Is That Really A Dollar Sign in the Word NA$CAR?

Why is this question asked you say? After reading a recent article on NASCAR.com about the awards that were handed out in New York, I was shocked at how much money was given out for those separate awards. Some of these awards seem either far-fetched or just plain ridiculous. Don’t these drivers make enough money already with their sponsors? Here are some questions that I have about this whole awards fiasco:

1. Why would you get an award for being an announcer that has helped promote NASCAR? You are doing your job and getting paid for it. Yes, it is nice to get recognition for your contributions, but that healthy paycheck, your travel and accommodations paid for and not to mention getting to be at the track calling the race.

2. Chevrolet presented Johnson's wife with a 2007 Corvette? You don't think she drives a nice car already? I wonder what the trade-in value is for that Corvette.


3. Despite getting caught for so-called cheating at the beginning of the season, Chad Knaus still managed to receive the Crew Chief of the Year Award.

4. The engine department at Hendricks Motorsports received $107,000 for their engine building capabilities. Hmmm, I wonder how many people make up that department. Will they get the money or will it be just put back into the department funds? Yeah right but if you have 100 people in that department, each person gets roughly $1000 but then factor in taxes and you get around $720.

5. Are these awards taxed? Do they have to be claimed on their taxes? Not that they would see any difference.

6. Is this why the ticket prices for us loyal fans keep going up every year? It is like when a professional team has a big name on their team and has to pay big bucks to get him, the end result is jacking up the prices for tickets to help pay the payroll. Sound familiar?

7. What does it mean when they say that Jimmie Johnson received a scale replica of his No. 48 Chevrolet made from gold? Are we talking a 1:1 scale, or the diecast scale of either 1:18 or 1:24?

8. Only $50,000 for the Rookie of the Year award given to Hamlin? Heck, the one with the most Budweiser Poles gets $100,000. Is that fair?

9. Kenseth gets $75,000 for the fastest lap. Okay, what does that mean? Which track was he the fastest? He didn't appear that fast all the time. Can we get a little more specific NASCAR?

10. Two punch knockout for Citizen Kahne. He gets $100,000 for having the most poles during the season and then gets $101,000 for the Commit to Win Award. Is it me or do those two figures not look right? Was someone trying to out do the other? Was someone jealous?

11. Oh and here is just something totally outrageous, in that during the ceremony tonight, the NASCAR Foundation will have a Red Carpet Online Charity Auction for fans to bid on clothing and accessories worn by NASCAR celebrities at the Nextel Cup Series Awards Banquet in New York. Who wants a smelly t-shirt? Do I really need a tuxedo so when I go to all my social functions I can say, "Hey check out my new tux, it was worn by Kevin Harvick." Like someone is really going to believe you. Do you get a certificate of authenticity? I do hope that NASCAR does put the money towards the foundation.

12. What the heck is a Drive Thru Pit Award? You get $105,000 for being the most courteous driver when you are told by NASCAR that you are penalized for entering or exiting pit road too fast? Jimmie Johnson got this award. As my favorite comedian, Bill Engvall, says "I believe that the most courteous driver should be the one that throws his water bottle out his window while coming down pit road to serve his penalty and hits his crew chief right on the head." Robby Gordon should have been the winner.

13. Why are the awards given out just for the Top 10 and 11th place finishers? You don't think that some of those other teams below them had their shining moments. How about Fatback McSwain and his contributions to the #21 team? Scott Riggs as possibly the most improved driver or comeback story of the year despite missing the Daytona 500? How about Petty Enterprises? Let’s share the wealth.


Are the paychecks really warranted for these awards? Do they really need to have a dollar figure attached to them? Does it know you accomplished something worthy of recognition by a trophy with your name engraved on it? It just seems that NASCAR is all about the money and trying to be the #1 sports event. Wonder what the old veterans of the sport think?

Passing The Time During The Off-Season

So what do you do to occupy your time during the off-season and anxiously awaiting the start of testing and speed weeks at Daytona? It is difficult to realize the 2006 season is finished and now that the crews have some well deserved time off to spend with their friends and family. My Sundays now consist of watching the NFL and getting my honey-to-do-list finished before the snow up here in Connecticut hits. To be honest, I did accomplish some of those things during the races. Yes, yes, I know what kind of fan pulls him/herself away from the TV to work on such things as cleaning out the gutters or winterizing the house? Well, the races in the Chase were not really that exciting to watch and I did find myself channel surfing during the endless commercial breaks. Here are some things that might help you pass the time during the off-season:

1. Put up those Christmas decorations.
2. Get the car ready for the winter weather.
3. Visit the website www.racetalkradio.com and check out the live broadcasts during the week, there is something for everyone to listen to and you can even phone in and be a part of the show.
4. Or do you like to do donuts? Then you have to check out www.doindonuts.com you never know what to expect.
5. For great editorials, go to Dennis Michelson's site at www.stockcarpitpass.com and Mike Harper's Spin Out Zone at www.spinoutzone.com
How about doing that paint project that you have been putting off.
7. Do you have a fireplace? Then what are you waiting for, get out there and start splitting and stacking that wood.
8. If you own a website, like me, make sure you are working on it a little at a time to be ready for the start of the 2007 Season.
9. Possibly do some EBay shopping.
10. Catch up with old friends that you lost touch with in the past.
11. Follow your favorite NFL football team.

There are probably things that I am forgetting so please chime in and share your thoughts. I hope you and your families had a wonderful thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I will be traveling to New Jersey today for the holiday weekend down at my sisters. I will be back next week so I will be taking a break from blogging.

I hope you and your families have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving.

Make sure to eat plenty of turkey and don't forget the dessert.

The Final Streak Of The 2006 Season

It is time to say goodbye to the 2006 season and get ready for the Daytona 500 in February of 2007. Can you tell I am happy that this so called silly season is over and done with? Jimmie has his crown and gets to sit high on the thrown for the next year as the 2006 Nextel Cup Champion; it is still hard to say Nextel. As expected, the race at Homestead was not one of the more exciting races we have had this year. One finds themselves getting bored watching all the drivers, with the exception of Harvick, avoid Jimmie like the plague. No one wants to be labeled as the driver that ruined the wedding. This is one of the many problems with the Chase format. Maybe NASCAR will put on their thinking caps this off season instead of the dunce caps and perhaps come up with a way to solve the issues revolving around the Chase.

Thank goodness we have football to fill the gap during the off season. We can take time to recharge and get ready for 2007. People can now get those home projects started that they have been putting off on the weekends and even perhaps take in some golf, yeah right.

Here are the last bare facts of the 2006 season. It has been a pleasure to write these articles over the season and I do look forward to being back again next year. I am not a writer for any magazine or corporation. I just put my thoughts down here to share with everyone and I am always open to feedback.

- We all knew that Jimmie had a point’s lead of more then 60 points but how many times did we have to hear it in the Countdown To Green pre-race show? That topic was beaten so much it was a well done steak.

- Since when does a Miss Florida get to read the invocation? Is she an ordain minister? How did she make it through her question and answer portion of her pageant when she has to use index cards to read the invocation.

- Bravo to the American Idol winner Taylor Hicks for his rendition of the National Anthem.

- Hard to believe that Ryan Newman couldn't see that rookie strip that went all around the #30 car of Juan Montoya.

- Keep your fingers crossed for some better marketing commercials next year and that the elephant and the spooky girl do not return. What is that slogan? Oh yes, it's the windows. I hope breaking one doesn't mean 7 years bad luck.

