I'd take a shove for $10,000!!!

Ya know Jeff Gordon was fined $10,000 yesterday by NASCAR for pushing Matt Kenseth after Kenseth bumped Gordon into a wreck and from a Top Five Finish to a 21st place finish in Sunday's Food City 500 at Bristol. Now I'm no fan of violence but 10 grand is a lot of money. What does NASCAR do with that fine money? The brand new North Carolina lottery starts on Thursday. Do you think NASCAR wants to be the first to purchase 10,000 one dollar scratch off tickets? Or will they take the fine money and put it into a big pot and then toss it to fans as a reward at the end of the season? Maybe it'll just go to operating expenses? Or does it go to buying luxurious lunches at Pulliam's hotdogs? I mean that's 20000 thousand hot dogs. What a party that would be for us carnivores. Just exactly where does all that money go?
Maybe NASCAR should donate all fines to Speedway Children's Charities.
This is the first infraction I can ever remember for Jeff Gordon that didn't involve his car. He's Mr. Clean and if he was mad then you know something was up with the bump Matt gave him on Sunday. Of course in the world of Jeff Gordon finances that fine is like the price of an ice cream cone, and it won't faze him. The probabtion will continue until August 30th. Gordon will have to watch his p's and q's or he'll end up like Jimmy Spencer......on double secret, super, if it woulda been Cale Yarborough he woulda thrown a punch probation. I love drama!!!! Yeah baby!!! Let's go to the Mart. Nothing like a good short track to fire up the Silly Season!!!!!
Note to NASCAR: I'll let Jeff shove me for 10,000 grand. I could be the official NASCAR aggression relief support person.

Buschwhacked By A Bump At Bristol!!!

So Kurt was a winner again!! And the crowd booed!!! Boy Busch isn't gonna place very high on the most popular driver poll. He has become the most hated man in NASCAR. Why? Well taking out Matt Kenseth might have something to do with it, but this isn't the first time for Busch. I get the feeling whenever he wins or there's an interview with someone in racing about him that he just isn't liked. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I guess it doesn't matter if you win.
Jeff Gordon was robbed. He should have won at Bristol. Or he should have finished top five but instead he ended up 21st and the last guy on the lead lap. Matt Kenseth knocked him flat. But at least Matt knew he was wrong and tried to apologize. Of course Jeff had to go and shove him. But tempers always flare at the short tracks. I love Matt but Jeff had a right to be mad after the race. Still waiting to see if NASCAR is gonna fine Jeff for his shove to Matt after the race. I just love short tracks. There's always a temper tantrum at them because of the wrecks that invariably happen. And what a great race Bristol was!!!
Next up: Martinsville!!!!
One of my favorite places on the circuit!

Morsels:
Which drivers are the only ones to score top-ten finishes in four of the first five races of the season? That would be, Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin.

Bristol was the 15th career win for Kurt Busch and his fifth win at Bristol. He's got this track dialed in pretty well.

Yeah baby for Kevin Harvick. His 2nd place finish at Bristol was his first top five finish in 30 races. (last time Kevin was top five was May 2005 at Richmond) This moved Kevin from 23rd to 13th in the point standings. Great news for Richard Childress and the crew at RCR.

How about a big YEEEE HIIIII for Petty Enterprises. Bobby Labonte's 5th place finish place finish at Bristol was the first top five finish for the Petty team since March 2001. Way to go Bobby and Todd Parrott!!!

Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart have led at least a lap in all five races of the season so far.

Sterling Marlin now has a sponsor for his #14 Chevrolet. Ginn Club and Resorts will sponsor Sterling for Martinsville, Texas and Phoenix. Should be a nice bright paint scheme!!

Overnight TV ratings for Bristol were down almost 5 and half percent from 2005. What's going on? This was a great race. The Busch race on Saturday(which featured snow and ice) had higher ratings though!!! It was up 9.5 percent from last year. That was good. FOX has the best coverage in the world. Let's watch 'um!!! It's great racing and analysis.
Let's go to the Mart!!!!

The Car of Tomorrow today!!!

