(aerial photo courtesy Google)

Few who saw Atlanta Motor Speedway in its infancy would recognize the track today. A majestic structure situated on 870 acres in Hampton, Ga., just 25 miles south of Atlanta, today’s Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the country’s top sports, corporate, family and entertainment facilities.

But it’s . . . → Read More: Atlanta Motor Speedway: The History]]>

(aerial photo courtesy Google)

Few who saw Atlanta Motor Speedway in its infancy would recognize the track today. A majestic structure situated on 870 acres in Hampton, Ga., just 25 miles south of Atlanta, today’s Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of the country’s top sports, corporate, family and entertainment facilities.

But it’s a far cry from the structure planned in 1958 by Walker Jackson, Lloyd Smith, Garland Bagley, Ralph Sceiano and Ike Supporter. Before construction of the proposed superspeedway had been completed, insufficient funds forced four of the founders to abandon ship. Dr. Warren Gremmel, Bill Boyd, Jack Black and Art Lester joined Bagley in the venture and spent $1.8 million to get the facility ready.

Ready, in this case, was a relative term.

“The track wasn’t ready to be used,” recalled Furman Bisher, then sports editor of The Atlanta Journal and a long-time sports columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Some of the lower seats  were so  low fans

couldn’t see over the retaining wall.  The only bathroom facility in the infield was a  three-hole outhouse. There was mud all over. You talk about Mudville. Casey would have been right at home.”

When the 1.5-mile track, then called Atlanta International Raceway, finally made its debut on July 31, 1960, it became the seventh superspeedway, a paved facility of one mile or more, to play host to a Cup race. Only three of the original seven; Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway and Lowe’s (then Charlotte) Motor Speedway are still in operation.

But the Atlanta track’s future was hazy in the 1960s and ’70s, when it suffered several financial setbacks. The track was reorganized under Chapter Ten bankruptcy proceedings in the 1970s and went through 

several general managers before settling down with Walt Nix, who served as general manager for much of the next two decades except for a brief period when NASCAR president Mike Helton was in charge.

Even through the financial difficulties, Atlanta had attracted the attention of key local figures and celebrities. While running for governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter, an avid race fan and former ticket vendor at the track in the ’60s, promised a barbecue dinner at the governor’s mansion if he won. He kept that promise, then improved on it by inviting the racing community to another cookout in 1978; this time at the White House.

Despite the great racing and national attention, Atlanta International Raceway was still a meager facility struggling to get by.

“It was just the Weaver Grandstand and wooden bleachers on the backstretch,” Former Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket manager Frances Goss recalled. “Fans would bring blankets and sit on the dirt bank.”

Bruton Smith changed all that when he purchased Atlanta International Raceway on October 23, 1990, and renamed the facility Atlanta Motor Speedway. A year later, the addition of the East Turn Grandstand expanded the seating capacity by 25,000, and the 30 suites that rimmed the top gave new meaning to the word “luxurious.”

Under Smith’s stewardship, Atlanta Motor Speedway not only has undergone massive expansion, but it has dramatically increased its menu, hosting everything from Busch Series, ARCA, Drag Racing and Indy car racing to dog shows, concerts and business conventions.

In 1994, Tara Place, the nine-story building that houses 46 luxury condominiums, Tara Ballroom, the speedway office complex and more luxury suites opened, as did the adjacent Tara Clubhouse and its accompanying swimming pool and tennis courts. A year later, the Earnhardt Grandstand opened, and in 1997, the great transformation was completed. The Champions Grandstand was added, and the total of  luxury suites was increased to 137. When the Champions Grandstand was built, the start/finish line was moved from the west to the east side of the track, and two doglegs were added to the frontstretch to form a 1.54-mile quad-oval, which replaced the original oval. New media facilities, garages and countless fan support buildings were added to what has become a modern motorsports palace.

In October, 2006 Atlanta Motor Speedway added another Grandstand, the Winners Grandstand, offering fans a great view of the frontstretch and pit road. A Trackside Terrace Luxury RV Camping area replaced the aged Weaver Grandstands as well.

