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HOMESTEAD – Season Over: I was thrilled to attend the final race of the season. It was as exciting as it was hyped to be. I’ll narrate my weekend in a nutshell. I arrived in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday afternoon. My good friends Tina and Wesley picked me up and we drove to Key Largo. I met their friends and family, had some cocktails, a wonderful dinner and some great conversation. And least I forget, lots of laughs. Sunday, Tina and I both woke up to sinus headaches that could have easily killed an elephant. How did we end up with sinus headaches? EL-IF-I-KNOW! Ha! But after lots of medication we were ready to head to Homestead. It was a great day filled with shopping, being in the audience at Trackside, more shopping, tailgating and meeting some great people from all over the world. Just to add a side note here, I wanted to laugh at some of the things Mr. Penske had to say on the Trackside stage. His new job is Kurt Busch’s P.R. guy, but better him than me. We watched driver introductions (Jeff Gordon really does get booed) and the pre-race show was spectacular. But the best part was the cars revving up and that first green flag! You can’t describe it; you have to be there. The race was fantastic. We met more great people, had a few cocktails, listened to in-car radio, had a few more cocktails, and yelled for our favorite drivers. With 20 laps to go Wesley and I went downstairs to meet up with the Official NASCAR Members Club and join them on the infield to cheer for the 2005 champion, Tony Stewart. It was amazing to look up and see the crowd in the bleachers. Confetti flew, flash bulbs went off and Tony Stewart was crowned. Wes and I believed Tony must have had an electric razor in the car because we saw him up close and there wasn’t much of his usual five o’clock shadow. We finally were herded out and headed home. As we left the parking lot and headed down the highway, police car after police car zoomed by. Those loud sirens and flashing lights were an indication that something horrible had happened and it did. We came home to find out there had been a helicopter accident but it was reported there was only one injured pilot. When the sun rose the next morning we had found out he did not survive his injuries. RIP Johnny Campiglia and my sympathies to his family and friends. I had a great race day thanks to my friends and the other race fans. It’s hard for me, the race fan, to go through this break, but the drivers need it and deserve it. I mean, when else can a driver have a wedding? Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!  You don't tug on Superman's cape … You don't spit in the wind, you don't pull the mask off the ol' Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Jim (Jim Croce 1972). There are just certain things you don’t do and being belligerent to a cop with a tint (?) of alcohol on your breath should be added to the list. This saga of Kurt Busch has been in the making and this police confrontation was inevitable. The truly funny thing about all this is that he’s more like Jimmy Spencer than Jimmy is lately. This is an age-old lesson in “too much too soon”. It’s the story of a young, up-and-coming driver given too much too soon, much like his brother Kyle. This is what NASCAR wants and yet they don’t want to deal with the consequences. Winning a NASCAR race is 70% car and 30% driver. Kurt was a young, good driver that had proved himself. Jack Roush saw the talent and strapped that boy to one of his best cars and he got himself a championship. From all the past incidences we have found that Kurt was emotionally immature and did not possess the skills needed to cope with this newfound stardom. I’m sure people tried to guide him, but youth and stardom has a way of producing delusions of grandeur. He’s no longer Jack’s problem. Jack quit wringing his hands and has now washed his hands of him. I don’t blame him. There is a lot of bad blood there. Lucky for Kurt, he gets to start anew with Roger Penske. Penske sounds like he is ready to take on the challenge as he is already running interference with Maricopa County and with his sponsors. Tell me, how upset could Miller Lite be? They sell BEER! I’m not going to stop buying Miller Lite because I may not like their drivers’ off-track shenanigan. In conclusion, I like Miller Lite and I really like it in an ice cold brown bottle, mmm beer. What was this article about? Oh yea, don’t drink and drive and then yell at cops. And beware the bushes (cops hide behind them) and the Busches (they will give you a tongue lashing)! Fangs, Hypnotist and the Forgotten 11/8/05 In my last article I described Carl Edwards as a Big’ol puppy dog. I’m starting to think that description is not going to hold up much longer. He’s slowly turning into a Rottweiler. I also believe that the top five left in this Chase have become a bit testy with each other, all except for Mark Martin. While writers have pretty much dismissed him from winning the championship this year, he’s the only one laughing and smiling in post-race interviews. Yes, you heard me right, Mark Martin is jovial. So let’s recap the top five drivers: 1. Tony Stewart – cranky; shaves before he starts the race, full beard after race; If Smoke has any problems in Phoenix, he will kill someone – he’s been holding it in too long. 2. Jimmy Johnson – I completely forgot he was in the Chase, let alone second in points. He’s not getting a lot of airtime while drivers not in the Chase are interviewed much more (hint: 24 & 8). 3. Carl Edwards – puppy teeth out, fangs in. Still happy-go-lucky, but must start getting paranoid looking behind his back all the time. I mean, come on! You can’t take the win from Mark Martin on the last lap and relapse back to that aw-shucks-toothy grinned-plowboy act. 4. Greg Biffle – had a tough break at Texas, and in his post race interview you could see he was realizing the championship was slipping through his fingers. At least I think so. He always looks slightly surprised. Doctor Marlin has already described Greg’s condition to us. 5. Mark Martin – has learned the art of crashing into people, apologizing, and then hypnotizing the victim into truly believing it was an accident. Tony tried to walk away from Mark’s apology but Mark grabbed his arm. Don’t look in his eyes Tony! The post-race interview of Tony proves he looked into Mark’s eyes. I thought Tony was going to end with, “Now I have to go wash Mark’s car and make him a ham “sam’itch”. Two to go! Who’s going to Phoenix? I’m going to Homestead! Look for me! I’ll be the one handing out free Splash and Go can koozies. WOE’S MOTOR SPEEDWAY Posted 6:30pm 10/16/05 Tire woes to be exact. I counted thirteen cars that had tires blow, some cars two times. I also counted seven other cars that got caught up in crashes due to other cars and their incessant tire problems. There were cautions, competition cautions and red flags throughout the race. Tires were blistered, blown and torn. This night was misery for most drivers but there were some bright spots for us viewers. I always have a good laugh when some one leaves the pits with a big’ole gas can still hanging off the end of their car. Not a catch can, but a big’ole gas can! Thanks for the laugh #12. Really, how does that happen without the pit crewmember hanging on for dear life and dragging behind the car? I think I’d hold on for dear life just to save my job! And then there was my "YEE HAA" moment when Carl Edwards drove like he was driving the General Lee. He escaped the McMurray-Waltrip-Jarrett wreck by going low into the grass. Then he hit a part of pit road and I swear every wheel came off the ground and he landed back on the other side of the grassy infield and never slowed down folks! He was completely focused and probably a whole lot freaked out! I wish I could have been a passenger in that car at that moment. Mark Martin seemed ticked off at Joe Nemechek but I don’t think he was. He yelled at his crew chief about how many times he was going to have to pass Nemechek on the track. The problem was with Mark’s pit crew. Mark had a fast car and would pass cars on the track, pull in the pits, pull out and those same cars were in front of him again. Mark had pit problems. It must have been like “déjà vu” for him. Or better yet, like running in circles and getting nowhere fast! HA! I crack myself up! (unedited version) With Three To Go I watched the Martinsville and Atlanta races. I did not write any articles on them. Why? It’s been crazy lately with the In-laws visiting and an inordinate amount of birthday party planning and celebrating. But the two major reasons were, 1. Nobody pays me 2. I’ve got Homestead on my mind! I’ve been getting ready for that fun filled weekend! With three races left this is how the top ten drivers fair: Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson seem to overcome any small or major problem they run into on the track. I contribute this to either witchcraft or voodoo. Greg Biffle has been Mr. Consistency. Much more boring without the voodoo but apparently he doesn’t need it. Carl Edwards is having a blast and sometimes seems oblivious that he is in a “Chase for the Cup”. He’s like a big’ole puppy dog. He’s out having fun so nobody should tell him how much money is at stake. Ryan Newman, hmmm, he sure does qualify well. He likes animals. I got nothing else. Mark Martin is pictured under the definition of “struggle” in the dictionary. You’ll also find a picture of him under “tenacious”. He’s the bipolar of racing this season. He’s behind but he’s just scrappy enough to pull it off. Matt Kenseth. Refer to my Ryan Newman above but leave out the qualifying. Rusty, Kurt and Jeremy are supposedly out of the running so no comment. The race is in Texas this weekend. I hope they fill the seats because Larry Mac said Atlanta had a lot of empty ones. It’s the track owners’ fault! Take Homestead for example. The