Smoke gets his 3rd Daytona Nationwide win

Tony Stewart took the checkered flag today to get his 3rd Daytona Nationwide Series win. Stewart and new teamate Kyle Busch dominated the day trading the lead several times. After watching qualifying yesterday, I knew Stewart had the car to beat. He put down a hell of a lap during qualifying and backed it up for the win today. It got dicy at the end and I was worried Vickers, Dale Jr, Busch, or Truex Jr would take it away, but Smoke held them all off. I am so pumped for the Daytona 500 tommorrow. Word.

The Onion gets a Daytona win

Friday night's Craftsman Series Truck race was quite a wreck-fest. I was pulling for Hornaday, but it wasn't his night. Todd Bodine showed true dominace to take his first win at Daytona. He held off Kyle Busch and others for the win, after only taking two tires.

Hamlin and Stewart finish 1-2 in the Duels at Daytona

Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart showed the Joe Gibbs Racing muscle today with a 1-2 finish in the 2nd Duel race at Daytona. It's late, I don't have much else to say, I'll let the on track performance speak for itself. Oh year, Dale Jr. won the first Duel race today.

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Dale Jr. wins Bud Shootout

Sorry this post took almost a week.

In his first outing with Hendrick Motorsports, Dale Jr. wins the Bud Shootout. It's just too weird to hear him on his radio asking his spotter to tell him when Jeffy and Jimmie clear Stewart so they could all drop in front of him and keep drafting together. Dale and Tony used to work together at plate races, but this appears to be a thing of the past. I'm not a Jr. fan and haven't been since he graduated from Busch to Cup, but now, I can see real fast I am going to get real sick of Dale Jr. and his new found Hendrick buddies. Anyway, gotta give him some props, he took that race...

The season begins...with Drama....

Ok, most of you know I am a huge Tony Stewart fan. So I was so pumped to watch some cars go around in circles again today. I was enjoying watching Smoke dominate Bud Shootout practice today when all the sudden Kurt Busch wrecks my day. Call it a racing deal, but the two got together on the track. Tony had a great run with cars pushing him through the pack. He caught Kurt and tried to go high, Kurt cut him off and it all ended there. Or so we thought. Kurt decides to tag Tony a couple of times as they came to pit row. Then, on pit row, it looked like Kurt was going to do something else.

Tony's crew held him back from getting out of the car and pounding Kurt. (you could see Tony taking off his gloves in the car). Both get called to the NASCAR hauler and then it ends, with NASCAR saying they will both be called back in the morning. Kurt did this once before and got docked 100 points. This time, it was for Bud Shootout practice, so it can't be called a points race incident. All fingers point at Kurt having to sit out tommorrow night for the Bud Shootout. I hope that happens. I hope it is worse, but don't think it will be.

Holla back, give me your opinons, etc.

Johnson Wins at Richmond, Pads Chase Lead

Jimmie Joe Johnson got his 6th win of the season tonight at Richmond International Speedway. Tony Stewart fininshed 2nd. The big news of the night is that Dale Earnhardt Jr. missed the Chase for the Nextel cup. This the 2nd time in the 4 years that the Chase has been in existance. Enough said. Jr. is an AVERAGE driver. He will prove it again next year when he joins the Dark Empire - Hendrick Motorsports.

Congrats to Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch for making the chase.... Word to your mother....

Kurt Busch wins at Michigan - 2 days late

Kurt Busch took the checkers for the 2nd time in 3 weeks on Tuesday at Michigan International Speedway. The race was rained out on Sunday and again on Monday. Finally, they were able to get all 200 laps in on Tuesday.

The race was a typical Michigan race, not one of my favorite tracks. Since it was during the week, I was working, but able to have a TV on. I don't have many highlights, as I wasn't totally focused on the race.

Dale Jr. took another step back in his attempt to get back into the top 12. As he came into the pits, he must have forgot where his pit stall was and overshot it, causing a lengthy pit stop. He found out this week that Teresa wouldn't release his number 8 for his new ride next year, so he must have already forgotten what number he was when looking at the pit signs.

Van Halen announces tour with David Lee Roth

Here we go again. One of my favorite bands of all time announce another reunion tour. This time with original singer David Lee Roth. They also fired bass player Michael Anthony to make room for Eddies son, Wolfgang Van Halen.

The tour does come through Minneapolis, so I should be able to see them for the first time with thier original singer. I prefer the Sammy Hagar era, but hey, how often do you get the see the greatest guitar player ever live on stage.

It's official - Now I know what the Jr fans feel like

Being a NASCAR fan, there are drivers you just don't associate yourself with. The Jr. Nation hated Hendrick Motorsports and the Gordon and Johnson fans hated DEI. That changed earlier this year when Dale Jr. announce he had singed with Hendrick.

Today, one of my least favorite drivers made it official. It was announced at a press conference at Joe Gibbs racing that he would be the new driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Chevy (Chevy for now...).

