A Sad Day For Our Family

Hello everyone,

I just found out today that my Aunt Pam, who is my dad's sister, has passed away. We are not sure of all the details but should know more later on. My Aunt Pam was only 55 years old. Please say a prayer for her, her family, and ours.

What is Santa going to bring you for Christmas?

That is the question.

It seems to get harder and harder each year to decide on what to ask for. What makes it even more difficult is that my birthday is also on Christmas.

There are so many things out there that I would love to have but I have come to realize that material things are just that, material. You can have the nicest clothes and the fanciest car but those things do not bring you happiness. Oh, it may for a short period of time but trust me, it wears off rather quickly.

To be honest, the only thing I would want for Christmas this year is to wish for a wonderful 2008. 2007 has had its fills of ups and downs, good times and bad but we learn from our mistakes and move forward. To hold the anger in is just not healthy. You must learn to forgive and forget. There are some things that are difficult to forgive but when you look deep inside your heart, you can find it there.

Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Coming Back Real Soon!!!

Hello to all of my friends out there in Blog land. I know I have been away once again from my blog and I have neglected all of you, which is not my style.

I have had a few personal things in my life that I have been attending to and right now those are the most important ones at the moment so I hope you all understand.

I have also been traveling quite a bit for my company which is another reason I have not had the time.

I am hoping that once my upcoming trip is done and I am back at home for awhile, that I will be able to sit down and get blogging again.

I want to wish you and your families a Very Merry Christmas.

Happy Halloween Fellow Bloggers

And what are your plans for this festive night? Will you be one of those lucky parents that gets to walk around the neighborhood with the kids? Do you get the privelege of staying home and handing out candy or perhaps hiding in the bushes so when those little kids do come up to the door you scare the beejesus out of them...LOL.

Whatever your plans are this spooky and witching night, just be careful. The freaks tend to come out on this night or just maybe you are one of those freaky people.

Be safe and enjoy the night.

Happy Halloween from me to you!!!

Is this a Highlander Saga Chase?

I am not sure if any of you have ever seen the movie Highlander but there is that classic line when they say "There can only be one" and the Chase is truly shaping up that way with Jeff Gordon. Don't get me wrong, Jimmie is not far behind and Tony is still in striking distance but with only 5 races to go, time is running out.

Jeff does have some strong tracks coming up and with the way he and his team have been performing, it is his to lose.

I am not the biggest Gordon fan but you have to give credit where credit is deserved. It seems that Jeff has grown up ever since his marriage and the birth of their baby. I bet it gave him a whole new perspective on life and what is truly important. The man has talent and that has been proven over the years.

Can anyone pass Gordon?

Jeff is saying over the radio..."There can only be one champion"

Good luck to all the drivers at Martinsville.

It's All About the Mirrors...

Hall of Fame Racing has signed J.J. Yeley to drive for the No. 96 team in the Sprint Cup Series beginning in 2008. Yeley's debut in the No. 96 DLP HDTV car will come in February's Budweiser Shootout at Daytona International Speedway. His entry into the prestigious event came via his first career pole at Michigan International Speedway this past June. "In 23 years of being involved in professional sports, I have worked with many great athletes," said Jeff Moorad, owner of Hall of Fame Racing. "J.J Yeley's determination to succeed reminds me of many of the championship athletes that I have been around in my career. He is hungry and determined to win races and championships and to do it with class. We look forward to J.J. being an integral part of Hall of Fame Racing and to winning with him going forward." Yeley comes to Hall of Fame Racing from Joe Gibbs Racing, the team for which he drove full-time in the Nextel Cup Series beginning in 2006. Yeley will take over for Tony Raines, current driver of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Chevy, following the conclusion of the 2007 season.

No word on where current driver Tony Raines will end up. It is a shame to hear about this for Tony Raines, he is a good race car driver but it just seems that they want more and they are going after some young blood from the dirt tracks.

JGR + Toyota = Turmoil?

It is now official that Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota will be joining forces in 2008. What does it all mean? Your guess is as good as mine. I have received numberous comments, both positive and negative, about this merger and all I can say is, it is what it is. Toyota will definitely be the big gainer in this merger due to the fact they will get guaranteed starting spots next year in the Top 35. JGR is the one that will give Toyota that added boost they have been looking for in Nextel.

