IpModerator Based on what I've seen and heard the driver say about his car, I'm going to say that tonight will be Denny Hamlin's race.

As a backup I'll take Carl Edwards. The Roush cars are back in the mix and Carl looked good in the practices.

As a long shot ... Matt Kenseth.

Let's hear it, it's your turn :)

Sep 5, 2010

IpModerator It would be absolutely ludicrous to even suggest that the #48 team is sandbagging as some NASCAR 'journalists' have.

How is being involved in a few accidents and, as of now running ninth in the points standings, sandbagging?

Once again the world of NASCAR on the internet shows us that anyone who can form sentences and type them can hang the handle of 'journalist' next to their name to raise their own self importance to undeserved, and in some cases laughable, levels.

There are many 'journalists' out there who need to learn the sport before hanging any title beside their names, much less the title of journalist.

Although still not formally locked into The Chase, anyone that has counted Jimmie Johnson and the #48 team out of title contention is sadly mistaken.

Sep 4, 2010

Mustang5 Here, here!

Sep 4, 2010

IpModerator I don't consider NASCAR's glass half full or half empty.

I think the glass is just too damned big.

It's been a good season thus far with plenty of excitement, but perhaps it's time to streamline and simplify. (making the glass smaller)

Too much, 'have at it boys' in particular, is open to so many interpretations by NASCAR that no one, drivers, teams and fans included, knows exactly where the line is.

Racing in it's pure sense is a fairly simple sport.

It's only when the sanctioning bodies make the glass too big does it become muddled.

Sep 3, 2010

LuvJr-88 Oh, and Mick, I love that ticket of your's! Awesome lookin! Maybe you'll be lucky like Angie and I were the day we went to the HoF and The King was there! I'll cherish my Autographed Cap Forever! : D - S -

Sep 2, 2010

angie88 Thanks for the memories, it truly captures what we love best about NASCAR.

Sep 2, 2010

IpModerator This year's Chase field up to this point reminds the old horse racing adage, "When the money is split between the favorites, bet on the longshot."

Even though he is ninth is the current standings, never count out Jimmie. Remember that after Richmond the points for the Chasers get reset, and depending on what happens at Atlanta and Richmond the standings could look a whole lot different heading in New Hampshire.

Having said all that, here's another little nugget to chew on.

How will NASCAR's 'have at it boys' policy affect things?

We already know that once the Chase gets underway anyone not in the elite 12 has to drive on pins and needles around the chosen few, but now will NASCAR's new policy change all that? Or will the rules and policies change as seems to so often be the case when Chase time rolls around.

I think this year's Chase is going to be unlike any other we've seen thus far.

Aug 31, 2010

Mustang5 Excellent points to ponder above.....

I guess we could say that Denny is the Dark Horse, but the same could easily be said for Kevin Harvick. Both have wins but have been inconsistent throughout the season.

I haven't had the chance to go back over the race results yet, but when making decisions on who will grab the trophy and have the "Golden Horseshoe" out of the twelve you need to cover your bases on at least 8 tracks already run throughout the season. Only Kansas and Homestead lack in providing and race data and the teams can't rely on last year's analysis based on the spoiler replacing the wing this season.

One thing that is consistent, is JJ and Chad running races at the 8 Chase tracks and gleaning their information and honing their skills and set-ups for the upcoming championship.

Could there be a 5-peat, you bet!

The finale for this season is going to be a lot fun,and I'm looking forward to seeing the outcome...

Aug 31, 2010

Moosie2448 Very good blog! I agree with you totally. I still feel Brad got the raw end of the deal from Nascar. Brad COULD NOT retaliate for fear of being parked or fined even more severely. Some of my friends call Kyle Busch, "Karma Kyle" and for good reason. It will all catch up to him in the end. Thanks for a good read!

Sep 1, 2010

Lefty_Turner I hope you are right.
I think the media will view it as a hand and glove thing.
Nascar is still considered a red neck sport. Wal Mart, next to the flea market and yard sales, is the Mecca of all things redneck.

BUT, it could be, with Brian France so dead set on removing the redneck image from nascar, that it could be enough to persuade him to keep wal mart out. I doubt it, because like we said, money talks.

Aug 29, 2010

rayceman14 Walmart backs out of deal but Grants wants in .....

Aug 30, 2010

IpModerator I like the idea of common rules between the Nationwide Series and the ARCA REMAX Series, however the undue burden would then be placed on the ARCA teams who are mostly underfunded 'sportsman' teams to start with.

And does ARCA really want NASCAR, the company not the development teams, involved in their series?

Kick the Cup drivers out of the Nationwide Series, cut the purses and watch the series die.