ONLY pit passes are for Sunday (and they’re sold out). I love going to the Truck race but the track said NO pit passes! It makes no sense. So this means I can’t get autographs or pictures of Truck, Busch or Cup drivers. I’m not going to the Truck or Busch race because of this. This is called mismanagement and yes I could do better if I was in charge. First let me dig out my voodoo doll. (Unedited Version) MARTIN SHOWS HIS MUSCLE AND I THINK I’LL PASS ON LIVIN’ LIKE LABONTE Posted 3:09pm Oct. 10 Mark Martin dominated. He made a new track record with most laps led and won the race. Do you think he was still a little ticked off about the Talladega race? Jeez, he practically told fans to riot, or in the least, plan a coup against the NASCAR-powers-that-be. Well, that didn’t happen so he seemed to say this week, “Screw ya’ll! I’ll just go run the tires off my car, and if anyone gets in my way, I’ll just run your a$$ over.” I like this Mark Martin, although he was still his pessimistic self, even in victory lane. He said he was too far back in points to win the Championship. NO YOU'RE NOT! Anything could happen in the next six races, anything! That being said, Tony Stewart sure is bulletproof lately. Conversely, anything that can go wrong will go wrong for Kurt Busch. His own teammate Matt Kenseth won’t even help him get five points for leading. I wouldn’t either as this is a RACE and not a ‘Sharing Lesson’ in kindergarten. But what can go right will go right for Tony. I thought he was losing an alternator in this race but within seconds and a little fairy dust, Shazam, it’s like his car is brand new. Bobby Labonte had Ragu as the sponsor on his car. Inside his car on the dashboard it said “Livin’ Like Labonte”. I got to wondering, what is “Livin Like Labonte”? I wouldn’t mind living like Labonte. Then he hit the wall. Suddenly, I don’t want to live like Labonte. And finally, I felt bad for Brandon Ash. Whose brilliant idea was it to take this guppy and throw him in a shark tank? Not that he wasn’t doing a great job and staying out of trouble but eventually the sharks realize there’s something in their water that doesn’t belong. That shark just happened to be Dale Jr. The Chase is on and the next track is Charlotte, aka Lowes. FYI, Mark Martin said he loves Charlotte. (unedited version) IT’S IN GOD’S HANDS AND UPS REALLY DOES DELIVER! To quote Jimmy Spencer from some time ago,” I came to a race and a rodeo broke out”. We had two super sized “Big Ones”. I was quite shocked there were any cars left to race. I made a comment that if there were any more wrecks we’d only have the pace car left and it would have to race the ambulance. Michael Waltrip and Scott Riggs get “The Best Stunt Car” award, although Scott wins for most terrifying flips. Kyle Petty wins “The Most Tenacious” award. His car looked like a crab on ice but he crawled across the finish line. Mark Martin wins “The Most Dejected-It’s Like Watching Someone Beat A Puppy” award. Mark was caught up in the first “Big One” and he said later, "It's hard to fight God's will and God's will was for me to finish about last, I'd have a championship by now if it was God's will.” The Chase isn’t over Mark! Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth fought the rest of the day for first place. But who should sling shot into the lead like a bat out of hell? Dale Jarrett. On the last lap his crew chief was yelling “Horsepower Dale, horsepower”! Obviously Dale had a couple of extra fillies hiding in the trunk and they were some Kentucky Derby winners! Congratulations Dale! I believe Dale lives by the rule, “It doesn’t matter how many laps you lead, as long as you lead the last lap”. COMMENTS: Somethings got to be done about talladaga. Maybe take away half of the banking and take off the restrictor plates. Then they would have to brake for the turns and they would have plenty of horsepower for the straits. I think that would make great racing. good job Dale! -ford fan God,s WILL:It was god's will for me to go the dega race for the first time ever.And it will be god's will for me to never miss a race at dega! My girlfriend bought me these tickets for my 40th birthday.Here is how it went! We took the good time tour bus to start out with.We showed up at the bus station at 12:30am sun. morning.We were about the 5th person in line.First off at the gate there was a big sign that said No Alcohlic beverges allowed.I said to myself this is going to be along trip! But to my surprise everyone in front of us were drinking like fish.I looked at my girlfrind and said check'em out.They had these coolers full of beer!I said lets go to store and get some beer! My mate says its to late and we should sleep on way and then we can buy some beer at the track.I said okay to her and to myself I say this is bull----!!!.Anyways we loaded up and took off.Well They partied all the way to track.(needles to say we did not sleep)We showed up at the track at 8:30. got our tickets and took off to find our seats.The tickets said OV Hill North. Sec.FF Row:20.We climb the stairs and at the top I look over and to my surprise there is a beer stand.I get a tall boy Miller lite with a smile:_) and cont. on to find our seats. We did'nt have to walk far!! I look out at the track and felt like i was in heaven.What a beautiful site!!WE had some great seats and a skip and a jump from the beer stand. Life is GOOD!!They fire'em up and chills run down my back.They came around to take green! And the smell of that racing fuel and the roar of them 700hp engines.It could not have been any better!Until THE Big ONE!! I believe it was lap 20.My guy was out!"8" and my 2nd choice"6"was also in it.Needless to say I spent alot of the rest of my day at the beer stand.( I was TORE UP!!) BY the end of race.I Felt right at home!! Beer and bathroom!! Right down hallway.I wanted to share my expirience with you folks because I know you are big race fans.And can relate to my feelings unlike my co partner.She did'nt get it!! and I'm sorry for her. Because its something in your blood.I had a great time!! At dega and the bus trip was not bad. $140.00 per.person and the staff was great!! And did'nt have to drive home!! IT WAS GODS WILL... IT was good therapy I highly recomment it to Every RACE FAN.Hope to see there next year. I'll be at the beer stand(Tower OV HILL NORTH)I'll have a beer in one hand and a finger flyin at Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson in the other - buddude HEY! MY UPS DRIVER IS A RACECAR DRIVER! September 27, 2005 I was waiting for my UPS driver today. Why? Because I had just ordered some “can wraps” for my Website. I tracked my packages and today was the day. More than I knew! My dog tried to run inside his truck, as usual, and that was the icebreaker. I was excited about my packages, so he asked me what was in them. I told him they were “can wraps” with my web site’s logo on them. I then told him it was a racing web site. Now he seemed interested. He told me about working with Georgia’s own Jody Ridley and we talked a little more about racing. I asked his name before he left and he said that it is Bill Tutchtone. I’m a detective and history buff at heart, so I did the natural thing for me and “Googled” him. Bill Tutchtone is not just a racecar driver; he’s a good racecar driver. Talk about modest! He didn’t even tell me any of this! I found this at the Mobile Speedway site, “And there is no hotter driver than Bill Tutchtone of Pensacola, FL, driver of the No. 98”. And this: “Tutchtone’s racing career actually began years ago when he was in high school. He worked with many local teams, as well Mike Cope, the NASCAR All-Pro Champion, Mobile’s Rick Crawford, and he even traveled with Winston Cup star Jody Ridley.” Click here for the rest of the article. I love living here. Everyone knows a racecar driver or they are one! And if you read this, Bill, I still can’t find anyone to go to Talladega! And you know I have to say this, ”Race the Truck, Bill!” I’VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION; NASCAR NEEDS NEW PR REPRESENTATIVES. I have read so many articles this week bashing NASCAR and NASCAR NATION. I feel the reason for this is that these writers and workers involved in NASCAR are not being heard and fundamentally ignored. There is a revolt in the makings and NASCAR needs to listen. Some of the gripes; Rules and punishments that are applied are not being uniformly applied to all drivers and owners. This has always been the case in NASCAR. Is it fair? No. This has been a long-standing tradition, and isn’t that what folks want, to stick to some of its deep-rooted traditions? Would you rather have an outside commission running NASCAR? I didn’t think so. In all seriousness, my favorite drivers have been devastated and saved by these arbitrary decrees. It always comes full circle. Don’t you think some of the veterans deserve a little more leeway then the new kids on the block? I do, even though there is no certainty there either! I can’t find anyone who likes NASCAR Nation. Was this their thinking? Let’s put some attractive woman in a studio (preferably someone who has posed naked, because men love eye-candy); then throw a man in there (because NASCAR is a man’s sport and there had better be one set of testicles on that stage); keep them quaffed; then you send less attractive or older but NASCAR knowledgeable people on the tracks, garages and just plain hot sun to do the real interviews. These are the very things we are tuning in to watch. At least that’s the show I saw. What they should have done: Find some attractive, articulate and NASCAR knowledgeable people. I’ve read these people’s biographies. Many have sports/reporting backgrounds, not racing. And stop letting them wear the latest fad and give them a uniform. Fire suits for everyone. And don’t tell me women can’t look attractive in fire suits. If they need to show breasts, just equip them with a push-up bra and unzip the fire suit. Wha-laa, Eye Candy!! However, I don’t think that should be a check-off on their diversity list. I personally would like to see more men, unless they’re going to hire me! Bottom line; they need to make this program look more like racing and less like E! Entertainment channel. We the race fans don’t want to be like every other shallow, Hollywood-wannabe types. We like being in a league of our own. Thursday, Friday, Saturday Night Lights: There is lots of racing this weekend folks and it’s all in Richmond Virginia. Let me start by saying, I obviously didn’t write an article on the California race and there are a few reasons why: 1. Things have been kind of crazy here since the hurricane. Lots of running and indecision of what the Navy was planning to do with my husband. 