February 2008 Archives

Do you love watching races? Do you love going to races? Do you hate being nagged by the old lady when doing so?
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Have a great weekend and enjoy the race, i know i will!!
Michael Clark (emsea)

I stated a few weeks ago that I have no love for the Roush/Fenway boys, and I don't. How could I being a red blooded New Yorker? could I ever like anything with such close Red Sox ties? NO!
Having spent the weekend in the city of Boston may have debased my stance on this, but it did not.
With that being said I can say that it wasn't just the Roush dominance that made it hard to watch the race on sunday/monday. Maybe it was the fact that there were no green flag runs longer than 10 laps on Sunday.
Maybe it was the drivers complaining about the track conditions, or maybe it was the track. Or the fact that I was up until 2 in the morning waiting for the race to be called..
I drove 400 miles this weekend in the treacherous  stormy weather the northeast endured this weekend. Granted it was not at 200 miles an hour (in fact it was barely 40mph) but was I complaining, NO!
What a bounce back for the 24/48 tandem. They are looking as sharp as they did in November. That is not good news for the rest of the field.
Forgive me if I am mumbling, it is hard to talk with my foot in my mouth, and that is exactly where it will stay after the performance by Carl Edwards. My hat is off to the 99 this week, Carl ran circles around all the competition on route to his first backflip of the season!!
Michael Clark (emsea)

...Jeff Gordon, who admitted after Monday's finish of the Auto Club 500 that his engine blew up in the final lap before Sunday's white flag stopped the race.

Gordon, by the way, wound up finishing third.

I couldn't have made that up if I'd wanted to.

Congratulations, also, to the top spots, Carl Edwards and the two-time consecutive Driver of the Year winner, Jimmie Johnson.

Must feel awful to leak oil all over the track prior to the start.

I'm just sayin'.

Okay, to start: a big congrats to Ryan Newman, who, I might add, was our Driver of the Year winner in 2003. Nice job Mr. Newman.

And some nice work by Kurt Busch, too, for his help. It's like they say: Behind every successful man is Kurt Busch.

Or something like that.

Second, and this was pretty cool, the New York Times last Tuesday published an article on the physics of bump-drafting. Really. And if you ever wanted to see a close-up of two suspension springs in Dave Blaney's garage, well, now you can.

And looking ahead (because we must), this coming weekend is the Auto Club 500 at Fontana. Last year's winner, for those of you not paying attention, was Matt Kenseth, who actually had a hell of a weekend, winning the Busch series race, too. Coming off a 27th place finish at Daytona, is he in a good position to do it again? Only time will tell.

Though I'm gonna say "probably not."

Well, that's all I got right now. Can't beat the Turducken story. Maybe with a lobsturducken. Maybe not.

So the speedweeks at Daytona have come and gone, and what an exciting few weeks it has been.
First things first a pat on the back for Ryan Newman, and to rubberhead Kurt Busch for a) pushing his Penske team mate to his first thing to smile about in a long time (unless you like smiling about winning poles and nothing else).
and b) not giving into temptation at the last second and just ramming the hell out of Tony Stewert leaving turn 4 on lap 200 on  Sunday.
Kyle Busch proved why he was the second hottest free agent this off-season by dominating about for 498 miles.
look out for those Toyota's this season.
A pat on the back as well for Michael Waltrip for leaving Daytona with 181 points more than he did last year. He is slowly turning his fortunes from DOG to GOD.. (well lets not go that far)
Did dale Jr. bring some of his bad luck from last year over to Hendrik this year?... the 88 was the only HMS car to finish the 500.

