Sunday, February 22, 2009

Underway Once Again...



Hello to all my friends out there. Perhaps most of you don't know it but I work for a Navy government contractor and occasionally we are tasked with riding submarines for various testing and operations. I will be going out on the USS Virginia SSN-774, the Navy's newest submarine and the first in her class. Unfortunately I can not say when I am leaving or coming back but I am leaving shortly and will be back sometime around the middle of March.


I am sure going to miss watching the races and reading all the articles and blogs out there so I will have a lot of catching up to do.


The one great thing is we have e-mail while we are underway. You just have to love modern technology.


Everyone be safe and I will drop a message here after I get back.


Till then,

Tom

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Petty Enterprises Gets A Ringer with AJ Allmendinger


I do recall talking about AJ in my blog during last season as for one of those drivers to watch out for and low and behold, he jumps in the #44 and finishes 3rd in the grand event of Nascar in the Daytona 500.


When AJ was driving for Red Bull Racing, his career was like playing the game of chutes and ladders but unfortunately hitting one too many chutes and eventually got replaced by Mike Skinner late last year. Did this discourage AJ? Not in the least, if anything, it made him strive harder to be a better driver and he showed the doubting Thomas` in the last 5 races when he took over the #10 ride with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. He may not have had the best numbers in the world but for a guy to just jump into a new car with a new team for him and have 4 Top 20 finishes is might impressive.



There was a lot of speculation as to what was going to happen to AJ after the 2008 season but it appeared that AJ would stay with GEM and take over the #19 from Elliott Sadler. Well, we all know the drama that surrounded that incident and Sadler kept his ride but for a moment left AJ hung out to dry. Low and behold here comes the King to save the day after Petty Enterprises merged with GEM and thus gave AJ his own full time ride in the #44 for the entire season. The King was a happy camper having his #44 finish 3rd in the 2009 Daytona 500.



AJ is out to prove himself a Sprint Nascar Series driver and I am expecting to see great things come from him in the years ahead. You might think he has a funny name but at least this kid can get into his pit box and finish the race with a car that was in one piece.



Great Job AJ!!! I, for one, am pulling for you as I did last year! You got the talent!

Monday, February 16, 2009

Dale Jr. gets the Daytona 500 Spotlight




There is no doubt that the talk of the race is all about Dale Jr. From the missing the pit box, to an inch over the pit box line, slicing and dicing his way through the field due to impending rain, to the unfortunate accidents that occured.


I am sure that all the Jr. fans out there will find excuses for his actions on the track but lets face it, Jr. was in the wrong. Jeff Hammond stated before the race began that the one of the keys to winning the race is not to let yourself get beat in the pits or on the track, well Jr. let that happen in both cases.


How many excuses will we hear on why he missed his pit box? Jr. has been racing in the series for over 10 years now and this is not the only time he has missed his pit box but to blame it on there were too many pink signs waving in the air sounds pretty poor to me. Jr. is a very talented driver but he is letting his emotions and frustrations beat him on the track. I really feel he senses the pressure of living up to his father's reputation on the track. Jr. is not his father in the driving sense, there will NEVER be another Dale Earnhardt and perhaps once Jr. realizes that, he might start winning some races and even bring home a championship.


There are so many people quick to jump on the bandwagon and bash Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson but lets face it, between these two, they have 7 Championships combined. Jimmie has not been in the sport for as long as Jr. has but low and behold, Jimmie has achieved a level of driving that is beyond imagination. Jimmie nor Jeff were born with silver spoons in their mouths or inherited a famous last name, these are two drivers that have worked their way up the ranks to show everyone that they can get behind the wheel of a car and win. What is Jr's excuse? Well we have heard quite a few and it is getting old. Jr. needs to get it done and be the racer that he is inside his heart.


The incident that happened between Jr. and Vickers will have debate till days end. Was it Jr's fault? Was it Vickers at fault? It is all up to interpretation but at the end of the day, everyone will see it that if it wasn't for Vickers going down to block Jr. that none of this would of happened. I give credit for Vickers during his interview and not holding back but not once did Vickers make a comment as the one Jr. did about not feeling sorry for him but the others that were involved in the wreck. Does that mean if Vickers was seriously hurt it would not have mattered to Jr? Oh, but wait, a few laps later after that we see Jr. get tied up with Jeff Burton causing Jeff to go into the wall and wreck and then we hear how Jr. was very apologetic about his actions towards Jeff that he should of worked more with him vice causing him to wreck and that he felt horrible about what happened. Hmm, so Jr. feels bad about wrecking Burton but not Vickers, what is wrong with this picture? Oh yes, Jeff Burton is a veteran driver and very well liked by the other drivers and the fans so instead of looking bad, Jr. makes mends.


The one driver that really suffered out of all of this is Kyle Busch who did have the best car on the track. Kyle was an innocent victim and pointed the blame towards Jr. Yet another driver not afraid to voice his opinions about Jr but we do know these two have a history of getting together a time or two and how we remember how much Kyle got chastised when he took out Jr last season. People may hate Kyle but here is another talented driver that won an amazing 8 races last year to Jr's one win at Michigan which was just barely a win running on fumes.


Jr. has all the tools and resources available to him. He left DEI to go to Hendrick Motorsports but did we really hear that much negative publicity about how Jr. left the company that his dad founded to go to the team that has the two drivers that are probably the most boo'd in the sport? No! It is like the pot calling the kettle black.


Now, I am not saying that Jr. is not a talented driver but he really needs to be focused on the job at hand and that is winning races and getting his first championship. I wonder if Mr. Hendrick will be having a little heart to heart with his driver over what happened at Daytona. I am sure that Mr. Hendrick, unlike NASCAR, will tell Jr. the way it is.


Come on Jr, you are the Most Popular Driver in NASCAR six seasons running, now it is time to give the fans something back in return instead of excuses.

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