I know alot of you fans out there really really hate the idea of Toyota coming into the Cup series. We all have our roots in America and back the makes of Chevy, Ford, and Dodge but remember that all those cars are made outside of the US while Toyota is stationed here in the US, giving much needed jobs to people out there. NASCAR has always been tied in with the major US auto makers but lets face it, Toyota is here to stay.

You all can bash me or curse at me or do whatever, I am just stating my opinion. Heck, I even own a 2006 Nissan Altima 3.5 SE but I will say this, I have not had ONE problem with this car except for the routine maintenance. I have owned 2 GM cars and I will not even go into how many times they were in the shop. Makers like Nissan, Toyota, and Lexus have it figured out, it is all about quality and not quantity. It is about pride and professionalism that goes into making their cars.

I really don't care what manufacturer is out there racing, all the cars look pretty much the same, it is just the sheer excitement of watching the race that I will always enjoy. Isn't that what it is all about, enjoying the sport but there will always be people out there that still have ill feelings about Toyota and threaten to stop watching the races. Reading back, I saw column after column about how high ticket prices are for the races but you know what, people still pay the prices, I know I have, I will be the first one to admit it.

Let's just enjoy the sport. That is my opinion and I am sticking to it.

I am sure I will hear a bunch of flack over this but if you are going to comment negative on it, please try not to use the harsh language, it really is not necessary.

Can you picture Tony Stewart in a Toyota?

This is the latest and greatest from Mike Harper over at the SpinOutZone:

It looks like our prediction of Joe Gibbs Racing moving from Chevrolet to Toyota is less than a week away from becoming a reality. Sources close to the situation are telling us that a news conference has been tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters in Huntersville, N.C., where the official announcement is set to take place. We understand officials with Toyota, JGR and drivers Tony Stewart (Home Depot No. 20) and Denny Hamlin (FedEx No. 11) are scheduled to be in attendance.

Toyota has struggled in NASCAR's top series this season. Adding Joe Gibbs Racing to the Toyota family will not only bring a championship team to the manufacturer, but they will also be locked into the top 35 in the standing giving them a free pass to race in the first five events next season.

Sources have said that Hamlin will extend his contract with Joe Gibbs Racing through the 2011 season and Tony Stewart, who has two NASCAR championships, has a contract that is set to expire after the 2009 season. But we understand Gibbs is trying to secure Stewart through 2011 too.

Kyle Busch, current driver of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevy owned by Hendrick Motorsports will join Joe Gibbs Racing next season.

Yates gives up #38 to Junior

Sources from SPEED TV are telling us that Robert Yates Racing has asked NASCAR to transfer their No. 38 car number, currently driven by David Gilliland (No. 38 M&M's Ford) to Hendrick Motorsports for Dale Earnhardt Jr. to use beginning next season.

After a public feud between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his stepmother Teresa Earnhardt over the No. 8 car number, Teresa has decided to retain the number at DEI. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has driven the No. 8 car since his first step into the Nextel Cup Series and must now use a new number.

The No. 38 makes sense because his father Dale Earnhardt who died in a 2001 crash at Daytona, drove the No. 3 and won six of his seven championships with that number. The No. 3 would honor his father and the No. 8 would be Dale Jr.'s current number.

As for David Gilliland, Robert Yates Racing still retains the No. 28 car number from years past and may switch to that number for next season.

I will say that Robert Yates is a class act for doing such a thing. Just a shame that Teresa can not get her head out of her butt to see things for how they are.

The Duece Is On The Loose...

Okay, now where in the heck did Kurt Busch and the #2 team come from? First Pocono and now Michigan. Both of these races were not just won, they were dominated. Everyone has been talking about how Dodge is not making a statement, well it seems that the #2 definitely has their game on and everything in one sock. It is just a shame that his teammate, the #12, can not seem to finish a race or something bad happen.

How about these observations from Michigan:

1. Attendance: I guess not as many people could take off those amount of days to get to see the race. Next time people, make sure you save up that vacation time just in case.

2. Visibility: Was it me, or did you find yourself getting up out of your car to go wipe off your TV set? I hate it when the races are run under this kind of foggy weather but hey at least they got the race in.

3. Moving Forward: Well it is about damn time to see Toyota finish in the Top 1o. Not only in the Top 10 but two Toyota's finishing in the Top 10. Dave Blaney finishing 6th and Vickers finishing 8th. I bet the big wigs at Toyota will be breaking out the good Saki tonight to celebrate.