2. I’ve been to three races at the California Speedway and the atmosphere is a bit different then it is at other tracks. “Fans” are less likely to be there rooting for a certain driver and more likely to be there to ‘see and be seen’. I've never saw so many women in high heels at a racetrack. It boggles the mind. 3. And lastly, I simply conked out in my chair. I was sawing some serious logs before the end of the race. A California night race is not good for my ‘Central Standard Time’ brain. I have to say I’m very happy racing has come back to the southeast. I’m going to leave this article open and I will comment on the races as they come. Tonight 09/08/05 is the Truck Race. Thursday: The IROC race was fantastic. Martin and Busch fighting to the bitter end for a win. This display of racing is exactly why I’m a race fan. My whole house was yelling and screaming, just as if we were actually there. Martin comes out on top and I don’t think you could even say by inches, more like centimeters. Thursday: Truck racing is always fun. It seemed to have a lot of cautions last night. I prefer more green flag racing on this particular track only because there is so much opportunity for passing and some good hard racing. A question and some observations: -Why didn’t Tony Stewart qualify? -Deborah Renshaw could not keep the rear end of her truck off the wall. -Thanks for mentioning my name last night Mikey! He said his favorite KISS song was Beth and then attempted to sing it. Yikes! -Bad night for Roush racers. I’m really feeling bad for Ricky Craven lately. -Two of my favorite drivers finished in the top ten! -Congratulations Mike Skinner! You are HOT right now. And congratulations Bill Davis Racing! Busch Series Friday: Folks, Martin Truex Jr. had a tough night last night. That boy could not catch a break. I’m laughing because it seemed to be a comedy of errors, some his fault and some not. He got underneath Matt Kenseth’s car. That tore up some pins that hold his hood down. His hood stayed on but he was black-flagged. He didn’t quite listen to the Officials (never a good idea) and consequently lost two laps. Then this happens (You’ve got to see this and Realplayer is required) Video. Being knocked on two wheels does tend to put a person in a foul mood. Martin then did some more ranting and raving that could put him in more trouble with NASCAR. I’ve never been a fan of his but I hope they leave him alone and re-watch the race and see all the troubles he had. Kevin Harvick won. He deserved the win, as he was up front the entire race. What the heck was Greg Biffle doing? Robert Pressley had an easy top ten, that is, until Biffle ran right into him, destroying Robert’s racecar. Please let me know if the video link does not work. A little off the racing topics Refugees at the Civic Center in Pensacola Florida 09/01/05 A wonderful group of ladies called The Red Hat Society obtained two adjoining hotel rooms at the Seville Inn across the street from the Civic Center. Their purpose was to allow refugees at the Civic Center to come and take showers, find clothes and toys and watch some TV. Our job was to go to the Civic Center and tell people to come, as there were no shower facilities in the Center. The Red Cross was and is there feeding and taking care of these peoples needs. I helped in a very small way but would like to share with you my experience with these wonderful people. I was told when I went in the Center to act like I knew what I was doing and I belonged there. They were protecting the people inside and didn’t want any old weird-o coming in. I guess I looked official because I made it up stairs and started to get the word around. In one family I took 3 daughters and a baby in my truck over to the hotel. Let me tell you about this family. From what I could see there was a mother, father, four daughters two infants and three brothers. Mother declined the shower but asked that I take the girls over. I tried to talk one of the teenage boys in going with us but his brother is mentally retarded and would stay with him. His brother’s name was Lance. I sat down by him on the floor. At first he tried to say mama. I reassured him she was standing around the corner. He then threw his arms around me and rocked back and forth. I hugged him back because it is a rare occasion when pure love is wrapped around us. When I thought I couldn’t be more overwhelmed his brother quietly said that besides his mama, I was the first person he hugged in the three days they have been there. Yes, I was truly blessed. But I had work to do. I spoke to every person I walked by. I asked them where they were from and if they needed anything. I found the major thing people wanted was conversation; something so simple and easy to give. Many people were from New Orleans; others were from Bay St. Louis, St Bernard Parish and Biloxi. These are my observations and the comments of people I spoke to, A couple from St. Bernard quietly told me they found out their house was gone. A man I was passing by needed to tell someone that his sister died in the hurricane. He stopped me in my tracks. I held his hands and asked if I could get him anything. He said no. Simple acknowledgement. Simply telling me was enough. I spoke to another couple and told them how foolish I was to stay with my family through Hurricane Ivan. The lady touched my arm. They were no longer refugees and I was no longer a volunteer. At that moment as tears ran down our faces we became comrades. I topped off a water bowl for a German shepherd that was shaded by a bass boat. My friend and I spoke to an elderly gentleman who would not go in the Center because his 2 chihuahuas were not allowed in. People brought him and his dogs food and water. It was very hot yesterday. Then a family from the Red Hat Society said they were taking his family and dogs home with them. In a back hallway I found an elderly lady. She said she was cold. I was about to get her a blanket but she said someone was getting one for her. She asked me to hold her hands because they were so cold. I held her hands and asked her, her name. She said, “Martha Walker. We Walkers just keep on walking”! We laughed but she was hungry so I got her some food, sweet tea and water. She thanked me and I told Martha goodbye. As I write this my husband, who is in the Navy, was just notified to be on stand-by, as they might need him and other service members to drive buses into New Orleans and bring people back to Pensacola. Most gas stations are out of gas, Naval ships are pulling into port and military helicopters pound overhead. This may not be a war zone but it sure feels like a MASH unit. Do you want to help? Go to Jayski's Hurricane Relief Page. The Trash Heap 400 Not to long ago I wrote an article on Pocono and what a trash heap it was. Sorry Pocono. Michigan was much worse. Drivers and crews had to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to free their cars of “grill trash”. They gave up track position to get behind a car they could draft in the hope that their “grill trash” would fall off. They gave up track position to go in the pits to have crewmembers rid them of their “grill trash”. And, for many, the “grill trash” just suffocated the car and it blew up. Jeremy Mayfield won? I mean, who saw that coming? He even admitted that it was more of a process-of-elimination race. The first person that didn’t need gas in the last 10 laps was going to be the race winner. Don’t get me wrong; I think Jeremy is a fine racecar driver, but talk about a “lucky dog”. And while the Roush/Penske/Ganassi drama continues to dominate race media, Evernham Motorsports seemingly comes out of nowhere and gets a win. I want to thank Wally Dallenbach personally for his very loud and astute observation that the drivers were going to have to go in for a SPLASH AND GO! My only hope is that fans that are new to the sport may be curious as to what that term means and they get to Googling! At least on Google I’m #1!! Heaven and Hell Heaven: Tony Stewart is on fire, having a good time and acting like the champion he is. Who would have ever thought it? He is the image that NASCAR would like displayed. I’m sure the NASCAR powers-that-be have whispered in his ear, “Great job, keep up the good work, and we mean that literally”. No back sliding now, Tony. Hell: Kurt Busch is jumping overboard on the USS Roush. He has fans angry on both sides. The 97 fans feel abandoned and the #2 fans feel sucker punched. Kurt Busch and Miller Lite. No. He seems more like a wine spritzer guy to me. The #2 needs a tough guy! Put Tony in it. Or better yet, put Jimmy Spencer in it! Heaven: Jamie McMurray has had a bad week with rumors of backdoor dealings and contractually having to stay with a team he obviously doesn’t want to be with, as was apparent in this past week's news conference. And yet he pops in the top ten in standings (9th) and is in the Chase for the Race. He’s not acting like a “lame duck”. Hell: Jeff Gordon and Michael Waltrip can’t seem to catch a break on the track. Jeff’s issue seems to be car related and Michael can’t seem to prevent other drivers from running all over him! Purgatory: It’s only for three more weeks, but I feel these drivers will be so cautious