Sitting atop the Winners Grandstand is a public suite called Club One. Limited to just 1,000 occupants, the exclusive club offers a climate controlled vue of the entire track as well as a rooftop sight and sound observation deck.

“Bruton told me before he ever bought the track, ‘I’d like to see what could be done with this place,’” Goss recalled. “He’s made it. I never would have believed Atlanta Motor Speedway would look like it does today.” (AMS PR)

For those of you who fail to understand the connection with the name Tara Place, Tara Ballroom, Tara Clubhouse, and the Atlanta Motor Speedway, I will explain.  Margaret Mitchell wrote “Gone With The Wind” in 1936.  Tara was the name of the plantation where Scarlett O’Hara lived, and was located in Clayton County Georgia.  The race track sits just over the Clayton County line in Henry County Georgia, in the town of Hampton.

I looked it up so that you wouldn’t have to!

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

(photo courtesy John Sommers II)

This view from RacinToday.com writer Larry Woody:

“There’s no question that Kyle Busch is currently the hottest thing on four wheels.

His recent Bristol Triple – three wins in three days in NASCAR’s three touring series – was an amazing feat, especially on a treacherous track like . . . → Read More: Are Kyle’s Wins Tainted?]]>

(photo courtesy John Sommers II)

This view from RacinToday.com writer Larry Woody:

“There’s no question that Kyle Busch is currently the hottest thing on four wheels.

His recent Bristol Triple – three wins in three days in NASCAR’s three touring series – was an amazing feat, especially on a treacherous track like Bristol.

Kyle is a gifted young racer, tough, talented and temperamental.

But let’s not get carried away.

After Busch followed his Bristol sweep with a truck win at Chicagoland, someone tallied his career win total and compared it to Richard Petty’s record of 200. They suggested that Busch was racking up victories on a Petty-like pace.

Baloney.

Petty’s 200 victories all came in NASCAR’s top series. No second- and third-tier wins.

Busch has 17 wins this season but only three in the Cup Series.  Career-wise he has a total of 19 Cup victories.

Granted, 19 Cup wins is nothing to sneeze at, especially considering that they’ve come in less than six full seasons, and that Busch a mere lad of 25.

But its way too early to coronate Busch among the all-time greats. And to compare his win total in all three series to Petty’s record is preposterous.

If someone wants to count ALL racing victories, then Dick Trickle might be at the top of the heap. Trickle once estimated that he’d won approximately 1,200 races in all divisions. Busch’s numbers don’t look quiet so impressive when matched against Trickle’s.

Again, this is not to denigrate Busch’s accomplishments. But his truck wins belong in the truck record book, his Nationwide wins in the Nationwide record book and his Cup wins in the Cup record book.”

WOMR strongly disagrees with the viewpoint of Larry Woody!

All 20 of Kyle Busch’s Camping World Truck victories have come from his affiliation with smaller race teams, Billy Ballew Racing and/or from his newly organized race Kyle Busch Motorsports.  Neither are associated with “The Big Four” race teams of the Sprint Cup series, that being Joe Gibbs Racing, Hendrick Motorsports, Rouch-Fenway Racing, or Richard Childress Racing.  So it is not a David vs Goliath in this series.

However in the Nationwide series, things are somewhat different.   In this series there are ties to “The Big Four” race teams in the Sprint Cup Level.  It is, after all, the training grounds, the AAA league of NASCAR racing, so you would expect some affiliations to exist.  But that still does not discount the fact that Kyle Busch has dominated that series in races which he has participated!

As a side note, when JGR has put another driver into their Nationwide #18 Z-Line Toyota, the results are not even closely resembling the results from Kyle Busch!  Other drivers have not won a single Nationwide race in that race car!  Need WOMR say anymore?

Need WOMR say anymore other than Kyle’s Sprint Cup wins speak for themselves?  He will extract everything out a race car that he can, in order to try to win the race!  you can not ask any more from a race car driver than that.  Needless to say, there is an element of intelligence that must also accompany that desire to win races, whick comes with experience!  “The Shrub” appears to have gained that knowledge finally!