4. Poor Jeff: He started out really strong but as of late, has not been finishing at the top of his game. Spinning out at Watkins Glen with 2 laps to go and now getting dumped by Kenseth. Now I am not defending either Kenseth or Gordon on that incident. You can decide.

5. No Snow Angels? Here I thought Kurt would do his signature Snow Angel vice pushing up to the wall and doing a burnout. Guess he thought the grass was too soggy after seeing Gordon get stuck.

6. Engines + DEI = Disaster. Do you think Junior and Truex were sweating bullets when they saw what happened to Menard? If DEI wants to stay in contention for the Chase, they better get this engine problem corrected PRONTO!!!

7. 5 Wide? Did you see near the end when they did that? OMG!!! Just when you thought it was safe to go 3 wide.

8. Honey Buns. Quiz question, how many do you think Fatback McSwain ate during the race?

Overall, not a bad race for a Tuesday. I was happy that I am working the swing shift this week so I was able to watch the race on ESPN2 but to be honest, I am not impressed with Rusty Wallace as a commentator. I would love to see them bring back Allen Bestwick to the booth rather then have him down in the pits.

Next up is Bristol and the new pavement. Should be quite interesting. Could this be another race that Kurt could dominate? Hey, anything can happen at Bristol.

No Way For the #8 and Shrub joins JGR

Sources have verified that Hendrick Motorsports will announce it has not been able to come to a deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc. to allow the No. 8 to come with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the Hendrick team next season.

"We've been working hard to secure the No. 8 for Dale Jr.'s car number next season," said Marshall Carlson, general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. "Obviously, he has a tremendous history with that number, and we know how important it is to his fans. Unfortunately, we couldn't reach a point where the terms made sense, and now we have to move forward with other options. "We appreciate the efforts of Max Siegel and his team (at Dale Earnhardt Inc.), and are excited about unveiling our plans for 2008 in the near future."

The FREE THE 8 crowd will not be happy. Looks like people will be scurrying around to find their new merchandise once the announcement is made for Jr. Talk about a mad rush and the revenue that will come in once his things go on the market.


It's official, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has signed 22-year-old Kyle Busch to drive for the No. 18 team in Nextel Cup beginning in 2008. “We’re extremely pleased to have Kyle Busch as a part of the family here at Joe Gibbs Racing,” said J.D. Gibbs, president of JGR. “Kyle is extremely talented, as his track record has proven, and he had a lot of teams to choose from in determining who would give him the best chance to win. Obviously, we’re glad he chose JGR, and he’ll have all the tools and resources he needs to win races and contend for championships.”

A Killer Ride!!!

So I finally found my dream car as I was cruising the roads. I came across this 1970 Ford Mustang Mach I. I just had to take my picture with it. It has a 302 block with a 4 Barrel carb. I had to get out a few nakins to wipe the drool. I sure do miss the days of the true muscle cars. They just don't build em like they use to. Hey, the owner only wants a mere $17,000. I am going to start taking donations for my Tom Car Fund, anyone want to help? LOL I will be posting a picture of it shortly.

Gloomy Day at the Glen

Okay, so we know that Juan had his fair share of incidents on the track. Did he purposely spin out Harvick? I really don't think so after watching the replay for the 1000th time. That is not to say that Juan was driving a bit too hard and didn't give the #1 any room but hey this is road course racing and Juan is a very good road course racer but this is the big leagues and everyone needs to play along with each other in the sand box otherwise you might find yourself stuck in it. It was just one of those days at the Glen. Just a side note, Juan did get into the back end of Dale Jarrett also, although that was not televised as much as the rock em sock em robot fight with him and Happy.

Just some side notes:

1. Great job by Ron Fellows and the #96 DLP team...they sure did need a good finish. A Road Course Warrior prevails.

2. Does the media have any sense of humanity? So Jeff went into the turn a bit too hard and lost it but give the guy a break and let him have a chance to cool down and relax instead of shoving the microphone right in his face. Calgon, take me away!!!

3. How about Denny and racing all over except on the track. He sure didn't care about his teammate that was running right next to him.

4. Poor Junior. Someone better check Teresa's pocketbook for a voodoo doll because he just can not catch a break. Gives a new meaning to "Going out with a bang."

Overall, it was a pretty exciting race to watch despite being a road course. Congrats to Tony Stewart. One person's misfortune is another ones gain!