So what is the car of tomorrow? Well after listening to Kasey Kaine talking about it with Eli Gold last night, I think it's gonna be great for drivers as far as improving the room the bigger guys will have in the car. The car will be two inches taller and four inches wider. This design has been pushed for ever since Dale Earnhardt was killed in 2001.
Only problem is, the cars will all look identical, with the exception of the fake grill plate that separates the Fords, Chevys, Dodges, Toyotas etc.
The other good point....costs will go down for teams because they won't have to field so many different cars. This might be good for the teams that have less dollars. Maybe more folks will be able to compete because of the cost savings.
NASCAR will slowly phase in the use of this car of tomorrow starting in 2007. By 2009 all 36 races will feature the car of tomorrow!!!
In fact after the race at Bristol this weekend, Rusty Wallace will step into the car of tomorrow for a test on the track where he's won nine races.
The only problem with the car of tomorrow is NASCAR needs to define the specs and keep them one way or another. Some team owners are in opposition because they keep having to change their specs when NASCAR changes the way the specs are set up./
All in all I think this will be a great step forward for NASCAR!!!
Best of all this will improve safety in the sport!!!

Observations on Bristol:
Jeff Gordon will run like a gazelle at this high banked monster of a track!!!
Jimmie Johnson will again finish in the top five.
Tony Stewart will win if he stays out of the wrecks that will happen.

Rumormill and predictions:
We'll know by early April whether Kevin Harvick will return next year with Richard Childress racing. My guess, he'll move to Toyota, because his price to stay with GM is too high. Toyota wants a high profile driver and they'll spend whatever it takes to get Harvick!!!

Will two new NEXTEL CUP dates be on the schedule in 2007. My guess is YES!!! Bruton Smith will get a second date in Las Vegas. Why? Because they're selling tons of tickets, it's VEGAS baby and it's the same reason that Vegas will have the biggest furniture market in the world soon if High Point, NC doesn't do something to compete. Vegas has so many entertainment options and the town has such a mystique about it. Whether you love it or hate it!!! People support races there and there's plenty to do!!!
I'm worried about the future of Darlington. I love the track with all my heart. But it's such a small market and MONEY is driving the sport today. TV markets and big money towns are where it's gonna happen for NASCAR in the future. My southern sport is slowly moving to the big city. I just hope the sport doesn't forget what brung ya to the party!!!(that's southern for don't forget your raisin')
Let's go to Bristol!!!!Yeeeeeee doggies!!!!!

A Rainy Night in Georgia!!!

The rain delay was actually good. My two sons wanted to watch the race very much. However being a huge NASCAR fan and a HUGE fan of NCAA basketball., I was happy the race was postponed so I could watch North Carolina and NC State play in the NCAA tourney. They both lost however so my glee quickly turned to sadness.
With the race postponed to Monday many folks who had race tickets simply got sick and couldn't go to work today. Funny how worker productivity goes down when races are postponed for a day.
And of course I had a training seminar today and couldn't see or hear the race. But what a doozie I missed. I taped it and watched the last half tonight when I got home. Kasey Kahn drove a very smart race and made very mature decisions and brought Dodge back into Victory Lane for the first time since 2003. That's awesome!!!!
How about that Dale Earnhardt Jr.? What a run for him. He had to overcome some problems but hung in there to the end.
As I predicted Jeff Gordon did best his finish from last week. His car was up and down but he drove the heck out of it!!!
Observations:
Jimmie Johnson was strong and retains the points lead.
Kyle Petty was sharp all day. I'm so proud every time he gets a top ten finish. I wish Bobby Labonte could have held on.
Bill Lester became the first African-American to race in NASCAR NEXTEL CUP since Willy T. Ribbs back in 1986. The press was huge for Bill all weekend but for all the wrong reasons! Color should not matter. What matters is the fact that he knows how to drive and that should be the reason people cheer for him. Talent is talent, no matter the color. I'd cheer for Barney the Purple Dinosaur if he could take it three wide and bump and run like Dale Sr. used to do!!! Bill has been good in the truck series and if he was only younger and had more time he could probably compete at the highest level in NEXTEL CUP. He will run again this summer at Michigan and at California. I'd love to see him have a good engine and score a Top Ten finish!!!
Coming later this week!!! What is the car of tomorrow? Will it have a DVD player and a Hans device? More coming!!! Have a great day!!!