- Do you think that Mark Martin would have been a good contestant on the TV game show "To Tell The Truth"

- Can people give it a rest about how it is about time that Jimmie Johnson finally won the Championship? He has only been driving in the cup series for 5 years. How do you think Mark Martin feels after his 24 seasons in the cup series without a championship?

- Welcome to the Nextel Cup Montoya despite the BBQ grill that was lit by Ryan Newman.

- Farewell NBC and welcome ABC/ESPN.

- Denny Hamlin finishes 3rd in the point standings. He is the only rookie to finish that high in the standings. He knocked Tony Stewart off of that stat when Tony finished 4th in the standings in his rookie season. Just to be fair to Tony, he was under the old points system.

- What happened to Jeff Gordon? Looks like Hendricks dumped everything into the #48. Jeff was running in the back all day and that worthless effort to try and block for JJ was just plain ridiculous.

- Congratulations to Greg Biffle on this 3rd straight win at Homestead. Just one of those important things that got over looked due to all the hype of JJ winning the cup. Like Rodney Dangerfield, Greg gets no respect.


We close the book on this season and now it is time to gather our thoughts about what will happen in 2007. Toyota will be entering the series. Numerous drivers shifting teams. NASCAR possibly changing the Chase rules, again. You never know what to expect in the wild world of NASCAR.

Have a great off season everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.

Woke Up This Morning...

Maybe we need to call in the Soprano's to have a talk with Brian France and NASCAR to get some of the following issues resolved:

1. Is it that the fans have had enough with NASCAR? Perhaps this is true. One problem is that the season is just too long. We start racing around Valentine's Day and don't finish up until close to Thanksgiving. The only other sport that comes close to that length in time is baseball but it is like comparing apples to oranges. These teams are on the road so much that it is no big surprise that most of them have personnel issues on the homefront and then you have the changing of the crew during the season.. NASCAR says it is about family but lets be real, these guys don’t see their families and when the season does end, they are back working in the shops getting ready for testing which starts in about 2 months. Lets face reality though, if they did shorten the season, the tracks along with the teams would lose money.

2. NASCAR has become a big business within the past several years and yes I did say business. It is all about the dollar sign and not about the fans. Did you know that half of the races this season were not sellouts? California, who wanted so desperately a second race and took it from Darlington, failed to sell out both of their races. Heck, even the Brickyard 400 failed to sell out this year and was the smallest crowd in its 13 year history. I am not saying the fans will not show up at the races, I know I will pay the high price of tickets to go see a race or two but it does cost money to go to the races and the prices keep going up. It is even getting expensive to go to the Busch races and you can thank the Busch whackers for that one.

3. Fans watching the races on TV have fallen lower then those of 2005. This years Daytona 500 did have a record viewing audience of over 12.5 million but we do have to remember that this race is like the NFL's Superbowl and is one of the most watched events in any sport. This is in part due to the races starting later in the afternoon and going into the evening hours. People just lose interest in watching it. Also helping the falling of the ratings in the poor job of broadcasting in NBC. I have mentioned it time and time before that Bill Weber is an awful guy to have in the booth and it shows with the ratings. Perhaps with ESPN/ABC coming onboard next year, it will improve, it can only get better.

4. What about having the races shortened from the 400 and 500 miles to 300 miles? We have found ourselves watching a long race of 500 miles and wondering if it will ever end and then we end up starting to channel surf or doing something around the house that is on the "honey-to-do list." Another thing to take into consideration with this is that the engines are taking a beating over 500 miles revving rpm’s of over 9300, you try driving your car like that and see what happens to the family Chrysler Town and Country.

5. Could it be that the fans are just tired of seeing the major teams dominate? We are all not fans of Hendrick, Roush, Childress, and Evernham which have the resources that some of the smaller teams don't. NASCAR did come up with a possible answer with the Car of Tomorrow. There are people out there that doubt it will make a difference but we just have to wait and see. This car is promising to make the racing closer, more exciting, and fun to watch but time will only tell.

All in all, with the COT and its side by side and bumper to bumper action coupled with a shorter schedule and the meaningless laps during the middle of a race could keep the fan base from dwindling down even further. NASCAR needs to make its move quickly. Just a thought, how would the owners of the teams react to issues if they had totalk to Tony Soprano? Silence is golden.

Streak To The Finish...Just The Bare Facts at Phoenix II

First off, I want to apologize for my tardiness in getting my article posted for this past weekend race at Phoenix, guess I was still tired from all that excitement during the race. Of course you know I am joking when I say excitement.

Is it me or has the racing become less interesting to watch? Has the Chase turned the fans to watching other sports like football? I did find myself bouncing back and forth between watching the race and winterizing my house and it was more eventful winterizing then seeing Harvick dominate at Phoenix. Along with the boredom of the Chase, how about the Busch race and the Busch regulars not even getting a fighting chance. To be honest, NASCAR needs to do something to help the regulars out. Perhaps limiting the amount of races a Cup driver can participate. Whatever the solution may be, I do hope NASCAR will come up with a plan that suits everyone.

Okay, enough rambling on, here are the bare facts from the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway:

1. Days Of Robby. Maybe Robby Gordon should have hit the pace car since that seem to be the only car he didn't run into during the race.
2. Nails on a chalkboard. Can anyone else applaud that we only have to listen to Bill Weber one more race weekend? How many more dim-witted comments can one person endure? Perhaps a shock collar around his neck and the remote in Wally's possession would make for an exciting broadcast.
3. What happened to the Police Academy? Kurt Busch as an honorary Sheriff? Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture?
4. Think before you speak. Kyle Busch should listen to those words due to the fact he blasts Tony Stewart for wrecking his #5 Kellogg’s Chevy. Perhaps watching the replays on the TV monitor may shed some light on your views Kyle. Get a grip, get over it, and get ready for the 2007 season.
5. Scaling the fence. After back to back weeks of climbing the fences, it just wasn't the same to see no one climb the fence at Phoenix.
6. No Robot here. Matt Kenseth was in rare form Sunday when he said in a pre-race interview and a live post race interview that he doubts his team has what it takes to contend Jimmie Johnson for the championship. Does it seem a bit harsh for Matt to say this about his team? No. Look at their performance over the last few weeks, it just hasn't been there. If you are going to win a championship, you have to be consistent and that goes to the #48 team. I give credit for Matt to say such things and be honest instead of feeding everyone a line of BS.
7. It is all about the mirrors. Tony Raines caused Jeff Green to spin out late in the race and that could probably be attributed to the suns reflection off of those DLP mirrors.
8. A plug for Lowe’s. No I am not talking about Jimmie Johnson. It is about how Jamie McMurray, after being tangled up in an accident with Tony Stewart, said it looks like he will do all his Irwin Tool shopping at Lowe's. Hey Lowe's, you might want to send a Gift card to Jamie.
9. Flawless Victory. Kevin Harvick better be praising his pit crew after their performance on Sunday. Kevin may have been driving the car to the checkers but those pit guys did not miss a beat with stops all less than 14 seconds.
10. Guest Speaking 101. During Monday Night Football on ESPN, Jeff Gordon was a guest in the booth. He was introduced as NASCAR's most popular driver. Doesn't that belong to Junior? Also Jeff was presented with a gift from the guys in the booth for his wedding, a Belgian Waffle maker, how original but I give Jeff credit with his comeback when he said "Well guys, you know they don’t eat those in Belgium."
11. Free Agent Market. Between the drivers and crew chiefs switching around, one can relate NASCAR to other professional sports like baseball and football. It is just hard to keep up with who is on what team driving what car. The latest is Biffle moving to the #6 next year and his current crew chief, Doug Richert, will not be at the helm. At least he doesn't have to worry about Subway sandwiches thrown in his face or coke sprayed on him anymore.