Joe Gibbs Racing to Toyota is the HOT Rumor!

Information provided by Mike Harper at the Spin Out Zone

Oddly, Ford Racing is reporting that Joe Gibbs Racing (Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and JJ Yeley) may move over to the Toyota camp from Chevrolet starting next season. While this rumor has been hot for several months, Ford is pointing to a few clues that lead them to the believe that Gibbs will make the move. First, merchandise for Tony Stewart has been marked down to 50% off in recent weeks and second, a source at Richard Childress Racing has told someone in the garage that Gibbs engine partner Hall of Fame Racing (No. 96 Tony Raines) has checked on an opportunity to purchase RCR -DEI engines. Thanks Ford!

This just in! Remember Bob Nardelli? Mr. Nardelli was the CEO for Home Depot from 2000 to January 2007 and is close friends with Tony Stewart and others at Joe Gibbs Racing. This morning it was announced that Nardelli will be the new CEO to head Chrysler. Chrysler's new majority owner Cerberus Capital Management made the appointment today in Auburn Hills, MI.

How does this tie to Joe Gibbs Racing? While an official announcement has not been made, speculation of Gibbs moving away from Chevrolet continues to grow as fellow Chevrolet teams make major performance changes. DEI and RCR have merged engine shops in an effort to compete against the Chevrolet powerhouse of Hendrick Motorsports and Ford's Roush Fenway Racing.

On the surface Joe Gibbs Racing looks to be the Chevrolet team left out and has the most to gain by moving to another manufacturer. This now leads to the question, with Nardelli at Chrysler will Dodge make an attempt at Joe Gibbs Racing since the Toyota rumors have opened the door that Gibbs may want to change manufacturers? Here kitty, kitty, kitty!

Dodge Finally Gets It Done...

Even though Dale Jr. started on the pole, there was noone in the field that was going to deny Kurt Busch the win at Pocono. It was unbelievable to see how his car just charged right to the front and stayed there the entire day. The only time Kurt found himself not leading the race was during a pit stop where different strategies were being played and he found himself restarting 9th but it didn't take him long to slice and dice his way through the field and up to the front where he stayed for the remainder of the race. Congratulations to Kurt Busch on his win, he truly deserved that one.

How about them shocks! Kudo's to the #8 Bud team for the swap out of the shocks after the spin out by Junior. They were questioning why Jr. didn't come in earlier to do that but he would of most likely gone down a lap or two and never recover. Do you think he spun out on purpose to get that break? Just kidding people!!!

Sorry Denny but you didn't get your third win at Pocono in just your 4th start but hey you sure did hang up in the front the entire day. This kid is going to be a force to reckon with come time during the Chase. He is one not to fold under pressure.

Poor Robby Gordon. Only the 2nd time a driver has been parked. Nothing like being a part of an elite crowd. C'est La Vie (english translation: "such as life")

Next up is Watkins Glen....don't you just love road courses...NOT!

Bad Boys...Bad Boys...Whatca gonna do...

Whatca gonna do when NASCAR comes after you? Okay, I couldn't resist singing a verse for the show "COPS" but you get fined $5000 dollars for not doing a post-race interview? Riddle me this batman, how about those times when we watch the Cup races and wait for the post-race interviews with the Top 5 drivers and we only get to see sometimes maybe 3 or 4 of them? We never hear of those drivers not interviewed being fined and it has happened many of times so shouldn't NASCAR pay the driver $5000 for not being interviewed? Ahh yes, the "Do as I say, not as I do" from Mom and Dad. This is a sore spot for me with these types of penalities.

For the Tony Stewart penalty, well that could be debated with the 25 pts and the $25,000 dollar fine. It is not like he dropped the "F" bomb on TV but a 4 letter word that blurted out of Tony's mouth costing that much? Not that Tony can't afford it, that is like us getting a $25 dollar parking ticket for not having money in the meter. Do you think he would of gotten fined if he said crap? Probably not, but the two words do mean the same.

Did anything happen to Harvick for giving Tony a little victory rub? Nope. Reason is, it was just something between Harvick and Tony since they are good friends and even Tony commented on that during his post race interview along with the word games the two were playing with each other during the race.

Lets just race!!!