Love him or loathe him, his racing skills ranks up with some of the greatest in the history of NASCAR!  Nevertheless, his personal traits, and the way he personifies himself on the race track, indicates that he has never progressed any further socially than maybe a 13 year old, at best!

To say that Kyle Busch is a very polarizing individual is a vast understatement!

What are your thoughts on Kyle and his amazing stats that he has amassed at the age of only 25?  Do you think that Kyle can endure as the “Bad Boy of  NASCAR”, or will he have to settle down?  Do you think that Kyle will  continue to gather stats that will bypass “The King Richard Petty”?

Is the 2010 Sprint cup championship in his future?

These questions are worth pondering.  Your views are warmly welcomed!

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

(Tony George at the IMS pogoda)

The cat is out of the bag.  Robin Miller, who writes for the Indianapolis Star and is a contributor on Dave Depain’s TV program Wind Tunnel, has reported that Tony George has submitted a bid to purchase the Indy Racing League/IndyCar Series.  The IndyCar Series is . . . → Read More: Tony George Wants To Buy The IndyCar Series]]>

(Tony George at the IMS pogoda)

The cat is out of the bag.  Robin Miller, who writes for the Indianapolis Star and is a contributor on Dave Depain’s TV program Wind Tunnel, has reported that Tony George has submitted a bid to purchase the Indy Racing League/IndyCar Series.  The IndyCar Series is presently owned by Hulman and Company, of which Tony George was formally the CEO.  Hulman and Company are also the owners of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and many other products including “Clabber Girl” baking powder.  For those who may not be aware, Tony George is the grandson of  the late Tony Hulman who bought IMS from Eddie Rickenbacker after WWII.

For those of you who do not remember the “hair-brained” idea that Mr. George came up with beginning in 1996, let me refresh your memory.  George announced in 1994 that beginning in 1996 he was going to start the Indy Racing League.  The premise for this new sanctioning body was “to keep the cost lower for the car owners” by having one type of chassis and two engines.  The engine selection was either an Oldsmobile Aurora or a Acura Infinity, both had a tendency to “grenade”!

George’s plan was for the IRL to race solely on ovals.  He also develped the 28-5 plan for the 1996 Indy 500.  That plan established 28 slots at the 1996 Indy 500 for his IRL competitors, and 8 slots for the non-IRL competitors. 

That idea went over like a turd in a punch bowl!

With that grenade thrown by Tony George, the division in US open wheel racing began a long and downward spiral that was to last for more than a decade.  The end results was CART, the sanctioning body for open wheel racing, filed for bankruptcy in 2008 and merged with the IndyCar Series, additionally, as a direct results of this ill conceived idea, the attendance has been down at most all open wheel racing venues over the past 16 years!

However, the scuttle butt is that the IRL board is not entertaining the idea of selling the IRL to Tony George.  Their idea is to let the new team of directors try to iron out the IndyCar Series deficiencies, and try to promote the sport back to a healthy status.  After all, Tony George had 15 years in control and really couldn’t make it work prosperously, so why would they want to return him to the throne of control?

What is your view on Tony George trying to purchase the IndyCar Series?

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

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

To all “the Said Heads” in the racing world, the lovable Boris Said has finally logged his first NASCAR victory! Said has won on many, many road race venues throughout North America, however, he has never logged a NASCAR victory prior to The Napa 200 at the . . . → Read More: Who Said? Boris Said!]]>

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

To all “the Said Heads” in the racing world, the lovable Boris Said has finally logged his first NASCAR victory! Said has won on many, many road race venues throughout North America, however, he has never logged a NASCAR victory prior to The Napa 200 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.

Over the past 10 plus years it has been Boris Said who has taken it upon himself to tutor most all of the notable NASCAR drivers in “road racing 101″.  Most all the current Sprint Cup and Nationwide drivers have been students of Boris Said, at one time or another, and have heaped praises upon Said for helping them to acquire some additional road racing skills.

