Hanna Threatens Nascar

Tropical Storm Hanna postpones Sprint Cup race until Sunday.

NASCAR has postponed all activities at Richmond until Sunday. The Cup race will run Sunday at 1 pm, followed by the Nationwide race.

Tropical Storm Hanna is drawing a bead on the Carolinas and Virginia, and threatening to throw gasoline on the smoldering rivalry between Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards.

Sprint Cup qualifying — which was set to get underway Friday at 6:10 pm — was rained out.

The field will line up by owner’s points according to the NASCAR rulebook.

That will put Kyle Busch on the pole — and Carl Ewdwards on the outside of the front row. Oh, and by the way, that will also put Dale Earnhardt Jr starting on the outside of the 2nd row.

Let’s see, who did Kyle wreck the last time NASCAR raced at Richmond? Oh yeah, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Talk about a wreck waiting to happen when the green flag flies and the field storms into turn one.

I guess Kyke had better be fast since the rain didn’t hold off.

Hanna is currently dumping rain across the southeast,

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Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kid Rock

Dale Jr and Kid Rock Salute American Soldiers

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First Jobs For Nine NASCAR Drivers

Before they were NASCAR racers

Some race car drivers have never had to work a day in their lives. Racing is all they have ever known, and they couldn’t get a real job to support themselves if they had to.

Others aren’t so lucky, and have to work hard to earn their way into the sport.

Tony Stewart worked at a machine shop that was housed in a barn in Rush County, Indiana. He spent his days in front of a drill press fabricating pieces of tubing. Stewart gave his boss two weeks notice and quit the $5 an hour job shortly after racing in the Copper Classic in Phoenix, Arizona. His prize money from the race was $3,500 - more than 4 months pay at the machine shop. That’s when Smoke figured out he might be able to make a living holding on to a steering wheel.

Stewart also worked as a tow truck driver in Indianapolis while he was making a name for himself as an Indiana sprint car driver. The job would often take him through Speedway, Indiana - right past Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr worked as an oil change tech in the shop at the Chevy dealership in Newton, North Carolina. He once claimed to be “the fastest oil change guy in the dealership”. Junior has said that if he wasn’t racing he would probably still be working there. Dale Jr worked on race cars at night, building his own race cars and hauling them to Carolina short tracks before convincing his father he was ready to move up to the Busch series in a DEI car.

Carl Edwards worked as a substitute teacher is his hometown of Columbia, Missouri. Not surprising when you consider his mom was once president of the local PTA.

Clint Bowyer worked as a body shop mechanic at John North Ford in Emporia Kansas making $10 an hour — while racing his own car at the local short tracks. Shortly after running second - and leading 47 laps — in an ARCA race at Nashville Clint was hard at work in the body shop when the phone rang. It was Richard Childress on the line asking Bowyer to come to North Carolina and drive his Busch car. Trouble was - Bowyer didn’t believe it was really Childress on the line. He thought it was his buddies playing a joke on him. Eventually Childress was able to convince Bowyer that he was for real, and Bowyer was on his way.

Matt Kenseth grew up working for his dad. Kenseth’s father is a serial entrepreneur from the small town of Madison, Wisconsin. Roy Kenseth at various times owned a movie theater, a video rental store and a furniture store. Matt worked with his dad in the family business doing jobs like selling movie tickets and delivering furniture. When Matt was around 13 Roy decided to go stock car racing at the local short tracks in Wisconsin - and made a deal with Matt. Roy would do the driving, and Matt would help prepare the car. Then, when Matt turned 16 he would take over the driving duties. Looks like the plan worked out.

Kurt Busch worked for the public works department at the city of Las Vegas. His job was to install much needed water lines in the fast growing desert city. At the same time Busch was enrolled in the University of Arizona hoping to get a degree in microbiology or pharmacy.

Darrell Waltrip and Buddy Baker - two former Daytona 500 champions currently working as NASCAR broadcasters - both earned their living as car salesmen before deciding to drive them instead. No wonder they talk so much.

Dale Earnhardt, the 7 time NASCAR champion, once worked at Great Dane in Charlotte. There Earnhardt repaired trailers for 18 wheelers - welding broken frames, installing new brakes, and keeping the trailers rolling.

Make no mistake, racing is hard work - but sometimes the work to get to the driver’s seat is the hardest work of all.

What kind of job do you think best prepares a driver for a career in racing?

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Tony Stewart in Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone Rolls with Smoke

Tony Stewart had a calm look on his face, even as he walked away from a smoldering race car with his helmet in one hand, and the steering wheel in the other.

