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Sweet Home Alabama!

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THE STORY LINES:

1.   CONTROVERSIAL WIN FOR STEWART:

2.   TWENTY EIGHT (28)DIFFERENT LEADERS:

3.   ALMENDINGER IN THE #00 FOR LOWES: ( MWR PR)

4.   MANY TIRE FAILURES DURING RACE:

5.   RIGGS HAS CONTRACT IN HAND, BUT WITH WHOM?

6.   QUESTIONS REGARDING THE YELLOW LINE?

7.   TALLADEGA HISTORY:

8.   LUCK VS. SKILL:

9.   CHARGE FORWARD OR HANG BACK:

10.  IS IT ABOUT HORSEPOWER?

Yes we all have heard the song from Lynard Skynard, but you might have forgotten the lyrics.  So I will refresh your memory:

Big wheels keep on turnin’, carryin’ me home to see my kin.

Singin’ songs about the Southland, I miss my family once again and I think it’s a sin.

Well I heard Mr. Young sing about her.

Well I heard ol Neil put her down.

Well I hope Neil Young wil remember a Southern man don’t need him around, anymore!

Sweet home Alabama, where the skies are so blue.

Sweet home Alabama, Lord I comin’ home to you.

Here I come, Alabama.

 

I know, once again you are wondering just how does Lynard Skynard, those Jacksonville, FL wild boys,  all fit with NASCAR and racing????  How can this guy tie those two widely divergent thoughts into a common theme???  Well, here I go sports fans!!!

 

Twice a year NASCAR comes to Talladega, Alabama for a game of HIGH SPEED, HIGH STAKES, CRAP SHOOT STYLE racing!!!!  With this track being the longest race track on the circuit, you drive it with loud pedal flat on the mat.  So you really do want make sure that  ” the big wheels keep on turnin'” as the first lyric of the song goes!  Historically, this race did carry some of the drivers back to see their kin.  There was the ” Alabama Gang” consisting of Bobby and Donnie Allison, Neil Bonnet, and the ageless Red Farmer.   So when NASCAR goes to Talladega, Lynard Skynard and Talladega really become one, and we sing about her!!!  Thank God for those “WILD EYED SOUTHERN BOYS of Lynard Skynard, God rest in peace the soles of those departed!!!!!

 

Tony Stewart was declared the winner yesterday in a very controversial finish.  The yellow line on the inside of the race tracks only come into play at two tracks, Daytona and Talladega.  At these two tracks the rules state that you cannot go below the yellow line to better your position.  You also cannot force someone below the yellow line.  Either of the previously mentioned offenses could get you a penalty.  This reporter will have more to say in my commentary following the column!

 

There are a few historical facts that warrant mentioning at this time.  The first race was held on Sept. 14, 1969.  The first winner was Richard Brickhouse.  Now you are saying Richard Who????  Well, when Big Bill France opened the track up for the first race many of the drivers felt that it wasn’t safe to drive that fast there yet.  So, they elected Richard Petty to be the spokesman to go to Mr. France and state their position.  To make a long story short, most of the big names loaded up their cars and went home.  Big Bill in return ran the race anyway with whatever drivers there were, many were what was later called the Busch/Nationwide Series drivers, one notable driver who raced that day was a man named Richard Childress!!   The fastest lap time ever recorded in a stock car is held be “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville”, Bill Elliott.  That speed is 212.8 mph!!!  Another interseting fact to mention is that roof flaps came about from a horrific Rusty Wallace crash at Talladega.  Finally the last piece of information to talk about is the beginnings of the restrictor plates.  That resulted from a nasty crash involving Bobby Allison.  He got turned around in the tri oval and got up into the catch fense, tore out about 100 feet of the fence and almost got up into the grandstands!!

 

COMMENTARY:

I have viewed the end of the race several times and have formed my own opinion.  It appears that Regan Smith tried to go by Stewart on the outside and Tony moved up to block him.  Then Smith moved down to the bottom to try to get around Stewart, and in fact had a fender on Tony.  Tony moved left to block him again, running Smith down below the yellow line.  Keeping in mind the rules of Daytona and Talladega, Smith had three options.  First option be a nice guy and get out of the gas, let Tony win, and loose a few more spots.  That runs counter to any racer!!!!  Second hold your line and wreck Stewart, yourself, and possibly those immediately behind you.  Again, that just doesn’t sound like a great option!  Or the last option; stay in the gas, even though you were forced to go below the yellow line, and race Stewart to the finish line.  To me that is the only decision to make!!!!  But NASCAR  didin’t see it that way.  Stewart is declared the winner and Smith is penalizied to the last place on the lead lap!!!  It is this reporter’s opinion that NASCAR has just sent the message to the drivers that may warrant more horrific wrecks!!! 

 

Last night Greg Bifle stated on NASCAR NOW, that because of that ruling, he has decied that if he is put in the position that Regan Smith was in, he will hold his line and wreck whomever is in front of him!!!  It will make for a really spectacular finish!!!