Nevertheless, Boris has struggled over the years to try to compete at the Sprint Cup and Nationwide level due to sponsorship issues.  A few times Said’s attempts to make “the big show” have been spectacular, only to be thwarted by “the weather gods”

Very late in the race, Boris Said took the lead on a green-white-checkered restart, lost the lead briefly on the final lap, regained it on the final turn and held off two other top road racers to win Sunday’s Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal.  From turn #14 to the start/finish line it was a pure drag race between the Roush-Yates Ford horsepower and the Earhnardt-Childress Chevy horsepower.  Said and the Roush-Yates horsepower won by .012 seconds!

Said’s .012-second margin of victory was the closest ever on a road course in the Nationwide Series, the fifth closest overall in series history and the closest since 1998 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

It was Said’s first victory in the series, which includes 22 starts but spans parts of nine seasons.  “I’ve been trying so long and this race is so tough,” Said, looking as much exhausted as happy, said. “It was good racing. It was clean racing.”

Here is the unofficial results of the Napa 200 at Montreal.

What was your view of one of the most exciting road races in recent memory?

Just remember, “Who said?” 

BORIS SAID!

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

After finishing second to Kyle Busch last week in Bristol, Clint Bowyer referred to Busch as that “little turd”.  After Kyle’s win in the Camping World Truck race at Chicagoland Speedway, the EnjoyIllinois.com 225,  Bowyer may have to rephrase his reference to that “Big Turd”!

Coming off . . . → Read More: Kyle Runs Victories To Four In A Row]]>

(photo courtesy Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

After finishing second to Kyle Busch last week in Bristol, Clint Bowyer referred to Busch as that “little turd”.  After Kyle’s win in the Camping World Truck race at Chicagoland Speedway, the EnjoyIllinois.com 225,  Bowyer may have to rephrase his reference to that “Big Turd”!

Coming off his historical three-pete at Bristol, winning all three races there in the trucks, nationwide, and sprint cup, Saturday night Kyle Busch added a victory in the Camping World Truck race to his trophy room.  With the victory in the EnjoyIllionois.com 225, the second win  in a row at Chicagoland, Busch has tied Todd Bodine for fourth place in all time wins with 20 in the Camping World Truck Series.

This win was also Kyle Busch’s 79th total win in NASCAR.  That total comes at the young age of 25 years old.  If you would like something to compare these numbers to check this out.  Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip are tied with 84 career NASCAR  victories apiece!

Love Kyle or loathe Kyle, there is one thing that all can say about his abilities, he will get the most out a race car in any given race.  Additionally, at the young age of 25 years old, all NASCAR records are well within his capabilities.

So WOMR will now have to rethink the nickname that is used by this site.  Maybe Kyle Busch, TLVW (The Las Vegas Weasel), will now be referred to as “The Big Turd”!

So what is your view of Kyle Busch and his accomplishments so far?

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

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

When a driver has a race car that he knows can win the race, and for some reason, be it bad luck or circumstances beyond his control, he fails to close the deal, FRUSTRATION is all that  is left of his emotions.  Well last Saturday night several . . . → Read More: Bristol Got Shuffled Out In Some Locales]]>

(photo courtesy Jason Smith/Getty Images)

When a driver has a race car that he knows can win the race, and for some reason, be it bad luck or circumstances beyond his control, he fails to close the deal, FRUSTRATION is all that  is left of his emotions.  Well last Saturday night several local ABC stations decided to pre-empt the Bristol night race in favor of their regional NFL team.

It turns out there were likely many NASCAR fans in Joplin, MO feeling a similar frustration Saturday night when they tuned in for ABC’s coverage of the Irwin Tools 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway.

Joplin’s Jamie McMurray, this year’s Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 champion, flirted with bagging another trophy by leading 11 laps in his  #1 Chevrolet. But it turns out that McMurray, and the other 41 drivers circling the .533-mile high-banked oval, were no match for Kyle Busch.

McMurray wound up finishing a respectable third.

But the big losers Saturday night were NASCAR fans in Joplin, who were treated to a Kansas City Chiefs preseason football game instead of the night race at Bristol.