Let's face it, unless some really and I do mean REALLY bad luck happens to Johnson next Sunday at Homestead, he will be the 2006 Champion. Is the race worth watching? There will be people watching the race just hoping for something to go wrong on the #48 team. Hey people, wake up, this is reality, not Survivor. Jimmie will not be voted off. Good luck to all the drivers in the Ford 400. May the best man win!!!

Happy Veteran's Day!!!

Today is Veterans Day and I wanted to say to all of our veterans out there that we do appreciate your dedication and service to our country. If it wasn't for people like yourselves, we wouldn't be where we are today.

I would like ask everyone out there to take a moment and just say a quick thank you to all of those veterans who fought for and still are fighting for our freedom that we so truly love.

A Crazy Election

"You can be Secretary of the Offense, you'll be Secretary of the Inferior, and I'll be Toastmaster General!"

After seeing the results of election day here in Connecticut and also across the country, I am happy that they are done and over with finally. Now we can actually watch television without the worry of seeing those commercials of our government officials talking trash about one another. Was it me or was it just childish? I found watching the home shopping network more exciting to watch during the debates.

As we all know, they are just letting us hear what we want to hear. We know how a house that is ruled by the Democrats. Hmm, makes you wonder if all those campaign promises of our troops coming home if they take over the house will ever happen. I don't see it. That is why this whole political situation is a scam. They say one thing and then do another. We do not live in a perfect world. We do have it the best out of any other country in the world but give me a break. I suppose if a politician actually told the truth, he would never get elected.

Are we ready for a female Speaker of the House? Don't get me wrong, I am all for equality but just keep this in mind. If the President and Vice-President just so happen to be in a freak accident, you do know who is 3rd in line right? You got it, the Speaker of the House. Do you think that Hilliary Clinton would be jealous of Nancy Pelosi? Hey Hilliary, if you play your cards right, she may ask you to be the Vice President. Now there is a concept, a woman President and Vice-President. How do you think things would go?

Tuesday night really ticked me off. All the major TV stations were carrying the live broadcasts from the winners campaign headquarters starting around 9pm and didn't finish till after 11pm. I missed one of my favorite shows, Boston Legal. What bothered me the most was who really cares to listen to that music playing at their headquarters as their victory songs. Who cares about the victory speeches and thanking of the mothers and families and so on and so on. Accept your victory and carry on. Put the ticker on the bottom of the TV announcing who won, but geesh it was bad enough to flood the airwaves with all the commericals but now cutting into shows. It is a crazy, crazy world we live in. Thank goodness NASCAR was not racing, now there would be some upset fans in the audience, don't you think?

I am a Tom Fuller and I approve this message!!!

Cars Out On DVD

Cars is now on sale on DVD (November 7th, 2006)

If you are a NASCAR fan, you will really appreciate this movie. Pixar did a wonderful job in making this animation film. You just have to see it to believe it. I was truly impressed with the level of detail they did to make this movie so life-like.

Go out and buy the DVD today, I know I am. Walmart is selling it for $14.97 for the first two or three days. You will want this for your DVD collection.

As soon as I am done posting this, I am out of here to go buy my copy.

Streak To The Finish...Just The Bare Facts at Texas II

The silver guns that Stewart shot off in victory lane where not the only things smoking in Texas. Tony proved he was definitely the "Lone Gunman" or "The Smokin' Gun" during the Dickies 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway. Stewart led the most laps and his pit crew gave him nothing but flawless stops during the race. This was definitely a team victory for the #20 Home Depot Chevrolet.

The Dickies 500 also marked the end of a Fantastic career for Texas Terry Labonte. Also known as the "Iceman", Terry finished the day 36th but was truly impressive and gave me those goose bumps was when Terry did his parade laps before the start of the race and his son, Justin, drove up next to him in the old #44 1980 Monte Carlo that Terry got his first victory at Darlington over 26 years ago. Terry had a great run during his racing career with two championships under his belt. You will surely be missed Terry.

Without further delay, here are some of the bare facts from the Dickies 500:

1. Tony Stewart turned his fastest lap on the last lap of the race. Very impressive for a driver that only took 2 tires and the guys behind him were on 4. What does that say about this team?

2. Cutting back on the junk food and having that personal trainer has helped Tony with his fence climbing abilities.

3. Hypothetical speaking, if Tony was in the Chase, do you think the other drivers would have a chance? Inquiring minds want to know.

4. Could you believe it that after Kasey Kahne's engine blew up and he was headed back to the garage area, the NBC broadcasting team made the comment about how he (Kahne) perhaps shouldn't have ran 8 or 9 more laps in practice. Here is one of the Chasers and a sarcastic comment like that is said on TV. I wonder how that announcer would feel if he was stranded on the side of a desolate road with a flat tire and a car drives by and says "You should have checked your tire pressures at that last gas station 75 miles back."

5. This being Terry Labonte's final race of his career, do you think the TV camera's could of given him just a bit more exposure instead of the one shot on TV when he was shown being put a lap down. Yes, yes, they did show him doing his parade lap before the start of the race but for a two-time champion, one would think he would get a tad bit more exposure.

6. Did Harvick take the air off of Rigg's spoiler? By the replays, it sure did look like the #29 wanted by in a bad way. Hence, once again the #10 loses out on a possible Top 5 finish.

7. Speaking of the #29 in Kevin Harvick and his wife Delaney, do you think Ray Evernham will take matters into his own hands in keeping his personnel under control? It was totally uncalled for in what the unnamed crew member of the #10 did by pushing the both of them along with a NASCAR official after the race. Looks like chivalry is truly dead.

8. How many more times do we have to endure the dreaded commercials with the elephant for DLP and the darn cake race for the Low-Definition productions by Sony? Calgon, take me away.

9. Will anyone else be happy when Election Day will be over and done with tomorrow (Nov. 7th) because of the slanderous commercials. Which are more annoying? The politics or hearing Bill Weber announce the race? Your vote does count.

10. What else can happen to the #31 team? Talk about just pure back luck and timing. Jeff Burton needs to keep with that positive outlook he has held this entire season. He still has a chance at this championship. Like him, things can happen to drivers in these last 2 races.

11. Did anyone else scramble on their TV to find CNBC when NBC announced it would switch to that station for the rest of the post race? I know I was one of those fans trying to surf through all 175 channels.

12. Sick and Tired. That is the true statement for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Here is a guy who was suffering from the flu all week but still managed to climb into the race car and drive 500 miles.


Okay, there are only 2 races left before the Champion will be decided. Will it be the bride's maid Jimmie Johnson? How about Matt "Cheese Head" Kenseth? Perhaps momma's boy Denny Hamlin? Or the 2006 Busch series champion, Kevin Harvick. Next up is the sunny valley of Phoenix. Who will be victorious and who will go home crying?

Always To Quick To Judge.

Good evening everyone. Being a Dale Jarrett fan and running a website for him, I always stand by my driver no matter what he drives or who he drives for. I back him up 110% for any of his actions after any incident but I recently received an email from a person via my website. I am going to keep the person's identity hidden but here is the email:

After watching how Mr. Jarrett conducted himself after the "ACCIDENT" at Lowes Motor Speedway last night, I found out that he is not the gentleman I believed him to be.
Since his announcement of moving to a Toyota which is not an American car, his personality has changed. If I was in charge of NASCAR the demonstration of poor
Sportsmanship would cost him a $100,000.00 fine and disqualification him from driving for the rest of the season. His Father must not be very proud of him today.