and will not race hard or for a win unless of course it’s thrown in their laps. And those drivers are Rusty Wallace (4th), Mark Martin (5th), Kurt Busch (6th) and Jeremy Mayfield (7th). Mark Martin even said as much in yesterdays race. He said he wasn’t going to take any chances but after he makes the chase then he’ll take chances. The last three, Ryan Newman, Jamie McMurray and Carl Edwards will have to take chances and drive hard to keep those coveted positions. Michigan is this weekend, but really who cares (unless you’re going to the race) because just six days after that is the Bristol night race!!! And did you know that not one NASCAR race has been down south since July 2nd? Come on! And after the Bristol race they head all the way out to California and then turn around and head all the way back to Richmond! That’s insane. I bet those truck haulers are thinking, “Holy Crap! Can’t we inch our way out there?” They should start at some place like Pocono then move westward to Chicago, Texas, Phoenix and then California. My Silly Season Opinion; Let's step back and look at Jamie's (McMurray) side. Jack (Roush) did not do the same thing as Penske. Ganassi was dragging his feet and not telling Jamie if they were going to pick him up. Remember, they had the OPTION. Jamie had no say in this and was getting nervous of being out a ride and watching while all the other GOOD ones were getting ready to be taken. How do you know he (Jamie) didn't approach Jack? Jamie had every right to go looking for a ride when Ganassi refused to commit to him. AND Jack had every right to say, If Ganassi doesn't pick you up, you can drive the 6. Sabates, being the person he is decided to make himself look good and Jack look bad because he hates the House of Roush. It's called jealousy. The difference is Kurt is under contract. Not an OPTION contract and he had NO FEAR of being let go unlike Jamie. The Roush/Martin Factor This is just too interesting of a story to not comment on it. It is a rarity to see an owner and a driver so close and so connected in NASCAR or any racing series. Jack has said he loves Mark Martin and Mark is his soul mate. Mark has said he would do anything for Jack. These are pretty strong words for two men to say to each other. There is certainly a lot more going on in this relationship than just a boss and an employee. Could it be that Jack revitalized Mark’s career when he was about to give up on ever having a cup ride? Yes. Did Jack need Mark in the beginning? No. Jack was already a millionaire businessman and a past racecar driver. In one book I read that Jack hired him because he liked him. He had said that Mark was not concerned about his salary but more about the car, engines and testing. I think what Jack wanted and found in Mark Martin was someone equally dedicated to his passion. This brings me to “The Salute to You – Oh Wait a Minute, Let’s Add Another Year – Tour”. Mark is leaving. Jack needs him to stay, so Mark will stay and help him. It’s just a part of life and it’s what friends do for each other. There was a saying -- and trust me when I say I’m paraphrasing -- “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans”. I can guarantee you that Mark Martin fans are not shedding any tears over this decision. Next year it can be the “Salute to Me Tour”, and the next year it can be “Salute to Dogs Tour”. It's a silly season and owners and drivers are splitting up and on not-so-good terms. Ganassi/Sterling Ganassi/McMurray(07) Ganassi/Manning (IRL) (note to self - don't work with Ganassi) DEI/Waltrip Roush and Martin are the exception and not the rule. By staying one more year for Jack, Mark Martin continues to show us what kind of man he is: A man with “True Grit”. A Strange Race The strange thing about Jimmie Johnson’s crash on Sunday was that the EMT officials allowed him to sit on the pit wall and refuse medical care. Since when do they let a driver refuse medical care? Every race that I have seen where a driver was involved in a crash they have required that the driver had to be seen by the infield medical unit before they were released. Whether they were taken by ambulance or not, they had to go there. I remember one race in which Dale Jarrett was involved in an accident and he waited and waited for the emergency personnel. He finally got out of his car and started walking alongside the track. When they showed up behind him in an ambulance he, waved them off as if to say, “Go to Hades”. They kept creeping behind him and finally after about a ¼ mile they convinced him to get in the ambulance. Jimmie Johnson was definitely dazed, had some smoke inhalation, and they take his word for it that he’s fine? I’ve seen drivers crash, jump out of their car, yelling and throwing punches and they are still rounded up by the officials and taken to the infield care center. Once released, they have either cooled down or they continue their tirade. Jimmie Johnson needed to be taken care of, period. Thank God for the safer barriers. He could have been killed, or at the least become a now-retired driver like Jerry Nadeau or Ernie Irvan. I think Tony Stewart enjoyed his win a little too much. He’s driving around and jumping out and driving around and jumping out. Even the interviewers gave up on him. They had to interview their top five finishers and in the background there’s Tony, still driving around. They go to another interview and there’s Tony in the background, climbing a fence … again. Tony, step away from the car! Congratulations. Bob Margolis from Yahoo Sports slams Gordon for not being a real Hoosier. He stated that Tony is the first true native in 40 years to win at the Brickyard. He is correct because we all know that Jeff Gordon was not born in Indiana. I do get tired of hearing he was “California’s own Jeff Gordon” or in Indiana, he was “Indiana’s own Jeff Gordon” depending on where the race was that weekend. Doesn’t he live in Florida now? Maybe after the divorce he went to North Carolina. Make up your mind! It doesn’t look like Junior is making the Chase. With the pressure off he could drive better than ever now, but something tells me no. There seems to be some issues at DEI that needs to be dealt with first. I’ll sign off from now on as, Florida’s, Illinois’s, California’s, Virginia’s, Wisconsin’s, Utah’s Own, B.A. Carter! I’ve lived in all of ‘em, so I guess that makes 'em mine! Welcome to the "I'll Throw A Caution For ANYTHING 500"!! Is Pocono a racetrack or a garbage heap? I have never seen so many cautions for debris in my life! The race was a snore in the beginning but became very entertaining at the end. Was I happy Kurt Busch won? No. Why? Because when he’s a winner, he’s gracious and all-American as apple pie. When he’s not, he is Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde. I don’t like rooting for two people in one body. I want to know what I have in my pot. I don’t want to take the lid off when I am boiling a chicken and find a skunk! The same goes for Tony Stewart. He’s showing us his puppy side. I know! Who knew he had one! It’s nice, but when you think you’ve got a goldfish, it’s frightening to turn around and see a Great White! Okay, enough of the analogies! And people pick on Jimmy Spencer! At least he was a Rottweiler when I brought him home and he is every morning I wake up! Okay! Enough! What I’m trying to say is that I’ve seen enough of these guys on camera that I can discern when they are being fake and when their true colors are coming out. Now that being said, I don’t believe these new NASCAR reality shows make us part of some driver’s family. They are heavily edited. True colors come out on the track and I thank the reporters for being there. And speaking of reality shows, (trust me, I’m going to bring this all together) I recall the one with Jeremy Mayfield and his wife where she sat in the backseat and the dog got the passenger seat up front. Yes, I thought that very strange. But then I remembered prior to my husband and I having children, we treated our dogs like royalty. Then we had the little ones and those furry, mangy little vermin had to stay away from the babies. KIDDING. But they weren’t royalty anymore. The point is that people do and will change throughout their life. That’s normal. But changing day-to-day and race-to-race is a little abnormal. Dare I say schizophrenic? And I need to set this record straight: Mark Martin did not call Carl Edwards an idiot. This is what went down: Rusty said to Mark’s spotter, “Let’s take it nice and easy and bring these babies home now.” Rusty’s crew chief or spotter paraphrased and said, on national TV, “He (Mark) ain’t gonna race to wreck ya, but he is gonna race you, but he says he’s got an idiot behind him (Carl Edwards).” What Mark really said was, “I got a guy behind me that’s got no sense.” And lastly, a comment to my editor: You moved to Key Largo to get away from the hustle and bustle of St. Louis. Start writing that book! It will be a Best Seller! Who love’s Ya Baby? See you Saturday in Pensacola at the airport!!! Where there’s Smoke, there’s Fire! Tony Stewart is on fire! He seemed to have a rebirth of attitude and now is on a winning streak. It’s Hammer Time, “Can’t Touch This!” He’s also taken up fence climbing. Please keep the helmet on. Matter of fact, get Carl Edwards a helmet too. No post-race head injuries, please. I guess they got tired of pious sports reporters saying that NASCAR drivers aren’t considered athletes. Now we need Mark Martin to win again and maybe he’ll jump out of the car and bench press a few fans (he’s an avid weight lifter). Or have Michael Waltrip win and take a run around the racetrack (he runs marathons). Have Ken Schrader win and get in a soapbox derby car and race kids around the track (he’ll race anything). Maybe Dale Jr. can win again and jump out of his car and…ahh…drink a beer! Now that’s my kind of exercise! And now for some ramblings; Jamie is not happy with Matt. He did punt you, but he will be