So in the wake of our massive Superbowl party a few weeks ago ( still loving those New York football GIANTS!) a few of my friends and i decided to go with the smaller and more manageable turducken roll from cajongrocer.com.
For 6 years now we have gone the whole 9 yards and made a full turducken on Superbowl Sunday, with the pipe dream of making the roll for our less prestigious Daytona happening..
well this year we made it happen!!! Chuck gold even showed up with a clean shave (he has not shaved in like 3 months) with dale Sr. mustache of course. If he was not one of my best friends i would have mistook him for a nyc cop or firefighter, it is that serious of a stache!!
Now try not to misunderstand me, in no way do we consider this event the little brother to the Superbowl, it is just that there are way more people in New York that are willing to watch the superbowl rather than watch 800 left turns. Those of us who get it just see it differently, it is not just left turns, to us it is an art form.. A waltz, a foxtrot, a tango, a dance that gives you goosebumps. And this dance is your senior prom!

So race fans here is a rundown of our gluttonous afternoon filled with many bud lites, pigs in a blanket and of course the slow roasted taste a de-boned bird stuffed inside a de-boned bird, stuffed inside yet another bird!! Its like a meat version of those little Russian dolls..
2:58 PM moira (my lovely fiance') and i arrive at PS' pad
-PS is kinda responsible for infecting me with the NASCAR bug after he returned to the north after going to college in the belly of the beast, Harrisonburg VA at JMU..
3:23 the turducken roll is ceremoniously  and some what ritualistically placed into the oven..
we are ready to go green soon..
3:38 i find myself wondering how many times FOX is going to mention there genius new invention the gopher cam.
3:41 boogity boogity boogity lets go racin' boys!!! i still get chills when DW makes that call..
did anyone see DW waiving the green flag at the 150's?? the look of pure joy on his face and the fact that he insisted to stay up on the flag stand for a few extra laps is what this sport is all about. he genuinely loves his job and we love him for that.
4:18 pigs in a blanket and these little beef filled pastries are served. mixed with a little MR MUSTARD and it is extra spicy. i am careful not to burn the roof of my mouth to no avail. its the type of burn that i will keep tonguing the remainder of the race.
4:22 Toyota is flexing some muscle. tony and kyle are looking like the team to beat so far, but will those engines still be turning this kind of horsepower in 450 miles.
4:39 lovin that gopher cam!!
4:59 the Busch brothers running 1&2.. this has not been done in like 40 years..
5:01 another round of pigs in a blanket. i am eating so many that i feel like porky pig in an Afghan..still feeling that burn in my mouth with my tongue. playing hurt!!
5:26 turducken roll looking good after first inspection... we decide to let the skin brown a little and throw it back in the oven for a half hour. 75 to go!!
5:35 i am thinking about the car of tomorrow and how many people's day the wing has saved. DW can't say enough about that wing and how stable it keeps the car.... mmm wings!! theres that gopher cam again.. we begin to discuss de-boning the gopher and slow roasting it!
5:44 the birds are completely roasted and looking so good that chuck gold is drooling from the side of his mustache, Kyle Busch is still leading.. can you say historic victory for an overseas manufacturer. we'll see about that?? we let the birds settle for a few minutes..
5:45 oh no Kenny Wallace and the Denver mattress team are going home early.. the feel good story of Thursday's duals is over.. way to go anyway Kenny.
5:58 i bite into the first succulent piece of try bird goodness.. god i love this race!
6:05 my partial food  coma is abruptly ended when when Kasey Kahne and David Regan collide for a long overdue caution.
6:13 Jr stays out with 35 to go this race is starting to get interesting!
6:19 Jr and smoke are going back and forth for the lead, DW's enthusiasm is quite enjoyable!!
6:38 there's that gopher cam again, another caution, this is starting to feel like the last 5 minutes of an NBA game, keep it clean and race boys.. Ryan Newman is the new leader..
6:41 another yellow flag!! UGG
6:57 Ryan Newman is pushed to victory by teammate Kurt Busch what a day for Penske.. Tony Stewert and Kyle Busch finish 3,4 and no one is questioning Joe Gibbs and his move to Toyota now are they.. strong motors and good drivers, look for big things out of the Gibbs stable this year.. a great race and a great time with my NASCAR boys.. a special thanks to chuck gold for not making moira and i walk home in the rain, and to PS for being such a gracious host!! 1 down 34 to go! to quote Lewis Skulnick its going to be a great year!!
Michael Clark (emsea)

...other than me, obviously.