Kissing The Bricks...Did you know

How the tradition started at Indy of kissing those gritty and rubber filled bricks? Well being a huge Dale Jarrett fan, I will let you all in on the details, of course I know some of you already know the answer but this is my blog so I can say whatever I want...LOL

Back in 1999 when Dale Jarrett won the Brickyard 400, his crew chief, Todd Parrot suggested that the entire team go over to the finish line, turn their hats backwards, kneel down and all at the same time kiss the bricks. What do you know? Something as simple as that has turned out to be a tradition for the winner. DJ may not be having the stellar season, but he and his crew chief from the past did make history numerous times...as a matter of fact, DJ won the championship that same here.

Happy Birthday Lori Munro...

I wanted to send out a birthday wish to a very special lady. If you don't know who Lori is, she is a very talented artist and you can see her artwork at www.war-wagon.com. Also, Lori hosts numerous radio shows that can be heard over at www.racetalkradio.com. I have known Lori for just over 5 years and you couldn't find a more dear friend. She does so much for the sport of racing and her wit is unmatched.

I am very thankful to have such a friend in my life.

Lori, I just want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Yet Another Merger???

ESPN's Angelique Chengelis is reporting Robert Yates Racing and Newman-Haas Racing will reveal on Friday its plans to merge, a source close to the situation confirmed.

A formal news conference has been set for that afternoon at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Actor Paul Newman, an avid racer and long-time team owner in open-wheel racing and partner Carl Haas own the team currently leading the Champ Car World Series with driver Sebastien Bourdais, a three-time champion in the series.

Robert Yates last month at New Hampshire International said he had personally abandoned pursuit of a business partner, saying he had no debts and didn't need to get into a more pressure-packed situation answering to a partner's business demands. He did, however, say he would allow a head-hunting firm continue to look in that area. Like Robert Yates Racing, Newman-Haas has had deep ties with Ford.

RYR is very interested in Kyle Busch driving for them next season. "I've sent word through his agent that I would like to talk to him," RYR co-owner Robert Yates said recently at a Ford function. "I'm very interested," said Yates' son, Doug. "He would look good in a Ford."

Ginn & Budweiser....

Article courtesy of Mike Harper at http://www.spinoutzone.com

Well I was always told never to mix beer and alcohol but it appears that DEI and Ginn Racing will be merging together.

It has been learned an announcement will come on Wednesday merging Dale Earnhardt Inc. with Ginn Racing, in a deal making Mark Martin (No. 01 ARMY), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budwesier), Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops) and Paul Menard (No. 15 Menards) teammates for the remainder of the 2007 season.

The deal will become effective immediately, and DEI will acquire all Ginn assets, including its headquarters. Dale Earnhardt Inc., will retain their name, but Bobby Ginn, owner of Ginn Racing will remain a partner in the business. DEI has been looking for land for almost a year because there is no room to expand at the current facility, so this merger will resolve that issue by moving the organization to the Ginn headquarters.

DEI and Ginn employees were told Tuesday that Martin's No. 01 ARMY team will compete under the DEI banner in Sunday's Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

We've also been told by sources that DEI officials have spoken with Mark Martin about driving the No. 8 Chevrolet, currently driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., during the 2008 season. Sources said Martin is committed to running at least 22 races for DEI next season and working long-term with DEI's developmental driver program. We have no word if Martin has accepted the No. 8 car offer.

Looks like Mark will never retire, he has too much of that racing in his blood to just stop racing. Go Mark Go!

Talk About A Small Operation...

E and M Motorsports pictured above in Toccoa, GA

E and M Motorsports, who will be attempting to make the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard this weekend, is probably one of the smallest, privately owned teams in Nascar. Please correct me if I am wrong on this one. The #08 will be piloted by Front Row Joe Nemechek who was recently released from Ginn Racing. The #08 is looking for sponsorship and all the money for this team comes right out of the pocket of owner John Carter. The shop for his #08 is his own garage and he has 3 cars in his stable. He has no COT's and that really puts the pressure on him since next year with the switch. With all the big name teams nowadays with unlimited funds and sponsorship, it is a shame that these teams that work so hard fall short. It is all about the money because without it, you just can not get the equipment to compete in the sport at the top level.

I personally salute Mr. Carter for his dedication and his will to pursue getting his cars into the main event. Nothing like real folk that are hard working and don't forget where they came from and not born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

Good Luck to the #08 Team this weekend at the Brickyard.

The Top 20 Poll...