your teammate in ’07. Let the love fest begin. The nicest guy on the track took out Elliott. Then we all know it was an Elliott problem and not a Mark problem. But they have something in common. Aren’t green M&M’s the same as Viagra? Jeff Gordon lost his brakes. He and Robby did not see eye to eye on what to do. Robby told him to nurse it and stay out. Jeff said loudly, “I have no brakes! What am I supposed to do?” And they say you and Robby are buddies. Hmmm? Question? How are repairs going at Hotlanta? Please e-mail. Daytona: Love it or hate it? Loved it: "I finally got me a Daytona trophy.'' – Tony Stewart "It's a lot of fun when you have these kinds of cars.'' – Dale Earnhardt Jr. "It's a good thing, and we're very pleased with it and happy to be leading the points," – Jimmie Johnson Hated it: "I'm glad this is the last time I ever have to race here." – Mark Martin "Restrictor plate racing is just what it is -- it's going around in circles and putting on a show for the fans -- otherwise there's not a driver in the garage that would do it." – Greg Biffle “…Jeff Burton was bump-drafting me to get me going and just wrecked me." – Michael Waltrip First, let me say Congratulations to Tony Stewart, Martin Truex Jr. and Todd Bodine. They are all winners this weekend in their respective series. But enough about the drivers, let’s talk about me! I am an avid race fan. I research drivers, compare statistics and study this sport’s historical roots. In other words, I am no slacker when it comes to NASCAR knowledge. Now that being said, you would not have known it by watching me last night. In the beginning, oh, say 5:00pm CST, I had my game face on. I had all the TVs on, the Trackpass on, all while perusing certain message boards. I was preparing. In preparing, I decided to open my first beer. They said it was raining but the race would probably go on as scheduled. They were wrong! And with nothing for my hands or eyes to do, I decided to have a few more beers. Finally, when the race started at about 9:00 p.m., I am officially “three sheets to the wind.” But because of the excitement of the race starting I have another ‘cold one.’ An hour into the race I decide to go on a message board and state to everyone that I am toasted. My only saving grace is that my ability to type is quickly going down hill as my fingers begin to feel like Jimmy Dean sausages. It’s not worth it to me to post any more messages. Trackpass has tiny little typeface and starts to become annoying to squint at. I shut it down. This would probably be a good time for me not to have another beer, but I do. At this point it’s anywhere between 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. My walking ability is hampering me from getting another beer, so I decide to finish watching the race in bed. Don’t ask me how I was going to accomplish this when I don’t turn the TV on and I flop face down in the bed. Fast forward to 7:00 a.m. I wake up and can’t seem to remember the end of the race. So I shake my husband awake and tell him I don’t remember who won the race. He said, “It’s because you fell asleep an hour before it was over! Tony Stewart won.” I too was disappointed in this race. It started too late. I succumbed to the peer pressure of beer commercials, and, as usual, the drivers I like always get smashed up in the “Big One!” But what are you going to do? It’s July 4th weekend! Have a beer and don’t drink and drive! The S's Have It! Setzer, Sauter, Stewart. I see that Johnny Sauter won the Busch race Saturday night. Johnny is from Necedah, Wisconsin, and it reminded me of something that happened many years ago. From 1991-94 my husband was a Navy Recruiter in Wisconsin. Necedah High School happened to be one of his regional schools. Years later we came to find out the Sauter boys were doing well in racing and my husband recalled talking to the younger Sauter boys (along with other students) about a career in the Navy. My husband mentioned that there were a lot of Sauters in that town. Come to find out, Johnny Sauter is one of 12 children. When my husband and I think back to those days we have to laugh. My husband was trying to get a Sauter to make a career of the Navy when now we see they had their futures mapped out for them, it seems even before they were born! Then in 1998 we met Tim Sauter at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola. Tim is two years older then my husband so he was not one of the “boys” my husband tried to recruit. For more info on the Sauters, try this page, The Sauter Story. On to the Cup race at Infineon Raceway. For the first time I am actually writing about it before it is over. It looks like Junior’s bad luck continues and he may not make the Chase for the Championship. He did get voted Fox’s Sexist Driver today. But if that God-awful, blazing hot pink construction paper and Elmer’s glue heart was his prize, I don’t think it will give him much comfort tonight. I’d rather you throw big dog nuggets on my yard and say, “How do ya like that, sweet cheeks”, than have to actually take that ugly, no-thought-put-into-it thing home. This race has been pretty detrimental to a lot of cars. The good thing about road races is that it is very difficult to go a lap down. So far only nine cars are one lap or more down. Compare that to the truck race on Friday. Only four trucks were on the lead lap! I have really enjoyed seeing Ricky Rudd in the lead! But it looks like Smoke is going to win this thing. He has been driving great today. I love it when the announcers talk about fuel! I’m hoping they all need a “Splash and Go”! Do it! Do it! Congratulations Tony. We are going to Daytona next week! Yee Haw! The Roush Twinkie: Starring Tony Stewart as the cream filling Talk about dominance! Four of the five Roush Racers finished in the top five at Michigan on Sunday. Tony Stewart spoiled Jack’s ‘full house’ by taking second place, and Kurt Busch looked like the redheaded stepchild by finishing out of the top ten. Sterling Marlin was axed by Ganassi and his car blew-up! It didn’t just blow up but became one great ball o’ fire and he saved it from slamming into the wall. Can you say sabotage? Did anyone else notice that (besides the winner, Greg Biffle), Joe Nemechek was one of the fastest on the track all day long? Did anyone else believe that Mark Martin might have actually caught up to Greg Biffle? He was passing everybody on the track. He sure acts like he’s having a lot of fun. And the bad luck continues for Gordon and Junior. I think I might have figured out Junior’s problem. Every time I see a driver interviewed and Dale Jr’s name comes up they always make references to partying and beer. Hmmmm. Maybe he needs to not sample so much of his sponsor’s product. Heck, Mark Martin says he doesn’t use his sponsor’s product at all. So see, it can be done. And if I were Sterling Marlin, I would start hording in large quantities your sponsor’s product. I’ll help! You can use my garage. I’d much rather help Rusty out, but beggars can’t be choosers. And if you don’t know who these sponsors are, then “you don’t know nothing about Jasper Racing” (inside joke between me and J.D. that was highly fueled by Rusty’s sponsor) Until next time: Sterling, sleep with one eye open and call me for storage; Junior, dry out a little; And, J.D., whatever happened to Buckshot? He was in that highly-fueled-by-Rusty’s-sponsor disagreement. Oh joy, we’re off to a road course this weekend! Can you hear my sarcasm? Name: jeff State: FL Comments: I happen to like road courses and think there should be a couple more on the circuit.... No Article! Sorry. I had a busy weekend with tropical storms (Arlene to be exact), company from Kentucky and taking care of some animals for my friend (chickens and dogs to be exact). I watched the race and thought it was very exciting but I just didn’t have anytime to sit at my computer! Hope this weekend is different! B.A. Name: Tina State: FL Comments: Well, I saw the race too and thought it was fun. Heck, racin's always fun! Thanks, Ms. B.A. Carter, for getting me hooked! Who loves ya, Homey! NO MORE UNDERDOGS? We all know the roots of NASCAR. It began in the poor regions of the Southern United States, where boys could make money by delivering illegal moonshine while at the same time using souped up cars to outrun the law. The stories are filled with adventure, danger and rough and tumble good ole boys. In today’s NASCAR there isn’t a lot of the “good ole boy” gene still around. I saw it in the late Dale Earnhardt and gleams of it in drivers like Jimmy Spencer, Sterling Marlin, Ward Burton, Dale Jr., Elliott Sadler, Dale Jarrett, Ricky Rudd and even Mark Martin. I’m hesitant about Mark being included because I don’t see him cracking heads and running moonshine but he does have that gleam in his eye. It could be a combination of: Southern accents (But Jimmy’s from the north!); Actually being a “good ole boy”, even for a short time; And actually knowing how to work on a car engine. Those three things combined today might get you a decent mechanic’s job, but not a lot else. The difference between then and now is that you have to have money to get that ‘Sunday money’. I’m not even going back to the 60’s. The 90’s movie Days of Thunder even looks like an old time movie. You don’t see drivers going to the next race, sitting in the hauler with the car! Gasp! Drivers now have mansions, planes, yachts, and can be in the premier series of racing practically right out of high school. Team owners are kings and their drivers are superstars. This week Mark Martin reminded us how much things have changed. “Man, we used to fix these things ourselves, and we used to get fired if we wrecked them. You'd wreck one about four, five, six times and you're out of a ride. It's not like that anymore. You can wreck them every week and it seems like you can keep your job”. Speed TV The underdogs use to be the guys who owned and drove their car. If these guys didn’t do well, they did not