After I read this email like three times, all I can do is shake my head. Does this person really know what they are talking about. Just because DJ is moving to Toyota, does that make him an enemy of NASCAR? A traitor to the United States? Come on people, where is the ridicule against the guys who drive in the Truck series? You never hear any talk about those guys. You want to know why? Well it is because the Truck series is not as popular as Cup. If you ask me, I sometimes compare the truck series to the cup series like this, the truck series is the exciting college football and the cup series is like the NFL, it is all about the money.

This person who wrote the email should read the cartoon above because they obiviously do not understand anything about the sport.

Friday Funnies

Okay, I am going to do something different and start a comic entry every Friday. If you have any great funnies, just send them to me and you might be the featured "Friday Funny"






Actual exchanges between pilots and control towers:
Tower: "Delta 351, you have traffic at 10 o'clock, 6 miles!"
Delta 351: "Give us another hint! We have digital watches!"

*****************************************************************
Tower: "TWA 2341, for noise abatement turn right 45 Degrees."
TWA 2341: "Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"
Tower: "Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"

*****************************************************************
From an unknown aircraft waiting in a very long takeoff queue: "I'm f...ing bored!"
Ground Traffic Control: "Last aircraft transmitting, identify yourself immediately!"
Unknown aircraft: "I said I was f...ing bored, not f...ing stupid!"

*****************************************************************
O'Hare Approach Control to a 747: "United 329 heavy, your traffic is a Fokker, one o'clock, three miles, Eastbound."
United 329: "Approach, I've always wanted to say this..I've got the little Fokker in sight."

*****************************************************************
A student became lost during a solo cross-country flight. While attempting to locate the aircraft on radar, ATC asked, "What was your last known position?" Student: "When I was number one for takeoff."

*****************************************************************
A DC-10 had come in a little hot and thus had an exceedingly long roll out after touching down.
San Jose Tower Noted: "American 751, make a hard right turn at the end of the runway, if you are able. If you are not able, take the Guadeloupe exit off Highway 101, make a right at the lights and return to the airport."

*****************************************************************
A Pan Am 727 flight, waiting for start clearance in Munich, overheard the following:
Lufthansa (in German): "Ground, what is our start clearance time?"
Ground (in English): "If you want an answer you must speak in English."
Lufthansa (in English): "I am a German, flying a German airplane, in Germany. Why must I speak English?"
Unknown voice from another plane (in a beautiful British accent): "Because you lost the bloody war!"

*****************************************************************
Tower: "Eastern 702, cleared for takeoff, contact Departure on frequency 124.7"
Eastern 702: "Tower, Eastern 702 switching to Departure. By the way, after we lifted off we saw some kind of dead animal on the far end of the runway."
Tower: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff behind Eastern 702, contact Departure on frequency 124.7.. Did you copy that report from Eastern 702?"
BR Continental 635: "Continental 635, cleared for takeoff, roger; and yes, we copied Eastern... we've already notified our caterers."

*****************************************************************
One day the pilot of a Cherokee 180 was told by the tower to hold short of the active runway while a DC-8 landed. The DC-8 landed, rolled out, turned around, and taxied back past the Cherokee. Some quick-witted comedian in the DC-8 crew got on the radio and said, "What a cute little plane. Did you make it all by yourself?" The Cherokee pilot, not about to let the insult go by, came back with a real zinger: "I made it out of DC-8 parts. Another landing like yours and I'll have enough parts for another one."

*****************************************************************
The German air controllers at Frankfurt Airport are renowned as a short-tempered lot. They not only expect one to know one's gate parking location, but how to get there without any assistance from them. So it was with some amusement that we (a Pan Am 747) listened to the following exchange between Frankfurt ground control and a British Airways 747, call sign Speedbird 206.

Speedbird 206: "Frankfurt, Speedbird 206! clear of active runway."
Ground: "Speedbird 206. Taxi to gate Alpha One-Seven." The BA 747 pulled onto the main taxiway and slowed to a stop.
Ground: "Speedbird, do you not know where you are going?"
Speedbird 206: "Stand by, Ground, I'm looking up our gate location now."
Ground (with quite arrogant impatience): "Speedbird 206, have you not been to Frankfurt before?"
Speedbird 206 (coolly): "Yes, twice in 1944, but it was dark, -- And I didn't land."

*****************************************************************
While taxiing at London's Gatwick Airport, the crew of a US Air flight departing for Ft. Lauderdale made a wrong turn and came nose to nose with a United 727. An irate female ground controller lashed out at the US Air crew, screaming: "US Air 2771, where the hell are you going? I told you to turn right onto Charlie taxiway! You turned right on Delta! Stop right there.
I know it's difficult for you to tell the difference between C and D, but get it right!"

Continuing her rage to the embarrassed crew, she was now shouting hysterically: "God! Now you've screwed everything up! It'll take forever to sort this out! You stay right there and don't move till I tell you to! You can expect progressive taxi instructions in about half an hour, and I want you to go exactly where I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you! You got that, US Air 2771?"

"Yes, ma'am," the humbled crew responded.

Naturally, the ground control communications frequency fell terribly silent after the verbal bashing of US Air 2771. Nobody wanted to chance engaging the irate ground controller in her current state of mind. Tension in every cockpit out around Gatwick was definitely running high. Just then an unknown pilot broke the silence and keyed his microphone, asking: "Wasn't I married to you once?"

Welcome Jason Jarrett To The Blogs

Hello everyone,

Just thought I would share the wonderful news of the launching of Jason Jarrett's blog. Of course you know Jason is the son of Dale Jarrett. He is currently DJ's spotter for RYR. Also he spends quite a bit of time with the Dale Jarrett Racing Adventure. I do hope everyone will stop on over at his blog and welcome him.

His blog can be found here---->Full Throttle Living

Thanks to 4ever3 and Full Throttle for sharing this great news with us.

An Oldie But Goodie about Dale Jarrett

I found this video on You Tube. I got the idea from a blogger friend of mine 4ever3 and his blog can be found at http://4ever3canadianeh.blogspot.com/

This video is of a big crash at the end of the inaguaral Busch Series race at Homestead Miami Speedway. The leaders Larry Pearson, Kenny Wallace and Hermie Sadler get together opening up the door for Dale Jarrett to take the win. CBS commentary from Ken Squier, Ned Jarrett and Geoff Bodine.

Streak To The Finish...Just The Bare Facts at Martinsville II

Could you feel the love on the track during the Subway 500? Can Jimmie Johnson make a run for the Championship? Will rookie sensation Denny Hamlin be the one to take the title? After Jeff Burtons engine woes, the point standings have really gotten close between the top 8 drivers with only 97 points separating them. There are only 4 races left until the champion is determined. Who shall emerge the victor and who will go home as the 1st place loser? Martinsville showed us the exciting short track racing it is famous for and despite all the cautions; it was an exciting race to watch.