Joe Gibbs racing is my team and I never wanted to see Kyle or his brother anywhere near Gibbs. On top of that, Bobby Labonte was the first driver I cheered for when I got into NASCAR 10 years ago. He drove the Interstate Batteries #18 at that time. Now I have to get rid of all my shirts, jacket, ect.

It's just a weird deal for me. I understand why they "drafted" him. He can drive the wheels off a car. With the right driver/crew chief combination, this will make Joe Gibbs Racing the only ones that can touch, or beat, Hendrick next year. With Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch in your stable, it is a powerhouse. I just don't like the guy.

Don't even get me started on the rumors that Gibbs is switching from Chevy to Toyota next season. I might have to be a closet Gibbs fan after that.

Smoke gets 3rd win in 4 weeks at Watkins Glen

Tony Stewart did it again on Sunday at the road course at Watkins Glen, winning his 3rd Nextel Cup race in 4 weeks. He is on fire right now and the Hendrick boys better be worried, as he will now be seeded 3rd behind Ace and Gary (Jeffy and Jimmie for all you Saturday Night Live fans).

Tony dominated early but wheel hopped in turn one and spun out early in the race. We got to watch him come back from 19th postion to get back up in the top 3. After passing teamate Denny Hamlin, it looked like he would run 2nd to Jeff Gordon. All the sudden Jeff spun out in the same turn Tony did earlier in the race. Tony took the lead, but from no where came Carl Edwards. It looked like it would be a tight finish, but Tony pulled away and took the checkers.

The race was the best road race I have seen in a long time. Tons of action and near fisticuffs betwenn Kevin Harvick and Juan Pablo Montoya.

After the Harvick, Montoya slap fest, the field was stopped by the red flag. As the cars were sitting on the track, a shirtless fan jumped the fence and stuck his mug in the right window of Matt Kenseth's car looking for an autograph. A very funny moment, unless you are that clown sitting in a upstate New York jail right now.

Donny Schatz wins the Knoxville Nationals

Donny Schatz wins his second Knoxville Nationals in as many years last Saturday Night. This is one of two non-NASCAR races I watch every year. The World of Outlaws dirt sprint car series is awesome. This is thier Daytona 500. The biggest event of the year.

I remember when I lived in Des Moines and worked at a rental car agency across the street from the airport. People would fly in from all over the country with no hotel reservation, no rental car reservation just hoping to get to Knoxville, which was about 45 minutes away. At that time I was not a race fan, so I didn't get it. I do now and I wish I'd have gone to check it out when I lived down there.

Congrats to Donny on your 2nd Nationals win and signing with Tony Stewart Racing for next year. Word.

Harvick gets another road win

Were gonna have to start calling him Nigel Harvick after taking two Busch Series Road track wins in as many weeks.

This one was without controversy like last week in Canada, just flat out dominance.

Hats off to Happy Harvick once again.

Kurt Busch Dominates Pocono

Kurt Busch wins his first Nextel Cup race or the year today at the Pocono Raceway. Real boring race overall, as Busch put a spanking on the field. Dale Jr. had got the pole (by luck - rain during qualifying), but fell back right away. His crew fixed his ill-handling car and he posted a 2nd place finish to the happiness of the Jr. Nation. Busch's win, but Jr. outside of the top 12 needed to make the chase. Waaa Waaa.

Other than that, not much to say about this race. Stewart got 6th, the dynamic duo got 4th and 5th and Hamlin got 3rd.

The Twins show respect

Joe Mauer's helmut. The team is sporting an I-35 logo in tribute to the tragedy last Wednesday.

Harvick wins the first Canadian Busch Race, unless you ask Robby Gordon

Happy Harvick is the first one to reach the checkers at the first ever Busch race in Montreal Canada. I think it's in Quebec?

It was a boring race until the closing laps. First, Harvick got into Scott Pruet and turned him around (Scott just can't catch a break this year when he shows up at the road courses). This caused a huge wreck that took out Harvick's teamate, Jeff Burton and the two cars Harvick owns, Ron Fellows and Ron Hornaday. At least he won the race, right?

Right after this happened, Robby Gordon passed leader Marcos Ambros (the Tasmanian Devil) - depending on who you beleive. See there was no video of when the caution flag came out. The only thing you could see was that Abrose had a dent in his rear, leading one to believe that Gordon got into him. Then as the caution was clearly out, Ambrose spun Gordon - and didn't get penalized.

Then, Gordon gets black flagged and does not take the penalty, starts in the 2nd position and spins Ambrose right after the they take the green. No caution. What?

Gordon continues to race and finishes ahead of the now leader, Kevin Harvick. They don't show the checkers for Gordon, but show them for Harvick.

Havick is doing his post race burnouts and there is Robby, right next to him doing burnouts too.

On top of all that, Patrick Carpentier (I think he finished 2nd) started doing burnouts which is a big sign of disrespect in NASCAR (but it was his first NASCAR race and in his hometown).

During the post race interviews, Robby says he won the race and will appeal it.

Today, it was announce that Robby Gordon was parked and could not race in the Nextel Cup race.

Crazy Stuff....

8/1/07

8/1/07 - Never Forget