(file photo courtesy of NASCAR)

It must be a sign that I am getting old, but I remember sitting up high in the stands just off turn four in the fall of 2004 when Carl Edwards on lap 312 was involved in another spectacular crash at Atlanta Motor Speedway.  This crash in involved Edwards and the man who rescued “Blazingly Bad” Brad Keselowski from obscurity and made him a star, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Kurt Busch, the winner of last week’s Kobalt Tools 500 and Junior’s main rival in 2004, had just blown an engine early in the race.  That event gave Earnhardt, Jr. the opportunity take a huge point advantage with just a couple of races to go in the ‘04 season.

Stage left, enter Carl Edwards racing in just his 10th Sprint Cup race and trying to make a name for himself, pretty much in the same position that young Keselowski is in at this very time- a talented young aggressive driver.  As they entered turn 3 they crashed ending Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s best chance of winning the Sprint Cup championship!

That wreck resembles, in many respects, the crash last Sunday that got Carl Edwards so steamed up.  So steamed up, in fact, that Edwards returned to the race track to extract some “race track justice”! However, that “race track justice” nearly had some severe consequences.  At 190+ MPH, intentionally spinning a car mostly likely will send this car airborne, as witnessed Sunday.  That could have been catastrophic for both the drivers and the fans at the race track!  TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!

I can’t help but imagine at this time how much different that NASCAR, Dale Jr. and DEI might have looked had Carl Edwards given Earnhardt ” a little racing room”!!

When asked about where that incident ranks with him in his career, Dale Jr. said, “When you look back over your career, that definitely sticks out in the top five”!  He went on to say,”that if he’d come out of that turn unscathed it would have led to a whole new outcome for our team and the championship that year and for years to come.”

Earnhardt said his feelings about that incident have changed over time, but were raw for a while.

I wonder if Edwards and Keselowski, when asked about this incident in five years will have the same answer?

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

(photo courtesy Chris Trotman/Getty Images)

Things overlooked in Atlanta Sunday in light of “The Wreck”:

1. Kurt Busch wins the Kobalt Tools 500 for Penske Racing.

2. Matt Kenseth finished second for Roush-Fenway Racing.

3. Kasey Kahne led the most laps, but finished fourth for Richard  Petty Motorsports.

4. Paul Menard, also an RPM driver finished fifth!

5. A. J. Almendinger,(THE DINGER), finished sixth, again an RPM driver!

6. Scott Speed finished 10th for Red Bull Racing

7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr. started on the pole and finished 15th!

Most interesting quote from the race:

8. Steve Addington, the crew chief no longer good enough for Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing, took the older Busch, Kurt, back to Victory Lane at the same track where he got his first victory in 2008 with Kyle Busch.  “It is a good feeling to know that your driver wants you to go to work for him,” Addington said in a statement that showed a lot of class but made a strong point.

9. The Atlanta Motor Speedway folks were probably extremely pleased that the amount of empty seats was not a big topic of conversation with the media!

10.  Brad Keselowski is probably glad to have an off week to recuperate from the Edwards “Cheap Shot”!  He also will need to reload and prepare for some of the other drivers who, no doubt, are lining up for their shot at him!

NOTE TO ROGER PENSKE:

Have plenty of haulers at the tracks with back cars onboard for the #12 for the remainder of the the 2010 season, you may need them!

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

(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!

(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!

(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!

(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!

(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.

(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.”

(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!

Posted via email from captainblowdri’s posterous