make the next race, David against Goliath. Now these guys are called ‘Field Fillers’ and not considered competition. The next closest thing to an underdog is the single car owner. Seemingly unheard of in this Roush/Hendrick day and age, but the Wood Brothers are still doing it. And yet they still don’t feel like an underdog to me. So who are the underdogs today? It has to be the veteran drivers. It sounds like they’re 70 years old pushing 80. They are in their 40s being pushed out the driver’s side window. Just ask Ward Burton. It’s turned into a blue light special for youth over talent. After all, we are seeing more wrecks, disrespectful driving and disrespectful attitudes. I just want to grab some of these kids and say, “Didn’t you ever have to pay for things you destroyed? Weren’t you raised to respect your elders? Do you kiss your mama with that mouth”? We need the next generation of drivers, but it just feels like far too many of them still need parental control. Who do I think looks good to take over the reins? Thanks for asking! My picks are Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Casey Mears, Kyle Busch (Not Kurt), Reed Sorenson and Jon Wood. I think their stars will shine bright; but more importantly, I think they’ll be able to handle it. Side Note: I believe that if Adam Petty were still alive, he would have been one of the few to set the standard on how to be competitive and respectful. I had the pleasure of meeting Adam and his father Kyle 18 months before Adam died. His father was jovial and laughing and made you feel like you were his long lost friend. Adam was quiet and shy, but quite respectful. When I spoke to him, he looked at me and said, “Thank you,” and then his father said something funny. Adam gave his Dad that big smile and there was no denying that he was the King’s grandson. What were you thinking? It seems that sponsors want younger and younger racers and see what they get for it. A Shane Hmiel. Going 200 mph on a track isn’t enough “high” for him? He has to have a drug induced “high” to go along with it? That is just plain scary! I don’t have a lot of compassion for his plight. I’m not going to talk about drugs because I don’t know what it was they found in his system. I’m more concerned with his lack of respect and if he will truly be held accountable for his actions. I am not old nor was I raised in Mayberry but I was taught that everything I do has a consequence, good or bad. And that I am responsible for said consequences. Let me step off my soapbox for a minute. I was occasionally able to place the blame on my brother for a few things I did. But in my defense, getting your older sibling in trouble is the American way! And I’m an American! Let me crawl back on my soapbox. I don’t doubt Shane worked hard to get where he was in NASCAR. But in his youth and ignorance he didn’t realize that some opportunities only come around once in a lifetime. And yes, everyone makes mistakes. I don’t believe (in most cases) in one strike and you’re out. Scott Wimmer, for example, got a DUI, took his punishment and as far as I know has not had a repeat of that incident. Nor do I think Shane should be crucified because he has made the same mistake twice. Truth be told, I have heard that some who live in the Mooresville area have witnessed other drivers and crewmembers doing other, how shall I say, illegal activities. Also, down here in Pensacola, fans witnessed a certain NASCAR racer’s son (hint-beer sponsor), participating in an activity that is considered illegal for someone under the age of 21. But I digress. I’m more amazed at the lack of respect Shane has for those who have invested time and money in him, two of them being the owner and the sponsors. He made this mistake once. He served his penance, was forgiven (obviously or he wouldn’t be in a race car) and just decided not to think about or care that others were putting their money and name on the line for him? Maybe with today’s young drivers the “meteoric rise” should be slowed enough to allow for some maturity but that is the very thing that some of the sponsors are passing on!! I guess Shane could be the poster child for, “Grow up and quit doing that crap”! Have a beer (provided you’re old enough). Besides, it’s three strikes and you’re out, and that’s the American way! Well, except for drug testing. unedited version The Good, the Bad and the Ugly! The Good To quote Jack Roush, “I love Mark Martin”. I don’t mean on such a personal level as Jack, but I certainly admire the man. The definition of admire is: To marvel at: to think highly of often in a somewhat impersonal manner. He had an excellent run and an excellent win in the All-Star race Saturday night. But isn’t it just like Mark to have his first win be a non-points race. That is so Mark Martin. When he’s under pressure to win a championship, he outwits himself by overthinking and taking to heart every tiny thing that goes wrong. But when there’s no pressure and a million dollar gift at the end, he’s a fast free flying bird! That car, that crew and that driver were perfection last night and I need to see more racing like that. The Bad The Big One. The type of crash usually associated with tracks like Talladega happens here at Charlotte. I couldn’t believe the carnage that wreck produced! Good old-fashioned hard-driving adrenaline and tight quarters caused it. The Ugly This occurred when drivers tried to pin the blame on Joe Nemechek for the aforementioned ‘Big One’. I’ve seen the replay several times (thanks to Track Pass) and Tony Stewart caused that accident. But the funny thing is that the only driver Joe took out was Kevin Harvick. Tony swooped down and took out the whole rest of the field. I believe that Tony Stewart could have rammed Kevin several times and Kevin would have still blamed Joe. Oh no! Kevin don’t like Joe. And how does Joe feel about that? He said, “He’s just being an idiot, being Kevin”. No love lost there. And finally, Tony Stewart cracks me up. He mentioned that he might have caused that wreck. Ya think? But then added only because Joe did something wrong in front of him. Oh no! Don’t blame Joe! So in conclusion: Mark – Good Big Crash – Bad Blaming Joe Nemechek – Ugly Tony Stewart – Who is this light hearted, jovial creature and what did you do with the real Tony? Maybe it's just Smoke and mirrors. Ha! I crack myself up! I love racing and I love writing, but I just can’t think of very much to say regarding this weekend’s races. I watched all three races and usually one of them is exciting enough to make me want to write. Congratulations to Kasey Kahne, but who didn’t see that coming? If you run up front all of the time, eventually you are going to win. Congratulations also to Carl Edwards on his Busch win and Bobby Hamilton on his Truck win. Truth be told, I was not rooting for Bobby. There are a couple guys in the Truck Series that I am big fan of and I will simply say their initials are RP and JS. Edwards and Kahne winning this weekend just fell flat for me. Nothing personal because they seem like great guys. It’s just that I don’t have a history with them. They are new to the Cup Series and I don’t know who they are. If Martin, Jarrett, Wallace or even Gordon wins, I get it, I know them, and we have history. No, I don’t eat dinner with them, swap recipes with their significant others or even have their phone numbers. What I do have is years of watching them, reading their books, listening to their car radios and laughing at some of their interviews. I’m a part of those racing families and this weekend made me feel a little bit like an outsider. That song Oh Susanna just popped into my head. HA! All right, enough of the depression! I’ll just have to watch NASCAR 360, or better yet, NBS 24/7. Maybe I just have open up and get to know these new drivers. We have more night races coming up and the Indy 500. Who could be sad about that? Talladega or Dale Jr-ville Every time I have attended a Cup race I tell myself I will not ever do that again. Then I forget and go to another! The reasons to not attend a Cup race are: Traffic, Traffic, Traffic; crowds; nasty toilets; sloppy drunks; and so much more. Conveniently forgetting all of this, I could not resist going to Talledega. This is not a race venue for the faint of heart. Picture this: A beautiful trip through the back roads of Alabama and then a highway with an abrupt 3 and ½ hour stop. Apparently Talladega has never been sold out before. But to their chagrin, all 160,000 Dale Jr. fans did decide to attend this May’s race. Our reward for our ‘sitting-in-traffic patience’ was a rethinking on their part, to open up what was yesterday a lake but today a nice squishy parcel of clay. Can you say “orange shoes” all day? The good thing was that this squishy parcel was right next to the track. It was also next to the port-o-potties. I thought this was a good thing until upon entering all of them (I was looking for a winner) it seemed that there was a bad bout of dysentery going around (gag!). Hire someone to clean the toilets! Moving on. The race had been going on for some 20 minutes by the time I picked up my tickets at Will Call, but this was my fault for making a last minute-trip. And my seats sucked -- my fault once again. If you are in the first ten rows at a racetrack, you have to stand the entire race. The folks in the first five rows have to stand to see any of the track and then the rest of us have to stand just to see over their red 8 hat-wearing heads. Yeah, you heard me! I said it. Talk about a Red State! I was completely surrounded by the color red. Dale Jr does not make me uncomfortable, but his cult does!! With that being said, most of the race fans are friendly and fun. Some a little more friendly than others, but in my book I feel hoots n’ hollers are not a sign of disrespect, rather a genuine compliment. The race its self was loud, bleacher shaking and wonderful. I love the smell of NASCAR. The ‘The Big One’ happened and