Here are some of the bare facts

1. Another week of disappointment for Ken Schrader and the #21 Woods Brother car. Last week at Lowe’s, the #06, driven by Todd Kluever, spun out and collected Schrader. Ironically, this week, the same #06, except this time driven by rookie David Ragan, ruined what could have been a Top 10 finish for the #21. Hey David, you might want to get on the phone ASAP with Schrader if you ever want a chance to rent out some of his shop space.
2. Great job by Petty teammates Bobby Labonte and Kyle Petty. Labonte finished the race 3rd while Kyle took 10th. It was the first time Petty Enterprises had two cars in the top 10 since Phoenix in 1999, and gave Petty 10 top-10 finishes this year, its highest total since the 1999 season. Way to go Idaho!!!
3. Matt Kenseth takes over the top spot in the standings after Jeff Burtons engine problems. It was said that Matt is not happy about how he got to be sitting in first place but you have to remember this, one persons misfortune is another ones gain.
4. Are people still saying it is too late for Jimmie Johnson? Looks like they are having a change of heart after his back to back wins and now sits only 41 points out of first place. Can this be the year that he will be the bride and not the brides maid?
5. Judge Tony? It seems that during his post race interview, Tony Stewart had some harsh words for rookie David Ragan. Tony believes he should have been black flagged and sat out the rest of the race. He does have a point since Ragan seemed to be spinning around more then driving in a straight line for most of the race. NASCAR officials need to really take a closer look at how these rookie drivers are handling themselves out on the track. Is Jack Roush really serious about putting this kid in the #6 next year? Is there no other talent out there? Have the wells dried up?
6. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. That is Denny Hamlins middle name. The last 5 laps of this race were unbelievable. Denny held nothing back. He was even heard saying on his radio prior to the final restart that "He is mine" speaking of Jimmie Johnson. You have to give the kid an 'E' for effort. Despite beating and banging on the #48, that is short track racing at its best. Heck, Jimmie Johnson even said that was some fun and exciting racing with the #11. Just a little hint to those drivers with the yellow stripe on their bumper, watch the reruns of Hamlins races, you might learn a thing or two or three.
7. What is the problem with Richard Childress? Does he believe his drivers when they say something is not right with their cars? We understand the championship is on the line but would not you rather come in and possibly fix the problem rather then keep the car out on the track till it blows up? Yes Richard you are the owner but you need to have faith in your drivers and your crews.
8. Patience grasshopper, patience. Dale Jr. made a costly mistake by trying to drive under the #9 causing the #8 to settle for a 22nd place finish vice a possible Top 10. It appears that Junior was faster then Kahne but he admitted to just getting too aggressive and pushing his car too much. Credit to Junior for admitting his mistakes instead of pointing the dreaded finger like some other drivers tend to do after a race.
9. The Cingular poll question. Can you tell that Junior is the most popular driver in NASCAR? No need to wait for the results, we know who is going to win.
10. The last four races in the Chase are going to be like the game of chutes and ladders. Just depends on who catches the most chutes.
11. Congratulations to Ken Schrader on his 700th career start. Just a shame a party crasher came along, so to speak.
12. It was great to see Ward Burton back in a race car. He finished 26th on the day. Makes you wonder if he was in some decent equipment, how he may of finished. Is that a hint to Robert Yates Racing? That is for you to decide.
    

Next up is the Bass Pro Shops 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Drivers always love coming to this track due to its high speeds. Dale Jarrett quotes Atlanta like this,

You know when you're going fast at Atlanta because it tends to make you catch
your breath, but it's also a lot of fun.

The #88 Theme Pool Table Auction is Over...

eXtreme Custom Billiards is proud to announce the winner of their one-of-a-kind Dale Jarrett, NASCAR #88 pool table. The pool table was won in a charity auction held earlier this fall to benefit the Heart of Florida United Way.

and the winner is...(drum roll please)

Fran and Rick Bays of Sarasota, Florida.

This table was autographed by Dale Jarrett and features the design of his NASCAR, sale price of the table was $12,500. eXtreme Custom Billiards is the leading designer of personalized pool tables, with designs limited only by the purchasers imagination.

Out of the $12,500 raised by the auction, $6,750 of that goes to the United Way.

That is sure alot of money for a pool table but I will say this, if I had the money, I would of definitely been bidding on it.

Congratulations once againto Fran and Rick!!!

Under The Lights At Lowe's...

If you have never experienced a race under the lights, then you have to make a trip to Lowe's Motor Speedway. Yes, we all know the infamous Bristol night race, which I am not saying isn't fantastic and spectacular, but those cars under the lights at Lowe's is something that can not be missed.

Our first experience was back in October 2004 when they hosted the first night race at Lowe's. Kasey Kahne was dominating the race until his tire blew out in Turn 2, right where we were sitting. Seeing the sparks fly and the cloud of smoke is totally different at night. Trust me, I am not one for seeing drivers get in wrecks but wow, it is exciting to see.

The cars going into the turns and bottoming out. The lights shining off of those wonderful paint schemes. A sight to behold.

This Saturday night should not be any different as the Cup drivers head to the Bank Of America 500. It is strange to see the race change its name but the banks do have the most money and of course the biggest buildings in any city in case you didn't realize it.

Congratulations to Scott Riggs on taking the pole for Saturday nights race. This guy is really out to prove he is for real and from what I have seen in the races, he is gaining respect everytime.

Good luck to all the drivers and of course GO DALE GO!!!

Streak To The Finish...Just The Bare Facts at Kansas

The Chasewhackers Prevail...

Okay, we know about the Buschwhackers in the Busch series with the Cup drivers who come to race but how about those Chasewhackers of the Nextel Cup Series at Kansas? Yes, we have another nickname, well NBC didn't come up with this one. My good friend Dennis over at StockCar Pit Pass coined this phrase on his internet radio talk show called Doin' Donuts. You can listen to his radio show with his co-host Lori Munro, the owner of the website War-Wagon, every Sunday night at 7pm CST. You can visit Doin' Donuts at Doin' Donuts

It just goes to show that these drivers, who are not in the Chase, are not afraid to go out there and drive for the win.

Congratulations to Tony Stewart on his "coast" to the checkers today at Kansas. Fantastic job by Casey Mears gliding in for a 2nd place finish and how can I forget my man, Dale Jarrett, finishing 4th.

I am not one for this fuel mileage racing but whatever it takes to win a race, my hats off to these guys. Most of the Chasers at Kansas are probably glad to be leaving this track. Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson really took the brunt of the tornado that hit those teams.

Did anyone else see the pouty lip by Jimmie Johnson? Come on Jimmie, you waited too long to pit, you balked on coming down pit road when Kahne spun and then you get a speeding penality. Those factors will kill your race. Maybe the 48 Team should of followed suit when the #8 and #31 made their pit stops. Hey Jeff Burton finished 5th, what does that tell you.

What happened to Elliott Sadler? He was running up front and then he disappeared off the radar. NBC failed to show us what caused him to drop to the back of the field and 36 laps down. During the first pit stops, Jamie McMurray spun and Elliott had nowhere to go and ended up T-boning McMurray causing serious damage to the #19 car. Several other cars dropped back in the field but if you are not a Chaser, you probably will not be featured in the broadcast. NBC does their through the field on lap 220 and make it up to the 13th position and then jumps to the chasers that are way back in the field. What happened to the 14th and 15th place drivers? Ahh yes, they were not chasers! The 14th place driver at that time was Dale Jarrett and the 15th was Casey Mears. Great job NBC, you forgot about the two drivers that ended up finishing 2nd and 4th...hats off to Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach, just another great broadcasting job done by this team. Glad to hear Benny will be back at Talladega.

The race at Kansas did have its fair share of excitement and with this track showing two and three wide racing, future races ought to be more exciting.

A final note. Why was Mayfields crew pushing Kasey Kahne's car down pit road when he ran out of gas near the end of the race. Did Evernham hire him back and failed to tell us? NOT!!! NBC strikes again!!!

Next up....TALLADEGA!!! Let's Go Racin' Boys!!!