Carl Edwards "Backflipper and Weather Guru"

NASCAR jumping superstar Carl Edwards will appear on The Weather Channel Friday morning March 17th. Carl will join Heather Tesch and Marshall Seese during "Your Weather Today" between 7:30am and 9:00am. He'll discuss the weather and how it affects race cars. I'm wondering if he'll also discuss wind patterns and how they affect his takeoffs and landings when he does backflips after winning races. Most of us weather gurus know that wind does have a great effect on the actual flip itself. Should be interesting to hear Carl talk about downforce and the effect on cars. NASCAR drivers will be at one of the coolest tracks on the planet this weekend for the Golden Corral 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

I look for this week to be the week that Dale Jr. pulls into Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon will best his fifth place finish at Vegas as well. Everybody from the Carolinas will be rooting for Dale.
More to come!!! Happy St. Patrick's Day on Friday!!!
"May the wind always be at your back" and if that don't happen may ye find a good way to rev up your horsepower more so ye can get that wind behind thee!!!

Hotlanta the backflip Capital of the World

Hotlanta will forever be affectionately known as the place where the backflip was first introduced to NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing. Never before 2005 had a backflip been done on a race track by a human, until Carl Edwards that is. Breaking ground on a new tradition, in fact one that if I attempted it I too would set a record, for the first person to ever break his neck while attempting a backflip on a NASCAR track. Carl brought life into the post race world with his death defying jumps, the first of which was in the same city that Sherman had burned to the ground some 140 years before. And I'll bet Sherman wasn't 1/10th the athlete Carl Edwards is. So let's put Carl in the record books. He deserves it. He's a far more happen guy than Sherman was anyway. And he's done nothing but good for Atlanta and NASCAR. Carl, those of us with a two inch vertical leap salute you for your jumping prowess.

Unfortunately this year Carl hasn't had the same success he had last season. The secret I think was crew chief, Brad Parrott. He was let go earlier this year and since then the team hasn't been the same. No matter what happens or who wins at Atlanta this weekend, I will always remember the beginnings of the backflip and how Carl changed the world of NASCAR!!!

Predictions and prognostications!!!!
Dale Jr. is always strong at Hotlanta. He will win this weekend!!!

Jackpot for Jimmie!!!

Well I rolled craps. I thought for sure Jimmie would have a problem or two without Chad Knaus at the helm for three races because of his suspension. Boy was I wrong. Now I won't lie, I love Jimmie Johnson anyway because my band has done gigs for his Lowe's sponsor for about the past six years. So I do have bias'. But I didn't expect Jimmie to make a last lap pass. Way to go!!! I feel bad for Matt Kenseth. I thought he had a handle on the win, but like everything else in life, there are no guarantees and Jimmie pulled a whopper of a move on Matt on the last lap at Vegas.
Of course NASCAR's rules about a green/white/checkered finish helped Jimmie a lot. The caution flag helped him keep it close enough to pass Kenseth on the last lap. If Jimmie keeps this pace up he'll win the points championship going away. A victory at Daytona, 2nd at California and a win at Vegas. Those are pretty good odds for a betting man!!! I'm not, but if I was.....................

Random musings
Jeff Burton is now in the top ten in the Nextel Cup points standings. He finished seventh. Another solid run for the Childress team. Kevin Harvick finish eleventh. I'm happy when Richard's teams do well. He deserves it. He's one of the hardest working folks in the whole business and I really wanna see his teams back at the top every week.
Plus Jeff is a good friend of Duke Children's Hospital and will help us promote the upcoming Miracle Challenge we'll do on April 8th at the Prime Outlets in Morrisville, NC. Go Jeff!!!

What is wrong with the Dodge's? Last time a Dodge won on a mile and half track was in October 2003 when Ryan Newman pulled into Victory Lane at Kansas. Is Dodge not getting the long track program? I think Kasey Kahne has good cars but just had some bad luck. What do you think?
Casey Mears, Kasey Kahn and Ryan Newman are all in the top ten in points so maybe it's a moot point!!
Enjoy the weather!!! What a great day!!!!