people who weren’t Jr. fans were grumbling and blaming him for the wreck. Jr. fans were thrilled and screaming joyfully that he escaped the melee. My friend was being very loud and forthcoming about her distaste for Dale Jr. While pleading with her to “Simmer down,” and, “Be quiet, they’ll kill us,” I glanced up and noticed about 200 people staring past me and up into the bleachers. It seems an episode of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ was about to take place. Apparently some male Jr. fans were throwing beads up to a female Jr. fan begging to see her you-know-whats. My first clue that she obviously gave into the peer pressure was the shout of “Yea” and the proliferation of cameras appearing by the male folk in the audience. My second clue was a woman stating real loud, ”She gone and done it!” Which was shortly followed by, “The cops done come and got her!” And if I hear the saying “Git ‘er Done” one more time, I think I will git ‘er done by hitting that person in the head with their red 8 hat! The best part of my day happened next. Since the red flag was never going to end, the lady next to me started some friendly small talk. We shared stories of why we loved racing and found out we were both raised in families that had the racing bug. She then tells me that her uncle is Jake Elder. This is the point in the story where I realize I’m not as old as I think I am and I am not as knowledgeable about NASCAR as I always thought I was. Offhandedly I tell her that’s my Dad and my son’s name. Jake, you know, not Elder. Then she realized I was a complete idiot and said “Suitcase Jake. Did you ever hear of Suitcase Jake?” She told me about her uncle and of another Elder and how she has a picture of her as a baby in Richard Petty’s baby’s bassinet. I suddenly remembered why I went to the racetrack. You can’t meet people like this by sitting in front of the TV watching a race. Below this article you will find one on Suitcase Jake as discussed by Jack Roush. Congratulations to Jeff Gordon, although I didn’t see it happen as I snuck out with 22 laps to go to avoid traffic. Also, since the drivers I root for were unceremoniously wrecked, I didn’t think it inappropriate behavior to leave early just this once. As I said in the beginning of this article, you’re crazy to go to a Cup race. So if anyone is going to Homestead in November, I’ll probably see you there. Heck, maybe I’ll even be at Atlanta. I am a glutton for punishment! 'Suitcase Jake' epitomizesearly years of engineering Long before there were laptops, and waves of technical gurus, NASCAR had its own version of engineering expertise. Jack Roush, who entered the Winston Cup series as an owner in 1988, has fond memories of guy named Jake Elder, a respected crew chief of the 1960s and 70s who exercised a knack for garage problem-solving in his later years. "If you had a demon, if your team was beset by bad luck, he would bring his little bag of templates and stuff to check out a car with," says Roush. "And he would go in and the guys would get out of his way, and he would make his adjustments, and when he was done, if there was a demon in there, he'd have it chased off." Nicknamed "Suitcase Jake," Elder -- who still lives in North Carolina -- apparently wasn't just practicing voodoo. He was David Pearson's crew chief during Pearson's Cup championship seasons of 1968 and '69, and had, "instinct, a great feel for the cars," according to another former Cup champion, Benny Parsons, who worked with Elder as his crew chief for four seasons. "And his tape measure, on the sides that didn’t have the numbers and the lines, he would put his felt-tip marker marks," explains Roush. "And those would be things that he would use to check various places on the car for critical dimensions, that he'd worked out to be correct." According to Roush, "Suitcase Jake" had one tape measure for short tracks, and one for long tracks. And Roush -- who has a masters degree in scientific mathematics -- swears the man could chase demons (real or imagined) from race cars. He remembers noticing Elder on the hauler roof next to his one day at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "And I'm timing on the front side on the start-finish line, and he’s timing on the front side on the start-finish line, and he’s timing on the back," says Roush. "And it looked to me like you'd have more trouble seeing back there based on the motor homes and things. I said, 'Jake, why are you timing on the back?' And he said, 'Well, I'm trying to pump my driver up today. You know, whenever I time on the back I usually get a faster time, and he needs a little pick-me-up today. I'm trying to pick up his spirits a little.'" The retelling prompts laugher; Roush clearly relishes the story. He says the legend of "Suitcase Jake" epitomizes stock car racing's old common-sense approach to a very mechanical, and sometimes mystifying, sport. "But that era, I think unhappily, is gone," laments Roush. "To where nobody can really take the race car on themselves. We're today resigned to having specialists in different areas." Sportsillustrated Boys Gone Wild! It’s a NASCAR Free For All! 05/08/05 These NASCAR boys have started to lose it! We have drivers ramming one another; we have drivers thumbing their nose at officials; but first and foremost, we have a lot of sarcasm and better quotes each week! ;-) Michael Waltrip and Jeff Green wrecked in the very beginning of the race. Wrecks happen and at first I thought it was no big deal. Then they decided to interview Michael in the garage as he sat in his car. Friends, the man had lost it! He stared into space and just sat there for the longest time. When they asked him what happened, he simply said, "It's sad. Good thing it was Mother's Day because my momma said don't talk bad about people." Then he went back to that same blank stare. Okay, NASCAR officials, just to give you a heads-up, this boy is no longer thinking about racing. He’s on a crazy mission to take his rolling hunk of junk out there and make Jeff Green’s car into an even bigger rolling hunk of junk. And he did. The only thing Jeff Green can do is pretend he is in an episode of Speed Racer. In Speed Racer, Speed could never just race. He had to spend the entire race fighting off attackers with knives, guarding his tires from tire shredders and protecting any family members and/or monkeys hiding in his trunk. So simply put, Jeff Green had to protect his monkey last night! But as we all saw, Waltrip’s insanity prevailed and he took out Green and any family members in the trunk. Can you believe that Waltrip is not the winner of our Needs-to-be-on-Prozac Grand Prize? That honor goes to Kurt Busch for a number of reasons. He wrecked all by himself on the first lap of the Darlington race. He then spent the next four hours slipping into some sort of regression, I’d say, to about the age of 12. Officials asked him to let the pace car and all lead drivers go by his hunk of junk. He didn’t. I imagine him saying, “Don’t wanna and you can’t make me.” Then, because he disobeyed, Officials told him to bring his car in, shut it off and wait for two laps before leaving the pits. I guess this is when the cussing started, the revving up of his engine (which, by the way, is the opposite of shutting it off) and the throwing of a water bottle, which just by coincidence hit an Official. Can you say temper tantrum? And to think his mother was there to witness it all. Happy Mother’s Day! On a side note, while testing on a track in Wisconsin this last week, he crashed into an ambulance, injuring the two paramedics inside. Honorable Mention award goes to Rusty Wallace. In last weekend’s race he crashed into one of Jeff Burton’s pit crew, sending him to the hospital. Rusty said he didn’t even know he hit the guy. This was clearly a case of a pit crewmember jumping in front of Rusty’s car in a thwarted attempt to most likely attack him with a knife or even shred his tire. Good save, Rusty! Finally, the James Bond move of the race goes to Mark Martin and Carl Edwards. Both of them were headed into the wall and both managed to save their cars! I hear Mark threw his car into reverse, thus pulling it back from the wall. Maybe he should be a stunt driver next year. And as the Speed Racer song says: Adventure’s waiting just aheeeeeeeeeeeeeeead! I am so excited for this weekend’s Richmond race! Martinsville: Well, not this race. Almost! Mark Martin did come in third, but it?s amazing how many points he moved up! Mark and the race winner Jeff Gordon moved up six positions. Big jump. The biggest loser in the top ten would be Harvick, as he lost seven positions. The most interesting thing to me is the ages of the top ten drivers to finish this race. Young Guns, Schmung Guns! Five of the drivers finishing in the top ten today were over 40 years old with names like Wallace, Martin, Marlin, Nemechek, and Rudd. I consider that a lot of racing royalty! And to think two of the above-mentioned names are retiring next year! Why? My guess is they?re going out on top! I would like to pose a question to Sterling Marlin: What?s up with the ramming and bumping job you were doing on Mark Martin?s car? Please e-mail me within the next few days, wink, wink. I like you, Sterling, but I was thinking enough is enough! And my next thought was ?Break him right in half, Mark. You know, after the race?. And for my final comment, I do not need to see any more Junior commercials. He?s not even in the top ten in points. He?s pimpin? vitamins, beer, rental cars, car parts and lipstick or something, I don?t recall exactly what that one was about. We?re off to?where are we going next week? Ya?ll with tickets know, but I have to check. TEXAS it is! THE SALUTE TO YOU, LAST CALL, LIMITED SCHEDULE NEXTEL CUP? Out with the old and in with the new. NASCAR is shoveling them out with a bulldozer and bringing them in with a dump truck. That is what I thought at first. Then I decided not to go along with what others are saying and instead educate myself. There are 50 drivers on the NASCAR.com 2005 Nextel Cup Drivers roster (that’s a mouth full). Some of the drivers are fulltime and some are on a limited schedule. I could only use 48 of the 50 drivers because Morgan Shepherd and Greg Sacks’ date of birth have eluded me. I took the 48 drivers and their ages and figured out the median age for Cup drivers. It turned out to be 36 years old and that age is neither young nor old. I felt that Kyle Busch (19) and Brian Vickers (21) could have thrown off my Bell Curve. But by eliminating them from the calculations the median age came to 37. Not much difference. And even if we lose 3 veterans in 2006 to retirement, I did find that this year alone, 4 of the twenty-something drivers will become thirty, one 39 year old will be 40 and one 49 year old will turn 50. Let’s group the 48 drivers by age:
I have come to the conclusion that, “the more things change, the more they stay the same”, “what’s old is new again” and “everything comes full circle”. I’m glad the media hyped the Young Guns because it has brought more fans to NASCAR. This means I can watch races live on television every week. When NASCAR was not a widely popular sport we use to get taped versions of some of the races. Now I can watch every Truck Series and Busch race live! Not that long ago, few truck races were shown live, but thanks to the people at Speed TV we never have to miss a one. Speaking of truck racing, I would like to reiterate what I said last season. This series is one of the most exciting to watch. They are fast, wild and you don’t have to rearrange your schedule to watch one because they are short (mileage wise). If you have a chance, get a pit/garage pass for a truck race, it’s well worth it. The generosity shown by the drivers and crews is amazing. I also hear-tell that Robert Pressley has a full-time ride this year in the 59 truck! It’s about time the Mayor of Truckville and the Daytona truck champion is back! This is going to be the best truck series ever. And enter Mr. Excitement himself, Jimmy Spencer, driving the #1 Dodge! If you’ve met either of these men in person you can’t help but like them. They take their racing seriously and treat their fans like they’re part of the family. Just some of the drivers in this years exciting line-up:
And don’t forget the ladies, Sutton & Renshaw! They are both true racers with very interesting stories. If you don’t know these ladies or their racing histories it’s time to honor them and find out. Come on be diverse! I love racing! 02/03/05 The Daytona 500 Hoopla! February is FINALLY here and most of us are gearing up for the Daytona. We will not be attending this year, nor have we ever, but we will be putting on our annual 500 party. We feel that a big party is in order just to get the season off on the right foot. We have friends flying in from Key Largo and all the usual suspects (our racing buddies) will be present on February 20th. Yes, we actually have people flying in because as I said this is no small event and we take our racing seriously. There are certain types of etiquette that must be followed in order to attend: 1. You must wear your favorite driver accessories, including but not limited to hats, shirts and jewelry. The vehicle you drive to the party should be accessorized, as well as your children and dogs. It’s a big party and we need to know what belongs to whom, although this can backfire. This party has a large group of “Martin” fans. You could be a childless “Martin” fan and out of the blue be handed a child that is wearing attire similar to yours. Don’t panic, just hand him to another Martin fan and eventually the owner of the child will be found. Dogs on the other hand will automatically go to their owner so please don’t pick them up. 2. BYOBeer. Not that I won’t have plenty and I love to share, but don’t drink my beer while telling me how much better a different brand is. Get in your accessorized car and drive the quarter mile down to the convenient store and buy your own. 3. You must join in the drivers’ pool. Pick a driver from the hat for only $1.00 per driver or 2 for $2.00. Have another beer you’ll see it’s a bargain. If you want to exchange drivers with someone else, feel free. All that matters is that the money is in the pool. 4. The big TV in the living room is for fans that want to watch the entire race. The smaller TV in the Florida room will be for fans that want to keep an eye on the race but also want to chat with old friends. Continue through the sliding glass door to the great outdoors and you will find “friends” who could care less about racing but love a party. We invite them because, heck, they are fun to have around and they throw good parties that we want to be invited to in the future. 5. Eat. The menu has yet to be planned but the spread could range from crawfish, corn and tators to burgers, dogs, wings and ribs. Bring what you want because someone will eat it. Be warned. There will probably be at least 4 pair of dog eyes on you at all times just waiting for your clumsy hand to drop something. Do not fear if they are merely staring but be cautious if you see long sloppy strings of drool hanging from their mouth. This means you are eating one of their favorite snacks and they would not be offended if you gave them a little sample. Note that they are not skinny and they have probably been given a few samples in the past. 6. Bring a designated driver. I will not believe that your dog is it and he just left his license at home. Also read the plaque on our wall, “If the Misses and I get to drinking and we ask you to stay the night, we don’t mean it!” And more than anything, have fun! Racing is back and everything is right in the world! I’m just going to get it all out, a purging prior to the NASCAR season if you please. 1.) WHY IS WARD BURTON NOT IN A CUP CAR? HE WON THE DAYTONA 500 FOR GOODNESS SAKE! He’s not old. He hasn’t been in any recent wrecks that would hinder his physical ability as a driver. I am baffled and literally quite stunned with NASCAR car owners. His brother had it right, in the quote above. And check out Lori’s War Wagon. I think the picture says it all. 2.) RUSTY AND RYAN ARE STILL NOT GETTING ALONG. So what. All of the writers and reporters seem obsessed with this little tiff. They’re not the only team with driver animosity. Greg Biffle raced his teammate Mark Martin when Mark had the lead and Biffle was 2 (count’em –2!) laps down and made Mark lose the lead and the race. Then the very next weekend Biffle decided to give his teammate Mark Martin the “one finger salute”! Mark Martin was not amused, to say the least. I doubt very much they’re standing in the garage smiling and smacking each other on the back. Sterling Marlin would probably like to give Biffle a “one finger salute” right in his “bug-eye”, Sterling’s word not mine. But they’re not teammates so I digress. I do agree that it’s a tad more tense because Rusty owns part of Ryan’s car. I hear Ryan can be very particular, if not stubborn, about they way he feels things should be done. It’s hard to give in when you’re so rigid. That will be my only Mark Martin/Viagra play on words! 3.) JIMMIE JOHNSON JUST GOT MARRIED. It’s not going to last. Oh, come on! I’m not a doomsayer. Talk’s been swirling around the racing community, articles have been written about it and bets are being taken on message boards. Now I’m going to tell you why. The track record for marriages lasting between models and rich athletes/rock stars is abysmal. Why? 1. Because they have nothing in common. Nothing. 2. They will never see each other to share their uncommonness. It could possibly work if; 1. She quits her job and follows him and becomes very involved in racing and the racing community. But models have a short shelf life so this would probably not be a smart move on her part. 2. They don’t have children. Although they are both rich and we all know rich folk can afford those magical little beings known as ---- Nannies! This is the part where I have you lean in real close and I say, “Let me tell ya a story of how it use to be”. Translation – “ This could take a while”. Men who raced NASCAR in the old days did not make millions of dollars doing so. They put most of their money into making it to the next race. They did not have extra money to buy RV’s to bring their family along so they were not home a lot and many marriages ended because the women got tired of being “Racing Widows”. Let’s throw some kids in the mix. Now it’s becoming a Motley Crew. Children need schooling and structure so the wife needs to stay home and provide that, thereby becoming more isolated and alone. That was then. Now, many drivers not only make a living racing NASCAR, they have millions. They can afford RV’s, private planes, nannies and probably even tutors. This has probably saved many a marriage. And to tie this altogether and make a long story longer. The NASCAR drivers who are not millionaires but have been married for a length of time normally have wives who are very involved with their husband’s racing and it usually is a family business, kind of like Andy Belmont and his wife. Oh well, hope it all works out. Maybe I’m just jealous because I’m not a rich model and at my age that dream will not come to fruition. But it’s more likely I’m jealous because I can’t afford a Nanny! Finally, speaking of Sterling Marlin, I read he had his annual “Brews Cruise” in December. From what I read he goes on a cruise to Jamaica or Bahamas (does it really matter) with a bunch of race fans and they have sun, fun and booze. That has got to be fun to say the least. Now that man knows how to throw a party. | B.A.'s Archives 2005 | B.A.'s Archives 2004 | | B.A.'s Archives 2007 | B.A.'s Archives 2006 | Splash and Go Blog | | Return Home | Drivers & Owners | Tracks & Schedules | B.A.'s Race Observations | The Garage | About Us | E-mail Us | |
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