Streak To The Finish...Just The Bare Facts at Dover II

First off, congratulations to Jeff Burton on his win at the Monster Mile. It was 175 races since his last victory in Phoenix, which is what you call a long drought. It sure was a great final 20 laps of that race to see him and Kenseth go for the win; unfortunately Kenseth ran out of gas and had to pit. That has been some of the best side by side racing this year. This just goes to show that two drivers that have the utmost respect for one another can make a race exciting. Despite Kenseth running out of gas, he still drives up next to Burton, puts down the window net and shakes his hand, now that is sportsmanship. Do you think other drivers were taking notes? Not too bad of a birthday present for Richard Childress who turned 61 this weekend. On the flip side to that, the other RCR Chaser, Kevin Harvick had an engine go south causing him to finish 32nd in the race and drop to 5th in the standings.

It was great to see a race where the majority of the drivers up front where non-chasers. How about that Reed Sorenson hanging up in the Top 10 most of the day. The Biff coming on strong and driving like the old days. The Blue Deuce showing it can tame the Monster. How about that #22 of Dave Blaney finishing 12th, it may not of been a Top 10 but this team is really pulling it together down the stretch. The Top 20 finishers only had 6 of the Chasers. What does that tell you about the so called Non-Chasers? Plain and simple, they are not afraid to go up there and race for the win and of course their sponsors.

Here are some thoughts from me on todays race and broadcast:

1. What is a Mulligan? The definition is, in a game, happens when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or action. This word is used commonly in golf. What the heck does NBC want to use a word that is associated with golf in NASCAR? I guess golf has its fair share of "drives." Hmmm, I wonder if Kasey Kahne will take up golf during the off-season.

2. Does Bill Weber have a problem counting the number of cautions? I mean, he mistakenly called the 2nd caution the first caution. I wonder if he thinks 1 + 1 = 3.

3. You have to love having the Hulkster as the Grand Marshal. Too bad he didn't rip his shirt while saying "Gentlemen Start Your Engines."

4. How about Kasey Kahne after his wreck with Tony Stewart sitting up on top of that stand all by himself. You can tell he was disappointed but do you think he was looking for those women that are in those Allstate commercials?

5. Speaking of those commercials, there sure are a lot of them for insurance companies. For example, Allstate and State Farm put on a majority of commercials during the race. Too bad they are not a primary sponsor of a car, with all the money that these companies make; you would think they could afford to put their name on the hood of a Nextel Cup car.

6. Is Law and Order really all that and a bag of chips? Yes, the race was on TNT and that is the channel the show is on, but that guy doing those commercials has one of the eeriest voices but is it really him or is he lip synching? Maybe we should ask Milli Vanilli for their opinion.

7. What is it with the elephant in the DLP commercials? Please someone fill me in on this one.

8. As far as broadcasting goes, NBC did a much better job covering the race. They didn't break away during the last 22 laps of the race. Great to see Benny back in the booth keeping the peace and queuing the duck. The coverage of the field was due to in part that most of the upfront drivers were not "Chasers" but they did keep everyone up-to-date where the Chasers were in the field.

9. What happened to the Cingular poll questions during the race? Maybe that was the good luck charm that Burton needed in the race and here I thought the jinx was every time the announcers said how many races it has been since Burton won.

10. Okay Coca-Cola, you need to update your commercial and website to show that Elliott Sadler does not drive for M&M’s anymore.

11. The dramatic pause during the national anthem, you have to love how a singer is told to wait until the jets are almost there for the fly by. Did they ever think that the weather may have held up those jets? Probably not.

12. Kudo’s for Harvicks interview after his engine blew up being very calm. Thank goodness it was Allen Bestwick giving him the interview vice Dillner.

13. Bravo to NBC doing the split screen of Jeff Burton’s wife during those last 20 laps of the race. Do you think she was more excited about the win then Jeff?

All in all, the Monster mile sure did mix up the standings amongst the Chasers and also gave some great media coverage to the Non-Chasers. My driver, Dale Jarrett, finished 15th at Dover. You can check out my personal site for Dale Jarrett at http://www.dalejarrett4ever.com

Next up is Kansas. Do you think any of the Chasers will be clicking their heels three times?

Streak To The Finish...Just The Bare Facts At NHIS II

Now how impressive was Harvick at the Sylvania 300? Damn Impressive. He is showing that the momentum is definitely on his side and that he is hungry for that Championship. That one move he made to be the cream in between the two oreo cookies of Denny Hamlin and teammate Jeff Burton was a little on the aggressive side and with what is on the line with the Chase, he may of opted to wait and try to pass during the next few laps. I am sure Jeff Burton would of cut him some slack since he did know Harvick had a very fast car. Overall, it was an exciting race to watch, here are some of the bare facts from the race:

1. How about Dave Blaney finishing 9th and getting back to back Top 10's.

2. Tony starting in the back of the field, not afraid to race against the Chasers and finishing up 2nd.

3. Poor Jimmie Johnson, he should choose his words more wisely. Just remember Jimmie, you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

4. Another Hendrick team member has a horrendous finish in Kyle Busch. Appears that Kyle got a bit too anxious with Jeff Green. Perhaps he should listen to his older brother's advice.

5. Sure do miss having Benny in the announcers booth. He keeps the peace and plus I miss him saying "Que the duck."

6. How about Brian Vickers making Jeff Gordon work for the pass. That was just priceless. Just goes to show he is not afraid to go up against the chasers.

7. What happened to the coverage of the rest of the field? I know the focus is on the Chasers but geesh, at least talk about some of the others. Yes, Stewart was mentioned and so were a select few, of course the ones involved in wrecks, go figure.

8. Close call for Travis Kvapil and Tony Raines at the end of the race after clipping Truex Jr. On a positive note, they did cross the finish line.

9. Do you think Bill Weber will ever get a clue that people just don't like his announcing. Bring back Allen Bestwick to the booth.

10. Hey Michael Waltrip, you might want to give some consideration to faster cars because with you starting your own team next year, you just might need some help from others. Treat others as you would treat yourself.

Next up is the Monster Mile and the Dover 400 set for September 24th at 12:30pm EST on TNT...We Know Drama, but of course this is NASCAR.

Where was the love in Richmond???

Well it sure wasn't coming from the NBC/TNT broadcasting booth. Does anyone else realize there are 32 other drivers out there trying to win a race. Yes, it is the last race before the Chase starts and it sure was an exciting race. It was a no-brainer to figure out who was the only one that had a chance to break into the Top 10, Kasey Kahne. The big drama was who was going to either stay or go and that fell on 5 drivers. Unfortunately the one to fall was Tony Stewart. It was a shock to everyone that he didn't make it. Let's not forget, he wrecked his primary car which was designed just for this track. All in all the race did have its excitement.

Here a few examples of NO LOVE:

1. Dave Blaney finishes 4th, only his 2nd career Top 5 finish---no mention of it or post race interview.

2. Kenny Schraeder posting a 7th place finish---no coverage of his great finish.

3. Bill Weber not knowing what track he is at when he says.."And Harvick sweeps Bristol" Hey Bill, we are at Richmond.

4. Jeff Green getting parked---Looks like you have to be a high profile driver to get away with things like that.

5. Too many commericals---How about more racing and less breaks.

Okay, I am finished with my venting. Don't get me wrong, the Chase does add the excitement but it would be nice to see other drivers recognized for their accomplishments.

Next up...the 1st race in the Chase for the Championship. Should be interesting to see how the drivers not in the chase react to the ones that are.