In fairness to KODE in Joplin, there were eight other ABC affiliates around the nation that also chose to air alternate programming. In each instance, NASCAR was bumped in favor of preseason football with the exception of WXYZ in Detroit, which aired its annual coverage of the annual Woodward Dream Cruise.

Seven of the nine affiliates aired coverage of the race on its DT2 (Digital Tier 2) channel or on an alternate network. Those markets were Detroit, Houston, Richmond, Weslaco, TX, Madison, WI, LaCross, WI and Wausau, WI.

The race never made it on the television airwaves in Joplin or St. Joseph, MO.  The only way to see the Saturday night Bristol race in Joplin or St. Joseph was via satellite TV, Direct TV or Dish Network.  As a race fan that is totally unacceptable!

With all of NASCAR’s touting of streamlined start times, etc., the ABC/ESPN part of the NASCAR season has been in a total state of flux and chaos!  Obviously the contract with NASCAR does not hold the same clout as tennis, the Little League World Series, and regional NFL games. WOMR has, on more than one occasion, been waiting patiently for an overtime tennis match to end so that ESPN would flip over to a race already in progress.  That my friends is anguish!

Just for the record, 14 of the final 17 Cup races this season will air on ESPN. The other three, night races in Bristol, Richmond and Charlotte, will be broadcast on ABC.  Therefore, with all the talk about a consistent television package that makes it easy for the fans to find the race each weekend, wouldn’t it have made more sense for ESPN to air all 17 races down the stretch?  What do you think?

That would prevent the gearheads in Weslaco, TX. from being on pins and needles on a Saturday night in October while wondering if they’re about to witness NASCAR racing from Charlotte or a calf roping and bull riding exhibition on their local ABC affiliate!  Granted, there might be many bull riders in Weslaco, TX, but there may also be a large number of NASCAR fans rooting for their favorite driver to run to the front!

What  is your thoughts on the NASCAR coverage or lack thereof by ABC/ESPN?

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

(photo courtesy Todd Warshaw)

Every sport needs a villain, and ol Kyle Busch seems to relish in the fact that his is NASCAR’s resident villain.  WOMR will concede that Kyle is the most exciting racer on the NASCAR circuit, one of the most childish drivers, one of the most aggressive drivers, one . . . → Read More: Does Busch Really Love Being The Villian?]]>

(photo courtesy Todd Warshaw)

Every sport needs a villain, and ol Kyle Busch seems to relish in the fact that his is NASCAR’s resident villain.  WOMR will concede that Kyle is the most exciting racer on the NASCAR circuit, one of the most childish drivers, one of the most aggressive drivers, one of the most flippant drivers, and arguably one of the most talented drivers, as well.  He is also the most controversial and cantankerous drivers that fans, and drivers alike, either love him or loathe him!

Kyle Busch is presently the best and the worst, all rolled into one!

The triple header sweep of Bristol earned Kyle Busch a place in the NASCAR record books that no other driver has achieved.  In typical Kyle fashion, he went way out of his way to rub salt in the wounds of all the boo birds after his triumphant Sprint Cup victory Saturday evening.  While taking his traditional post victory elaborate “Hollywood style stage” bow, he added a little cry baby tear wiping to his post race antics.  Further fueling the “bad boy” image that he has so painstakingly cultivated to perfection.

The louder they booed, the more he put on “his show”.

It was mindful of the incident at Nashville Superspeedway when Busch dashed to bits the valuable trophy guitar in Victory Lane. It was a Busch-league juvenile high-jinx, and Kyle seemed to relish the controversy and savor the attention that it generated.

He thrives on adversity.

There’s no denying Busch’s talent. At 25 he’s as good as anyone and better than most. If he can keep it up he’s destined to go down among the sport’s all-time greats.

But you wonder just when his” bad-boy” act will start to wear thin. Not for the fans, not for the media, but for Kyle.

It is a reminder of an earlier driver named Darrell Waltrip.  Ol DW was a very young and brash race car driver that, like Kyle, was a very gifted.  He too was very entertaining but eventually pushed things way too far.  Waltrip created a monster that got out of control.

