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.

Streak To The Finish...The Lenox Industrial Tools 301

I would like to pass on congratulations to Kurt "The Rain Man" Busch but I just hate seeing races end like that and especially with condition of his car, looks like the left rear shock assembly was about to drop off of the car but it is what it is and it is a win in the record books for Kurt, as Tony Stewart said, "That's racing man."

A recap from the race. Don't be afraid to chime in on your opinions, they are all welcome here.

1. Can AJ Allmindinger ever catch a break? He has an outstanding qualifying run and then his car goes south for the winter. I wonder what Vickers was thinking when he saw his teammate blow up?

2. Giving the High Sign. After McMurray plowed into the back of Junior, I am sure Junior was not replaying the hand signal he was giving to let everyone know he was pitting. I thought we had spotters out there for the drivers?

3. Punt, Pass & Kick. That was the name of the game for the little episode that took place between Kyle Busch and Montoya. Okay, so NASCAR holds Montoya for two laps for his aggressive driving but is it just because Kyle is the points leader that he was not guilty in this incident. Indeed Montoya spun him around and in the process wrecked his own car but it takes two to tango. The post race interviews were totally different and Montoya was not afraid to say, "Yeah, I spun him." All is fair in love and war but not in this case.

4. Dreary Times. It was not only the weather that was depressing on Sunday. Stewart was just not feeling it after having such a dominate car to find himself finishing 13th on the day. His interview went rather well but of course it wasn't Marty Snider doing the interview. The #20 Team is just having that kind of season. It is just a matter of time before Smoke gets in Victory Lane.

5. More Empty Seats. I know I keep talking about this week after week but once again you could see the empty spots in the grandstands at Loudon which is normally a sold out event. People blame it on the threat of rain for the weekend. I call BS on that one. NASCAR fans are the most passionate and after spending all that money on tickets and travel time, they will be there. Just another indication that our economy is really effecting the things we love to do.

6. Casey at bat. But who will he be at bat with next year? It was said by Rick Hendrick that Casey Mears will not be in the #5 car next year. Despite having a 7th place finish this week and a Top 5 last week at Sonoma, looks like he is on his way out. I give credit to Casey for going out there every week and giving it his best but you can only do your best with what they give you.

7. Brothers In Arms. So we have Jimmie and Jeff doing a little bumping and grinding against each other. Jeff calls it racing and Jimmie calls Jeff a spoiled brat over his radio. Will Daddy Hendrick have to put Jimmie in a time out if they can't play well together?

8. Silence is Golden. Or is it? The most under rated driver out there right now in the Top 12 in the point standings is Jeff Burton. You never hear anything about him during the race except how he is slowly moving up through the field and that is about it. He starts 31st and finishes 12th under the red flag. Too bad the rain came, would of been interesting to see those last 17 laps.

9. Not Too Shabby. The race was actually pretty exciting this week even though they added an extra "Lap" to the race. Just thought it odd to be the Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Sounds more like an advanced shop class at college.

Off we head down to the Triple H (Hazy, Hot and Humid) of Daytona for the Coke Zero 400. Can someone please tell me who thinks up these names for the races.

Attention Dale Jr. Fans, Check This Out!!!

I am sure all of you Junior fans are aware of this but just in case you are not, they have a really cool contest going on over at AMP. The first 70,000 fans to sign up will get their name on Juniors car for the September Talladega race. All you have to do is register, it is that easy. Here is the link to the site: www.ampenergy.com

Hurry up because I am sure they are going fast.

Streak to the Finish...Michigan LifeLock 400

Well Good afternoon to everyone. I am finally back and ready to start my weekly article called Streak to the Finish. I have been away far too long and it is about time to Crank this up!!!

First and foremost, congratulations to Junior, it has been quite a dry streak for him but he proved that even on vapors he can win a race, thank goodness for a Yellow. I know for a fact that one very special person in my life is so happy to see him win and that is my daughter Amanda. She is a diehard Junior fan and that past couple of races have been heart breaking for her with him coming so close but yet so far. Enjoy the win Amanda!!!

Here are some of my thoughts about the race at Michigan:



1. Did anyone else notice the amount of empty seats in the stands? It is hard to believe that a track like Michigan would have that many empty seats. It shows just how much the economy is really taking effect on the sport and it is not going to get any better. Gas prices are soaring and people are just having a hard time driving from point A to point B let alone going to a race. Ticket prices are still high and that coupled with fuel prices, people are opting to just sit at home and enjoy the race. Can you see race tickets going up in price with the price of fuel for the cars to race? I believe it is coming but come on people, this sport makes soo much money it is really sickening. Lets remember the fans and perhaps if more incentives are there for race packages, people might be willing to go to one.



2. How about Citizen Kahne? Is this guy on a mission or what? Back to back wins and now gets a second place finish. Do you think driving under Budweiser has given him that extra umph to get the job done or is it he is out to impress more of those older women...LOL, just kidding. I am very impressed with Kahne this year and after his poor showing last season, he is showing he has what it takes to win races. Now we just have to figure out what is wrong with his teammate Elliott Sadler.



3. Vivacious Vickers!!! I really did think that Brian would win the race yesterday, gotta hate those late penalties. His Toyota was so strong yesterday and the way he was cutting through the field was quite impressive. Heck, even his teammate AJ looked impressive yesterday. That kid is going to get the job done and you bet your sweet you know what that after he had to sit out a few races that that gave him the push he needed to start getting his head in the game. Watch out for this kid in the future and he should do well next week at Sonoma.



4. Time for Tony. Alright, we all know that Tony is not having the most stellar season of his career. He is hanging on to the 12th spot in the standings and could drop out at anytime. Tony has the talent but I do think deep down inside he is more concerned about what he is going to do once he decides to either leave Gibbs Racing or not. He has made it clear he does like driving under the flag of Toyota but a good driver can adapt to any condition even though he might be driving a different brand of car. We all know it is just a matter of time before Tony gets in that winner circle and next week is right up his alley with a road course race.



5. Fox Fanatic. I really do miss the broadcasters at Fox. It is something about that Boogity, Boogity, Boogity. I am not a big fan of TNT and Bill Weber is like listening to nails on a chalkboard. Can we get a replacement for Wally? I know we can find someone else to drive the TNT car around the track. One thing I do miss is Benny Parsons. It is strange not to see him in the booth. I do like Kyle up there and he does bring alot of knowledge, lets just hope it bleeds over to Wally.



6. Ho-Hum. Lets put just another so so race in the books for Michigan. It wasn't really that exciting of a race and the only highlight was everyone wondering if Junior would have enough gas to cross the finish line. It is a very fast track but lets admit it, sometimes an insurance seminar is a tad bit more exciting.



I know some of my comments may sound harsh but hey that is my opinion and my blog. We all have our views and opinions on what happened during the race. Let's hear yours.

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.”

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!

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!

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!