“… made a trip with Stewart to the Talladega Dirt Track to watch Stewart’s driver Redneck Jody race.”

Mike Guy, one of Rolling Stone’s preeminent writers, tagged along with Smoke for 4 weeks this spring in order to bring the magazine’s readers an inside look at NASCAR’s 2 time champion.

Guy had access to Stewart that few reporters - few people - ever get. He flew with Tony on the Citation jet, rode in Tony’s beat up Hummer as the two made their way to Smoke’s Indiana home at dawn, made a trip with Stewart to the Talladega Dirt Track to watch Stewart’s driver Redneck Jody race, and even sat in the motor home with the driver and his posse as they ate ravioli and doughnuts moments after Junior wrecked him and took him out of the race.

One night when Guy and Stewart arrived back at Smoke’s house in Indiana - which the magazine writer describes as more like an extended stay hotel than a home - someone opened the refrigerator only to discover there was no food. Nothing but a can of tangerine wedges - marinated in rum, and a 6 pack of Schlitz.

Smoke offered Guy, who doesn’t drink, the tangerines, never telling him about the rum marinade. By the time he plopped the first one into his mouth it was too late. I’m sure Smoke got a laugh out of that.

Once, Guy tried to console Stewart following a mediocre race at Phoenix. “Good race,” says the writer. In typical Tony Stewart fashion the driver responded “Oh you think so? Because I think it sucked.”

One thing that Guy found was that even the ever calm Jim Hunter, NASCAR’s Vice President of Corporate Communications, had some harsh words for Stewart. Yet Hunter also said that it was drivers like Tony Stewart that made the sport what it is today.

Mike Guy’s article is an entertaining story - even if you’re not a fan of Smoke. It’s worth the price of the magazine just to hear what Tony said about Kurt Busch. Or you can read the article online at RollingStone.com.

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Bud Shotout Turns Away Coors Pole Winners

Bud Eliminates Pole Winners From Race

Everyone knows that sponsors are all powerful in NASCAR, but who knew they had the power to change the format of the very races themselves.

In a battle of the beer sponsors NASCAR pole winners will no longer be automatically eligible for the 2009 Budweiser Shootout.

Anheuser Busch has sponsored the first race of the NASCAR season since 1979. The race was initially known as the Busch Clash. Now it’s called the Bud Shootout.

But in 2008 the Coors Light Pole Award became the official award that NASCAR uses to recognize the fastest qualifier.

“The change is welcome, and I think everyone will like the change.” ~ Denny Hamlin

The Bud Pole Award went away this year when Bud pulled their sponsorship. Coors Light now sponsors the pole award. So a new racing structure was needed.

The race doesn’t pay any points, but it amounts to NASCAR’s pre-season all star race. Traditionally drivers had to win a pole the previous year, or be a previous Bud shootout winner, to qualify for the race — but now that Coors is the Pole sponsor the rules have changed.

Ryan Newman, Patrick Carpentier, and Joe Nemecheck have all won poles this year, but based on the new rules they will not be in the race next year - as they would have been in previous years. Neither will Tony Stewart.

The Budweiser Shootout in Daytona will have a new format beginning in 2009.

The top 6 race teams from each manufacturer - based on owner’s points - will be in the race.

24 race teams will compete in the 2009 Shootout. The top 6 teams from each manufacturer will earn a spot in NASCAR’s first race of the year. That is, the top 6 Chevrolets, Fords, Dodges and Toyotas.

Instead of qualifying, drivers will draw for starting positions at the Budweiser Shootout Draw Party prior to the race.

The race distance has been increased to 75 laps over 2 segments. The first run will be for 25 laps, followed by a 50 lap stretch to the finish.

Teams will have a 10 minute pit stop between segments to change tires, take on fuel, and make adjustments to their race cars.

The race will be held Saturday night under the lights on February 7, 2009 at Daytona International Speedway.

Did NASCAR make the right call in allowing a sponsor to make such a major decision in racing?

Posted in NASCAR | 14 Comments »

Kyle and Carl Ready to Go 12 Rounds

Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards Begin Rivalry

NASCAR couldn’t have done any better if they had hired Don King to promote the final 12 races of the year.

If NASCAR wanted a rivalry, they have one now after Saturday night’s Sharpie 500 at Bristol.

“I tried to get him back, but I thought better of it.” ~ Kyle Busch

It’s coming down to a shootout between Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards - with jabs and punches being thrown from both sides.

Kyle Busch felt that Edwards rubbed him and moved him out of the racing groove unfairly after Edwards applied his Ford’s chrome horn to Busch’s Toyota with 30 laps to go.

