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Is This The “New” NASCAR?

Carl Edwards was on the receiving end of a wild, airborne crash a year ago at Talladega. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)

(photo courtesy Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

After NASCAR just barely slapping the hand of Carl Edwards for his blatant actions Sunday, is there any fan that is not somewhat stunned??  Did NASCAR miss the boat?  Did NASCAR even see the same race that millions of us watched?

If Mike Helton and the rest of the NASCAR hierarchy have switched gears so rapidly from protecting the fans and the drivers, from safety first and foremost, then look out!!  With the precedent that was just set on Tuesday, I believe that NASCAR is looking at changing the type of racing that we will be seeing for the rest of the season.

With just a light tap on the wrist for purposefully destroying a race car, and jeopardizing race fans safety, NASCAR is setting themselves up for a “destruction derby”!  Race car drivers have always extracted revenge, some smartly and some not so smartly.  But NASCAR has always been there to mediate and penalize when the “not so smartly” thing was done!

This week NASCAR has let down the racing community and the race fans as well!  Safety was definitely compromised and that should be strictly and stiffly re-enforced!  Would this same lightly tapping of the wrists been the punishment if a lesser known driver been involved?  Remember the huge fines and loss of points levied not so long ago?  What has happened?

If NASCAR allows this illogical thought process to continue in their approach this season, you may see a race finish that replicates the picture above….a race car driver running to the finish line to win the race, ’cause all the cars have been destroyed!

That old phrase,“just bring me back the steering wheel” will really have a new meaning!

What is your take on NASCAR’s almost non-existent punishment of Carl Edwards?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

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By Leon – March 10, 2010

“Have At It Boys”??

Image: Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards

(photo courtesy Joe Sebo/AP)

“HAVE AT IT BOYS!”

That is what NASCAR told the drivers before the start of the 2010 season.  That was their plan anyway.

Fast forward to Atlanta on Sunday when the driver of the Roush-Fenway #99 Scott’s Ford, Carl Edwards, got into the action.  After an on track accident, early in the race, that involved Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards, and Joey Logano, that put Edwards in the garage for about 150 laps for repairs to his race car.  However, once Edwards returned to the race track it did not take him long to find Keselowski and extract his retribution!

In fact it only took Edwards three tries as he tailed Keselowski through turns 3 and 4  to loosen him up and set the Penske #12 Dodge spinning.  Unfortunately for Keselowski, as the back end of the car spun around it lifted off of the race track and grabbed some “big air”! The roof flaps did their job, slammed the car back to the ground, however not before the car had gotten inverted, and simultaneously, the roof met the outside retaining wall in a very violent crash!

NASCAR immediately parked the #99 car for the remainder of the race and requested his presence in “the big red trailor”  for a meeting after the culmination of the race!

The announcement today is that Carl Edwards will be on probation for three races because of his actions!

“We made it very clear to him that these actions were not acceptable and did go beyond what we said back in January about putting the driving back in the hands of the drivers,” Helton said of the hauler chat. “We believe the driver of the 99 (Edwards) understands our position at this point.”

Helton said that NASCAR officials met with the owners of both cars – Jack Roush and Roger Penske – this week and decided probation was the appropriate response. Helton said that another meeting between NASCAR officials, the drivers and the owners involved will meet again “to get this matter resolved between the two drivers. Clean the slate, if you will, so they can both go back to some hard, competitive, side-by-side racing that is NASCAR.”

Helton called the most serious part of the incident was the fact that Keselowski’s car went airborne. He called that “a very serious issue”.

“It’s important for all of us to step back and separate the issue of what happened with the 99 and the 12 (Keselowski) on the race track and the fact that the 12 car went airborne,” Helton said. “We had not seen a car get airborne much on a mile and a half race track and that’s something that is very important to us and we’re going to study very closely and figure out things we can do to help prevent this very quickly and in the future. This is a very important element of all this.”

In January of this year, NASCAR announced a policy of allowing drivers to mix it up more on the tracks. The policy has since become known as, “Have at it, boys”.