Click on the Poll to visit Stock Car Pit Pass. Home of the Top 20 Poll

The latest and greatest Top 20 poll from StockCar Pit Pass is out on the streets. Would you like to be a voter in the Top 20? We have a great panel of writers who submit their picks every week. One lucky person gets selected to be a guest voter. This is my second year of being part of this Fantastic poll and you really need to stop on over and check it out. Just remember, click on the banner. Oh, and when you do check it out, look whose comment is for #1 (Jeff Gordon)

Inspiration & Desire...

My Daughters Kaitlynne(left) & Chelsey (right)
during Father's Day

Okay, now all of you are probably wondering what the heck I am going to talk about with a title called "Inspiration & Desire."

First, lets break down each word:



1. Inspiration: the act of influencing or suggesting opinions



2. Desire: to long or hope for



Both of these words relate to a great deal of things in our lives. We have those in our lives that give us that inspiration to better ourselves in all that we do. I am sure everyone has someone in their life that gives them that extra push that they need in their life. Someone that is always there when you need words of encouragement or to lend a helping hand. You see these types of things happen in NASCAR all the time. These crews and drivers that come out week after week looking to be the car in Victory Lane and hold that trophy high up in the air. Take Denny Hamlin for example, do you remember who he said inspired him to pursue his dream of racing? It was his mom and dad that always backed Denny in what he dreamed of doing and even took out a second mortgage to finance his racing. There are two special people in my life and those are the two in the picture above. My daughters are my inspiration. Now if that isn't inspiration, I don't know what is.



There was a time for myself where I found that I almost gave up on this blog along with my website. I have been doing my website now for 5 years and this blog just over a year so to just toss it all off to the side would take alot for me to do and as I said, I was so close to doing it. Suddenly something happened in my life that gave me that "Inspiration" to start working on my website again and start blogging. It only takes one moment in time that turns your life around for the better and I have my Guardian Angel out there keeping a constant eye on me making sure that whenever I start to have those thoughts in my head to kick my ass to the curb and put me back on the right path. I know that you all have someone like that in your lives and always be thankful for those people.



Now how about that word Desire. This can be seen in the eyes of every driver when they get behind that wheel whether it is the Cup, Busch, Truck, ARCA or any kind of race series. The desire to win and always be remembered for winning at that track. Do you think that desire plays into any part of the Cup series when they race the Daytona 500? Oh Hell Yes!!! That is a dream of every driver and that dream FINALLY came true for the late, great Dale Earnhardt and did you see the reaction of the fans and every pit crew. To see everyone lined up to congratulate him as he drove by, that is a wonderful part of this sport. Even though these teams go head to head every week, at the end of the race they are one big family. What is your desire? Do you have one? Could your desire be just to be happy for the rest of your life? I know for a fact that I have always desired to share my life with that special someone where I can just be myself and not worry about being judge. To be able to just sit and talk and tell each other about one anothers day. Desire is a very strong word to use but when you really want something in your life that you have been waiting for a lifetime, you have to reach out and take hold of it and never let it go. Always remember the saying "Keep your eye on the prize."



Who inspires you? What do you desire?



I want to share this quote with everyone that My Guardian Angel sent to me:



Just as the wind dances in my hair, as the ocean massages my thoughts, as the sun blankets me in happiness, and as the earth travels with me across universal challenges, so all the elements of your love fill my life

Chicago...Chicago...It's the place to be

It is off to Chicago this week. DJ sits 40th in the points standings and of course will have to qualify on time. The UPS Toyota has had one issue after another and trust me when I say that I have been very disappointed in their performance. Don't get me wrong, I know this is their first year in the Series and they will get better with more time, it is a learning process, but when it is your favorite driver and he is not making races, well it just plain stinks. I do watch the race every weekend despite Dale not being in most of them but it is just me. You sometimes find yourself battling over whether you still want to follow him but I keep telling myself that DJ will always be my favorite driver no matter what he drives. He is a Cup Champion and noone can EVER take that away from him.

I am back and ready to get going...

Hello to all my friends out there. First off, I want to say that I am truly sorry that I have been away for such a long period of time. There are things that happen in our lives that we can not control but we move on. I will admit that I lost my interest in doing something that I truly enjoy and that is working on my blog and my website, both of which have been neglected for far too long.