On this past Monday's episode of the Speed Report, a few of the drivers weighed in on the idea. Most were in favor.

(For those who don't know, the two open-wheel racing series, Indy Racing League and Champ Car have been racing separately since 1996.)

The oddest comment came from, in my mind, Richard Petty, who - I think - meant to say something about American viewers wanting to watch American drivers, but it turned into a comment about not being able to pronounce drivers' names.... I think his point was that a higher percentage of open-wheel drivers are foreign, in comparison with NASCAR drivers. I think that was his point.

Regardless of how he phrased it, you might have noticed a few non-native drivers in NASCAR in recent years. In fact, Dario Franchitti, Patrick Carpentier, and Juan Pablo Montoya all came from open-wheel.

So NASCAR isn't just stealing their viewers, it's stealing their top drivers. Most experts are of the opinion that reunification is the best answer to both series' respective problems. Most experts will also tell you that getting the IRL and Champ Car to agree on even basic combined standards (a common car, for example) is akin to brokering a health care deal between Democrats and Republicans.

I did find one guy, though  - check his blog out here - who's got an idea of how it could happen. It says a lot, though, that it's a four part series, and part two is split into sections a and b.

But, of course, even if they do reunite, there's the question of whether the fans will return. As Richard Petty told the Associated Press, "Now they've got to go head-to-head with [NASCAR], you've got to go head-to-head with drag racing, you've got to go head-to-head with a lot. It's like opening up a coffee shop next to Starbucks. I mean, how successful can you be?"

So that's what I'm thinking about.

Looks like there is no love lost between Tony Stewert and Kurt Busch. The two NASCAR bad boys are up to their old ways, starting off this season where last season ended. During a practice run for the bud shootout an altercation  took place on the track, then on pit road, then in NASCAR's infamous oval office. No one for sure knows (with exception to the officials who were lucky enough to be there) what went down behind closed doors, but it is believed that Tony Stewert may have punched Kurt Busch during the meeting.
The two were put on probation for the incident. According to NASCAR vice-president of competition Robin Pemberton, Busch was placed on probation for the on track incident, while good ol' Tony was handed his probation for his actions afterwords. Well at least NASCAR is getting more personality out of their drivers!! Ask and you shall receive!
Do you think Tony Stewert was that kid in school that was constantly in the principals office?
And if so was it for beating up kids like Kurt Busch? If tony is not careful he may have to start avoiding new teammate Kyle Busch. " hey thats my brother, you better watch yourself Mr."- in Kyle Busch voice
The drama continues "like fuel into a catch can so are the days of our lives".
Michael Clark (emsea)

Hello all,
Michael Clark here ready to blog away!
First things first, the Budwieser Shootout on Saturday night left me thirsty for more!! A few notables from the race, obviously the main storyline Dale Jr in the new  88 National Guard car for Hendrick is going to be a force this year. Usually when i see the 24 and 48 in Dale Jr's rear view i get this "oh no" feeling, now they are pushing him to victory. It must be said that although Dale Jr looked dominant on Saturday night, he did get by with a little help from his (new) friends.
How tough does Tony Stewert look in his Toyota Camry? Smoke was driving the wheels off the thing in the last 20 laps. Toyota is doing something right in the horsepower dept. The 20, with little to no help from the other racers was able to stay up front all race. In fact if the yellow flag had not been waived i don't think the 88 would have got by him.
Gotta love that double file restart the shootout employs.
I just can't stop looking at the 9 car, which looks sharp as an arrow in that new skin.
Mark Martin in the 8 could have a great year. He and Martin Truex Jr.  could  give DEI  life after  Dale!
Sorry  Carl  Edwards, i have followed your career since the truck series, when it was win or go home, you won, did your famous back flip, earned sponsors, and the rest is history. I love the back flip and all, but as a New Yorker i can no longer in good conscience root for you.  Ever  since  Roush  racing teamed up with  those Fenway  folks, i have been unfaithful. That goes the same for you Kenseth , Biffle, and Mcmurray!!!
thats all for now,
looking forward to the twin 150's, and of course the Great American Race!!
Michael Clark (emsea)