Helton said Tuesday that that did not mean all is considered acceptable during races.

“There is a line you can cross and we will step in to maintain law and order when we think that line has been line has been crossed,” he said.

What are your thoughts regarding Carl Edward’s actions Sunday at the Kobalt Tools 500?  Is a three race probation punishment that fits the crime?  What if their were injuries to the driver or the spectators, is the punishment fitting?  What do you think?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

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By Leon – March 9, 2010

Earnhardt, Jr. Grabs The Pole At Atlanta

Dale Earnhardt Jr. led the field in qualifying at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Photo courtesy of NASCAR)

(photo courtesy of NASCAR)

As the Sun was dropping in the western horizon, the temperature was following closely at the Atlanta Motor Speedway Friday evening.  The pole winner, the driver of the HMS #88 AMP Energy/ National Guard Chevy  was equally as cool as he climbed out of his race car.

Dale, Jr. scored his first pole since 2008, capturing the pole with a speed of 192.761 mph.  That speed was  more than a half a mile per hour than the runner-up qualifier, Kyle Busch.  Not known for his qualifying prowess, this is only Dale, Jr.’s ninth career pole, the second pole at Atlanta, and the fastest ever turned in a CoT chassis.

Is this turnaround the results of the off season effort by Rick Hendrick and both crew chiefs of the #5 and #88 teams to resurrect the #88 team to a championship caliber?  “Hopefully we will see the same type of improvements for our team on Sunday,” said Junior, who hasn’t won a race in the last 60 attempts!  “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

This pole is the second one for him since he transitioned to Hendrick Motor Sports in 2008, and follows a second place qualifying effort for the Daytona 500 three weeks ago.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

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By Leon – March 6, 2010

Montoya Has A Chapped Buttocks!

Jamie McMurray t-bones teammate Juan Pablo Montoya at Las Vegas. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images for NASCAR)

(photo courtesy Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

One might wonder just how much venom would have spewed Sunday after the Las Vegas Shelby American 400, had not Juan Pablo Montoya and Jamie McMurray been teammates?  As it was there was plenty spewing out  to go around!

The two team mates collided with each other in turn #3 early on in the race at Las Vegas Sunday.  Afterwards, JPM was anything but delicate with his angry remarks about  his new teammate, who won the season opener, the Daytona 500.

“He( McMurray) ran straight into my ass”, Montoya, who appeared to have had at least a top five car for the Las Vegas race, finished 37th as a results of that wreck, said.  “He nearly ran me into the fence (in turn# 2)  as well.  I don’t know.  He is not doing himself any favors.”

“Just Jamie, plain and simple just wrecked us,” the former F1 driver said.  “Every time I am around him, he wants to run the s**t out of me!  I don’t know if I can say that, but I just did!  On the restart, I was inside of him, I think he got tight and never lifted, I didn’t hit the fence because….it was just a miracle.  I then arched it into turn 3 and he plain and simple just wrecked us.  I am sure on the radio it was, ‘Ah, I didn’t mean that.’  He is trying to prove to people that he can drive a race car and I guess he isn’t doing too many favors on this team.”

McMurray waived off his teammate’s criticisms!

So it this reporter’s opinion that the “honeymoon” is over for the Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing teammates!!  Stay tuned for the rest of the serial adventures of, “The Juan and Jamie Show”!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

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By Leon – March 4, 2010

Spoilers In Place By Texas?

Mike Helton was a guest at Texas Motor Speedway's Media Day on Monday. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)

(phot courtesy Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

NASCAR President, Mike Helton, says there is a “doggone g0od chance” the athe spoilers will be back on the Sprint Cup cars by the Texas race in April.  That does not necessarily mean that Texas will be the first race with the spoiler blades back on the rear deck lid, however.

The blade was first tested at Texas Motor Speedway back on Jan. 19 and 20.  One team from each of the four manufacturers was there to test the rear spoiler blade on their cars.

Meanwhile, there is a scheduled open test at Charlotte Motor Speedway on March 23-24.  that means that the spoiler blade could be used as early as Martinsville on March 28, Phoenix on April 10, or the Texas Motor Speedway.