If I were a driver I would write a nice letter to the other car owners, apologizing for the cars that I am going wreck!!!  I would also tell them to send the bill to Brian France and NASCAR!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Chase Begins

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THIS WEEKS STORY LINES:

 

1.  JIMMIE JOHNSON  WINS AT RICHMOND: ( jayski Richmond results)

2.  JOEY LOGANO MAKES SECOND ATTEMP AT CUP DEBUT: ( nascar.com)

3.  GILLETTE-EVERNHAM SUES ROBBY GORDON: ( Winston-Salem Journal)

4.  SCOTT SPEED TESTING WITH RED BULL RACING:( www.jayski.com )

5.  RED BULL RACING POSSIBLY WITH 3 TEAMS: ( espn.tv )

6.  JAY FREYE STILL IN LIMBO: ( espn.tv )

7.  DODGE NOT TO SUPPORT THE TRUCK SERIES: ( www.jayski.com )

8.  NATIONWIDE SERIES TESTS COT AT RICHMOND: ( Scenedaily.com )

 

The first 26 races have been ran and the contenders for the Chase are set in stone!!!  The scores have been adjusted for the winning bonus points and the REAL race is about to begin!!  From the outside looking in, one might view this championship as a three horse race between TLVW, aka Kylie Busch, Jimmie Johnson, and Cousin Carl, aka Carl Edwards.  But don’t be fooled, my friends, there are TWELVE capable teams that can take this championship home!! 

 

There was much hype and anticipation before the season started about the Henrick Motorsports Dale Jr. #88 AMP/NATIONAL GUARD/MOUNTAIN DEW team!  They quickly came out of the box and won the first two races at Speedweeks in Daytona.  They were very consistant in their finishes through the first 20 races.  Although they only won one race, they were a top 5 team and every week.  However since that win at Michigan, the #88 team has experienced some bad finishes resulting from some bad decisions.  Does the #88 team have what it takes to wrestle the top spot away and take the trophy home after Homestead????

 

The Joe Gibbs Home Depot #20 is lurking back in eighth place and has had a VERY sub-par year!!  They have yet to post a victory this season!  That team was a dominating team in the very early part of the season leading lots of laps, but couldn’t close the deal and bring a win home.  Has the magic vanished with Zippy and THE SMOKER, aka Tony Stewart?????  Can they gather it up and “win one for the Gipper”?????

 

What about the #24 Dupont Chevy????  They too have fallen on hard times!!!  They have not been to the winners circle in 2008.  Does La Tarte and Gordon have anything for the three horse team at the top?? 

 

Well these and many more questions are about to be answered in the next ten races, my friends!!  This is where the contenders separate themselves from the pretenders!!  This is where you see the talent and desire come together to lead them to their goal…………The Sprint Cup Trophy!!!!  

COMMENTARY:

As the picture above shows, the sun is starting to set in the West.  It is time to dig down deep and see if you got anything for the leaders!  The  twelve race teams in the Chase have got to go to the front NOW, if they can!!!  After twenty- six weeks of the week in and week out grind of BIG TIME RACIN’, this is where we see which team has what it takes to get it done!!  Will the Joe Gibbs #18 Toyota prevail?  Can the #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy continue to add to their momentum?  Can the #99 Office Depot Ford continue in their winning ways?  Or will a spoiler like the #88 AMP/National Guard/ Mountain Dew Chevy driven by JR be the Sprint Cup Champion??  Could a really long shot get hot and steal the championship away from the favorites??? 

 These questions and many more are about to be answered in the next ten weeks!!

So pull those belts tight, make sure that the steering wheel is on straight, getcha four fresh Goodyears, a full tank of that Sunoco fuel, step on the loud pedal, let the big dawg eat, AND LET’S GO RACIN’ BOYS!!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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The Coliseum of Collision!

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STORY LINES FOR THIS WEEK:

1. “Cousin Carl” wins two in a row:

2.  NASCAR announces 2009 schedule:

http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2009/data/schedule.html 

3.  Logano Cup debut at Richmond in #02:

http://www.joegibbsracing.com/2008/news_nscs/08_august/080825_jl_2009.php 

4.  It’s official, Logano pilots #20 in ’09:

5.  Hall of Fame Racing looking at options:

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Hall_of_Fame_Racing_exploring_merger_or_acquisition_opportunities.html

6.  Mears to RCR #07- Bowyer to #33:

http://www.rcrracing.com/messageboards/trans/displayShortMsgRpt.asp?type=1&id=2988

7.  Kylie could be penalized:

8.  Sorenson possibly to GEM:

http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/Sorenson_to_replace_Carpentier_at_Gillett_Evernham_in_09.html

9.  Red Bull exploring 3rd team:

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/jensen-food-city-500-blog1/

 

Just when everyone was thinkin’ that TLVW (aka ol Kylie Busch) was gonna run away with the championship, Carl Edwards gets hot again!  But I may add, not as hot as ol Kylie was after the race!!!!  See it appears that TLVW can run deep into the turn and bump you out of the way, get into your door and crash you, get into your quarter panel and spin you, but he really doesn’t like someone to race him in the same fashion!!!  It appears that ol Kylie is gonna have to write a check and loose a few points for his shenanigans after the checkerd flag fell.  I guess NASCAR doesn’t take lightly to bumpin’ and bangin’ after the race is over!!  This reporter suggests that ol Kylie purchase some Boudreaux’s Butt Paste and keep it in his race car!!!   That will help to heal his “CHAPPED BUTTOCKS” when he looses a race!!!!

 

Now that Bristol has been reconfigured to a progressive banking, and the running of the COT, there is more side-by-side racing and less beating and banging. It is still a very fast paced race, with laps turning in the low 16 seconds.  But it is a race, not a destuction derby!!!  The tempers still flare and the feelings still get hurt!  As Larry Mc and DW say, “you need to leave your feelings and your temper at the front gate”!! 

 

With just two races left til the Chase begins, the race teams are feeling the heat.  With positions 6-14 separated by just a few points, those teams really have to step up their game a few notches to secure a spot in the Chase!!  It is time to throw caution to the wind!  If you got something for ’em, it is time to let the big dog eat!!!!