made their pit stops, because of where Gordon was pitted on pit road, Gordon was shown as the race leader.
This put Stewart second. Stewart battled Gordon for the lead, even going three wide to take the lead. But Stewart didn't pull away from Gordon and this gave Gordon the chance to come back on Stewart and retake the lead. For whatever reason, Stewart never was able to catch Gordon. Gordon went on to give Hendricks their fifth win of the season and their third win in the COT. And Smoke would have to settle for second.
But you could tell that neither Stewart nor Hamlin was happy with their finishing spots. Some would say, they should be happy to finish in the top 5. The day a race car drivers becomes happy with finishing 2nd and 3rd that is the day they need to step out of the car. These drivers are not paid millions of dollars to be happy finishing anything but 1st.
The Gibbs teammates have certainly been the class of the field when it comes to the COT. But because of mechanical problems, untimely cautions or just bad luck, they have not had the wins that they probably should have. In my opinion, instead of Hendricks leading the wins column, Gibbs should be there. But it is not my opinion that counts. It is the actual results that counts. And the results says that Hendricks has the COT figured out. And that Gibbs needs more work.
So when will the Gibbs twosome finally break into victory lane? Hopefully soon. I don't know about anyone else, but I am getting tired of seeing Hendricks cars in Victory Lane. It is time for someone else to win in the COT or in the COY. Shoot I just think it is time that Smoke and Denny take that frustration and turn it into wins, not 2nd and 3rd place finishes.
Plus I am tired of seeing Denny and Tony so unhappy. I like to see the Gibbs twosome smiling from ear to ear. Having fun in their cars and pulling into Victory Lane. I like to see Gibbs on top of all the stats sheets, from laps lead to the points standings.
So even though I am a True Orange Tony Stewart fan, I am also a true Gibbs fan. And I pull for all of the Gibbs drivers.
Oh and let's not forget J.J. Yeley, this guy can't buy a break. If I believed in jinxs I would think that the 18 Interstate Batteries car is just that jinxed. It seems that no matter who drives that car, they get caught up in somebody else's wreck after having a good run all race long. Provided that they get through the first couple laps of race.
So hopefully real soon, all three Gibbs cars can turn their season around and find themselves in Victory Lane where Joe Gibbs Racing belongs.
TALLADEGA
This is for Southern Cindi, hey, I hope that you can bring our man Smoke some much needed good luck at Talladega next Sunday. This whole organization needs for Smoke to pull into Victory Lane next week. Hopefully, you will be the good luck charm that he needs.
Have fun Ms. Cindi. I want to hear all about your adventure when you get back.
Top row standing (left to right): Martin Truex Jr., Reed Sorenson, Brent Sherman, and Denny Hamlin Bottom row (kneeling left to right): J.J. Yeley, Clint Bowyer, and David Stremme
2006 Rookie Class of NASCAR
The NASCAR racing season is officially over for this year. They have only one more event, the Cup Banquet in New York City on December 1, and the entire season will be officially over.
There have been alot of surprises and some that were not such surprises. So I am going to take the offseason to relive some of those moments. First I will tackle the Rookies. After all this was their first full year in Cup racing.
Things started way back in Daytona. When the season started there were 7 rookies, but only 6 were vying for the top Rookie Honors. Brent Sherman lost his ride about midway of the season and he was never really ever in contention for the Rookie honors. His finishes just weren't where they needed to be.
The rookie class consisted of: Denny Hamlin #11 FedEx Chevrolet (Joe Gibbs Racing) Clint Bowyer #07 Jack Daniel's Cheverolet (Richard Childress Racing) Martin Truex Jr. #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet (Dale Earnhardt Inc.) Reed Sorenson #41 Target Dodge (Chip Ganassi Racing) David Stremme #40 Coors Light/Lonestar Dodge (Chip Ganassi Racing) J.J. Yeley #18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet (Joe Gibbs Racing) Brent Sherman #49 Schwan's/Serta Dodge (BAM Racing)
Denny Hamlin showed early why he would become the eventual winner of the Rookie of the Year. Hamlin was eligible for the Budweiser Shootout, by winning a pole in 2005. Hamlin while being pushed by teammate Tony Stewart in Bud Shootout. Hamlin went on to win the Shootout. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second and Tony Stewart finished 3rd. By winning this race, Hamlin is now eligible to race in this race each year as long as he an active driver.
Hamlin went on to win both races at Pocono this year. A track that Hamlin had never raced on before, at least not in his Cup car. Hamlin admitted that he had used his NASCAR racing games to help him become familiar with Pocono.
Hamlin also proved that he was championship material by becoming the first rookie to ever to qualify for the Chase. Betting his teammate Tony Stewart that he would better his Rookie finish of 4th in the points. Hamlin finished 3rd in the points.
Hamlin had 8 top 5s and 20 top 10s and 2 wins. By far the best of the Rookies.
But let us not forget one other rookie who showed signs of great promise Clint Bowyer. Bowyer on several occasions this year has showed that he deserves to be in Cup racing. Contending for the win at a couple tracks this year, but unfortunately due to mechanical or bad pit strategy was not able to capablize. Like at Charlotte in October Bowyer was in the lead on lap 205 as everyone pitted under green, but his transmission got stuck in third gear under the green flag pit and they were never able to recover. It was things like this that kept Bowyer from scoring his first win. But if Bowyer and his team do not suffer from the sophomore slump like Carl Edwards did this year, in 2007, don't be surprised to see this young man in Victory Lane.
Bowyer had 4 top 5s and 11 top 10s.
The rest of the rookie field was nothing spectacular. Granted they all had some good runs, but due to wrecks, mechanical problems or driver error were taken out of many of the races. But hopefully after a full year of Cup racing under their belts, Reed, Martin, J.J. and David will have a much better sophmore year. When you are on the bottom boys, you only have one way to go: UP.
Probably the two biggest disappointments of the rookie class were Martin Truex Jr. and J.J. Yeley. Many had thought that Martin would really walk away with the Rookie honors hands down. After all Martin was a proven champion in the Busch series. Winning the Busch championship last year. So to have the type of year that Martin had has got to be a let down for this young man and his team.
J.J. Yeley many thought that if he got into the Cup cars that he would perform better. Granted he has had some pretty good runs going on. But unfortuntately due to wrecks (of his own making and others), mechanical problems and bad handling cars. Yeley has not had the year that he had hoped for.
Reed Sorenson and David Stremme both have had pretty good Busch runs. They have both even had good runs in the Cup cars. But they have not been able to have the strong finishes that some of the media had predicted for these two.
All four of these drivers are very talented and they should all have long and successful careers in NASCAR Cup.
But based on previous champions rookie years, (Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson) you have to like Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer the best to be future Cup Champions.
Well 2007 should be a very exciting sophmore year for these six drivers. This rookie class has proven that they deserve to be here in Cup. And they will prove in 2007 that they deserve to be race winners and champions in the future.
The future of NASCAR Cup looks very promising with young talent like these six. Congratulations to all six for a very successful rookie class year.