There is one special person out there, you know who you are, that has given me that inspiration again to start writing. Words can not express how much I appreciate everything this person has done for me. I wanted to share something with all of you that means a great deal to me:

A Time Of Change

It took some time to change my mind,
To open up and leave the fear behind

All your patience and gentle ways
Helped to open me up day by day

Now I look into your loving soul
I know I am finally completely whole

You are my lover, my soulmate and friend,
keeping my heart safet now and until the end.

I just want to say again that things in life happen for a reason. There is a higher power looking out for each and every one of us. Once you see it happen, DO NOT EVER let it go.

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

Instead of reviewing the trials and tribulations that occured at LVMS, I wanted to write about this weeks performance by Toyota and the #44 Team.

Needless to say that the racing at the new and improved NEON experience track shows you can spend millions of dollars but the overall results are horrendous and LVMS wants to try and get a second race, good luck on that one, no pun intended.

Three down and three to go. No we are not talking football here folks. DJ has used 3 of his 6 alloted championship provisionals to make the first 3 races of the season. He has failed to make a race on speed and if they do not figure out the downforce issues with these Toyota's, DJ might be joining his two other teammates at home watching the race.

The #44 battled loose conditions the entire race and could not move up through the field. The only reason the 44 moved up was with all the other cars being involved in wrecks or other mechanical problems. Tire issues were also a factor with the balance of the car. Okay, am I missing something here? Things don't seem to be going the way Toyota wanted it to go.

I hope that they figure out what these issues are and do it quickly, otherwise you might not see any Toyota's in the field for the races.

Should NASCAR take lessons from the DMV?

I have recently read numerous articles about the inspection process that the teams have to go through before they can put their cars on the track and I must say that NASCAR needs to re-evaluate their program. The biggest issue is how the inspections are conducted by order of point standings. Is this fair? Does it mean that the drivers sitting 19th, 34th, or even 45th in points should have equal time on the track as the driver sitting 1st in points? Heck yes!!! As much as NASCAR says it is fair with their rules, this is one rule that needs to be put through the House of NASCAR and revamped. Come on, if the DMV can move vehicles like clockwork through their inspections, don’t you think NASCAR could do the same? Heck, at least NASCAR doesn’t have to worry about the alignment of the headlights.

All cars should be inspected first before anyone gets out on the track for practice. The teams sitting lower in the points are losing valuable practice time while the top teams are taking advantage of the situation. If a car does not make it through inspection the first time, well that is the teams fault and so they should wait but that should not be the case if you make it the first time. Does this mean that NASCAR would have to start earlier in the day for the inspections? Oh my gosh, it may cut into their sleep time. Give me a break, these inspectors are more then likely making big bucks for what they are doing so who cares if they have to start early. The teams that are really hurting are the ones that are just starting out like the Toyota teams. Okay, we all know that the teams get to come to certain tracks and test well that is what it is, testing. They take back to their shops what they learned from their testing to apply for the upcoming race. Well things can change with track conditions and things need to be looked at but if these teams are not getting the time required, i.e. because of the inspection process, is that really fair?

This is an issue that fans really don’t care about but come on now, lets be fair to all the teams. Being a diehard fan of the sport, it is just my opinion that NASCAR really needs to take a hard look into this problem and yes I call it a problem. NASCAR would probably come back and say it is an inconvenience. Typical answer from the office.

Can Toyota Make It?

Well it has been two races now for Toyota and it is still really too early to tell if they will make it in the Cup Series. They are still compiling data and taking lessons learned from the races back to the shops. It has been difficult for them due to all the teams with the exception of Bill Davis do not have any owner points and are sitting on the outside looking in. Two teams really hit hard is that of A.J. Allmendinger of Team Red Bull and Jeremy Mayfield of the #36 which have failed to make the first two races putting them in a really deep hole which will be almost impossible to climb out of.

We all knew this would be a very steep learning curve but give these teams time to find their stroke. Look at Brian Vickers with his 10th place finish at the Auto Club 500. Dave Blaney was on his way to a great finish when his oil pump belt fell off. All the teams are feeling the hardship, it was to be expected. Of course, everyone wants to finish the race and even bring home the checker flag but I believe it will take a lot more time before Toyota brings that flag home in the Cup Series.

Now, if you take a look in the Busch series, well Toyota is doing rather well. Dave Blaney is showing that the Camry has the horsepower to drive to the front and the #99 Aaron's Dream machine is doing much of the same.