Where is the Love? Trial and Tribulations of California

Well it sure was not there in California this weekend for both the Busch and Cup races. Did anyone happen to see how many empty seats there were for the Busch race? Reports say there were 40,000 fans but I seriously doubt it. The Cup race did have its lack of fan support at the track. One would think that with both of these races under the lights for the first time in California that the crowds would be higher in numbers. When compared to other night time races at the other tracks, looks like California is not keeping up with the numbers. Could it be the lack of fan support out in California? Perhaps it was because it was the holiday weekend, but that never seemed to be a problem when the race was in Darlington. Oh, that is right; NASCAR moved that race to California to bring in more revenue. Doesn’t look like California is holding up its end of the bargain. Perhaps NASCAR might show some chivalry and give the race back to “The Lady In Black.”

How about that Busch and Cup race, sure was exciting, NOT! Did anyone else notice that when the broadcast came on for the Busch race, the cars were getting ready to roll off of pit road? What happened to the National Anthem? The prerace show? Are NBC and NASCAR hurting that much for money that they have to start cutting the programming for the Busch race despite all the Nextel cup drivers that were entered? 7pm EST to start a race is great if you on the west coast but us poor east coast people have to suffer the anguish of this late start, coupled with the lack of excitement in the Busch race, I for one ended up falling asleep on the couch. Did I also mention that the first regular Busch series driver finished in 10th place (Jay Sauter) and then next in line was 14th place Burney Lamar? Seems like another night devoted to the Busch Whackers which brings me back to the lack of attendance for this race, with all that talent on the track one would think more people would be there to see them perform. We all know Bristol is the King of the Hill when it comes to night races and their Busch race brings in close to 100,000 fans for a half a mile track, maybe California might consider some sort of partnership with the marketing guys at Bristol. California has a seating capacity of 92,100 where Darlington has only 60,000 but after seeing the availability of seats at California for the two night races, NASCAR should look at bringing back the race to Darlington for the Labor day weekend.

Next up on the list of complaints is the NBC broadcasting team. What was going on between Bill Weber and Wally Dallenbach during the Cup race? The absence of Benny Parsons, the mediator, was apparent due to the arguing amongst the two during the race; Benny seems to be the one that keeps peace in the booth. I say bring back Alan Bestwick. Take him off of pit row, put him in the booth and stick Bill Weber somewhere doing interviews with NBC/TNT and NASCAR executives. If it seems as though Bill is getting picked in, you are right. Sunday’s night race was a great example of the ignorance that they have for the sport. Up till the last 30 laps of the race, it was pretty uneventful as it is with all the California races and then we had the pit strategies from the various teams. All the focus for the entire race was on the drivers who are in contention for the Chase. If you do the math, that was about 14 cars, and they were the main focus of the broadcast team. How many times did we hear, oh he is in, nope he is out or he is on the bubble, nope he is in and the last one, the drivers in green are in and the drivers in yellow are on the bubble. How about the other 29 cars out there? Looks like the sponsors of those cars are not paying enough to be shown on TV. Even one of the Chase contenders, Mark Martin, driver of the AAA Ford, was rarely talked about during the race. Maybe AAA did not give Mike Helton his promotional discount or the left Brian France waiting too long for a tow. Was there any attention paid to Cling Bowyer who finished 3rd and Dale Jarrett finishing 10th? No. Here are two drivers that are not in the fight for the Chase with big time sponsors and do not get shown or talked about on TV. All Bill Weber said after showing the results from the race was And Dale Jarrett finishes in 10th. You would think that a veteran driver like Dale Jarrett and a rookie driver in Clint Bowyer would get some kind of recognition and how they finished in the Top 10. I did not find out until I read it on UPS Racing. It just shows that NBC/NASCAR have the blinders on when it comes to the other drivers in the field that are not in the Chase. Has the sport changed? Will the fans continue to pay the outrageous prices for tickets? Can NASCAR find a happy median for their broadcasting teams? How many more changes are in store for NASCAR in the 2007 and beyond seasons? One can only hope that one day someone will wake up in the front office of NASCAR, walk into the board room meeting and say; Hey, why not make this the sport for the fans.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

A Hummer Of A Tribute

Karla Comfort received a lot of looks and even some salutes from people when she drove from Benton, Ark., to Camp Pendleton, Calif., in her newly-painted, custom Hummer H3 March 2. The vehicle is adorned with the likeness of! her son, 20-year-old Lance Cpl. John M. Holmason, and nine other Marines with F Company, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division who where all killed by the same improvised explosive device blast in Fallujah, Iraq, in December.

For Karla Comfort, having the vehicle air brushed with the image of the 10 Marines was a way to pay homage to her hero and his fellow comrades who fell on Iraq's urban battlefield."I wanted to let people know (Marines) are doing their jobs honorably, and some of them die," said the 39-year-old from Portland, OR "I don't want people to forget the sacrifices that my son and the other Marines made."

Leading up to her son's death, Karla Comfort had received several letters from him prior to his return. He had been deployed for five months, and Comfort "worried everyday he was gone until she got the letters and found out the date he was coming home," she said. Marines knocked on the front door of her home in Farmington, Mich., at 3 am with the dreadful news."I let my guard down when I found out he was coming home," she said. "There are times that I still cannot believe it happened. It's very hard to deal with."

Karla Comfort came up with the idea for the rolling memorial when she and her two other sons attended John's funeral in Portland, Ore. "I saw a Vietnam (War) memorial on a car, and I said to my son Josh, 'we should do something like that for John,' she recalled. "He loved Hummers." She purchased the vehicle in January and immediately took it to AirbrushGuy & Co. in Benton, Ark., where artist Robert Powell went to work on changing the plain, black vehicle into a decorative, mobile, art piece. "I only had the vehicle for two days before we took it in," she joked.

Two hundred and fifty man-hours later, Powell had completed the vehicle. The custom job would have cost $25,000. Out of respect forKarla Comfort's loss and the sacrifices the Marines made, AirbrushGuy & Co. did it for free. Comfort only had to purchase the paint, which cost $3,000. "I love it," she said. "I'm really impressed with it, and I think John would be happy with the vehicle. He would have a big smile on his face because he loved Hummers."

Karla Comfort gave Powell basic instructions on what to include in the paint job. But in addition to the image of her son in Dress Blues and the faces of the nine other Marines, there were several surprises. "He put a lot more on than I expected," she said. "I think my favorite part is the heaven scene."On the left side of the vehicle, a detail of Marines are depicted carrying their fallen comrades through the clouds to their final resting place. The American flag drapes across the hood, the words, "Semper Fi" crown the front windshield and the spare tire cover carries the same Eagle Globe and Anchor design that her son had tattooed on his back. "All the support I have been getting is wonderful," she said.

Karla Comfort decided to move back to her hometown of Portland, and making the cross-country trip from Arkansas was a way for her to share her son's story. It's also her way of coping! with t he loss. "Along the way I got nothing but positive feedback from people," she said. "What got to me was when people would salute the guys (Marines). It's hard to look at his picture. I still cry and try to get used to the idea, but it's hard to grasp the idea that he's really gone."

Let's get this Hummer going around the world, we won't forget!

My San Diego Trip

Hi everyone. I just got back from San Diego, CA from a business trip and got to do some sight seeing during my stay. It is such a beautiful city and brought back a lot of memories of when I was stationed there in the Navy back in 1985-1986. I was amazed at how many things DIDN'T change. I hope you enjoy these pictures.

Our New House

Hi everyone,
Just thought I would share some new pictures of our house. It is not the biggest, but it has a wonderful front and back yard along with a deck attached that is too die for. We are slowly getting it together and taking it day by day. Hope you like them.

What It Is Like To Be A Dale Jarrett Fan...