Michael Waltrip has every right to be the most relaxed man on the planet right now. I’ll try to explain why.

The thing is, this might be the most harrying week of the season for anyone who doesn’t drive for Hendrick.

Even after this past weekend’s qualifying runs, only the number one and two cars – Jimmie Johnson and Michael Waltrip – have locked their places for the main race. (There’s a reason why Johnson won the DOTY award twice.)

The rest of the field gets decided in two Duel 150s on Thursday. As if that’s not enough pressure going into a race I recently heard described as the “Super Bowl of NASCAR,” only the top 35 in owner points from last season are guaranteed a spot. Waltrip was not one of those 35.

In case you don’t know the rules for Daytona 500 qualifying, let me fill you in: The Daytona 500 field is composed of the top 35 in owner points from last year plus the two highest-finishing cars from each of the Duel 150s not already in the race. In addition, four cars not otherwise qualified after the Duels are added to the field based on qualifying speed from this past Sunday, unless a past champion not otherwise qualified claims the 43rd starting position.

In other words, a past champion who a) wasn’t in the first 35, b) didn’t get a top-four time this past Sunday, and c) doesn’t get a top two time in his respective race this coming Thursday, could still claim the 43rd spot, knocking out ninth-fastest driver Boris Said, who’s No. Four among those not already locked in.

Really.

Reread my first sentence. Make sense now?

A few other notes:
a) Lewis Franck got to see Dale Jr.'s stand-up comedy debut.

b) ChampCarWorldSeries.com has an interesting article about the upcoming season from Justin Wilson.

c) Tony Shumacher won the NHRA season opener for the Top Fuel class. My grandmother informs me that he only won because I wasn't in the race. Thanks, Grandma. And thanks for the cookies.

Hi, I’m Adam Kraemer, the newest contributor. A few things I'm thinking about today:

NASCAR Drivers are eager to get back and we can’t wait either! You always know when the season’s about to start up because the sponsors kick it into high gear. Just look at Hershey’s Dale Sr. tribute, Ritz cracker’s partnership with Roush, the Gillette Young Guns thing, and – my personal favorite – Carl Edwards wearing the Claritin blues. (He’s actually an allergy sufferer, they say, and we're happy he's not driving drowsy. See pic above.)

Speaking of partnerships, contributor Lewis Franck has his own blog. Check it out here. Good luck with the blog, Lewis!

There's also a good discussion on ROWDY.com going on about who is your favorite driver. Who do you like in 2008? 

I’m also thinking about the so-called “Car of Tomorrow.” A few drivers said last year that their crews were stretched a little thin having to keep two separate cars in condition. This year, it’s all CoT all the time, so things might run a little smoother. Harvick – I’m lookin’ at you.

Speaking of the CoT - apparently now called the "winged car" or something - the Budweiser Shootout's tomorrow. Click here to see the lineup. I can't wait.

And for those of you who like non-American races, you’ll never guess who took the fastest F1 times in Bahrain (where the rain falls mainly on Spain). Okay, maybe you’ll guess. Of course you’ll guess - Kimi Raikkonen, testing out Ferrari’s latest, the cleverly named F2008.

Oh, and if any of you are in Pomona, Calif., right now, you’ve got a much better chance than the rest of us to see the National Hot Rod Association. I suggest you head over to the raceway. And send me some photos!

Nice meeting you. See ya’ next week.