Darrell enjoyed what he called “stirring the pot,” by keeping himself embroiled in some sort of controversy. He feuded with NASCAR. He sparred with the media. He jabbed at his fellow drivers. He provoked the fans.

Cale Yarborough nicknamed him “Jaws.” Other drivers called him names we can’t print.

There was method to his madness: In those days media exposure was hard to come by and Waltrip shrewdly understood that the way to get attention was to generate controversy. Petty might win the race but Waltrip would steal the headlines.

He eventually over-did it. He alienated fellow drivers (Bobby Allison is still peeved after all these years), and the fans were brutal. After a crash at Charlotte left Darrell dazed, the crowd cheered with glee as he was loaded into an ambulance.

In time all the negativity got to Waltrip.  The boos stung, and it wasn’t a joke anymore.  Darrell Waltrip decided to mend his way, mind his manners, change his image, and by the end of his career he had won over most all of the fans.

So far Kyle has not seen fit to change his style.  He seems to enjoy taunting the fans and bringing their wrath down on his head. It may be the folly of youth, a phase that Kyle, like Waltrip a generation earlier, is going through.

Eventually the fun will wear off for Busch, one could only hope!  What is your take on ol Kylie?

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

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

Wal-Mart’s potential move into NASCAR has led the retail giant deep into negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevrolet next season.

There continues to be several moving parts to the Wal-Mart discussions with Hendrick and NASCAR, which began in the spring and . . . → Read More: Wal-Mart And Jeff Gordon]]>

(photo courtesy Leon Hammack)

Wal-Mart’s potential move into NASCAR has led the retail giant deep into negotiations with Hendrick Motorsports over sponsorship of Jeff Gordon’s Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevrolet next season.

There continues to be several moving parts to the Wal-Mart discussions with Hendrick and NASCAR, which began in the spring and have progressed through the summer. Wal-Mart’s play could have tentacles in both sponsorship and licensing at the team and league level, according to industry sources.

The retailer has been hesitant to spend money on sports sponsorships in the past, so Wal-Mart’s entrance to NASCAR would provide a huge boost to a sport that has been ravaged by the recession and attracted little new sponsorship money in the last two seasons.

“It’s very significant,” said Mark Dyer, senior vice president at IMG and formerly chief of the licensing division at NASCAR until 2007. “We tried for years to get Wal-Mart’s attention when I was at NASCAR and we made some inroads. If they truly decide to take a position in the sport, that’s a big deal to get a company that should have been in that space all along.”

While Wal-Mart ponders a new place in NASCAR, other consumer packaged goods sponsors are clearly energized and they’re not waiting for contracts to be signed before mobilizing.

Sources say that six of NASCAR’s official consumer packaged goods partners met earlier this month to discuss a retail strategy for Wal-Mart. Those sponsors were Coca-Cola, Kraft, Mars, MillerCoors, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

The opportunities with this are huge,” the source said. “In the past, you could get regional activation with a Wal-Mart close to the track, but they liked to control their national promotions. They typically develop their own programs and then bring in the manufacturers that they choose. But we’re hearing that it could be changing.”

The store’s sponsorship of Gordon would be the most visible bet that Wal-Mart believes an association with NASCAR would help its business. Sources say that Wal-Mart has been seeking ways to reconnect with its core U.S. customers, who compare favorably with the avid fans in NASCAR.

Wal-Mart also has been in discussions with NASCAR’s licensing trust to be the sport’s exclusive retailer in the mass merchandise space. If NASCAR granted Wal-Mart a direct license, it would allow the store to select its merchandise partners and set prices. Those talks have been going on since the spring. (sports business journal)

(photo courtesy Ray Turner usatoday)

Two weeks ago while staying at an RV park in Knoxville, Iowa for the Knoxville Nationals Sprint Cars event, quite to my surprise, my neighbors two RV’s down were none other than Ray Evernham and his new wife, Erin Crocker.  I only got to speak to Ray . . . → Read More: Ray Evernham’s Next Move]]>

(photo courtesy Ray Turner usatoday)

Two weeks ago while staying at an RV park in Knoxville, Iowa for the Knoxville Nationals Sprint Cars event, quite to my surprise, my neighbors two RV’s down were none other than Ray Evernham and his new wife, Erin Crocker.  I only got to speak to Ray briefly when we first arrived at the RV park.  However, later that evening I spoke with Erin as she was walking her two shiatsu dogs.  She was a very down to earth and pleasant woman.