Well as of late, it has been a tough road. It is heartbreaking to watch the races and always see DJ in the back of the field. I for one will be glad when he switches over to Toyota next year with Michael Waltrip Racing. I just recently wrote an article that has been published as the first "Voice of the Fans" over at Doin' Donuts. If you have not been over there yet, you must go and check it out. They do a live internet radio broadcast every Sunday at 7pm CST. It is hosted by Lori Munro of War-Wagon and Dennis Michelson of StockCarPitPass. Here is the link to my article, I hope you will go over and read it: Confessions of a Dale Jarrett Fan

Conversation with Dale Jarrett on Nascar.com

Dale Jarrett tried to blend into a pack of reporters huddled around Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson last weekend at Pocono Raceway. He looked the part, sort of, with his pen and pad. But the brown and white UPS uniform gave him away when Johnson turned to answer his question. Dale Jarrett had a string at RYR of six consecutive years finishing in the top five in points. Jarrett may be headed for one of his worst seasons in Nextel Cup -- he's 25th in points after Sunday's race -- but that doesn't prevent him from having a little fun at the track.

He recently talked about everything from the frustration of not being a contender to his move from Robert Yates Racing to Toyota-based Michael Waltrip Racing in 2007.

Q: So what's this roller coaster of a year been like for you?

Jarrett: We just haven't performed. That's the key. We just haven't found what it takes. It's not from a lack of effort. We've worked extremely hard. We're just working in the wrong areas, apparently. At the beginning of the year we kind of were in that 10th to 15th range. But as teams continued to get better we regressed a little bit. It really is showing up right now. We just don't perform. We don't have that magic that it takes. We know we have good engines, so it's not that. Is it a combination of aero and chassis and the setups there? Yes, it's probably a combination of that. We haven't been able to put that combination together. A lot of hard work and effort, a lot of money spent. We just haven't hit on it and it's very frustrating for everybody here.

Q: Is this the best market to be a driver with Toyota entering the sport and many teams making changes?

Jarrett: There are certainly opportunities out there for a driver to get an opportunity in good racecars. I'd have to say it's a pretty good time if you're out looking.

Q: Best you've seen in a while?

Jarrett: That's hard to say. Certainly, quality teams. Yes, probably the best that there's ever been as far as getting in a good seat.

Q: What do you think of Stephen Leicht, a candidate to drive one of the Robert Yates Racing cars in 2007?

Jarrett: He has a lot of talent. Obviously, it would be a steep learning curve for him. He's getting some opportunities here and the times I've been around him and watched him he handles himself very well. He has a lot of talent for a 19-year-old who hasn't been in these kinds of cars very long.

Q: Do you coast the rest of the season, or do you try to get the No. 88 team to where it can win immediately next year?

Jarrett: I want to leave it in good shape. That's my goal, and always has been, whether it was going to be when I retired or when I leave. I want this to be a good race team that is solidly on its feet, and all it needs is a driver to step in and take over and good things will happen. Right now our goal has to be getting back to being a top-10 team before we can think about winning. If we won right now, other than a restrictor-plate track, it would be pretty much a fluke. We're not close enough to talk about winning. We have to get back to respectability and a consistency on a weekly basis.

Q: Your teammate Elliott Sadler said one reason he asked for his release from RYR is he and owner Robert Yates had different visions for the future of the company. Do you understand what he's saying?

Jarrett: I can't speak for Elliott. In my case, I just feel that this sport is becoming a real engineering sport. Even though the staff of engineers we have on board are very good, we're at a disadvantage because we're small in numbers. A two-car team now is almost like what a single-car team used to be not long ago. Those three-, four- and five-car teams have the extra dollars to add manpower. Most of that manpower is in the engineering staff. We talked about this for a couple of years, but we haven't headed in that direction here for some reason.

Q: Do you see Robert Yates Racing surviving?

Jarrett: I can't imagine them not surviving and running good again. All of this takes time. Richard Childress Racing is a perfect example. After the death of Dale Earnhardt it took a lot out of them. They didn't have that guidance and leadership that Dale provided for them.
Jeff Burton has helped that team tremendously, and a lot of their engineering staff has helped tremendously. Robert and [the people at RYR] are looking at a couple of years of solid hard work, but they'll be back. They'll eventually see all the things and put all the pieces together that they need to do.

Q: Has this sport passed Robert Yates by?

Jarrett: Robert is a very smart man. But, things do change. And you have to be willing to make that change sometimes regardless of what you believe in. What we haven't had is someone in the organization to stand up and say, "Hey, this is what we absolutely, positively have to do."
You can't blame Robert because no one has totally convinced him of that. Even though he sees it, we haven't made that total commitment. We've gotten kind of on the fence. We just haven't gotten up on top of it.

Q: Can you succeed without 20 engineers?

Jarrett: I'd say 20 is a really good number. As I talk to people of other organizations, that seems to be a really common number. Fifteen on the low number. They have projects going all the time. Whether we want it to or not, that's the direction the sport has taken a turn for. You have to get like that if you want to compete.

Q: How many engineers are there at RYR?

Jarrett: We're looking at about six from our staff. That's from two Cup cars and a Busch car.

Q: Doesn't Ford send down engineers?

Jarrett: They came for a week or two, but I haven't seen them since then to be quite honest. I know they're there and you probably can pick up the phone and call them. But it hasn't been just, "Here's the engineers, you take them to work.''

Q: What do you think about possibly having Jeremy Mayfield as a teammate with Michael Waltrip Racing?

Jarrett: That's Michael's job to figure out. But Jeremy is another good, young talent that would bring a lot to Michael Waltrip Racing, hopefully.

Q: How long do you think it will take for your new team at Toyota to become competitive?

Jarrett: Hopefully by Daytona. A lot of work is being done as we speak. Obviously, the engine is a big thing. I know they're working very hard on that. I'm sure in the first 10 to 12 races there'll be some hit and miss situations. But [Michael will] hire good people. Things could be a lot better than just your normal start-up teams and new manufacturer.

Q: What's it been like for you to have to ride around the back of the pack a lot this season?

Jarrett: It sucks. I hate it. I'm a competitor. I want to compete. That doesn't mean competing for 35th to 40th. I want to see those guys up front on a regular basis, not when I'm trying to get a lap back.

Q: Is there a chance you won't finish the season in the No. 88?

Jarrett: Ain't going to be no changes made here. We have a sponsor and a driver. We committed to 2006 before this year ever started. I haven't broken any contracts. That's the whole thing about all of this bull---- going around here. I haven't broken any contracts. When I told them last August that I wanted to drive in 2007, everybody understood that's what I wanted to do. I didn't have a contract. I haven't broken anything. It was getting into April and May, and I needed to know what I was going to do for the next year. We have a commitment to the sponsor that goes through 2006. I have a driver contract to drive through 2006, and that's what's going to happen. If they want to do something with a third team, I fully understand that and hopefully it'll benefit all of us. What I decided in 2007 should never change 2006 in any way, shape or form. That's the way I've gone about it. I assume it's the way everybody on this race team and organization has gone about it, too.

Q: What are your plans for the off week?

Jarrett: Just hang out with the kids for a while. Take the week off and recharge the batteries and get ready to go at Indianapolis.

Q: Has the fun gone out of racing this year for you?

Jarrett: It hasn't been a lot of fun. The challenge is still there, but it hasn't been a lot of fun. I equate fun with success. Everybody is doing everything they can to make this team turn around. That's not a lot of fun. Everybody is a little on edge. You want to be that one that can make that difference and help.This is a difficult business at its best. Whenever it's not going well, it really becomes a challenge.

Q. What's the most frustrating part of the year for you?

Jarrett: Not winning. That's what it's about.

Q: How do you work your frustration out away from the track?

Jarrett: Beating a golf ball around. That's what's so hard right now, my hand won't let me play golf.