“We’re hoping that within the next two or three races we’ll be at point where we can say, it is time to take off the wing and put the spoilers back on”, Helton said at a pres conference at TMS during Media Day Monday.

Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage, who posed that question to Helton, is convinced that the first “blade” race will be at Texas Motor Speedway.  Additionally, Gossage believes that the new rear spoiler could upset the balance of power in the Sprint Cup series, in which Hendrick has been so dominate in for the last 4 seasons!

After an off season of discussions with the race teams, Helton said the NASCAR teams have been “aggressively” testing the blade anytime there has been a Goodyear tire test slated.  The rear spoiler blade inception is to improve passing and prevent the boxy race car from getting airborne when turned around.  Both of theses ideas will improve the overall safety and quality of the races.

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By Leon – March 3, 2010

Junior Contributes $1 Million To Victory Junction

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is giving big to Victory Junction. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

Victory Junction has kicked off its “Keeping the Dream Alive” campaign Monday by announcing that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will join the elite  of Victory Junction founders by committing $1 million dollars to build and maintain the Dale Jr. Corral and Amphitheater at the Randleman, N.C. camp for children who have serious illnesses.  Victory Junction is a camp for children who are suffering from diseases such as cancer, hemophilia, etc.

“There are many reasons why we wanted to get involved with Victory Junction and build this amphitheater, and it starts with the tremendous impact the camp has on these kids. It’s incredible how one week changes lives,” said Earnhardt. “Just as important to me is my friendship with Kyle and Pattie Petty, and the memory of my buddy, Adam Petty. Adam and I met each other at an early age, and from that point on our lives and careers were virtually parallel. He was as genuine as they get and a great friend. If I can play a small part in helping Kyle and Pattie keep his dream alive, it doesn’t require a second thought.”

This unique, interactive, accessible outdoor amphitheater will provide campers, the opportunity to sing a song, act in a play, tell a joke, play an instrument, watch a movie or even get their face pictured on an old, western “Wanted” poster along with the infamous outlaw, “Junior.”

“Pattie and I are extremely humbled by Jr.’s kindness and generosity. We’ve known Jr. since he was a kid and it means the world to us that he is honoring our son, Adam, by helping change the lives of these kids,” said Kyle Petty. “Adam is definitely smiling.”

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By Leon – March 1, 2010

Heartbreak Hotel!

2009 Daytona 500 225

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

“Well since my baby left me, I have found a new place to dwell, down at the end of Lonely St. at “Heartbreak Hotel”!  I’m feeling so lonely baby, I’m feelin’ so lonely I could die”

“Heartbreak Hotel” was most likely the song many of the teams were singing last night after the culmination of the Duels.  That old Elvis Aaron Presley song sums up just how those teams that failed to qualify, or were unable to race their way into this year’s Daytona 500 feel!  The pressure is immeasurable for these race teams to secure a slot in the single largest paying race in the NASCAR season, The Daytona 500 !

The Duels, like the Bud Shootout ended with nail-biting excitement.  There was a large amount of rubbin’ along with the racin’ yesterday during the Duel 150’s!

Duel #1 was won by Jimmie Johnson in his Hendrick Motorsports #48 Lowe’s Chevy, his first Duel victory.  The margin of victory was .005 of a second or about 4 inches!!  Finishing second was Kevin Harvick driving the Richard Childress Racing #29 Shell Chevy, the victor in the Budweiser shootout.

Duel #2 was equally exciting.  Kasey Kahne, driving the Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Budweiser Ford finished ahead of the Stewart-Haas #14 Office Depot Chevy driven by Tony Stewart.

But even more importantly is the story of who made the Daytona 500 and who must pack up and haul their team back to the shop, thus missing the most important and richest payout of the season!  Even though Michael Waltrip was involved in a spin and crashed into the inside retaining wall, he made the starting lineup of the 2010 Daytona 500 because of failures by other teams.