Like his wife Erin, Ray has raced cars, additionally he has worked on race cars, strategized championships teams, and formed new race teams, now owns a dirt track just west of Charlotte, and in his spare time is an analyst on ESPN/ABC.  So what is Ray Evernham’s next move?

Last Saturday, Evernham made a joint announcement with Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Bruton Smith that the pair were developing a new dirt track series for U.S. Legends Cars International. Evernham has designed a Legends-style car specifically for dirt that will debut next year at his East Lincoln Speedway in Stanley, N.C., just west of Charlotte.

For Evernham, however, this could just be the start of a dream to cultivate young talent for the next generation of racing.  Evernham confirmed on Saturday that he’s submitted an offer to purchase Motorsports Management International (MMI).

MMI was founded by Los Angeles-based lawyer Cary Agajanian in 1995 as a driver management and motorsports consulting firm. Today, MMI lists Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne and Jamie McMurray among its clients.

From the grassroots development of drivers to the evolution of professional racing, Evernham would be equipped to offer a full-service program.

“It’s public knowledge that myself and a group of partners have made an offer to Cary Agajanian,” Evernham said. “With the people that I’m involved with, it would be a really exciting project. We don’t have an answer yet. Cary is still thinking about the offer. He wants to get with us —  I think there’s a meeting for the first week of September. So yes, it’s something I’m pursuing. I wouldn’t have done it if it wasn’t for the group of people that are involved. I’ve worked with that whole group before and we’ve been successful with other projects.

“It’s not like I will have an office there that I’ll be at every day. My part will be some of the driver development and help with driver coaching, driver management of some of the current talent that they have. I think I have something to offer business-wise and maybe be able to have conversations with guys like Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch or Denny Hamlin on a different level as an advisor. Where right now it may be hard for someone to come to me for my opinion or advise on something when I really don’t have anything to do with them. I’m pretty excited.”

So it looks like Ray Evernham is putting himself in a position so that he can cultivate and represent new talent, as well as the veterans of the sport.

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

Kyle’s Saturday night started out with . . . → Read More: Kyle Inks His Spot In The Record Books]]>

Kyle Busch, driving the Joe Gibbs Racing #18 Doublemint Toyota etched his name into the NASCAR record books this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway.  He is the first driver to ever win all three NASCAR events at one race track in the same weekend.

Kyle’s Saturday night started out with one of his fellow drivers, “Blazingly Bad” Brad Keselowski, publicly calling Busch an “ASS” during pre-race introductions and the fans in the grandstands yelling even worse things!  However, the night ended with Busch making history, good history, actually incredible history.

He pulled off the first ever NASCAR triple!!

Busch, who won the Camping World Truck Series race on Wednesday and the Nationwide Series race on Friday night, dominated the Sprint Cup race on Saturday.  He led most laps, 284, and beat second place David Reutimann by about a half second after leading by about 2 seconds with a couple laps to go.

With that victory, Busch moved from eighth to third in the points standings with just a couple of races left in the “regular” race season.

Here is the unofficial results from the Irwin Tools 500.

And so it’s another first for Kyle Busch, although he admits he’ll treat it just like he treats the taunts from other drivers and boos from fans. He’ll let it slide off his back and put it behind him, literally.

Can ol Kylie (aka The Las Vegas Weasel) be a viable threat to depose Jimmie Johnson off of the NASCAR throne?  Can Jimmie Johnson make it five championships in a row?  At this point in the season who do you think has momentum going into the crucial final 2 races of “the regular season”?  What is your take in the impending Chase?

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