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.

Yippee Kayay says Cousin Carl. The Streak To The Finish from the Dickies 500 at Texas

What everyone thought would be a clinching of the Championship for Jimmie Johnson turned south. Johnson was saying prior to the race that their car was really good and fast and that they were not going to hold back, well as luck would have it, the #48 team struggled with an ill handling car all day and just could not get it done. Jack Roush has to be buying some new hats especially when his teams all finish in the Top 10 with the exception of David Ragan but heck he finished 11th. Did anyone else notice the lack of attendance in the stands at Texas? Isn’t this one of those tracks that sells out all the time? Yet just another sign of how tough the economy is on the sport and I am sure it will not get any better in the future.

Here are some of my random thoughts on the race;

1. I’ll be your Huckleberry! I can just imagine hearing Carl say that as he won on Sunday at Texas as he closes in on Jimmie Johnson in the Chase for the Championship. Carl did not waste anytime moving up front and stayed up front for pretty much the entire race until the late pit stop where some teams opted for 2 tires vice 4. Despite being back in 7th place, Carl slowly but surely made his way back up to the front and there was no looking back. Hats off to the #99 Team, especially the gas mileage engineer, do you think he will be getting a bonus check from Jack?

2. An Eye for An Eye? Okay so Montoya fesses up that he was being a bit aggressive towards David Gilliland and giving him a shove here and a bump there but lets put this in perspective in that Montoya had a Top 10 car and the #38 was holding him up along with being a few laps down so do you really blame Montoya but when the #38 came rocketing down on the track and slammed into the #42 at over 185mph, that is just lunacy. I was happy to see NASCAR park the #38 and I wouldn’t be surprised if hefty fines along with points coupled with perhaps sitting out a race is not handed out. Drivers that do those types of things should be banned from the sport because both of them along with other drivers could have been seriously hurt if not killed. If you want to settle your differences, do it behind the haulers and NOT on the track.

3. The Beak was flying. David Reutimann showed that he belongs in the Cup series and may be the only glimmer of light over at MWR. David ran up in the Top 10 most of the day and finished 10th.

4. Crown Royal is Proud. Jamie McMurray looked like he was going to take home the victory but alas he could not close the deal but he has really come on strong since Dover and has been showing signs of improvement. He may not have had the most stellar season out of all the Roush drivers but he NEVER gave up and I am sure he will race his butt off in the last two races.

5. Ding Dong, the witch is not dead. Lets not give up on AJ Allmendinger, he could have had a Top 15 finish if not for his speeding penalty and still shows that he is one of those drivers that deserve to be driving in the Cup series.

6. Are Fords that good? Carl did mention about his fuel mileage from his Fusion and even teammate Greg Biffle was wondering how Carl lasted 8 laps more then he did. Okay Greg, did you see how Carl was racing the last 5 laps and it does matter on how heavy your right foot is on that gas pedal. The way Greg stated it in his post race interview almost sounded like he was accusing his teammate of cheating. Tip of the day Greg, make sure you clear those comments with your team owner first, he does write your paycheck.

7. Magic 8-ball. Does anyone else realize that with Carl’s win at Texas on Sunday, that ties him with Shrub? Both of them have 8 wins each this season but Kyle has come up short and is out of contention for the Championship. Consistency is the key.

Carl is only 106 points away from Jimmie Johnson and has made the Chase a bit more exciting to say the least. Next up is Phoenix where Jimmie does have a better record but lets not count out our Cousin Carl, he is going for broke. Watch that rear view mirror Jimmie, if you are not careful, you just may get passed.

Dare to Compare?

There is a lot of buzz going around about Cale Yarborough's record of 3 straight championships is in jeopardy by Jimmie Johnson. Is it fair to compare these two drivers? To me it is simply night and day. Back when Cale won his 3rd championship, which was in 1978, driving was a whole different ballgame. The cars these drivers drove were not all alike and the technology was not there, it was what you call good ole fashion driving. The drivers jumped into their cars, started up the engines and drove with all of their heart. These drivers are the ones that set the standard to what it meant to really drive a stock car. Can we honestly say that today, the drivers are driving stock cars? What is so stock about them? To compare Cale's 3 Championships to Jimmie's possible 3 championships is ridiculous but that is just the way it goes with records. There is nothing written in stone that puts restrictions on records and how they are broken, it is just the nature of the beast.

It is apparent that Jimmie Johnson is on his way to winning his third championship. There is no denying that Johnson is an excellent driver. He has one of the best crew chiefs and one of the best owners in Rick Hendrick. He has all the cards stacked for him and you know they are focusing all efforts on getting Jimmie that third championship.