Michael Mc Dowell and Max Papis earned the two transfer spots allocated from Duel #1.  That means that Michael McDowell will have another highlight for the newsreel other than the horrendous crash that he had at the Texas Motor Speedway in the Michael Waltrip #00 Toyota in 2008.  Additionally Max Papis made it into the 500, his first, in the Gremain #13 GEICO Toyota.

In Duel #2 the transfer spots went to Mike Bliss and Scott Speed.

So the 2010 Daytona 500 field is set.  It is a HMS front row featuring Mark Martin on the pole along side of Dale Earnhardt, Jr., with Earnhardt’s former team mate Michael Waltrip tagging the rear of the field for, what most probably will be his last Daytona 500 race.

For those race teams who are going home and have suffered “the agony of defeat”, there are also 43 race teams remaining that have the opportunity to feel the “the thrill of victory”!  With the few rule changes that NASCAR has instituted at the beginning of the 2010 race season, it appears that it has increased the quality of racing.

It is 2 days til “The Great American Race” gets the green flag!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

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By Leon – February 12, 2010

Going Green!

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By Leon – February 11, 2010

Mark Martin: Daytona 500 Polesitter

Mark Martin won the pole for next weekend's Daytona 500 on Saturday. (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

Apparently Mark Martin’s fairy tale 2009 season was no fluke!  However, it appears that Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s horrendous 2009 season was just that, a fluke!  Likewise it appears that Hendrick Motorsports is the team to contend with again in 2010!  That is the case if the 2010 Daytona 500 qualifying session means anything for the up coming season.

Mark Martin, the ageless wonder at 51 years old, captured the pole for the 52nd running of the Daytona 500 on February 14th.  It was Martin’s first Daytona 500 pole of his career.  Martin’s team mate and building mate, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. sits along side him in the front row, qualifying second, when the green flag drops next Sunday for the Daytona 500!  That means that it is an all Hendrick Motorsports starting front row.  The rest of the starting line will be determined after the running of the Twin 150’s next Thursday.

During the off season Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports, handed down a directive to both of the crew chiefs of the #5 and #88 teams to work together to ressurect the free-falling #88 AMP Energy/National Guard Chevy driven by Dale, Jr.   If the Daytona 500 qualifying session is any indication of what has transpired in the off season, then it would appear that the directive was heeded, the crew chiefs collaborated, and results are there.

The other two race teams of HMS also qualified well today.  The four time defending champion, Jimmie Johnson, qualified in the sixth position, while Jeff Gordon qualified in the tenth position.

Now that qualifying is competed, the starting lineup for the Twin 150’s are set.  Let’s go racin’ boys!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

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By Leon – February 6, 2010

RPM Drivers Like Their Chances In 2010

Richard Petty Motorsports
(photo courtesy Chuck Burton)
In the last two years this organization has merged three times and been housed in four different shops and changed their name from Petty Enterprises to Richard Petty Motorsports.  It has gone from basically a one car team to a four car team and from Dodge to Ford.
The irony of all these mergers of Petty Enterprises/Richard Petty Motorsports is that the newly merged organization has a shot of being as strong as ” The King” was in the heyday of Petty Enterprises.  The merger will quash the question of equipment, it will now come from the Roush-
Fenway Racing.  RPM will pick up a wealth of technical support from beefed-up Ford, something that it never got from Dodge.  It will share information not only among the four RPM drivers, but also among the four Roush-Fenway drivers as well!
The “big dog” at RPM, Kasey Kahne, is excited about the possibilities there, enough so that publicly he willing to state that RPM has a chance to re-sign at years end.  But many say that will not happen.  Some already have Kahne penciled in as the third driver at Stewart-Haas Racing, or some other high powered race team.
“I’m definitely going to give them a shot here”, Kahne said.  That is a far cry from his words in November!  Maybe it is a negotiating ploy.  Maybe he honestly believes that!
All four of the RPM drivers, Kasey Kahne, Elliott Sadler, Paul Menard, and A.J. Almendinger, contracts are up at the end of the 2010 season.  That might [prove to be a very interesting contract time for the organization!

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By Leon – February 1, 2010