Viva Las Vegas(Thank ya Thank ya very much)

Vegas Baby....I love the town(just to visit not live there) The track isn't my favorite but ya can't beat the entertainment options in Vegas when you're not at the track.
Well my pick this weekend is Jeff Gordon. I know, call me crazy but I think Jeff is gonna win because he's gonna help all you smokers quit smoking. You see after Winston left NASCAR several years back the doors opened to companies who beforehand could never advertise with NASCAR. On Sunday you'll see Jeff Gordon driving the #24 Nicorette Fresh Mint Chevy. Yes, race fans the only smoking cessatation program to ever advertise in the sport. Nicorette will have their QUIT crews at tracks throughout the season to help fans who picked up the habit in Winston Cup days quit the habit!!! So there will be no smoke coming from Jeff's car and he will win going away with maybe just a dip in his mouth. Cause it's hard to quit cold turkey. I had the shakes for weeks when I tried that!!
Viva Las Vegas!!!! Off to the sandy sizzling smokeless fastest track in the west!!!
Let's go racin'

Hall of Fame Comes to NASCAR VALLEY(NC)

NASCAR made the announcement this afternoon that the $154.5 million dollar Hall of Fame will go to Charlotte, NC. Which for NASCAR fans in the Triangle that means it's only gonna be a couple of hours to racin' nirvana. With over 60 teams based in and around Charlotte you can bet plenty of drivers will be making appearances at the Hall. I saw the architect's renderings of the facility and it is gonna be incredible. This is a GIANT step forward for NASCAR and will boost tourism in North Carolina by a whole lot. More dollars will be spent here and more tax money will roll in for cities and the state. It's a win-win proposition for Tarheel tourism. Plenty of businesses owned by Triangle, Triad and Charlotte area companies will benefit from this tremendous addition to our state. I'm proud to be from a state where NASCAR was born, lives and breathes for many generations to come.
Now my question for you.......Who should be the first person inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame?
Should it be Bill France, Sr. I think so. He's the father of the sport!!! Without him it might not be what it is today. What do you think?

March Madness

Well here we are in March already. Is it just me or does time fly faster as you get older.
A nice Siesta for the NASCAR drivers this weekend, so I'll talk about something on the minds of many folks. Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. ever leave DEI to join Richard Childress and race in the number three car? My prediction. Yes it will happen. I don't know why but it's just something in my gut that tells me eventually Little E will make that step. I could be wrong but wouldn't that be cool? And another thing.....I'd love for Little E to win the championship. He's a rock star. He already sells more merchandise than anyone else on the circuit and talk about a boom for NASCAR if he's in the number three. Just a thought as we approach the weekend and all the dogwoods have been tricked into blooming early. Of course I could just be suffering a case of March Madness.
Let me know what you think?

Charlotte Gets The Hall of Fame

Well the Charlotte Observer is reporting today that Charlotte is a lock for the NASCAR Hall of Fame. I can't argue. I grew up four miles from Lowes Motor Speedway and many of my high school friends are in the industry which is pretty much based there. Charlotte is where 60 NASCAR teams live, work and play. For that reason alone it should be the place for the Hall of Fame. As Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, "it's close and they'll probably want me to make appearances there. " Daytona doesn't have enough presence other than the fact that it's the oldest race on the circuit. In my opinion Atlanta hasn't supported their track enough to merit the Hall. Atlanta does have more population but doesn't have the team shops and musuems like the Charlotte area does(DEI in Mooresville, Richard Childress Musuem in Welcome and many others close by)
Thoughts on Mexico
My good friend Carlos Bandeleros tells me Ola from the land of good burritios and beautiful sunsets. The BUSCH circuit returns to a sold out race in Mexico this weekend as the Cup drivers take the week off. Well some of them. Most of them will be driving the BUSCH race. It almost seems like the two divisions(CUP and BUSCH) are the same these days because tons of drivers pull double duty. Should be a fun race. I don't have a favorite but boy I'd love to be there so I could soak up some sun and have some fun.
More to come.....thanks for reading and post your thoughts NASCAR fans!!!