Aug 23, 2010

IpModerator So many good tracks gone in the name of progress.

When I was young and growing up in eastern Pennsylvania, myself and some friends would light out on Friday after school for our weekly three night racing tour.

Friday night at the Reading Pa. Fairgrounds, Saturday night at the Flemington N.J. Fairgrounds and Sunday night at Nazareth Pa.

All three are now long gone and all but forgotten, as are so many others.

Thanks for bringing us this glimpse of another track from days gone by.

Aug 19, 2010

IpModerator I think we might see a more exciting Chase this year than we have in the last few.

Harvick's consistency, Johnson and Knaus always playing the Chase game to virtual perfection and the re-emergence of the Roush teams bode well for some bare knuckled racing come September.

Lock and load NASCAR fans, the 2010 Chase isn't far away.

Aug 18, 2010

LuvJr-88 Jeremy - Thank's for that very interesting article! Of course, I'd never heard of him, but to just look to where NASCAR started and to where it is today, it's amazing! I do love reading about the racin before my time! Thank's Again! - S -

Aug 17, 2010

angie88 Great story, thanks for sharing. I've heard the name but didn't know much about him. Just took a minute to read up a little on him and found the following on Wikipedia, sounds like a colorful character.

"A Georgia deputy described Seay, "He was without a doubt the best automobile driver of this time. He was absolutely fearless, and an excellent driver on those dusty, dirt roads. I caught him eight times and had to shoot his tires off every time."

"A different deputy described another night when he pulled Seay over for speeding as he was transporting a load of moonshine through a city north of Atlanta. After he gave the deputy two five dollar bills, the officer said, "Dammit Lloyd, you know the fine for speedin' ain't but five dollars" Seay replied, "Yeah, but I'm gon' be in a hurry comin' back, so I'm payin' an advance."

Aug 17, 2010

PitRoadToad

RIGHT SAID BY ALL!

Aug 15, 2010

IpModerator Lefty, it's funny that you should mention the things you have because I too have backed way down on my NASCAR consumption this season.

I used to visit the news/info websites, many of them, on a daily basis (I actually have to SCROLL my NASCAR bookmarks). I watched the TV shows, all of them. I subscribed to the magazines too.

I don't do that any more and I've found that the actual racing has become far more enjoyable to watch without me trying to relate all that information (overload) to what I am watching.

I look forward to the races again.

I still scan the headlines so I have an idea about what's going on, but nothing like I've done in the past since the advent of the internet as it relates to NASCAR.

Of course the newer fans, and by that I mean those that have come to the sport during the age of the PC, haven't reached that stage of NASCAR burnout yet, or are just now beginning to, and that could account for some of NASCAR's sagging numbers and lack of interest by it's fans.

Information is good. Information overload is bad. Conflicting information even worse.

For me stepping back has changed my perspective and made the racing the focus once again, and while that may not work for everyone, it has for me.

Folks, racing is supposed to be --> fun <--, not a chore.

The fans have become a PART of the sport, rather than fans OF the sport, and sometimes I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

Aug 16, 2010

LuvJr-88 I'm with you Mick...I definately do not count JJ out just yet! He seem's to maybe have hit a snowball, hey, lookin forward to that...lol, but I think it was just a small ball, so I see him come alive at Chase Time! Kevin's awesome too and I'd be all for Happy to win a Championship! And, in Forrest Gump terms...that's all I have to say about that! - S -

Aug 12, 2010

turnleftguy JJ can turn it on in the Chase. But the team has seen something this year they have not see a lot of in the past -- bad racing luck. If that raises its head at all during the Chase, JJ could be vulnerable. It is hard to bet against Harvick right now. How the teams are ranked will be important this year because Harvick has only 2 wins and JJ has 5. It will be interesting.

Aug 12, 2010

IpModerator What a great drive and awesome win for the #42 team just when it seems they needed it most.

I doff my chapeau to Juan, Brian, Chip and the entire team on what I hope is just the beginning of even greater victories to come.

Aug 9, 2010

Lefty_Turner I doff my whatever to them too.... They aren't but a click away from owning it.
I love it for the whole Earnhardt Ganassi bunch. Especially Chip and Theresa.
Felix, who even knew he was there.

Aug 9, 2010

IpModerator People tend to forget just how fast Watkins Glen is until something goes wrong.

I'm sorry you felt it necessary to include J.D. McDuffie's fatal accident footage, but I do understand that it illustrates the reason that The Glen installed what's called the inner loop on the backstretch to slow the cars down at that point on the track.

Let's hope today's race is fast, competitive, exciting and more than anything else, safe.

Aug 8, 2010