Who's The Boss at Sonoma...

We have a change of pace this weekend with the upcoming road course race at Sonoma. We get to see intentional right turns and watch what city traffic looks like around rush hour in downtown New York City. Hmmm, that makes for an interesting thought to see a road course race in New York City, do you think people would line the streets to see that? Probably not.

Anyhow back to the race this weekend. Here are some of my random views:

1. I have been reading numerous articles out there about this race and all you hear about are specific drivers, for instance Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. Okay, we know these two drivers are very good on these tracks and history shows us that but if you remember last year, history was changed when Pablo Montoya took the checkered flag and he did not do it the easy way and did it starting from 32nd. I believe we are going to see history once again change. One driver that I would like to point out that has really been overlooked is Patrick Carpentier. Yes, yes, I know what all of you are saying but despite sitting 38th in points and having an average finish of 33rd, he is going to end up surprising quite a few people.

2. How about them, well what are they calling them these days? Ahh yes, the road course ringers or even a better name in my opinion, the "road course warriors". This is one of the two times of the year that we see drivers getting called in to take over the seats of some of the less experienced Cup drivers. Is that really fair to the driver? Giving the fact that some of the younger drivers do not have the experience, is it up to the owners to make the call and dial 1-800-GETMEADRVR. I will admit that it is pretty interesting when they have the in car cams during these types of races. We usually get to see the Master, Mr. Boris "Big Hair" Said working those pedals and gear shifter. It gives the viewers a better idea of just how much effort it takes to do these types of races. Perhaps this will be Said's race because if you look at how his season has been, it is nothing to shake a stick at or even a toothpick for that matter. I have personally met Boris and he is one of the most down to earth people you could ever meet. He has the happy go lucky attitude and doesn't have that ego unlike alot of the Cup drivers, not that I am pointing any fingers at a specific driver but I have heard he likes M&M's.

3. The Dark Horse riding into Sonoma besides Patrick Carpentier could be David Ragan. I have been really impressed with this kids performance so far this year. He had big shoes to fill in taking over the ride from Mark Martin but David is being his own driver and not trying to show he is another Mark Martin. The media really has not been following him lately with all the hype of Kyle "KY Jelly" Busch taking over the spotlight, David is flying well below the radar and if people are not careful, he is going to pass them all as a blur. Watch out for this kid!!

4. Sponsorship Problems. Another road course expert is Robby Gordon and unfortunately his car will be without a sponsor this week or will it? How about last year when Monster Energy Drink slapped their colors on his car at the last minute. Robby can drive and whether or not he has a sponsor on his car will not change the way he drives. He is not afraid to take chances and doesn't back down from anyone. I know alot of people do not care for Robby Gordon but give credit where credit is due.

5. Is it Strategy or Luck? To be perfectly honest, this race is almost a crap shoot on how to win this race. Will it be fuel mileage? Maybe pit strategy? These races are so unpredictable and it is hard to determine what will really work at this track. That is why you see some of the crew chiefs throwing out the dice or shaking up their chicken bones, just kidding people. We all have to make a few jokes here and there.

I am really not a big fan of the road course races. I just don't see the excitement and it tends to get a bit boring. Don't get me wrong, I know there are alot of people out there that enjoy these types of races because we get to see Right turns, but I will take a race at Bristol or Lowe's any day of the week. Good luck to all the drivers this week and we shall see who will be "The Boss at Sonoma."

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.

All The Rumors About Drivers

Is it me or does the silly season just keep getting sillier by the minute? It is almost like keeping up with the free agency of the NFL and Baseball.

It is just amazing that these teams that have the drivers such as Biffle, McMurray, Stewart, and Bowyer are even considering letting their drivers go and if they do go, what teams do you think they would end up with?

We have heard the rumors that Stewart could be leaving Gibbs to join HAAS and this would be to set himself up for retirement. If you ask me, I personally think that Stewart is not happy driving for Toyota. I remember his comments about Dale Jarrett when Toyota first came into the Cup series and how adamant he was about the whole deal. Now the shoe is on the other foot and he is not liking it. As far as not winning races, well you just have to look at his other teammates in Hamlin and Kyle Busch. These two are running strong so what is wrong with Stewart? The man definitely has the talent but it just doesn't seem he is hungry enough for a win. Perhaps Michigan could be a turn around point for him and the #20 Team.

Now Biffle and McMurray, Roush needs to keep these two in the stables. Biffle is showing signs of life and of course McMurray just seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time on the track, it is not his fault and why punish someone. Of course, you can see that the efforts are more focused on Edwards, who rightfully so, is burning up the track this season but when you have a 5 driver team, assets are limited and so is money, especially with how things are going in today's economy.

All in all, I just wish the silliness would end but then what would we have to talk about? Things like Kyle Busch forgetting his girlfriends name on national TV? Oh Please!!!

Please Say A Prayer...

Good Morning Everyone,
I wanted to ask all of my friends out there in the blogger and NASCAR world to please send your prayers to the love of my life, Lori. Last week she was in the hospital for emergency surgery. They found a cyst on both of her ovaries. Both her ovaries had to be removed along with the cysts. They did a biopsy on the cysts, NO CANCER!!! They also removed a large mass on her right side which was Endometriosis. She was released from the hospital last friday but after 2 days she started to develop a fever and nausea. Late Sunday night, her fever got up to 103.9. She was taken to her doctor's office first thing Monday morning by one of her best friends Rachel and after she was examined, the doctor admitted her back into the hospital. They ran a series of tests yesterday which included X-rays and a Catscan. As of this morning, we still do not know anything and we are waiting to hear from the doctors. I will keep everyone informed but please take a moment to send a prayer her way. The power of prayer is an amazing thing.

Changes In Life...

We all know that changes are inevitable and I will be the first one to tell you that is so very true. I have met the one true woman in my life that has made me the happiest man alive. It has taken over 41 years for me to find her but I did. You never question how or why things happen the way they do. God has a way and we truly believe he brought us together. Although we live over 1500 miles away from each other, the bond of love that we have can never be broken.

There have been people who have tried and failed miserably at destroying the happiness that we share. They have wasted so much time, energy and effort for NOTHING!!! We are still together and our journey continues. What is in store for us? That is for us to know and you all to find out.

Have a wonderful day!!!