I remember when they started talking about going to a Chase format and how exciting it would be to have such a thing but can you really say to yourself that the past couple of years have been exciting? How often are you finding yourself flipping channels to football during the race or just ending up changing channels because the race is just that boring and that you are tired of seeing the same drivers either winning or being upfront the entire time. Well if you are a Johnson fan, you are gloating big time but as I was saying, NASCAR has become more business then entertainment. Have you taken a look at the stands during the races and see just how many empty seats are there and do you know why? It is because the economy has taken a hit and people are just not willing to pay the prices to go see a race and spend money on gas and lodging. Don't get me wrong, all sports have increased their prices but what is NASCAR doing wrong? Look at the NFL, a typical stadium seats around 60,000-70,000 fans and they sell out the majority of the time. Why is that? Football is unpredictable, you just never know what is going to happen as in NASCAR you can almost pick who is going to win.

I will always be a NASCAR fan but I honestly can say that I have seen myself not as interested. I use to make it a point to watch qualifying on Fridays, then watching the Busch series on Saturday and then the cup race on Sunday but as I said, I find myself slowly drifting away from the sport. I know one problem of mine is that I don't have my woman next to me watching the races. We do talk on the phone while watching the race but it is just not the same thing, that will be changing soon enough where both of us will be snuggled on the couch watching it together.

NASCAR really needs to take a long, hard look at this Chase format. To be honest, I just say get rid of the whole thing and go back to the way it use to be. Do you think Jimmie would be sitting on top of the points standings right now if they were not in a Chase format? Inquiring minds want to know what you think about this.

Streak To The Finish...The Brickyard 400

First off, lets hear your best caption for the picture above, I am sure some of you can figure out some witty comments for this one.

I am not going to beat a dead horse because all the talk about the tire issues at Indy have run thin and it is water under the bridge, so to speak.

Building Something Together: Did anyone think that Jimmie Johnson and the #48 Team would not win a race this year? Come on people, this is the two time defending champion and they are just gearing themselves up for the Chase. They are not showing their hand and I expect that this team has some surprises in store for everyone. Stand by.

Money Spent: Can you imagine paying $1400 for a set of four tires for your car? Now, take that number and times it by a factor of 12 and you have a bill for $16,800 for race day. You know that has to hurt the one car teams. Hmm, do you think Goodyear has a replacement policy?

Taking the Bull by the Horns: Big Kudo's goes out to AJ Allmendinger!!! This is a kid that most people wrote off and thought would end up looking for a job but I have said it in the past that he is one to keep your eye on. He and his team showed they have what it takes to run out front and finish strong. AJ led 4 laps and got his first Top 10 finish coming across the bricks in 10th. I know he is sitting 40th in points but they are making it into the races on time, doing it the old fashioned way since they are outside the Top 35 in owners points. He is one to watch.

Watch What You Say: Mark Martin did say before the start of the race that he was going to win it but alas, he who talks smack ends up going to the back. Luckily, he didn't go to far in the back and finished 11th.

Disappointment: For one of the biggest races of the year besides the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 turned out to be a series of 10-12 laps sprints. What kind of race is that to put on for the fans? You really can not fault Goodyear. Yes they do make the tires but remember it was NASCAR that opted not to test here. A lesson learned but too much, too late.

Can You Say, OH NO! : Kevin Harvick was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he got slammed by Kurt Busch after Busch's car got loose and collected Harvick. Matt Kenseth, who did have a car capable of winning, fell victim to the failing tires. That is probably the worst damage I have seen from a blown tire. Heck, it even blew out the side rear window. Last but not least was Brian Vickers whose engine let go, at least it was not a tire and it was a great move on Vickers part to keep his car up high to avoid laying down oil all over the track. That should be the Move of the Race.

Got a Snickers Bar: This was one race that really dragged on and it was almost painful to watch. All the excitement came in the last 20 laps of this race. Not really what I expected to see from a race at the Brickyard.

Safety First: Yes, NASCAR did throw all the competition cautions to avoid any disasters but come on people, this was totally unnecessary if NASCAR would just take the time to do testing. Are these people really that ignorant?

To sum it all up, it was not the greatest race to watch for one of the biggest of the year but there were some lessons learned here. NASCAR and Goodyear need to put their thinking caps on and come up with a solution. Great job by the drivers to try and put on the best race they could with what they were given.

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.

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?