Lock and Load for Logano

Well it appears that for being in just his second season, Joey is off to a great start and better then we have seen from others in the sophomore season (Kahne and Hamlin). My hat is off to this young kid for not being afraid to race up there with the big boys and from his racing on the track, he is doing it cleaner and better then a lot of the veteran drivers. I truly enjoy Joey being from Connecticut as that is where I reside so it is a boost for the state, just wish it helped with all of the taxes this state poses on us...LOL, just kidding Governor Rell. Not only can this kid drive, he has one of the best crew chiefs out there in Greg Zipadelli, I mean look what Zippy did for Tony Stewart and there were times that Tony and Greg did not see eye to eye but as we all know Tony had his temper tantrums in his early days but it was Greg that brought him back to earth. Zippy is truly a bonus for Joey and the two are really working well both on and off the track. With all the hype of the Daytona 500 winner and the Jimmie Johnson show, Joey is flying under the radar and sits 8th in the points standings. Yes, it is only 3 races into the season but this young kid is off to a fantastic start. Joey, keep doing what you are doing and race like there is no tomorrow.

Bobby Labonte Leaves Petty Enterprises

(How many times have I said it? Location, Location, Location!)


Is anyone really shocked over this? I believe Bobby is doing the right thing by parting ways with Petty Enterprises, especially with how unstable it is. Kyle Petty will also be leaving the organization. I really thought it would be Kyle stepping in to take the reigns but I was sadly mistaken. Boston Ventures, who is the majority owner, just released 39 more employees bringing the total up to 65 since the end of the 2008 Season. Can you say abandon ship!!! Bobby is doing the right thing although he did say he appreciated the opportunity to drive for Richard "The King" Petty, here is what he said, "It was by no means an easy decision. I am, and will always be, very appreciative of what Richard Petty and the Petty family, every employee of Petty Enterprises and members of Boston Ventures did to invest in bettering my career the past three seasons.''

Bobby is now without a ride but there are a few options out there for him and I am sure one of these teams will pick him up. First up Earnhardt-Ganassi and the #41 but with all the turmoil in that organization, I am sure Bobby will turn the other cheek. Now, he may go back to his old team owner over at Joe Gibbs Racing to take over a 4th car which may be the best move for Bobby despite he will be driving a Toyota for the first time in his career but with Stewart departing, Bobby would be a great addition to the young team at Gibbs. Will we see Labonte and Stewart driving on the same team? That is always a possibility. Stewart-Haas racing might be a viable option but I am not sure Bobby would go to a new team just starting out. How about Michael Waltrip Racing? Ummm, No! Yet another organization that looks to be in trouble.

Okay Bobby, if I were you, go with your best bet and that would be at Joe Gibbs Racing. That is my prediction for Bobby, we shall see.

What do you think?

The Biff Bounces Back...Streak To The Finish from the Sylvania 300 at Loudon

Way to go Greg!!! Hats off to Greg and the #16 Team for an impressive win at Loudon this past Sunday.

Am I alone when I say this but wasn't it nice to see someone else win a race, especially one of the drivers that has not been talked about all that much during the regular season and now into the Chase? Biffle has been flying under the radar this season and was like a submarine getting into the chase, he is silent and deadly. Out of the 12 drivers in the Chase, he is the most under rated. I am sure eyes have been opened after this race and they now realize that the Biff is not playing around anymore and is going for a Championship.

Some of my observations from the race:

1. Break out the Tissues: For all of your Kyle Busch fans out there, however many that there really are, how did it feel to see a driver that won 8 races during the season, had such a demanding lead coming into the Chase and now fall from 1st to 8th in just one race? It just goes to show that anything can happen in this sport and no matter how good of a driver you are, you can not help mechanical failures. Kyle is not out of the Chase one bit and will be surely back next week ready to redeem this ugly incident at Loudon.

2. Oh No Joey: For such an impressive driver at the young age of 18, how in the heck does he get a POS to drive during a cup race? Do you mean to tell me that Hall of Fame Racing could not give this kid a better piece of equipment? Are you trying to keep this kids spirits down? Don't you get your equipment from JGR? Someone needs to break out the calibration tool and use it on the #96 Team Crew Chief and owners. Don't worry about it Joey, you have the talent and persistence to take a horrible day like this and turn it around into something positive.

3. Fizzling Rocket: What is going on with Ryan Newman? He starts 17th and finishes 36th. His teammate, Kurt Busch, who started 20th and finished 6th definitely had the right set up. These two teams always seem to share their set ups with one another. Is it because Newman is leaving at the end of this year? Does Ryan have a short timers attitude? Maybe Penske should start docking his pay for his performance, do you think that would get his attention? Ryan is an outstanding driver but I just think that these drivers that are going to be with different teams next year, just really want to get this season over with and move on, this is just an assumption but stats always speak for themselves.

4. Stewart remembered his Ridlin: We saw a totally different Tony this weekend compared to his blow ups last week. He was very calm on the radio the entire race and even when his pit crew made two mistakes, he never once snapped at them for the errors. We even heard him joking on the radio during the race with Zippy, a big time 180 from last week when Tony chewed Zippy up one side and down the other. We all know this is a very emotional sport and the pressure of getting into the Chase just adds to it but lets face it, yelling and screaming will not get you no where. I am wondering if Joe Gibbs put Tony in a time out last week?.

5. Worst Hands Move of the Race: Allstate might have the Good Hands move of the race but this week we have a tie for the Worst hands move and the award goes to the two drivers, DRUM ROLL PLEASE........Robby Gordon for punting the #10 and Michael Waltrip and his little antics he played with Dale Jr. Okay so Robby was fighting to stay in the Top 35 in owners points but what in the hell was Mikey thinking driving that hard and aggressive with one of the Chase drivers? Yes, it is a race and everyone is entitled to try and win even though they may not be in the Chase but you have to draw the line somewhere and Mikey truly stepped over it. Tisk Tisk Mikey, maybe you can make a NAPA commerical out of that one.

Yes, it was an entertaining race this week and not as boring as most have been this season. We can see the attendance, despite being the first race of the chase, is still down and lets not try to blame it on the weather now folks, that is just a poor excuse. Diehard fans will show up no matter what the weather is like.

Next week we visit the Monster at Dover. Who will be victorious and who will fall prey to the Concrete Monster?

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.

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.”