“The way this works is, you know, a real smart racer explained it to me this way after he wrecked me,” said Edwards, “and I was real mad. He said, “I just had to look at your rear bumper and decide if you would do to me before, and you had, and so it was a real simple decision.”

“Earlier in the year Kyle was a lot faster than me and got to my back bumper and just smoked the back bumper of my car and sent me up the racetrack, and after that said, ‘Sorry, man, my car was just faster.’ ”

“So in my mind, I had to ask myself when I went down there in the corner, should I lift and brake early and do the best I can, or should I just kind of give him a little tap and see what happens? So that’s the way it went, and that’s the decision I made, and you know, I’d do it again.”

Busch, who had dominated the race most of the evening, had to collect his car and move up the race track as Edwards swept by for the lead.

Kyle Busch would chase Carl Edwards to the checkered flag, never to regain the lead.

Then on the cool down lap Kyle pulled alongside Carl and bumped into the side of the No. 99 Ford.

It appeared to cause Carl Edwards to lose control of his Ford, and as he was trying to save the car he hit Busch’s No. 18 Toyota in the left rear sending Busch into a 360 degree spin.

Busch seemed to be looking for some payback following the spin, but cooler heads prevailed. Kyle accelerated quickly for a moment then dove into the pits and parked his car.

Kyle Busch was angry with Edwards when he climbed from his car after the race. “If that’s the way he wants to race, we’ll race him in the Chase that way,” said Busch.

Busch was highly critical of Edwards driving style. “You know, to pass a guy, to hit him getting into the corners and chatter the tires is what he did,” said Busch. “I tried to get him back, but I thought better of it and tried to pull down and pass him back. But I didn’t have a good enough car to stick. ”

Even the normally cool headed J. D. Gibbs had a warning for Edwards after the race. “You reap what you sow,” said Gibbs to Edwards.

Busch was immediately summoned to the NASCAR trailer for a conference with Mike Helton and John Darby of NASCAR.

Busch was highly critical of Edwards driving style. “You know, to pass a guy, to hit him getting into the corners and chatter the tires is what he did,” said Busch. “I tried to get him back, but I thought better of it and tried to pull down and pass him back. But I didn’t have a good enough car to stick. “

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A Kasey Kahne Billboard the Allstate Girls Would Love

Kasey Kahne Billboard

The Marketing crew at Texas Motor Speedway has been working late to come up with some creative advertising to sell tickets to the Dickies 500 coming up in November.

Kim Ramon from Texas sent these in for your viewing pleasure, along with this note:

Greg, here’s a couple more billboards! I hope TMS is paying their marketing people a bundle because they’re geniuses!

I’m sure there’s more around. I’ll send them when I get them. Enjoy!

This Kasey Kahne billboard is located in Fort Worth, Texas on I-35W southbound right after the downtown Fort Worth mixmaster.

Don’t miss the Kyle Busch Black Hat billboard, or the Dale Jr billboard.

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Kyle Busch Black Hat Billboard Billboard

Why Did Kyle Get the Black Hat?

Looks like Kyle Busch has earned a spot on the Texas Motor Speedway billboard tour.

The Shrub billboard is on Hwy 121 eastbound going towards DFW International Airport from Fort Worth.

Kyle joins some good company. Junior also has a billboard, along with Kasey Kahne. Last spring Jeff Gordon had one noting that he had zero wins at Texas. Jimmie Johnson and Tony Stewart have also appeared on this campaign.

Thanks to Kim Ramon for all the photos.

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Bristol Sound Off Page

Have your say! Who can Master Bristol?

When Kyle Busch won the Craftsman Truck race at Bristol Wednesday night, at least he didn’t say “This Truck Sucks.”

That’s about what Busch said last year when he won the first Sprint cup COT race at Bristol, when he said“This Car Sucks.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr is ready for the half-mile short track. “I’m looking forward to Bristol because I’ve had some success there, and it’s good short track racing. I’ve grown up racing at short tracks and just like them. We did good last time at Bristol,” said Junior.

Earnhardt has one win at Bristol. He has led 743 laps there, and has scored 10 top 10’s. His win there came on August 28, 2004 when he started 30^th before driving straight to the front to lead 295 laps.

Jeff Gordon has 5 wins at Bristol - but he has a lot of qwork to do to win again based on his performanve so far this year.

Kurt Busch also has 5 wins at Bristol - including 3 in a row - but like Gordon his performance so far this year hasn’t shown he’s ready to win.

So who do you like at Bristol? Who can master the fast but short track where drivers can complete a lap in under 15 seconds?

Have your say now!

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It’s Bristol Time Again

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