Michigan Washout: My Thoughts and Opinions...

Doesn't this guy look excited???

Well that is how I felt right after they called the race because of rain. Don't get me wrong, the racing up to that point was fantastic. Seeing side by side racing with Jeff Gordon & Dale Jr, drivers going 4 and 5 wide into the turns, the races off of pit road..what more could you ask for? I will tell you and here are some of my thoughts for the Fox Broadcasting Crew and the events up to the start of the race:

1. Are the Fox guys getting short timer attitudes? I mean I know they hand it off to NBC after the Pepsi 400, but it just seems they are not enthusiastic about things. The only one I really see getting into the race is Larry Mac but that is just his attitude towards the sport which I greatly appreciate it.

2. Greg Biffle and his 10 Laps with Fox. I don't know about you Greg but it seems you got short changed on your questions, maybe Chris Meyers needs remedial Math.

3. How exciting is it to watch Darryl Waltrip do burn outs? Is he practicing for what he thinks will be his celebration at Martinsville when he drives the Aaron's Dream Machine? Darryl, just stick to the booth and your funny Toyota commericals.

4. When someone tells you that there is 4 hours of daylight left when there is a rain delay to get the race in, just change your station on your station on the TV right away. That is a hint that the race is going to be cancelled. Just a sad way to keep the viewers to stick around to what will be a major disappointment.

5. Was I missing something when they sang the Canadian National Anthem?

6. I may not be the smartest man alive but really, how many people don't understand how an oil filter and air filter work? Jeff Hammond, next time pick something out on your cut away car that might be beneficial to more people in their understanding of how the Cup cars work.

7. On a postive note: Bravo to Adam Sadler in his command to start engines, that was the BEST one to date.

8. I was glad to see that Dick Bergren did not go and try to interview Tony Stewart after his wreck. Maybe that sledge hammer in Tony's hand was an incentive to stay away. I give credit to Tony for maintaining his composure after that accident despite his little spin out in the garage area. He took out his frustrations by working on his car. This should give the media a great idea...Let the driver cool down before you go up to him right after he has been wrecked.

All in all, I enjoyed the fast racing at MIS. It sure did make some exciting moments.

Is Denny Hamlin a fluke?

Is this kid impressive or what? I mean he was leading the first 39 laps, has a tire blow out on him sending him to the back of the field, has damage to the rear end because of the tire blow out and he comes from last place to finish winning the Pocono 500. The guy had a rocket for a car and noone could keep up with him. As Denny stated, he drove his car like it was on rails.

I am truly amazed at how well Denny is performing this year. He has a great tutor in Tony Stewart along with a talented teammate in JJ Yeley. Joe Gibbs really knows how to spot talented drivers. To think this kid was watching the races from the stands just 2 years ago and now he is driving for one of the top teams in the Nextel Cup. Denny's attitude is much like Carl Edwards where these guys really appreciate where they are at and how lucky they are to have a chance such as driving in the Nextel Cup. Too many of the young drivers just don't have that type of appreciation for the sport and exploit it.

Congratulations Denny on your first Nextel Cup win. It was great to see just about every driver after the checkered flag drive by Denny to congraluate him. He definitely is earning the respect from the veteran drivers. Maybe Kyle Busch should take some lessons.

My Charlotte Experience-May 2006

Well I know this is a bit late to post but after getting back from the weekend at Charlotte and missing a few days at work, I have been playing big time catch up and really neglecting my blog so here we go...

First off, if you have never been to Charlotte for a race, you are missing out. I have been there several times both for the 600 in May and the Fall race in October, both of which are under the lights. Night racing, there is no comparison. Those cars under the lights, truly breath taking.

Lowe's Motor Speedway is a track that is one to see in person. This 1.5 mile Quad is truly made for racing and Humpy has done an outstanding job with his track and the upgrades. Seeing and hearing these 43 machines roaring by you at over 190 miles per hour can not be describled in words unless you have experienced it yourself. To feel those cars go by and the gust of wind that follows, all I can say is WOW!!!

The crowds, oh my god. Over 150,000 people in the stands and even more outside of the track. I would guesstimate over 300.000 people in the area during the race but you know what, who the heck cares. You are there experiencing one of the most exciting races and of course the longest race of the season...600 miles of pure speed and adrenaline.

Raceday is not the only thing making the trip worthwhile. I flew down the Friday before the race and I was not off the plane more then 20 minutes and I am on the road in my rental car heading to Dale Jarrett's Ford Dealership for an autograph seesion. Now mind you, I arrived in Charlotte at 11:50am and his signing was set for 12-2pm. Talk about breaking a few laws on the highway to get there in time but I made it there safe and sound in time to get my Green Bay Packers diecast that DJ drove for Brett Favre signed and as a bonus, Elliott Sadler was there also signing things and I just happened to have a Jarrett hat that had been signed by DJ and Robert Yates two years ago and Elliott autographed it so now I have the entire team on this one hat and it makes it even more special due to this is the last year for all of them on the same team with DJ heading over to Toyota.

Once the signing was over, I headed over to my hotel, got checked in and unpacked. All of my friends were getting in either later that night or early Saturday morning. So, I went and did some sight seeing, had dinner over at the Cheesecake Factory and then went downtown to Speed Street to meet up with my friends. We walked around and the crowd was unbelievable, excuse the term but it was assholes to elbows. We saw Elliott Sadler, Carl Edwards, and Jeff Burton that night for a Question and Answer period. Prior to that, Trackside was on and that is when Elliott Sadler decided to dive into the crowd and go splat on the pavement but alas he was okay...thank goodness. All in all, a great night.

Saturday was a day of just cruising around town and then going back downtown to see DJ and Kyle Petty on the main stage for their Q&A. Prior to DJ coming out on stage, Allen Bestwick came out to introduce Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) who came out and said a few words, very well spoken. Then out came DJ and Kyle. What was really great about these two is that after their Q&A, they went off stage and came around to the side and signed autographs and took pictures...not many drivers do that and we were fortunate to be in the right place at the right time.

Ahh, then comes raceday. Our posse arrived at the track at 9am and set up camp. Just some advice to everyone...even though the race is not till 5:40pm, it is a very good idea to arrive that early to avoid the parking and traffic headaches...just set up your camp and enjoy the surroundings of the other fans. Now, it is late May in Charlotte, that means HEAT & HUMIDITY. Get yourself one of those pop tents that can cover and area about 20 feet by 20 feet, it is well worth the money in the long run. Have your breakfast and sit around and talk amongst each other, there is usually some good stories to tell or just look around at the other fans sitting around acting crazy and having a good old time, these fans down there really know how to tailgate. If you want to know anything and everything about tailgating, go visit my friends site at www.laidbackracing.com JoAnne really knows how to prepare for a race and her article is now a weekly feature on Nascar.com.

We Nascar fans are notorious for drinking beer but remember to bring plenty of water with you to stay dehydrated, you don't want to get heat stroke before the race and miss out on the excitement.

The 600 is truly a unique race, the longest of the season. Trust me, you will not regret going to this track and race and once you do, you will be hooked. I know I am.

Well that is enough for now, if I think of anything else, I will make sure to fill you all in. I do have pictures posted to share the experience with you.