There are plenty of fans out there that despise Toyota being in the Cup series. Heck even people in the garage do not like the idea. Jack Roush was even stated as saying he can not wait to hand Toyota their head on the track. This comes from a man with a 5-car team that had to reach out to a baseball team for co-ownership. I just feel bad for the drivers when they have to thank the sponsors of the car...Like Matt Kenseth..."Yes, the Roush-Fenway-Red Sox-Dewalt Ford Fusion ran really well tonight."

Give Toyota a break. You don't see fans bashing the truck series but of course we are not talking about the top level of racing.

Just my opinion.

10 Things to Ponder in 2007

Which is your Favorite?

#10 Life is sexually transmitted.

#9 Good health is merely the slowest rate at which one can die.

#8 Men have two emotions: hungry and horny. If you see him without an erection, make him a sandwich.

#7 Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks.

#6 Some people are like a slinky... not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs.

#5 Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital dying of nothing.

#4 All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

#3 Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars, and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents???

#2 In the 60's, people took LSD to make the world weird. Now the world is weird and people take Prozac to make it normal.

AND THE #1 THOUGHT FOR 2007: We know exactly where one cow with mad-cow-disease is located among the millions and millions of cows in America, but we haven't a clue as to where thousands of illegal immigrants and terrorists are located. Maybe we should put the Department of Agriculture in charge of immigration.

The Submariner by Dr. Joyce Brothers

First off, I want to wish all of you a Happy New Year. Did you make your resolutions? I know the biggest one is the people who say they will go to the gym. Well I am a member at a gym so I guess the attendance will increase for about 4 weeks and then die off...LOL

For those of you that don't know, I retired from the Navy after 20 years in the submarine service. Here is an article by Dr. Joyce Brothers which I felt I had to share with you all so you can possibly understand what we go through in the submarine force:

The tragic loss of the submarine Thresher and 129 men had a special kind of impact on the nation....a special kind of sadness, mixed withuniversal admiration for the men who choose this type of work. Onecould not mention the Thresher without observing, in the same breath how utterly final and alone the end is when a ship dies at the bottom of the sea......and what a remarkable specimen of man it must be who accepts such a risk. Most of us might be moved to conclude, too, that a tragedy of this kind would have a damaging effect on the morale of the other men in the submarine service and tend to discourage future enlistment.

Actually, there is not evidence that this is so. What is it then that lures men to careers in which they spend so much of their time in cramped quarters, under great psychological stress, with danger lurking all about them?

Bond Among Them

Togetherness is an overworked term, but in no other branch of ourmilitary service is it given such full meaning as in the so called"silent service." In an undersea craft, each man is totally dependentupon the skill of every other man in the crew, not only for topperformance but for actual survival. Each knows that his life dependson the others and because this is so, there is a bond among them thatboth challenges and comforts them. All of this gives the submariner aspecial feeling of pride, because he is indeed a member of an elitecorps. The risks, then, are an inspiration rather than a deterrent.The challenge of masculinity is another factor which attracts men toserve on submarines. It certainly is a test of a man's prowess andpower to know he can qualify for this highly selective service.However, it should be emphasized that this desire to prove masculinityis not pathological, as it might be in certain daredevil pursuits, suchas driving a motorcycle through a flaming hoop.

Emotionally Healthy

There is nothing daredevil's about motivations of the man who decides to dedicate his life to the submarine service. He does, indeed, take pride in demonstrating that he is quite a man, but he does not do so topractice a form of foolhardy brinkmanship, to see how close he can getto failure and still snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. On thecontrary, the aim in the submarine service is to battle danger, tominimize the risk, to take every measure to make certain that safetyrather danger, is maintained at all times. Are the men in the submarine service braver than those in other pursuits where the possibility of sudden tragedy is constant? The glib answer would be to say they are. It is more accurate, from a psychological point of view, to say they are not necessarily braver, but that they are men who have a little more insight into themselves and their capabilities. They know themselves a little better than the next man. This has to be so with men who have a healthy reason to volunteer for a risk. They are generally a cut healthier emotionally than others of the similar age and background because of their willingness to push themselves a little bit farther and not settle for an easier kind of existence. We all have tremendous capabilities but are rarely straining at the upper level of what we can do, these men are. The country can be proud and grateful that so many of its sound, young, eager men care enough about their own stature in life and the welfare of their country to pool their skills and match them collectively against the power of the sea.